THE HUB RETAIL RECRUITMENT’S WEEKLY NEWS SNIPPETS
- Date: 8 February 2017
- Posted By: admin
Another week has flown by, and here we are with another selection of interesting stories for you. This week, we bring you: January blues; Connelly who? You’re never too old; We all need a pat on the back. We hope these tantalising headlines will entice you to read on – enjoy!
January blues: After the stronger than expected High Street sales in the run up to Christmas, January seems to be showing a different picture. Like for like sales are down by 0.6%, compared to a 2.6% increase a year earlier. The reason why? Well this first article suggests that it’s really not that bad, because the comparison of 2.6% doesn’t really correlate as 2015/16 was a bit of a spike in sales. And, as we’ve been reporting in recent weeks, there have been strong sales for a lot of retailers. However, for one, it isn’t good news. This second article reports on Sir Philip Green’s Topshop sales which have dipped by 11%. The Arcadia group as a whole was down 6.5%. Not good news for Sir Philip, who it is also reported is nearing agreeing a deal over the pension deficit of the BHS pension fund. Let’s hope that if that is the case, the former BHS staff get a good deal on their future pensions.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/green-hit-by-christmas-sales-slide-at-topshop-mwnxctkrn
Connelly who?: Joan Collins, the actress, apparently said “you haven’t lived until you’ve sat your naked butt on Connolly leather”. Connelly’s is an English heritage leather maker, supplying leather to the car industry, typically Rolls Royce. Enter centre stage Isabel Ettedgui, who is now launching a new business using Connolly leather to make luxury leather handbags and accessories. She was married to Joseph Ettedgui, of the Joseph fashion line, who sadly died in 2010. Mrs Ettendgui is sinking everything she’s got into this new venture, having renovated a Georgian townhouse in Mayfair, and turning it into a shop selling leather goods, but including some clothes and furniture. Living on the top floor, she feels it’s important to have the owner’s presence in a brand like hers. We wish her luck, especially as she is clearly, from this article, passionate about what she’s doing, and about reviving the Connolly heritage.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38878808
You’re never too old: Terry Leahy, former CEO of Tesco, understood this years ago, and proved that older workers were an asset to the business – very reliable, and a good influence on younger workers. The Government now seems to have woken up to this, perhaps driven by the cost of an ageing population. It has launched an initiative to get older people back into work, or to keep them there. Work is good for our health, and for our pockets. And saves the State money too. So what’s not to love about it? Nothing. We applaud a positive approach to hiring older workers. But let’s hope that we can all enjoy a retirement when we’re ready for it. In these two articles you’ll read about the Government’s initiative, and the Andy Briggs, CEO of Aviva UK Life, is championing this Government strategy, and supports the target of firms hiring a further 1 million further older workers by 2020. Have a read and see what you think.
http://news.sky.com/story/employers-urged-to-hire-a-million-more-older-workers-10758410
We all need a pat on the back: It’s good to know when you’ve done a good job, and that your employer recognises it. But apparently, only 37% of those surveyed in this research feels they are valued for the work they do. This article says that, whilst it’s often the line manager that needs to be good at appreciating our work, it’s the leadership team of a business that sets the tone for a culture that praises our work. What’s it like where you work?
That’s our roundup for another week. We hope you found something of interest. And do come back next Wednesday, 15th February, to read some more news snippets. Don’t forget that the day before is Valentine’s Day!