The Hub Recruitment Retail’s Weekly News Snippets

It’s Wednesday. Which means it’s The Hub Retail Recruitment’s Weekly News Snippets. This week we have three very different stories, but of relevance to us all: Austin Reed in demand again?; Should we stay or should we go?; No pay rise? Again!.

Austin Reed in demand again? So although Austin Reed went into administration because we stopped buying its clothes, it is in demand again. But this time it’s by new investors looking to take over the ailing brand and breath new life into it. And guess who one of those investors is? None other than Mike Ashley of Sports Direct. Didn’t he want to buy BHS you ask? Well, yes. Apparently. Whilst he’s got that retailer on his wish list, Austin Reed is also on it! Here’s an article that reports very nicely on this.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/13/mike-ashley-sports-direct-acquire-tailoring-brand-austin-reed

Should we stay or should we go? The EU debate is hotting up as we are now only weeks away from the referendum. Claims and counter claims abound. What’s the truth of it? Here at The Hub Retail Recruitment, we believe it’s all guess work. No-one knows what will happen, and therefore it all comes down to whether we want to take a risk that will only come once in a lifetime, or stay as we are. Employers are getting involved now and telling their staff what their stance is. Here’s an article that asks if it’s appropriate that employers such as MicroSoft should try and sway their staffs’ vote. Our view – have an informed debate internally by all means, but too much of one opinion is likely to turn people against, not for.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36312241

No pay rise? Again!  According to this report, below, pay is likely to stay pretty much as it is for the next few years – until the end of the decade if not beyond. Why? Apparently the recipe of low inflation, a good supply of labour, mixed with low growth in productivity means there’s little pressure on employers to pay staff more. Whether that means pay will at least in real terms keep pace remains to be seen.

http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/survey-reports/labour-market-outlook-spring-2016.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=cipd&utm_campaign=cipdupdate&utm_term=68296&utm_content=180516-5925-11169–20160518060340-Read%20this%20Labour%20Market%20Outlook

That’s all from The Hub Retail Recruitment’s Weekly News Snippets. Next Wednesday – 25th May – will be our Monthly Newsround. So do look out for it. And in the meantime, let us have your comments on any of this week’s stories or your thoughts on stories from previous weeks.