tools, technology, work
It seems that we’re watching the death throes of the House of Fraser – or at least of the House of Fraser brand. How much of this is a sign of the broader changes in retailing, and how much is the story of a poorly managed brand?
Marks and Spencers have announced seven thousand job losses. What does this mean for M&S and retailing more generally?
Apple UK has allegedly asked UK landlords for substantial rent cuts. In an environment where the value of retail space is a fraction of what it was 6 months ago, should we be surprised if retailers are looking for significant rent cuts?
Many cities are using Covid-19 as the reason for significant shifts in their attitudes towards cycling – and particularly towards making roads significantly more cycle friendly.
But the evidence on the street is that this shift to urban cycling hasn’t really happened yet.
Now that retailing in the UK is starting to open up (past supermarkets, bike stores, and DIY stores), we can start to see how UK retailers are responding/changing how they operate.
We are starting to see some v. small changes in how transportation is changing in Covid-19 Scotland – early thoughts on what Spaces for People is doing in Scotland.
Some thoughts on the roll-out of Phase 2 of Edinburgh’s 20mph speed limits.
Urban speeding is like drink driving – it’s not the penalties that change behaviour, it’s the changes in our definition of what is acceptable that will change behaviour.
In my experience the key thing delaying the start of research projects is staff availability – whether you have access to the people you need, or if you need to recruit and how ready to recruit you (and your organisation) are.
Interesting article on the BBC on the Local Data Company’s latest report on the high retail vacancy rates in the UK, with one in seven shops (14%) empty.
Focusing on the headline vacancy rate is interesting, but does it help us understand if we’re getting more (or less) good shops on our streets?
Scotland is an urban country: 70% of Scots live in urban areas. Despite the importance of rural Scotland, the majority of impact of independence will be felt by urban Scots. So what will this impact be? Will there be any? Does anyone care either way?
Just a wee heads up that I’ll be speaking at the 2012 PPA Digital Publishing Conference on Wednesday 26 September in London. The conference theme is ‘Into the Future’, and I’ll be exploring some of the opportunities surrounding the smart cities initiatives for providers of digital data services, designed to raise business efficiency or improve consumer access to public sector content.
You can find out more information about the conference and register at www.ppa.co.uk/digital.