Human Capital

Our thoughts and opinions on the key pieces of news that have affected the consumer sector. Sometimes we are the ones creating the stories; all part of our belief that to be the best at what we do we need to pursue the exceptional.

2025

January

MARATHON WOMAN – ‘Losing faith,’ endangered species, and peanut butter on toast. A profile of Grocer Gold ‘Entrepreneur of the Year,’ Pip Murray, who created Pip & Nut to help fuel her marathon training

January

FAKE BREWS? – Bamboozled boozers, Goliath of Gath, and the Pepsi Challenge. As a new You Gov survey reveals mass confusion amongst consumers in the ‘craft’ beer market, indies are fighting back

2024

November

TALES OF THE UNGREGGSPECTED! – Nigella Lawson, Festive Bakes, and £425-a-bottle Louis Roederer Cristal. How Greggs invented ‘off-brand’ marketing
November

BACK TO THE FUTURE – Taylor Swift, The Pogues, and the Ghosts of Christmases Past – How WHSmith fell in love with vinyl records again
November

TRILLION-DOLLAR BABY – Super Mario, Levi Strauss, and LLMs. How $3.52 trillion-valued NVIDIA struck gold
November

BIG DATA IS WATCHING YOU – Charles Darwin, Kim Kardashian, and the ‘nano-influencers.’ How Shein’s data-powered e-commerce model is revolutionising fashion retail

September

JUST LOST A MILLION ON THE MARKETS? PERHAPS, YOU DIDN’T GET HOWARD MARKS’ MEMO? – Warren Buffet, Achillies’ heels, and ‘thinking small.’ Inside the legendary investment ‘memos’ of Oaktree Capital Management’s Howard Marks
September

HOW NINJA CONQUERED THE WORLD – Mark Barrocas, ‘Samurai thinking,’ and the one-billion-dollar market. A look at the SharkNinja CEO’s all-conquering air fryer strategy
 
September

I DON’T DRINK, THEREFORE I AM –#SoberTok, paradigm shifts, and ‘mindful’ axe throwing. The “you-do-you” Gen Z mentality that’s powering the ‘Experience Economy.’
August

HERE A NEW, THERE A NEW, EVERYWHERE A NEW, NEW…
 
July

THE QUEEN’S GAMBITS – What have new Chancellor of the Exchequer – former junior chess champion Rachel Reeves – and Labour got planned for the Consumer Sector?

 
June

“FOREVER. FASTER. SEE THE GAME LIKE WE DO” – Usain Bolt, speed as a ‘mindset,’ and Jack Grealish. Why PUMA thinks a new “single message” branding slogan will turbocharge its business.
 
June

KING CHARLES, THE “QUEEN OF POTTERY,” AND PEPPA PIG – How Emma Bridgewater built a thirty-three-million-pound business.
 
June

MISSION POSSIBLE? – Tom Cruise, Steven Bartlett, and an ‘alpha-brainwave’ buzz. Can Impossibrew really give consumers the ‘buzz’ of booze from a non-alcoholic beer?

 
May

“DOES MY BUM LOOK BIG IN THIS, HAL 9000?”
 
May

OLD IS THE ‘NEW’ NEW – Six of the best new consumer product launches for 2024.

 
April

SEX, EGGS AND ROCK AND ROLL – Freud’s id, Instagram, and Taylor Swift. How Sigmund Freud’s nephew invented the modern influencer marketing industry.
 
March

THE PRICE OF CHOCOLATE IS GOING UP AND UP.

So, shouldn’t the size of Easter eggs be shrinking?

 
March

RISKY BUSINESS – Tom Cruise, ‘Loadsamoney,’ and the new supply-chain China Syndrome.
 
March

THE AMAZING MR MUSK Vs THE CHINESE DRAGON – Is Elon Musk’s Tesla really the future of motoring, or already doomed to be part of its past?
 
February

IS IT R.I.P FOR DRIP?

 
February

GOING WILD IN THE COUNTRY – TikTok rappers, ‘Zillennial’ fashion, and showering with your pants on. How outdoor got in with the in-crowd.

 
January

“CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS?”– M&S Vs the ‘Cost-of-Living Crisis’ is an age-old struggle.

 
January

THE KINGS OF ‘DRY JANUARY’

2023

 
December

THE MYSTERIOUS MR BIGHAM – Google him, and it seems more grown-ups believe in Fr Christmas than Charlie Bigham. So, does the Grocer's 'Entrepreneur of the Year' really exist?

 
December

“STOP THE WORLD, I WANT TO GET ON!” – Booths are bringing humans back on the checkout. Will a future-phobic consumer ensure retail becomes more low-tech?
 
November

FINGER CLICKING GOOD! – Apple’s new Vision Pro introduces the era of ‘spatial computing’ and is controlled by gestures. Some leading industry experts believe it will revolutionise retailing.
 
October

JEFF BEZOS Vs HENRY FORD? THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE WINNER – Is Digit, Amazon’s new two-legged ‘Model D,’ about to become the Model-T Ford of robotics?
 
August

UNDER THE INFLUENCE – 80 million eyeballs, less is more, and Logan Paul’s ghost. The secrets behind Prime’s $250m influencer-powered mega-launch.

 
August

AI AND THE ART OF THE DEAL – Brad Pitt, the Oakland Raiders, and Goliath of Gath. How AI is revolutionising PE deal-making.
 
July

THE ‘SOUL OF MADRID’ THAT’S BREWED IN TADCASTER – A deal with the Devil, ‘Chulapos,’ and Peaky Blinders. The inside story of Madri Excepcional’s exceptional success.
 
July

NOCADO! – Jeff Bezos is the Don Juan of the takeover deal. (Nobody can resist him.) But this time, Ocado should say ‘no.’
 
July

ANTA. THE $29 BILLION SPORTS BRAND NO ONE IN EUROPE HAS HEARD OF – How can the Chinese sports brand compete for market visibility with mega-brands like Nike and Adidas?
 
June

INTRODUCING COKE ‘TOTAL.’ NO, IT’S NOT A DRINK, IT’S A BEVERAGE STRATEGY – After its recent acquisition of Finlandia Vodka, can Coca-Cola’s ‘Total Beverage Strategy’ turn it into the everywhere company?
 
June

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME –Brewdog, Robbie Burns, corn-starch, and going “aft agley.”
 
June

BODIFYCATION – Elvis, AI, and gold lame jumpsuits. How Kansas start-up Bodify plan to reduce retail returns.
 
April

THE CLONE DERANGERS – How big brands are using blockchain technology to kill off copycat scents.
 
April

THE RACE TO BE THE NEXT LULULEMON – Six key runners and riders.
 
April

“HEY, GUYS! I’M, LIKE, SO INTO THIS…” – Six eyeball-grabbing consumer brands on TikTok.

 
April

THE FIVE-BILLION-DOLLAR FAMILY BUSINESS – How the Boyle family fled from the Nazis and built the billion-dollar Columbia activewear brand.
 
March

CADBURY UNWRAPPED – How the brand’s ‘stillness’ strategy unlocked £261 million of revenue.

 
March

PRIVATE EQUITY’S TRILLION-DOLLAR ‘DRY POWDER’ MOUNTAIN – One trillion reasons why PE firms may continue to invest in 2023.
 
March

TOMORROW ISN’T SOON ENOUGH – After Getir bought its nearest rival, Gorillas, in a $1.2 billion deal can q-commerce (delivery in minutes, not hours) thrive?
 
February

WELCOME TO THE EVERYWHERE MALL – ‘Digital Twins, Deja You,’ and ‘Netflexing.’ The six key shopping trends of 2030. A retail future foretold.
 
January

NEW YEAR, ‘NEU’ LOOK? – Taylor Swift champions it. Fashion and beauty marketers are paying attention to it. Will 2023 be the year of ‘body neutrality’?
 
January

YOUR FUTURE JUST GOT FASTER – Accelerated digital transformation, “blurred boundaries,” and “co-creating” consumers. Six key business trends for 2023

2022

 
December

SERVE ME UP A SLICE OF SPOTIFY – Rihanna, Beyoncé, Fleetwood Mac, and $16.9 billion global streaming revenues. Why PE firms are taking a big bet on music catalogues.
 
December

WHY STARTUPS SOMETIMES STOP – Harvard Business School’s Tom Eisenmann has the inside track on six common entrepreneurial mistakes to avoid.
 
November

NAKED WINES, STRIPPED BARE – Naked ‘Angels,’ big data, and best-selling ‘book deals.’

 
November

HOW TO BULID A BILLION DOLLAR SPORTSWEAR BRAND – Six tips from Ben Francis, CEO of Gymshark.
 
November

KIMFLUENCING THE CITY – Will SKKY, Kim Kardashian’s new PE firm, help her beat Serena Williams to uncover the next Beats by Dre?

 
October

FROM WORKING MEN’S CLUBS TO COP 27…
 
October

WHAT’S NEXT FOR NEXT? – Topshop’s gone. Debenhams too. But Next are thriving. How does Lord Wolfson do it?
 
September

BUY. EAT. BUT NO REPEAT - Have vegan products been overhyped?
 
August

THE BIG SLOW DOWN? – Will charging for returns put the brakes on fast-fashion?
 
August

WILL WOMEN'S SPORT BECOME A ONE-BILLION-POUND BRAND? – 32.9 million people in the UK watched women’s sport in 2021, and that was before England became European Champions.
 
July

IS ‘JUNK’ FOOD BEING UNFARILY JUNKED? – Are HFSS products really the ‘new tobacco?’
 
June

THE INTERNET OF SENSES, 6G, AND OTHER FARFETCHED TALES – How Farfetch’s $200 million investment in Neiman Marcus is all about the future of omnichannel retailing.
 
June

BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID, THE BIG I IS BACK – Inflation is picking consumer’s pockets. And changing the way they shop.
 
June

ERNEST SHACKLETON AND THE MISSING MENTOR.
 
May

MAMMON AND THE METAVERSE – Alexander the Great, virtual Air Jordans, and $41 billion of NFTs.

 
April

TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED – Drayton’s Sophie Edwards talks about infinity mirrors, different selves, and psychometric testing.
 
April

COGNAC AND THE SHANGHAI COGNOSCENTI – Global sales of the sophisticated spirit are soaring with Chinese drinkers leading the way.
 
March

WILL BOOTS No7 BECOME BIGGER THAN BOOTS? – The acquisition of the Nottingham company might revolutionise its own-label sales.
 
March

HOW TO GROW FASTER IN PASTA – Six top tips to grow any D2C start-up from Pasta Evangelist’s Alessandro Savelli.
 
March

TUESDAY NIGHTS ON TATOOINE – GroceryAid CEO Steve Barnes talks Star Wars, Brentford FC, and this week’s GroceryAid Ball.
 
March

SATYA IN WONDERLAND – Why Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s $68.7 billion deal to buy Activision is all about the metaverse.
 
February

THE PROPHETS OF LOW MARGIN – Decathlon’s visionary approach to sports retailing.
 
January

ME, ME, ME, YOU! – How the world’s pandemic consumers are putting others first.
 
January

IS SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABLE? - Will the pandemic consumer pay a premium to save the planet?

2021

 
December

A VERY BERRY XMAS? – Berry Bros. & Rudd are offering a personal fine wine cellar as a gift. (Prices start at £2,500)

 
December

JUST 2022 IT – Six hotly anticipated trends in next year’s sportswear market.
 
November

UNEXPECTED COMPANIES IN THE BAGGING AREA?

 
November

IS ETHLEISURE THE NEW NAME FOR ATHLEISURE?
 
November

TAP AND GO, GO, GO – Will the new £100 contactless limit usher in a Xmas retail boom?
 
November

NOT JUST SAYING, DOING – GroceryAid’s annual Diversity & Inclusion programme urges more action.
 
October

EVERYONE'S A WINNER – Five of the key winners from this year’s Grocer Awards.
 
October

NOT SHAKEN. NOT STIRRED – Bond is back.

But can Liberation Cocktails persuade him to sip a pre-mixed cocktail?

 
September

GOLDEN FUTURES? – The five companies competing for ‘Startup of the Year’ at the Grocer Gold Awards
 
September

Visionary Thinking: IS FAR AWAY THE NEW FACE TO FACE?

How shopping in the metaverse will revolutionise retail.
 
September

Visionary Thinking: STEPPING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE...

How L Catterton plans to take Birkenstock to the world.
 
August

HEROES OF NET ZERO – 1 in 3 major UK companies are pledged to a net-zero goal.

FastTrack | 60-second read
 
August

CHILDS FARM GROWS UP – The child skincare company’s launch of adult brand Farmologie is paying dividends.

FastTrack | 60-second read
 
August

RISE OF THE ‘EVERYWHERE RETAILER’- Superdrug’s new ‘Store Insider’ service looks to offer online shoppers an offline level of customer service.

FastTrack | 60-second read
 
July

FROM RUSSIA FOR LESS – Not just no frills, no shelves. Russian discounter Mere plans to revolutionise UK retail.

FastTrack | 60-second read
 
July

The A to Z of B Corp – How doing good can be good for business
 
June

THE RELUCTANT BILLIONAIRES? – How two men who didn’t like business started The North Face and Patagonia.

FastTrack | 60-second read
 
June

GÜ-ING, GÜ-ING, GONE – PE firm Exponent’s recent acquisition of Gü Puds looks like a shrewd investment.

FastTrack | 60-second read
 
May

CHANGING WITH THE TIMES? – Reformulation can help food brands navigate the UK’s HFSS legislation. But it’s not without risk.

FastTrack | 60-second read
 
May

THE ART OF UNSELLING – How beauty brand The Ordinary gained a $2.2bn valuation

FastTrack | 60-second read
 
May

SIX APPEAL – Six key influencers in the beauty market

Six in 60 | 60-second read
 
April

NEW NORMAL Vs OLD – How the global lockdown has changed patterns of consumption

FastTrack | 60-second read
 
April

THE POWER OF THE PIVOT – Crisis what crisis? Three Consumer Sector lock-down successes.

FastTrack | 60-second read
 
March

WARY OF PLANT-BASED – Three key consumer insights that may be holding back vegan product sales

FastTrack | 60-second read
 
March

Six key components of online shopper personalisation strategies.

6 in 60 | 60-second read
 
March

How covid-era consumers 'sick of rules' helped shape a new 'Eat Balanced' campaign.

FastTrack | 60-second read

2020

 
March

Greggs' People Director, Roisin Currie, reveals the mystery cultural ingredients no one else can copy.
 
January

Right Person. Wrong Role. – When being an exceptional candidate doesn’t necessarily mean you are the right ‘fit.’

2019

 
November

CLICKS Vs BRICKS – The high street is dead, but is Amazon bringing it back to life?
 
May

BitZon Vs Google Cash? Can blockchain technology turn the FAANGs into countries?
 
May

The "Weedtail" Revolution is here. Drayton's Rob Seery examines the future of OTC marijuana.
 
March

Principles, protection, and durability – How Fjallraven and Ortovox are leading the way with sustainable fabrics.

2018

 
December

Rob Seery discovers the food industry might be evolving in ways that can make us all feel more optimistic about sustainability

 
June

Adidas Vs Nike; Drayton's Wayne Mabbott referees the final of the 2018 Brand World Cup.