THING OF THE WEEK
BOOMERANG… The annual LandAid North West dinner was held last week and raised almost £70,000 for the fight to end youth homelessness. Attendees bought raffle tickets and took part in an auction for various goodies to raise cash for the good cause. One such prize was a magnum of rosé – what else was it going to be at a party full of property folk – donated by Glenbrook co-founder Guy Butler. The Whispering Angel soon became known as the boomerang bottle after Butler’s own ticket was drawn not once but twice before a third draw saw it go to Axis Consulting. What are the chances?
RUN… It’s never a bad idea to put your best foot forward in front of your boss. CBRE’s Manchester staff did just that this week, waking up way before the sun to get into town for an early morning 5k with UK and Ireland chief executive Rishi Bhuchar, who was up from London.
The corporate world has changed. Long gone are the days when junior staff looking to get ahead would try to demonstrate their fortitude in the local boozer on a Thursday evening. These days, bosses are more interested in being matched stride for stride than drink for drink. What better way to impress than setting an especially early alarm for a jog around Manchester to curry favour with the man who pays your wages?
The run, which was attended by an impressive number of CBRE colleagues, was the very first Run with Rishi, an initiative intended to allow the big boss to get familiar with staff and cities, which is going to be replicated across CBRE’s regional offices.
Affordable indulgence and a Canadian invasion is boosting regional shopping outlets. Credit: via Redwood Consulting
RETAIL… “Affordable indulgence”, particularly in the health and wellbeing realm, is what is driving footfall across the UK’s shopping centres, according to a new study by Newmark. It basically means purchases that give you a boost without breaking the bank, like a new moisturiser.
The report also found that the UK – London first and then often Manchester and Liverpool second – continues to provide a landing spot for US brands seeking to expand into Europe.
Watch out, too, for a Canadian invasion. Montreal-based Garage, which sells clothes rather than car parts, is an early indicator of a trend Newmark believes will grow in the coming years. The retailer has already arrived at Manchester Arndale and the Trafford Centre, which both rose up the retail rankings this year to third and tenth respectively. Expect to see a correlating rise in the popularity of double denim, also known as the Canadian tuxedo.
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