Crocs, Unilever, Toys R Us, minimum wage, house prices: your commercial news round-up
updated on 15 March 2018
Want to improve your chances of getting a training contract? Developing your commercial awareness is a sure-fire way to impress recruiters and partners alike at interview – but it’s not something you can just start doing the day before. You need to put in the prep if you are to present as a credible candidate, so why not start here with this selection of stories from the past week:
- Crocs-u-like: the unmistakable shape of the Croc (both loved and loathed) is no longer the preserve of the brand, as the European Court of Justice has ruled that the shape cannot be protected by design laws.
- Unilever has announced that its new headquarters are to be in the Netherlands, not London. The company, which makes brands including Marmite, Pot Noodle and Ben & Jerry’s, has explicitly said that the decision “was not about Brexit”.
- Toys R Us is to shut all of its US stores – with the potential loss of around 30,000 jobs – as well as all of its UK stores by the end of April.
- The government has released a list of 179 companies that have not been paying the minimum wage to their employees. Wagamama tops the list in terms of numbers of employees being underpaid, but some high-profile football clubs are also on there (Stoke City and Birmingham City), as well as TGI Friday’s and Karen Millen.
- With the blame being laid squarely at the door of Brexit, new figures show that London property prices have fallen by an average of 15% in the past year. Conversely, prices in the Northwest have surged, with Blackburn riding a 16.4% wave.
Be sure to check the News every Thursday for this weekly commercial news round-up. Follow @LawCareersNetUK on Twitter and like us on Facebook for instant business news updates.
