Retail Update - October 2010

Welcome to the Retail Update - October 2010

In this issue:

• Protect your produce and boost sales at the same time!...
• No more safe harbour: UK competition law clamps down on land agreements...
• Part-time workers - full time risks...
• Signed, sealed - not delivered?...
• Meet the Michelmores Retail Team...
• We also have a guest article by Geoff Nicholson, Managing Director of FSP Retail, one of the UK's leading retail business consultancies...

Protect your produce and boost sales at the same time!

The Protected Designation of Origin EU scheme is designed to help food and drink producers to prevent misuse and imitation of their products. The rights allow retailers the opportunity to reassure customers that their produce comes from a specific geographical area. However, English producers are yet to make the most of this protection.

We look at how the scheme works and examine whether this provides producers and retailers with a competitive edge.

No more safe harbour: UK competition law clamps down on land agreements

Following its investigation into supermarkets, the Government has repealed the exclusion that land agreements had from the application of competition law. This means that, from 6 April 2011, all restrictions in land agreements will potentially be subject to the Competition Act, which prohibits anti-competitive agreements.

We examine how this applies to retailers and what you should be doing over the coming months to prepare for this change. 

Part-time workers - full time risks

Part-time workers may seem like a good idea, but is there a sting in the employment tail? With part-time workers accounting for a staggering 27% of the total national workforce, we look at the risks associated with employing part-time staff and what retailers can do to manage these risks.

Signed, sealed... not delivered?

With online sales remaining healthy despite recession, can enhancing the delivery experience add to a retailer's brand? We provide an overview of the options available for improving delivery and the issues retailers should bear in mind.

Guest article: Talking turnover rents

With the use of turnover rents tending to increase during a tougher economic climate, when demand for retail space is less, our guest contributor, Geoff Nicholson, Managing Director of leading business consultancy FSP Retail, puts turnover rents in the spotlight, examining how this works in practice.

Meet the Michelmores Retail Team

The Michelmores Retail Team is a dedicated group of lawyers drawn from across the firm, established to meet the particular needs of our clients within the retail sector.

We hope that you have found this newsletter of interest. For further information on any of the issues raised, please contact:

Rob Nicholson, Partner and Head of Retail
Email: rob.nicholson@michelmores.com
Tel: 01392 687577

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