Retail, Leisure & Hospitality
Consumer facing and retail businesses are often in the spotlight when it comes to being responsible. Fair labour practices, hyper consumerism and waste, safe working environments, packaging and marketing claims are all in a day’s work for these businesses.
Organisations who embrace responsible business, have the opportunity to create competitive advantage, winning over customers who are increasingly interested in companies who showcase their values, and attracting the best talent. Sustainable practices give rise to cost saving and efficiency, with new technology and innovation constantly evolving to help businesses have a more positive impact on the environment and communities.
Our diverse team of consumer and retail specialists can advise on how to anticipate and plan for ESG considerations in this fast-moving environment to protect your business, build your reputation in this space, comply with regulations and ensure sustainable growth.
Latest Insights & News
We have selected a few topical issues below, but for more inspiration on your sector or area of interest, click through to our media library here.
How Can We Help?
Whether you are looking to build a new site, are considering alternate energy sources, need advice on waste or want to make your packaging more sustainable, our team of experts can help you navigate the regulations and identify the best option for you.
A full suite of services to assist you in creating a safe and productive environment and ensuring that there are measures in place to prevent discrimination. We assist in creating and reviewing policies, providing assessments and training, while ensuring you meet your obligations as an employer and reap the benefits of a diverse and thriving work force.
We can support you in managing many of your people related matters in a number of ways. Whether you want to outsource some of your HR function, need advice and representation in disputes or are looking to review or implement new or revised policies including modern slavery, our award-winning employment team can help you to achieve a productive, diverse, thriving workforce.
Protection of your customers, members or fans data as well as ensuring no disruption to daily business activities is critical for all sports related organisations. With our cyber security assessment and support with training and compliance on data privacy and GDPR, our teams are well placed to ensure you have the measures in place to keep your data and systems safe.
We specialise in managing and protecting intellectual property including image rights, across borders and can offer a broad range of services including tax advice and implications and take down services across digital platforms.
Whether you are a business in distress, looking to resolve a tax matter, raise funds or restructure your organisation, our team can advise and help to assess the implications of different options to achieve the best possible outcome for all stakeholders.
To explore the wider range of services offered by Irwin Mitchell see our Legal Advisory Service Page.
"Everybody Wants To Make A Difference"
Charlotte Rees-John leads the team who specialise in our consumer and retail space. Hear more about the impact of ESG in this sector, the importance of the people at the centre of these businesses, and how our experts can help you achieve your goals.
Overcoming Disruption In The Consumer Sector
UK Powerhouse is our quarterly economic growth report charting the regional effects for businesses across the UK. What does 2022 have in store for the consumer sector? Our latest report explains the recent challenges that have affected consumer businesses, and what's likely to continue disrupting the sector in the future. It will also provide recommendations from both our legal teams and the CBI.
Overcoming Disruption In The Consumer Sector
As an Employment Partner, Diversity & Inclusion has always been a passion. With an increased focus on ESG, we've seen D&I starting to make the board minutes and that's exciting. As a parent of a neuro diverse child, the right for all to be treated with dignity and respect and to be valued for their own unique contribution provides even more motivation to be part of making a difference.
I'm a Diversity and Inclusion expert and help organisations review their activities and culture, identify where they can make a real difference reflecting their customers and employees, develop a short- and long-term strategy and then deliver that strategy.
View Charlotte Rees-John's Profile
Sustainability in business is about making a difference beyond short-term interests to build a better and fairer world for people and the planet with our finite level of resources. It doesn’t mean that business should not generate profit (far from it) but it’s long term value generation that will make the difference and comes from taking responsibility and having shared purpose at the centre.
When asked why this is important and urgent it brings to mind a quote from a film favourite - "There's a storm coming… batten down the hatches, because when it hits, you're all gonna wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us."
View Hannah's Profile
Contact Details
For all ESG enquiries, please contact Charlotte Rees-John, Partner, by phone or email.
Sectors
Our specialist sports lawyers have in-depth knowledge of the sports sector, many of them coming from sporting clubs and organisations themselves. They bring this passion and experience to a broad spectrum of ESG related services tailored to this industry, from corporate governance and compliance to environmental planning of a new stadium to awareness training on Diversity and Inclusion. For more information visit our Sport Sector ESG page.
The manufacturing sector is at the forefront of both the challenges and opportunities of building a sustainable business. From energy and emissions and waste management to responsible sourcing and large diverse workforces and work environments, our multi-disciplinary team of experts can help with achieving both the short-term wins and long-term goals. For more information visit our Manufacturing Sector ESG page.
Whether you are a developer, investor or occupier, there are significant considerations to ensure that properties are built and operated efficiently and responsibly. Our expert legal teams can advise across multiple real estate sectors to assist you in complying with regulations and managing the environmental and social impact of any property or development. From implementing of green leases and issuing of environmental permits to sophisticated environmental planning expertise, the team can guide you to achieve your ESG goals. For more information visit our Real Estate Sector ESG page.
Consumer facing and retail businesses are often in the spotlight when it comes to being responsible businesses. Fair labour practices, hyper consumerism and waste, safe working environments, packaging and marketing claims are all in a day’s work for these businesses. Our diverse team of consumer and retail specialists can advise on how to anticipate and plan for ESG considerations in this fast-moving environment to protect your business and ensure sustainable growth. For more information visit our Consumer Sector ESG page.
