Latest letters
Retail investors must be more hands-on with assets
For the past five years, the real estate industry has debated the plight of retail. The threat of online has proved real and today we are at a critical point where it is affecting retail presence and the global retail market.
Labour’s proposals would make our housing crisis worse
In 1977, Olivia Newton John sang a love song, Making a Good Thing Better. Forty years later, Labour has just published its own version: a green paper that could be subtitled ‘Making a Bad Thing Worse’.
In-mall car showrooms step up a gear
In contrast to the struggling fortunes of several retailers, a growing number of car brands are opening showrooms in shopping centres – and getting great results.
‘Healthy’ buildings should be the norm in retail
There has been much talk in recent months on the importance of factoring wellbeing into office workplace design but less on how essential supporting the health and wellbeing of shoppers and workers in the retail space is. Going forward, this should be at the forefront of developer and landlord minds.
The time has come for flexible office spaces
To those of us who work within the flexible workspace sector, increasing landlord interest in our market was inevitable. The question was not ‘if’ but ‘when’. And Richard Williams’ recent piece shows, the time is definitely now.
Don’t hit online retail with rates hike
So one of Anthony Ratcliffe’s solutions to the so-called problem of tax-evading online retailers is to hike the rates that the likes of Amazon pay on their warehouses on the grounds that “a company selling directly to the public from a warehouse is not warehousing but retailing” and thus the ...
Name and shame pay gap offenders
I just wanted to write to you and say thanks for highlighting the gender pay gap in property and keeping it on your daily news feeds.
Reality bites for Purplebricks
The share slump in Purplebricks, leader in the online ‘sell your own home’ market, doesn’t surprise me, nor does its previous meteoric rise.
Pay gap leaves women with less money to invest
Many studies have shown that women are paid less than men and the reporting of gender pay figures has further emphasised this.
Hard work needed to close pay gap
While the headline figure used in the gender pay gap article is technically correct, it is only for a very small part of our business – our group support function under the title Barratt Developments Plc.
GPG reporting is worth the hassle
No doubt many employers view gender pay gap (GPG) reporting as an administrative headache – a box-ticking exercise and potentially damaging too. And with no financial sanctions for non-compliance, some organisations may even question whether it’s worth the hassle.
Placemaking for the present as well as the future
Building a new town, city or district is about so much more than constructing buildings. It should be about creating an inspiring community that provides for its very first residents and visitors, as well as those in years to come.
