Hugo Boss adopts new work model starting October while The Rolling Stones open new retail shop in London in September

Photo from Hugo Boss/facebook: Take it easy: elevating your dressed-down style,
with Bettina Looney, James Kagonge, and Tommy Marr #ThisIsBOSS

Hugo Boss’ current dress-down style reflects its new work model of work-life split between office and home. The brand is one of the first major fashion companies to ask employees to work from the office from Tuesdays to Thursdays even after the Covid-19 crisis, reports FashionUnited. The “Threedom of Work” work model will be implemented from October, initially applicable to the 3,200 employees in the brand’s native Germany whose jobs do not require physical attendance at the workplace.  Hugo Boss will certainly not be the last in the fashion industry to adopt new work arrangements.

Meanwhile the UK government’s scheme of “Eat Out to Help Out” seems to have brought vibrant business to eateries around the country, even though the British high street continues to suffer from lack of shoppers as more retailers and chain stores are reporting closures and job cuts on a scale unseen since the financial crisis of 2008.

London seems to be struggling to get back to pre-pandemic normal for lack of high-spending tourists and workers still opting to work from home rather than heading back to the office in the Capital, ahead of the furlough scheme ending.  Chief executive Helen Brocklebank of Trade association Walpole, which counts Boodles, Burberry and Harrods as members, said in a letter to culture secretary Oliver Dowden, the pandemic has disproportionally affected central London, which is deemed as the shop window of British luxury for UK and international visitors. London-based luxury businesses are reporting that trade is currently running at 5% to 10% of normal.

Perhaps a new shop by the British iconic rock group The Rolling Stones is one way of luring shoppers back to the capital, at least for fans of the band and music pundits.

The Rolling Stones are to open their first flagship store, ‘RS No 9' on London’s Carnaby Street in September.  The new store is created in partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company. 

The Rolling Stones said in a statement: “Soho has always encapsulated Rock ’n’ Roll so Carnaby Street was the perfect spot for our own store. We are confident this exciting project that our friends at Bravado have created will be an unrivalled experience for everyone to come to London and enjoy.”

Reportedly the new store will have a shop fit that follows the band's colours of red and black, alongside glass floors featuring lyrics, and fitting rooms adorned with iconic album artwork.

It will allow fans to immerse themselves into the world of the band and will feature an extensive range of official merchandise along with new clothing and accessories including exclusive designer collaborations and one-of-a-kind pieces only available in store.

The collections will include new fashion and merchandise under the ‘RS No. 9 Carnaby’ brand, catering for “fans of all ages,” including men’s, women’s and children’s fashion and accessories, along with raincoats and hats from premium Swedish raincoat brand Stutterheim, chairs and scarves from The Soloist, and a special glassware collection developed with Baccarat engraved with the Rolling Stones tongue.

The store will also introduce ‘Stones Red,’ the official colour from Pantone which is established from the first use of the band’s iconic logo. A collection celebrating the Rolling Stones official Pantone colour will also launch with the store.

Elsewhere in the UK, industry watchers also point out that the pandemic and the damage it has done has accelerated retail trends that were already shaping business pre-pandemic.

UK supermarket Waitrose boss James Bailey has warned that the shift to shopping online is irreversible, particularly in the grocery sector.  It comes as the supermarket revealed stats - compiled for a report called How Britain Shops Online: Food and Drink Edition - showing 77% of customers now do at least some of their grocery shopping online, compared with 61% the year before.  

Bailey added: "The growth curve - representing the uplift in customer demand - has been steep and rapid, challenging all retailers’ resources.  Businesses have been forced to speedily face into the ascent and scale up their operations or face a slippery slide downwards.  Because online shopping quickly becomes habitual - these changes are unlikely to reverse." 

Bailey said: “Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, there are few retailers that wouldn’t have predicted the continued growth of e-commerce relative to physical shops.”

Boris Johnson's simple instruction: You must stay at home

As we continue to face the unprecedented impacts on our lives, caused by the Covid-19 global pandemic, we in the UK wake up today with the most drastic restrictive measures ever imposed on us by the UK Government in modern peacetime history.  The country is basically in lockdown, in an urgent bid to slow the fast-spreading virus.

The orders were given by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson who in a televised statement last evening said: “I must give the British people very simple instruction: you must stay at home.”

This instruction was originally given as advice in the previous week but as it had proven to be ineffective since many people did not take it seriously, the government has now stopped all public gatherings of more than two people and the police have been given powers to enforce this through the dispensation of fines or dispersing of gatherings.   All social events, including weddings and baptisms, have been banned, although, funerals are allowed to take place.

All non-essential shops including clothing and electronic retail outlets are to be shut to “ensure compliance”, announced the prime minister.
UK residents should only leave their homes in the following circumstances:

To shop for basic necessities such as food and medicine, as supermarkets, food shops and pharmacies are allowed to stay open, infrequently

For one form of exercise a day outdoors; either alone or with members of your household (people who live together in the same address)

For any medical needs or to provide care or help the vulnerable

To travel to and from work, only when necessary (Crowded trains are a perfect scenario for spreading and sharing virus.)
In the public broadcast, Johnson told viewers: “I know the damage that this disruption is doing to lives, businesses and jobs. That’s why we’ve produced a huge and unprecedented programme of support.

“The coronavirus is the biggest threat this country has faced for decades. Without a huge national effort to halt the growth on this virus there will come a moment where no health service in the world will be able to cope.

“If too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to handle it, meaning more people are likely to die not just from coronavirus but from other illnesses as well. It’s vital to slow the spread of the disease.

Johnson said: ”I know the people of this country will rise to that challenge and we will come through it stronger than ever. We will beat the coronavirus and we will beat it together. Therefore, I urge you at this moment of national emergency to stay at home, protect our NHS and save lives.”

This will be reviewed in three weeks, said Johnson, and be relaxed if there is evidence to be able to.