NEWS | Round-up


£1 trillion goal for Government exports push


THE GOVERNMENT has unveiled its strategy to push exports to £1 trillion and the support measures it plans to introduce to help this happen. The announcement came as part of the international trade and investment week that was launched by the Department of International Trade (DIT). The campaign is intended to “champion local export success stories and promote opportunities in international markets to take advantage of the global demand for the high- quality goods the UK is known for”. The Government set out its 12-point plan for ‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’. These include: New Export Support Service (ESS) to assist businesses exporting to Europe; New UK DIT offices with dedicated teams to focus on extending the opportunities from the Government’s international trade work across the UK; Providing 7,500 SMEs in England with financial


assistance to internationalise; UK Export Finance (UKEF) export credit agency to expand its products and delivery network.


Also: Expand UK Export Academy to offer bespoke training programmes to help businesses navigate the technicalities of exporting; Pilot UK trade show programme to promote Team UK at the world’s largest trade shows; Put exporting at the heart of reforms to regulation; Use the Government’s international teams to provide support for innovative, high- growth companies to help them grow internationally; Continue to open new markets for UK exporters and remove market access barriers. Commenting on the strategy, David Osborne, managing director of British brand Roman, said: “We greatly welcome the new initiatives, but there has always been good support available from the Government on a local and national level for export assistance. International sales require


Gaggenau to open new flagship stores and showrooms in Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels


GERMAN LUXURY appliance brand Gaggenau has announced the launch of three new flagship stores and showrooms. A new store will open in Paris this month while the other two openings will be showrooms in Amsterdam, launching in September next year, and Brussels at the end of 2022. This news follows the opening of another flagship store in Shanghai in Autumn 2021. Speaking about the new spaces, Gaggenau managing director Dr Peter Goetz said: “It is a record year for Gaggenau. We are seeing growth in all our key markets and now is the time to invest in the brand and create a unique consumer experience that allows us to have a deeper connection with our audience. For architects and interior designers to homeowners and design enthusiasts, the new flagship stores and showrooms will provide an aesthetically inspiring experience, which showcases Gaggenau’s pursuit of


culinary excellence. An exclusive


sensory space of expertise that complements the consumers’ lifestyle.” Each store and showroom will


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patience, but moreover, a clear strategy to establish a differential and a niche.” Simon Bodsworth, managing director of another British manufacturers, Daval Furniture, commented: “2022 will usher in a celebration of British design and manufacture and with the ‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’ campaign being


rolled out nationwide, SMEs


really need to consider how they can capitalise on the latest free trade agreements. So, to have a strategic approach in place as UK exports are


predicted to hit the £1 trillion mark by the mid-2030s is critical for commercial success. The Government campaign will help reinforce British manufacturers’ positions on a global market, but it will also drive more enquiries to SMEs. Commenting on the move, Mike


Cherry, national chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “This strategy, properly executed, will open up a lot


of opportunities for small


exporters, while helping to address some of the challenges they currently face on a daily basis.”


Consumers ‘very happy’ to return to shopping in stores, says survey


MORE THAN retail half of UK


consumers are ‘very happy’ to visit


destinations


post-Covid, according to the latest figures from retail analyst Springboard.


The Springboard UK Retail Con -


display Gaggenau appliances in experiential kitchen and living space scenarios through brand collaborations. These will feature interior wood fittings from Schotten and Hansen, modern furniture from Walter Knoll, and lighting from Occhio. The new spaces will include immersive private dining areas, wine bars, and a section dedicated to the brand’s ‘Respected by Gaggenau’ initiative, celebrating independent artisans and producers in the realms of culinary excellence, viniculture innovation and design. There will also be an attraction called ‘The Difference’, where visitors can discover the ethos of Gaggenau.


sumer Report showed that 51% of people surveyed were happy visiting retail shopping centres, high streets or retail parks, while 91% said they were ‘comfortable to some degree’. The survey also revealed that


in


October 2021, although 9% of the UK consumers said they hadn’t yet shopped in person, 43% said they had visited stores in bricks-and-mortar destinations at least once a week – down from 48% in September and 47% in August.


The report said that just as Covid had led to an increase in the number of people


shopping online, the


pandemic also boosted the number of consumers visiting smaller shopping centres and high streets. In October 68% said they visited smaller shopping centres, up from 65% in September


and 64% in August.


In terms of online trends, the survey showed that more than two-thirds (69%) of UK consumers were buying at least half of their non-food items online and fewer than one-third (31%) more than three-quarters. In October 2021, three-quarters of UK consumers who are employed said they worked out of the home for at least part of the week – a figure that is up from 72% in September and 70% in August.


Springboard asked those among its online sample who have been working at home since Covid about their shopping habits. Although just over half (51%) said the pandemic had not changed their shopping habits at all, almost a quarter (24%) said they visited bricks-and-mortar stores and destinations less frequently. One-in- nine said they visited them more frequently. For the survey, Springboard targeted a wide demographic of 1,500 consumers across the UK with an online survey on October 12.


· January 2022


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