Collapse Which firms will collapse first? Zombie enterprises propped up by repeat loans won’t stagger on through the pandemic. Nor will their main clients & key suppliers. Despite government rescue packages, it will be corporate undertakers & wind-up merchants who stand & deliver Guessed the Word? Series 56 (3/8) …
Category: C
Car Move on! Stalled sales signal that we’re past peak car. 2018 worldwide car sales 94.2m, down 1m on 2017. Youngsters are turning away from the killer transportation app of the 20th c. UK: driving tests per year by 17 year-olds are down 28% in 10 years. USA: only 26% of 16 year olds got…
Concrete Concrete – the most destructive material in the world? The 2nd most-used substance on earth after water, concrete is used twice as much as all other building materials combined. Signifying development & durability since the Colosseum, concrete provides structure, form, relief & texture – but destroys the earth’s natural infrastructure. Our blue & green…
Catering Wimbledon is Europe’s largest annual sport catering event. 2017 sales: 33,211 kg strawberries; 9,848 litres cream; 110,225 scones; 2,198 afternoon tea hampers; 77,142 sandwiches; 76,603 ice creams; 307,277 teas & coffees. £2.50 ($3) for punnet of 10 strawberries – unchanged from 2010 so an iconic part of Wimbledon is affordable to all Guessed the…
Champagne 2008 champagne – the greatest vintage ever? Was a gloomy, overcast summer. Tricky, stressful, exhausting growing season. Night forays into the vineyards. Slow harvest picking. 10 years on lees. Being released now, but will only reveal their true potential & pleasure with ~20 years of age. Brexit parallels? Guessed the Word? Series…
Counterfeit Big fines for counterfeit goods on Chinese e-commerce sites from 1 Jan 2019, up to 2m yuan (£228k, $295k). So fakers now hawking their wares on social messaging networks as ‘friend-to-friend’. Global trade in bogus goods 2013: £355bn, 2022 est: £764bn. China and Hong…
Credo Words & deeds must sync. Who believes big tech co’s mission statements when they don’t pay their fair share of taxes? “Connecting the world.” “The earth’s most customer-centric co.” “Make the best products that have a meaningful impact on people’s lives.” “Organize the world’s information & make it universally accessible & useful.” Yeah, right… Guessed…
Cheese UK cheese sales recovering after falling for 2 years. Spend on bestseller cheddar up 3.9%. Shops’ own-labels growing ahead of branded cheese. 1/2 the top 20 brands are now in growth. Cheese-making is both art & science – from identical ingredients & recipes, different cheese makers make different cheeses Guessed the Word? …
Change The pace of change will never be as slow as it is todayWe over-estimate change in the near term, & under-estimate it over the long term. Life will be pretty similar a year from now, but probably really different in 10 years. 2007 – 1st iPhone. Today – more mobile devices than human beings….
Cash is king. Used in 80% of payments in Germany, 50% in UK and USA, 45% in Holland, but Sweden is becoming cashless. €500 “Bin Laden” note (few have seen, but many recognize) being phased out by end-2018 Guessed the Word? Series 21 (6/7) [pic: CNN]