Urban More than 1/2 the world’s population now lives in urban areas. Will rise to 2/3rds by 2050. But cities won’t achieve their economic potential unless they solve air pollution, navigation, housing shortage & noise. In city-life utopia, robots sit in traffic, rents are low & electric motor whirrs are the loudest sound Guessed the Word?…
Category: U
Under-achiever Now’s the best time for Europe to stop being big tech’s under-achieverUSA hit by unforced errors – fake news, privacy/ data security lapses. China’s un-tailored services struggling to expand into new markets. Europe’s promising tech arenas: drug & materials development, driverless cars, electric helicopters, genomics. London is 1 of the best places on Earth…
Unify A Unified Payments Interface (UPI) enables instant & easy money exchanges from person-to-person or person-to-merchant. India’s 2-yr old UPI system has 115 lenders & handled ₹542bn rupees ($7.5 bn) of transactions in Aug 2018, up from ₹31m in Aug 2017. All together now: the ramp-up power of a network Guessed the Word? …
Uncertainty Does uncertainty affect the economy? Uncertainty spikes during recessions. But the cause runs both ways: Uncertainty causes recessions because it makes consumers, employers & investors hesitate to spend. When we all hesitate – that’s a recession Guessed the Word? Series 34 (4/8) [pic: pauloNicolello]
Ultramarine Value comes from a commodity’s use & how hard it is to get/make. Until synthetic created in 1826, the finest blue was powdered Afghan lapis lazuli, costlier than gold. YInMn (YIN-min) is the 1st new blue pigment in 200 years. Safe, durable, heat-reflecting, enviro-friendly. Will be very valuable: blue is USA’s favourite colour &…
Underdog Brands can profit from positioning as the underdog. Determination to triumph against the odds has a strong appeal – in events (dive rescue of Thai boys), sport (Wimbledon, World Cup), books (Harry Potter), clothes (the humble waistcoat), or business Guessed the Word? Series 27 (5/7) [pic:…
Unregulated The only market that’s unregulated is the art business. Buying & selling paintings is one way to clean dirty money Guessed the Word? Series 22 (2/8) [pic: daniel van den berg]
Unfair UK vendors are unfairly undercut by online foreign sellers who don’t add 20% VAT even when goods are sent from stocks kept in UK warehouses, Guessed the Word? Series 19 (2/7) [pic: neonbrand]
Un-retire 1/4 of Britons un-retire within 15 years of leaving work. Men, higher-educated & healthy people more likely to return, but no clear link between financial difficulty & un-retiring Guessed the Word? Series 17 (5/7) [pic: pablo-hermoso]
Up and down Retail ups and downs: Big pants are back. Sales up 25% in 2016, and continue to expand. Thongs have been strung up, and push-up bra sales pushed down 50%. Don’t-give-a-damn confidence Guessed the Word? Series 13 (4/5) [photo: isic]