Archive of all comment and opinion articles – Page 499
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Comment & Opinion
Sober realities in the wake of the booze-fuelled frenzy
Christmas parties can be very revealing affairs. Year-long trysts between adoring colleagues are often carelessly exposed and dangerous liaisons cruelly laid bare in what can only be described as a booze-fuelled frenzy of unbridled passion. And...
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Comment & Opinion
Bogof's week
Local sourcing finally moved into the political spectrum last week with David Cameron calling on Brits to become 'food patriots' and for the British Army to be fed on food produced in the UK. An army marches on its stomach, so presumably DC...
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Comment & Opinion
Self-awareness is critical for saying no in the workplace
Picture the scenario - it's 5.20pm on a Friday and mentally you are halfway across the car park, gearing up for a great weekend. Suddenly your boss rings. He's run out of time on a key project and needs you to stay late this evening - and...
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Comment & Opinion
Put these shares in your stockings
As the festive season approaches, the newspapers seem to be full of doom and gloom regarding consumer confidence. I've even heard it may be the worst retail Christmas for 25 years. These worries are completely overdone, especially where...
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Comment & Opinion
Personal coach Graham Botwright why trading on personal relationships isn't good business sense
The word 'partnership' is often bandied around as the holy grail of negotiation. But while it is always appropriate to create a true partnership with your buyer or supplier, some partnerships are more about one side trying to make the...
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Comment & Opinion
We're all gonna get reconnected
Cricketing jokes were in the air at Lord’s last week when ministers Miliband, Flint and Dandha launched the Government’s plans for 2007-08 to be Year of Farming and Food in Schools (YFFS). Fronted by Sir Don Curry and the brainchild of the…
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Comment & Opinion
"The deal is an exciting prospect - but Robert Schofield ain't going to have it all his own way"
If it goes ahead, Premier's acquisition of RHM is an exciting prospect. It brings together many of Britain's best-known food brands, and with his old alma mater, United Biscuits, reportedly still in his sights, you can expect lots of headlines...
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Comment & Opinion
We need tougher penalties to deter serial shop thieves
Ten years ago the BRC launched an ongoing campaign to persuade the Home Office and the police to treat shoplifting as a serious crime, with real victims. Have we succeeded? The evidence is ambiguous. Within the Home Office, perceptions of...
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Comment & Opinion
Hot drives Small family cars
Volkswagen Golf. As far as small family cars go, the Golf is an outstanding all-rounder, above par in every area. It has the image and class that buyers in this class look for, plus a practical, comfortable cabin and plenty of...
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Comment & Opinion
TV makers: where is their morality?
Ofcom's ban on junk food advertising during children's TV broadcasting has prompted a predictable chorus of whingeing. Advertisers hate it - well no surprise there - but I did raise an eyebrow at the outcry from programme makers bemoaning the...
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Comment & Opinion
Letter of the week
We were pleased to see your coverage about the Waste Resources Action Programme's Courtauld Commitment ('Another lash for Labour's favourite whipping boy', 18 November). We believe that the industry should see the environmental...
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Comment & Opinion
Is the face in the mirror the person holding you back?
Everyone has a different tipping point when it comes to work-life balance: some need challenging jobs to feel fulfilled, and thrive on long hours; others couldn't cope without six weeks holiday and manage to use up sick days effectively...
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Comment & Opinion
Letter of the week
The revelation that the Competition Commission is demanding pricing information from major suppliers was great news for wholesalers. This data represents the last piece of the jigsaw that the Commission must have in order...
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Comment & Opinion
Inside track
As in 2006, next year's interior design trends will take their lead from those on the fashion catwalks. Anyone who has been following the glossies will tell you that the result will be plenty of pattern, colour and texture, plus all sorts of...
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Comment & Opinion
Hot Eats
The Orangery Restaurant at Shottle Hall. The executive chef is Dean Crews, formerly of The Angel and Royal in Lincolnshire. He came on board a year ago to consult on this first restaurant project for property developers Joanne and...
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Comment & Opinion
Mourinho's way? I'll take O'Neill's
Sitting and watching Stuart Rose present on M&S' excellent interims this week, it was hard not to notice how much credit he continually gave to the team beneath him. It was quite endearing, but more importantly, enlightening. Chief executives...
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Comment & Opinion
Enjoy rejection. It's the first step to a satisfactory result
An account manager sits down for the annual price negotiation with her category buyer and presents the new list price with an average 2½% price increase across the board. The buyer looks at the list and accepts the changes instantly. After the...
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Comment & Opinion
Ageism laws mean you can literally work till you drop
Just when retailers thought they could file away the legal paperwork and get on with the job of shopkeeping, here come those nice civil servants with a bit more red tape to keep the HR department on its toes. It is now unlawful for employers to...
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Comment & Opinion
This week's hot topic by Richard Clarke
After the fuss caused by the supermarkets' submissions to the Competition Commission, the inquiry team has turned its antennae towards suppliers. The Commission has written to 40 major manufacturers asking for details of the prices they charge...
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Comment & Opinion
Kwik Save is in the last chance saloon
Last week's announcement of a potential £30m refinancing package for Kwik Save will bring welcome relief to a long-suffering business. It has been a difficult few years for Kwik Save, in its many guises, but refinancing presents it with...