Welcome to the latest edition of the Retail and Consumer newsletter!

The first article in this month's newsletter tackles the ever increasing effect Social Media and Influencers are having on businesses reputations. Social media gives all customers and employees a platform to complain and criticise, which can quickly go viral and/or be picked up in the mainstream media. Businesses also need to be alive to the importance of protecting their data, especially the personal data of its customers. The use, and risk of misuse, of customer data is a key issue for businesses, and requires not only compliance with data protection law, but also ensuring that the wider privacy rights of their customers are not inadvertently infringed. Rachel Cook from our Commercial Disputes team discusses what business can learn from the recent Just Eat case.

We also have a piece from our Employment Associate, John Bracken, which discusses the effects the impending National Living & Minimum Wage increase will have on the Retail Sector. Whether it is a review of workforce numbers, changes to shift patterns, reductions in supplementary benefits or even the introduction of new technology to increase efficiencies, these will all have a significant effect on employee populations.

With the new GDPR deadline fast approaching Matthew Gilhooly from our Commercial team discusses how the new regulations will apply to children.

Finally we have produced an infographic on the key themes from an event Addleshaw Goddard recently ran alongside UCL's Centre for Transport Studies and Transport for London which considered the challenges clients face to meet the mobility demands of a growing population.

This month's articles

Social Media, Influencers and Reputation

Our Commercial Disputes team discusses how the right deal with a celebrity can boost a brands value and ultimately sales. When a celebrity is engaged by a brand as an ambassador this is likely to be contained within a formal agreement. But what about where a celebrity has no formal relationship with a brand but is seen wearing its products? Can you post and share without worrying about exposure? We also look at the recent story on JustEat.

Read the full article here

National Living & Minimum Wage – Retail Sector

The retail sector employs approximately a quarter of the UK's minimum wage population, how will the NMW/NLW increase affect the sector and its workforce. Find out more about how these impeding changes will affect the retail sector.

Read the full article here

Children and the GDPR

The GDPR imposes additional obligations upon every data controller that offers online services "directly to a child". Often it will be clear whether these rules apply from the nature of the services offered; however, where children are not the targeted demographic it is the responsibility of the service provider to make it clear that the services are only being offered to adults.

Read the full article here

Retail Travelution

We recently ran an event alongside UCL's Centre for Transport Studies and Transport for London which considered the challenges clients face to meet the mobility demands of a growing population.

View our infographic on the key themes from this discussion

Events

General Compliance Seminar

To help busy General Counsel and other governance and compliance professionals keep on top of the ever shifting sands of the compliance landscape we've created a programme of seminars and workshops to make sure you're up to speed. practical session, bringing you up to date with changes to the law, but also providing practical advice as to how to maximise compliance within your organisation.

Manchester: 8 February
1 St Peter's Square, Manchester, M2 3DE - Map
RSVP - Kirsty Travis

Shared IP – an IP/IT Update

Social media platforms provide brands and retailers with unprecedented access to their customers. Maintenance of the brand image, click-through purchasing and links with the right "influencers", can all convert visitors to buyers. But without the right underlying commercial agreements, use can lead to infringement and exposure. AG's experts give an overview of the IP related contractual issues which are commonly encountered, and how best to get it right.

London: 20 February 2018
60 Chiswell Street, London, EC1Y 4AG - Map
RSVP - Vivienne Graham

Leeds: 28 February 2018
3 Sovereign Square, Sovereign Street, Leeds, LS1 4ER - Map
RSVP - Sharon Buckle

Manchester: 6 March 2018
1 St Peter's Square, Manchester, M2 3DE - Map
RSVP - Lisa Stansfield

Essential Employment Law Seminar

Our Employment group invites you to our Essential Employment Law HR seminar. There are four sessions covering key employment law issues such as GDPR/Corporate Governance/Unfair Dismissal Developments/Termination Payments.

London: 1 March 2018
60 Chiswell Street, London, EC1Y 4AG - Map
RSVP - Renee Lofthouse

Annual HR Seminar

Our Annual HR Seminar is the unmissable event for HR professionals, offering the opportunity to take stock of recent and future employment law developments and providing expert insight, and practical guidance, on the issues that you have to grapple with on a day-to-day basis.

London: 1 March 2018
60 Chiswell Street, London, EC1Y 4AG - Map
RSVP - Renee Lofthouse

Download the full newsletter in PDF