Happy Friday! ‘This week in CX’ brings you the latest roundup of industry news.
This week, we’ve been looking at the latest research in employee demands for the workplace, the best working models, digital advancements, and more.
We’re also discussing new studies into London City Airport, Taylor Swift’s impact on consumer spending and the UK economy, and more!
Key news
- More than half of the journeys taken from London’s City Airport last year could have been done by train in six hours or less, according to research. More than 43% of the destinations served by the airport could be reached by train in less than five hours, while 54% of them could be done in less than six hours and more than 66% in less than eight. Thinktank New Economics Foundation (NEF) and charity Possible found that the airport’s two most popular routes, Amsterdam and Edinburgh, can be reached by train in four hours and four hours and 20 minutes respectively.
- As Taylor Swift wrapped up the European leg of the world-spanning, two-year Eras tour at London’s Wembley stadium, the impact of Swift’s presence in the UK became clear. Her show on Tuesday night was her eighth, breaking Wembley’s record for the most nights at the venue on a single tour. A report from PwC said that the Eras tour was a significant contributor to the UK being on track to dethrone Germany as the top European entertainment and media market in 2025. Hotels, restaurants and bars averaged £1m (€1.17m) a night in sales when Swift was playing, with UKHospitality’s CEO Kate Nicholls praising the singer for her “efficiency” as a primary reason behind the boost in sales. A report from discount site VoucherCodes.co.uk showed that concertgoers spent a total of £52.7m on drinks alone in the UK leg of the tour.
- Ikea is going to start deploying drones powered by artificial intelligence around the clock in distribution centres across Europe and North America to further automate stock inventory and improve staff wellbeing, the company has announced. The move follows a successful one-year pilot at a warehouse in Belgium in which the drones worked alongside staff to provide them with real-time data. The Swedish retail giant was already using drones in some stores and fulfilment centres after working hours. The drones are able to identify and photograph items and feed that data back to Ikea employees, saving them time, minimising physical strain and instead letting them do “more interesting tasks”, the company says.
- Companies designed offices to keep people in them longer and collaborating – before the pandemic. Now some are leasing or designing “hotelified” spaces with an eye to luring employees back from remote work. The idea, the New York Times reports, is to anticipate workers needs in the space and create a resort-like feeling. Cue the laptop bars, therapy spas, terraces and scented air that come with them.
CXM news stories
Here’s the full news stories that CXM have reported on in the past week. Learn all about the latest research in employee demands for the workplace, the best working models, digital advancements, and more.
August Bank Holiday weekend customer shopping forecast to contribute £600 million to UK economy
The August bank holiday is set to boost retail and hospitality sales by 15%, equating to an additional £600 million contribution to the economy. This is according to consumer spend insights from Experian and Reward.
The forecast is based on previous bank holiday spend uplifts compared to average weekends in the lead up to the bank holiday.
“As we head into the August bank holiday, our data and insights show the opportunity open to businesses across the country.” says Colin Grieves, managing director of marketing services at Experian UK&I.
The insights also reveal how weather conditions at this time can impact sales. Every degree above the seasonal average potentially adds £16 million to the respective sectors. “It’s important though they are ready to be flexible and change strategies depending on the weather. It could be they can truly capitalise on sunny skies, or they may have to manage the impact of rain on their sales.” Grieves continues.
Regardless of weather conditions, the 3-day bank holiday weekend sets a good mood across the country, and is an opportunity for businesses to drive profit and strategise on customer free time to spend.