True Stories

The European heatwave is a yet another stark reminder of the ways in which the world can change quickly and with an immense knock-on effect.

When designing plans for our HQ in London, we wanted to breathe new life into our workplace, to create a warm, welcoming space for our team and community with collaboration front of mind. Art plays a stand-out role in achieving this.

We have appointed two new Principals – Mike Martin and Joe Seager. The duo will lead True’s Growth fund, investing in and supporting early-stage breakthrough brands and technologies building for the future of Consumer.

M&S’s Ignite team – the home of open innovation at M&S – is looking for ideas and technologies that can encourage more sustainable behaviours amongst its customers, as well as solutions that can help M&S achieve further efficiencies in its agricultural supply chains.

Following two years of unprecedented consumer behaviour change, brands are now facing the consequences of rising inflation – at a level not seen in a generation – and the reaction of consumers facing the uncertainty of a recession. Looking at the way that this is going to impact different consumers and categories is sitting high on our agenda.

Every year we host an Innovation Showcase. It gives us the chance to show the breadth and scale of opportunities available to our portfolio brands and leading global partners. We’re seeing rapid growth in the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) space and we have plenty of scaleups in our network to shout about, so we themed this year’s Showcase accordingly.

At True, we thrive on growing companies, striving to achieve equal contribution towards people, planet and profit, with a specific focus on positively impacting the communities in which our businesses live. We've warned of the macroeconomic dangers ahead and it doesn’t make me happy to see that those predictions are now playing out.

Grosvenor has launched an innovation challenge seeking to discover new technologies and partners that are putting customer experience at the heart of bricks and mortar retail.

Overall, there has been a significant and sustained increase in awareness of the ESG (Environmental Social and Governance) agenda from corporates and consumers alike over the last 12-24 months, and it’s a theme that’s as topical today as it ever has been. It’s at the forefront of our minds both from an investment and innovation perspective, and is one of the hottest technology investment themes for 2022

As the price of materials, energy and products soar, it's tempting for retailers and brands to discount to keep their customers, whose disposable income continues to shrink.  For many brands the urge to discount, if not well thought through, can be damaging to your brand and easily spiral in a race to the bottom. In this piece we take a look at how businesses can lean into strategic partnerships, innovative tech platforms and other ways to creatively keep your customers.

Margaret joins Frugi as Chair, bringing her wealth of experience from leading global brands including Victoria’s Secret, Gap, Primark and Masai Clothing.

NFTs (and applications utilising blockchain technology more broadly) are coming under increasing scrutiny for their impact on the planet, and for good reason. The blockchain technology which enables the creation and trade of digital assets is environmentally damaging due to the ‘mining’ processes required to certify transactions, which use a LOT of power. Having said this NFTs certainly don’t have to be entirely at odds with ESG considerations.