As the world becomes more aware of its collective responsibilities, focus on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials of an organisation has now become an essential puzzle piece in the corporate agenda. In our latest True Story, we cover the three primary factors driving this reprioritisation.

When done well, D2C and e-commerce are a cost-efficient way to start and grow a retail business or brand. But as inflation bites and consumer confidence takes a tumble, retailers and brands are rightly concerned about the months ahead, and what the future strategy should be and whether omnichannel strategies that include stores should play a role. We summarise some key takeaways we’ve learnt from brands in our portfolio with a strong omnichannel mix.

At True you’ll hear us talk about our Community of Changemakers – founders and business leaders that are transforming the consumer and retail industry for the better, together. As sector specialists we can help bring leaders together, around common themes to celebrate one another’s wins, learn from one another’s mistakes, benefit from each other’s strengths and generally enjoy getting to know one another and share ideas in the safe confines of our consumer and retail focused ecosystem.

With new product lines, store space and international expansion on the horizon it's an exciting time for True to be participating in another funding round for ethically-produced tablewear brand Fable.

We're truly passionate about people, and building successful businesses that are diverse and inclusive. This was a driving force behind an event we hosted recently, to help inspire our community to think about how we can collectively support the next generation.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Did you know that 80% of consumer spending is done by women (a total of $20 trillion) and yet only 2% of all VC Capital is in all-women led businesses. These numbers shed a disappointing light on the industry - and business landscape more broadly - and so we invited the brilliant women of our community to discuss topics such as this on International Women's Day in a panel hosted at True House.

We have been immersed in the virtual world and metaverse for quite some time but the landscape is still evolving and we're still learning. We've done some of the hard work so you don't have to by putting together a glossary of terms that might help unravel the mystery of the metaverse.

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.