Global Consumer Sector Trends

Regulatory Scanning

Sustainability in Focus

The ripple effect of transparency

What steps should retailers be taking to stop sexual harassment of their employees?

The next generation of green lease clauses

A focus on UK business rates

Big Tech leans into nuclear – is this the start of more company level generation in the sector?

Update on mass arbitration claims

Legislative changes and the impact on legal funding for class actions

Aligning profit with purpose – impact investing for growing businesses

New EU legislation on designs

Termination of contracts

Legal Operations in the age of consumer regulation

Environmentally taxing

With global commitments to limit global warming with net zero targets, governments across the world are recognising the role of tax policy as a tool to meet their country's environmental targets. Governments are using a number of tax measures to encourage behaviour change to place levies on environmentally harmful practices and incentivise investment in greener options.

The CS3D and its impact on consumers

In 2024, the European Union adopted the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), a groundbreaking piece of legislation that shifts the focus from reporting to a new era of corporate responsibility for action.

Sustainability in Focus

Modern slavery – nearly a decade on from the UK's groundbreaking Act, and it is still in the news?

When we think of slavery, most of us will cast our minds back into history. Sadly, as recent headlines show, this is something that is still very much with us and the addition of the word 'modern' makes it no less brutal, or real.

Can't see the wood for the trees? Wondering what you should do now that EUDR might be delayed?

Themes in Product Safety: Reflections on ICPHSO 2024

Building on the key learnings from the ICPHSO 2023 International Symposium, and the 2024 event, what will be the impacts of traceability and digital labelling on the Consumer sector, and online marketplaces?

The new EU era for product safety and liability

In December 2024 the EU's product liability directive and the General Product Safety Regulation came into force. While both laws update and replace existing laws, it would be wrong to assume that historical compliance will automatically result in future compliance.

Product Regulation and Metrology Act: What next?

On 21 July 2025, the Product Regulation and Metrology (PRAM) Bill received Royal Assent and became an Act. What does this mean for product safety in the UK and what will come next?

Regulatory Scanning

The ripple effect of transparency

Disclosure is a useful vehicle for corporates to convey sustainability information to consumers. But disclosure needs to be delivered with transparency and integrity if it is to have meaning. How much transparency is enough and will the trend for transparency continue to extend its ripple effect across business activities?

What steps should retailers be taking to stop sexual harassment of their employees?

Sexual harassment is an issue for the consumer sector on a global scale. Legal frameworks are in place in a number of jurisdictions, with the prevention of sexual harassment very much in the spotlight following the #metoo movement.

There has been a noticeable shift in green leasing, underpinned by the recently updated Better Building Partnerships green lease toolkit. In this insight we consider five key changes.

The next generation of green lease clauses

Larger retailers and hotels with premises across the UK are likely to see increases to their business rates bills and compliance obligations over the coming years. Navigating these changes and planning for potential increases will be a critical part of business and tax plans.

A focus on UK business rates

As consumer sector businesses adopt AI and other increasingly power hungry tech, new low carbon energy solutions will be needed. Is nuclear the solution?

Big Tech leans into nuclear – is this the start of more company level generation in the sector?

Recent developments in commercial and investment treaty arbitration, coupled with a challenging global economic environment, suggest that class-action style arbitration claims against businesses and Sovereigns are on the rise and here to stay.

Update on mass arbitration claims

While we are not yet experiencing a US style culture of class actions, recent years have seen a massive growth in this area and third party funding is an important part of the viability of such claims, we take a look at recent changes in this area.

Legislative changes and the impact on legal funding for class actions

Impact investments focus on balancing profit with a positive social or environmental impact. They are a significant part of the venture landscape, appealing to consumers and investors alike. This insight highlights some of the legal and non-legal considerations associated with such investments.

Aligning profit with purpose – impact investing for growing businesses

The rise of new technologies in the European market has sparked the need to update European legislation on industrial designs. At the end of 2024, the EU adopted the Design Legislative Reform Package ("EU Design Reform"), which significantly improves the protection of industrial designs, aligning it with the challenges of the digital age.

New EU legislation on designs

Commercial contracts, which once appeared destined to provide great benefits, can turn out to provide less than expected. Sometimes this is due to poor performance, unsupportable commercials, external events like the COVID outbreak, or a simple change in business direction.

Termination of contracts

2025 has been marked by Global instability and market volatility, which has led clients to be cautious in their planning. With evolving regulatory schemes throughout the world, regardless of their corporate footprint, clients are looking for solutions and seeking assistance to support their internal functions in the creation and maintenance of their content libraries.

Legal Operations in the age of consumer regulation

Vaping product duty and stamps

With the growth in popularity of the e-cigarette "Vapes" in the UK, the past decade has seen an increase in the trading of illegal and untaxed vape products. Having already sought to combat similar non-compliance and crime in the alcohol and tobacco markets through efficient supply chain tracking and taxation laws the Government is now introducing the same for vaping products.

Most of us consider safety to be a regulatory obligation. While important, it is seldom considered fundamental and often has a bad reputation as an excuse for not doing something as it breaches: "elf and safety".

Health and safety is a human right? Time to report more widely on safety compliance?

Products claiming to be 'biodegradable' or 'compostable' are increasingly common as global concerns about irresponsible disposal grow, but the potential to mislead, as recently highlighted by the ASA, poses risks that are amplified by the CMA's new enforcement powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act.

Green claims under fire: the risks of using green terminology in ads

Under a new EU law, businesses can be forced to withdraw any product linked to worker exploitation in the supply chain. But will its bark be worse than its bite?

What does forced labour clampdown mean for food?

Doing the right thing is not just good for business, it is good business. But, with a huge amount of regulatory change and public scrutiny, this is becoming more and more challenging. Our sustainability hub tackles some of the key issues facing the Consumer sector.

Sustainability in focus

EU Deforestation Regulation – what to do in the face of delay