Retail Reduced – September 2025

Industry experts are warning of a “return to the super skinny trend”, after a rise in the banning of popular high street fashion adverts which presented models who looked “unhealthily thin”. Campaigns included in the recent wave of Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) bans, include Zara, M&S and Next – underlining how prominent high street names are falling short of expected standards.

The key question is whether this surge in bans signals the revival of the controversial ‘heroin chic’ aesthetic, or rather the difficulty for brands trying to strike the balance of promoting healthy body standards without “erasing the diversity of real bodies”. M&S’s recent controversy involved campaigns that “featured a model whose slim frame was emphasised by her pose, clothing, and camera angle”, Campaigns that are coming under the spotlight all include models that are deemed “unhealthily thin”, which is said to reminisce the 1990s and early 2000s, where “hollow faces and protruding bones” were a prevailing fashion trend.

The ASA recently informed the BBC that it has seen a “definite uptick” in complaints about adverts showcasing women looking “unhealthily thin”. Typically receiving around five to six complaints monthly, the ASA reported over 20 complaints in just two weeks following the M&S ban. This debate does not exist in a vacuum. Model and activist Charli Howard, wrote a viral open letter where she underlined her worries that “we’re on the cusp of seeing heroic chic return” as adverts and online trends such as ‘thinspiration’ glamorise extreme thinness. This outcry coincides with TikTok’s decision to block searches for “skinnytok”, a hashtag that applauds excessive thinness and diet culture, alongside popular fashion trends emphasising low-rise jeans and strappy cami tops. Retailers under scrutiny have been quick to reaffirm their commitment to “responsible content, and adhering to stringent guidelines for selecting and photographing models.” A spokesperson for Zara even highlighted how they require all models to present medical certificates which attest their “good health”.

Conversely, some observers argue that the ASA’s focus may be disproportionate, pointing out that portrayals of “unhealthily fat” bodies often receive less scrutiny despite their potential to encourage unhealthy behaviours. It’s clear that in a day and age where inclusivity and diversity are championed, representing “the beautiful messiness of real bodies within commercial constraints”  is a tricky feat. Brands must work to authentically represent all types of bodies, and the ASA must ensure they are protecting consumers without over-policing natural body types; whether thinner or larger.

If you are navigating the complexities of ASA guidelines or are concerned about compliance with the latest regulations, please feel free to reach out. At Foot Anstey LLP, we are ready to support you through this evolving landscape.

Flexible working was one of the few bonuses for retail workers that emerged out of the pandemic. However, fast-forward 5 years and it seems that retailers are reminiscing on the earlier years when working 5 days a week in the office was simply a given. Over the last year, “the number of retailers issuing return to office orders has picked up pace.” Companies once praised for flexibility are now scaling back.

Take John Lewis, for example, which is one of the latest retailers to require its commercial teams to be in the office “at least three days a week.” Primark has set an even higher bar, asking staff to be on-site “four days a week,” while Boots, THG, and Morrisons have gone further still, mandating full “five-day office weeks” for their head office employees. For employees who are already paid less than staff at bigger corporate tech, finance and consultancy firms, this is simply a “body blow to their already bruised morale”. Workers argue they are facing constant rising living costs and shrinking benefits, and with less and less flexibility it means that money spent on travel or childcare is on the rise.

This new trend comes into direct conflict with Gen Z employees. Gen Z do not see flexibility as a perk, but instead a baseline for what is expected. As such, a top-down approach from retailers’ risks undermining both future growth and a cohesive workplace culture. This disconnect poses a challenge for employers and employees alike when there is a fundamental misalignment in the understanding of core values. If company culture is the first casualty during difficult times, it raises serious doubts about whether that culture was ever truly valued and Gen Z will undoubtedly be the first to call this out.

So, the waning of morale combined with the fact that the retail sector is grappling with a £23.3bn skills shortage, does not bode too well. “Eroding trust” by rescinding flexible working could prove costly for retailers in terms of morale and talent retention. It is clear that employee expectations have changed, especially amongst younger generations, and the new task for retailers is working out how to retain key refreshing talent, whilst ensuring high rates of productivity and an enjoyable office culture.

Here at Foot Anstey, we’re here to help retailers plan for the future and inspire the next generation. Our refreshingly human employment contracts are one example of how we intend to build that deep level of trust and connection between employee and employer. If this is something you are interested in, please do get in touch!

The increasing popularity of card-only establishments across British high streets is becoming more pronounced; it is no longer uncommon to hand over cash for a simple purchase only to hear “sorry, but we’re card only”. Firm believers in the old mantra “cash is king” may find themselves increasingly inconvenienced as businesses favour digitalisation.

For businesses, the appeal of cashless operations extends far beyond avoiding the inconvenience of handling coins and notes. Cash management represents a hidden operational burden that includes time spent counting and reconciling tills, security risks, updating records based on manual counts and the staff costs associated with these activities. Card-only policies eliminate these friction points while providing immediate digital records that can integrate seamlessly with accounting systems and inventory management.

However, the shift towards cashless retail can create significant exclusion issues that extend beyond simple convenience. Elderly customers, those without bank accounts and individuals who prefer to manage funds through physical cash allocation can find themselves increasingly excluded. Relying entirely on digital transactions is also not without its own risks; ATM network Link found that 61% of respondents to a survey reported experiencing payment failures. In instances of unsuccessful digital payments that lay on the business-end of the transaction rather than the consumer, the lack of an alternative such as a cash till may lead to consumers shopping elsewhere.

The regulatory position is not too ambiguous. A requirement to accept physical currency is not outlined in legislation, leaving the floor open for businesses to decide which mode of payment they are willing to accept. Although the FCA brought in regulations applicable to financial institutions in 2024 regarding safeguarding access to cash, the regulator clarified in their consultation paper that acceptance of cash was beyond the remit of such regulations.

The cashless trend appears irreversible, but its implementation raises important questions about accessibility to services in the pursuit of operational efficiency.

Small British businesses face an evolving cyber threat landscape in 2025, with incidents becoming more sophisticated as threat actors expand their toolkit. Recent data reveals that, in the last year, 42% of small businesses reported cyber security incidents with the figure rising to 67% for medium-sized businesses. The data indicates that smaller enterprises are not necessarily siloed from cyber incidents; threat actors recognise that smaller businesses are more accessible targets than more sophisticated enterprises with greater resources to invest in cybersecurity.

Social engineering remains a popular tool in a threat actor’s toolkit, with 85% of British businesses being targeted by email scams. The popularity of phishing amongst threat actors is not surprising. Smaller enterprises often rely on email for critical business communications and may lack formal verification procedures for financial requests. Staff members frequently wear multiple hats, making them more susceptible to social engineering tactics that exploit their broad responsibilities and time pressures. This susceptibility increases as threat actors become more sophisticated in social engineering; some criminals research their targets extensively, crafting messages that reference actual suppliers, customers or recent business activities to establish credibility before striking.

Concerningly, phishing in and of itself is evolving. Quishing (aka “QR Phishing”) is an instance in which threat actors leverage QR codes redirect individuals without relying on modes like hyperlinked text. What makes quishing particularly threatening is that conventional cybersecurity solutions such as secure email gateways may not be able to detect the threat. The lack of awareness around quishing can contribute to the success of this method; malicious hyperlinks are typically the focus of training material on cyber-safety, but QR codes receive less of the spotlight, although we arguably interact with them more in day-to-day life when visiting restaurants or buying tickets.

Social engineering attacks pose a unique challenge for small businesses due to their operational characteristics and resource constraints. The personalised nature of social engineering combined with information about the business and its personnel on social media means that criminals can craft convincing narratives. Regular staff training is therefore critical as employees must remain aware of how to recognise suspicious communications and report them appropriately.