• Pages
01 Edition 7 | JUNE 2023
02 In The Style
03 Battle of the supermarket giants
04 Technology and retail
05 Transforming retail spaces
06 News flash - Sticky
07 Upcoming events
08 Archive
09 Edition 2 | OCTOBER 21
10 Influencer marketing risks
11 Importing goods from abroad
12 Cross border trade
13 News flash - Miss Kick
14 Edition 3 | JANUARY 2022
15 Discrimination claims in the retail sector
16 Comparative advertising
17 Commercial property - the year ahead
18 News flash - HERA
19 Edition 4 | APRIL 2022
20 The challenge for retailers of unvaccinated staff
21 Copycat central
22 NFTs in the retail sphere – how best to protect your intellectual property
23 News flash - Maven
24 Edition 5 | AUGUST 2022
25 User generated content-legal highlights
26 Shazam-v-Only-Fools-The-Dining-Experience
27 Online sales tax ruled out
28 News flash - Go Superfoods
29 Edition 6 | DECEMBER 2022
30 Pitfalls in email marketing
31 Options for struggling retail sector businesses
32 Impact of the Environment Act
33 Online sales tax-a valid proposal

Pannone Corporate advises Maven on a £4.25m investment into eco friendly baby products business Pura, as retailers’ market sentiment shifts to plastic free baby wipes

Mypura (Pura) launched in 2020, and headed by Guy Fennell, has experienced rapid growth. It is on a mission to “democratise eco” with its multi-accredited, affordable, 100% plastic-free baby wipes and eco-friendly nappies. The business was set up to sell direct to consumers, but the funding will help it expand into B2B sales, specifically targeting the supermarket sector, including the US.

The investment was split across the Maven Venture Capital Trusts, the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and Maven Capital Partners, Maven’s high net worth investment syndicate. Michael Law, former operations director at Next, has also invested and joined the board.

James Rosthorn, senior investment manager at Maven, commented:

“The business has built up scale in a short period of time, by an experienced and credible management team, who have personally invested significant sums into the company. Given the quality of the business and the wider macro sentiment around environmental and sustainable brands, we see significant growth potential for Pura over the coming years.”

The Pannone Corporate team was led by Mark Winthorpe and Andrew Walsh. Mark commented:

“It is fantastic to see investors such as Maven Capital take a lead on investing into eco friendly baby products which will undoubtably have a real impact on reducing plastic waste. This is combined with consumers increasingly placing ESG considerations as a high priority when making their buying decisions. Supermarkets and other retailers are embracing this change, with Tesco recently being the first supermarket to announce that they will stop selling plastic baby and wet wipes.”

If you’d like to discuss this news flash, please contact Mark Winthorpe and Andrew Walsh in the corporate services team.

Mark Winthorpe

Partner, Corporate Services

T: +44 (0) 161 393 9064 M: +44 (0) 7788 931736

mark.winthorpe @pannonecorporate.com

Mark specialises in M&A and private equity transactions, acting for both private equity houses and management teams. A substantial part of his experience is of a cross border nature, with clients based in Europe and beyond wishing to invest into the UK market. Mark is ranked as a leader in the field for Corporate/M&A in both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners, described as "being incredibly hard-working, thorough and providing a great service” and " extremely responsive to client requests."

Andrew Walsh

Associate, Corporate Services

T: +44 (0) 161 393 9044 M: +44 (0) 7500 795421

andrew.walsh @pannonecorporate.com

Andrew advises clients ranging from owner managed businesses to multinational companies in relation to acquisitions, disposals, MBOs, debt and equity investments, reorganisations and shareholders’ agreements. Career highlights include acting on the joint venture between two of the world’s leading live entertainment companies, Live Nation and Gaiety Investments.

The challenge for retailers of unvaccinated staff

Absent staff has caused real issues for many retailers who operate with tight staffing provisions. This article looks at steps retailers can take to manage the significant increase of unvaccinated staff absences.

Read full article >

Copycat central – the recent plethora of supermarket copycat cases

Following the legal action taken by M&S against Aldi over its Colin the Caterpillar cake, the last 12 months have seen a plethora of copycat product cases being issued at court involving these and other supermarkets. We look at the detail of these new cases here.

Read full article >

NFTs in the retail sphere – how best to protect your intellectual property

Brands can enhance customer experiences and loyalty by taking assets they already own and sharing them in a new way through NFTs. There are clear benefits to revenue streams and consumer engagement, but brands must be careful to protect their intellectual property rights in these projects.

Read full article >

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Our quarterly retail update is designed to bring you the latest news and legal developments relevant to the retail sector. If there are any areas you would like more information on or if you have any questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to let us know via our feedback form or get in touch with any member of our team.

Copyright in this publication is owned by Pannone Corporate LLP and all rights in such copyright are reserved. Pannone Corporate LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with number OC388393. Authorised and Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. A list of members is available for inspection at the registered office, 378-380 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LY. We use the terms “partner” to refer to a member of the LLP.