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Get paid to snack this Christmas by leading market research agency Give Opinions!

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A nationwide drive has been started by leading market research agency, Give Opinions, to find participants to assist with their new contracts. The lucky few will be paid to test snacks across the UK.

From cars to spas, vapes to bars, Give Opinions, alongside its sister company Beam Fieldwork, recruit and orchestrate global research projects for some of the world’s coolest consumer brands.

Give Opinions now needs hundreds of recruits to taste test two new ranges of sweet and savoury snacks from globally renowned names. Participants will be paid £50 to give their opinion on sweet treats and £100 for indulging in a new savoury line from a well-known supermarket brand.

The agency also won a triple-figure project for a retail giant requiring a nationwide panel to research shopping habits in the run-up to Christmas. Rather than battle the shops, prospective shopaholics will join an online community to create a Christmas shopping list and be paid £200 for the pleasure.

Other exciting new projects include a designer shoe-shopping project and a nationwide call-out for players of online Bingo. Give Opinions is also proud to be conducting a hard-hitting research project for Kidscan, a Salford-based charity that funds ground-breaking scientific research for children’s cancer treatments.

With a growing list of blue-chip clients that span charities to monster tech giants, Give Opinions recruits get paid £20-£300 to give feedback on ‘not hit the shelf yet’ product concepts and services. Due to an influx of orders, Give Opinions now require thousands more recruits, from families to test kids’ toys, food and drink to couples and friendship pairs for restaurant and alcohol product tests.

Participating in Give Opinions focus groups, one-on-one interviews, site visits, or joining online communities gives participants the unique opportunity to stay ahead of the curve with next-gen products while having a general say about the direction of their favourite brands.

Popular projects have included testing delivery services for a global fast-food retailer, trying out new luxury spa concepts for a well-known British family holiday complex, and giving opinions on a range of new vape flavours for a leading name.

Established in 2020, Give Opinions has rapidly grown under the direction of Founder and Director Amy Middleton. An expert in the market research sector with over 25 years of experience, Middleton is also the Founder of Beam Fieldwork, the project orchestration arm of the business, and a prominent member of the BIG Committee, the MRS and the AQR, nationally recognised and coveted positions.

Since its inception, Give Opinions has delivered hundreds of rapid-response market research projects, resulting in thousands of recruited participants being paid incentives that total more than £500,000.

Owing to its success is Give Opinion’s Customer Insight Platform. Developed By Give Opinions but available to purchase, it sends regular pulse surveys to a registered panel of research participants to understand their thoughts on products and services. Clients receive instant feedback on ideas via WhatsApp, SMS, and email with every response helping build a deeper understanding of what customers like and dislike.

BEAM and Give Opinions Managing Founder, and Director Amy Middleton said:
“Seeing Give Opinions flourishing with an ever-growing list of market-leading clients is incredible. I’m so proud that our research shapes the direction of some of the world’s most innovative new products and services.
With the business going from strength to strength, we’ve made eight new hires to facilitate mammoth international projects, and I can’t wait to see what our new team can do.”

Give Opinions alongside Beam Fieldwork operates in over 20 countries across five continents, delivering hundreds of exceptional qualitative and quantitative fieldwork projects per month for the world’s biggest brands.

To find out more about Give Opinions, please visit www.giveopinions.co.uk

To register for Give Opinions, sign-up via the link to be added to the database.

https://www.giveopinions.co.uk/enrol/C1J6-70G

Alternatively, follow Give Opinions on social for live updates: Instagram @Give.Opinions or Facebook @giveopinions.co.uk or view live projects at: https://www.giveopinions.co.uk/projects.

STAGECOACH MANCHESTER LAUNCHES BUS LIVERY SUPPORTING OUR ARMED FORCES

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Stagecoach Manchester has launched a special livery Armed Forces Covenant bus, showing its support to active service people and veterans in the Greater Manchester area.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.

Stagecoach Group, the parent company of Stagecoach Manchester, recently received a Bronze Employer Recognition Award from the covenant. The award recognises the bus company as an employer that actively supports defence personnel and veterans.

Stagecoach also pledges to give free travel to military and ex-military personnel on key dates, including Remembrance and Armed Forces Day, following a decision from its recently established Veteran employee network. The network has been involved in numerous improvements and changes throughout the company, such as revising its reservist policy to better support employees, attending Career Transition Partnership events and attracting service leavers direct from resettlement programmes.

Kathryn McInnes, Stagecoach Veterans Network spokesperson based at Sharston Depot, commented: “This new livery is a clear message of support to all military personnel and veterans. Stagecoach is a Forces-friendly employer and I’m proud to be part of the Stagecoach Veterans Network which works to ensure support for service people within the business, and to create safe spaces for them to share their stories and openly discuss any concerns or issues they may have.”

The special liveried bus is one of a limited number across the UK to be solely branded in support of the Armed Forces Covenant and will operate in the Greater Manchester area.

Lee Wasnidge, Managing Director of Stagecoach Manchester said: “This new livery honours the brave service of people both within our business and the communities we serve. As a business, we are also working towards achieving the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Employer Recognition Award and will continue to support the Armed Forces and veterans however we can throughout Greater Manchester.”

For more information on Stagecoach Manchester, please visit: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/about/manchester

FOUR IN AT FOURWAYS IN MANCHESTER

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International real estate advisor Savills, on behalf of XLB & Pictet Alternative Advisors, has agreed four new leases which include Vega, the co-production agency, Outset Studio Group, Todd Architects and a digital agency at Fourways, at Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

Vega has committed to 1,918 sq ft on the part 4th floor at £35.00 psf for a 3 year term.

Todd Architects, an architectural firm working with clients across private and public sectors, will occupy part of the 5th floor comprising 990 sq ft at £33.50 psf for a term of 5 years. Todd Architects were represented by Sixteen Real Estate.

Outset Studio Group, a professional podcast recording group, has secured 770 sq ft of office space on the 4th floor for a 3 year term at £32.00 psf.

A digital consultancy, has agreed a new lease on part of the 2nd floor taking 3,218 sq ft of workspace at £37.50 psf to be delivered fully fitted, based on a three year term.

Located on Hilton Street in the sought after Northern Quarter area of Manchester city centre, Fourways is a converted grade II listed brick building constructed in 1906 with very good in-use BREEAM rating. The property now provides characterful office accommodation over ground and five upper floors totalling 59,000 sq ft following completion of a substantial refurbishment of the atrium and communal space.

Stephen Wormald, associate partner at XLB, comments: “The Northern Quarter continues to attract a wide range of occupiers who seek character space and surroundings with easy access to key transports links. These lettings prove the highly reversionary nature of this building which showcases best in class energy efficiency and character.”

Daniel Barnes, director in the office agency team at Savills, comments: “The new leases at Fourways show the high demand and desirability of this office building in a wide range of sectors set in the heart of the Northern Quarter. Fourways provides attractive, character workspace in an excellent desirable location and this is reflected in the good levels of interest for space that becomes available in this area.”

CBRE are joint agents on the building.

The Furniture Recycling Group is set to transform mattress recycling

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RetourMatras invests in TFR Group to triple mattress dismantling capacity and grow circular mattress services in the UK

UK’s leading mattress recycling and circular economy specialist, The Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) has secured an investment from Netherlands-based mattress recycling company RetourMatras. The partnership will enable TFR Group to grow its dismantling capacity to 1.5 million mattresses per year in England. Transforming discarded mattresses into reusable materials, that would otherwise go to waste.

The investment will support TFR Group in addressing the number of disposed mattresses in the United Kingdom, which has grown significantly over the last five years. By leveraging the combined experience and knowledge of the companies, TFR Group can create economies of scale, further increase material recoverability and realise significant carbon emission savings.

The Furniture Recycling Group doubled its sales and workforce over the past four years and, has recycled more than 3.5 million mattresses since 2012, with 30,000 tons of material flowing back into the economy. The company also rejuvenates mattresses, underpinning their commitment to key circular economy principles. Using their bespoke rejuvenation process, TFR Group can ensure that all rejuvenated mattresses are of as-new quality, based on the criteria set with customers. Rejuvenation prevents valuable mattresses from ending up as waste, giving them a second life and keeping them in circulation.

Nick Oettinger, CEO and founder of TFR Group, says: “We are constantly looking for opportunities to further our capabilities and are delighted to be partnering with RetourMatras. The investment is another step in the evolution of our business and will be instrumental in optimising and growing our recycling and rejuvenation processes. The investment will enable us to provide broader coverage of our services, as well as accelerating business growth and fast tracking our automation plans, ultimately driving down the cost of mattress recycling for our customers.”

RetourMatras dismantles mattresses and prepares the materials for reuse in the Netherlands. A self-developed, state-of-the-art automated process makes mattress recycling feasible and enables RetourMatras to substantially contribute to the recycling targets of the Netherlands. The company is actively seeking opportunities to expand their impact.

“We are very excited to be partnering with TFR Group as it enters its next phase of growth. TFR Group is a great example of entrepreneurship in the circular economy. By working together with players throughout the value chain, I truly believe that we can recycle more mattresses. We can further transform mattresses into valuable raw materials by taking the best practices and unique processes pioneered by both, TFR Group and RetourMatras. I look forward to growing the business together with Nick and his team, and jointly developing opportunities to make the mattress value chain circular.” says Chico Van Hemert, Managing Director of RetourMatras.

Alongside expanding recycling capacity in the United Kingdom, the parties are eager to work together to make mattress recycling more efficient by looking at optimising transport, dismantling and material recoverability – ultimately working towards a fully circular mattress value chain.

For more information, please visit: www.tfrgroup.co.uk

Consensus creates stylish interiors at Orega’s new Manchester offices

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Consensus Workspace has helped Orega complete its fourth Manchester workspace, delivering flexible office interiors for its Balloon Street site, which has now officially opened.

The Altrincham-based office interiors specialist has worked with Orega a number of times now, having previously provided fit outs for the national co-working office provider in Leeds, Glasgow, Bristol and London as well as Manchester.

The family businesses worked closely with the Orega team to complete the 26,000 sq. ft flexible workspace, fitting over 450 workstations over three floors, as well as creating open plan and private collaborative areas. The design style reflects nature throughout, with natural materials such as wood and stone, and earthy dark green and light beige colours used on the surfaces. Extensive biophilia continues the theme of the outdoors to encourage a feeling of wellbeing for all users of the office space, which includes on-site shower and changing facilities, an outdoor roof terrace, secure bike storage and unlimited barista-quality coffee for its users.

Andy Plastow, director of Consensus Workspace says, “Orega’s workspace interiors are always sympathetic to their surrounding areas and this is no exception, with Balloon Street’s offices reflecting a healthy approach to a city centre work-life balance and the new outdoor park close by. It’s always a pleasure to provide Orega’s fitouts as they cater for the growing demand for co-working offices across the UK, but it’s particularly special to be working with them here in our home city.”

Lynsey O’Keefe, Chief Operating Office of Orega added, “Orega is a leading provider of flexible office space and now have 20 sites across the UK. Our new workspace in Manchester is designed to be a modern, flexible base for the city’s booming tech, finance and creative businesses. We thank Consensus for their hard work and efficiency in meeting the brief for our design fit out, enabling us to deliver a high standard product ahead of schedule. “

2022 Logistics Take Up in North West Region on Track to Outperform 10 year Average says CBRE

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2022 logistics take up for big box (100,000 sq ft+) space in the North West region is on track to outperform the 10 year average take up figures and is on par with 2021 which was a record year, according to the latest research from global real estate advisor CBRE.

Logistics take-up year-to-date in the region now sits at 4.7m sq ft.  The post pandemic trend of higher levels of speculative take-up in the North West continued with 3 speculative deals in Q3.  0.8m sq ft was under offer at the end of the quarter, the lowest level since Q3 2020.

Nationally take-up of logistics space totalled 7.67m sq ft for Q3 2022. The aggregate for the first nine months of 2022 stands at 30.25m sq ft, which equates to 95.8% of 2021 and 92.1% of the record-breaking year of 2020 for the same period, signalling the sector’s resilience.

This represents a decrease of 30% compared with Q3 2021, which saw take-up reach 10.9m sq ft. A total of 29 deals have completed this quarter, a decrease of 25.6% compared with Q3 2021, which saw 39 deals complete. Speculative schemes accounted for almost half of total take-up at 46.9%, followed by build-to-suit at 34.7% and secondhand accounting for the remaining 18.4%.

Third-party logistics dominated at a sector level, accounting for 56.3% of total take-up for the quarter. This was followed by retail at 21.3%. The remaining 22.4% was split across supermarkets, manufacturing, motor and other, demonstrating that demand for logistics space is wide-ranging and that competition for units remains strong.

Take-up was widespread across the regions for the quarter. Yorkshire & North East led the way at 27.1%. This was followed by West Midlands at 20.7%, East Midlands at 19%, South East at 16.3%, North West at 9.3% and the South West at 7.5%.

Availability in the North West grew to 2.9m sq ft, up 214% QtoQ, driven by the big uptick in speculative space under construction.  The vacancy rate rose to 1.01%, from 0.23% in Q2, due to 3 secondhand units coming to the market and some speculative space completing.  However, it is still the lowest vacancy rate of any UK region.  North West prime rents increased in Q3 to £8.25 psf, up 10% YoY.  Prime big box yields moved out by a further 75 bps to 4.50%.

Nationally, vacant available space increased from 5.73m sq ft at Q2 2022 to 6.51m at Q3 2022. This was due to a number of speculative buildings reaching practical completion during the quarter. However, with only 21 built speculative units available, there remains a significant under supply. The increase in completed units resulted in the UK vacancy rate increasing fractionally from 1.18% to 1.32%.

Paul Cook, Senior Director,  CBRE Manchester commented:

“Occupational demand continues to remain strong in the North West region, but with limited supply of existing space and likely slow down in speculative development we are possibly going to see a further increase in rents moving into 2023.  Big box take up in 2022 (100,000 sq ft+) is on track to outperform the 10 year average take up figures and is on par with 2021 which was a record year.”

Jonathan Compton, Senior Director, UK Logistics at CBRE said: “Despite the ongoing economic uncertainty, the logistics occupational market remains strong with a wide range of occupiers securing space across the country. The decrease in take-up this quarter points to a degree of normalisation in the market following a prolonged period of record-breaking numbers, however the under-offer pipeline signals towards another robust year for the sector.”

Annabel Nash, Senior Analyst, UK Logistics Research at CBRE added: “We have seen a significant shift in the type of occupier taking space following a dominant display from online retail. Third-party logistics providers are now leading the pack, accounting for more than a third of total take-up year-to-date. Ongoing supply chain and shipping disruptions are resulting in longer lead times, driving retailers to extend their stock profile in the UK. Therefore, companies that do not have the sufficient infrastructure are turning to third-party logistics providers for fulfillment on their behalf.”

Co&co Hires Ex Vita Group Experience Expert As It Enters New Chapter Of Growth

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Manchester based Marketing Consultancy, co&co, has bolstered their team and agency offering with the appointment of ex-Vita Group Community & Experience Marketing expert Sophie Kimmance as a Director.

The appointment comes in-line with co&co’s plans to grow its offering and client base in the experiential marketing and brand activation space. Working with clients across the UK, it will now offer brand experiences and activations, as well as employer branding and event services, using Sophie’s decade worth of award-winning experience.

Sophie, who worked at Vita Group for almost a decade, was the driving force behind Vita Student’s residential experience strategy for the past seven years, working with teams across the UK and Europe to grow communities of loyal customers that saw the business become the leading name in student and residential accomodation and win numerous awards for its dedication to customer experience.

Sophie will now head up this new area of the business, offering huge added value for current clients, whilst she works to grow the client base in this area.

Speaking on her new appointment, Sophie, said: “With competition at a record high across all industries, consumers are looking for something extra, the ‘what’s in for me’, added bonus. Because of this, experiential marketing has become a key part of engagement and retention, and I am delighted to be able to bring my knowledge and skills to the table for co&co.

“We have got exciting things planned for the future of the agency and now with the added services of customised brand experiences, specifically designed brand and space activations, experience strategies, wellbeing support and event services, I can’t wait to see what this new exciting chapter brings.”

Founder of co&co Jordan Stachini, who worked with Sophie when heading up marketing at Select Property Group, the sister brand to Vita Group, added: “Having Sophie join the team is a fantastic milestone and an unbelievable opportunity for co&co. Our slogan is that ‘we make sh*t happen’ and Sophie joining us takes us to the next level. The experience, knowledge and understanding that Sophie has of this specialist area is second to none.

“She has a track record of turning destination marketing into a profitable, ROI generating channel – which at co&co is what we are all about. The value she will be able to add to current clients, and new ones across sectors,  is a very exciting prospect over the next couple of years of growth for our agency.’

Manchester’s Custard appoints new Managing Director

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Manchester-based digital marketing agency, Custard, has appointed a new Managing Director.

The agency’s former Head of Delivery, Alex Duthie, will take up the new role acquiring a 25% stake in the process.

Duthie joined the agency as Head of SEO in October 2017 and has held a number of roles over his tenure with the business, having previously worked at agencies such as McCann and PushOn.

Chris Smith, previously the sole owner of the business, has moved into the role of CEO.

Smith said: “I’m delighted that Alex is taking over as Managing Director at Custard after 5 years of excellent work. The agency will continue to achieve great results across an expanding scope of work with Alex at the helm.”

Duthie added: “We’ve got an excellent client base which keeps growing so it’s a really exciting time to be taking over as Managing Director. The agency has been achieving excellent results for our clients, but we’re not looking to stand still and are continually evolving our offering to ensure all clients receive best in class digital marketing.”

Contact Originators reaches ‘zero waste to landfill’ landmark

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Dukinfield based packaging origination and flexographic plates manufacturer, Contact Originators, has now reached ‘zero waste to landfill’ status.  

Partnering with waste recovery specialist B&M Waste Services (‘B&M’), Contact now sends 100% of its site waste to be either reused, recycled or recovered at a dedicated ‘waste-to-energy’ plant, supporting the company’s drive towards circular and sustainable waste pathways. 

The announcement marks the next important step on Contact’s long-term sustainability journey, as it aims to be the most ecologically sound business of its kind in the reprographics sector and support its print and packaging customers in new ways. 

Jo Grundy, Quality & Systems Manager at Contact Originators, commented: “We are thrilled to announce that we have reached zero waste to landfill in our operations – this is an enormous step for our team at Contact! With the support of leading business waste specialist B&M, we have fundamentally changed how we do business. Our class-leading service and product range remains, but now our corrugated and flexible packaging customers can also rest assured that all our waste is managed responsibly and that our work contributes to a cleaner supply chain. A siloed approach to print and packaging sustainability simply doesn’t work. It’s about the bigger picture and seeing the supply chain as a connected whole, which of course includes prepress. 

“Reaching zero waste to landfill has an enormous impact on our carbon footprint, but we know that our journey’s not over. Contact Originators is a business that’s unafraid to lead and is never satisfied with ‘average’ – just ask our customers! Targeting carbon neutrality is one thing, but we’re aiming for carbon negative as our end goal.” 

Rebecca McKew, Account Manager at B&M Waste Services added: “We are delighted to be working with Contact Originators to help in their journey to becoming carbon negative. We look forward to finding further ways to improve their waste management in the future to help them achieve their goal.” 

Contact Originators, which today supplies origination services and high performance flexo plates to the corrugated and flexible packaging sectors, has previously affirmed its commitment to ethical packaging reprographics by signing up to UN Global Compact.  

The world’s largest sustainability initiative, UN Global Compact is focused on 10 key operating principles in areas such as human rights, environmental impact and anti-corruption.  

Jo added: “In all aspects, we are putting supply chain sustainability at the heart of our business. Solid UN Global Compact principles guide our activities and development, and it’s a great demonstration of who Contact is as a business.  

“We can, and do, provide class-leading service to our printer customers, but it’s about going above and beyond. As a business, we are responsible, resource efficient and ethically sound. Achieving zero waste to landfill is just the latest evidence of this as we continue to evolve.” 

To find out more about Contact Originators and its range of products and services to packaging printers and brand owners, please visit contact-group.co.uk. 

easyJet’s renowned Fearless Flyer course returns to Manchester this November

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  • Autumn course to help aerophobics overcome their fear of flying now on sale
  • Experience flight taking off from Manchester Airport on 12th November
  • VIP package including a dedicated Captain to guide you through the experience flight also available to book now

easyJet is bringing its Fearless Flyer course back to Manchester on Saturday 12th November, to help nervous flyers take control and overcome their fears.

Over the last 10 years, the course, which has helped more than 10,000 phobics to date, continues to be one of the best-priced aerophobia courses in the UK, starting at just £89 per person.

Featuring a virtual element of the programme that was introduced earlier this year, easyJet’s Fearless Flyer course is divided into three main parts:

  • A virtual ground course, where top phobia expert Lawrence Leyton and a senior easyJet captain will explain the unfamiliar sounds and sensations customers feel onboard an aircraft and teach them a unique set of mind techniques to manage their nerves. This session lasts approximately two and a half hours.
  • A pre-flight one-hour ‘Meet the Team’ online Zoom session, where participants will be walked through the airport experience and what to expect. There will also be a participant Q&A session where phobia expert Lawrence Leyton and an easyJet pilot will answer any last-minute questions.
  • And lastly, a special one-hour experience flight from the course airport, where customers put their new skills to the test whilst listening to a live commentary of the flight from the Fearless Flyer team.

In addition to the standard course, a VIP course is also on offer and includes extra exclusive benefits including a dedicated Captain who will guide you through the experience flight day, a pre-flight private video call with a pilot and the Fearless Flyer team, VIP check-in process, security and boarding for the experience flight, guaranteed upfront seats, and lifetime access to additional course materials.

A limited number of spaces on the courses are now available at fearlessflyer.easyjet.com

Captain Chris Foster, Fearless Flyer Lead Pilot at easyJet, said:

“We’re delighted to be relaunching our renowned Fearless Flyer course for this coming winter with courses now available to book in Manchester and across the UK. The course is suitable for anyone who is a nervous flyer, whether they experience slight anxiety or they have never flown before and with a success rate of more than 95%, we would encourage anyone wishing to overcome their fear to take part.”

Mark Wein, easyJet’s Fearless Flyer Course Director, commented:

“Around one in six people have a fear of flying, stopping many from travelling abroad on holiday, visiting friends and family or even flying for work, so why wait to join so many who have already overcome their fears through our renowned Fearless Flyer course? We’re excited to help many more people get flying fearlessly on our courses over the coming months – the results are truly life-changing.”

Ann Cobbe, who took the course in the summer and hadn’t flown for 30 years, said:

“This is a brilliant course. I was sceptical when signing up but by the end of the flight I really was a ‘fearless flyer’. The online course is amazing and explains everything in detail. The coping mechanisms includes 4 different techniques, each very achievable by all. The zoom meeting with the Fearless Flyer Team a couple of days before the flight meant you could ask any questions you wanted and put my mind at ease. The flight experience was fantastic. The team were with us the whole way, reassuring us all throughout the process. During the flight the Pilot explained everything to us including the sounds, the changes in engine noise, turbulence etc. At the end of the flight a group of very happy ex-phobics left the plane. I just wish I had done this years ago. I’m so glad I can now fly anywhere I wish to and I really recommend this course to everybody who wants to enjoy ‘fearless flying’.”

The online course is available right now, and the experience flight will take place on Saturday 12th November at Manchester airport.

For further information, please contact the easyJet Press Office on 01582 525252, log onto www.easyJet.com or follow @easyJet_Press

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