The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line episodes:

• 03.07.2024

  In the eye of a crisis

  Evan Davis makes up crisis management scenarios to see how three CEOs handle a business emergency. To make it more realistic none of the guests know what the predicaments are before speaking to Evan. Guests: Kathryn Jacob, CEO of Pearl and...

  
• 02.29.2024

  Rethinking retirement

  A typical career, for many, involves some kind of progression, or at least the expectation of it, until we stop and retire. But is there a better model? Evan Davis and guests discuss whether more of us should think about...

  
• 02.22.2024

  Where's the life in nightlife?

  The UK’s biggest nightclub operator recently announced the closure of around half of its venues, and with them almost 500 jobs. REKOM UK, which owns the Atik and Pryzm brands, blamed the cost of living crisis hurting its customers, along...

  
• 02.15.2024

  Navigating the Say-Do Gap

  It’s easy for people to say they want to buy a particular product, perhaps in the name of sustainability. But how often do individuals actually follow through with these well-meaning intentions? Academics regularly observe a difference between what consumers...

  
• 02.08.2024

  Feedback

  It's useful to know how you're doing at work, but feedback from managers and colleagues can often be unhelpful, upsetting, or even non-existent. So what's the best way to give and receive it? Evan Davis and guests discuss some top...

  
• 02.01.2024

  Meat

  UK consumers are eating less meat than at any point since records began 50 years ago, according to the latest government figures, so how are farmers, processors and retailers responding? The cost of living crisis is part of the reason...

  
• 01.25.2024

  Many unhappy returns

  Some major fashion brands have started charging for online returns, or even banning customers who routinely send products back. The companies say that growing levels of returns are hitting their profits, so just how costly is it to process an...

  
• 01.18.2024

  Bringing your 'whole self' to work

  It’s become the mantra of many employers, and the expectation of some employees, but what does bringing your whole or authentic self to work actually mean, and should companies encourage it? Evan Davis and guests discuss the pros and...

  
• 11.16.2023

  Meetings

  On the agenda for the final programme of the current series is meetings. Virtual or in person, it's difficult to avoid a work meeting. So how do you ensure a good meeting? What should their purpose be, how many...

  
• 11.09.2023

  Blockbuster drugs

  New medicines with sales in the billions of dollars each year are what every pharmaceutical company dreams of, but how do you create one and can they really justify their often high price tags? Evan Davis and guests discuss the...

  
• 11.02.2023

  The Age of the Train?

  For most people, the aeroplane is the default mode of long distance transport Whilst the UK has only two overnight sleeper services, long distance train travel and sleeper services are experiencing a resurgence in Europe. One company...

  
• 10.26.2023

  In denial

  Bad behaviour and big mistakes can destroy careers and even entire businesses if they're not addressed quickly, so why do some companies and their leaders try to downplay or even deny them? Evan Davis and guests discuss the culture of...

  
• 10.19.2023

  Rebranding

  Elon Musk’s decision to rename Twitter ‘X’ has been met with confusion, and in some cases even anger, but where does it rank amongst the best and worst rebrands? Evan Davis and guests discuss the complexity of changing a company...

  
• 10.12.2023

  Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis

  As the UK gets ready to host a major global summit on the safety of artificial intelligence, Evan Davis speaks to one of the technology's leading global figures. Demis Hassabis explains how he went from child chess champion to game...

  
• 10.05.2023

  Tradespeople

  From plumbers to electricians, plasterers to builders, most of us need to hire a trader at some point. But what's it like to work in the industry, and how has it been affected by changes such as Brexit, the pandemic...

  
• 09.28.2023

  Back to the office

  Many employers say they are desperate to get staff back into the office more often, but what's the best and fairest way to wean employees off remote working? As companies from tech to banking grapple with this issue, Evan Davis...

  
• 07.27.2023

  Does Funny Sell?

  Is humour the most effective way to get your product noticed? If so, why does it seem that the use of comedy in advertising is in decline? Recent research by Kantar found that 90% of consumers were more...

  
• 07.20.2023

  What next for water?

  England’s water companies are under fire – there’s public anger over sewage spills and leaks, and now regulators and government ministers are worried some of them are drowning in too much debt. So what’s gone wrong, and who will pay...

  
• 07.13.2023

  Business on 'the box'

  From The Office and Succession to The Apprentice and Dragons' Den, does the portrayal of business on television inspire or is it a total turn off to budding entrepreneurs? And how challenging is it to create great drama from...

  
• 07.06.2023

  Pre-loved

  Demand for pre-loved goods has surged in the UK in recent years, with fashion, books and furniture especially popular. So what’s driving this boom in second-hand sales - the cost of living crisis or the increasingly eco-conscious shopper? And how...

  
• 06.29.2023

  Dame Sharon White

  John Lewis Partnership and Waitrose are possibly two of the most trusted brands in retail. This week, Evan Davis interviews Dame Sharon White, who took over as Chair of the Partnership, literally weeks before lockdown. ...

  
• 06.22.2023

  Managing millennials (and Gen Z)

  Younger workers want unlimited holiday, refuse to give up remote working, and are constantly looking for their next job, or so the cliché goes. Millennials and those even younger (Generation Z) do typically have different attitudes to work than their...

  
• 06.15.2023

  Flying Circus?

  As Covid restrictions were eased last year, the demand to travel abroad by air overtook the readiness of the industry to cope, leading to thousands of flights being cancelled and enormous queues at several airport terminals because of a shortage...

  
• 06.08.2023

  Are supermarkets profiteering?

  Grocery stores are under pressure – with food inflation still near record highs, some have accused them of profiteering and the UK’s competition watchdog is investigating. So what’s the evidence, if any, that supermarkets and other smaller stores are taking...

  
• 03.09.2023

  Business Books

  What makes a great business book and how do you make practical advice on a subject like accounting a riveting read? What makes you more likely to read a business book - a top business leader's journey to...

  
• 03.02.2023

  How to Hire

  What's the best way to recruit people who have the right skills for the job, but are also the right cultural fit for your business? And how do you do that without discrimination? Evan Davis and guests discuss the many...

  
• 02.23.2023

  Powered by AI

  Machines now have the ability to write novels, create works of art, or compose original songs thanks to artificial intelligence. In future the technology could be used to discover drugs, design entire buildings, or come up with new materials. So...

  
• 02.16.2023

  Running Rolls Royce

  Warren East has run two of the UK's most successful companies, ARM and Rolls Royce Holdings. During his tenure at ARM he oversaw a rapid growth of this globally successful Cambridge semi conductor company. He went on to...

  
• 02.09.2023

  Podcasting

  It seems these days everyone is making a podcast, from Michelle Obama and Kate Hudson to Alastair Campbell and Dua Lipa. Covering every subject from health and wellbeing to politics, food and even funerals, the last few years has seen...

  
• 02.02.2023

  The French correction?

  The French work fewer hours, take longer holidays and retire earlier than UK employees, but they are also more productive and their economy is therefore roughly the same size as ours. How do they do it? As the UK looks...

  
• 01.26.2023

  Too much choice?

  If you've ever felt bamboozled by the sheer range of biscuits at your local supermarket or in a quandary over which pair of headphones to buy from the plethora on offer, then you're not alone. Studies suggest that consumers...

  
• 01.19.2023

  How Strikes Come to an End

  Current strike action across the UK led to more than a million lost working days in 2022, the worst industrial strife the nation has experienced since the 'Winter of Discontent' in the 1970s. But with the benefit of hindsight,...

  
• 11.17.2022

  Opportunists and Optimists

  As the UK struggles with recession, Evan Davis talks to four business people who are not afraid to be bulls in a bear market. Does a recession offer opportunities to serial entrepreneurs and start-ups that others might fear? ...

  
• 11.10.2022

  Turning Passion into Profit

  Col Needham set up his first business at the age of 14 designing and selling games software for computers. But his real love, since the age of 5, has always been film. Col started logging every movie he'd seen...

  
• 11.03.2022

  A new era for the housing market?

  What will higher interest rates on borrowing money mean for the property market and what happens if house prices fall? Evan Davis discusses mortgages and housing in new economic times. Guests: Vanessa McCallum, Owner of Vanessa McCallum Estates Ray Boulger, Senior Technical...

  
• 10.27.2022

  The business of being a GP

  Since the very beginning of the NHS, GP surgeries have been, in effect, businesses with contracts to do the work the Health Service needs. But in recent decades, patient numbers have grown, surgeries have become larger and the services offered...

  
• 10.20.2022

  Dealing in Defence

  Evan Davis looks at the UK's defence industry to find out how it is responding to the war in Ukraine and whether socially conscious investors are beginning to change their minds about the sector. Guests: Dean Rosenfield, Head of Saab UK Kevin...

  
• 10.13.2022

  Changing Tack

  What happens when your business vision doesn't stack up or your long-standing business needs to make changes to keep up with a changing market and customer taste? Do you make a U-turn or a pivot as it's known in business....

  
• 10.06.2022

  Has Britain stopped working?

  Evan Davis asks why there are more job vacancies in Britain than there are people looking for work. Unemployment used to be a big problem, but now businesses say they're struggling to recruit enough staff. Guest list: Jane Townson: CEO of...

  
• 09.29.2022

  Excess Profits, Windfall Taxes and Incentives

  Is it right that businesses making what look like windfall profits pay windfall taxes? And do the recent announcements from the government to lower taxes in general lead to economic growth? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTS...

  
• 07.28.2022

  Little Boxes?

  The government target for building houses in the UK is 300,000 a year, but over the past few years only around 60 per cent of that number have been constructed. The sector faces many challenges; labour and skills shortages and...

  
• 07.21.2022

  Russian Exodus

  Hundreds of western businesses have decided to stop operating in Russia as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. But what does leaving Russia actually mean in practical terms – how do you go about it and who bears the...

  
• 07.14.2022

  Woke or Broke?

  From Disney to the Halifax bank, companies are increasingly willing to take a stance on everything. But what is driving this trend and will it continue? Ultimately isn't it the job of a business to make money for its shareholders...

  
• 07.07.2022

  'Sorry, all our agents are busy right now'

  Why does it seem so hard to contact a business these days? It's almost like they deliberately hide their phone numbers from us. When we do manage to ring, they often make us sit through an endless list of 'caller...

  
• 06.30.2022

  Employment Tribunals

  What to expect when a workplace dispute ends up in court. Thousands of people lodge grievances relating to their jobs directly with their employers, and that's often where they remain. But if you think you have been unfairly dismissed, or...

  
• 06.23.2022

  How to run a petrol station

  As petrol and diesel prices hit record highs, Evan Davis looks at the economics of running a petrol station. There's an allegation motorists are being ripped off at the pumps. However, the actual amount of profit some forecourts make from...

  
• 06.16.2022

  Online Reviews

  Can we trust the wisdom of the crowd on online review platforms? Evan Davis and guests discuss how businesses can harness this knowledge to their advantage and how they can deal with bad reviews. And how do the platforms that...

  
• 06.09.2022

  The price of bread

  The 'crust' of living: Evan Davis looks at the spiralling costs of baking a loaf of bread. On top of rising energy bills the industry is having to keep up with huge increases in the price of wheat. In this...

  
• 03.24.2022

  Business and Energy

  How will soaring energy costs affect UK corporations? Prices are spiking, not least because of the war in Ukraine. Energy is essential for everything from heating offices to transportation to manufacturing, so what happens when it just becomes too...

  
• 03.17.2022

  Levelling Up

  Evan Davis and guests examine the prospects for business in this government priority for increasing economic activity beyond the Southeast of England. How important is political devolution? Or are practical changes, like transport links and skills education more significant? ...