The Bottom Line

Private Renting: Who Wants to Be a Landlord?

The UK’s private rental market has grown dramatically over recent decades, creating what often feels like a tale of two nations: ‘Generation Rent’ who are priced out of home ownership and unable to access social housing; and buy-to-let investors who view property as a reliable income stream or pension plan.Rising rents, poor conditions and fierce competition for homes have fuelled frustration with landlords, prompting political efforts to strengthen protections for tenants and increase tax pressure on property owners.Now the sector is facing a turning point – with large institutional investors, backed by pension funds, for example, playing an increasing role. Evan Davis and guests discuss the state of the UK rental market and where it might be heading. Guests: Ashley Winston, Director of Palmdale Car Finders Andy Graham, Host, HMO Podcast Polly Simpson, Head of multi-family development at SavillsProduction team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Sally Abrahams Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound engineers: Ben Andrews and Tim Heffer Editor: Matt Willis The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

Dynamic Pricing: Who Profits?

Everyone wants to get the best price they can when they buy, whether that’s a product, a service or an experience. But the ‘best price’ can look different for different people, and at different times. Surge pricing, tiered prices, off-peak discounts, time-of-use pricing- technology has enabled more industries to employ dynamic pricing to get the best prices for their products by altering them depending on a range of sophisticated considerations. But this has made pricing less predictable and left customers feeling like the prices are often stacked against them; most notably after the Oasis reunion tour ticket sales in 2024. Is dynamic pricing really as bad as we all think? Evan and guests look at the psychology behind consumer perceptions of dynamic pricing, and ask how different industries can utilise the pricing model to benefit themselves and their customers. Guests: Richard Howle, founder of RH Insights Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy for Business Marco Bertini, Professor of Marketing at Esade Business SchoolProduction team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound engineers: Daniel Fox and Steve Greenwood Editor: Matt Willis The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

What Happens When Brands Change Hands?

From headline deals like Vodafone-Three or home builder, Barratt buying rival, Redrow, corporate mergers and takeovers are on the rise. Evan Davis and guests take a fresh look at what happens when companies combine. They discuss why deal-making is growing, why execs turn to M&A, what can go wrong and whether mergers deliver growth or simply disguise deeper problems. Guests: Vittorio Colao, CEO at Vodafone Group 2008-2018, and now Vice Chairman, EMEA, General Atlantic Pip Hulbert, CCO for International Markets at VML Farshid Azadegan, Director of BEC DistributionProduction team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Sally Abrahams Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound engineers: Russell Newlove and Andy Garratt Editor: Matt WillisThe Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

Airport Lounges: For the Many or the Few?

In the years after the COVID pandemic we are travelling more and expecting more from our journeys. Travel is increasingly viewed as an end-to-end experience that begins before you even set foot on board your flight. As people look to inject luxury into their travel, airport lounge usage has boomed.But lounges’ rise in popularity has created a unique problem for their operators: how do you grow your customer base whilst maintaining a degree of exclusivity?Evan Davis speaks to industry operators and experts about balancing the scales.Guests: Mignon Buckingham, CEO of Airport Dimensions Claude Roussel, VP of Sky Clubs and Lounge Experience at Delta Airlines Nicky Kelvin, Senior Director of Content at The Points GuyProduction team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound engineers: Dave O’Neill and Tim Heffer Editor: Matt WillisThe Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

Boom And Bust: Is AI The New Dotcom Bubble?

Right now, Artificial Intelligence feels unstoppable. Investors are piling in, expectations are sky-high and claims about a radically different future are everywhere. To anyone who remembers the late 1990s, it all feels strikingly familiar. Back then, the internet sparked the dotcom boom - a frenzy of big ideas, easy money and soaring valuations. When the bubble burst in 2000, billions were lost and companies wiped out. Yet the core idea proved right - the internet did transform lives, just more slowly and messily than expected. And there are important lessons to be learned. Evan Davis talks to Ernst Malmsten, co-founder and CEO of boo.com, one of the most high-profile startups of the dotcom era. From his frontline seat in the boom and bust, he shares what really happened and what today’s AI moment can learn from it. Guests: Ernst Malmsten, co-founder and former CEO, boo.com Gretchen Morgenson, business reporter at the New York Times during the dotcom bubble, now senior financial reporter, NBC News Investigations David Pringle, tech writer and former Wall Street Journal reporterProduction team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Sally Abrahams Production Co-ordinators: Katie Morrison and Jack Young Sound: Dave O’Neill and Rod Farquhar Editor: Matt WillisThe Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University.