The Bottom Line

The 2026 London Marathon saw new world record times set in both the men's and women's events. Eyes weren't just on the winning athletes but also on the Adidas trainers they were wearing. So what goes into designing and making a pair of trainers and why have some of them become so expensive to buy? Global sales for trainers are in the tens of billions of dollars with hundreds of new styles being produced every year. How does the industry keep up with demand and stay on trend? Giant companies like Nike and Adidas, who dominated the industry for decades, can no longer take anything for granted. Newer brands like On and Hoka have managed to break through and are shaking things up. How have they managed to do it? Evan Davis gets some insights and answers from people who work in the industry.
Guests:
Tony Evans: Managing Director of Jacobson Group
Tom Astrella: Co-founder The Footsoldiers
Wayne Edy: Founder and CEO of Inov8
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producer: Sally Abrahams & Nick Holland
Sounds: Dave O'Neill and Frank McWeeny
Editor: Sam Bonham

Evan is joined by a panel of top entrepreneurs to answer your listener questions.
How do you make your business stand out in a crowded market? Where can you find the information you need to start your own business? Why don't we hear about the failures along the way to success? And how do you know which risks are worth taking?
Evan and his guests answer listeners' questions and discuss the ins and outs of starting your own business, as well as the unique challenges of being an entrepreneur.
Guests:
Trinny Woodall, CEO and founder of Trinny London
Sarah Willingham, CEO and founder of Nightcap
Brent Hoberman, serial entrepreneur and investor
Production team:
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound engineers: Jack Graysmark and Dave O'Neill
Editor: Matt Willis
The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

From smartphones to trainers, confectionary and cleaning products, we live in a culture of constant updates. Companies reformulate, redesign and refresh their products in a continuous race to stay ahead. But how are those decisions made? What counts as meaningful improvement and how much is designed to make last year’s version feel old? Evan Davis and guests discuss how products evolve and why standing still is the fastest way to fall behind.
Guests:
Tom Moody, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, P&G (Proctor & Gamble) Northern Europe
Dr Garry Moppett, Senior Director of Research & Development at Mars
Dave Ward, UK and International Managing Director, Amazon Ring.
Production team:
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producer: Sally Abrahams
Sound engineers: Lee Wilson and Donald MacDonald
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Matt Willis
The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

Across our professional careers, many of us will come into contact with a difficult colleague or hard-to-please superior. But what happens when difficult behaviour crosses over into bullying at work? What effect does this have, not only on our wellbeing, but on our workplace as a whole?
Evidence suggests that bullying may be on the rise in the UK. A 2025 survey of British workers conducted by ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) found that 44% of respondents had experienced conflict at work in the last 12 months. And on the global stage, the resurgence of ‘strong man’ leadership has reignited a debate: does bullying behaviour get you what you want?
Evan and the panel look at what workplace bullying is, when and why bullying can occur, and the steps individuals and organisations can take to tackle this behaviour in the workplace.
Guests:
Jason Warner, Managing Director (UK and EMEA) at SBS
Kevin Rowan, Director of Dispute Resolution at ACAS
Kara Ng, Senior Lecturer in Organisational Psychology at Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester
Production team:
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound engineers: James Beard and Neil Churchill
Editor: Matt Willis
The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

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 Savills
Production 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