HYBRID WORKING IN THE SUPERMARKET: IWG SIGNS NEW DEAL WITH TESCO

Workers will be able to use their favourite supermarket as a place to work on their doorsteps after a new deal between IWG and Tesco.

IWG, the world’s leading provider of flexible workspace with brands including Spaces and Regus, is to convertexcess space at Tesco into flexible office space, making hybrid working a reality in the heart of the suburbs.

The latest opening from IWG is part of a shift towards creating more self-sustaining, vibrant local communities that will greatly improve the work-life balance of local workers as well as having a positive impact on the environment by reducing the need for daily and costly commutes into central London.

The first location will be the Tesco Extra in New Malden, located on the store’s upper mezzanine level, the 3,800 square foot Spaces will contain 12 OpenDesks, 30 co-working spaces and a meeting room. Businesses and individuals will be able to access workspaces from mid-May, by joining up on the IWG platform customers will be able to access wifi, the instore café and the comfort of private working space.

This is part of IWG’s plans to add 1,000 new locations to its global network in 2022 as the demand for hybrid working accelerates. Other new IWG locations across South London will include Twickenham, Sutton and the revamped Battersea Power Station. All IWG members have access to the rapidly expanding network of 300 centres across the UK and thousands worldwide.

The deal is the first collaboration between IWG’s Spaces brand and Tesco.

Research undertaken by IWG demonstrates the ongoing popularity of hybrid working. Three quarters (72 per cent) of workers would prefer the long-term ability to work flexibly, over going back to the office five days a week, with a 10 per cent pay rise.

The growth of IWG’s network has been increasingly focused on suburban locations, emphasizing the demand for workspace solutions in the heart of local communities. 77 per cent of employees say a place to work closer to home is a must-have for their next job move with workers four times more likely to choose an office close to home than a city centre.

IWG recently launched a new retail-based office-space concept ‘OpenDesks’. The new concept offers optimal flexibility and greater privacy than traditional co-working, using magnetic screens to create privacy, and cluster formations can be created for larger teams or for meetings. Each workspace can be accessed using Spaces’ mobile app, providing 24/7 working for members.

The company continues to invest in industry-leading technology and recently announced a merger of its digital assets with Instant Group.
Mark Dixon, Founder & CEO of IWG, commented: “For several decades we have been at the forefront of hybrid work, empowering people to work more productively and conveniently. People don’t want to spend hours commuting every day and instead want to live and work in their local communities. A Tesco Extra in a suburban location, in the middle of a vibrant local community, is the perfect location for flexible office space. You can already shop there, and now you can use a Flexspace there as well.

He continues: “New locations in suburban areas will transform communities and are a response to the growing demand we are seeing from customers who want to live and work locally.”