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Water Filters (Recorded Live at Cheltenham Science Festival)
Can jug or under sink filters, promising to soften tap water and improve taste, really take out what they claim?Greg Foot gathers the experts live at Cheltenham Science Festival, dives into the data and crunches the numbers to get answers for listener Elaine.Each episode Greg investigates the latest ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener. Are they really 'the best thing since sliced bread' and should you spend your money on them?All of our episodes start with YOUR suggestions. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at [email protected] OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM PRODUCERS: KATE HOLDSWORTH AND GREG FOOT
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Toast - Homebase
Homebase was once one of our leading home improvement chains so, why did it have to close all of its stores?The BBC Business journalist Sean Farrington investigates.Alongside him is the entrepreneur Sam White, who at the end of the show has to reach her own conclusions, based only on what she has heard and her own business acumen.Homebase was established by the supermarket chain Sainsbury's and a Belgian retailer which was already running a DIY business in Europe and America. The first Homebase store opened in Croydon in 1981 and it had to be temporarily closed by the police after visiting crowds caused a traffic jam. The chain expanded across the UK and had more than 300 stores. It went through some highs, and some serious lows, with various owners but what ultimately caused the closure of its shops?Sean and Sam hear from expert guests including:- Allison Foster, curator of the Sainsbury Archive, which is based at London Museum Docklands- Dave Elliott, a former Trading Director then later Commercial Director at Homebase under different owners- Matt Walton, senior data analyst at GlobalDataWhile Homebase's standalone stores are toast, the brand continues to trade online under new ownership. Homebase garden centres and products are also being included within branches of The Range. Produced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.You can email the programme at [email protected] free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.
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Toast - FHM
FHM was the men's magazine that sold vastly more copies than any of its competitors but still ended up toast. So, why did its publishers stop printing it while other men's magazines survived? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, charts its highs and lows in the company of four of FHM's former editors.Alongside them is the entrepreneur, Sam White, who has to use her business acumen to reach her own conclusions based upon what she has heard. Featuring in the show are: - Eric Musgrave - the original editor of 'For Him Magazine' as it was known when it launched in 1985- Mike Soutar - the FHM editor who took sales to over half-a-million a month in the late 1990s- Piers Hernu - FHM's editor-at-large who took to the airwaves to defend lads' mags against accusations of sexism - Joe Barnes - who edited the magazine for four years until shortly before its print publication ceasedProduced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.You can email the programme at [email protected] free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.
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Toast - Nike's FuelBand
Nike's FuelBand was among the first fitness trackers to be launched and was worn by sports stars including the tennis player, Serena Williams. So, why did Nike give up on it so soon after its launch?The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, is joined by Nike's former Vice President of Digital Sport, Stefan Olander, to get the inside story on what happened to the successful product. Alongside them is the entrepreneur, Sam White, who at the end of the show, based only upon what she has heard and using her business acumen, has to reach her own conclusions. Other guests include:- Nikki Legg - a FuelBand fan who bought one as soon as they came out and wrote to Toast suggesting we cover the fitness tracker on the show.- Chris Smith - a sports and technology journalist who has written about the FuelBand and is an early adopter of wearable techProduced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.You can email the programme at [email protected] free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.
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Toast - Woolworths
Woolworths was once a family favourite with well over 1,000 UK stores selling everything from kitchenware to pick and mix. So, why did the business collapse when other general retailers were on the rise? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, charts the company's highs and lows before asking 'what went wrong at Woolies?'. Alongside him is the entrepreneur, Sam White, who at the end of the show has to reach her own conclusions, based only on what she has heard and her own business acumen. Sean and Sam hear from expert guests including: - Richard Hawkins - an honorary research fellow at the University of Wolverhampton and president of the marketing history organisation, Charm, who has written about the company?s early days- Clare Bailey - a retail consultant who was employed by Woolworths- Claire Robertson - whose retail career began with a Saturday job at her local Woolies and led to her running a spin-off business (called 'Wellworths') after the original failed.- Tony Page - Commercial and Marketing Director at Woolworths from 2006 who tried to save the business after it went into administrationProduced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.You can email the programme at [email protected] free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.
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About Sliced Bread

Sliced Bread is the series that investigates the latest ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener. Are they really 'the best thing since sliced bread'? Science presenter Greg Foot finds out.Greg speaks to experts on a bunk-busting mission to test the latest consumer trends chosen by listeners. Do they live up to the hype? Or are they just marketing BS?Greg chats to the experts, dives into the data, performs tests and crunches the numbers before putting his findings back to the listener so they can decide if it’s worth spending their hard earned money on.New episodes of Sliced Bread are released weekly on Thursdays wherever you get your podcasts. But if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode on BBC Sounds first, a week earlier than anywhere else. If you have a suggestion for a product to investigate, you can email the team on [email protected] or send a WhatsApp voice note via the number 07543 306807.Sliced Bread is produced by BBC Audio North for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

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