The Bottom Line

Why buy when you can subscribe? From food boxes to fashion, businesses are increasingly keen to sign us up for regular payments. The attraction is clear – predictable income for companies and convenience for consumers. But what happens when we forget to cancel, keep paying for things we barely use or find it harder to leave than join? Evan Davis and guests explore the appeal and the pitfalls of the subscription economy.
Guests:
Murray Lambell, chief customer officer, Gousto;
Mark Ralea, general manager, Fabletics Europe;
Kate Nightingale, psychologist and founder, Humanising Brands;
and Lisa Webb, consumer law expert at Which?
Production team:
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producers: Nick Holland and Sally Abrahams
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound engineers: James Beard and Dave O’Neill
Editor: Matt Willis

What is going wrong with the largest economy in Europe? It accounts for roughly one-third of the continent's total manufacturing output but since 2020 there's been very little growth. Some people suggest the problems facing the country have been brewing for decades. It's argued Germany has been slow to adapt to modern ways of doing business and hasn't kept up with industrial competition from abroad. Evan Davis is joined by a panel of experts to understand how much trouble the German economy is in, why it's struggling and what it can do to revive itself.
Guests:
Verena Pausder: Chair of the German Start-Up Association
Nicola Pinder: Business expansion consultant for the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg
Marcel Fratzscher: President of the German Institute for Economic Research
Wolfgang Munchau: Journalist and Author of Kaput, The End of the German Miracle
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producers: Nick Holland & Sally Abrahams
Sound: Dave O'Neill & Donald MacDonald
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Matt Willis

If there’s one business that’s ingrained in popular culture, you could argue it's the buying and selling of antiques. You only have to count the number of TV shows where people find and flog something hoping for a profit to recognise the appeal. But how does the business really operate? Is it accurately portrayed on television and how do antiques come up for sale in the first place? Evan Davis is joined by a panel of experts to get some answers and asks whether anything we manufacture today will last long enough to be auctioned off in a hundred years-time.
Guests:
Catherine Southon: Catherine Southon Auctioneers and Valuers, TV expert on Flog It!, Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip
Mark Hill: Dealer, Author, Lecturer and TV expert on Antiques Road Show and Antiques Road Trip
Conor Hannah: Founder of SellingAntiques.co.uk
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producers: Nick Holland & Sally Abrahams
Sound: Dave O'Neill & Neil Churchill
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor Matt Willis

Drones are no longer simply small flying cameras. They’re being used to fight wars, find people lost at sea, inspect infrastructure and gather intelligence. Evan Davis and guests discuss what’s driving the extraordinary growth of the drone industry. And, as the technology gets cheaper, smarter and longer-range, what does it take to build a successful drone business?
Guests:
Mike Armstrong, MD, Stark Defence UK
Gemma Alcock, Founder and CEO, Skybound
Mark Westwood, Director of Defence and a Professor of Aeronautics, Cranfield University
Production team:
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producers: Bethan Ashmead, Nick Holland, Sally Abrahams
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill
Editor: Matt Willis

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