Your commercial news round-up: Skims, Nvidia, supply chain legislation, economic growth

Anna O’Boyle is acting senior content and engagement coordinator at LawCareers.Net

Reading time: four minutes

Kim Kardashian’s company Skims is facing backlash after its £110 advent calendar has received social media scrutiny, with multiple online unboxing videos ridiculing the contents. In other news, Nvidia’s CEO has resigned following reports of two alleged affairs, resulting in a 10% fall in the company’s share price. Meanwhile, statistics show that the UK economy grew in September and the government announced plans for new legislation aimed at addressing human rights risks in large companies’ supply chains.

Read on for LawCareers.Net’s pick of this week’s top commercial stories.

• Skims, the shapewear and clothing business co-founded by Kim Kardashian, is offering full refunds or credit to customers who bought its $148 (£110) advent calendar following widespread criticism of its contents on social media. The calendar promised “twelve days of fun surprises” but has been widely criticised for including items such as hair ties, branded hair clips and keychains. An online commentator compared the contents to things “my cat collects from around my house”. Skims, which was valued at $5 billion in 2025, said it had contacted every customer after acknowledging that, for some buyers, the product “didn’t meet expectations”. The backlash highlights the commercial importance of pricing, perceived value and brand reputation, and demonstrates how consumer reactions and reputational issues can quickly create commercial consequences for major brands.
• Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang has resigned following reports of two alleged affairs. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress has been appointed interim CEO of the company, which is worth around $4.2 trillion and produces chips central to the global AI industry. The announcement followed a second allegation involving a Nvidia executive who reportedly worked directly under Huang. Nvidia was already investigating a separate affair admitted by Huang, involving a woman reportedly accused of being a Chinese spy, an allegation the FBI is also investigating. The controversy has affected investor confidence, with Nvidia shares down more than 10% in pre-market trading. The allegations have developed into issues surrounding leadership, investor confidence, corporate governance and Nvidia’s reputation, demonstrating how personal conduct can have wider commercial consequences for businesses and markets.
• The UK government has announced plans for new supply chain legislation requiring large companies to identify and address human rights risks in their supply chains, following pressure from campaign groups and reporting by The Independent. Businesses will be required to have processes in place to identify and respond to risks, rather than being judged solely on whether harm has occurred. It’s also expected that a new regulator will be created to investigate externally raised concerns about company conduct or particular goods. Campaigners have welcomed the announcement, with Marie Rumsby, director of advocacy at the Fairtrade Foundation, saying, “This is a major step towards fairer supply chains and we welcome it. Farmers and workers should not pay the price for exploitation or irresponsible business practices.” However, concerns remain about the law’s proposed scope, as it’s not expected to cover environmental risks and could apply only to companies with turnover exceeding £350 million, potentially excluding some major UK consumer goods businesses.
• The UK economy grew by 0.7% in the third quarter of 2026, its fastest expansion in two and a half years, with AI-related services helping drive economic activity. GDP also increased by 0.2% in September, beating forecasts of zero growth. Services led the expansion, growing by 0.9%, with the information and communication sector rising by 2.1%. AI, cloud computing, computer programming and consultancy businesses were among the main contributors. Production increased by 0.1%, while falling construction activity limited overall growth. The figures highlight several commercial trends for aspiring lawyers to watch, including rising investment in AI and data centres, increased pressures on construction, and the impact of higher energy costs and inflation on businesses and consumers. The Bank of England raised interest rates to 4% last week, and the stronger-than-expected economy could increase the prospect of a further rise in December.

Check the News every Thursday for our weekly commercial news round-up. Prefer to listen to your commercial news? Why not check out our Commercial Connect podcast?

Follow LawCareers.Net on LinkedIn and Instagram for regular business news updates.