Economy
The latest news, updates and analysis on the economy and how it is affecting the UK retail industry. Sign up to the Daily Briefing and let Retail Sector’s business journalists keep you in the picture.
-
Jul- 2025 -29 July
Family food bills rise as shop price inflation hits 0.7%
Shop price inflation rose to 0.7% in July, up from 0.4% in June, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The latest figures from the Shop Price Monitor, which was formerly known as the Shop Price Index, show inflation running above the three-month average of 0.3%. Food inflation reached 4%…
Read More » -
28 July
BRC welcomes Lords’ changes to Employment Rights Bill
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has welcomed amendments put forward by the House of Lords to the Employment Rights Bill, describing them as “positive, practical and pragmatic” steps to protect local, flexible and part-time jobs. Key changes proposed by peers include turning a right to guaranteed hours into a right…
Read More » -
25 July
Retail sales jump 0.9% in June
Retail sales volumes rose by 0.9% in June 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), following a revised 2.8% decline in May. Food store sales increased, with retailers attributing the rise to warm weather after a fall in May. Over the quarter, sales volumes were up 0.2% in…
Read More » -
24 July
Consumer confidence dips in July as inflation bites
Consumer confidence dipped in July as inflation and economic contraction weighed on household sentiment, new figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show. According to the BRC-Opinium Consumer Sentiment Monitor, expectations for the UK economy over the next three months fell to -33, down from -28 in June. Forecasts for…
Read More » -
16 July
Inflation jumps to 18-month high of 3.6% in June
Inflation unexpectedly increased to a near 18-month high of 3.6% in June, driven by the rising cost of transport and food, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figure is the highest recorded since January 2024, when the rate was 4.0%. On a monthly…
Read More » -
11 July
Economy unexpectedly shrinks 0.1% in May
Monthly real gross domestic product (GDP) unexpectedly fell 0.1% in May 2025, following an unrevised fall of 0.3% in April 2025 and growth of 0.4% in March 2025, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.5% in the three…
Read More » -
1 July
Shop prices return to inflation as retailers struggle to shoulder costs
Shop price inflation increased to 0.4% year on year in June, compared with a decline of 0.1% in May, as retailers grappled with increases to minimum wage and employer national insurance costs. Furthermore, non-food inflation increased to -1.2% year on year in June, against a decline of 1.5% in May.…
Read More » -
Jun- 2025 -20 June
Young adults lift UK consumer confidence despite economic concerns
Consumer confidence in the UK rose modestly in June, buoyed by optimism among younger age groups despite continuing concerns over inflation and global instability, according to new data from GfK. The research firm’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index increased by two points to -18, with improvements in views of the wider…
Read More » -
18 June
Inflation eases to 3.4% in May amid falling air prices
Inflation eased to 3.4% in May 2025, down from 3.5% in the 12 months to April, as rising food prices were offset by falling air fares, according to the latest figures from the Office for national statistics. However, the fall comes with a caveat: the ONS has since revealed that…
Read More » -
12 June
Retailers welcome £2bn police boost but urge for more action
Retail trade bodies have welcomed the £2bn funding boost for police forces in England and Wales, but cautioned that the investment alone will not be enough to tackle rising levels of high street crime. It comes as Rachel Reeves announced in yesterday’s Spending Review (11 June) that the police’s spending…
Read More »
