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.
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Oct- 2022 -19 October
Rising food prices push inflation back to 10.1%
Inflation has returned to the 40-year high of 10.1% in September, up from 9.9% in August, with rising food prices as the main contributor, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The increase to the annual inflation rate in September 2022 reflected, principally, rising food…
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17 October
Chancellor reverses almost all mini-budget tax cuts
Newly appointed chancellor Jeremy Hunt has reversed almost all of the mini-budget commitments made by previous chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng last month, in a statement made at the Treasury today (17 October). He confirmed the basic rate of income tax will remain at 20% “indefinitely” until the economic situation stabilises, marking…
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11 October
Unemployment at lowest level in 50 years as pay levels fall
The UK unemployment rate dropped to 75.5% for June to August 2022, down 0.3 percentage points from the previous quarter (March to May 2022), and this marks the lowest level of unemployment rates since December to February 1974. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), rising inflation has caused…
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11 October
Retail sales rise 2.2% in September
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) Sales Monitor reports that, on a total basis, sales increased by 2.2% in September, against an increase of 0.6% in September 2021. According to the BRC, the UK retail sales also increased 1.8% on a like-for-like basis from September 2021, when they had reportedly decreased…
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Sep- 2022 -29 September
Food inflation rises to a ‘record’ 10.6% in September
Food inflation has grown to 10.6% in September 2022, up from 9.3% in August, which is above the three-month average rate of 9.1% and marks the highest rate of inflation in the food category on record, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Nielsen IQ index. Fresh food inflation also…
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27 September
Boohoo and Wilko cancel orders with suppliers amid slow sales
Boohoo has been cancelling and deferring orders from suppliers and Wilko has deferred payments to suppliers to protect its squeezed cash flow, according to The Times. It comes as Boohoo has faced a sharp slowdown in demand. Clothing suppliers in Leicester, who are under pressure themselves from soaring energy…
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26 September
Pound plunges to historic low
The pound has plummeted to an all-time low against the dollar following the sweeping tax cuts announced by chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng in last week’s mini-budget. At one point the pound plunged by nearly 5% to stand at $1.0327, its lowest point since Britain went decimal in 1971. It later recovered…
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23 September
Chancellor announces sweeping tax cuts in first mini-budget
Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has today (23 September) announced a ream of tax cuts alongside a £60bn energy support package as part of the new government’s first mini-budget. Setting out his aims for economic growth, Kwarteng said that he wants the economy to increase by 2.5% annually in the medium-term, through…
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22 September
BoE raises interest rates to 2.25%
The Bank of England has today (22 September) announced that interest rates will be raised by 0.5%, with rates rising from 1.75% to 2.25%. The latest announcement from the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) comes as inflation remains at record highs for the UK, and marks the seventh consecutive rise in…
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16 September
Retail sales fall 1.6% in August as cost of living begins to bite
Retail sales fell by 1.6% in August this year, due to rising prices and cost of living which are affecting sales volumes, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). All main sectors, food stores, non-food stores, non-store retailing and fuel, fell over the month; which happened in July 2021,…
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