Budget
This coverage examines the UK government’s seasonal budget announcements and their implications for the retail sector. Reporting focuses on tax changes, business rates, employment policies, and economic forecasts that directly affect retailers, brand managers, and executives. With analysis tailored to commercial strategy, the insights help professionals assess how fiscal policy shapes retail operations, profitability, and investment decisions.
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Nov- 2025 -28 NovemberEconomy
Half of Britons say Budget leaves them worse off, YouGov finds
Britons view the 2025 Budget as unfair and unaffordable, with only a small minority believing the measures will leave the country or their own finances better off, according to new YouGov polling. Half of those polled say the measures will leave the country worse off, with 50% saying the same…
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27 NovemberEconomy
Budget reaction: Retail split as business rates and import rules shift
The retail industry has labelled the Autumn Budget as a “mixed bag” for retail, offering relief for many shops, but bringing in new costs for others Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered Labour’s first Autumn Statement, outlining permanent business rates reductions for 750,000 retail, hospitality and leisure businesses and confirming new customs…
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26 NovemberEconomy
Budget business rates plan ‘an attack on London and the Southeast’, says Colliers
Business rates changes announced in the November Budget 2025 amount to “an attack on London and the Southeast”, according to Colliers, which said most of the firms facing higher charges under the new system are based in the two regions. The comments came as the government confirmed that overall business…
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26 NovemberEconomy
BUDGET: Income tax bands frozen, minimum wage to increase, NI-exempt pension threshold scrapped
Income tax and NI thresholds will be frozen while the minimum wage will rise by 50p from April 2026, the chancellor Rachel Reeves said in her Autumn Budget statement today. Reeves announced a series of tax changes in other areas, including salary-sacrificed NI contributions on pensions, as part of measures to…
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25 NovemberSupermarkets
Co-op to open record 11 stores in one week
Co-op has announced that it is set to open 11 stores this week (24 November), a record for the supermarket. The move is part of the retailer’s investment in more than 200 new and transformed stores over 2024/25, and among the 50 stores Co-op has confirmed will open this November…
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24 NovemberHigh Street
Monsoon Accessorize returns to profit
Adena Brands, the parent company of Monsoon Accessorize and East, has revealed that it has returned to profit with a profit before tax of £1m for the year ended 30 August 2025. Furthermore, the company revealed that its sales grew by 4% to £212m and its EBITDA rose by £10.4m…
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21 NovemberEconomy
Retail sales slip as shoppers await Budget and Black Friday
Retail sales volumes fell by 1.1% in October 2025, the first monthly drop since May, as retailers reported that many shoppers held off spending in the run-up to Black Friday. The fall followed a revised 0.7% rise in September and a 0.5% increase in August. Supermarkets, clothing stores and mail…
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18 NovemberEconomy
Consumer confidence drops to four-month low ahead of Autumn Budget
UK consumer sentiment has weakened in November as households reported greater strain on finances and growing uncertainty ahead of the Autumn Budget, according to the latest S&P Global UK Consumer Sentiment Index. The index, which tracks financial wellbeing, labour market conditions, spending, savings and debt, fell to 45.2 in November…
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14 NovemberDIY
DFS hails strong early trading as order intake rises
DFS Furniture said it had made a solid start to its new financial year, reporting higher order intake and improved margins across the first 19 weeks of its trading period ended 9 November 2025. The group said its scale, vertical integration and use of data continued to support performance, adding…
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13 NovemberEconomy
UK economy slows to 0.1% in third quarter
The UK’s economic growth slowed to 0.1% in the third quarter, falling short of expectations from City analysts and the Bank of England (BoE). The Office for National Statistics said monthly output slipped 0.1% in September, with earlier figures for July and August revised down. The data arrives ahead of…
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