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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Dec- 2024 -23 DecemberEconomy
UK economy heading for ‘worst of all worlds’, CBI warns
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned that the UK economy is headed for “the worst of all worlds” as business activity is set to decline at the start of the new year. Private sector firms expect activity to fall in the three months to March (weighted balance of…
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17 DecemberPeople Moves
Retail loses 225,000 jobs in five years
The retail industry has lost 225,000 jobs in the last five years, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). On a four-quarter average there were 40,000 less jobs in the industry compared with last year. Overall there were 2.81m jobs in retail in September 2024, although this…
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6 DecemberSupermarkets
Morrisons CEO urges gov to rethink budget costs
Morrisons’ CEO has called on the government to stagger its “avalanche” of business costs following the latest budget.Speaking to The Sun, Rami Baitieh urged Labour to consider the costs of National Insurance changes, business rates rises and the increase in minimum wage. He told the paper that National Insurance changes…
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3 DecemberNews
UK retail sales dip 3.3% in November
UK total retail sales decreased by 3.3% year on year in November, against a growth of 2.6% in November 2023, the British Retail Consortium showed. According to the new figures, this was below the 3-month average growth of -0.1% and the 12-month average growth of 0.5%. However, the BRC said…
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Nov- 2024 -28 NovemberSponsored Articles
How you can make savings on commercial refrigeration by spending more!
Sounds counter-intuitive, right? If you need to save money then you spend less! In most cases yes, but not so when it comes to essential commercial refrigeration that your business relies on. In hospitality and retail settings where storage and display refrigeration is critical to operations, and especially in a…
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28 NovemberEconomy
Consumer confidence remains weak as Christmas approaches
Consumer confidence remains weak in the run up to Christmas, according to the the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Opinium Consumer Sentiment Monitor. It comes as the survey found that consumer’s expectations for their personal financial situation improved slightly to -3 in November, up from -4 in October. Meanwhile, their expectations for…
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28 NovemberSupermarkets
John Lewis ‘worried’ about increase in National Minimum Wage
John Lewis has told the Telegraph that it is “worried” about the impact of Rachel Reeve’s decision to increase the National Minimum Wage. As part of the budget, the chancellor confirmed that the National Minimum Wage for 18 to 20-year-olds will rise 16.8% from £8.60 to £10, while pay for…
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26 NovemberNews
Halfords CEO calls for apprenticeship levy reform as sales drop 1% in H1
Halfords has called on the Government to reform the apprenticeship levy amid a 1% drop in revenues for the 26 weeks to 27 September 2024. Revenues for the retailer dropped to £864.8m in H1 FY25, compared to £873.5m in 2024. Autocentres, which accounts for 40% of total sales, reported a…
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26 NovemberElectrical
AO raises guidance as half-year profits hit £17m
Electrical retailer AO has raised its full-year forecast to between £39m and £44m, as profits before tax rose 30% year-on-year to £17m for the six months to 30 September. Group revenues are now expected to hit between £1.09bn and £1.13bn, as AO saw half-year revenue growth of 13% in its…
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22 NovemberEconomy
UK consumer confidence rises post-budget
UK consumer confidence increased three points to -18 in November, according to GfK’s long-running index. The survey revealed that all measures were up in comparison to last month’s announcement. The index measuring changes in personal finances during the last year was up one point at -9. Meanwhile, the survey revealed…
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