Inflation
This coverage analyses the impact of inflation on the UK retail industry, focusing on costs, pricing strategies, consumer spending, and operational challenges. Reporting highlights economic trends, retailer responses, supply chain pressures, and leadership decisions to manage margins and demand. Designed for executives and managers, it offers insights to navigate inflationary pressures while maintaining competitiveness.
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Apr- 2020 -29 AprilHigh Street
Shop prices fall 1.7% as non-food items suffer
Shop Prices fell by 1.7% in April, compared with the 0.8% decrease seen in March, making it the highest rate of decline since January 2017 according to the BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index. Non-food prices fell sharply by 3.7% in April compared to a decline of 1.9% in March. This is…
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1 AprilCoronavirus
Shop prices slide amid UK lockdown, says BRC
The price of shop goods slipped by 0.8% in March, down from 0.6% the month prior, according to the latest BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index. In the same month, non-food prices fell by 1.9%, which marked the highest rate of decline in non-food prices since May 2018. The lowered prices were…
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Mar- 2020 -30 MarchEconomy
UK GDP expected to contract by 15% in Q2 2020
The UK economy is about to enter the deepest recession since the financial crisis, including the steepest quarter-on-quarter decline in economic activity since comparable records began, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). CEBR expects the economy to have contracted marginally in the first quarter of the…
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11 MarchBusiness Bites
ROUNDUP: Business rates holiday announced by chancellor Sunak
In his maiden budget, the new chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has announced a £30bn fiscal stimulus package to help combat the impact of coronavirus on the British economy including a one-year total suspension of business rates for small retail, leisure and hospitality businesses. Headline measures include: A £12bn plan to provide…
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9 MarchHigh Street
18,000 retail jobs lost in last two months
Almost 18,248 retail jobs have been lost in the past two months, with 1,211 shops also shuttered since the turn of the decade, according to the Centre for Retail Research (CRR). The research firm said retail premises in England are also set be “denied” a further £100m in tax reductions…
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6 MarchHigh Street
February retail sales hit by poor weather and Coronavirus concerns
Total in-store retail sales declined by 0.9% in February, according to BDO’s monthly High Street Sales Tracker. The accountancy firm said a mix of poor weather and “growing concerns” around the spread of coronavirus caused retailers to take a hit during the month. Despite this, online sales saw a slight…
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Feb- 2020 -28 FebruaryHigh Street
Consumer confidence rises in February
Consumer confidence has increased two points to –7 this month, according to the latest figures from the GfK. According to its Consumer Confidence Index, three measures increased, one measure decreased, and one measure remained the same during February. The Personal Finance Situation index, which measures changes in personal finances during…
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19 FebruaryAnalysis
Inflation jumps, physical money nearing the end, immigration to prioritise skills, £150m film studio to launch
Inflation has reached its highest rate in six months, at 1.8%, after the price of fuel and energy rose over the course of the last year. The consumer prices index (CPI) which measures the rate by monitoring the price of consumer goods, was expected to come in at 1.6%, so…
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18 FebruaryEconomy
Consumer confidence reaches record-high in February
The IHS Markit Household Finance Index reached a record-high of 47.6 in February, up from 44.6 last month. IHS Markit, the global information provider which compiles the survey, said it is the highest index reading since the survey began 11 years ago. The firm added that while the figure is…
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10 FebruaryAnalysis
Ocado ditches Waitrose; Bill gates orders £500m beast-yacht; Boris to lower immigration wage threshold
A busy start to the week in the business pages. As the coronavirus story unfolds I am reluctant to spend every day providing updates on it, but it is worth noting quickly that there is likely to be some worldwide economic turbulence due to the latest developments. A slew of…
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