Interest Rates
This coverage explores UK interest rate movements and their impact on the retail industry, focusing on monetary policy decisions, borrowing costs, consumer spending, and retailer financing strategies. Reporting highlights how rate changes affect sales dynamics, investment planning, and operational budgets — providing insight for executives, finance leads, and business strategists navigating economic volatility.
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Jan- 2020 -14 JanuaryAnalysis
Javid mulls three-year passenger duty holiday for Flybe
Things are not looking rosy for low-cost airline, Flybe, but the chancellor Sajid Javid may have some proposals that save it from complete collapse. It is reported this morning that he is considering cutting air passenger duty on all domestic flights – a big boon for all the other airlines…
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9 JanuaryAnalysis
Who would have thought skinny jeans could be anyone’s undoing?
It’s not often that the business pages give you a good belly laugh. But today we have the spectacle of Marks & Spencer blaming its poor Christmas trading results partly on an oversupply of skinny jeans for men. Apparently customer surveys revealed that the high street bellwether’s ranges were “too…
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Oct- 2019 -31 OctoberEconomy
Consumer confidence drops further in October
Gfk’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index decreased two points to -14 in October. The measure for the general economic situation of the country during the last 12 months decreased by one point during month to -33, five points lower than in October 2018. Expectations for the general economic situation over the…
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Jul- 2019 -31 JulyEconomy
Consumer confidence increases by two points in July
Consumer confidence rose by 2 overall to -11 for the month of July, according to GFK’s Consumer Confidence Index. Personal finance situation for the next 12 months continues to recover, +5 for the month, matching the same period last year. The major purchase index increased six points in July to…
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Nov- 2018 -1 NovemberEconomy
Bank of England puts hold on interest rates due to Brexit uncertainty
The Bank of England has placed interest rates on hold following growing uncertainty around Brexit. A vote to leave rates unchanged held by the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) was in favour of leaving rates at 0.75% by 9-0. Financial markets are currently indicating that rates will not rise until…
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Aug- 2018 -29 AugustGovernment
SRC calls for tax breaks and scrap for online and out-of-town levy
The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) has called upon the government to reassure them that it will make no tax increases or freezes to business rates. Retailers also urged the government to scrap a proposed levy for online and out-of-town retailers. Responding to the calls, the Scottish government has promised the…
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Jul- 2018 -20 JulyEconomy
High street struggles drag sterling down to $1.30
The pound has been dragged down to $1.30 by declining high street footfall and the financial woes of a slew of retail brands. An increase in retail sales of 0.2% had been predicted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), however statisticians were surprised by a fall of 0.5% in…
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May- 2018 -3 MayAnalysis
REPORT: Comparing the US and European retail sectors
Dire predictions of mass bankruptcies in the US retail sector in the face of the ecommerce revolution have come true in the so-called “retail apocalypse”. Changing consumer habits with the growing popularity of online shopping and increasingly easy delivery options have led to slack growth, if not declines in…
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Mar- 2018 -12 MarchEconomy
Quarter of major UK retailers likely to suffer ‘financial distress’
A new study of over 1600 larger UK retailers with total assets of £5m or over by Company Watch, a financial analytics firm, found over a quarter were financially vulnerable to rises in interest rate costs this year. Company Watch compares the financial strength of companies using its unique H-Score…
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