Labour Market
This coverage examines the UK labour market as it pertains to retail operations. Reporting includes wage trends, hiring challenges, staffing strategies, staff training and retention, and regulatory changes — all analysed for their impact on store performance, service quality, and workforce planning. The content is tailored for retail HR managers, operations directors, and executives overseeing staff strategy and cost control.
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Oct- 2022 -28 OctoberOnline & Digital
Amazon shares fall as group predicts sales slowdown
Amazon has seen its shares plummet by as much as 20% after it warned of a slowdown in sales for the upcoming quarter. It comes as the group reported that sales hit $127.1bn (£110bn) in the quarter ended 30 September, 2022, a rise of 15% against the prior year yet…
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11 OctoberEconomy
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 OctoberEconomy
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 SeptemberEconomy
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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Aug- 2022 -16 AugustEconomy
Wages see highest fall on record amid rising inflation
Regular pay in the UK has fallen by a “record” 3% in the quarter ending June 2022, the steepest decline since records began two decades ago, as the nation continues to battle rising inflation and the cost-of-living crisis. Not accounting for inflation, growth in regular pay, excluding bonuses, would be…
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12 AugustHigh Street
Superdrug and Savers to provide 25,000 UK jobs
A.S. Watson Group, the owner of Superdrug and Savers, has announced its commitment to create 200,000 job opportunities for 16-23 year olds globally, and of which 25,000 jobs will be provided across both retailers in the UK by 2030. The group will equip the young starters with “essential” skills to…
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9 AugustEconomy
Sharon White: Gov needs to get over 50s back into work to curb inflation
The boss of John Lewis has said the large number of over 50s who left the workforce during the pandemic is helping to fuel the current high levels of inflation across the UK. Speaking to the BBC, Dame Sharon White said that the government must “think really hard” about how…
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4 AugustEconomy
BoE hikes rates to 1.75%, warns UK to enter recession until 2024
The Bank of England (BoE) has raised interest rates from 1.25% to 1.75%, marking the biggest rise in rates since 1995. In its latest announcement, the BOE also projected that the UK would fall into a recession in the fourth quarter of the year, which is expected to last for…
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1 AugustFeatures
Recession and retailers: a ‘cleansing effect’?
“Incomes are being squeezed, consumption is under pressure, interest rates are rising, and there’s a lot of uncertainty. These are classic ingredients for recession,” says Ian Stewart, Deloitte’s chief economist. According to Deloitte’s UK CFO Survey Q2 2022, finance leaders have assigned a 63% probability of experiencing a recession within…
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Jul- 2022 -18 JulyNews
Profit warnings surge 66% in H1 FY22
The number of profit warnings issued by UK-listed companies in the first six months of 2022 has increased 66% year-on-year, with a “record” number of companies citing rising costs as the reason behind their warning, according to EY-Parthenon’s latest Profit Warnings report. A “record” 58% of companies cited rising costs…
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