Recession
This coverage analyses the effects of economic recession on UK retail, focusing on consumer behaviour, business resilience, cost-cutting strategies, and market performance. Reporting provides insight into sales trends, operational adjustments, leadership decisions, and recovery planning — supporting retail executives, managers, and owners navigating economic downturns and sustaining commercial viability.
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Feb- 2023 -10 FebruaryEconomy
UK narrowly avoids recession as economy flatlines in Q4
The UK economy narrowly avoided recession as the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows there was no growth in the fourth quarter from Oct to Dec 2022. It comes as monthly estimates show that GDP fell by 0.5% in December 2022, following an unrevised growth of…
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9 FebruaryAdvice
Five factors driving purchase behaviour in the current climate
The last few years have seen a series of unprecedented events that have created a new paradigm where consumer expectations and needs have been radically redefined. In this new world, retailers need to respond with a new approach in tune with our changed times. So how did we get here?…
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8 FebruaryAnalysis
What the Amazon strikes mean for the retail industry
Last month, Amazon workers staged its first ever strike in the UK, with hundreds of fulfilment centre employees voting to walk out “in anger” over the company’s 50p per hour pay offer and poor working conditions. An industrial action ballot saw a majority of more than 98 per of workers…
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2 FebruaryEconomy
BoE raises interest rates to 4%
The Bank of England (BoE) has announced that interest rates will be raised by 0.5%, bringing the base rate of interest to 4%, the highest level in 14 years. The increase, which is the tenth consecutive increase, was decided after the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a majority…
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Jan- 2023 -23 JanuaryEconomy
Consumer confidence improves for first time in 15 months
UK consumer confidence in the final quarter of 2022 improved by half (+0.6) a percentage point, according to the latest Deloitte Consumer Tracker, marking the end of a 15-month period of consecutive decline. Deloitte said overall confidence was boosted by “significant” quarter-on-quarter improvement in sentiment towards levels of debt (+3.8…
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13 JanuaryEconomy
UK economy beats expectations as it grows 0.1% in November
The UK economy unexpectedly grew by 0.1% in November as the World Cup helped boost restaurant and pub sales, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It comes as analysts had predicted a fall of 0.3% for the month and has raised hopes that the…
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10 JanuarySupermarkets
Supermarkets see spending surge in final weeks of December
Total Till value growth at supermarkets increased to 10.9% from 7.6% in the final four weeks ending 31 December 2022, according to the latest data from NielsenIQ. Nielsen said the increase was due to accelerated food inflation, weak comparatives and strong sales in the seven-day trading week up to 24…
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Dec- 2022 -20 DecemberHealth & Beauty
Can beauty retailers remain resilient through the winter?
With endless economic and political uncertainty permeating the industry, it’s been hard to predict which category of retailers will fare better than others, but one thing is certain: the health and beauty industry has weathered the storm better than others. Most recently, THG reported “stable and consistent” consumer trading during…
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15 DecemberFeatures
Record-breaking sales of Amazon over the holiday weekend – Will it last until the end of 2022?
During Cyber Monday, and over the days preceding Thanksgiving, people were in a bullish mood with their buying habits on Amazon, which facilitated their appetite. This optimism can be a great opportunity for newbie investors to venture and learn how to buy shares and why Amazon share is a good…
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5 DecemberHigh Street
CBI downgrades growth forecast to -0.4% amid ‘lacklustre outlook’
CBI has downgraded its GDP growth outlook significantly, to -0.4% in 2023 (from 1.0% in its last forecast), after a “turbulent year both politically and economically”. It said the reason behind the latest change is that the economy is likely to have fallen into a recession in Q3 2022, and…
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