Wages
This coverage examines wage trends and policies in the UK retail sector, focusing on pay levels, employer contributions, labour cost management, and compliance. Reporting highlights how changes in wages impact staffing budgets, recruitment, retention, and operational planning — offering insight for executives, HR leaders, and finance professionals managing workforce investments.
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Jul- 2022 -20 JulyEconomy
Brazel’s win to place financial burden on thousands of employers
The Supreme Court has today (20 July) ruled that employees who only work for part of the year are entitled to the same holiday pay as colleagues who work the full year, which could lead to umbrella companies liable for thousands of claims for backdated holiday pay, law firm Irwin…
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8 JulyNews
Cost of living crisis weighs on retail sales growth
High levels of inflation and the deepening cost of living crisis have prompted further slowing of retail sales growth, according to BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker (HSST). It found that total like-for-like (LFL) sales, combined in-store and online, increased by +8.4% in June compared to the equivalent month in 2021,…
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1 JulyEconomy
UK SMEs hit by hiring woes despite ‘record’ wage rise
SMEs across the UK are “facing more woes” as they struggle to fill vacancies despite a strong 14.3% increase in year-on-year sales growth and a “record” 5% rise in wages, according to new data from Xero. It found that SMEs are “struggling to compete with big business” when it comes…
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Jun- 2022 -27 JuneSupermarkets
Investor support for Sainsbury’s real living wage mounts
A group of investors have put their support behind a shareholder resolution that could see all Sainsbury’s employees secure the real living wage when it goes to a vote at Sainsbury’s AGM on 7 July. The resolution, co-ordinated by ShareAction, is set to be the first Living Wage resolution to…
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24 JuneEconomy
UK consumer confidence sinks to new record low in June
UK consumer confidence has fallen to the lowest level since records began during the month of June, according to the latest figures from GfK. GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index decreased one point to -41, a new record with four measures down in comparison to the May 20 announcement, with one…
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Mar- 2022 -28 MarchSupermarkets
Lidl to create over 1,200 warehouse jobs by 2025
Lidl GB has announced that it will be creating more than 1,200 new warehouse jobs by the end of 2025 as it begins recruitment for its new Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) in Luton. Despite the pandemic, construction began on Lidl’s new 1.2 million sq ft distribution centre in Luton last…
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Feb- 2022 -21 FebruaryAdvice
Six ways retailers can handle labour shortages
The retail industry is challenged by labour shortages across the board, from delivery drivers to warehouse staff, store staff to IT specialists. And it’s a challenge faced everywhere from the UK to the US and Australia. The shortages can be traced back to a whole plethora of reasons – from…
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18 FebruaryNews
Retail sales up 1.9% in January 2022
Retail sales volumes rose by 1.9% in January 2022 following a fall of 4.0% in December 2021, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. It also revealed sales volumes were 3.6% above their pre-coronavirus (Covid-19) February 2020 levels. Non-food stores sales rose by 3.4% as home…
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14 FebruaryNews
Employers set to award record pay rises in 2022
Employers have reported that the median basic pay increase in their organisation (excluding bonuses) in the 12 months to December 2022 will be 3%, the highest figure recorded in the last 10 years of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) reporting. The CIPD’s latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook,…
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Jan- 2022 -19 JanuaryNews
Inflation hits 30-year high
Inflation reached 5.4% in December, its highest rate since CPIH stood at 5.1% in May 1992, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It revealed the consumer prices index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) rose 4.8% in the 12 months to December 2021, up…
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