Budget uncertainty has gone but odds have been stacked against business November 22, 2024 If Rachel Reeves thought certainty would cure the UK economy’s growth problem, she was wrong. She’s just pitted consumers against retailers. This data-heavy week has reflected that uncertainty over the Budget has not been cured by policy which heaps pressure on business. We’ve had inflation rising, debt compounded, inheritance tax receipts soaring, farmers protesting, the [...]
Post-Budget consumer confidence rises in golden quarter boost November 22, 2024 A leading confidence survey has found that consumer sentiment rose in November, which will come as a relief to businesses dependent on a good golden quarter to boost margins ahead of tax rises next year. All five measures of confidence rose, although major purchase intentions led the pack with a five-point jump. “There was evidence [...]
Why businesses are nervous ahead of the Budget October 28, 2024 Businesses are wary as Chancellor Rachel Reeves puts the final touches to her first Budget.
Consumers ‘despondent’ ahead of tax-hiking autumn Budget October 25, 2024 Neil Bellamy, consumer insights director at GfK, placed the blame for the decrease squarely on the Budget.
Hospitality needs a magic spark of confidence to boom, brewery boss says October 10, 2024 The boss of Britain’s oldest brewer, Faversham-based Shepherd Neame, has suggested that the hospitality industry is nearly ready for a return to a boom period, but only is we serve up a spark of confidence. Neame suggested that if fundamentals remain strong and mortgages continue to fall, consumer spending on hospitality would follow a similar [...]
Business confidence takes ‘large dive’ in September as budget fears intensify October 1, 2024 Optimism in the economic outlook fell to its lowest level since 2022.
Has Labour overdone the doom and gloom? September 24, 2024 Many economists and City business groups have argued that this risks damaging growth. After all, why would households spend and businesses invest in a climate of fear?
UK economy: After a busy week, the foundations look solid September 20, 2024 With inflation low and further rate cuts to come the UK economy remains on relatively solid foundations.
Consumer confidence sinks as Brits ‘nervously await’ Budget September 20, 2024 Key future indicators of consumer confidence all sharply fell in September as Brits nervously awaited policy announcements in the Autumn Budget, according to fresh data. GfK’s long-running consumer confidence index fell sharply to -20 in September overall, with all measures – including personal finances, economy and purchase intentions – down month-on-month. “Headline consumer confidence has… [...]
Contraction confirmed for German economy with no recovery in sight August 27, 2024 The growth slowdown was led by a sharp fall in investment, which fell by more than 2.0 per cent in the quarter.