Retail jobs slashed as high costs lead to automation and outsourcing December 17, 2024 The number of jobs offered by the UK’s largest private sector employer – retail – has dropped again, as companies shift to outsourcing and automation in an effort to deal with higher costs. This trend has been ongoing for some time, and is responsible for both job loss and a lack of job creation as [...]
Households cut back on spending at fastest pace in five years December 3, 2024 According to figures published by Barclays, essential spending fell by 3.1 per cent in November, the sharpest monthly fall since 2019.
Festive period off to a ‘bad start’ for retail sector as sales drop December 3, 2024 The British Retail Consortium's (BRC) sales monitor showed that sales volumes fell 3.3 per cent in the year-to-November, compared to a 2.3 per cent increase last year.
Lidl boss warns retailers are ‘reeling’ after Budget tax raid November 20, 2024 The boss of budget supermarket Lidl has warned retailers are “reeling” following Labour’s tax raid in the Autumn Budget. The German supermarket’s UK boss Ryan McDonnell said the discount brand was staring down the barrel of “tens of millions of pounds” in extra costs. This comes after the Chancellor unveiled a £25.7bn tax-raising package, with [...]
Exclusive: Labour’s relationship with business ‘at a critical point’, retail boss warns November 19, 2024 If a week is a long time in politics, then four months in retail is a lifetime. When Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), last sat down with City AM in late July, she could hardly have been more effusive in her praise for the incoming Chancellor and her business [...]
Retail bosses urge Chancellor to reform business rates to boost growth October 7, 2024 The letter, co-ordinated by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), argued the retail industry paid 7.4 per cent of all business taxes when it only made up five per cent of the overall economy.
Footfall at UK retailers improves for first time in over a year October 4, 2024 This was the first time that footfall has shown an improvement since July 2023.
Shop prices fall further into deflation as battle to ‘entice’ consumers continues October 1, 2024 According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), shop prices fell 0.6 per cent in the year-to-September, down from 0.3 per cent the previous month.
UK retail sales pick up as summer finally heats up August 6, 2024 Retail sales returned to growth in July after the long-awaited summer boost for retail finally arrived along with the warmer weather. Total retail sales increased by 0.5 per cent year on year in July, up from the three-month average growth rate of 0.3 per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor [...]
Retail chief Dickinson warns that food price rises are on the horizon August 5, 2024 Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said leading indicators in the commodity market mean another bout of food inflation in the next six months looked likely.