H&M to shed light on turnaround amid consumer confidence slump Retail H&M investors will be hoping the high street fashion chain shows it is on the road to recovery next week despite caution among many shoppers. The retailer is expected to report a slight rise in sales for the latest quarter in an update on Thursday June 26 as it continues with its turnaround strategy. It [...]
Sales of London mansions falter amid low confidence and non-dom exodus Property The average price of London mansions fell further in May as buyers stayed away from the market amid a downturn in confidence. Average prices fell by 3.2 per cent year on year, according to data from Lonres, while transactions fell 35.8 per cent year on year. Transactions for homes over £5m fell 14.7 per cent [...]
Young Brits drive consumer confidence up while high-income households cut back Economics A confidence boost amongst Gen Z Brits drove an improvement in consumer confidence in June while wealthier households held back, according to new data. Overall confidence about the state of the UK’s economy improved to -38 in June, up from -36 in May, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Brits’ confidence about their personal [...]
Retail footfall dips in May despite higher consumer confidence June 13, 2025 Retail footfall dropped in May amid a wider slowdown in consumer spending despite higher consumer confidence, according to new data. Total UK footfall fell by 1.7 per cent in May year on year, down from a 7.2 per cent rise in April, according to new figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Footfall at shopping centres and on [...]
Gone phishing: the rise of retail cyber crime in three charts June 2, 2025 In the past month alone, cyber attacks have gone from occasional headlines to near-daily national news fixtures. Marks and Spencer’s, Co-op, Harrods – along with international names like Dior and Coinbase – have all recently fallen victim to cyber incidents. Retailers in particular have found themselves in the cross hairs, and while not every incident [...]
Spending in pubs surges as Brits flock to beer gardens May 28, 2025 Pubs enjoyed a boost in April during the sunny spring weather as Brits opted for outdoor beer gardens over indoor restaurants. Like-for-like sales growth at pubs reached 9.1 per cent year on year, according to the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. Sales across all hospitality outlets were 4.2 per cent ahead of April 2024 [...]
Adidas hit in yet another UK retail data breach May 27, 2025 Adidas has confirmed a cyber attack that exposed the personal data of customers who contacted its help desk, adding the German sportswear giant to a growing list of major retailers hit by recent cybersecurity incidents. The breach, disclosed on 23rd May, involved unauthorised access to a third party customer service provider, through which attackers were [...]
Consumer confidence improves in early sign that ‘the worst has passed’ May 23, 2025 Three major measures of consumer confidence all found an improvement in Brits’ economic sentiment in May, promoted by easing trade tensions and a cut in interest rates. GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index increased by three points to -20 in May after dropping in ‘Awful April’ on inflation fears. “The measure for personal finances looking ahead [...]
Retail sales shoot up in sunniest spring on record May 13, 2025 Retail sales rose at their fastest rate for more than a year after warm weather drove Brits to bring forward summer purchases. Total retail sales in the UK increased by seven per cent year on year in April after declining of four per cent in the same month last year, according to new figures from [...]
M&S will ‘need to go on a charm offensive’ to win customers back May 8, 2025 Analysts have warned that Marks and Spencer (M&S) faces an uphill battle to win back customers when it has dealt with its ongoing cyber attack. The high street darling told markets it had suffered a “cyber incident” at the end of April. Around £1bn has been wiped off its market value since 1 April, and [...]