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 [...]
Next set to reveal profit increases amidst tariff uncertainty May 3, 2025 Next is expected to post rising profits next week despite a string of costs increases hitting retailers and broader concerns about UK consumer confidence. The retail giant will reveal its first quarter results on May 8, hot on the heels of profits of more than £1bn last year. Next, which has more than 450 stores [...]
UK retail sales surge at the fastest rate in four years April 25, 2025 Retail sales unexpectedly rose in March as shoppers were boosted by good weather, according to new data. Retail sales volumes rose by 0.4 per cent in March 2025, following 0.7 per cent rise in February, according to the Office for National Statistics. Quarterly sales volumes rose by 1.6 per cent quarter on quarter and 1.7 [...]
Consumer confidence drops as inflation fears mount April 25, 2025 Brits’ confidence about their own finances, as well as those of the Treasury, has dipped as geopolitical uncertainty mounts. GfK’s long-running confidence index dropped by four points to -23 in April, driven by an eight-point drop in how Brits see the economy and a four-point drop in how Brits see their own finances. The findings [...]
Threat of global trade war pulls down Brits’ economic confidence April 24, 2025 Consumer confidence in the UK has taken a steep tack downward thanks to the emerging trade war between the US and the rest of the world. Consumer expectations over the next three months on the state of the economy dropped significantly to -48 in April, down from -35 in March, according to the British Retail Consortium. [...]