Consumer confidence suffers biggest drop in four years amid Iran inflation fears Economics Consumer confidence fell at the fastest rate in four years as Brits tightened their purse strings amid fears the Iran war will spike inflation. Brits’ confidence in their spending power fell by three per cent at the start of this year, as it reached its lowest level since 2023 and made the biggest drop since [...]
Dunelm eyes store expansion as Brits get the blues Retail Dunelm is eyeing a major expansion of its store estate as the furniture and homeware store looks to claw more market share from rivals. Chief executive Clo Moriarty, who joined the firm from Sainsbury’s in October, told City AM the FTSE 250 firm had “identified a suite” of new locations and intends to “go after [...]
Retail sales hit highest since 2022 in surprise boost for economy Retail Retail sales jumped to their highest level since 2022 in September, boosted by sunny weather that drove a surge in demand for clothing. Fresh figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed retail sales were 0.9 per cent higher than the previous three months. Sales volumes climbed 0.5 per cent in September, a significant boost from [...]
Consumer confidence weak but rate cuts offer some reprieve August 22, 2025 The Bank of England’s fleet of interest rate cuts have helped lift consumer confidence in personal finance, a leading survey has suggested, but the prospect of high inflation has left sentiment vulnerable. Bank officials are closely monitoring the effects of looser monetary policy on consumption and confidence levels across the UK. GfK’s flagship consumer confidence survey [...]
Consumer confidence rising as summer holiday season begins July 7, 2025 The majority of UK households are feeling financially secure, with 70 per cent of people confident enough to plan a summer holiday, according to a survey. The number of people feeling financially secure has risen this quarter by three percentage points to 58 per cent, while confidence that the UK economy is improving has risen [...]
H&M to shed light on turnaround amid consumer confidence slump June 21, 2025 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 [...]
Business confidence ticks down ahead of Budget September 30, 2024 Business confidence dropped to a three-month low in September, in yet another sign of firms adapting to the sombre tone ahead of the Budget.
Take it from a tax expert, we are all too obsessed with Reeves’s Budget September 25, 2024 Reeves' Budget has become the talk of the town, but even KPMG tax expert Tim Sarson thinks we should calm down about it
Consumer confidence unchanged in August despite worsening outlook August 23, 2024 Consumer confidence remained unchanged in August, a closely watched survey suggested, despite a deterioration in households’ expectations for the broader economy. GfK’s overall consumer confidence index remained at -13 with an improving picture on the personal finance side helping to offset worsening confidence in the economy as a whole. This meant overall consumer confidence remained [...]
Wickes: Brits still holding back on big-ticket items as DIY goods preferred July 31, 2024 Wickes reported a mixed set of results for the half of the year, with consumers still unwilling to spend on big-ticket items but happy to buy DIY retail goods. Overall group sales fell by 3.4 per cent in the 26 weeks to June 29 at the London-listed company. Revenue in the second quarter fell by [...]