Weekend Read: We may be about to find out what shape the recovery takes August 7, 2021 Since the first cases of Covid-19 began to disrupt the global economy, economists have not been shy of predictions. V-shaped, L-shaped, even hockey-stick recoveries have all been on the table. We may be about to find out who was right. While output growth and economic activity are still historically strong, in developed economies, those indicators [...]
London restaurants warned of meat and seafood shortages this autumn August 5, 2021 Rrestaurants and gastropubs in London and the rest of the UK have been warned of potential shortages of key menu items alongside a spike in inflation this autumn. Buying specialist Lynx Purchasing said hospitality businesses would face “significant and widespread” challenges with higher prices and food shortages for the rest of the year, including supply [...]
Hearty: Kraft Heinz carried by packaged meal demand as it reinstates dividend August 4, 2021 Food giant Kraft Heinz has been carried by strong demand for snacks and packaged meals which has boosts sales and profits, pushing it past analyst forecasts. Kraft Heinz recorded net sales of $6.6bn in its second quarter to 26 June – inching past estimates of $6.5bn. The Chicago-based group is also set to reinstate a [...]
A year on from the explosion, Beirut still a shell of its former self and questions remain unanswered August 4, 2021 One year ago today, the world looked on in horror as Beirut exploded. The monumental blast at what turned out to be a nitrate storage hangar decimated the area surrounding the Lebanese capital’s port and beyond, with the damage estimated to be around $4.6bn. The story is one of grave corruption and mismanagement. Over 2,700 [...]
Sunday Read: Bank of England’s QE programme has muddied the water between right and wrong August 1, 2021 “The problem with QE is it works in practice but it doesn’t work in theory,” an often quoted joke said by former Fed chair Ben Bernanke. But, some are testing that hypothesis. The backdrop to Thursday’s Bank of England meeting is much more unforgiving than previous ones. A House of Lords committee recently accused the [...]
Shop prices drop as retailers compete for consumers’ pounds July 28, 2021 Prices for products in shops dipped over the last year driven by strong competition between retailers to attract consumers, according to new figures released today. The British Retail Consortium and NielsenIQ’s latest shop price index shows prices in shops fell 1.2 per cent annually in July. Read more: UK inflation hits 2.5 per cent in [...]
Food strategy review calls for £3bn sugar and salt tax July 15, 2021 The UK could introduce a new £3bn tax on sugar and salt as part of a string of reforms aimed at improving the health of the nation and helping to tackle climate change. A government review by Leon co-founder Henry Dimbleby published today said Covid had provided a “painful reality check” and warned that poor [...]
UK inflation hits 2.5 per cent in June July 14, 2021 UK inflation jumped again in June, outpacing economists’ expectations to accelerate away from the Bank of England’s target, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed this morning. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 2.5 per cent last month, its highest level since August 2018, up from 2.1 per cent in May. Analysts had forecast [...]
US inflation surges at fastest pace in over a decade July 13, 2021 US inflation rose at the fastest pace in over a decade last month as severe supply constraints and shortages of key raw materials drove prices up sharply, according to new figures released on Tuesday. The US consumer price index rose 5.4 per cent annually in June, the largest increase since August 2008. The US CPI [...]
Euro 2020 fuels surge in consumer spending July 13, 2021 Euro 2020, warmer weather and the lifting of Covid restrictions drove consumer spending up sharply in the UK in June, according to new figures released today. Data from Barclaycard shows spending was 11.1 per cent higher last month compared to June 2019, before the arrival of Covid, the sharpest rise since the start of the [...]