Talent war and transport costs hit shop prices September 29, 2021 A toxic combination of rising transport costs, severe worker shortages and soaring commodity prices is fuelling food price inflation. Food prices rose for the first time on an annual basis in six months in September, up 0.1 per cent, according to research from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Supermarkets have been raising pay for HGV [...]
This A.M.: Tide is turning at the Bank of England while markets await Powell remarks September 28, 2021 Having started the day in positive fashion yesterday, European markets saw the majority of the early gains slowly disappear, and though most did finish higher, it was a somewhat half-hearted affair. The result of the German election went entirely as expected, with little prospect of a new government this side of Christmas. US markets were [...]
Brits’ energy bills to swell more than £300 with poorest hit hardest – CityAM : CityAM September 26, 2021 Brits’ household bills are set to swell over the next year, with the poorest households being hit hardest by the energy crisis, according to new research. Energy bills will rise by more than £300 over the next year, highlighting the scale of the impact the crisis will have on Brits’ finances, shows research by the [...]
Exclusive: Supermarket prices likely to rise five per cent in next few weeks September 25, 2021 UK grocery shoppers will face sharp price increases in the coming months an industry expert has warned. David Sables, the chief executive of Sentinel Management Consultants, which advises suppliers in their dealings with UK supermarkets, said that retailers will raise food prices by five per cent in the next few weeks with a further rise [...]
Anxiety about soaring living costs weighs down UK consumer confidence September 24, 2021 Intense anxiety about sharp rises in the cost of living is weighing down Brits’ confidence levels, according to fresh data published today. Consumer confidence in the UK slid five points to minus 13 in September, driven by Brits sharpening their focus on the spectre of inflation and tax hikes looming over their living standards. Empty [...]
FTSE 100 rebounds as easyJet nosedives September 13, 2021 London’s FTSE 100 index has climbed by 0.64 per cent today, up 45 points higher than the previous close at 7,074.07, after being boosted by financial stocks. Banking giants saw strong gains today with Lloyd’s Group up 2.6 per cent, Standard Chartered Bank lifted by 2.4 per cent and Barclays PLC climbing 2.2 per cent. Meanwhile, investment [...]
Morrisons to cut sick pay for unvaccinated staff amid rising costs September 10, 2021 Morrisons, the fourth biggest UK supermarket, will cut sick pay for unvaccinated employees who need to self-isolate in a bid to limit the “biblical costs” of the pandemic, according to reports. The news comes as the supermarket readies itself to be auctioned off next month and after it reported a slide in interim profit before [...]
Morrisons CEO: Higher prices are coming due to lorry driver shortage September 9, 2021 The boss of supermarket giant Morrisons has warned of pressure on prices due to the lorry driver shortage and higher costs. The takeover target – which is at the centre of a bidding battle between two US private equity firms – said it expects industry-wide retail price inflation in the coming months as a result [...]
Number of workers on furlough tumbles to lowest level since start of pandemic September 9, 2021 The number of workers on furlough has tumbled to its lowest since the onset of the Covid crisis, according to official figures published today. Data from the Treasury shows there were 1.6m people on furlough at the end of July, down 340,000 from almost two million in the previous month. However, the rate at which [...]
Revenue lifts at fresh food provider Bakkavor, but labour shortages bite September 8, 2021 Fresh food provider Bakkavor’s revenue has lifted above pre-pandemic levels, despite “unprecedented challenges in labour availability” which risk its operations running stale. Like-for-like revenue swelled by 6.4 per cent to £924.9m in the six months to 26 June, and 1.2 per cent ahead of the same period in 2019. The Fitzroy headquartered-based company, which [...]