Chinese economy: Weak inflation figures rekindle investors’ worries over China slowdown October 14, 2015 Weak data from China pulled Asian markets down overnight, as consumer inflation fell back and producer prices continued their deflation unabated. The country’s consumer price index fell from its 13-month high of two per cent in August to 1.6 per cent in September, dragged by slowing food prices. This is lower than economists had predicted, as [...]
ONS consumer price index: Pound tumbles as UK slips back into negative inflation in September October 13, 2015 The pound fell against the dollar to $1.52 this morning, after official data showed UK inflation turned negative for the first time in five months. The consumer price index slipped to -0.1 per cent in the year to September, missing economists' expectations for it to hold at zero. This marks the second time it's dipped into negative [...]
UK retail sales bounced back in September after miserable weather hurt August spending – BRC October 13, 2015 UK retail sales bounced back in September after the miserable weather in August brought summer to an abrupt end. Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG this morning show that like-for-like UK retail sales were up 2.6 per cent in September compared with the same month last year, when they had decreased 2.1 [...]
Employee exodus: The housing crisis is now a dire threat to the future of London’s businesses October 11, 2015 Tomorrow will see a key intervention in the housing debate. Business leaders from across the capital will launch a major campaign called Fifty Thousand Homes. That’s the number of houses we need to build a year to keep up with London’s growing population. Housing costs are becoming a problem for employers as much as [...]
UK retailers enjoy best September in three years with sales up 2.8 per cent – BDO October 8, 2015 Shoppers flocked back to the high street last month after a weak August as retailers enjoyed their best September performance in three years. UK retail sales rose by 2.8 per cent year-on-year – the best figures for the month of September since 2012 and the highest monthly rise since April last year, BDO’s monthly High [...]
Food prices drop ahead of supermarkets’ pre-Christmas battle – Nielsen and BRC October 7, 2015 Food prices fell back into deflation in September, industry figures released today show, as the supermarkets prepare to battle it out for customer’s wallets in the run-up to Christmas. Nielsen and the British Retail Consortium (BRC)’s latest monthly index said food saw annual deflation for the first time in three months, falling sharply to [...]
Eurozone inflation unexpectedly turns negative in September September 30, 2015 Large falls in energy prices pushed the Eurozone back into deflation for the first time in six months, according to an initial estimate from the official statistics agency. Consumer prices across the single currency bloc fell to minus 0.1 per cent in September, more than economists expected, and down from plus 0.1 per cent a [...]
CBI distributive trades survey: Retail sales beat expectations in September September 29, 2015 British annual retail sales grew at a faster pace than expected in the year to September, with firms expecting business to pick up pace in the run-up to Christmas, industry research shows. Of the 119 firms surveyed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) distributive trades survey, 55 per cent expect sales volumes to increase [...]
Retail sales suggest UK economic growth to slow in the third quarter September 17, 2015 UK retail sales inched up in August – having dipped a month earlier – but a lack of strength is leading analysts to warn that UK growth is hitting a "soft patch" in the third quarter. Retail sales grew by just 0.2 per cent on a monthly basis, in line with expectations, according to the [...]
UK inflation falls back to zero in August September 16, 2015 The UK slipped back into the land of "noflation" last month, amid falling petrol prices and a smaller seasonal increase in clothing prices than last year, according to data released today by the Office for National Statistics. Britain's consumer price index fell to zero in the year to August, from 0.1 per cent a month earlier, [...]