Retailers urge rethink on net zero ‘grocery tax’ as public blame Brexit for rising costs June 4, 2023 Top retailers have urged the government to rethink plans for green levies to fund the recycling of food packaging in a bid to avoid a further rise in spiralling food costs. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned the scheme, dubbed the ‘net zero grocery tax’, could push up shopping bills by up to £4bn [...]
Wall Street rises on hopes the Fed may take it easier on rate hikes June 2, 2023 Wall Street rose on Thursday with hopes that the Federal Reserve may soon take it easier on its hikes to interest rates. The S&P 500 rallied 1 per cent after a suite of reports painted a picture of a split US economy. The job market remains solid, but manufacturing is weakening and retailers are seeing [...]
Euro inflation slumps faster than expected to 6.1 per cent leaving UK further afield June 1, 2023 Inflation in Europe is falling much faster than expected, further marking Britain out as suffering the toughest price pressures in the developed world. The rate of price increases in the 20 countries using the euro dropped to 6.1 per cent last month, down from seven per cent in the previous month, according to eurostat. That [...]
It has to be Heinz? Not in this economy, till reports suggest May 31, 2023 Shoppers are continuing to switch to supermarket ketchup, milk and cereal own-brands to cut down on spending amidst the cost of living crisis. Volume sales in store branded products surged 63.3 per cent in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) category during May, figures by consumer intelligence company NIQ show. Food prices have surged since [...]
‘You can’t interfere in the markets,’ Asda boss tells government over food price caps May 30, 2023 Veteran retail boss Stuart Rose has warned the government of “unintended consequences” around encouraging supermarkets to impose price caps on food staples to cut the cost of living. Asda chairman Lord Rose, who also ran Marks and Spencer and chaired Ocado, said “you can’t interfere in the markets” and warned of the “unintended consequences” of [...]
Waitrose and M&S meal deal supplier Greencore reports revenue boost by a fifth May 30, 2023 A sandwich and sushi maker supplying UK supermarket giants from M&S to Waitrose has reported a surge in revenue after upping its prices – and revealed it axed around 250 jobs. Greencore told investors it sunk to a loss this year after battling higher costs. The Dublin-based convenience food manufacturing firm said its revenue jumped [...]
Inflation to top Bank of England target until at least 2026, Goldman Sachs warn May 30, 2023 Inflation in the UK is set to top the Bank of England’s target for at least the next three years, likely forcing governor Andrew Bailey and co to tip the country into recession via yet more interest rate rises, a top Wall Street bank has warned. Researchers at Goldman Sachs late last night hiked their [...]
Are gone-off goods the answer to the cost of living crisis? May 30, 2023 An online grocery store which sells goods that would otherwise be sent to landfill is growing in popularity in the UK, as cash-strapped Brits search for new ways to save money amid the cost of living crisis. “I think there’s a lot of focus on price at the moment… and we can cater for something [...]
Grocery prices cool as government drafts supermarket price cap May 30, 2023 Food inflation cooled slightly in May as lower energy and commodity costs finally showed signs of filtering down to consumers. According to data by the British Retail Consortium, grocery inflation fell to 15.4 per cent in during the month, down from 15.7 per cent in April – but remained the second highest inflation rate in [...]
Government to ‘encourage’ supermarkets to cap food prices May 28, 2023 Government plans to encourage supermarkets to impose price caps on food staples to help with the cost of living will have no “element of compulsion”, a Cabinet minister has said. Downing Street is understood to be drawing up proposals that would seek to get retailers charging the lowest possible amount for some basic products like [...]