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 [...]
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt says Bank must act – even if hikes slow UK economy May 26, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has backed interest rate hikes being used to calm soaring inflation even if they increase the risk of pushing the UK into recession. Mr Hunt insisted in an interview aired on Friday that the “only path to sustainable growth” is to bring down the high prices behind the cost-of-living crisis. The Bank [...]
Retail sales up in April but analysts warn on implications of further rate hikes May 26, 2023 Retail sales volumes recovered slightly by 0.5 per cent in April as the sector was lifted by the Easter holidays, however high inflation and strains on household finances continue to hinder spending. Non-food stores sales volumes rose by 1.0 per cent during the month, data from the ONS shows, following a fall of 1.8 per [...]
Extending ULEZ is making criminals out of the leftie middle-class May 26, 2023 I’m as middle-class and suburban as it gets in London, but locals are planning a rebellion against ULEZ.
More than a year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine some firms still can’t – or won’t – quit Moscow May 25, 2023 Some global companies are still operating in Russia more than a year on from the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Firms were quick to respond to the full-scale war, which broke out last February, with some saying they would quit Russia immediately and others curtailing imports or new investment. Billions of pounds of factories, energy holdings [...]
Sweet treat for Tate & Lyle shareholders as profits jump north of £300m May 25, 2023 Food and beverage ingredient supplier Tate & Lyle continued its strong performance this year with a 22 per cent boost in profits, as it shrugged off concerns over supply chain volatility and benefited from inflation driving up prices. The group, one of the world’s biggest producers of sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, made [...]
Bank of England to hike interest rates to 5.5 per cent to tame scorching inflation May 24, 2023 The Bank of England will have to hike interest rates to a peak of 5.5 per cent to tame steaming inflation, threatening to push the UK economy back to the edge of recession, markets bet today after fresh numbers showed price pressures are withstanding rate rises. Upward moves in financial markets’ expectations for peak UK [...]
Why today’s inflation numbers are much, much worse than you think May 24, 2023 Inflation in the UK has trimmed to its lowest level in over a year. It has also dropped out of the double digits for the first time since last August. Hooray! These are milestones that shouldn’t be welcomed with much joy, especially given that outside of the last 18 months or so, inflation barely budged [...]