Ocado shares plummet 10 per cent as investors show anxiety towards ‘resilient’ growth February 8, 2022 Ocado’s shares are taking a beating this afternoon, with investors appearing unimpressed by group revenue and international expansion. Despite the online retailer reporting that group revenue was up 7.2 per cent to £2.5bn for the full year, shares plummeted as much as ten per cent this morning. It comes after Ocado, which is a 50:50 [...]
Cost of living crunch already hitting consumer spending even before inflation peaks February 8, 2022 The cost of living crunch is prompting Britons to rein in spending even before inflation reaches its expected summit this spring, reveals new research published today. An erosion in household budgets triggered by inflation hitting its highest level in nearly three decades weighed on consumer spending last month, according to figures from Barclaycard. UK spending [...]
Used car market grows 11.5 per cent in 2021 as prices show no sign of stop February 8, 2022 The UK’s second-hand car market has grown 11.5 per cent, with more than 7.5 million transactions registered in 2021. According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), 777,997 more cars were sold compared with 2020 levels, even though performance remained 5.5 per cent below the pre-pandemic five-year average. Transactions reached peak [...]
Cobra chairman: ‘No running away’ from beer price increases February 7, 2022 Price hikes for beer are a “necessity” against a backdrop of spiralling costs faced by businesses, according to the founder of Cobra Beer. Firms have been hit with rising costs across the supply chain, including manufacturing, energy and labour with consumers facing rising food prices and utility costs. The food and drink industry faces a [...]
Bank of England has undercooked inflation forecasts again, City economists warn February 7, 2022 The Bank of England has undercooked its forecasts for inflation again in a sign the cost of living squeeze will get worse before it gets better, reveals new estimates from City economists. Inflation will peak at 7.5 per cent in April, higher than the Bank’s expected peak of 7.25 per cent in its latest forecasts, [...]
Tesco chief: ‘The worst is yet to come’ as energy crisis set to push food prices higher February 7, 2022 Tesco chairman John Allan issued a stark warning on rising food prices yesterday, cautioning “the worst is yet to come” in the coming months. While the supermarket boss said it was troubling people were facing heating or eating, Allan said Tesco had also been hit with soaring energy costs. The average amount of household income [...]
Millions of low-paid Brits face ‘perfect storm’ of energy bills and tax rises February 7, 2022 A new report sent to City A.M. this morning warns that millions of low-paid workers are facing a “perfect storm” of higher energy bills and tax rises while Universal Credit (UC) falls behind the cost of living. The TUC union said its research suggested the number of workers on UC has increased by 1.3m since [...]
Average UK house prices soar to record £276,000 February 7, 2022 The average UK house buyer forked out 9.7 per cent more in January 2022 than they would have done a year ago.
National Insurance tax hike to hit UK apprenticeships, warns FSB February 7, 2022 The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called out government's national insurance tax hike amid falling numbers of apprenticeships.
Consumer confidence drops further as cost of living concerns intensify due to skyrocketing bills February 7, 2022 Consumer confidence dropped further in the fourth quarter of last year as Brits concerns about the cost of living intensified. Skyrocketing bills resulted in UK consumer confidence falling one percentage point at the end of last year, to minus 11 per cent, according to the latest Deloitte Consumer Tracker. Cost increases for utilities and groceries [...]