Christmas grocery shopping hits fresh high while Brits make budget trimmings Retail Brits splashed out on groceries in the run-up to Christmas but watched their budgets more than ever, as own-brand products and cut-price veg caught the eyes of shoppers. Festive grocery sales increased by 3.8 per cent on the previous year, as Brits spent a record £13.8bn on Christmas supermarket shops amid moderately easing retail inflation [...]
Soaring food costs send shop price inflation higher Retail Soaring food costs pushed shop price inflation higher in December, fresh data has revealed, as Brits faced the crunch during the Christmas season. Food inflation reached 3.3 per cent in the final month of 2025, up from three per cent in November, with fresh produce rising to 3.8 per cent from 3.6 per cent previously. [...]
Majority of Brits think economy is getting worse A majority of Brits think the economy is getting worse, with sentiment souring significantly amid rising prices and weak growth. Nearly six in ten Brits believe the UK economy is on a downward spiral, a major jump from 43 per cent at the beginning of the year, marking a significant blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves [...]
‘Bumper’ Boxing Day provides boost to struggling high streets December 27, 2025 Boxing Day was a “bumper day” for all UK retail destinations as data shows shopper footfall was up 4.4 per cent on last year, making it the strongest increase in more than a decade, industry analysts said. The retail sector may end the year on a “positive note” as December 26 saw shoppers flock to [...]
Asda: Will 2026 be the year supermarket giant bounces back? December 26, 2025 This time last year, analysts warned that Asda needed to “dig down into its soul” if it was to turn around its fortunes. After a rollercoaster 2024 in which it struggled with debt, strikes and falling sales, the Leeds-headquartered supermarket giant was hoping the new year would begin to reveal green shoots of recovery. Under [...]
Deloitte’s big Christmas quiz 2025 December 9, 2025 The 2025 Deloitte Christmas Economics Quiz by chief economist, Ian Stewart and team The Christmas quiz offers a test of your knowledge of the festive season, economics and politics, in 12 questions. The answers and a brief explanation of the factors at work are provided at the end. 1) Which British politician (past and present) [...]
Asda raises almost £600m from supermarket sell-off November 20, 2025 Asda has raised close to £600m from three deals for its supermarkets ahead of a looming debt repayment to previous owner Walmart. The grocery giant struck sale-and-leaseback deals for its supermarkets totalling £568m, according to the FT. It raised £467m in two deals with New York-based asset manager Blue Owl and London-listed Supermarket Income REIT [...]
Who is ‘Drastic Dave’, the man sent to save Diageo? November 11, 2025 Diageo shareholders breathed a sigh of relief this morning after the FTSE 100 drinks giant unveiled the appointment of its new chief executive, Sir Dave Lewis. Shares rose 7.5 per cent in morning trading to 1,856 pence following the selection of the retail and consumer goods veteran, rebounding from their sharp drop last Thursday following [...]
Guinness owner Diageo shares rocket after appointment of ‘Drastic Dave’ November 10, 2025 Shares in FTSE 100 drinks giant Diageo have rocketed after the appointment of a new chief executive with an impressive turnaround record. News of the appointment of retail and consumer goods veteran Sir Dave Lewis saw shares in the struggling giant rise 6.8 per cent in early morning trading to 1,845p, rebounding from their sharp [...]
Investors pile into Sainsbury’s, but will it last? November 6, 2025 Sainsbury’s has proved a good bet for investors this year as the grocer goes from strength to strength, but will it last into 2026? The UK’s second-largest supermarket has seen a 50 per cent uplift in share price since April, with another five per cent jump following better-than-expected results on Thursday. It’s a marked departure [...]