New car sales down a fifth in August as supply chain struggles bite September 6, 2021 New car sales fell over a fifth last month in the weakest August for sales since 2013, new data from the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed today. Just 68,033 models were registered last month in what is traditionally one of the slowest periods for sales. However, sales were down 7.6 per cent [...]
Road haulage bosses warn buckling supply chains will trigger soaring prices September 4, 2021 The “perfect storm” of problems scuppering UK supply chains will increase prices sharply for households across the country, road haulage and food bosses have warned. A paucity of HGV drivers, soaring shipping costs, delays in deliveries from Asia and ongoing Covid related problems have compounded to produce severe shortages of products. Soaring demand as economies [...]
How worker shortages are cleared will determine UK economy’s trajectory September 4, 2021 You would be forgiven for forgetting we are currently amid one of the best runs of economic growth in living memory with all the negative news about supply chain snarl ups, worker shortages and soaring inflation flying around. A slew of data published this week, alongside a raft of announcements from supermarket, retail and food [...]
Fashion spending to hit £112bn this year as consumers hunt for post-pandemic wardrobes September 2, 2021 Retail shoppers are set to spend an extra £4.2bn on fashion and beauty over the next 12 months, in comparison to 2019. Spending is predicted to rise 3.4 per cent, according to a report jointly commissioned by the British Fashion Council and Clearpay, in partnership with Oxford Economics. Brits shopping for a ‘bounceback wardrobe’ will [...]
Shortage of cans leads to scarcity of Diet Coke and Coke Zero products September 2, 2021 A shortage of aluminium cans looms for Coca-Cola’s bottling business in the UK and Europe as its supply chain has come under pressure. It comes as social media users have highlighted a scarcity of Diet Coke and Coke Zero products in recent weeks. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) said today that it has faced “a number [...]
Tripped up: Competition watchdog to block JD Sports merger with Footasylum September 2, 2021 JD Sports is “perplexed” and “disappointed” after the CMA announced a preliminary decision to block its planned purchase of Footasylum following an appeal. Kip Meek, chair of the group conducting the inquiry, said the deal “would see Footasylum bought by its closest competitor,” which could lead to a worse shopping experience for customers facing higher [...]
SEC double hit: Robinhood comes under scrutiny for key revenue stream and share sale filing September 1, 2021 Trading platform Robinhood has told investors that the US financial watchdog is reviewing a filing of a share sale by a group of its shareholders, a day after its share price sank on two other bouts of bad news. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) review prevents any sales being made off the filing [...]
Shakespeare on advertising: Deliveroo users set to fill their Boots September 1, 2021 Boots recently announced a partnership with Deliveroo that would see the health & beauty retailer’s products made available for delivery in 14 cities – including London, Birmingham, and Edinburgh. Data from YouGov BrandIndex shows that it looks like a savvy move for both brands. YouGov data reveals that if you’re someone who shops with Boots, [...]
24m cats and dogs in UK: Pet food giant Jollyes eyes 20 new shops as pet ownership explodes August 31, 2021 To deal with increased demand from Brits who bought animals during the pandemic, pet food seller Jollyes said this morning will create around 150 new jobs as it opens 20 new shops. The company stressed it had seen significant growth over the past two years and was accelerating its plans by opening the new sites [...]
Marks & Spencer stores stop selling suits as shoppers opt for casual wear August 31, 2021 More than half of Marks & Spencer stores across the country have stopped stocking suits as office working falls out of fashion. Just 110 out of the retailer’s 254 clothing stores are still selling suits as consumers opt for more relaxed outfits in the wake of coronavirus lockdowns. Shoppers bought 2m men’s suits in the [...]