UK private economy wilts amid high inflation and interest rates, CBI survey shows July 31, 2023 Britain’s private sector economy is being trapped by high inflation and elevated interest rates and companies fear growth will continue to contract, a new survey out today shows. Research by the lobby group the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has found that activity across the private sector – which generates most output in the UK [...]
Gen Z and millennials shrug off inflation woes to buy ethical goods July 31, 2023 Gen Z and millennial shoppers are shrugging off inflationary woes and continuing to prioritise a retailer’s reputation when choosing where to spend. Some 33 per cent of 18-34-year-olds said they are more loyal to brands with a ‘positive corporate reputation’ and ‘values’ that align with their own, compared to just one in seven shoppers aged [...]
Oil prices rally due to revived hopes of Chinese demand amid Opec cuts July 30, 2023 Oil prices have recorded five straight weeks of gains with investors seemingly convinced markets will tighten.
Ex Fed chair Ben Bernanke to lead review into Bank of England forecasting July 28, 2023 Ben Bernanke, ex-chair of the Federal Reserve, has been appointed to lead a review into the Bank of England’s forecasting during times of significant uncertainty. The review aims to strengthen the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) approach to forecasting during times of uncertainty, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Bernanke, a Nobel prize winning economist [...]
Explainer: Why are plane tickets so expensive? July 28, 2023 Have you recently found yourself making an Excel spreadsheet of flights prices for a summer holiday, or trying to strategise how to book flights for that international trip like it was a game of chess? If you have, that’s because flying has become more and more expensive over the past year. The owner of British [...]
Insolvencies hit highest level since 2009 as firms feel pressure from rates and inflation July 28, 2023 The number of company insolvencies in the second quarter hit its highest level since 2009, new figures showed, as firms struggled with a cocktail of rising costs and a tightening lending environment. In the three months to June 2023, there were 5,240 seasonally adjusted registered company insolvencies, nine per cent higher than last quarter and [...]
John Lewis revamps marketing approach as it tackles losses July 28, 2023 John Lewis has created a ‘customer planning team’ to make the most out of its marketing budget in stores and online, as it struggles with huge losses. The upmarket British retailer, famed for its annual tearjerker Christmas ad, has appointed Andreas Nicolaides to lead the new team from October. John Lewis, which owns Waitrose, said [...]
Rightmove reports highest first-half revenue since 2018 despite mortgage market woes July 28, 2023 Online real estate company Rightmove clocked up its highest first-half revenue since 2018, it revealed on Friday, despite a troubled mortgage market putting pressure on house prices. The business said revenue was up 10% to £179.5 million in the six months to the end of June. Pre-tax profit rose 7.5% to £130 million. “The strength [...]
Bentley warns of ‘challenging conditions’ ahead as marque levels out following 2022 bonanza July 28, 2023 Bentley posted operating profits of €390m (£335.16m) today, down slightly on the same period in 2022, as the marque levelled out following last year’s earnings bonanza. The luxury carmaker also saw revenues decrease slightly, posting €1.68bn (£1.44bn) against a 2022 figure of €1.71bn (£1.46bn) amid a downturn in global sales of four per cent year-on-year. [...]
Rising mortgage rates sends demand for homes down 18 per cent, new data shows July 28, 2023 Rising mortgage rates has reduced demand for homes by 18 per cent, Zoopla’s latest House Price Index revealed today. This weaker demand, coupled with rising supply, saw UK house price growth shrink to 0.6 per cent for June, down from 9.6 per cent for the same month last year. The estate agent said it expects [...]