Shortages and price hikes: Brexit bravado risks ripping up retailers’ Christmas stockings September 3, 2021 The festive season may be months away, but major retailers usually start stocking up for Christmas in September. This year, however, the government’s “Brexit hubris” means it is refusing to allow EU-based drivers to return and end Britain’s HGV driver shortage, according to David Jinks, head of consumer research at international delivery firm ParcelHero. He told [...]
Furlough ends today: 1m Brits in limbo as thousands of firms face bankruptcy September 30, 2021 Uncertainty looms for the future of almost one million furloughed Brits as the government’s £70bn support programme ends today, after helping out millions of workers across the UK over the last 18 months. Economists have warned that although many may find work in recovering sectors such as hospitality and travel, there is also likely to [...]
Boris Johnson mulls calling in army to deliver fuel as pumps run dry after weekend of panic buying September 27, 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is said to be weighing the option to let soldiers drive fuel trucks as pumps ran dry after a weekend of panic buying. Emergency measures were triggered late last night, with Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng choosing to suspend competition laws for the fuel industry to allow suppliers to target filling stations [...]
Food prices drop for first time in four years due to anti-stockpiling measures in 2020 lockdown April 28, 2021 Food prices fell this month for the first time in four years in comparison to last year, when retailers paused discounting to reduce stockpiling at the beginning of the pandemic. Prices fell 0.6 per cent in April, down from a rise of 0.3 per cent in March, marking the first time food prices have been [...]
Boris Johnson urges caution on freedom day as he continues self-isolation July 18, 2021 Boris Johnson has urged caution as England today is freed from social distancing restrictions for the first time in 16 months. The Prime Minister also outlined once again his five-point plan for how the country will live with Covid-19, which includes reducing the time between vaccines, keeping the Test and Trace regime in place and [...]
UK retail sales return to growth after lockdown exit roadmap announced March 9, 2021 UK retail sales returned to growth in February after the government revealed plans to ease the coronavirus lockdown measures. The Prime Minister set out the roadmap to exit lockdown on 22 February – with some plans reported in the preceding days – prompting shoppers to buy non-food items such as school uniforms and going out [...]
Online sales tax would ‘kneecap’ small retailers, startups warn March 2, 2021 The introduction of a new online sales tax would “kneecap” retailers and have a disproportionate impact on smaller businesses, UK startups have warned. In his Budget tomorrow, chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to launch a consultation on new levies targeting online retailers such as Amazon and Asos that have seen their profits soar during the [...]
Fashion retail sales rebound as shoppers invest in post-lockdown outfits April 9, 2021 Fashion retail sales soared last month as the sector, which has struggled during the coronavirus pandemic, was buoyed by shoppers investing in post-lockdown outfits. Total like-for-like fashion sales jumped 57.5 per cent in March – from a base of minus 25.9 per cent in the same month last year. This marks the first positive result [...]
China’s President Xi writes to former Starbucks chairman in push to improve trade relations January 14, 2021 China’s President Xi Jinping has written to Starbucks’ former chairman to promote trade, state media reported this morning. Xi asked former Starbuck’s tycoon Howard Schultz to promote trade and business relations between Washington and Beijing, urging Schultz to “continue to play an active role in promoting China-US economic and trade cooperation”, the official Xinhua news [...]
Train chaos: How will the rail and Tube strikes affect services across London and the UK today? June 21, 2022 Rail and Tube strikes are set to cripple services this week, causing travel chaos for passengers across the UK as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 13 train operators are going on strike. Here is a quick rundown of what to expect today and this week. – When [...]