UK retailers warn shoppers face price hikes if no EU trade deal agreed July 10, 2020 Britain’s retail industry has warned that consumers could face higher prices next year if the UK is unable to reach a tariff-free EU trade deal. The British Retail Consortium said the industry could not absorb the additional costs of tariffs, meaning the hike in prices would be passed on to consumers whose finances have already [...]
Government urged to pay £5bn of retailers’ rents after lockdown August 10, 2020 Retail, hospitality and leisure firms have urged the government to pay up to £5bn to cover a proportion of rents for struggling businesses to avoid further high street job losses. Trade bodies, including the British Property Federation (BPF), British Retail Consortium (BRC) and UK Hospitality, have called on the government to launch a Property Bounceback [...]
Bad weather and coronavirus fears hurt high street sales March 10, 2020 Bad weather and coronavirus fears kept UK shoppers away from the high street last month, while streaming services and takeaway firms benefited from Brits staying at home. Consumer spending was up 2.2 per cent year-on-year last month, driven by digital subscriptions and takeaways as Brits stayed home to avoid storms and coronavirus risks. More than [...]
Retail footfall down 80 per cent in May amid coronavirus lockdown June 15, 2020 Retailers suffered a decline in footfall of more than 80 per cent in May, as the coronavirus lockdown kept consumers at home and shops shuttered across the country. Footfall plunged 81.6 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to the British Retail Consortium. This was a shallower decline than in April, however, [...]
Retail industry calls for VAT cut to be extended to struggling sector July 8, 2020 Retail industry experts have expressed shock and disappointment that the chancellor’s decision to cut VAT for hospitality firms did not extend to the struggling sector. Rishi Sunak today announced plans to slash VAT for hospitality and tourism businesses from 20 per cent to five per cent. The retail sector welcomed the support announced for employment [...]
Asos shares jump as profit forecast raised due to online shopping boom August 12, 2020 Shares in fast fashion retailer Asos jumped this morning after it announced that full-year sales and profit are expected to beat forecasts due to an online shopping boom during the UK coronavirus lockdown. Asos said revenue growth is expected to be between 17 per cent and 19 per cent, with profit before tax of around [...]
Mark Kleinman: My bold predictions for 2023 in the City – from Natwest to Spurs January 11, 2023 After the political and economic events of 2022, the idea of being able to predict anything with confidence seems even more outlandish than usual. Nevertheless, with the UK economy precariously balanced less than two years before a general election, these seem – in early January – to be sensible bets for UK plc in 2023. [...]
The City View: Michael Hewson on Germany’s Russian energy oversights and Merkel’s legacy April 19, 2022 Today Andy Silvester talks to Michael Hewson, Chief Markets Analyst at CMC Markets. They go through the latest IMF forecasts, which included downgrades and the worst growth forecast in the G7 for the UK; Germany’s exposure to energy price fluctuations, the mounting pressure to reduce its dependency on Russian oil and gas, and Angela Merkel’s [...]
DEBATE: Is Rishi Sunak’s job retention bonus scheme the right strategy for supporting the retail sector? July 20, 2020 Is Rishi Sunak’s job retention bonus scheme the right strategy for supporting the retail sector? Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, says YES. The job retention bonus will provide welcome support as retailers think about future requirements and bring back thousands of staff over the next few months who have been [...]
UK retailers warn government coronavirus aid not enough to prevent ‘imminent collapse’ May 11, 2020 UK retailers have warned that its financial aid package for businesses during the coronavirus crisis will not prevent the “imminent collapse” of many firms. In a letter to the chancellor Rishi Sunak and small business minister Paul Scully, the British Retail Consortium said the crisis “facing parts of the retail sector…must be addressed urgently ahead [...]