Time to talk about the price of milk: artisan cheese could save our dairy industry April 21, 2022 Milk has always held a curious place in the political psyche. It has long been used as a measure of affordability of everyday goods – and our leaders’ understanding of the challenges facing many Britons. As inflation, pressures on transport and the war in Ukraine have triggered a spike in prices, the price of milk [...]
Iceland food boss ‘working day and night’ to keep pint of milk under £1 but price rises ‘will get worse’ November 2, 2022 The boss of Iceland has said he “doesn’t know” whether the price of a pint of milk can be kept under a pound, but is “working day and night” to stop it. Richard Walker made his comments on Amol Rajan’s podcast this morning, after joining a campaign to expand free school meals to children whose [...]
Petrol price wars ease as forecourt retailers see profits rocket December 14, 2021 Supermarkets such as Asda have eased competition in their fight to attract customers to their fuel and diesel pumps, as prices and profits rocket. Data from the RAC showed that last week’s price of petrol was 146.9p while the price of diesel continued to hike, reaching a record 150.80p. According to a Times analysis, the [...]
It’s Quiz-mas! How will you score in Deloitte’s big economics quiz of the year? December 20, 2023 The answers and a brief explanation of the factors at work are at the end of this note. Obviously, our readers won't be cheating....
Food industry: Government must act to tackle cost of living crisis as prices spike March 22, 2022 A food industry leader has called on the government to intervene to ease supply chain pressures on food firms as a cost of living crisis looms. Food and Drink Federation boss Karen Betts has urged ministers to act to help millions of households as they face rising food and energy prices this spring. Measures urged [...]
As Russia triggers needless tragedy, we need to defend our global stability March 4, 2022 The lives lost so far in Putin’s pointless and tragic war are a terrible price for Ukraine, and innocent Russians. But the collateral damage of a land war in Europe will soon begin to spread far beyond razed Ukrainian villages and the flattened streets of Kharkiv. War costs billions every day. And the response – [...]
Discount retailers benefit from cost of living crunch as shoppers head to Aldi and Lidl March 1, 2022 Grocery price inflation hit a new high of 4.3 per cent last month, with budget supermarkets luring shoppers in as the cost of living intensifies. Fresh data from Kantar reveals the fastest rate of inflation since September 2013, with the exception of the start of the pandemic when households panic bought essentials. Aldi and Lidl [...]
More Consolidation Ahead for Europe’s Consumer Sector? October 10, 2022 Europe’s consumer industry has suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and has had to adjust quickly to survive. Lockdowns froze physical players and e-commerce provided a lifeline for survival for some. But the easing of restrictions did not necessarily help: consumer behaviours have clearly changed and retail footfall has not recovered to pre-pandemic [...]
Let’s be honest, we are suffering from a national crisis of bad vibes February 9, 2023 Strikes, NHS waiting lists, high energy prices and a constant stream of news about horrific crimes, natural disasters and economic gloom, Britain's Bad Vibes are keeping us down, writes Matthew Lesh
Soaring business costs trigger wave of profit warnings July 18, 2022 Swelling costs have crimped UK companies’ margins, leading to a surge in profit warnings, reveals a new report published today. The volume of profit warnings sounded by UK-listed companies climbed 66 per cent in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2021, up to 136 from 82, according to EY-Parthenon. [...]