Retailers return to stores even as footfall dips August 17, 2014 UK high streets are getting less and less empty as the economic recovery continues, even as fewer shoppers actually head for shops. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard revealed this morning that the vacancy rate in UK town centres had dropped to just 10.1 per cent in July, half a percentage point down from [...]
Strongest retail deflation ever recorded as prices slip further July 8, 2014 UK shop prices are declining at the fastest pace in at least eight years, with non-food prices shrinking even further in June. The latest report from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen suggests that shop prices dropped by 1.8 per cent in June, the largest fall the group has recorded since beginning the series [...]
Asia’s richest man is a big UK investor January 20, 2015 BILLIONAIRE Li Ka-Shing has added to his already extensive portfolio of UK companies with the Eversholt deal. In the past, he has invested heavily in British utility infrastructure, paying £645m for gas distribution firm Wales & West Utilities in 2010 and led a consortium that bought the UK electricity distribution arm of EDF Energy for [...]
Footfall slump knocks retailers despite strengthening recovery June 16, 2014 RETAIL footfall dipped slightly during May in comparison to the same month in 2013, with London recording a larger than average drop in shopping traffic. Footfall fell 0.2 per cent across the country, according to the latest data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard – driven down by a 0.9 per cent drop [...]
Supermarket price wars trigger slowdown in retail sales in May June 9, 2014 PRICE cuts by Britain’s big four supermarkets hit retail sales in May despite clothing retailers reporting their strongest growth in more than two years. Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG this morning show that like-for-like UK retail sales were up 0.5 per cent in May compared with the same month last year, [...]
World Cup to blame for drop in retail sales growth to three-year low July 14, 2014 Retail sales grew at their slowest pace for over three years in June, with a variety of factors including England’s early exit from the World Cup being blamed for shoppers keeping a tight grip on their purses. Total sales were up just 0.6 per cent compared to the same month last year, the British [...]
Retailers enjoy first quarter of growth in years June 10, 2014 HIGH street stores of all stripes have enjoyed rising sales in the past three months for the first time in four years, according to figures released today. BDO’s high street sales tracker shows like-for-like sales were up 1.1 per cent in May, marking the first full quarter since 2010 where fashion, lifestyle and homewares have [...]
Shop prices still falling as retail enters second year of deflation June 3, 2014 PRICES have now been falling for over a year in Britain’s shops, according to figures released by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen today, with the continued recovery still putting little pressure on price tags. The BRC/Nielsen index registered a 1.4 per cent decline in prices overall. Food prices rose by 0.7 per cent, [...]
Britons leave cash behind in favour of cards June 2, 2014 BRITONS have cut back on shopping with cash by 14 per cent over the last five years as people increasingly turn their backs on coins and notes in favour of card and contactless payments. Cash made up just £27.64 in every £100 spent at retailers in 2013, according to a survey published this morning by [...]
Morrisons warns of discounters’ growing threat June 26, 2014 MORRISONS boss Dalton Philips warned yesterday that discounters could grow to as much as 25 per cent of the grocery market if supermarkets fail to “face the brutal reality” of the changes taking place and fight back. Speaking at the British Retail Consortium’s annual symposium, Philips said the threat posed to the UK’s big four [...]