Shop prices still falling at fastest pace since 2007 September 3, 2013 PRICES of goods at the UK’s retailers are still shrinking, down by 0.5 per cent in the year to August – the joint-fastest rate since early 2007, six and a half years ago. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen, deflation is still in swing, the 0.5 per cent drop being the same rate [...]
Weather hits internet retail as high streets boosted by heat August 18, 2013 ONLINE sales fell two per cent in July, in a reversal of fortunes for internet retailers as shoppers returned to high streets during the heatwave. According to the IMRG Capgemini retail index for July, sales were up by nine per cent in the 12 months to July, but dipped in the month itself, making it [...]
Weak footfall as summer ends for UK retailers September 15, 2013 AUGUST saw the lowest level of activity in stores since March, with footfall 0.9 per cent below the same month in 2012, which benefited from the boost of the Olympics. According to figures released today by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard, the number of shoppers was down by 0.9 per cent on the [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 24 October 2013 October 23, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Brevan Howard moving out of UK Brevan Howard, the world’s third-largest hedge fund, has moved most of its operations out of the UK, shifting dozens of jobs to the Channel Islands, Switzerland, Asia and the US to escape EU regulation and grow internationally. Three years after opening a satellite office in Geneva, Brevan [...]
Long summer boosts August retail sales September 2, 2013 UK RETAIL sales continued their strong run in August after the summer heatwave helped sales smash expectations the previous month. Total sales increased by 3.6 per cent in value last month compared with a year ago, when sales were up 1.6 per cent, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG released [...]
Retail industry body changes tune on rates August 14, 2013 THE BRITISH Retail Consortium (BRC) has abandoned its call to the government to freeze business rates, urging instead for next year’s rates uplift to be capped at two per cent. In a letter to retailers yesterday, Helen Dickinson, the director general of the industry body, said it would be “unrealistic” to ask HM Treasury to [...]
July sees retail prices plunging at fastest pace ever recorded July 30, 2013 SHOP prices shrank again in July, declining at the fastest pace since the British Retail Consortium (BRC) began measuring them six-and-a-half years ago. The BRC’s shop price index fell by 0.5 per cent over the year to July, driven by the plummeting costs of non-food items, which dropped by 2.1 per cent. Although food prices [...]
Struggling Europe shows signs of recovery at last July 24, 2013 A RECOVERY could be in sight for parts of the Eurozone economy, as influential survey data yesterday showed growth in manufacturing output. Figures from Markit also showed growth in the US, but falling output in China as the world’s second largest economy looks increasingly fragile. The Eurozone’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) came in at 50.4 [...]
Sunny weather sparks sharp growth in UK retail sales August 15, 2013 UK retail sales smashed expectations in July as a heatwave drove more customers into stores (release). Year-on-year, UK retail sales increased by 3.0 per cent, beating already optimistic expectations of a 2.5 per cent increase from 2.2 per cent growth the month before. Growth came primarily from the food and non-store retailing sectors, with the [...]
Tablet searches boom as Brits buy for the sun July 21, 2013 ADIDAS, Converse shoes, dresses and garden furniture have become some of the most popular terms that consumers are browsing for online thanks to brighter weather and the help of three bank holidays. Data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Google showed searches for DIY and gardening products outpaced other sectors on both tablets and [...]