Plan B curbs sweep away retail sales as Brits shun high streets January 27, 2022 Plan B curbs that swept Brits away from the high street and offices throttled UK retailers this month, reveals a closely watched survey published today. The re-emergence of restrictions on daily life that dragged on throughout January hit high street sales, according to research carried out by the UK’s largest business group, the Confederation of [...]
Consumer confidence edges up despite inflation and supply chain woes November 19, 2021 Shoppers put aside concerns about soaring inflation and supply chain woes and spend in the run-up to Black Friday and Christmas, leading consumer confidence to edge up, according to new data published this morning. GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index increased three points to minus 14 in November following a three-month downturn. A seven-point jump in [...]
Bank of England hikes interest rates for eleventh time in a row to post financial crisis high of 4.25 per cent March 23, 2023 The Bank of England today hiked interest rates for the eleventh time in a row to a post-financial crisis of 4.25 per cent as it continues to lead the fight against the worst UK inflation crisis in four decades. Governor Andrew Bailey and his team of rate setters bumped borrowing costs 25 basis points higher, [...]
London economy squeezed by inflation grip in sign of looming UK-wide slowdown May 9, 2022 London’s economy is being choked by intensifying inflationary pressures in a sign that the rest of the UK is headed for a period of weaker growth, reveals a fresh survey released today. Concerns about a reduction in consumer spending in response to the worst cost of living crunch in 30 years has pushed London business [...]
FTSE 100 today: London markets likely to start higher, mirroring Asian peers February 7, 2024 Asian markets mirror the gains witnessed on Wall Street, supported by Beijing's escalating efforts to shore up its declining stock markets. Investors will closely monitor Fedspeak and UK house price data.
CMA to probe if ‘failure in competition’ is seeing consumers overcharged for food and fuel May 15, 2023 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today announced it will investigate whether a “failure in competition” is seeing consumers overcharged for groceries and fuel. The watchdog said it would be stepping up its work in the grocery sector to determine whether a “failure in competition is contributing to grocery prices being higher than they would [...]
Inflation shock sends chill through British factories, but hiring holds up July 25, 2022 A softening in the UK economy caused by surging inflation has clamped down on UK factories, a closely watched survey published today reveals. A net balance of six per cent of British manufacturers posted new order growth over the last three months, down sharply from 25 per cent in the three months to June, according [...]
Recessionary threads begin to weave through present economic landscape March 29, 2022 This week, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey warned this year’s energy shock will be bigger than any seen during the 1970s. The ripple effects on consumers from soaring energy bills has sparked a wave of economists to slash this year’s growth forecasts on concerns spending will be knocked by a steep fall in living [...]
FTSE 100 today: London set to open red as investors dial back rate cut bets, US inflation in focus April 10, 2024 Asian markets stayed subdued, while oil prices remained steady and gold prices rose. Boeing faced whistleblower allegations, and the New Zealand central bank kept rates unchanged. All attention now turns to the imminent release of the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Federal Reserve's meeting minutes.
Confidence in ride-sharing apps down as more consumers complain September 1, 2022 Consumer confidence in ride-sharing apps is down, according to data released today. Figures from analytics company Chattermill showed that trust in the likes of Bolt, Uber as well as Singapore’s Grab and Spain’s Cabify went down 25 points in the last year. Drivers cancelling rides as well as prolonged waiting times and increased prices featured [...]