All Economy articles
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NewsOil price plummets as Strait of Hormuz is ‘open for business’
Iran has declared the strait open to all commercial shipping for 10 days, the duration of a ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon late on 16 April
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Comment & OpinionEditor’s picks: Tesco results, retail government bailout, supply chain crisis
Tesco has highlighted another £500m in cost savings for the year ahead and no doubt AI will play a part there
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Analysis & FeaturesAs inflation bites, why are budget food ranges disappearing?
With the cost of living squeezing shoppers ever harder, you’d expect value ranges to be expanding – but the opposite is true. What’s going on?
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Analysis & FeaturesWho is worst hit as the UK buys less food & drink?
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are only part of the story as data shows spend is down or in suppressed growth in multiple channels
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NewsAll Original Factory Shop stores and head office closed
TOFS entered administration in January, with its PE owner Modella Capital – also owner of TG Jones – blaming weak consumer confidence
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NewsEaster boosts food sales despite ‘lowest since 2023’ consumer confidence
Shoppers splashed out to celebrate seasonal events like Eid, Easter and Mother’s Day, however heightened fears over the Iran war will hamper retail sales, according to the latest BRC-KPMG retail monitor
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Comment & OpinionWhy surge pricing won’t be coming soon to a supermarket near you
Parts of the national press went into meltdown over the weekend as they latched onto electronic shelf labels as evidence of an impending consumer dystopia
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NewsOil tops $100 again as ceasefire talks collapse
Oil prices have rebounded to over $100, after ceasefire talks between Iran and the US collapsed shortly after they had started
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NewsFootfall growth below expectations as Iran war weighs on confidence
Worries over the impact of the Middle East conflict on household budgets led to weaker retail footfall traffic than hoped for over the past month, new figures revealed this morning
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NewsRetail shares rally on news of Iran ceasefire – but worries remain
“Euphoria” over news of a ceasefire between the US and Iran prompted a rally in City shares on Wednesday, as investors bought back into disrupted stocks. UK retail shares leaped 5.3% on Wednesday, ahead of both FTSE 100 (2.5%) and FTSE 250 (4.1%)
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NewsOil prices drop and stocks rally after two-week ceasefire agreed by Iran
Ships will be given ‘safe passage’ through the Strait of Hormuz, freeing up around 20% of the world’s oil supply
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Analysis & FeaturesHow does forecourt fuel market work and why do pump prices vary so much?
Fuel has shot up at the pumps since the Middle East conflict, and prices can vary hugely. So how are they set? And to what extent are forecourts profiteering?
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NewsFarmers facing bill of at least £340m a year if oil prices remain high
Red diesel prices have soared by almost 70% since the start of the conflict
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NewsPoultry industry calls for government action as consumers face price increases
The British Poultry Council warned that the ongoing conflict had triggered supply disruptions that could push up prices
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NewsFDF revises food inflation forecast to over 9% by end of 2026
The FDF has predicted food inflation will reach over 9% by the end of 2026, after revising its forecasts
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NewsUK sees record export growth, but US sales slump after Trump’s tariffs
While total global exports topped £25bn for the first time, growth slumped in H2 in the US, while sales to the EU still fell far short of pre-Brexit levels
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News‘Ripple of fear’ as consumers prepare to pull back on spending
It follows the dire update from the British Retail Consortium yesterday that consumer confidence had ‘collapsed’ as the war in the Middle East raised the prospect of higher inflation in the coming months
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NewsFSA in crunch talks with government to meet SPS deal funding gap
The FSA has warned it requires an increase in funding to implement the EU reset
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NewsFood inflation falls, but Iran shock still to come
ONS statistics reported a 3% overall CPI rate, with falls in grocery and alcohol – down one point to 3.6% – counteracted by rising clothing costs
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NewsFood manufacturing costs outstripped CPI inflation in 2025
Data published this morning by the FDF showed production costs jumped 4.4% on average in 2025, compared with a 3.6% increase in the Consumer Price Index reported by the ONS