All Economy articles
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Analysis & FeaturesWhat is the government doing to keep food price inflation down? Not a lot
With a ‘tsunami’ of higher food prices on the horizon, the Chancellor has announced support measures – but the industry is not placated
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NewsRetail footfall hits five-year low as shoppers make fewer trips: BRC
Total UK footfall decreased by 10.7% in April, compared to a 2.4% decline in the previous month – the weakest performance recorded for five years
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NewsVolume growth a ‘matter of survival’ for retail, World Retail Congress told
Improving volumes should be retail leaders’ “top priority”, according to AlixPartners’ report, published this morning
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News2 Sisters to inject £50m into British farming after strong 2025
The poultry sector giant has redeveloped its chicken feed to replace 23% of imported soyameal with British-grown oilseed rape and beans – purchasing 150k tonnes annually from British farmers
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NewsConsumer confidence falls for third month in a row
A four-point fall in confidence to –25 has taken GfK’s monthly consumer confidence barometer to its lowest level since October 2023
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NewsRetail sales beat expectations to rise 0.7% in March
Retail sales have fared better than expected during the start of the Iran war, rising 0.7% in March
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NewsConsumer confidence ‘in the doldrums’ as economic volatility drags on
Optimism in the state of the UK economy is at its ‘lowest on record’ according to the BRC’s-Opinium sentiment tracker measures consumer confidence over the next three months
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NewsFuel costs nudge up March inflation figures amid Middle East conflict
Alongside a 0.4 point jump in food inflation to 3.7%, rising prices at the pump have shown for the first time the effect of the Iran war on consumer prices
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NewsFDF maintains inflation forecast as it accuses government of lacking ‘urgency’
The FDF has warned of financial markets’ complacency and accused the government of lacking ‘urgency’ in a warning over the coming financial shock
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NewsFood and drink spending falls in real terms across UK
The Share of Stomach Index is a new quarterly report from The Grocer based on Spendmapper analysis of card transactions from 180,000 consumers
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NewsConsumer confidence hits three-year low amid oil price chaos
The first quarter of 2026 saw the largest single-quarter fall in consumer confidence since Q1 2022, knocking levels down to a low of –14.1% last seen in Deloitte’s Consumer Tracker in Q3 2023
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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