Rachel Reeves news and analysis – Page 2
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News
Retailers cautious ahead of ‘golden quarter’ despite strong summer
The autumn budget will fall just days before Black Friday, making retailers uneasy about its impact on Christmas spending
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News
Sunday trading shake-up on table as ministers aim to calm retail rates row
It’s understood the idea has been informally broached by Treasury sources
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News
Supermarket chiefs tell Rachel Reeves planned business rates hike is their top concern
Chief executives of a string of supermarkets and other national retailers met the Chancellor at 11 Downing Street on Wednesday to oppose moves to raise business rates for larger properties from 2026.
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Comment & Opinion
Labour’s energy drink sales ban is a Monster move for public health
Health secretary Wes Streeting said the move showed how Labour was making the shift from treatment to prevention
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News
Lidl invests £435m in warehouses to support growth plans
The discounter has completed its two-stage extension at its Belvedere site in London, investing £285m across two buildings
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News
Confidence flatlines for food companies as fears grow over Reeves’ budget
A new FDF survey of its members found confidence levels in the second quarter of the year were still at ‘-40%’
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Food inflation hits 18-month high driven by eggs and butter
The price of staples like butter and eggs shot up due to high demand, tightening supply, and increased labour costs, said the BRC
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News
Supermarket chiefs warn Chancellor of rising inflation if shops are hit with higher business rates
The chiefs of Aldi, Asda, JLP, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco are among 60 retail bosses to have signed the letter to Rachel Reeves
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Comment & Opinion
Talking to politicians is hassle. But we must use our voice
For most of the industry there has rarely been a time when policy formulation or the response to geopolitical events has been so potentially important, says Ian Wright, partner at Acuti Associates
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News
UK inflation accelerates amid higher food prices
Food and drink prices have risen 4.2% compared with a year ago, their fastest rate in 18 months
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News
Ordo calls for axing of tax on children’s dental products
Ordo is demanding children’s essential oral care products be zero-rated for VAT
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News
IHT reform largely protects family farms but could be better targeted: new report
A new report by the Centre for Analysis of Taxation (CenTax) has stated the reform could be better targeted to protect working farms
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News
More than 100 large supermarkets ‘at risk of closure’ thanks to business rates reforms
The changes will also hand an advantage to the discounters thanks to their smaller stores
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News
Pasta Evangelists to open 100 UK restaurants in five years
Pasta Evangelists will be investing over £30m in the new restaurants
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News
Iceland Foods hails ‘market leading’ performance despite reports profits have thawed
Iceland reported ‘sales growth ahead of the market’ and ‘market-leading’ volume growth, executive chairman Richard Walker claimed, despite reports of a slump in profit growth
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News
Retail leaders in fear of tax rises as 42% say they have frozen recruitment
A BRC survey of chief financial officers and finance directors at retailers representing more than 9,000 stores found 85% had raised prices following tax increases in last year’s budget, and 65% expected to
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News
Sainsbury’s to convert another Homebase site as store expansion continues
Sainsbury’s had more prime locations open new stores in the future, said chief property and procurement director Patrick Dunne
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News
Heron Foods sheds 250 shopworkers and warehouse staff while opening new stores
The average monthly number of sales and distribution employees at the frozen food chain fell by 256 to 5,391 in the 52 weeks to 29 March 2025, according to accounts at Companies House
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News
One Beyond chairman blames budget for halting chain’s expansion
One Beyond had been aiming to have 150 stores by November last year but now has 118, only three more than at the start of 2024
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News
Food inflation hits 4% as budget cost pressures meet tightening global supplies
Food inflation has climbed from 3.7% year on year in June, with staples such as meat and tea among hardest-hit categories amid tighter global supplies, according to the latest BRC-NIQ Shop Price Monitor