A survey of 2,000 individuals, conducted between July 1 and 10, has revealed a fall in consumer confidence. According to the survey of consumer attitudes, carried out by GfK NOP Social Research, confidence dived by 5 points to -30 in July – edging closer to the -31 seen in April. The index was also worse [...]
Department store chain TJ Hughes has today revealed it is set to enter administration. The Liverpool-based store has more than 50 outlets across the UK and has a headcount of 4,000 – which are all at risk. The company said it will be appointing an administrator over the next week or so, unless a buyer [...]
A survey by the CBI has revealed consumer service firms have been hit by a cut back on spending. According to the CBI, firms such as hotels, bars and restaurants, saw evidence of weak demand but are optimistic about future prospects as conditions are not expected to be as challenging in the coming quarter. Meanwhile, [...]
Discount clothing retailer, Primark, has today warned of a slowdown in consumer spending, as Britons prepare to cut back amid rising unemployment and higher inflation. According to Primark’s parent group, Associated British Foods (ABF), “a noticeable slowing down of UK consumer demand” is evident despite strong trading in the first three months of the financial [...]
The rate of VAT will today rise from 17.5% to 20% as the Government looks to raise billions of pounds in order to trim the UK’s budget deficit. While many are prepared for the increase, retail sales are expected to be hit as consumers are expected to cut back on their spending over the coming [...]
Budget airline easyJet is to close its base at East Midlands airport and cut services at Luton Airport by a fifth with a view to transferring them to profitable bases in continental Europe. Luton is one of easyJet’s biggest bases and operates 16 aircraft and carries almost 5 million passengers each year. Meanwhile, the low-cost [...]
The International Air Transport Association (Iata) said major airlines continue to suffer amid higher fuel prices. According to the industry group, in the first six months of the year, airlines are likely to have lost £3.7 billion. Furthermore, the body said airlines made losses between April and June – the spring season when they would [...]
American Express, the credit card giant, has announced that with effect from 1 July, it has suspended pension contributions for its UK employees. The move, which affects 6,000 members, will see payments stopped for a maximum of 18 months. Many firms have adopted similar measures as the global recession has forced companies to slash costs. [...]
Virgin Atlantic is set to reduce its number of flights this winter which will put 600 jobs at risk. The airline, founded by Sir Richard Branson, announced that it was not operating its Heathrow-Chicago daily service for the winter 2009/10 season and is suspending one of its two daily services between Heathrow and Hong Kong. [...]
Kesa Electricals, the company that owns Comet, is predicting a challenging year ahead after the group reported a pre-tax loss of £81.8 million in the year to April, compared with a pre-tax profit of £128.8 million the previous year. The company, which also owns the Darty business in France, has been hit by the recession [...]
A survey conducted by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has revealed that banks and other financial institutions are expected to cut a further 15,000 jobs in the next three months. According to the organisation, approximately 15,000 jobs have already been axed in the industry in the first quarter of this year, which will take [...]
Five million Brits plan to reduce outgoings by cutting back on insurance cover, LV= found in a recent survey. Most popular for cutbacks was home insurance. LV= discovered that 2.2 million households plan to reduce or cancel their home insurance policies to reduce spending. Flood risk insurance is the most likely to be cut, with [...]
Figures from the CBI have revealed that retail sales volumes have fallen for the tenth consecutive month with durable household goods (such as electrical equipment) and clothing retailers reporting the heaviest falls. The organisation said that volumes will continue to fall as consumers tighten their purse strings as recession bites and unemployment rises. According to [...]
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that the economic downturn continues to have a major impact on new car sales. According to the SMMT, new car registrations suffered their steepest monthly fall for 28 years, with expensive sports cars hit particularly badly. Just over 100,000 new cars were registered in [...]
According to figures from the US Commerce Department, retail sales in the US fell 2.8% in October, the biggest monthly decline for 16 years. The October fall follows a 1.3% decline in September and is further proof that shoppers continue to tighten their purse strings amid the economic downturn and falling house prices. During the [...]
US shoppers tightened their belts even further in September after retail sales for the month were down. Even discount stores including Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, and wholesale club operator Costco, both reported strong sales, but failed to meet Wall Street estimates. Wal-Mart reported a 2.4% gain in like-for-like sales, which was slightly under analysts [...]
Consumers in the UK continue to cut back as day-to-day living costs continue to rise and as a result, discount supermarkets are benefiting. Figures from TNS Worldpanel show that bargain hunters have helped sales at Aldi, Lidl and Iceland soar. In the 12 weeks to August 10, sales at Aldi rose 19.8% compared to last [...]
M&S Money launches 3% cash ISA
M&S Money has launched an Advantage Cash ISA paying 3 per cent, and which allows transfers in from other ISAs. It can be opened with a minimum deposit of £100 lump sum followed by minimum monthly deposits of £25. The 3% rate is variable, but there is no short-term bonus so the return won’t plummet [...]
Google suspends UK Compare Mortgages site
Google has closed its UK mortgage comparison site which it launched in July last year, after it proved to be less popular than expected. Mortgage comparison sites are designed to allow visitors to compare mortgages quickly and easily without having to visit each lender’s individual site. Google was competing with several well-established comparison sites, including [...]
AA launches ‘black-box’ policy for young drivers
The AA is launching an innovative car insurance policy called Drivesafe which could help younger drivers save up to £850 a year. Younger drivers already pay substantially higher premiums than other motorists and these costs are increasing. A new study by Confused.com suggests insurance costs for younger driver have gone up by 5.7 per cent [...]
ATOL scheme updated to protect online bookers
ATOL, a financial protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, is being extended to protect up to six million more holidays a year. The scheme ensures that holiday makers do not lose out financially if a travel company collapses, and that they are not stranded abroad. An increase in the number of holidays booked [...]
Home repossessions lowest for four years
The number of UK homes repossessed fell to 36,200 in 2011, significantly below the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ forecast of 40,000, and lower than 2010 when 37,100 homes were repossessed. With interest rates remaining low and lenders adopting a sympathetic attitude to customers in financial difficulty, repossessions fell to their lowest level since 2007. However, [...]
Monthly pay lasting just 17 days
Workers are running out of money just 17 days after receiving their monthly pay, according to new research by the Halifax bank. This means that the average UK worker spends half the month worrying about money. The study, based on the responses of more than 2,000 adults, found that 10 per cent of workers start [...]
Women disadvantaged by auto-enrolment changes
Government proposals to increase the auto-enrolment threshold to £10,000 could put 1.8 million women at risk of missing out on a pension, the TUC has warned. Under the auto-enrolment scheme, which will be phased in from October, private sector employers will automatically enrol workers between the age of 22 years and the state pension age, [...]
Emergency household repairs company Homeserve is taking longer than expected to get back on track after its operations were suspended last October. The company expected customer numbers to fall by 5% this year but it has increased this estimate to 8% and announced the loss of 200 jobs. It estimates that renewal revenue in 2013 [...]
Sale rumoured for Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks
There is growing speculation that National Australia Bank (NAB) may sell Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank after the Australian parent company announced a strategic review of the two banks’ operations. The Australian economy is performing well and NAB reported strong profits for the final quarter of 2011 but with the UK economy at a virtual [...]
More women experiencing debt difficulties
Women in Debt, which offers female-focused debt advice, has warned that the number of UK women facing serious debt has grown significantly over recent years. The organisation believes that more women will need advice on solving debt problems in the future because they are building up an unsustainable level of indebtedness. Women in Debt’s director, [...]
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