The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has today reported weak retail sales for August. According to the BRC, like-for-like sales (which exclude the impact of sales at new stores) fell 0.6% last month on an annual basis. Overall sales rose 1.5%, however, this was much lower than the 2.8% rise noted in August 2010. Commenting, Stephen [...]
The Commerce Department has revealed a rise in US retail sales for the month of July. Sales grew 0.5% last month – the best reading since March and follows June’s upwardly revised figure of a 0.3% rise. The rise, which was better than forecasts of a 0.2% gain, was partly attributed to strong demand for [...]
Retail sales rose in July but conditions remain challenging as households continue to be squeezed by higher inflation and rising unemployment. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)/KPMG retail sales monitor, like-for-like sales rose 0.6% last month on an annual basis. On a total basis, meanwhile, sales were 2.5% higher, against a 2.6% increase in [...]
Early summer sales on the High Street have led to a modest rise in retail sales, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said today. According to the ONS, like-for-like sales excluding petrol rose 0.8% in May, while they were 0.2% higher on an annual basis due to heavy discounting. The figures were broadly in line [...]
Retail sales fell in June as households continue to be squeezed by higher inflation and rising unemployment. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)/KPMG retail sales monitor, sales fell by 0.6% on an underlying basis last month, while total sales (including VAT) rose 1.5%. Food sales growth eased a little last month but a strong [...]
Retail sales in the 17-member euro zone fell in May as consumers cut back on spending in the face of higher inflation and rising unemployment. According to the European Union’s statistics, Eurostat, sales in the euro zone fell 1.1% in May on a monthly basis – the biggest fall since April 2010 – with the [...]
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has today elected to keep interest rates on hold at 4.75% – for the seventh time since November. The move, which was widely expected, comes as the economy slows and pressures mount over inflation. Australia was the first economy to raise rates from a 50-year low as the economic [...]
Australia’s Bureau of Statistics today revealed retail sales showed a surprise fall in May sending the dollar and shares down after the announcement. Sales suffered the largest fall in seven months, declining by 0.6% on a monthly basis, confounding analysts’ expectations of a 0.3% rise. According to analysts, today’s figures will lead the Reserve Bank [...]
Higher prices at the petrol pumps and economic uncertainty has led to a fall in UK retail sales for the month of May, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today. The ONS said retail sales dived 1.4% last month, reversing the strong rise seen in April due to the late bank holidays, good [...]
The Commerce Department has today revealed US retail sales fell in May for the first time in 11 months, hit by weak car sales. According to official figures, sales fell 0.2% to $387.1 billion on a monthly basis as consumers opted out of buying big-ticket items such as cars. Car sales were almost 3% lower, [...]
Higher inflation has led to a fall in retail sales for the month of May, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) today. The fall was also attributed to consumers overspending in April due to the long bank holiday weekends and hot weather. The BRC said annual like-for-like retail sales fell by 2.1% in May [...]
Australia’s Bureau of Statistics today revealed retail sales recovered in April, hitting a 17-month high. Sales grew 1.1% in April on a monthly basis – the biggest rise since November 2009 and nearly three times more than expected. The figures come just a day after the Bureau revealed the economy contracted in the first quarter [...]
According to the latest Confederation of British Industry (CBI) distributive trades survey, retailers continue to be cautious about the economic outlook despite a rise in retail sales in May. The CBI’s survey established that the sales balance fell to +18 this month from +21 in April – easily beating analysts’ expectation of a reading of [...]
The long bank holiday weekends and sunny weather has led to a rise in retail sales for the month of April, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today. The ONS said retail sales grew 1.12% last month due to the late Easter holidays, hot weather and Royal Wedding, with clothing, footwear and food [...]
The long bank holiday weekends and sunny weather has led to a surge in retail sales for the month of April, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) today. The BRC said retail sales grew 5.2% last month due to the late Easter holidays, hot weather and Royal Wedding, with clothing, barbecue food, champagne and [...]
Retail sales fell sharply last month – providing further evidence of a fragile economic recovery. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)/KPMG retail sales monitor, total sales fell by 1.9% on an annual basis - the worst fall since the series started in 1995. The trade body attributed the fall to the ongoing squeeze on [...]
Retail sales fell last month - by a bigger than expected 0.8% on a monthly basis, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has reported today. The fall followed a downwardly revised gain of 1.5% in January. Sales growth for January was attributed to heavy discounts and a rush to beat the VAT hike, which came [...]
The Commerce Department revealed US retail sales grew strongly in February - representing the eighth consecutive monthly rise. According to the Commerce Department, sales grew 1% in February - higher than January’s revised 0.7%. However, economists had expected sales to moderate as consumers are hit by soaring petrol prices. The turmoil in the Middle East [...]
European markets were higher Wednesday after the German Federal Constitutional Court dismissed three challenges to German participating in a loans package to Greece and another fund aimed at keeping Europe’s debt crisis contained. The FTSE 100 was up 3.14 percent to 5,318.59 in London, while the FTSE 250 added 2.48 percent to 10,321.3. The energy [...]
Australia’s economy recovers in quarter two
Chancellor Osborne admits economy is weak
At a speech at the insurers Lloyd’s of London, Chancellor George Osborne has admitted that recent weak economic data had led to a downgrade in growth. Speaking at the dinner in London, the Chancellor said: “We warned repeatedly that the recovery would be choppy.” However, despite the sluggish economic recovery, the Government is sticking with [...]
Weak UK factory output suggests poor start to Q3
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK factory output shrank by 0.2% in July after a flat reading the previous month. The reading was worse than economists had expected and confirm weak prospects for the economy after the figures suggest a poor start to the third quarter. The fall was attributed to [...]
Dixons Retail sees sharp drop in sales
There is further evidence of a cutback in consumer spending today after electrical goods group Dixons Retail posted a drop in sales. The group, which is Europe’s no.2 electricals retailer, said like-for-like sales were 7% lower in the three months to 23 July compared with a year ago, which included a 10% fall in the [...]
Leading economists urge Coalition to drop 50p tax rate
A group of twenty leading economists have called on the Coalition Government to scrap the top 50p tax rate as it is damaging the UK economy. The request comes at a time when many experts believe the economy could be heading towards a double-dip recession and the rate should be dropped in order to boost [...]
NS&I forced to withdraw index-linked bond
Savers have once again been hit after Government-backed National Savings & Investments (NS&I) has announced its index-linked bond has been withdrawn from the market. NS&I, which runs Premium Bonds and a variety of savings products, said its index-linked bond (which gives savers protection against inflation) has been pulled. NS&I’s website and call centres ceased accepting [...]
Halifax reports 1.2% fall in August house prices
The Halifax has today revealed UK house prices fell by 1.2% in August on a monthly basis – reversing the gains noted in the previous three months. The latest fall takes the average cost of a UK home to £161,743, the Halifax said. However, on an annual basis, prices are 2.6% lower, said the lender, [...]
Whitbread adds 7.28 percent on growth
Most equities markets in Europe were lower Tuesday as investors continued to worry about the debt crisis in the region. In London, the FTSE 100 managed to gain 1.06 percent to 5,156.84 after the Institute for Supply Management said its US services index was at 53.3 in August, up from 52.7 in July, but the [...]
Union leaders criticise fat cats over pay
Unions have vented their anger at directors today after a report found that the average annual bonus for a director in a FTSE 100 company has soared by 187% in the last decade. The findings were in a report by the High Pay Commission and discovered that top executives received a bonus worth 90% last [...]
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