The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas rose 0.9% in July compared with June when values rose 1.2%. July represented the fourth consecutive monthly rise. On an annual basis, however, prices are 4.1% lower. The US housing market has remained in the doldrums for some time now and many have suggested it [...]
Figures today show consumers continue to cutback in the face of higher inflation and rising unemployment after Kesa, the parent company of electrical retailer Comet, revealed a sharp fall in sales. Total revenue in the previous three months fell by 9.8% on a like-for-like basis while sales slumped almost 22% after the company blamed weak [...]
The John Lewis Partnership, which is regarded as a barometer of British retailing, has reported a marginal increase in sales and said trading conditions are “extremely challenging”. The renowned employee-owned chain, which owns the Waitrose supermarket chain, said sales rose 1% on a like-for-like basis in the six month period to 30 July. However, across [...]
There is a mixed bag of retail sales figures today after Home Retail Group announced a drop in sales at both its Argos and Homebase chains. The figures are further evidence of a cutback in consumer spending after electrical goods group, Dixons Retail, yesterday posted a fall in sales. At Argos, like-for-like sales in the [...]
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 [...]
Accountancy firm BDO has warned Britain’s retailers should prepare themselves for some tough times as pressure builds on consumers in the run-up to Christmas. According to the firm’s High Street Sales Tracker, sales figures for August fell 2.2% among mid-market retailers, attributed to the riots and cooler weather during the month. The riots, in particular, [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK retail sales grew by just 0.2% last month – slightly less than the 0.3% expected by analysts. The slight gain was much slower than the 0.8% increase the previous month as households continue to be squeezed by higher inflation, rising unemployment and sluggish wage growth. [...]
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has today revealed a marginal rise in the number of homes sold in June in the UK. According to HMRC, 73,000 homes worth at least £40,000 or more were sold in the month – 5,000 higher than May’s level of 68,000. However, it is 12,000 lower than June 2010’s figure. [...]
The US housing market remains depressed after figures have revealed sales of previously owned homes fell 0.8% on a monthly basis to a 7-month low, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The industry body said the fall in sales was attributed to contract cancellations with sales running at an annual rate of 4.77 [...]
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has today reported that the UK housing market remained weak in June with house prices falling more than expected. According to the Institution, homeowners remain reluctant to put their properties up for sale, while buyers remain uncertain about the economic climate. These factors, together with the ongoing mortgage [...]
WH Smith, which sells newspapers, books, stationery and confectionery, today announced like-for-like sales fell 4% in the 18 weeks to 2 July compared with the same period a year ago. However, the company, which operates on the High Street and at travel-based outlets such as airports, train stations and motorway service stations, said it “remained [...]
Persimmon, which is the UK’s largest housebuilder by market value, has today said it is encouraged by improved sales and a “modest improvement” in lending. It said it expects to market to pick up over the latter half of 2011 and expects prices to rise over the year. The company said it completed 4,439 homes [...]
Music, books and games retailer HMV has today reported a pre-tax profit of £28.9 million in the 12 months to the end of April – a fall of 61% compared with the £74.2 million in the same period a year earlier. Furthermore, like-for-like sales have dived 11% over the past year as it struggles with [...]
Debenhams, which is Britain’s second largest department store after John Lewis, today brought some much-needed good news to the retail sector after reporting an increase in second half-sales. The retailing giant said sales at stores open more than a year, excluding VAT sales tax, were 1.5% higher in the 17 weeks to June 25. It [...]
Electrical goods retailer Dixons has today reported like-for-like sales fell 2% in the year to April. The results come just a day after fellow electrical goods chain Comet said sales fell 6.8% for the 12 month period. The figures are evidence of consumers reining in their spending and opting not to purchase big-ticket items at [...]
Electrical goods retailer Comet has today posted a 6.8% fall in sales for the year to 30 April, slumping to a loss of €10 million (£9 million). The chain said trade had deteriorated in the new financial year and chairman David Newlands described the results as “unsatisfactory and unacceptable”. Comet’s parent company, Kesa, however posted [...]
The US housing market remains depressed after figures today revealed sales of previously owned homes plunged 15% on an annual basis last month, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The industry body also said sales were down 3.8% on the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.81 million units – [...]
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has today reported that the traditional spring selling season has been hit by a lack of mortgage finance and economic uncertainty. This time of year is traditionally busy for the housing market but securing a mortgage remains difficult for many potential buyers – particularly first-time buyers. Furthermore, the [...]
Newcastle-based housebuilder Bellway has today said an uplift in consumer confidence has led to a rise in sales. The housebuilder, which is the fifth largest by market value, said it had experienced a sales rate of 111 units per week in the four months to the end of May – 9% higher than the same [...]
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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