Covering the five weeks 30 May – 03 July 2021 2020 was a turbulent year in which much of retail bounced between being open and closed, impacting footfall significantly. To make meaningful comparisons to changes in footfall, all 2021 figures are compared with 2019 (pre-pandemic). This means our 2021 figures are now year-on-two-years (Yo2Y), rather […]
The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) Consumer Trends report reveals household spending tumbled 11% in the first quarter (Q1) of 2021, compared to the same period last year. The report shows that hotels and restaurants were hardest hit: spending on meals and accommodation collapsed by 63% this January-March, compared to Q1 last year. The […]
Period Covered: 01 – 07 June 2021 Shop price deflation accelerated to 0.7% year-on-year in June compared to May’s decrease of 0.6%. This is a slower rate of decline than the 12- and 6-month average price decreases of 1.6% and 1.6%, respectively. Non-food deflation accelerated to 1.0% in June, compared to a fall of […]
Small business sales suggest a gradual return to pre-Covid sales rates, the Small Business Index from Xero, reveals. The Index was unchanged at 86 points in May, reflecting that overall conditions in small businesses were steady despite the winding back of some business trading restrictions. The sub-metrics of the Index showed that while sales have […]
Gen Z shoppers leave £6.5bn of items in online shopping baskets each year; £3bn more than the over-65s, new figures reveal. Research from Barclaycard Payments, which processes nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, shows that 69% of 18-24 year-old consumers ‘shop and drop’ when online, compared to 42% of over 65s. […]
Cashflows, the platform that makes it easy for merchants to accept payments, today publishes new research revealing the impact of the pandemic on UK consumer shopping habits. The research shows a marked increase in those who say they feel motivated to buy based on ethics, however cost, quality and convenience remain the primary concerns. More […]
According to the latest report by Savills, commissioned by the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA), online retailers have increased their warehouse footprint in the UK from 8 million to 60 million sq ft (743,224 sq m to 5.57 million sq m) in the past six years, a jump of 614%. This can largely be attributed to […]
Dr Gordon Fletcher, retail expert at the University of Salford Business School, comments on the failed takeover of Morrisons and what it means for the supermarket wars. He said: “Morrisons rejection of a £5.5bn bid from the US private equity group Clayton, Dubilier & Rice is the first salvo in a post-pandemic grocery shakeup. While […]
Retail’s return has hit a rocky patch, says the home delivery expert ParcelHero. The latest retail figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal sales values in May were up 27% year-on-year, but unexpectedly fell -0.8% between April and May (and -1.4% in volume). A -5.7% drop in food store sales offset the gains […]
Responding to the latest ONS jobs figures, which show 3.042m jobs in retail, up 1,000 year-on-year, Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “UK retail gained 1,000 jobs as compared with Q1 2020, though this includes over half a million workers on furlough at the time. The year-on-year rise also reflects the […]
