Josie Clarke
UK
May heatwave boosts spending on barbecue food, sandals and sunglasses
Total UK retail sales increased by 3.7% year on year in May, well above the 12-month average of 2%, according to the BRC and KPMG.
By Josie Clarke
9 Jun 2026
Business News
Fan spending on Harry Styles Wembley gigs set to top £1bn
Barclays said the event was set to be a ‘major cultural moment’ as a million ticket-holders travel to London for the 12 dates beginning on June 12.
By Josie Clarke
19 May 2026
Business News
Cheapest supermarket for branded items revealed
Which? looked at 240 branded items.
By Josie Clarke
15 May 2026
Business News
Trust in water companies plunges to new low amid soaring household bills
Some 13 water companies saw their customer trust ratings fall during the year.
By Josie Clarke
14 May 2026
Celebrity News
Ads for British beef and milk banned following Chris Packham complaint
Packham complained that the ads were misleading as they did not reflect the full environmental impact of British meat and dairy.
By Josie Clarke
14 May 2026
Business News
Greggs to open international shop at Tenerife South airport
Greggs last operated shops abroad in Belgium in 2008, but said Tenerife was “the ideal location to test spreading our wings in an overseas setting”.
By Josie Clarke
12 May 2026
Business News
Early Easter adds to woe of retailers suffering from low consumer confidence
Total UK retail sales were down 3% year on year, well below the 12-month average growth of 1.8%, according to the BRC and KPMG.
By Josie Clarke
12 May 2026
Business News
Shopping visits fall as Middle East conflict takes toll on consumer confidence
UK footfall fell 3.9% year-on-year over March and April, according to latest figures.
By Josie Clarke
8 May 2026
Business News
Government needs to act on Middle East impact on retail, industry warns
The BRC warned that higher costs from the Middle East conflict would inevitably filter through to the till over the coming months.
By Josie Clarke
6 May 2026
Business News
Campaigners call for ban on use of herbicide glyphosate at harvest
Use of glyphosate as a pre-harvest drying agent was banned in the EU in 2023, and campaigners are calling on the UK Government to do the same.
By Josie Clarke
6 May 2026
Business News
Pret A Manger opens first drive-thru restaurant
The new shop is located at BP Oakwood Gate Service station in Birchwood, just off the M6 at Junction 21.
By Josie Clarke
5 May 2026
UK
Food prices set to rise by 50% on start of cost-of-living crisis by November
The ‘grim milestone’ would mean that the price growth seen in the nearly 20 years prior to the crisis would be achieved in just over five years.
By Josie Clarke
4 May 2026
UK
Three million households skipping meals as cost of living hits – Which?
The organisation’s latest Consumer Insight Tracker found consumer confidence fell to minus 62 this month – its lowest level since 2022.
By Josie Clarke
30 Apr 2026
UK
Half of convenience and vape stores in some areas linked to organised crime
Trading Standards found that 97% of its officers are aware of suspected organised crime groups operating on their local high streets.
By Josie Clarke
30 Apr 2026
Business News
Grocery price inflation falls to lowest level in a year
Grocery prices are still 3.8% higher than last April, but this is down from last month’s 4.3%, Worldpanel by Numerator said.
By Josie Clarke
28 Apr 2026
UK
Shop price inflation falls on back of heavy discounting by retailers
Consumers have been warned they are yet to see the full force of the Middle East conflict feeding into prices.
By Josie Clarke
28 Apr 2026
Business News
More than 30 toys recalled for asbestos since start of year
It is thought that the affected toys all contain sand from mines in China where asbestos fibres can occur naturally.
By Josie Clarke
27 Apr 2026
UK
British reluctance to talk about death costing bereaved £157m a year – survey
Some 59% of people who have arranged a funeral spent beyond their means, with an average overspend of £513, a poll for the charity Sue Ryder found.
By Josie Clarke
27 Apr 2026
Business News
Glorious weather sees UK-grown strawberries arrive in supermarkets
Punnets will begin to arrive on Tesco shelves in Surrey, Kent, Herefordshire and some London stores from Friday.
By Josie Clarke
24 Apr 2026
Business News
Consumer confidence falls as rapid price rises give households the ‘jitters’
GfK’s long-running consumer confidence index fell four points to minus 25 in April.
By Josie Clarke
24 Apr 2026
UK
Ministers urged to stick to ticket tout ban amid fears of delay
In November, the Government announced new rules making it illegal to resell tickets for live events for profit.
By Josie Clarke
23 Apr 2026