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☆ Brexit border checks: Britain braces for less choice and higher prices on food imports
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Hanna Ziady | Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The new regime for food imports is perhaps the starkest example of the painful border bureaucracy that UK and EU businesses must contend with in the wake of Brexit. An additional cost of that scale will “significantly increase food prices and reduce choice,” the federation’s CEO Phil Pluck wrote in a letter to environment and food minister Steve Barclay earlier this month. But here too Brexit hasn’t helped, ending as it did the free movement of EU workers on whom British farmers had relied for decades. In addition to Brexit-related challenges, UK farmers have been squeezed by soaring input costs, including those of fertilizer, energy and labor. “I’m not hugely in favor of subsidies, I’m in favor of fair food prices,” Maddocks said.

Persons: Eddie Price, ”, Phil, Steve Barclay, Andrew Aitchison, Andrew Opie, “, Jack Bobo, “ It’s, Price, hasn’t, ” Tom Bradshaw, “ You’re, Chris Ratcliffe, Brexit, ” Philip Maddocks, I’m, ” Maddocks Organizations: London CNN, European Union, EU, Britain, Birmingham Wholesale, CNN, Chain Federation, British Retail Consortium, University of York, Food Systems, University of Nottingham, Birmingham Wholesale Market, Bank, National Farmers ’ Union, Bloomberg, Getty, PDM Locations: United Kingdom, Britain, France, Spain, artichokes, Italy, Birmingham, Dover, Port, Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, North Africa, England, Sandwich, Australia, New Zealand, English, Shropshire

☆ British retail rebound provides some hope for recession-hit economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

(Photo by Alberto Pezzali/NurPhoto via Getty Images)LONDON — Stronger-than-expected January retail sales provided a glimmer of light for the struggling British economy on Friday — and suggest that the country's recession will be short-lived, according to some economists. Sales rebounded by 3.4% from December, according to the Office for National Statistics, the strongest monthly gain since April 2021. The latest figures follow the news of Thursday that the British economy entered a technical recession in the final quarter of 2023. British retail sales meanwhile remain 1.3% below their pre-pandemic level from February 2020, according to the ONS. Kris Hamer, director of insight at the British Retail Consortium, said two months of higher sales volumes over the last three months were "promising" after 19 months of decline.

Persons: Alberto Pezzali, Joe Maher, Maher, —, Kris Hamer, Hamer, Kallum Pickering, Pickering Organizations: Charing Cross, Getty, Office, National Statistics, Reuters, Gross, Capital Economics, British Retail Consortium Locations: Charing, London, England, –

☆ Grim retail sales suggest possible recession for Britain
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shoppers walk past shops on Regent Street on the final weekday before Christmas in London on December 22, 2023. Britain's economy unexpectedly shrank in the third quarter and flatlined in the previous three months, official data showed Friday, raising fears of a recession before an election due next year. The Office for National Statistics said sales volumes fell by 3.2% during the key trading month, after a 1.4% rise in November. Volumes were 0.9% lower in the three months to December 2023, compared with the previous quarter. Trade body British Retail Consortium said that the figures "capped a difficult year for retailers" and showed that Black Friday sales ate into Christmas spending.

Persons: HENRY NICHOLLS, Alex Kerr, Kerr Organizations: Getty Images, National Statistics, Reuters, ONS, Capital Economics, Trade, British Retail Consortium Locations: London, AFP

☆ M&S echoes UK peers on early Christmas demand, Ahold looks to loyalty
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A logo of food and clothes' retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) is seen at a branch in London, Britain March 10, 2022. "We are definitely seeing good sales performance in our Christmas ranges," CEO Stuart Machin told reporters after M&S reported much better-than-expected first half results. BIGGER FAMILY CHRISTMASM&S's Machin said research showed about 20% of its customers wanted to stock up on Christmas food products "slightly earlier" this year, with most of those customers planning for a bigger family Christmas. Still, the retail bosses are hopeful of strong demand for food, drinks and presents from now until the end of December. Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Sarah Young, Kate Holton and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marks, Spencer, Toby Melville, Ahold, Stuart Machin, S's Machin, I'm, Machin, James Davey, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Major, British Retail Consortium, Marks, Tesco, Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Europe, United States

Customers with shopping bags after visiting a Primark clothing store on Oxford Street in London, UK, on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023. U.K. retail sales rose by 2.5% in October, higher than the 1.6% growth of a year ago but below the three-month and twelve-month averages of 3.1% and 4.2%, respectively. The British Retail Consortium, which published the figures, said sales likely declined by volume because of the impact of inflation. Paul Martin, U.K. head of retail at KPMG, said sales "remained weak." As a result, the strong demand that has kept some retailers afloat over the last 18 months is now falling away."

Persons: Paul Martin, Martin, — Jenni Reid Organizations: Oxford, British Retail Consortium, Shoppers, KPMG Locations: London

U.K. retail sales increased by 2.7% in September, up from 2.2% growth the previous year but below the 12-month average growth of 4.2%, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium. Food sales were up 7.4% as non-food sales fell 1.2%. "Sales growth in September slowed as the high cost of living continues to bear down on households," said Helen Dickinson, chief executive officer of the BRC. Dickinson said growth had been artificially boosted by high inflation over the last two years as sales revenues increased even as sales volumes decreased. — Jenni Reid

Persons: Helen Dickinson, Dickinson, Paul Martin, — Jenni Reid Organizations: British Retail Consortium, KPMG

☆ UK consumers hunker down as fuel prices climb
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A person puts fuel in their car at a filling station, at an ASDA supermarket in Birkenhead, Britain, July 3, 2023. Britain's high inflation rate has slowed but at 6.7% in August it remains more than three times the Bank of England's 2% target. The BRC's like-for-like sales measure - which adjusts for changes in store space - slowed to show growth of 2.8% from 4.3% in August. Seventy percent of consumers surveyed by Barclays said they were finding ways to reduce costs, up slightly from August. Jack Meaning, chief UK economist at Barclays, said the warning signs of wariness among consumers was filtering through into their spending decisions.

Persons: Phil Noble, Helen Dickinson, electricals, Dickinson, BoE, Jack, William Schomberg, James Davey Organizations: REUTERS, Consumers, British Retail Consortium, Bank of England's, Barclays, Rugby, Thomson Locations: Birkenhead, Britain, August's

☆ Grocer profit will be sacrificed on UK food altar
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - British shoppers enjoyed a novel experience last month: lower food prices. Admittedly, the fall in the average food basket between August and September was just 0.1%, according to the British Retail Consortium. But it was the first monthly fall in food prices since July 2021 and brought down overall retail inflation to 6.2%, the lowest in a year. That’s good for consumers, especially those who like dairy products, margarine, fish and vegetables – the items that caused the overall fall. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Helen Dickinson, Francesco Guerrera, Aimee Donnellan, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, British Retail Consortium, Bank of, Grocers, X, Temasek, Thomson Locations: Bank of England

☆ UK shop price inflation at lowest in a year - BRC
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The British Retail Consortium said annual shop price inflation cooled to 6.2% last month from 6.9% in August, its lowest since September 2022. Food price inflation fell for the fifth month in a row to 9.9% from 11.5% and was down for the first time in more than two years in month-on-month terms. "We expect shop price inflation to continue to fall over the rest of the year," BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson said. "However there are still many risks to this trend – high interest rates, climbing oil prices, global shortages of sugar, as well as the supply chain disruption from the war in Ukraine." The BRC's shop price inflation measure is seen as an early signal for the broader official consumer price index which has fallen from a peak of over 11% last October to 6.7% in August.

Persons: Helen Dickinson, William Schomberg, Grant McCool Organizations: British Retail Consortium, The Bank of England, Thomson Locations: Ukraine

☆ UK retailers demand government action on rising crime
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Some 88 UK retail leaders, including the bosses of Tesco (TSCO.L), Sainsbury's (SBRY.L) and Marks & Spencer (MKS.L), have signed a letter to interior minister Suella Braverman, demanding action over rising rates of retail crime. Rising crime is increasingly becoming a political issue in Britain ahead of an expected national election in 2024. It also put the scale of retail theft at 953 million pounds ($1.2 billion), despite over 700 million pounds in crime prevention spending by retailers. This would require police forces to record all incidents of retail crime. The industry also wants greater prioritisation of retail crime by police forces across the UK.

Persons: Peter Nicholls, Spencer, Suella Braverman, “, Helen Dickinson, John Lewis, James Davey, Alison Williams Organizations: REUTERS, Tesco, Industry, British Retail Consortium, Conservative, John, John Lewis Partnership, Waitrose, Aldi, Thomson Locations: Weybridge, Britain, Manchester

☆ The UK's biggest grocery chain is offering body cameras to staff as it seeks to fight the 'scourge on society' of retail crime and abuse to staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tesco is giving all its frontline staff the chance to wear body cameras, The Mail on Sunday reported. Retail crime, including both theft and abuse of workers, is soaring in both the UK and US. "Crime is a scourge on society, and an insult to shoppers and retail workers," Tesco CEO Ken Murphy wrote in an opinion piece for The Mail on Sunday. He also demanded changes in the law, such as making abuse and violence towards retail workers a specific offence in itself. Other British grocery chains, including Sainsbury's, the Co-op, and Waitrose, have also offered body cameras to staff.

Persons: Ken Murphy, Murphy, John Lewis Organizations: Tesco, Service, Waitrose, Ireland, British Retail Consortium, Walgreens Locations: Wall, Silicon, The

☆ Take Five: A September to remember?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., August 29, 2023. 1/ SCARY SEPTEMBERNow the Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole confab is over, investors are strapping in for a potentially volatile month. Reuters Graphics2/ THE SICK MAN OF EUROPEGermany looks likely to be the only major economy to contract this year. No wonder the region's economic powerhouse is once again being called the sick man of Europe. But economists are sceptical, noting that at just 0.2% of GDP, the package is no game-changer and that the sick man will need more medicine.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Ira Iosebashvili, Kevin Buckland, Dhara Ranasinghe, Libby George, Naomi Rovnick, Jackson, Jerome Powell, Olaf Scholz, Xi Jinping, Philip Lowe, Michele Bullock, BoE, Amanda Cooper, John Stonestreet Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Federal, Reuters, ECB, Germany's, Reserve Bank of Australia, Traders, Bank of, British Retail Consortium, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Ira, New York, Tokyo, London, Germany, Europe, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Zambia, Delhi, China, Bullock, Bank of England, Halifax

☆ Brexit: The UK economy still can't cope with the consequences of leaving the EU
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Tuesday’s announcement also highlights long-running concerns that border checks on food imports from the EU — which supplies 28% of the food consumed in Britain — could choke off supplies. Physical inspections have been pushed back to the end of April, with the final controls on EU imports — safety and security declarations — postponed to October 2024. Some UK industry groups welcomed the latest delays to border checks, which, they said, will add costs and friction to supply chains. The UK inflation rate is the highest in the G7, with consumer prices rising 6.8% in July compared with a year ago. Beyond inflation, food supply disruptions remain a lingering concern in the UK, which imports just under half of all the food it consumes.

Persons: Brexit, ”, Shane Brennan, ” Brennan, Andrew Opie, Rishi Sunak, Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: London CNN, European Union, London School of Economics, EU, Chain Federation, British Retail Consortium, Britain, and Drink Federation Locations: Britain, United Kingdom, EU

☆ A grocery chain is offering free coffee to cops in an attempt to deter shoplifters
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

British grocery chain Waitrose is offering free coffees to cops under a plan to deter shoplifters. Assaults on staff at Waitrose stores have roughly doubled since 2020, The Times of London reported. Waitrose, an upmarket grocer with more than 300 stores, has begun offering uniformed officers free hot drinks from its coffee machines and will ask them to bring a reusable cup. Parent company John Lewis Partnership said in a press release shared with Insider that the initiative was "part of efforts to strengthen relationships and tackle retail crime." It's trialing increasing the number of security, warning customers that CCTV is in use and that shoplifters face jail time.

Persons: John Lewis, Nicki Juniper, John Lewis Partnership's, It's, Juniper, BRC Organizations: Waitrose, shoplifters, Service, John Lewis Partnership, Partners, The Times, British Retail Consortium, BBC News Locations: London, Wall, Silicon, England, Wales, Northern Ireland

☆ Bank of England's next move divides economists as data paints a mixed picture
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England, attends the Bank of England Monetary Policy Report Press Conference, at the Bank of England, London, Britain, February 2, 2023. Pool | ReutersLONDON — Market expectations are split over the Bank of England's next monetary policy move on Wednesday, as policymakers near a tipping point in their fight against inflation. The other 38% of market participants expect a second consecutive 50 basis point hike, after the central bank surprised markets with a bumper increase in June. watch nowThe British economy has proven surprisingly resilient, despite a run of 13 consecutive rate hikes from the Bank of England. "While core inflation surprised to the downside in June, services inflation momentum remains strong.

Persons: Andrew Bailey, Goldman Sachs, James Moberly, Ibrahim Quadri, Jari Stehn, BoE, Goldman, —, Abbas Khan, Mariano Cena, Silvia Ardagna, Matthew Swannell, Paul Hollingsworth, Andrew Bailey's Organizations: Bank of England, Press, Bank of, Monetary, British Retail Consortium, MPC, Fed, ECB, U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, PMI, Bank of England's, Barclays, BNP Paribas Locations: London, Britain, Sintra

☆ UK shop price inflation eases in July: BRC
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The British Retail Consortium said annual shop price inflation cooled to 7.4% in July, down from 8.4% in June. Prices fell in month-on-month terms for the first time in two years, the BRC said. The BRC's inflation measure captures prices of goods sold in-store and is seen as a leading indicator for the broader official consumer price index, which measures services and energy costs. Clothing and footwear was the biggest downward driver for shop prices in July, the BRC said, while food price inflation fell to its lowest level this year. The latest official data showed Britain's high rate of inflation fell by more than expected in June and was its slowest in over a year at 7.9%%.

Persons: Helen Dickinson, Andy Bruce Organizations: British Retail Consortium, Initiative, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: India

☆ British retail sales beat expectations in June
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - British retail sales rose more than expected in June, boosted by unusually hot weather and a rebound in food sales after a dip the month before when public holidays disrupted normal spending patterns, official figures showed on Friday. Retail sales volumes in June were 0.7% higher than in May, the Office for National Statistics said, a bigger increase than the 0.2% forecast by economists in a Reuters poll. Sales volumes were 1.0% lower than a year earlier, beating economists' forecasts for a 1.5% decline. "Retail sales grew strongly, with food sales bouncing back from the effects of the extra bank holiday, partly helped by good weather, and department stores and furniture shops also having a strong month," ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said. The ONS data showed a 7.8% annual rise in the value of retail sales excluding fuel.

Persons: Grant Fitzner, King Charles ', Sterling, David Milliken, Kate Holton, Andrew Heavens Organizations: National Statistics, U.S, Industry, British Retail Consortium, Thomson

☆ UK consumer group calls for government action on grocery prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

says supermarket prices have risen 25.8% in two yearsSome prices have jumped by as much as 175%, consumer group saysRetailers say they have absorbed cost increasesLONDON, July 17 (Reuters) - British consumer group Which? has urged the government to take action to support households when the competition watchdog publishes its review of grocery pricing, saying some food prices have jumped by as much as 175% since 2021. found that supermarket prices rose by 25.8% between June 2021 and June 2023. Food prices have been driven up by increased costs for animal feed, fertiliser and fuel as well as energy and labour. While the UK government has raised concerns about soaring food prices it has said it was not considering imposing price caps.

Persons: Phil Noble, Jeremy Hunt, Helen Dickinson, James Davey, David Goodman Organizations: REUTERS, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Markets Authority, CMA, British Retail Consortium, Thomson Locations: Altrincham, Britain, British, Morrisons, Aldi, Europe, Hungary

London CNN —A rising number of British stores are using a facial recognition system powered by artificial intelligence to identify repeat shoplifters in what one human rights group has called the spread of “airport-style security” on the high street. Human rights groups say this type of technology flouts people’s right to privacy and often makes mistakes. Facewatch also retains shoppers’ data for only two weeks — half the amount of time a regular “CCTV” security camera in the UK typically stores footage. But Gordon is confident Facewatch’s system doesn’t have any bias and stresses that it is supported by human staff who’ve been trained in facial recognition. Last month, the European Parliament agreed to ban the use of real-time, AI-powered facial recognition technology in public spaces.

Persons: Simon Gordon, “ We’re, ”, Stephen Bell, ” Gordon, flouts, Madeleine Stone, ’ Gordon, “, Facewatch, Stone that’s, you’re, Gordon, who’ve, They’re, Stone, Suzie Howell Organizations: London CNN, CNN, Big Brother Watch, “, British Retail Consortium, Big Brother, New York Times Locations: “, United Kingdom, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, United States, Bristol

☆ Food prices squeeze consumers in June, hot weather boosts summer spending: BRC
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Suban Abdulla | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The BRC said retail spending increased by 4.9% in annual terms in June - roughly in line with its average this year, though stronger than May's 3.9% and a 1.0% drop a year earlier. However, the BRC data is not adjusted for inflation, so last month's increase in spending still reflects a fall in the volume of goods purchased. Previous BRC data showed prices among its members were up by an annual 8.4% on average in June, rising to 14.6% for food, despite a drop in the cost of some food products. Over the second quarter as a whole, food spending was up 9.8% while non-food spending grew just 0.3%. Paul Martin, UK head of retail at accountants KPMG, who sponsor the data, said stubborn food inflation was reducing shoppers' ability to spend on non-essential items.

Persons: Paul Martin, Martin, Will Hobbs, Hobbs, Suban Abdulla, David Milliken Organizations: British Retail Consortium, KPMG, Consumers, Bank of England, Barclays, Thomson Locations: Britain

☆ Online's share of UK grocery market dips as heat pushes shoppers to stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Online was 10.4% of total UK grocery market in JuneStores saw extra 34 mln visits year-on-yearM&S is fastest growing grocer after discountersLONDON, June 27 (Reuters) - Online's share of Britain's grocery market slowed further in June as hot weather encouraged shoppers to visit stores for drinks and refreshments, industry data showed on Tuesday. Online's share of the total grocery market in Britain was about 7% before COVID-19. "It’s no surprise that online grocery sales have taken a bit of a hit as there was less of a need to order in a big grocery shop." Total grocery sales rose 12.4% over the four weeks, with sales in the week to June 17 hitting 2.9 billion pounds - the second strongest week this year behind Easter. Marks & Spencer's (MKS.L) sales rose 15.4%, keeping its spot as the fastest growing after the discounters.

Persons: NIQ, Mike Watkins, NIQ’s, Kantar, James Davey, Aurora Ellis Organizations: LONDON, Aldi, Lidl, British Retail Consortium, Thomson Locations: Britain

☆ Explainer: Why is UK food inflation so stubbornly high?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

While market leader Tesco (TSCO.L) said on Friday there were "encouraging early signs" that food inflation was starting to ease across the market, it remains stubbornly high, running at over 19% in April, according to the most recent official data. Below are possible reasons why:NOT ALL COMMODITY PRICES ARE FALLINGSome global commodity prices have fallen enabling supermarkets to pass on reductions in areas such as milk, bread, butter, pasta and oils. Generally speaking, food retailers and their suppliers operate with long-term contracts. Having eventually secured better prices, suppliers are reluctant to give up those hard won gains. Some politicians and trade unions have raised concerns about profiteering by food retailers, saying they have kept prices high despite falls in commodity, energy and shipping costs.

Persons: Andrew Bailey, reassurances, Ken Murphy, Andrew Opie, Tesco's Murphy, James Davey, David Evans Organizations: Bank of England, Tesco, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, British Retail Consortium, THE, Reuters, Brexit, London School of Economics, Supermarkets, Markets Authority, Thomson Locations: Britain, China, Japan, BREXIT, London, Brussels

☆ UK's Sunak scraps plan for supermarket price cap after backlash - Telegraph
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 14 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has abandoned plans to ask supermarkets to impose a voluntary price cap on basic goods after a backlash from retailers, the Telegraph reported on Wednesday. British ministers are pursuing other measures to deal with the country's sky-rocketing food inflation, and officials had reassured retailers there would be no intervention in prices, the Telegraph said on Wednesday, citing sources. Britain's competition regulator told supermarkets in late May it was looking at their earnings to identify which supply chains it needed to examine more closely as part of efforts to tackle food price inflation. Asda, Britain's third largest supermarket group, this week froze prices of over 500 products until the end of August, adding to signs that a surge in food inflation is set to abate and even reverse in the coming months. Reporting by Anusha S and Bharat Govind Gautamin Bengaluru; Editing by Diane Craft and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Anusha, Bharat Govind Gautamin, Diane Craft, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: British, Telegraph, British Retail Consortium, Asda, Thomson Locations: Bharat Govind Gautamin Bengaluru

In the previous session, the index dropped as data pointing to tepid U.S. business activity sparked profit-taking following gains in the prior week. MSCI's broadest index of world stocks (.MIWD00000PUS) was largely flat, while Tokyo's Nikkei (.N225) gained 0.90% and China's blue-chip index (.CSI300) dropped almost 1%. Three months ago, the question was how fast would rate hikes come. Now, a pause and then more U.S. rates hikes could follow as a result of sticky inflation, said Mike Kelly, head of multi-asset at PineBridge Investments. In oil markets, prices gave up most gains from the previous session after the world's top exporter, Saudi Arabia, said it would further cut output.

Persons: Toby Melville, Germany's DAX, Mike Kelly, We're, Gary Dugan, bitcoin, Nell Mackenzie, Dhara Ranasinghe, Mark Potter Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, Reserve, British Retail Consortium, Tokyo's Nikkei, Reserve Bank of Australia, Fed, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, PineBridge Investments, Saxo Markets, Dalma, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, U.S, Saudi Arabia

☆ UK consumers slow spending in May as rising food costs bite
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Suban Abdulla | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The BRC said spending in its members' stores increased 3.9% in annual terms last month, well above the 1.1% fall a year ago. May's retail sales growth was the slowest since the 1.6% recorded in October 2022 when consumers cut back on purchases as inflation soared to a 41-year high of 11.1%. The BRC data is not adjusted for inflation, so May's sales growth reflects a fall in the volume of goods purchased. Food was almost the only area where consumers spent more last month, due to higher prices as well as celebrations to mark the coronation of King Charles. Separate figures from Barclays on Tuesday also showed high inflation and rising food prices continued to eat away at consumers' spending power.

Persons: BRC, King Charles ., Paul Martin, Silvia Ardagna, Suban Abdulla, David Milliken Organizations: British Retail Consortium, Food, KPMG, Bank of England, Barclays, Thomson

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