‘Exhausting’ house buying process damaging the economy, says Santander September 17, 2025 The UK’s outdated house buying process and rate of failed transactions are costing the economy at least £1.5bn a year, one of Britain’s biggest high street banks has warned. According to a report from Santander UK, over half a million failed housing transactions are costing consumers £560m directly, with some costs, including the costs of [...]
Pret A Manger writes down value by a third amid £525m losses September 9, 2025 Pret A Manger has written off a third of the value it was handed after its 2018 acquisition by European investment group JAB as an uncertain UK economy puts pressure on the sandwich chain. The group made a £553m non-cash impairment to the £912m goodwill on its balance sheet created as part of the 2018 [...]
Gen Z prioritise fitness spending over pubs and restaurants September 3, 2025 Spending by Gen Z on fitness activities has jumped in the last year as Brits focus on fitness over pubs and restaurants, according to new data. With three quarters of Gen Z exercising at least twice per week, fitness spending has risen 17 per cent in the last year, according to a report by The [...]
Surging food inflation hits restaurant sales August 19, 2025 Food inflation is accelerating once again, eating into consumers’ pockets and pushing prices higher across the board. Inflation at the grocers hit five per cent in the four weeks ended August 10, down from 5.2 per cent in the previous month but well above the wider UK rate of 3.6 per cent. Real wage growth, [...]
Rental crisis in London worsens: ‘Payments border on the obscene’ August 18, 2025 Rents in London are taking up a larger portion of tenants’ earnings again after three years of improvements. Private renters on a median household income in the capital paid 41.6 per cent of their earnings on rent last year, up from 38 per cent in 2023 and the highest figure since 2021. The cost of [...]
‘Alarming’ drop in UK consumer confidence over last year August 16, 2025 Consumer confidence in the future UK economy has plummeted over the last year, figures suggest. Confidence has tumbled by 31 points over the last year, from an average of minus nine between May and July 2024 to an average of minus 40 between May and July this year, Which?’s Consumer Insight Tracker shows. On average [...]
Deliveroo: Earnings shoot up ahead of Doordash acquisition August 7, 2025 Deliveroo has announced a boost to its earnings driven by a ‘more resilient than expected’ consumer, although profit has taken a hit ahead of its acquisition by American delivery giant Doordash. Revenue rose nine per cent in the six months ended June 30, with orders up eight per cent, Deliveroo told markets this morning. Order [...]
UK retail sales bounce back as Brits enjoyed warmest June on record July 25, 2025 Sales for UK retailers rose last month as Britons enjoyed the warmest June on record, which helped drive sales of food and drink, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said overall retail sales volume rose by 0.9 per cent in June, following a 2.8 per cent fall in May, as consumers [...]
Planning permissions for home improvements falls to lowest level in a decade July 21, 2025 Planning permissions for home renovations has plummeted as the low consumer confidence permeates the construction industry. Consents for developments in England totalled 151,177 in the 12 months to March, 27 per cent below the 10-year average, according to data from Savills. This is despite a 24 per cent uplift in housing transactions as buyers rushed [...]
Consumer confidence rising as summer holiday season begins July 7, 2025 The majority of UK households are feeling financially secure, with 70 per cent of people confident enough to plan a summer holiday, according to a survey. The number of people feeling financially secure has risen this quarter by three percentage points to 58 per cent, while confidence that the UK economy is improving has risen [...]