Economy
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Jul- 2015 -8 July
Diamond prices decline in June
Diamond prices continued to decline in June as decreased demand from the US and the Far East affected manufacturers. This is according to the latest report from Rapaport which found that diamond markets were relatively quiet as US demand after the JCK Las Vegas show was weaker than in previous…
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Jun- 2015 -30 June
Consumer confidence at highest level for 15 years
Consumer confidence is at its highest level since the late 1990s, according to new figures from GFK. Following a fall in consumer confidence in May, the research firm’s latest Consumer Confidence Barometer increased six points to 7 in June, with all five measures used to calculate the index reporting increases.…
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25 June
Jewellery sales shine across UK shopping centres
Jewellery brands led the way in terms of sales growth across UK shopping centres in the first quarter of 2015, according to new figures released today. Estate agent Savills said jewellery saw substantial growth of 12% in the first quarter of the year, with growth of 7.2% over the last…
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16 June
UK Inflation rate rises to 0.1%
The UK inflation rate has turned positive again in May after dipping below zero in April for the first time since 1960, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) reported that the UK’s inflation rate rose to 0.1% in May, up from…
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15 June
Footfall down 1% in May as high street slumps
Retail footfall in the UK fell for the second month in a row, according to British Retail Consortium figures. The BRC and Springboard Footfall and Vacancies Monitor reported a 1% decline in footfall in May, down from 0.8% fall in May and below the three-month average of 0.5%. Both high…
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11 June
Hallmarking up 3.1% in May
The total number of hallmarked articles in May grew by 3.1% compared with the same time last year, according to new figures released from all four of the UK’s assay offices. According to the data, which was compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office, there was a total of 770,075 articles…
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10 June
Consumer spending up 4.2%, says Barclaycard
Consumer spending in the UK rose 4.2% in May amid falling prices combined with greater confidence. According to the latest monthly spend data analysis by Barclaycard, falling prices in supermarkets helped families boost spending on ‘nonessential’ items, which grew by 6.2% over the period. Barclaycard said that by spending less…
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9 June
UK retail sales flat in May
Retail sales in the UK were flat on a like-for-like basis in May compared with the same time last year, when they increased by 0.5%. This is according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG Retail Sales Monitor which found on a total basis sales were up 1.1%, against…
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5 June
Britain’s Shop vacancy remains at 13% in May
The shop vacancy rate in Britain remained at 13% in May for the third month running after falling in March. This is according to new figures released from the Local Data Company (LDC) which found that the overall retail and leisure shop vacancy rate increased marginally from 11.6% in April…
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1 June
‘Tax freedom day’ falls on 31st May
This year’s Tax Freedom Day, the day when Britons stop working to pay their taxes and start earning for themselves, falls on 31st May, according to Adam Smith Institute calculations. The Institute estimates that Britons will work 150 days this year solely to pay their taxes. This is one day…
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