Economy
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Apr- 2015 -17 April
Out-of-town footfall jumps 3.8%
Footfall in March was 0.2% higher than the same time last year, an improvement on the 0.5% fall in February. This is according to the BRC-Springboard Footfall and Vacancies Monitor which found footfall was above the three-month average of -0.5% and was the best overall footfall performance since March last…
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14 April
18ct gold grows 12% in Q1 hallmarking figures
The total number of articles hallmarked fell across all categories except platinum in March, according to figures compiled from all four UK assay offices, however 18ct gold stole a march for the Q1 period, taking up some of the slack. After a strong February – hallmarking figures were 7.9% up…
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14 April
UK inflation rate remains at zero
The UK’s inflation rate remained at zero in March, according to new figures released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), this represents the lowest rate of inflation since records began in 1989 as a fall in clothing prices and a rise…
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14 April
Early Easter drives retail sales up in March
Like-for-Like retail sales in the UK increased by 3.2% from March last year, driven by an early Easter weekend. This is according to the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor which found on a total basis sales were up 4.7%, against a 0.3% fall in March. Adjusted for the BRC-Nielsen Shop Price…
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8 April
Shop vacancy rates fall back to 2010 levels
Shop vacancy rates in Britain have fallen back to levels not seen since 2010, according to new figures from the Local Data Company (LDC). Shop vacancy rates fell to 13% in March from 13.1% in February, while the overall retail and leisure vacancy rate also dropped in March to 11.6%,…
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8 April
Shop prices fall to record low in March
Shop prices fell to a record low in March as overall shop prices reported deflation for the 23rd consecutive month, with retail prices 2.1% lower than a year earlier. This is according to the latest BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index which found that overall shop prices had dropped even further than…
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1 April
Polished diamond prices fall in March
Polished diamond prices softened in March as trading volumes were restricted by weak demand, according to the latest report from Rapaport. Diamond market sentiment was “weak” throughout the first quarter, with jewellers avoiding large inventory purchases and buying focused on satisfying specific demand to fill existing orders. The RapNet Diamond…
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Mar- 2015 -31 March
Retail footfall to jump 4.7% over Easter weekend
Retail footfall is set to increase by 4.7% over the Easter weekend compared to the same time last year, according to new figures released today by Springboard. Easter weekend is two weeks earlier than last year and falls just after a national payday, putting consumers in a strong position to…
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26 March
Record $81bn diamond jewellery demand in 2014
Global demand for diamond jewellery hit $81 billion in 2014, a 3% increase compared with the previous year and a record high. This is according to new industry insight data published today by The De Beers Group of Companies. The data showed there was positive growth in consumer demand for…
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19 March
BUDGET: BRC welcomes Osborne rates review, NI abolition for under-21s
The Chancellor has used his last budget of this Parliament to reconfirm his commitment to carry out the most “far-reaching” and “radical” review into the business rates system in a generation. The government first revealed that it would carry out a “comprehensive review” of the current outdated system during last…
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