Inflation
Inflation has significant implications for the UK jewellery trade, affecting everything from raw material costs to consumer spending habits. For jewellers, suppliers, and manufacturers, understanding how inflation influences pricing, margins, and operational decisions is critical to staying resilient in a shifting economic climate. Jewellery Focus provides expert coverage on inflation trends, market analysis, and insights into strategies trade professionals are adopting to mitigate its impact across the supply chain and retail sector.
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Nov- 2025 -6 NovemberCurrent Affairs
BoE holds interest rates at 4% ahead of Budget
The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to keep interest rates steady at 4% ahead of the upcoming Budget announcement on 26 November.ย The bankโs Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a majority of five to four to maintain the rate, with four members voting to reduce it by 0.25…
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Sep- 2025 -18 SeptemberCurrent Affairs
BoE holds interest rates at 4%
The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to hold interest rates steady at 4% amid concerns around the recent rise in inflation. At a meeting this week, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 7โ2 to maintain the rate, as two members voted to reduce it by…
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Aug- 2025 -14 AugustEconomy
UK quarterly GDP beats expectations despite slowdown
UK GDP grew 0.3% in the three months to June, behind the 0.7% it grew in the first quarter, as a result of US tariffs and higher business costs, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). However, it is better than expected growth as economists polled by…
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7 AugustNews
BoE cuts interest rates to 4%
The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates to 4%, down from the previous rate of 4.25%, marking the fifth rate cut since last yearโs peak of 5.25%.ย At its meeting today (7 August), the bankโs monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 5 to 4 to…
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May- 2025 -8 MayNews
BoE cuts interest rates to 4.25%
The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates to 4.25%, down from the previous rate of 4.5%, marking the fourth rate cut since last yearโs peak of 5.25%. At its meeting ending on 7 May, the bankโs monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 5โ4 to reduce…
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Apr- 2025 -15 AprilRetailers
UK sales increase 1.1% in March thanks to good weather boost
UK Total retail sales increased by 1.1% year on year in March, against a growth of 3.5% in March 2024, with gardening and DIY sales being boosted by good weather. New data from the BRC and KPMG revealed that the increase was below the 3-month average growth of 1.6% and…
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Mar- 2025 -26 MarchEconomy
Chancellor resists calls for business relief in Spring Statement
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has resisted calls from businesses for relief ahead of the upcoming tax changes this April, as part of her Spring Statement today (26 March). UK businesses had been hopeful the chancellor would raise the relief rate for retail, hospitality, and leisure after cutting it to 40% in…
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20 MarchCurrent Affairs
BoE holds interest rates at 4.5%
The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to hold interest rates at 4.5%, having cut the rate last month to its lowest level since June 2023. At its meeting ending on 19 March, the bankโs monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 8โ1 to maintain the rate at…
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4 MarchEconomy
Shop price inflation remains at 0.7% despite surge in food prices
Shop price inflation remained in deflation at 0.7% in February, after also falling to -0.7% in January, according to data from the British Retail Consortium. However, this comes despite food inflation increasing to 2.1% year on year in February, an increase from the 1.6% rise in January and above the…
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Feb- 2025 -6 FebruaryEconomy
BoE cuts interest rates to 4.5%
The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to cut interest rates from 4.75% to 4.5%, the lowest level since June 2023, but warned that GDP growth has been โweaker than expectedโ. At its meeting this week, the bankโs monetary policy committee voted by a majority of 7โ2 to reduce the…
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