National Living Wage
The National Living Wage has a direct impact on the UK jewellery industry, influencing staffing costs, pricing strategies, and overall business operations for retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers. Changes to wage rates can affect everything from hiring and staff retention to profit margins and competitive positioning. Jewellery Focus covers updates to the National Living Wage, industry reaction, and expert analysis on how these changes shape the jewellery trade. Our coverage helps business owners and managers plan ahead, adapt budgets, and maintain sustainable operations in a shifting labour market.
-
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…
Read More » -
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…
Read More » -
Jan- 2025 -7 JanuaryEconomy
BRC warns of 2025 falling sales volume despite December sales growth
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned of possible falling sales volume in 2025 despite the modest increase in total retail sales experienced in December 2024. UK total retail sales in December 2024 increased by 3.2% year on year, against a growth of 1.9% in December 2023, according to new…
Read More » -
Oct- 2024 -30 OctoberNews
Budget: Increases to employers’ NI and minimum wage
The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has increased Employers’ National Insurance contributions in a bid to help raise as much as £40bn in taxes, pledging to also boost long-term growth and “mark an end to short term-ism” as part of Labour’s first budget since it came into power. Employers’ National Insurance contributions…
Read More » -
Nov- 2023 -22 NovemberEconomy
Chancellor cuts National Insurance to 10% alongside NLW rise
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced a series of measures to help boost the UK economy as part of his Autumn Budget including slashing National Insurance by 2% and freezing business rates for retail and hospitality. As part of the new measures, Hunt revealed that National Insurance will be cut from…
Read More » -
Nov- 2022 -17 NovemberNews
Chancellor freezes tax thresholds in Autumn statement
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced a raft of measures to help “stabilise” the UK economy and reduce inflation, with tax cuts and spending cuts totalling £55bn in the Autumn statement. As part of the new measures, Hunt confirmed that tax as a percentage of GDP will rise by over 1%…
Read More » -
Mar- 2021 -3 MarchCoronavirus
Budget 2021: Chancellor unveils new £65bn support package
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has outlined a new £65bn support package in his March budget, confirming the decision to extend the furlough scheme until the end of September as well as new loan schemes of up to £10m for businesses. In what is Sunak’s second budget since he joined office in…
Read More » -
Mar- 2020 -27 MarchAdvice
What we know about furlough leave and the CJRS
HMRC published details of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) on 26.3.20 which are available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme Key points include: Employees that employers can claim CJRS for For the purposes of CJRS, the definition of employee would include workers and agency workers provided they are subject to PAYE i.e. this…
Read More » -
Sep- 2018 -21 SeptemberQ&A Sessions
Voice on the High Street: David Clark
Tell us about WE Clark & Son’s history WE Clark & Son has a fantastic history, with its roots now going back four generations within the same family. WE Clark established his jewellery shop in Lewes, East Sussex in 1919 after marrying a beautiful hat model and deciding Lewes was…
Read More » -
Nov- 2017 -23 NovemberCurrent Affairs
Retail associations respond to ‘encouraging’ Autumn Budget
A number of retail associations have responded positively to the Chancellor’s Budget which was revealed yesterday (22 November). The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and NFU Mutual reacted to the announcement that the move from RPI to CPI indexation will be brought forward by two years to 2018, allowing for a…
Read More »
