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.
-
Jun- 2017 -7 JuneEconomy
Businesses unable to cope with interest increases, research shows
One in 25 businesses would be unable to pay off its debts if the interest rates were to increase, research from insolvency trade body R3 has shown. Some 79,000 (4%) UK companies said that a small increase would affect them financially, almost a quadrupling (20,000) of figures from previous research…
Read More » -
Apr- 2017 -19 AprilEconomy
Small business confidence continues to rise
UK small business confidence is at its highest level in over a year, according to the latest Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Small Business Index (SBI). Despite a rise in business costs there has been a strong recovery pushed forward due to increased international trade. A net balance of 15.6%…
Read More » -
Jul- 2016 -11 JulyCurrent Affairs
National Living Wage has ‘not led to job losses’
The introduction of the National Living Wage (NLW) has not resulted in mass job losses, according to a new study released today (11 July). The report, published by the Resolution Foundation, found employers have responded to the NLW by raising prices (36%) or reducing profits (29%) rather than cutting jobs,…
Read More » -
6 JulyEconomy
Shop prices fall for 38th consecutive month
Shop prices fell 2% in June, the 38th consecutive decline and a deepening from the 1.8% price fall recorded in May. That’s according to the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen Shop Price Index, which revealed the fall was lower than the 12-month average decline of 1.8%. Non-food deflation…
Read More » -
May- 2016 -5 MayRetailers
W.E Clark & Son earns accreditation as Living Wage employer
Sussex-based jewellery retailer W.E Clark & Son has announced it has officially been accredited as a Living Wage employer. The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at the company – regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors – receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.25. This…
Read More » -
Mar- 2016 -14 MarchEconomy
Retail footfall declines in February
Retail footfall has declined by 1.1% in February compared with the same period last year, according to the British Retail Consortium. UK Summary Footfall in February was 1.1% down on a year ago, lower than the 1.2% rise seen in January and lower than the three-month average rate of -0.8%.…
Read More » -
2 MarchEconomy
UK shop prices fall for 34th consecutive month
Shop prices fell 2% year-on-year in February, the 34th consecutive decline following January’s 1.8% fall. That’s according to British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen’s monthly Shop Price Index, which found non-food deflation, which includes jewellery, remained at 3% for the third consecutive month. On a 12-month average basis, the index…
Read More » -
Jan- 2016 -29 JanuaryEconomy
Unseasonable weather damages independent retail sales in Q4
A “dramatic reversal of fortunes” in the last three months of 2015 has brought an end to an 18 month run of turnover growth for independent retailers. The British Independent Retailers Association’s (BIRA) Sales Monitor for the fourth quarter of 2015 found unseasonably warm and wet weather, falling footfall, falling…
Read More » -
Nov- 2015 -10 NovemberRetailers
‘Lethal combination’ for UK retailers, says Tesco boss
The chief executive of Tesco, Dave Lewis, has warned that the UK retail sector is facing a “lethal cocktail” of rising costs. Speaking at the CBI’s annual conference, Lewis said rising business rates and the National Living Wage (introduced by George Osborne earlier this year) mean retailers will face an…
Read More » -
4 NovemberEconomy
Shop price deflation continues into 30th-consecutive month
Shop prices reported deflation for the 30th consecutive month in October, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen’s latest Shop Price Index. Overall shop prices reported deflation of 1.8% in October compared with a 1.9% drop in September. On a 12-month average basis, the index reported deflation of…
Read More »
