‘Political choice’: Retailers urge government to act on rising costs May 6, 2026 Retailers have urged the government to cut tax and red tape to counter soaring energy costs caused by the Iran war. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), an industry trade body, has accused Labour of making a “political choice” not to cut energy taxes and delay costly regulation to avoid the worst shop inflation. The effective [...]
Blackstone, Saudi wealth fund collect £4m dividends from four Morrisons stores May 4, 2026 Private equity firm Blackstone and the Saudi sovereign wealth fund have handed themselves £4m in dividends from their ownership of four Morrisons supermarket buildings. The pair acquired the sites – in Maldon, Stockport, Harrogate and Newcastle – for £110m in 2023 as part of a sale and leaseback arrangement which saw the supermarket chain sell [...]
Supermarkets pile pressure on government to cut energy costs April 23, 2026 Supermarkets are calling on the government to cut taxes on energy to help retailers dodge looming food inflation, with Sainsbury’s, Tesco, M&S and Asda piling pressure on Labour. The boss of Sainsbury’s, the UK’s second-largest grocer, became the latest industry figure to call for the Treasury to step in. On Thursday, the supermarket said it [...]
Food inflation rises as ‘storm clouds gather’ April 22, 2026 Food inflation has started to climb as industry figures warn “storm clouds are gathering” over potential double-digit food inflation later this year. The rate of food inflation climbed to 3.7 per cent in the year to March, up from 3.3 per cent year on year to February, according to the Office of National Statistics. This [...]
Government urged to halt food inflation ‘before it’s too late’ April 21, 2026 The food industry’s leading trade body has urged the government to act on food inflation before it’s “too late” to protect consumers and businesses. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) expects food inflation to soar from three to between nine and 10 per cent this year, and has accused the government of lacking “urgency” to [...]
A price cap on bread and milk? SNP plan is unnecessary and unworkable April 17, 2026 The SNP has pledged to cap the price of bread but why? Poor people can afford the essentials and supermarket margins are tiny.
Forget Oasis, dynamic pricing could be coming for your weekly shop April 17, 2026 The rise of big data means dynamic pricing is easier to implement. Paul Ormerod asks what this could mean for consumers's everyday shopping.
Supermarkets ‘taking mickey’ on pricing, says olive oil boss April 15, 2026 A leading retail trade body has taken on big olive oil over claims supermarkets are “taking the mickey” over their pricing of the product. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has hit back at the boss of olive oil maker Filippo Berio after he accused grocers of failing to pass falling prices onto consumers. The price [...]
Businesses brace for costs as new workers’ rights kick in April 7, 2026 Businesses across Britain are bracing for a sharp hike in costs and hiring struggles as the government’s new workers’ rights laws begin to take effect this week. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), a leading trade body, said the Employment Rights Act risks adding to an onslaught of rising cost pressures facing firms, including wage hikes [...]
‘Unprecedented’ – Food inflation to soar to 9 per cent by end of year April 1, 2026 Food inflation will soar from three to nine per cent by the end of this year due to the “unprecedented” energy and supply chain shocks caused by the Iran war, a leading association has warned. The rate of food price growth is currently at 3.3 per cent but will climb to nine per cent by [...]