Retailers helped Britain's economy inch higher in April, despite contractions in manufacturing and construction, according to data published today (14) that are pointing to slow growth rather than recession.
Britain's economy grew by 0.2 per cent month-on-month in April, the Office for National Statistics said, highlighting retail and film industries among largest contributors. Today's data chimed with business surveys that point to weak activity - but no recession which had been widely predicted only a few months ago.
Over the three months to April, Britain's economy expanded just 0.1 per cent - a "low growth trajectory" according to the British Chambers of Commerce.
"Looking ahead, we continue to expect GDP in Q2 as a whole to be unchanged from Q1," said Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at consultancy Pantheon Macroeconomics. "Public sector strikes have continued to rumble on, and the lost working day for the King's coronation probably inflicted a 0.2 percentage point blow to GDP in May," Tombs added.
In response to today's figures, finance minister Jeremy Hunt said the government would stick to its plan to halve inflation this year.
Jeremy Batstone-Carr, European strategist at Raymond James Investment Services, fears that “a Herculean effort” will still be needed to avoid a recession.
“Today’s GDP growth of 0.2 per cent proves that the UK economy opened the latest quarter more strongly than the previous quarter, boosting the possibility that economic activity will be resilient enough to help the UK sidestep a recession. However, it is far too soon to call the ‘all clear’, particularly with the Bank of England poised to remain on its rate-hiking mission to suppress inflation that remains too high for comfort.
“Following March’s dip in economic activity fueled by industrial action, April saw fewer days lost to strikes and was accompanied by the retail sector springing back to action. Manufacturing and industrial production remain resilient after a solid first quarter, supported by a positive trend in vehicle production, gas output and mining activity.
“While the UK economy is proving rather more resilient than its Euro Area counterpart, there remain grounds for continued caution. Consumer spending continues to be smothered by relentless inflation and households are under growing pressure from rising mortgage rates. Given these ongoing squeezes, a Herculean effort will still be required to avoid a recession," Batstone-Carr said," The Guardian quoted Batstone-Carr as saying.
Boyle’s SPAR Ballycastle is celebrating 60 years of their community store after investing £100,000 into the business this year.
The recent expansion heavily focused on increasing the store’s fresh food range with their food-to-go and Deli offering both doubling in size, as well as the installation of additional refrigeration, which has allowed the store to increase their range of locally sourced and made in-store fresh products.
The store opened in 1964, trading as Mace until 2004 when they began trading with Henderson Group, under the SPAR brand. Upon opening, the store was owned by Brian Boyle and had just four employees and now employs 35 from the local area. The store remains a family-focused business to this day, as it is now owned and operated by Ronan and Aidan Boyle, who have managed the business since 1999.
Over the years, the Boyle family have made significant investments into the store, totaling over £1 million. Boyles SPAR Ballycastle’s current site was newly built in 2009 when the family made the move from their original site. They then completed a full refit of the store in 2019 totaling £300,000, followed by their latest refurbishment earlier this year.
The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) remains in place after the refurbishment. It’s installed outside the store and available for the community 24/7, providing essential access to potentially lifesaving equipment even when the store is not open to the residential area.
To further celebrate this incredible milestone, store staff embarked on an in-store charity cycle on 7 December, aiming to reach 60 miles for Marie Curie NI. 60p from the sale of every Barista Bar coffee also went towards the charity from 2–8 December as part of the celebration week.
Shoppers were also in with a chance to win a £60 store voucher every day of the week, while also picking up a number of 60p special deals the store were offering to mark the occasion.
“Our local community is central to everything we do and that is why we have made such significant investments over the years to expand our services and product offering for our shoppers,” Ronan Boyle commented. “Our team decided that we wanted our 60th year to be about our community and celebrating with them. We have enjoyed being able to thank our shoppers with competitions and special offers.”
The team has always been community focused, supporting a number of local sports teams including Ballycastle GAA, Carey GAA, Naomh Padraig GAA, Ballycastle Runners AC, Ballycastle Cycling Club and Ballycastle United Football Club, as well as local charities such as Marie Curie. The team at the store has raised £300,000 for these local sports teams, charities and community groups through numerous instore fundraisers and community events over the years.
Aidan Boyle added: “We are passionate about supporting local charities, community groups and sports teams. A number of our team members have strong connections with local sports teams and it is so important to us that we show our commitment to them. Being a hub in the community, we have supported many young people from the local area with employment during their education and it is always a pleasure to help them grow and develop their careers through our store.
“We wish to extend a huge thank you to our team for their loyalty, with a special thank you to Michael McLernon who has worked at the store for 41 years. We would also like to thank our shoppers for their support over the past 60 years and we look forward to many more successful years of the store.”
Paddy Doody, sales and marketing director at Henderson Group which owns the SPAR brand in Northern Ireland, commented: “We wish to congratulate Ronan, Aidan and the whole team at Boyle’s SPAR Ballycastle on their incredible milestone of 60 years. They are such an integral part of their local community, having a positive impact and giving back to local charities and community groups, all while providing value on the doorsteps of their shoppers, and this is what SPAR is all about. We wish them every success for years to come.”
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EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA retail teams across Northern Ireland have raised £70,000 from their annual Community Coffee Mornings for charity partner Cancer Fund for Children in September
EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA stores across Northern Ireland have raised £70,000 from their annual Community Coffee Mornings back in September.
This brings Henderson Group’s total donations to their charity partner Cancer Fund for Children to £1.87 million since the partnership began 13 years ago.
The event, supported by Barista Bar Coffee and Kingsmill, kicked off September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, with 90 stores getting involved across the weekend of 6–8 September and holding a coffee morning in aid of Cancer Fund for Children.
While Cancer Fund for Children fundraise all year round, a special focus is placed on Childhood Cancer Awareness Month which is when the charity focuses on raising awareness of the impact of childhood cancer on young people and families.
Shoppers were invited to visit any EUROSPAR or ViVOXTRA store throughout the weekend, including flagship stores, EUROSPAR Linn Road, JD Hunter & Co. Markethill, Smyth’s EUROSPAR Ballymoney, ViVOXTRA Banbridge, EUROSPAR Dromara, Swift’s EUROSPAR Lisnaskea and EUROSPAR Ranfurly in Dungannon.
“Every month approximately 12 children and young people (aged 0-24) are diagnosed with cancer in Northern Ireland,” Phil Alexander, chief executive at Cancer Fund for Children, said.
“We understand the devastating impact a childhood cancer diagnosis has on families and it is our mission to make sure all young people across the island of Ireland have access to the right support when it is needed most. Thanks to donations like this one from Henderson Group, we can help ensure children and young people, as well as their families, don’t have to face cancer alone.”
In addition to providing tea, coffee and sweet treats for shoppers in exchange for a donation, a number of stores went the extra mile to encourage donations for the vital charity.
Team members at ViVOXTRA Castledawson took part in an exercise bike challenge in-store and Marshall and Skye from Paw Patrol paid a special visit to the store to meet shoppers.
The EUROSPAR Dromara and JD Hunter & Co. teams took part in in-store spinathons while Smyth’s EUROSPAR Ballymoney welcomed volunteers from Cancer Fund for Children to join staff in bucket collections throughout the weekend.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Henderson Group for their invaluable support. The EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA Community Coffee mornings go from strength to strength every year and they are one of the highlights in our charity’s fundraising calendar,” Alexander said.
“The coffee mornings bring local communities together to kick off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month each year, whilst raising vital funds to help hundreds of families, ensuring they feel supported, connected and better able to cope with the emotional impact of cancer.”
Bronagh Luke from SPAR NI added: “Thanks to our incredible retailers and shoppers, our annual coffee mornings, which began in 2017, are our biggest fundraising events each year.
“It is an honour to kick off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month each year with this event. It was incredible to see teams from 90 EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA supermarkets in Northern Ireland dedicate time and energy into the Community Coffee Morning this year, to raise an amazing amount of money for a very deserving charity and the many families they support.
“Well done to all teams who took part and thank you to all our shoppers for showing their support.”
The police-led National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) is urging retailers to make full use of the crime prevention and training resource available for free via their website to help support shop workers during the busy festive season.
With the most recent crime survey from the BRC showing incidents of abuse and violence towards shopworkers have risen to 1,300 a day, the lead up to Christmas can be extremely challenging for those working in retail.
The NBCC has designed a series of training videos for those working in the retail sector to help them deal with difficult situations and customers and to provide practical steps they can take to stay safe and de-escalate a potential flash point.
The videos cover four key areas: personal safety and de-escalation, saying no - refusing service, deterring and interacting with thieves, and handling disruptive behaviour. Each video is no more than four minutes long and provides tactics and strategies which any retail worker can use.
“We know what a difficult time the run up to Christmas can be for those working in retail. Long queues and crowded shops can lead to tempers fraying and provide more opportunities for shop thefts. The NBCC has developed easy-to-use support for retailers and their staff to help keep staff safe and reduce the potential for shop thefts. We hope that the easy to digest training videos can give shop workers a bit more confidence and support during a very busy time,” Supt Patrick Holdaway, NBCC lead, said.
Retailers can also access a comprehensive employer framework aimed at preventing violence and abuse within retails retail settings.
The ‘Framework for Employers’ brings together existing good practice within the sector and presents it as a comprehensive, simple step by step process that can be implemented by retailers to demonstrate how they will support their employers to prevent violence and abuse in retail settings.
It includes a post-incident support process which highlights the practical steps employers should be taking to support retail workers after an incident of violence and abuse occurs, for example, their responsibility to ensure incidents are reported, risks are analysed and appropriate support systems are put in place.
If a crime is committed then it is essential to report it to police and capture any digital evidence such as CCTV. The NBCC have worked with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and police forces to develop a standard witness statement which retailers can use when submitting CCTV evidence to the police using a Digital Evidence Management Systems (DEMS). Retailers can access it here.
When reporting a crime to the police it is important that key information is conveyed calmly and accurately to the operator so that they can assess the information and decide on the appropriate response. The information provided to the operator is important in assessing the threat, harm and risk enabling the police to decide on how best to respond. The NBCC has developed a comprehensive guide for retailers and shopworkers on what you need to tell police when reporting a crime and when to dial 999.
“Undoubtedly crimes will take place, and when they do, we want retailers to report the crime and know how to get the digital evidence to the police in the fastest way possible and how to support and care for employees who may have been impacted emotionally or physically by abuse or violence towards them,” Holdaway added.
The NBCC has a dedicated section on the website for Shopworker Safety.
UK food businesses are expected to face significant financial challenges in 2025, grappling with multiple cost pressures. The cost of food items is predicted to rise by up to 4.9 per cent next year, according to the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD).
IGD’s latest Viewpoint Special Report, “Hungry For Growth”, highlights food inflation as one of the most significant challenges for UK households. However, it also places the increase in food prices within a wider context of overall industry pressures.
IGD’s forecast for food inflation in 2025 is based on a full overview of all the cost pressures on food businesses for the next 12 months. While energy and commodity prices will remain stable albeit a little higher in 2025, there will be significantly increased employment and regulatory costs for food businesses in the coming year which will mean food inflation could hit anywhere between 2.4 per cent - 4.9 per cent.
In July 2024, IGD forecast that retail food inflation in 2025 would average 2.1 per cent. This forecast has been revised upward principally on the basis of measures announced in the budget.
In forming these new forecasts, IGD assumed that major policy changes raising business costs will arrive in three phases over the next year:
April: rising costs to employment staff due to increases in National Insurance and National Living Wage
July: rising costs of food imports due to implementation of the Windsor Agreement framework with the EU
Oct: first payments are due to fall on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), increasing costs on packaging
IGD estimates that the food sector will only be able to absorb between 20 per cent - 40 per cent of these costs, meaning the remainder will be passed onto the consumer.
Food inflation is likely to continue to exceed inflation in other items, not just in 2025 but also 2026.
“We do not see food prices going down in the foreseeable future," said IGD Chief Economist James Walton. "The rising cost of living, combined with increased employment and regulatory costs, will keep inflation elevated. Consumers will undoubtedly look for ways to save money, but the impact of these cost pressures will be felt across the economy.
"For the food sector, the increased financial burdens are becoming harder to absorb, particularly for smaller players in the sector. The cumulative impact of multiple changes landing within a short period of time will drive significant cost into all food businesses across the UK.”
Police investigating crimes linked to the Post Office Horizon IT scandal are looking at "dozens" of potential suspects, but don't expect trials to begin until 2027. The police will also await the publication of Sir Wyn Williams’ public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal before moving forward to charging, stated recent reports.
The investigation, which the police describe as unprecedented in size and scale, is in the first instance examining potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice by those involved in making “key decisions” on Post Office investigations and supporting prosecutions of branch owner-operators.
However, a second phase, which is being developed concurrently, is looking at “wider offences” and decision-makers involved more broadly at the Post Office, as well as at Fujitsu, which developed the controversial Horizon accounting software.
Three suspects have already been interviewed under caution and there are plans to interview others next year, according to police.
But no one will be charged until officers have read the final report from the separate public inquiry, almost 30 years after concerns were first raised.
Stephen Clayman, the Met commander overseeing the police investigation, said officers were “looking at the actions of prominent individuals” beyond those directly involved in making decisions on Post Office investigations and supporting prosecutions.
“We will go where the evidence takes us,” The Guardian quoted Clayman as saying. “We are looking at the Post Office and Fujitsu and anything wider. We will cast the net wider in terms of culpability.”
“The scale of the task ahead is unprecedented. I do know that if you take into account Post Office criminal and private prosecutions, civil claims and contract withdrawals, there are potentially thousands of victims who we are working hard to identify.”
Clayman added, “No key decisions will be made around submissions and charging decisions until the final report is delivered and thoroughly reviewed by the investigation team and the Crown Prosecution Service. We are looking at 2027 [for trials] realistically.”
“We have been building a larger investigation team made up of officers across all forces. All forces are contributing to the build of a national team. This is a truly national operation in scale and should be resourced as such.”
Michael Norman, the senior investigating officer, added that police were also looking at “investigators, solicitors, barristers and people within Fujitsu as well”.
“As others [persons of interest] come into scope we will look at those as well, if they become raised to suspect status,” Norman said. “It is very fluid. The issue of corporate liability, corporate culpability, is always open.”
Norman said that to date the police had interviewed three individuals under caution, dating back to 2021, with the most recent in September this year. Clayman said prosecutions would not reach trial until 2027, in part due to the “unprecedented” scale of the investigation, which is reviewing more than 1.5 million documents.
More than 900 post office operators were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 because of faulty Horizon accounting software that made it look as though they had been committing fraud.