Retail sales are falling. As many consumers struggle to afford basic products, their spending habits and where they shop are changing. Some retailers are struggling to stay profitable, as sales decline while the costs of goods, energy, transport and staff rise. The cost of living crisis is shorthand for the rapid escalation in the prices […]
Category: Business, big & small
As Premier League clubs recover from the financial hit of Covid-19, they will again become active in the global labour market for footballers. But their player development and recruitment strategies are likely to change as a result of the UK leaving the European Union. Football at the highest level is a lucrative business. In 2018/19, […]
During the pandemic, there has been severe hostility to firms buying back their own shares, a practice only made legal in the UK in 1981. Opposition to stock repurchases is associated with allegations of ‘short-termism’, but there is little evidence to support such claims. In the last three decades, stock repurchases have become a popular […]
The past two years have been very challenging for UK businesses. Even as lockdown measures ease and consumer demand recovers, surging inflation, labour shortages and uncertainty about future sales present several obstacles ahead. Covid-19 has had a significant impact on UK businesses. Two years on from the start of the pandemic, this article takes stock […]
Ahead of the 2014 independence referendum, businesses in Scotland were typically focused more on the risks posed by uncertainty than on potential opportunities. Circumstances have changed – most notably the UK’s exit from the European Union – which may lead to different assessments in a future vote. Navigating uncertainty is part and parcel of leading […]
The shift to online shopping during the pandemic is a big challenge for small firms and ‘micro enterprises’, large numbers of which are not used to e-commerce. Many lack a website, let alone the option for customers to make online purchases. There is considerable evidence that small businesses are far behind larger firms in terms […]