Business News Round Up (08/04/2022)
UK footfall ‘gradually’ improves in March
Total UK footfall decreased by 15.4% in March, compared to the same period in March 2019, new data shows. This was ahead of France (-25.5%), Germany (-37.5%) and Italy (-38.6%) in the same period, according to BRC-Sensormatic’s IQ Footfall Monitor. It is also a 1.2 percentage point improvement from the month before, in February. Footfall on high streets declined by 17.8% in March (Yo3Y), 3.1 percentage points better than last month’s rate. Retail parks saw footfall decrease by 7.3% (Yo3Y), 5.1 percentage points better than last month’s rate. Meanwhile, shopping centre footfall declined by 35.8% (Yo3Y), 4.3 percentage points better than last month’s rate. Northern Ireland saw the shallowest footfall decline of all regions at -14.5% when compared to March 2019, followed by England at -14.9% and Wales at -18.8%. Scotland saw the steepest decline at -21.1%. Helen Dickinson, CEO of the BRC, said: “March saw another gradual improvement to footfall levels across the UK. As the first full month without coronavirus restrictions in England and Northern Ireland, consumers were able to shop with a greater sense of normality, spurred on by some spring sunshine. While all UK shopping locations enjoyed higher footfall levels than earlier in the pandemic, shopping centres saw a significant improvement for the first time in 2022, as shoppers browsed multiple stores in preparation for the summer season.”
Recruitment activity continues to rise, despite labour shortages
Recruiters across Scotland saw further sharp rises in hiring activity during March, according to the latest Royal Bank of Scotland Report on Jobs. Panellists noted an acceleration in both permanent placements and temporary billings, amid reports of greater market confidence and increased activity at clients. However, the growing imbalance between demand for staff and supply of labour resulted in further marked increases in starting pay, with the latest rise in permanent starting salaries being the fastest on record. The seasonally-adjusted Permanent Placements Index signalled a further rise in permanent staff appointments across Scotland in March. The rate of growth quickened slightly since February and was the second-sharpest on record. Anecdotal evidence suggested that stronger market conditions and a surge in client demand drove the latest increase in permanent placements. Notably, the rate of growth outpaced the UK-wide average for the third consecutive month. Recruiters across Scotland recorded a further uplift in temporary billings in March, with the rate of growth gathering momentum, accelerating to a five-month high. Recruiters indicated that the latest expansion was supported by rising business activity at clients as Covid-19 disruption subsided.
https://www.insider.co.uk/news/recruitment-activity-continues-rise-despite-26657542
UK business travel recovery ‘underway’, new data reveals
Domestic and international business travel grew by 10% in the last week of March compared to the previous week, latest data shows. This brought the volume back to 62.93% of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to research for the Business Travel Association. Data provided by analytics firm Travelogix shows that business travel recovery is underway, the BTA said, Chief executive Clive Wratten added: “We are delighted to see a further increase to business travel levels. “We look forward to working with TMCs to make recovery as smooth as possible.” However, the data also reveals a £2.20 billion GDP loss associated to domestic and international travel compared to the same week in 2019 due to a reduced number of business travel trips. There was also a “noticeable reduction” in active cases of Covid per 100,000 of population in seven of the ten countries followed by the BTA’s Business Travel Tracker.
https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/air/uk-business-travel-recovery-underway-new-data-reveals
Small Scottish businesses must beef up their cyber protection
Research has found that small Scots firms could be leaving themselves open to cyber-attacks because they have little or no business-grade cybersecurity measures in place.Lacking cybersecurity measures for small Scottish businesses could be leaving them open to a cyber-attack, according to new research. A survey by BT of 1,000 decision makers at UK businesses has found that thousands of small firms may be at risk – despite having security measures in place – because they are relying on security products which are not designed for business use. Most small Scottish businesses have moved online during the pandemic, research found, but cyber criminals have also increased their efforts to target them. The Government’s recent Cyber Security Breaches survey found that almost half of all UK small businesses suffered a cybersecurity breach or attack last year. However, despite the increased threat, research also found that a third (35%) of small firms across Scotland do not have the right level of cyber protection in place and are relying on security products which are designed to protect consumers rather than businesses.