Business News Round Up (13/07/2021)
UK retailers report record Q2 growth as shops reopen
British retailers reported a record annual increase in sales in the three months to the end of June, although growth was flattered by widespread store closures a year earlier due to the coronavirus pandemic. The British Retail Consortium – members of which tend to be large high-street chains and supermarkets – said on Tuesday that sales in the second quarter of 2021 were 28.4% higher than a year earlier and 10.4% higher than two years before. The year-on-year increase was the largest since the BRC’s records began in 1995. While supermarkets have been trading throughout the pandemic, ‘non-essential’ retailers such as clothing stores were closed for most of this year, before reopening in England on April 12. Dates varied in other parts of the United Kingdom. Total sales in June alone were up 13.1% on two years earlier, compared with growth of 10.0% in May. Versus last year, sales were 10.4% higher on a total basis and 6.7% higher on a like-for-like basis which adjusts for changes in floorspace.
One in four Scottish financial services workers favour full remote working post-pandemic
Nearly one in four Scottish employees at financial services firms would prefer to work entirely from home in the future, according to new research by Accenture. A YouGov panel of 1,406 adults working across banking, capital markets and insurance in the UK – of whom 188 were located in Scotland – were surveyed in June, revealing that 21% of workers would prefer to work entirely from home once a full return to office is possible. The vast majority (70%) also said that they would prefer to work just two days a week or less in the office. Just 5% would favour a return to five days a week in the office. A flexible working schedule (i.e., days or hours) was the number one initiative workers wanted from their employers, with 69% saying that this would help them adjust to working life post-pandemic. However, a higher proportion of employees in Scotland (66%) than the rest of the UK (59%) did not know if such initiatives will be offered in their workplace – and only 31% are aware of whether their employer will begin offering flexible working.
https://www.insider.co.uk/news/one-four-scottish-financial-services-24521744
UK business forecast record growth in employment
UK business optimism continued to strengthen midway through the year, as expectations of a strong recovery enabled firms to plan a record increase in staffing levels over the next 12 months, according to the Accenture/IHS Markit UK Business Outlook. Two thirds of UK private sector firms (67%) expect an increase in business activity during the year ahead, compared to just 9% that project a reduction. At +58% in June, the resulting net balance of business expectations rose to its highest level in six years. Improved activity expectations paved the way for another robust profits forecast, with a net balance of +37% of firms expecting profits to increase over the coming year. As a result, UK firms increasingly made plans to boost business investment and increase employment. Staff hiring plans were particularly strong, with a record net balance of +41% of companies expecting to increase employment in the coming year.
Revised masterplan unveiled for Greater Manchester housing and jobs
A masterplan to revitalise Greater Manchester towns and boost the local economy will go to public consultation next month. The Places for Everyone plan, which replaces the controversial Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF), sets out the development pipeline for nine Greater Manchester boroughs. It includes a long-term plan for jobs, new homes, and sustainable growth. The plan, which covers Manchester, Salford, Trafford, Rochdale, Oldham, Tameside, Bolton and Bury, is subject to the support of the councillors representing the individual local authorities and will be presented at a joint committee meeting on 20 July. The aim will be to bring the plan to public consultation in August. Places for Everyone sits alongside a host of schemes that are being rolled out across the city-region, including: Green Spaces Fund; Green space enhancement work; 30,000 zero-carbon homes for social rent; Mills Strategy; Town Centre Mayoral Development Corporations; and Nature Recovery.