This is a trade facing website. Visit the ACT's consumer site thecyclingexperts.co.uk for information and advice on cycling and find your local independent cycle retailer.

Search News

Results: 121-130 of 908


22 Sep 2022

More than £1.2 million has been paid out to cyclists who have fallen off their bike on Edinburgh's tram lines over the last decade.

22 Sep 2022

This Thursday, September 22nd is World Car Free Day, an annual worldwide event that gives communities the chance to imagine a life without traffic. It also encourages families to come together...

21 Sep 2022

The Association of Cycle Traders has welcomed the government’s announcement that it will be funding support for business energy bills over the next six months.

20 Sep 2022

Bike for Good, the Glasgow-based cycling charity and social enterprise, today announced its partnership with Cytech the internationally recognised training and accreditation scheme for bicycle...

20 Sep 2022

There is a growing movement demanding that roads be made safer for children to cycle to school, with local authorities being called on to redesign local roads and neighbourhoods to provide safer...

20 Sep 2022

Travel insurance comparison site, Comparethemarket, has compiled a list of the top 20 most Instagrammed cycling routes across Europe as inspiration for an exciting cycling break.

15 Sep 2022

BIES Retail has created a visual toolkit for all organisations, and the public sector during this time of mourning to show the country speaking with one voice of unity.

14 Sep 2022

The owner of a butcher ‘s shop in Ballater, Aberdeenshire has told the Daily Record of his shock at the death of the Queen, who was an often-seen figure in the town near Balmoral.

12 Sep 2022

The owners of a coffee shop in Kent have wanted that they may need to increase the price of coffees to £14 each to meet their rising energy costs.

12 Sep 2022

It has been announced that Monday 19 September will be a national Bank Holiday to mark the date of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's State Funeral.

Back to news menu

Retail sales rose in July but ‘rocky road ahead’ forecast for retailers

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News

According to the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor, retail sales rose in July though the news came with a warning that this could be the “lull before the storm”.

UK retail sales were up 1.6% on a like-for-like basis against an increase of 4.7% in July 2021 according to the new data. During the quarter to July in-store non-food sales increased by 1.2% on a like-for-like basis since July 2021. This was below the 12-month growth of 34.4%. Online non-food sales were down, however, by 3.9% against a decline of 0.6% in July 2021 and a 12-month decline of 14.1%.

KPMG head of retail Paul Martin said: “Despite consumer polls suggesting confidence is at an all-time low, this hasn’t translated to money not being spent at the tills, as consumers are determined to enjoy delayed holidays and an unrestricted summer.”

However, he sounded a note of caution, warning: “The summer could be the lull before the storm with conditions set to get tougher as consumers arrive back from summer breaks to holiday credit card bills, another energy price hike and rising interest rates. With stronger cost-of-living headwinds on the horizon, consumers will have to prioritise essentials, and discretionary product spending will come under pressure.”

He added: “As margins continue to be challenged, and costs continuing to rise, a significant drop in demand come the autumn will have detrimental impact on the health of the retail sector. Truly understanding individual customer buying patterns and being able to differentiate these will become increasingly more important for the sector.”

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson, said:

“Sales improved in July as the heatwave boosted sales of hot-weather essentials. Summer clothing, picnic treats and electric fans all benefited from the record temperatures as consumers made the best of the sunshine. However, with inflation at over 9%, many retailers are still contending with falling sales volumes during what remains an incredibly difficult trading period.

“Consumer confidence remains weak and the rise in interest rates, coupled with talk of recession, will do little to improve the situation. The Bank of England now expects inflation to reach over 13% in October when energy bills rise again, further tightening the screws on struggling households. This means that both consumers and retailers are in for a rocky road throughout the rest of 2022.”

Back to news menu

Useful links

If you have any other queries please contact us.