Cutting welfare budgets could cost lives, say researchers.
Analysis of European data showed that a £70 reduction in welfare spending per person is associated with a 2.8% rise in alcohol-related deaths and 1.2% rise in deaths from heart disease.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, the UK research team said ordinary people may be paying the ultimate price for budget cuts.
One expert added that social support was vital for health.
The study comes after the government announced sweeping budget cuts, including reductions in tax credits for families, housing benefit and maternity grants.
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Showing posts with label latest UK retail collapse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label latest UK retail collapse. Show all posts
Friday, 25 June 2010
Saturday, 15 May 2010
US retail sales rise boosts recovery hopes
US retail sales rose more than expected in April, helped by a surprise increase in motor vehicle sales.
The Commerce Department said total retail sales rose by 0.4% following an upwardly revised 2.1% rise in March.
Compared to April 2009, sales were 8.8% higher, and have now increased for seventh straight months.
The figures have increased hope that consumer spending, which accounts for two thirds of the US economy, will keep the recovery on track in coming months.
"This adds to a string of data we have received indicating that consumer spending is improving," said James Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group in Virginia.
Motor vehicle and parts purchases unexpectedly rose 0.5%, following a 6.7% increase in March.
Excluding this category, sales rose 0.4% in April after rising 1.2% in March.
US economic growth had initially had been largely driven by businesses replenishing inventories, but consumer spending grew in the first quarter at its fastest pace in three years.
Increased hiring
Meanwhile, another report on Friday - from the Federal Reserve - showed industrial production rose 0.8% in April, better than economists' prediction of 0.6%.
It means manufacturing also appears to be playing a leading role in supporting the economic recovery.
Stronger manufacturing has also seen factories increase hiring.
Last week, manufacturers added 44,000 jobs in April, the most since 1998.
Businesses that make fabricated metal products, machinery, electrical equipment and appliances, plastics, food, and paper products all posted job gains.
Sourced from The BBC
The Commerce Department said total retail sales rose by 0.4% following an upwardly revised 2.1% rise in March.
Compared to April 2009, sales were 8.8% higher, and have now increased for seventh straight months.
The figures have increased hope that consumer spending, which accounts for two thirds of the US economy, will keep the recovery on track in coming months.
"This adds to a string of data we have received indicating that consumer spending is improving," said James Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group in Virginia.
Motor vehicle and parts purchases unexpectedly rose 0.5%, following a 6.7% increase in March.
Excluding this category, sales rose 0.4% in April after rising 1.2% in March.
US economic growth had initially had been largely driven by businesses replenishing inventories, but consumer spending grew in the first quarter at its fastest pace in three years.
Increased hiring
Meanwhile, another report on Friday - from the Federal Reserve - showed industrial production rose 0.8% in April, better than economists' prediction of 0.6%.
It means manufacturing also appears to be playing a leading role in supporting the economic recovery.
Stronger manufacturing has also seen factories increase hiring.
Last week, manufacturers added 44,000 jobs in April, the most since 1998.
Businesses that make fabricated metal products, machinery, electrical equipment and appliances, plastics, food, and paper products all posted job gains.
Sourced from The BBC
Monday, 9 February 2009
Sales soar at Primark
Primark sales sour over the Christmas period. As the rest of the high street suffer Primark sales increase.
Primark has enjoyed another successful Christmas, with sales soaring by more than a fifth as its cut-price chic continued to appeal to shoppers.
Parent company Associated British Foods said today that total sales at the fashion store rose by 21% in the final 16 weeks of last year.
The sharp rise was partly attributed to Primark opening six new stores during the year, but the group said like-for-like sales growth, which excludes new space, was "very strong" at around 4%.
Primark's performance provides further evidence that shoppers are becoming increasingly thrifty as the recession hammers consumer confidence – a trend that sent clothing sales falling sharply at Marks & Spencer.
Primark fired several suppliers in 2008 following allegations that they were using child labour. But this week, allegations emerged that one of its UK suppliers was subjecting its workers to sweatshop conditions, with illegal immigrants receiving just half the minimum wage for 12-hour days, seven days a week.
read full article sourced from the Guardian
Article
Primark has enjoyed another successful Christmas, with sales soaring by more than a fifth as its cut-price chic continued to appeal to shoppers.
Parent company Associated British Foods said today that total sales at the fashion store rose by 21% in the final 16 weeks of last year.
The sharp rise was partly attributed to Primark opening six new stores during the year, but the group said like-for-like sales growth, which excludes new space, was "very strong" at around 4%.
Primark's performance provides further evidence that shoppers are becoming increasingly thrifty as the recession hammers consumer confidence – a trend that sent clothing sales falling sharply at Marks & Spencer.
Primark fired several suppliers in 2008 following allegations that they were using child labour. But this week, allegations emerged that one of its UK suppliers was subjecting its workers to sweatshop conditions, with illegal immigrants receiving just half the minimum wage for 12-hour days, seven days a week.
read full article sourced from the Guardian
Sales slide at Currys and Argos
When I read this article, it really does real like the downturn is having a major effect. You would expect a lot of small retail shops to close and the odd big one like Woolworth, but here we are facing the end of Argos, Currys and PC world - so all those out of town retail parks will soon be very empty.
The article
DSG International, which owns Currys and PC World, said like-for-like sales - which ignore new stores - had dropped 10% in the three months to 10 January.
Home Retail Group said like-for-like sales at its Argos chain had fallen 7.5% in the 18 weeks to 3 January.
DIY chain Homebase, which is also owned by Home Retail Group, saw like-for-like sales in the same period drop 10.2%.
Many retailers are struggling as consumers cut back on spending amid rising jobless figures, falling house prices and recession worries.
read more sourced from the BBC
The article
Sales at several of Britain's top retail chains have fallen markedly as a result of the economic slowdown.
DSG International, which owns Currys and PC World, said like-for-like sales - which ignore new stores - had dropped 10% in the three months to 10 January.
Home Retail Group said like-for-like sales at its Argos chain had fallen 7.5% in the 18 weeks to 3 January.
DIY chain Homebase, which is also owned by Home Retail Group, saw like-for-like sales in the same period drop 10.2%.
Many retailers are struggling as consumers cut back on spending amid rising jobless figures, falling house prices and recession worries.
read more sourced from the BBC
Land of Leather latest UK retail collapse
LONDON -- Sofa retailer Land of Leather filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday, becoming the latest British retailer to succumb to a downturn in consumer spending amid the global economic slowdown.
Land of Leather, which operates 109 retail stores across Britain and Ireland, entered the administration process _ where a company is run independently with the priority of returning funds to creditors _ after failing to raise working capital or find a buyer.
Lee Manning, one of the appointed administrators at Deloitte said that the company's stores would continue to trade as normal "while the administrators continue to talk to interested parties with a view to concluding a sale of the business as a going concern."
Land of Leather said it had found itself in challenging market conditions "for some time" as a result of the credit crunch and a lack of household spending on big ticket retail items. sourced from The Washington Post read more
My comment
This is the first of these kind of shops to go, I think we will be seeing a lot more interior / furniture / house hold accessories - Now we have all bought cushions, rugs, lampshades and kitchen's, all these shops that have opened up on the strength of the ideal home / interior design period will all start suffering. Lets all start being individual, make cushions from old materials or clothes rather then buying new ones. Thing more creatively around our homes and their interiors.
Land of Leather, which operates 109 retail stores across Britain and Ireland, entered the administration process _ where a company is run independently with the priority of returning funds to creditors _ after failing to raise working capital or find a buyer.
Lee Manning, one of the appointed administrators at Deloitte said that the company's stores would continue to trade as normal "while the administrators continue to talk to interested parties with a view to concluding a sale of the business as a going concern."
Land of Leather said it had found itself in challenging market conditions "for some time" as a result of the credit crunch and a lack of household spending on big ticket retail items. sourced from The Washington Post read more
My comment
This is the first of these kind of shops to go, I think we will be seeing a lot more interior / furniture / house hold accessories - Now we have all bought cushions, rugs, lampshades and kitchen's, all these shops that have opened up on the strength of the ideal home / interior design period will all start suffering. Lets all start being individual, make cushions from old materials or clothes rather then buying new ones. Thing more creatively around our homes and their interiors.
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