Cost of living

The latest data showed food CPI inflation standing at 19.3 per cent, down only slightly on March's eye-watering 19.6 per cent.

Series of interest rate hikes to start within weeks despite fall in inflation

The UK's growth prospects have been aided by surprisingly resilient consumer spending.

IMF 'eats humble pie' with dramatic UK upgrade as inflation set to cool sharply

High street mutual Nationwide Building Society, which rescued the Dunfermline Building Society during the financial crisis, retains a sizeable branch network across the UK. Picture: Greg Macvean

More than three million Nationwide customers to get £100 windfalls

JD Sports has become one of the most familiar brands on the UK high street while also running a successful online operation.

Tiso owner JD Sports thanks 'resilient' customers as profits approach £1bn

The Scottish Retail Consortium said the April figures revealed a more pronounced polarisation of performance between food and non-food categories.

Cost of living: Easter sees 'slender but welcome' uplift in Scottish sales

Greggs said hot food such as chicken goujons and wedges are proving popular, alongside traditional bakery products such as donuts (above).

Greggs holding firm on pricing as sales jump nearly a fifth in past year

Despite the launch of new number plates, cars sales in March were low by historical standards - continuing the trend seen since the start of the pandemic, the ONS noted. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Positive GDP data eases recessionary worries but outlook remains murky

The Bank of England, above, has a target to peg inflation at about 2 per cent.

Interest rates: Bank of England getting it right and wrong with latest move

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon runs more than 800 pubs across the UK and Ireland, including Dunfermline’s Guildhall & Linen Exchange. Picture: Scott Reid

JD Wetherspoon on course for record year but Tim Martin hits out at politicians

Short-term candidate availability across Scotland contracted in April, with the latest reduction linked to general labour shortages, Brexit and an increased reluctance among workers to seek new roles due to worries over job security.

Scottish jobs market takes a dive amid 'lingering economic uncertainty'

The FSB said that downscaled government support means that small firms that signed up to fixed tariffs in 2022 will see their bills revert back to last year’s peak levels.

FSB makes urgent call on energy bills as thousands of firms face closure

The Glasgow-headquartered group has rebranded its Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank branches under the Virgin Money banner. Picture: Virgin Money

Virgin Money goes against grain with profit slide as bad loan provisions jump

Lloyds said it was seeing 'modest' increases in borrowers falling into arrears and defaulting on loans amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Bank of Scotland owner Lloyds sees profit jump but arrears also on rise

Retail was one of the sectors to see an uptick in confidence in the opening quarter of the year.

Small business confidence rebounds but 'plenty of dark clouds on horizon'

Rathbones has found that 44 per cent of business-owners north of the Border have given their employees regular financial help in the last six months. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images.

Cost of living: Scottish business-owners supporting employees financially

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (C) flanked by former Scottish National Investment Bank CEO Eilidh Mactaggart (R) and chair Willie Watt signs a visitors book at the bank's official launch at their headquarters on November 19, 2020 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Andy Buchanan - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Interview: Al Denholm, the new CEO of the Scottish National Investment Bank

Citizens Advice Scotland said its bureaux helped people more than 100,000 times in March, the highest on record for individual pieces of advice given.

Record numbers seek help from charity as cost of living squeezes budgets

Primark has become one of the most familiar and successful brands on the high street.

Primark pull: Cash-strapped customers flock to value chain despite price hikes

Following the changes Prezzo will still have 97 restaurants and about 2,000 staff.

Scottish sites hit as Prezzo takes axe to 46 restaurants amid soaring costs

The wet weather and cost-of-living pressures led to a dip in sales volumes last month.

March washout sees UK retail sales fall more than expected

The data showed that food prices increased by 19.1 per cent year-on-year, the sharpest jump since August 1977. Picture: Greg Macvean

Inflation: Fresh interest rate pain as 'brutal economic struggle' continues

Left to right: Gillian Fleming of Mint Ventures, Nicola Kennedy of Heero Technologies, Kathy Kinder of The TriCapital Syndicate LLP, and Deborah Hudson of Shackleton Ventures. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

Dundee start-up gains six-figure backing for app aimed at cutting energy bills

Prepayment meters mean energy customers are cut off if they cannot afford to pay (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

New code of practice for energy suppliers is not enough

The Scottish Retail Consortium said that once adjusted for inflation, total retail sales by value dipped 0.1 per cent in March.

Scottish retail sales flatline as cash-strapped shoppers focus on essentials

Approximately 460,000 people in Scotland were living in very deep poverty between 2017 and 2020, according to the research. Picture: John Devlin

Number of Scots living in 'very deep' poverty up almost 50 per cent

Tesco said it had been an incredibly tough year for many of its customers.

Tesco 'in good shape' despite profit blow amid unprecedented inflation pressures

In Scotland, the proportion of people with enough cash at the end of the month to be resilient was found to be 28.3 per cent last year, but that figure has dropped to just 20.4 per cent in 2023.

Scots among hardest hit as inflation and rising rates squeeze savings

BDO said that pressures within companies’ supply chains had eased and wholesale energy prices have fallen, taking some of the pressure off businesses.

Business optimism builds as inflation and supply chain woes ease - BDO

Tesco continues to dominate the UK grocery sector with a market share of over 27 per cent.

Tesco set to lay bare profit impact as inflation eats into margins

Gross value added (GVA) is expected to increase by 1.6 per cent over the course of 2024, helped by a 2.3 per cent increase in consumer spending, as employment and real wages recover.

Scottish economy to return to growth in 2024 as consumer spending rebounds

AG Barr chief executive Roger White: 'We are now in an investment phase.' Picture: Stewart Attwood

Irn-Bru maker AG Barr enjoys double-digit sales growth and signals end of era

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon runs some 840 pubs across the UK and Ireland, including Dunfermline’s Guildhall & Linen Exchange. Picture: Scott Reid

Wetherspoon cheers return to profit as chairman eyes easing of inflation

Across the UK retail sector, sales volumes rose by 1.2 per cent in February, a whole percentage point more than the 0.2 per cent analysts were expecting.

UK retail sales rebound but 'reality is laid bare' in breakdown of figures

The Bank of England faces a tricky balancing act, weighing up inflationary pressures, market volatility and recessionary concerns.

Interest rates: Why the latest hike may not be an end to the pain

Food inflation has hit its highest level in 45 years.

Inflation creep: The price shock facing consumers, businesses and BoE

Jeavon Lolay, head of economics and market insight at Lloyds Bank Corporate & Institutional Banking, said February’s data underlined the economy’s 'relative robustness'.

Number of business sectors in growth mode hits ten-month high

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has announced the UK Government’s budget in the House of Commons - but what does it mean for the average Scot? Pic: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Here's what the Budget means for Scottish households

John Lewis has department stores in Edinburgh and Glasgow, above, having closed its Aberdeen store. Further cost cutting is now on the cards across the business. Picture: John Devlin

John Lewis: Bonus blow and huge cost-cutting as retail icon slumps to £78m loss

The Chancellor announced big changes on how much money can be put into pension pots tax free.

Budget 2023: Major changes to pension pots 'tremendous news for economy'

Best home energy efficient lighting: eco-friendly low-cost bulbs

Best home energy efficient lighting: eco-friendly low-cost bulbs

MoneySavingExpert’s Martin Lewis has joined calls for the Government to urgently consider halting plans to raise energy bills in April, saying any decision cannot wait until the spring Budget.

What is the Energy Price Guarantee? How does it differ from the price cap?

The Scottish Retail Consortium said total sales grew by 0.6 per cent in February, compared with the same month last year and once prices had been adjusted for inflation.

Scots retail sales rise for fourth month as grocery inflation hits 24-year high

Surgeons Quarter managing director Scott Mitchell: 'The performance showcases that we are an ambitious and forward-looking organisation.' Picture: Ian Georgeson Photography

Edinburgh hospitality firm sees sales surpass pre-Covid peak but profits hit

Mairi Spowage, director of the Fraser of Allander Institute: 'Scottish firms have had to weather a number of storms over the past 25 years, and their resilience is once again being tested.'

Scottish firms tested by 'cost-of-doing-business crisis' as exports falter

Tourism and hospitality businesses in visitor hotspots such as Edinburgh's Old Town have faced soaring bills and cost-of-living spending pressures.

Demand for 'immediate' action as Scottish tourism operators crippled by costs

Broadband disruptor targets 'overpaying consumers' with £1m growth push

The past couple of weeks have seen results from Britain's big banks, including RBS owner NatWest.

Bank of Scotland owner Lloyds wraps up reporting season 'in some style'

This week has seen figures released for retail sales on both sides of the Border.

Surprise jump in UK retail sales in January but general trend 'one of decline'

The scale of poverty and health inequalities is not inevitable (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Child poverty is getting worse, but it doesn't have to be like this

Shoppers have been juggling with steep price hikes on many food and household items for months now.

Analysis: Government faces momentous challenge halving inflation by end of year

Fuel poverty is a particular problem for people without access to the mains gas supply (Picture: PA)

Kenny MacAskill: Fuel poverty is a particular problem for those not on mains gas

Supermarket shoppers will have noticed many everyday items increasing in price several times over the past year.

Inflation: 'Fight far from over' as inflation falls but remains in double digits

Shoppers hit the high street last month leading to a modest rise in sales but the outlook for consumer spending remains stormy.

Shoppers take advantage of January sales but retail recovery 'deeply fragile'

For the 1.5 million Scots currently in serious financial difficulty, this winter is an uphill struggle.

Picture: Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)

Scots' financial well-being is worse than those in rest of UK – Mubin Haq

Mackie's traditional, strawberry swirl and honeycomb ice creams.

Mackie’s of Scotland: Record ice cream market share but soaring costs hit hard

Middle-income households will face a hit to their personal disposable income ranging from 7 per cent to 13 per cent, according to the report. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto.

Cost-of-living crisis: quarter of UK homes will struggle to pay bills in 2023/24

Rishi Sunak pictured on a tour of a combined-heat-and-power plant in London yesterday (Picture: Jamie Lorriman/WPA pool/Getty Images)

As BP counts its record profits, Sunak must mean what he says about Net Zero

Interest rates have been pushed higher in an effort to curb rocketing inflation, which has dented people's spending power.

Analysis: Borrowers praying for light at end of the interest rate tunnel

Donald Trump promised to shake up Washington and eventually tried to end democracy in the US (Picture: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Energy crisis is creating a breeding ground for political extremism

The Bank of England, above, has voted to increase the base interest rate from 3.5 per cent to 4 per cent.

Interest rates jump to 4% but Bank of England offers glimmer of hope: reaction

Many people who struggle to pay energy bills are forced to switch to pre-payment meters (Picture: Susannah Ireland/AFP via Getty Images)

'Self-disconnection' from energy supplies is a cruel euphemism – Kenny MacAskill

SLTA boss Colin Wilkinson said increases in rates, operating costs, staff shortages and spiraling energy prices were taking their toll on pubs and bars Picture: Lisa Ferguson.

Pubs and bars in plea for government help with 'tide' of financial challenges

Tesco remains the dominant UK supermarket player with a 27.5% slice of the sector, according to industry data.

Tesco shake-up to impact 2,100 roles but retail giant far from spent force

AG Barr is behind one of Scotland's most famous products, the iconic Irn-Bru soft drink. Picture: Phil Barton

Irn-Bru maker flags higher profits but warns over inflation and return scheme

Ryanair has bounced back strongly from the pandemic, which saw airlines forced to ground whole fleets and slash headcounts amid travel restrictions and lockdowns.

Analysis: Ryanair flying high with perfect business model for turbulent times

Andrew McRae, FSB’s Scotland policy chairman, says Scotland’s small business community has endured an 'unprecedented sequence of challenges over the last two and a half years'.

Scottish business group pushes button on biggest 'state of the nation' project

Robin Bulloch is the chief executive of TSB Bank. Picture: Andrew Parsons/Parsons Media

TSB Bank posts higher profits and says borrowers 'coping well', for now

FTSE-100 spirits giant Diageo has a vast portfolio that includes Johnnie Walker whisky, pictured, Guinness stout and Smirnoff vodka.

Diageo cheers stronger sales as 'savvy' drinkers splash out on premium tipples

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