Weakened consumer spending puts a dampener on retail sales
When looking through the volatility of the past few months, retail turnover was unchanged in trend terms, reflecting a still high cost of living and elevated interest rates.
“Pretty tough for a while”: Retail spending dips over festive season
December is shaping up to be a softer month for official retail sales numbers after consumers jumped on discounted goods in November and budgets were dried up by high living costs.
Shoppers loosening their purse strings as consumer confidence returns
Online shopping, finance and insurance, and travel were the main drivers of spending growth, increasing by 3.9%, 3.6% and 7.6% over the year.
Ready for 2024? Small business experts predict this year’s storylines
Constrained consumer spending, interest rate anxiety, and sheer exhaustion are likely to weigh on small businesses in 2024, advocates say, as entrepreneurs seek opportunity in what could be another challenging year.
