Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Consumer confidence has risen, with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reporting an eight-point increase in its index to -28 in August. Gen Z showed the most optimism, anticipating improved finances and increased spending. According to BRC-Opinium data, consumer expectations over the next three months of the state of the economy improved to -28 in August, up from -36 in…
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UK inflation hit 2.9 per cent in July, up from 2.6 per cent in June, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This was the first rise in the annual rate of inflation since March. The increase was mainly driven by an increase in the energy price cap. Commenting on the inflation…
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Nearly half (46%) of medium-sized UK businesses surveyed by BDO expect rising costs and supply-chain disruption to be their main concerns in the coming months. The continuing Middle East conflict is adding uncertainty around oil, gas and transport costs, forcing some businesses to reconsider investment and pricing decisions. BDO has warned that UK inflation could…
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New research from Howden has revealed that despite new government measures designed to tackle late payments, the issue continues to put significant pressure on UK SMEs. The survey found that nearly one in three SMEs receive late payments often or very often, while more than half experience them at least occasionally. Almost one in five…
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Latest British Retail Consortium data has shown that consumer demand slowed in the summer heat wave. Total retail sales increased by 1.3% year on year in July, against a growth of 2.5% in July 2025. This was below the 12-month average growth of 1.8%. Food sales increased by 3.8% year on year in July, against…
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Research by Dun & Bradstreet has found that the UK’s largest businesses are the country’s worst payers, as insolvencies remain at their highest sustained level since the financial crisis The data showed that the largest businesses pay suppliers on time on fewer than one in seven occasions. Businesses employing more than 1,000 people paid suppliers…
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Three in ten small business owners (31%) say they are already using AI to support their enterprises – although 27% say they either have no plans to use it – and a further 21% don’t regard AI as relevant to their business, according to new research from Novuna Business Finance. Whilst some small businesses see…
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CEOs are maintaining confidence in their companies’ growth prospects despite navigating an increasingly volatile business environment marked by geopolitical disruption, rising energy costs and more complex strategic decision-making, according to research by PwC. The survey of hundreds of CEOs across more than 50 countries finds overall confidence in revenue growth has remained unchanged over the…
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Latest research from the Finance & Leasing Association for Q2 has shown an improvement in confidence across the finance and leasing industry, despite continued economic uncertainty. While most respondents (61%) still expected UK economic conditions to weaken over the next 12 months, this was down from 81% in Q1 2026. At the same time, the…
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The UK economy has demonstrated continued resilience despite disruption from the conflict in the Middle East and is now forecast to grow at a slightly better-than-expected pace in 2026, according to the new EY UK Economic Outlook. EY predicts that UK GDP will grow by 0.9% in 2026, a slight increase from the 0.8% growth…
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Business confidence in the UK hit a four-month high, rising five points to 49% in July, two points higher than the 12-month average of 47%, according to the Lloyds Business Barometer. This was driven by an increase in economic optimism, reflecting the decline in global energy prices, the Bank of England holding interest rates and…
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The IoD Directors’ Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leaders’ optimism about prospects for the UK economy, fell marginally to -63 in July 2026, down from -61 in June. Business leader confidence in their own organisations also fell, to -2 in July from +7. The majority of the underlying indicators also declined; revenue expectations fell…
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The number of UK businesses entering insolvency-related processes fell in the second quarter of 2026, but a decline in new company registrations suggests business confidence remains subdued, according to R3 analysis. R3’s latest Quarterly Business Health report, based on data from Creditsafe found there were 6,854 insolvency-related activities in Q2 2026, down 6% compared to…
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