Confederation of British Industry news and archive

Retailers see fastest drop in June sales since 2009 financial crisis

UK retail sales volumes in June fell at the fastest rate since March 2009, according to a new report by the CBI (Confederation of British Industry). The CBI’s monthly retail sales balance fell to -42 from -27 in May. Grocers were the largest contributors to the fall in sales volumes, with the hardware & DIY and footwear & leather sub-sectors...

Retail

Clothing boosts retail sales growth

UK retail sales have grown at a “slightly faster rate than expected” in December, according to the latest figures from the Confederation of British Industry’s monthly Distributive Trades Survey. The survey reveals that retail sales growth has accelerated in the year to December, with volumes rising at the fastest pace since September 2015. It...

People

CBI appoints first female director general

The Confederation of British Industry has named former BBC and ITV director of strategy Carolyn Fairbairn as its new director general, replacing John Cridland who leaves in November. The former media executive is the first woman to hold the director general position in the trade body’s 50 year history, which is Britain’s largest business lobby...

BusinessFeatured

CBI calls for business rates reform

The business rates system must be reformed in order to boost growth and investment, according to the Confederation of British Industry, the UK’s leading business group. The organisation is calling for an overhaul of the “decades-old” business rates model, which it claims is the most damaging to retailers and that by reforming and creating a “...

Design

Clothing sales witness first decline since March

According to a report released today by the British Retail Consortium, clothing sales experienced its first decline in total sales since March, due to the unseasonable warm weather, coinciding with a previous survey released by the Confederation of British Industry. On a total basis, retail sales were up 2.6 percent, up from the 1.1 percent...