For a more detailed look at the June Distributive Trades Survey and @martinsartorius.bsky.social's view of the results, check out our press release 👇 www.cbi.org.uk/media-centre...

Retailers reported a gloomy start to the summer, amid depressed consumer sentiment and rising cost pressures. Weak trading conditions were mirrored across the wholesale and motor trade sectors as well. Check out the results of the survey 🧵👇

The latest CBI Industrial Trends Survey pointed to a broad-based fall in output volumes in the three months to June, with the balance slipping to its weakest since 2020. Manufacturers expect output volumes to fall again in the three months to September.

I’m excited to be able to share our latest UK economic forecast (even if it's a gloomy one). We've downgraded our GDP growth projections to 1.1% in 2026 and 0.9% in 2027 (from 1.3% and 1.5% previously). Thread below on what's driving the slowdown 👇

UK retail conditions deteriorated in April, with sales momentum weakening noticeably against a backdrop of fragile consumer confidence. Activity remained subdued in the wholesale sector amid headwinds from high costs and muted demand. Check out the results from the latest CBI DTS 👇

The latest CBI Industrial Trends Survey found that business sentiment deteriorated rapidly in April, with manufacturers optimism about both the general business situation and their export prospects declining at the fastest since April 2020.

Inflation rose in March, as the energy shock from the Iran conflict began to feed through to the UK economy. We expect the conflict to put upward pressure on households’ bills in the coming months, but a repeat of 2022 seems unlikely at this stage. More details here 👇

Growth is muted, inflation pressures are building, and the Middle East conflict is adding new uncertainty. 📉 Our April Economic Deep Dive breaks down what this means for UK businesses. Exclusive to CBI members🔒: www.cbi.org.uk/articles/cbi...

Business volumes in the financial services sector rebounded in Q1 2026 at the fastest rate since December 1996, according to the latest CBI Financial Services Survey. FS firms expect volumes to grow at a rapid, albeit slightly slower, pace over Q2.

UK GDP was confirmed to have grown by 0.1% q/q in Q4 2025, following growth of 0.1% in Q3. Growth in Q4 was primarily caused by marginal increases in household and government spending, while business investment contracted.

📉 OUTLOOK FOR PRIVATE SECTOR ACTIVTY REMAINS SUBDUED The CBI’s latest surveys report that firms anticipate another decline in activity in the three months to June, continuing a run of negative expectations going back to the end of 2024.

“The recent spike in global energy prices due to the Iran conflict means that we expect to see renewed inflationary pressures in the near-term." Check out @martinsartorius.bsky.social’s response to today's inflation data and what it could mean for interest rates: www.cbi.org.uk/media-centre...

Momentum in the UK retail sector remained poor in March, with annual sales volumes falling sharply and no signs of an imminent recovery. Subdued activity was also evident across the rest of the distribution sector. Check out the results of our latest DTS 👇

The Bank of England’s MPC voted unanimously to leave Bank Rate unchanged at 3.75%. The Committee said it would “monitor closely the situation in the Middle East and its impact on global energy supply and energy prices, and the UK inflation outlook”

Ahead of the Spring Forecast, with unemployment rising at a post-pandemic high and profitability under pressure, CBI Chief Economist Louise Hellem calls for government to move away from a “business versus employees” mindset in @observeruk.bsky.social article: observer.co.uk/news/busines...

For a more detailed look at the latest Distributive Trades Survey and @martinsartorius.bsky.social's view of the results, check out our press release 👇

Retailers reported a sharp drop in annual sales in February, according to the latest DTS, with some mentioning that wet weather conditions weighed on footfall. Sentiment remains gloomy, hitting investment plans and jobs. Key takeaways from the survey 🧵👇

UK manufacturing output continues to fall, but at a slower pace than last month. Many firms noted that poor sentiment and elevated costs are holding back activity in the sector. Check out the headline results of the survey 🧵👇

UK #inflation slowed to 3.0% in January, in line with our latest projection. We expect this disinflationary momentum will gain pace in the coming months, reflecting the fading impact of last year’s energy and utility price increases

The Bank of England’s MPC voted 5-4 to leave Bank Rate unchanged at 3.75%. The majority bloc preferred to keep rates on hold as they wait to see how lower inflation this year will pass through to wage and price-setting.

The UK FS sector saw a gloomy end to 2025, with business volumes falling sharply. Activity is set to pick up in Q1 2026, though. Check out the key takeaways from the latest CBI FSS 🧵👇

Retailers reported that annual sales volumes fell rapidly in December, as weak consumer confidence contributed to softer trading conditions in the lead-up to Christmas. Check out the results of our latest Distributive Trades Survey 👇

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 5-4 to reduce Bank Rate to 3.75%. Today’s reduction was in line with our recent economic forecast, which expects rates to settle at 3.5% early next year.

Check out my response to today’s UK inflation data, which showed a larger-than-expected slowdown to 3.2% in November 👇

Excited to finally share our latest CBI UK Economic Forecast. We expect moderate growth ahead, but, under the surface, household spending and business investment remain subdued. Check out the key points in the thread below 👇

Conditions in the UK retail and broader distribution sector remain gloomy, with sentiment and annual sales dropping in November. Households continue to be cautious, and Budget-related uncertainty is weighing on capex and hiring. Check out the key figures from the latest CBI DTS 👇

UK CPI inflation slowed to 3.6% in October, down from its 3.8% peak and in line with consensus expectations. Core CPI inflation (excl. energy, food, alcohol, and tobacco) eased further to 3.4% (from 3.5% in September)

UK GDP grew by 0.1% q/q in Q3 2025, underperforming consensus estimates of 0.2%. These figures mark a slowdown from the first half of 2025 (0.7% in Q1, and 0.3% in Q2).

The BoE's MPC kept Bank Rate at 4% today, as it waits to see further disinflationary progress. The Bank's central forecast expects inflation to slow to 2% by H1 2027, based on market expectations that interest rates will fall to a terminal rate of 3.5% in H1 2026. 🧵👇

Year-on-year retail sales volumes fell at a strong rate in October amid weak consumer confidence and Budget concerns - according to the latest CBI DTS. Retailers expect the 13-month-long downturn to extend into November.

UK inflation came in lower than expected in September (at 3.8%), though it remains well above the BoE's 2% target. We expect inflation to slowly ease in the coming months, but we are unlikely to see a more substantial downshift until the first half of next year

Private sector activity is weak, hiring plans remain soft, and the investment appetite is muted. 📊 Our Q3 Economic Deep Dive helps business leaders cut through the noise on demand, costs & labour markets. 🔍 Exclusive to CBI members🔒: www.cbi.org.uk/articles/eco...

Activity in the FS sector dropped at its quickest rate in five years in Q3, but firms expect a strong rebound next quarter. Check out the findings from the survey 👇🧵

September marked the twelfth straight month of falling annual retail sales, according to our latest DTS. Weak demand conditions are weighing on sales, while US tariffs are adding pressure for some retailers. Check out the results of the survey 👇

Since last year’s Autumn Budget hiked labour costs, UK businesses have faced a tough balancing act. How are they responding? Read our latest blog 👉 www.cbi.org.uk/articles/the...

#Retail sales volumes rose by 0.5% m/m in August (from 0.5% in July), marking a third consecutive month of growth. Underlying momentum was more muted, however, with sales falling by 0.1% over the three months to August.

BoE MPC’s rate hold today was widely expected. A noteworthy nod to data dependency in the minutes, alongside unchanged forward guidance, suggests upcoming inflation and labour market data will be key to a possible Q4 cut

UK inflation remained elevated in August at 3.8%. Higher food and energy prices, alongside passthrough from increased labour costs, will continue putting upward pressure on prices in the near term

UK GDP was flat in July, in line with market expectations, after a robust 0.4% rise in June. GDP rose 0.2% in the three months to July, and is 1.4% higher than in July 2024, painting the picture of an economy that is growing, if only moderately.

#Retail sales volumes fell at a strong pace in the year to August – the eleventh month in a row of decline – according to the CBI’s latest quarterly Distributive Trades Survey. Retailers expect the pace of decline to ease in September.

UK #CPI inflation rose by 3.8% in the year to July (from 3.6% in June), slightly above consensus expectations. Core CPI inflation (excl. energy, food, alcohol and tobacco) ticked up to 3.8% (from 3.7% in June)

GDP growth in Q2 (0.3% q/q) was slightly stronger than expected in our latest forecast (0.2%). Under the hood, though, growth was mostly driven government spending, while private demand was weak

One interesting nugget from today's MPC minutes is that there were two rounds of voting to reach a decision. From what I can gather, this is the first time the MPC has held two votes on interest rates since the BoE became independent - underlining just how finely balanced the decision to cut was

The BoE MPC voted to reduce rates to 4% today, in line with our latest forecast's expectations. The story of the Bank's projections was broadly unchanged from May, with GDP growth remaining subdued and inflation gradually returning to the 2% target after this year's bump 🧵 of key takeaways 👇

📉 Private sector firms expect activity to fall again through October. The latest CBI Growth Indicator shows continued weakness across the economy, extending a run of negative sentiment that began in late 2024

#Retail sales volumes fell strongly in the year to July, according to the latest CBI Distributive Trades Survey. Retailers expect the ongoing downturn to extend into August.

UK #inflation picked up to 3.6% in June (from 3.4% in May), mostly reflecting fuel pump price base effects. Price pressures are expected to remain firm this year, due to higher household energy prices and the passthrough of increased labour costs

UK GDP contracted by 0.1% in May, marking the second consecutive monthly decline after a 0.3% fall in April, though this follows a surprisingly strong first quarter. GDP grew by 0.5% in the three months to May.

Annual sales volumes fell at a fast pace in the retail and broader distribution sector, according to our latest DTS. Many firms continue to report that consumer caution is holding back sales Key takeaways from the survey 🧵👇

The latest CBI Industrial Trends Survey found that #manufacturing output volumes fell in the three months to June, at a similarly steep pace to the three months to May. Looking ahead, firms anticipate that the pace of decline will slow over the next three months