Podcasts about British Retail Consortium

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:(1) “The president has been very clear that he’s willing to talk to his counterpart,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer tells Fox News about Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.(2) President Donald Trump’s administration pressed forward with plans to impose tariffs on semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports by initiating trade probes led by the Commerce Department. (3) Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent played down the recent selloff in the bond market, rejecting speculation that foreign nations were dumping their holdings of US Treasuries, while flagging that his department has tools to address dislocation if needed.(4) European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer today in DC, “seizing the 90-day window for a mutual solution to unjustified tariffs,” he says in a post on X. (5) UK households increased their spending in March as consumer demand defied an imminent rise in household bills, according to reports from the British Retail Consortium and Barclays.(6) The Trump administration followed through on its threat to pull federal funding from Harvard University hours after the oldest and richest US college refused to agree to a list of government demands.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retail crime is on the rise, impacting businesses, employees, and communities—but what can be done to combat it? Joining the conversation is Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium, who has been at the forefront of advocating for safer retail environments. With a deep understanding of policy, regulation, and industry challenges, Helen is working to address the growing crisis of retail crime in the UK. In this episode, Helen shares insights into: The alarming rise in retail violence and theft across the UK The financial and emotional toll on businesses and employees What's driving the increase in retail crime Effective strategies and technologies to combat crime How retailers and authorities can collaborate for better protection The push for stronger retail protection laws in the UK Whether global collaboration is the key to tackling retail crime A must-listen for retailers, policymakers, and anyone invested in safer shopping environments.

Investigators from the US federal agency noted that mid-air collisions like this are rare in the US, and they said it was far too early to speculate on what caused the crash; however, we will look at crowded airspaces and complex issues surrounding airports. Also, economic growth in the US slowed at the end of last year, as trade and investment declined and the country was hit by hurricanes and strikes. And, shoplifting, shrinkage, the five-finger discount—whatever you call it—stealing from shops is on the rise. Here in the UK, the British Retail Consortium has told the BBC retail crime is "out of control."Throughout the program, we will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Karen Percy, Senior freelance reporter, who's in Melbourne, and Emily Peck, Markets correspondent at Axios, in New York.

People smuggling is seeing a crackdown in the UK after roughly 37,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats last year. The new criminal offence will see tough consequences for individuals involved in any part of the journey, including preparation. In retail news, retailers are saying shoplifting has become out of control in Britain. UK Correspondent Gail Downey said, "thieves have become so bold they even clear whole shelves in full view of customers and staff, and you might see some of these videos on social media of people doing that," according to the British Retail Consortium. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investigators from the US federal agency noted that mid-air collisions like this are rare in the US, and they said it was far too early to speculate on what caused the crash; however, we will look at crowded airspaces and complex issues surrounding airports. Also, economic growth in the US slowed at the end of last year, as trade and investment declined and the country was hit by hurricanes and strikes. And, shoplifting, shrinkage, the five-finger discount—whatever you call it—stealing from shops is on the rise. Here in the UK, the British Retail Consortium has told the BBC retail crime is "out of control."

The UK economy is grappling with significant challenges as consumer confidence slumped in January, which was reflected in weak survey data from the British Retail Consortium. Industrial sentiment is at a two-year low, with output volumes falling at their steepest rate in four years, signalling more contraction ahead. Bloomberg warned of more frequent recessions due to weak growth potential, while stagnant wages since 2008 compounded economic pressures. The labour market is softening, with rising unemployment and declining vacancies, although wage growth remains high, adding to inflationary risks. Despite these headwinds, the Guardian reported that the UK remains the second most attractive country for investment, indicating long-term resilience. The Purchasing Managers' Index (“PMI”) data shows a slight improvement in activity, led by the services sector, but new work continues to decline...Stocks featured:Associated British Foods, Games Workshop and Intermediate Capital GroupTo find out more about the investment management services offered by Walker Crips, please visit our website:https://www.walkercrips.co.uk/This podcast is intended to be Walker Crips Investment Management's own commentary on markets. It is not investment research and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy, sell or trade in any of the investments, sectors or asset classes mentioned. The value of any investment and the income arising from it is not guaranteed and can fall as well as rise, so that you may not get back the amount you originally invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Movements in exchange rates can have an adverse effect on the value, price or income of any non-sterling denominated investment. Nothing in this podcast constitutes advice to undertake a transaction, and if you require professional advice you should contact your financial adviser or your usual contact at Walker Crips. Walker Crips Investment Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 226344) and is a member of the London Stock Exchange. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Something a little different for you today.I am speaking at the Battle of Ideas this weekend on three rather different matters:* Immigration and Demographics* Who Is the World's Greatest Comic?* Why Cash Keeps Us FreeDo come. You can get tickets here. With this years Battle in mind, the Academy of Ideas asked me to write one of its Letters on Liberty. Here it is for your reading or listening pleasure. (There is a PDF version here).It begins with this note from the Academy.What are Letters on Liberty?It's not always easy to defend freedom. Public life may have been locked down recently, but it has been in bad health for some time.Open debate has been suffocated by today's censorious climate and there is little cultural support for freedom as a foundational value. What we need is rowdy, good-natured disagreement and people prepared to experiment with what freedom might mean today.We stand on the shoulders of giants, but we shouldn't be complacent. We can't simply rely on the thinkers of the past to work out what liberty means today, and how to argue for it.Drawing on the tradition of radical pamphlets from the seventeenth century onwards - designed to be argued over in the pub as much as parliament - Letters on Liberty promises to make you think twice. Each letter stakes a claim for how to forge a freer society in the here and now.We hope that, armed with these Letters, you take on the challenge of fighting for liberty. Academy of Ideas teamWhy Cash Keeps Us Free by Dominic FrisbyGive most people the choice of living and working anywhere in the world, I bet the large majority would choose the US. For all its many shortcomings, it's still the land of opportunity. It's exciting, it's dynamic. Wonderful things can happen there. In terms of tech, with Silicon Valley and all the ensuing social media and ecommerce, it is very much the world leader. And yet, Americans still use cheques.When was the last time you used a cheque in Europe? Donkey's years ago. As much as 5 per cent of all financial transactions in the US last year were by cheque. For all its modernity, the US is - in terms of fintech - a good 10 years behind Europe or Australia. Not only do they use cheques, but people in the US still go out with cash in their pockets. Bunch of luddites.However, things are slowly changing, and the US is following the rest of the developed word to cashlessness. It is inevitable, I'm afraid. Technology is destiny.It's also a great shame. Cash empowers its usersWhen I pay you in cash, nobody else gets in on the transaction - it's a direct transfer from me to you. No grubby middlemen can cream off their percentage. No prying eyes of the state can monitor what we do. Big Tech can't glean information from the exchange, to be used at some later stage to sell you stuff or, worse, report back to Big Brother, Big Insurance or whichever Big wants in on your data. Nobody can stop you making the transaction. With cash, you can buy and sell and store your wealth outside of the financial system, if you so choose. There are plenty of reasons, both practical and moral, to do this.Cash means control. Just take the recent de-banking scandals from Canada to the UK, where truckers had their fundraised money withheld because of their views on lockdown, and a UK politician was kicked out of Coutts for holding the wrong opinions. Both the Canadian truckers and their families, and Nigel Farage, had one thing in common – they held views outside of the liberal mainstream. And because their money wasn't under their mattresses but in banks and websites, they lost control of their own cash.Indeed, instability is nothing new. We are repeatedly told how, in 2008, we were ‘on the brink', how close the system was to imploding. Surely, then, it makes practical sense to keep money outside of the system? When Cyprus' banks teetered on the cliff of financial disaster in 2011, there were bail-ins. Ordinary people's money, sitting in deposit accounts, was sequestered to save the system. If your life savings were threatened with confiscation to bail out an organisation you considered profligate, I imagine you too would want little part of it.What you do with your money says more about you than what you say  - no wonder so many want access to this information.Indeed, the former governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, has admitted that banking is not fixed - and we will see financial panic again. It makes sense to hoard some cash, if only as emergency money.In 2016, the Japanese central bank imposed negative rates to try to goad people into spending rather than saving, as the ageing Japanese are prone to do. The spectre of being charged a fee to keep your money in the bank loomed, and so much cash was then withdrawn that the country sold out of safes. Who can blame the Japanese? In Germany, Denmark and Switzerland, some high-net-worth individuals with more than 100,000 euros were charged for being wealthy. There was plenty of talk of confiscation and bail-ins during the financial panic that came with Covid, though fortunately it proved to only be talk. Nevertheless, when in the bank, your money can become a tool of government. How often do you support what your government is doing? Not that often, I imagine. People don't seem to realise this, but when you deposit money in the bank, you are actually lending it to the bank. The bank, under government orders, can then decide who you can and can't send money to (anyone tried sending money from a UK bank to a bitcoin exchange recently? Most banks won't allow you to). The bank can certainly monitor and then disclose what you do with your money. In times of financial panic, it is within the bank's power to confiscate money, again, on government orders. Cash protects you against all of this. It enables you not to play the game - if you don't want to.What you do with your money says so much about you - no wonder so many want access to this information. From the apparently benign (we can see what books you have bought, and so can suggest other books you might like) to the sinister (we can see what books you have bought, and therefore now have you marked down as a problem). When I was at university, a rumour circulated that various organisations monitored who took which books out of the library. Anyone who borrowed Mein Kampf went on a list as potential spy material - I'm not sure on who's side.These are all, in my view, quite legitimate reasons to want to keep money outside of the system. I'm not saying we should take all of our money out of the bank, but that we should all have the option to do so. It's our money, not the banks'. We need cash because it is private.Privacy - and why it matters‘Who are you? Why do you hide in the darkness and listen to my private thoughts?' - William ShakespeareIt's so obvious why we all need some privacy in the real world that it almost doesn't need explaining. Yet, in the digital world, so many of us don't realise just how much of our privacy we are giving away. On a daily basis, we sacrifice privacy for convenience. Different people know different things about you. You might supply your doctor with information you wouldn't give your taxi driver, but your taxi driver knows where you are going - and your doctor might not. You might supply your lover with information you wouldn't give your lawyer. Then again, you might tell your lawyer something you wouldn't tell your lover. The difference is, information you supply online - what you say, read, watch, share, buy or sell - can be used for purposes beyond those for which it was supplied.Information is taken, without you realising that you are granting permission, and is used to shape your behaviour.How often has this happened to you? I was talking to my daughter on the landing outside my bedroom about a trip I was planning. I said, ‘should I bring my Timberlands or my hiking boots?' She said ‘your Timberlands'. I said that they were a bit old. I got into bed, looked at my phone, and Amazon was flogging me Timberlands. Your phone is listening - accumulating information with which you did not deliberately supply it.It's not all bad - often that information might be used advantageously. I'm a huge Game of Thrones fan but I only discovered the books all those years ago because Amazon recommended them. YouTube frequently suggests videos to me that I'm interested in, which I might not otherwise have found. Nevertheless, information is taken, without you realising that you are granting permission, and is used to shape your behaviour and influence the decisions you make. The same data mining is taking place every time you use your credit card, or Apple Pay. It is used to determine the content you receive, to sell things to you, to make decisions about you - the loan, insurance, job or the opportunities you are offered. It is used to influence the political decisions you make. And all this information could be stolen. In the wrong hands, it could be used against you in some way. It can and is being used to spy on you.With financial transactions in the online world, you have little idea what information about you is being used, how it is being used or by whom. You have little say in its use - no ability to object nor power to amend that information. You have no control. There are no such concerns when using cash.You have nothing to hide‘If you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to hide' is the common argument against worrying about privacy. But if you are exploring new ideas - dangerous ideas, ideas that go against the orthodoxy, perhaps investigating the concept that the world might not be flat and is in fact round - do you really want some hidden power knowing what you are up to? The effect of this threat of intrusion is to censor free thought - to censor your inquisitiveness.One solution is to become a drone, to not do anything experimental or anything wrong. Perhaps that's what they - whoever they are - want. Gmail reads the emails you draft but decide not to send. Effectively it knows what you thought, but decided not to say. How dark is that?A better solution is to protect privacy - to limit the scope that others have to use our information beyond the purpose for which it was supplied. It allows us to have greater control over our online reputation and enables us to grow and mature without being shackled by foolish things we might have said or done in the past. It enables us to explore new ideas outside the mainstream, without fear of being watched. Those that know about us have power over us. Protecting privacy limits that power. Cash is key to this.But, of course, protecting privacy costs money. The internet is, mostly, free. Protecting your privacy takes effort. If you protect your privacy, you lose all the benefits that your phone and computer knowing a bit about you brings, from saved passwords to helpful book recommendations.This is the dilemma we all face, and most choose convenience without even realising it. This, above all, is why the world is going cashless. It's more convenient to pay with your phone, or with a card, than it is to carry cash. In the marketplace, convenience always wins.Mobile phones and the naysayersHere's a little story for you. By 2023, some 85 per cent of the global population - 6.8 billion people - had a smart phone. That's more people than have a toilet. Yet, at its peak in 2008, there were 1.3 billion landlines for a global population near 7 billion. Why did the mobile, and then the smartphone, succeed where the landline failed?Yes, superior wireless technology made widespread coverage more possible. But there is another, simpler reason: to get a landline, you need a bank account. When more than half of the world's population is ‘unbanked', as it was in 2008, without access to basic financial services, telecoms companies saw no potential custom. Those companies would have built lines in the Arctic circle if there was profit to be made by it, but there wasn't. Too many people were financially excluded. The infrastructure was never built, and people were left with fewer possibilities to communicate. A mobile, on the other hand, you can buy with cash. You don't need to be banked. The financial system was a barrier to progress for the world's poor. Cash is a facilitator for them - it means total financial inclusion, a luxury the better off take for granted. Without financial inclusion - and there will always be some that, for whatever reason, often some bureaucratic quirk, won't have it - you are trapped in poverty. Beware the war on cash.The irony is that the smartphone now facilitates financial inclusion, whether via traditional finance (banking etc) or modern alternatives - the likes of the African mPesa (a widely used currency based on airtime) or bitcoin and other crypto currencies.Handy cashCash still has its uses for small transactions - a chocolate bar, a newspaper or a pint of milk. It will always be the fastest form of payment there is - think of the change you might put in a busker's hat or the bucket of someone collecting money for charity. It is also the most direct payment there is.For many people not at the top end of the economic scale, cash is still king. For example, I like to tip waiters in cash, knowing they will receive that money without it being syphoned off by some unscrupulous employer. I like to shop in markets, where new businesses often start out. Cash is widespread - it's fast, it's cheap. I can buy directly from the producer knowing they will receive all the money, without middlemen shaving off their percentages. Goodness knows it's hard enough for new, small businesses as it is.A quick look at a recent British Retail Consortium report shows that, surprisingly, cash remains the least costly payment method to process. I want to maximise new businesses profits where I can. Many new businesses starting out need the cash economy. Small businesses need it. The financially excluded need the cash economy. The war on cash is a war on them. Cash also has its uses for private transactions, for which there are many - and by no means are all of them illegal. But if you listen to the scaremongering, you'd start to think that all cash users are either criminals, tax-evaders or terrorists. Sure, some use cash to evade tax, but it's paltry compared to the tax avoidance schemes multi-national corporations employ. Starbucks doesn't use cash to avoid tax, it's all done via legislative means.I have a confession to make - even I, with my highfalutin principles, no longer carry cash, guilty though it may make me feel.A quick poll of my Twitter followers showed that 36 per cent no longer carry any cash when they go out. This is also a generational thing. The number of no-cash-users is much higher among the under-30s. I have four kids between the ages of 18 and 23, none of them carry cash. Nor do their friends. It's the older (wiser?) generation who still carry cash, even if only as emergency money. The problem is, cash is like playing records, when the rest of the world is on Spotify.Use of cash fell quite dramatically with Covid, but it still accounts for 14% of all retail payments in the UK, according to a 2023 House of Commons paper. Projections are that, by 2031, this number will fall to 6%. (Obviously, if you include other payments the proportion is much lower.)In mainland Europe, the use of cash is higher at around 20% of all retail transactions. Germany, Italy and Spain are still at 35-50% cash, while the Nordic countries are below 10 per cent. In the US, the number is in the 20-25% region. But the trend is very much down. But here I have a confession to make - even I, with my highfalutin principles, no longer carry cash, guilty though it may make me feel. The truth is, cash is dying. The convenience of fintech is killing it. Money is now almost entirely digital.Bitcoin and digital cashTech might have doomed cash, but it is also coming to the rescue in the form of bitcoin and other crypto currencies. Bitcoin itself was invented to be a digital replication of the cash process. A can send money directly to B without there having to be any middleman to process the transaction. Bitcoin is cash for the internet.Among the many breakthroughs which got people so excited about this new technology was that Satoshi Nakamoto's blockchain solved the problem of ‘double spending' - making sure you can't spend the same money twice - without having to use third parties such as banks to process the transaction. There is now a plethora of copycat currencies, with many of them focused on privacy in order to make their usage anonymous.At the other end of the scale, we have central bank digital currencies - CBDCs. These have been piloted in various countries around the world and, fortunately, nowhere has really got them to work. They have been met with neither trust nor understanding, and in many cases the tech has fallen short. In Nigeria and the Eastern Caribbean, they went beyond the pilot phase and have been out and out failures. Even in the Bahamas, the one place where a CBDC is said to have worked, adoption has been much lower than hoped. I asked my friend who lives there how successful it had been. He gave me this reply: ‘LOL. I have never seen one person use it.'Fortunately, government incompetence is on our side.Money has always been a bottom-up technology. Users prefer what is convenient. The fiat currency we use in the West today has evolved over many hundreds of years, especially as communication technology has developed. All you are doing when you make a payment is, effectively, sending a promise - the money itself does not exist. There is no gold or anything tangible backing it.Cash is slightly different, because you are handing over something physical. But read what's on that piece of paper - it's just another promise. Once upon a time, you might have been able to swap a 10-pound note for 10 pounds of sterling silver (not quite true as silver was abandoned before paper money became widespread) or 10 gold sovereigns (true). But today, all it says is ‘I promise to pay the bearer the sum of 10 pounds' - it is a promise of nothing. How the whole house of cards doesn't come tumbling down is beyond me, but there you go.Many central banks want to make the transition to CBDCs, despite zero democratic mandate. The planners want it because it then allows for money to become even more of a tool of government policy: whether it be monetary policy, taxation, welfare, surveillance or control. Fortunately, government incompetence is on our side. The history of government IT is so bad, it's unlikely any will succeed, thank goodness, especially not in countries with large populations. Heck, they can't even fix the potholes! But that's not to say they won't try. Always end on a song That's an old show-business maxim. Why don't we do just that?‘Programmable Money', a song I wrote last year about CBDCs, summarises everything there is to be worried about. Enjoy!If you liked this song, you should sign up for my comedy newsletter.Lyrics C - B - D - C. C - B - D - CProgrammable money. Programmable money.We'll monitor every purchase you make,Every transaction or decision you take.If you're not doing wrong, what is there to hide?How you spend money is for us to decide.Your social-credit rating, how do you score?If you're compliant you will get your reward.You may only own what we deem you can own.If you don't register, we'll block your phone.Wait! You'll be late for the expiry date.The state has mandated your money terminatesSo spend, speculate before it's confiscatedThis is what we're going to orchestrateNo more savingProgrammable money. Programmable money.C - B - D - CC - B - D - CYour money's now a tool of policy.You will be living in a smart city.You may only travel in a limited range.Energy and meat rations cos, climate change.We'll take your dough if we think it's owed.No matter if you do not think it's so.Taxes and fines, fares, fees of all kinds.All embedded in the lines of code.Hail Big BrotherProgrammable money. Programmable money.C - B - D - CC - B - D - CTears of the sun, fallen from heaven.Empires fall. Radiant droplets everlasting.We will implant you with a microchip,AI and other forms of censorship.We will decide what is good for you.Total control there's nothing you can do.Bitcoin fixes this!From here.Here's a PDF of today's piece.Finally, here are some videos I made of recent articles, for your viewing pleasure. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

Something a little different for you today.I am speaking at the Battle of Ideas this weekend on three rather different matters:* Immigration and Demographics* Who Is the World's Greatest Comic?* Why Cash Keeps Us FreeDo come. You can get tickets here. With this years Battle in mind, the Academy of Ideas asked me to write one of its Letters on Liberty. Here it is for your reading or listening pleasure. (There is a PDF version here).It begins with this note from the Academy.What are Letters on Liberty?It's not always easy to defend freedom. Public life may have been locked down recently, but it has been in bad health for some time.Open debate has been suffocated by today's censorious climate and there is little cultural support for freedom as a foundational value. What we need is rowdy, good-natured disagreement and people prepared to experiment with what freedom might mean today.We stand on the shoulders of giants, but we shouldn't be complacent. We can't simply rely on the thinkers of the past to work out what liberty means today, and how to argue for it.Drawing on the tradition of radical pamphlets from the seventeenth century onwards - designed to be argued over in the pub as much as parliament - Letters on Liberty promises to make you think twice. Each letter stakes a claim for how to forge a freer society in the here and now.We hope that, armed with these Letters, you take on the challenge of fighting for liberty. Academy of Ideas teamWhy Cash Keeps Us Free by Dominic FrisbyGive most people the choice of living and working anywhere in the world, I bet the large majority would choose the US. For all its many shortcomings, it's still the land of opportunity. It's exciting, it's dynamic. Wonderful things can happen there. In terms of tech, with Silicon Valley and all the ensuing social media and ecommerce, it is very much the world leader. And yet, Americans still use cheques.When was the last time you used a cheque in Europe? Donkey's years ago. As much as 5 per cent of all financial transactions in the US last year were by cheque. For all its modernity, the US is - in terms of fintech - a good 10 years behind Europe or Australia. Not only do they use cheques, but people in the US still go out with cash in their pockets. Bunch of luddites.However, things are slowly changing, and the US is following the rest of the developed word to cashlessness. It is inevitable, I'm afraid. Technology is destiny.It's also a great shame. Cash empowers its usersWhen I pay you in cash, nobody else gets in on the transaction - it's a direct transfer from me to you. No grubby middlemen can cream off their percentage. No prying eyes of the state can monitor what we do. Big Tech can't glean information from the exchange, to be used at some later stage to sell you stuff or, worse, report back to Big Brother, Big Insurance or whichever Big wants in on your data. Nobody can stop you making the transaction. With cash, you can buy and sell and store your wealth outside of the financial system, if you so choose. There are plenty of reasons, both practical and moral, to do this.Cash means control. Just take the recent de-banking scandals from Canada to the UK, where truckers had their fundraised money withheld because of their views on lockdown, and a UK politician was kicked out of Coutts for holding the wrong opinions. Both the Canadian truckers and their families, and Nigel Farage, had one thing in common – they held views outside of the liberal mainstream. And because their money wasn't under their mattresses but in banks and websites, they lost control of their own cash.Indeed, instability is nothing new. We are repeatedly told how, in 2008, we were ‘on the brink', how close the system was to imploding. Surely, then, it makes practical sense to keep money outside of the system? When Cyprus' banks teetered on the cliff of financial disaster in 2011, there were bail-ins. Ordinary people's money, sitting in deposit accounts, was sequestered to save the system. If your life savings were threatened with confiscation to bail out an organisation you considered profligate, I imagine you too would want little part of it.What you do with your money says more about you than what you say  - no wonder so many want access to this information.Indeed, the former governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, has admitted that banking is not fixed - and we will see financial panic again. It makes sense to hoard some cash, if only as emergency money.In 2016, the Japanese central bank imposed negative rates to try to goad people into spending rather than saving, as the ageing Japanese are prone to do. The spectre of being charged a fee to keep your money in the bank loomed, and so much cash was then withdrawn that the country sold out of safes. Who can blame the Japanese? In Germany, Denmark and Switzerland, some high-net-worth individuals with more than 100,000 euros were charged for being wealthy. There was plenty of talk of confiscation and bail-ins during the financial panic that came with Covid, though fortunately it proved to only be talk. Nevertheless, when in the bank, your money can become a tool of government. How often do you support what your government is doing? Not that often, I imagine. People don't seem to realise this, but when you deposit money in the bank, you are actually lending it to the bank. The bank, under government orders, can then decide who you can and can't send money to (anyone tried sending money from a UK bank to a bitcoin exchange recently? Most banks won't allow you to). The bank can certainly monitor and then disclose what you do with your money. In times of financial panic, it is within the bank's power to confiscate money, again, on government orders. Cash protects you against all of this. It enables you not to play the game - if you don't want to.What you do with your money says so much about you - no wonder so many want access to this information. From the apparently benign (we can see what books you have bought, and so can suggest other books you might like) to the sinister (we can see what books you have bought, and therefore now have you marked down as a problem). When I was at university, a rumour circulated that various organisations monitored who took which books out of the library. Anyone who borrowed Mein Kampf went on a list as potential spy material - I'm not sure on who's side.These are all, in my view, quite legitimate reasons to want to keep money outside of the system. I'm not saying we should take all of our money out of the bank, but that we should all have the option to do so. It's our money, not the banks'. We need cash because it is private.Privacy - and why it matters‘Who are you? Why do you hide in the darkness and listen to my private thoughts?' - William ShakespeareIt's so obvious why we all need some privacy in the real world that it almost doesn't need explaining. Yet, in the digital world, so many of us don't realise just how much of our privacy we are giving away. On a daily basis, we sacrifice privacy for convenience. Different people know different things about you. You might supply your doctor with information you wouldn't give your taxi driver, but your taxi driver knows where you are going - and your doctor might not. You might supply your lover with information you wouldn't give your lawyer. Then again, you might tell your lawyer something you wouldn't tell your lover. The difference is, information you supply online - what you say, read, watch, share, buy or sell - can be used for purposes beyond those for which it was supplied.Information is taken, without you realising that you are granting permission, and is used to shape your behaviour.How often has this happened to you? I was talking to my daughter on the landing outside my bedroom about a trip I was planning. I said, ‘should I bring my Timberlands or my hiking boots?' She said ‘your Timberlands'. I said that they were a bit old. I got into bed, looked at my phone, and Amazon was flogging me Timberlands. Your phone is listening - accumulating information with which you did not deliberately supply it.It's not all bad - often that information might be used advantageously. I'm a huge Game of Thrones fan but I only discovered the books all those years ago because Amazon recommended them. YouTube frequently suggests videos to me that I'm interested in, which I might not otherwise have found. Nevertheless, information is taken, without you realising that you are granting permission, and is used to shape your behaviour and influence the decisions you make. The same data mining is taking place every time you use your credit card, or Apple Pay. It is used to determine the content you receive, to sell things to you, to make decisions about you - the loan, insurance, job or the opportunities you are offered. It is used to influence the political decisions you make. And all this information could be stolen. In the wrong hands, it could be used against you in some way. It can and is being used to spy on you.With financial transactions in the online world, you have little idea what information about you is being used, how it is being used or by whom. You have little say in its use - no ability to object nor power to amend that information. You have no control. There are no such concerns when using cash.You have nothing to hide‘If you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to hide' is the common argument against worrying about privacy. But if you are exploring new ideas - dangerous ideas, ideas that go against the orthodoxy, perhaps investigating the concept that the world might not be flat and is in fact round - do you really want some hidden power knowing what you are up to? The effect of this threat of intrusion is to censor free thought - to censor your inquisitiveness.One solution is to become a drone, to not do anything experimental or anything wrong. Perhaps that's what they - whoever they are - want. Gmail reads the emails you draft but decide not to send. Effectively it knows what you thought, but decided not to say. How dark is that?A better solution is to protect privacy - to limit the scope that others have to use our information beyond the purpose for which it was supplied. It allows us to have greater control over our online reputation and enables us to grow and mature without being shackled by foolish things we might have said or done in the past. It enables us to explore new ideas outside the mainstream, without fear of being watched. Those that know about us have power over us. Protecting privacy limits that power. Cash is key to this.But, of course, protecting privacy costs money. The internet is, mostly, free. Protecting your privacy takes effort. If you protect your privacy, you lose all the benefits that your phone and computer knowing a bit about you brings, from saved passwords to helpful book recommendations.This is the dilemma we all face, and most choose convenience without even realising it. This, above all, is why the world is going cashless. It's more convenient to pay with your phone, or with a card, than it is to carry cash. In the marketplace, convenience always wins.Mobile phones and the naysayersHere's a little story for you. By 2023, some 85 per cent of the global population - 6.8 billion people - had a smart phone. That's more people than have a toilet. Yet, at its peak in 2008, there were 1.3 billion landlines for a global population near 7 billion. Why did the mobile, and then the smartphone, succeed where the landline failed?Yes, superior wireless technology made widespread coverage more possible. But there is another, simpler reason: to get a landline, you need a bank account. When more than half of the world's population is ‘unbanked', as it was in 2008, without access to basic financial services, telecoms companies saw no potential custom. Those companies would have built lines in the Arctic circle if there was profit to be made by it, but there wasn't. Too many people were financially excluded. The infrastructure was never built, and people were left with fewer possibilities to communicate. A mobile, on the other hand, you can buy with cash. You don't need to be banked. The financial system was a barrier to progress for the world's poor. Cash is a facilitator for them - it means total financial inclusion, a luxury the better off take for granted. Without financial inclusion - and there will always be some that, for whatever reason, often some bureaucratic quirk, won't have it - you are trapped in poverty. Beware the war on cash.The irony is that the smartphone now facilitates financial inclusion, whether via traditional finance (banking etc) or modern alternatives - the likes of the African mPesa (a widely used currency based on airtime) or bitcoin and other crypto currencies.Handy cashCash still has its uses for small transactions - a chocolate bar, a newspaper or a pint of milk. It will always be the fastest form of payment there is - think of the change you might put in a busker's hat or the bucket of someone collecting money for charity. It is also the most direct payment there is.For many people not at the top end of the economic scale, cash is still king. For example, I like to tip waiters in cash, knowing they will receive that money without it being syphoned off by some unscrupulous employer. I like to shop in markets, where new businesses often start out. Cash is widespread - it's fast, it's cheap. I can buy directly from the producer knowing they will receive all the money, without middlemen shaving off their percentages. Goodness knows it's hard enough for new, small businesses as it is.A quick look at a recent British Retail Consortium report shows that, surprisingly, cash remains the least costly payment method to process. I want to maximise new businesses profits where I can. Many new businesses starting out need the cash economy. Small businesses need it. The financially excluded need the cash economy. The war on cash is a war on them. Cash also has its uses for private transactions, for which there are many - and by no means are all of them illegal. But if you listen to the scaremongering, you'd start to think that all cash users are either criminals, tax-evaders or terrorists. Sure, some use cash to evade tax, but it's paltry compared to the tax avoidance schemes multi-national corporations employ. Starbucks doesn't use cash to avoid tax, it's all done via legislative means.I have a confession to make - even I, with my highfalutin principles, no longer carry cash, guilty though it may make me feel.A quick poll of my Twitter followers showed that 36 per cent no longer carry any cash when they go out. This is also a generational thing. The number of no-cash-users is much higher among the under-30s. I have four kids between the ages of 18 and 23, none of them carry cash. Nor do their friends. It's the older (wiser?) generation who still carry cash, even if only as emergency money. The problem is, cash is like playing records, when the rest of the world is on Spotify.Use of cash fell quite dramatically with Covid, but it still accounts for 14% of all retail payments in the UK, according to a 2023 House of Commons paper. Projections are that, by 2031, this number will fall to 6%. (Obviously, if you include other payments the proportion is much lower.)In mainland Europe, the use of cash is higher at around 20% of all retail transactions. Germany, Italy and Spain are still at 35-50% cash, while the Nordic countries are below 10 per cent. In the US, the number is in the 20-25% region. But the trend is very much down. But here I have a confession to make - even I, with my highfalutin principles, no longer carry cash, guilty though it may make me feel. The truth is, cash is dying. The convenience of fintech is killing it. Money is now almost entirely digital.Bitcoin and digital cashTech might have doomed cash, but it is also coming to the rescue in the form of bitcoin and other crypto currencies. Bitcoin itself was invented to be a digital replication of the cash process. A can send money directly to B without there having to be any middleman to process the transaction. Bitcoin is cash for the internet.Among the many breakthroughs which got people so excited about this new technology was that Satoshi Nakamoto's blockchain solved the problem of ‘double spending' - making sure you can't spend the same money twice - without having to use third parties such as banks to process the transaction. There is now a plethora of copycat currencies, with many of them focused on privacy in order to make their usage anonymous.At the other end of the scale, we have central bank digital currencies - CBDCs. These have been piloted in various countries around the world and, fortunately, nowhere has really got them to work. They have been met with neither trust nor understanding, and in many cases the tech has fallen short. In Nigeria and the Eastern Caribbean, they went beyond the pilot phase and have been out and out failures. Even in the Bahamas, the one place where a CBDC is said to have worked, adoption has been much lower than hoped. I asked my friend who lives there how successful it had been. He gave me this reply: ‘LOL. I have never seen one person use it.'Fortunately, government incompetence is on our side.Money has always been a bottom-up technology. Users prefer what is convenient. The fiat currency we use in the West today has evolved over many hundreds of years, especially as communication technology has developed. All you are doing when you make a payment is, effectively, sending a promise - the money itself does not exist. There is no gold or anything tangible backing it.Cash is slightly different, because you are handing over something physical. But read what's on that piece of paper - it's just another promise. Once upon a time, you might have been able to swap a 10-pound note for 10 pounds of sterling silver (not quite true as silver was abandoned before paper money became widespread) or 10 gold sovereigns (true). But today, all it says is ‘I promise to pay the bearer the sum of 10 pounds' - it is a promise of nothing. How the whole house of cards doesn't come tumbling down is beyond me, but there you go.Many central banks want to make the transition to CBDCs, despite zero democratic mandate. The planners want it because it then allows for money to become even more of a tool of government policy: whether it be monetary policy, taxation, welfare, surveillance or control. Fortunately, government incompetence is on our side. The history of government IT is so bad, it's unlikely any will succeed, thank goodness, especially not in countries with large populations. Heck, they can't even fix the potholes! But that's not to say they won't try. Always end on a song That's an old show-business maxim. Why don't we do just that?‘Programmable Money', a song I wrote last year about CBDCs, summarises everything there is to be worried about. Enjoy!If you liked this song, you should sign up for my comedy newsletter.Lyrics C - B - D - C. C - B - D - CProgrammable money. Programmable money.We'll monitor every purchase you make,Every transaction or decision you take.If you're not doing wrong, what is there to hide?How you spend money is for us to decide.Your social-credit rating, how do you score?If you're compliant you will get your reward.You may only own what we deem you can own.If you don't register, we'll block your phone.Wait! You'll be late for the expiry date.The state has mandated your money terminatesSo spend, speculate before it's confiscatedThis is what we're going to orchestrateNo more savingProgrammable money. Programmable money.C - B - D - CC - B - D - CYour money's now a tool of policy.You will be living in a smart city.You may only travel in a limited range.Energy and meat rations cos, climate change.We'll take your dough if we think it's owed.No matter if you do not think it's so.Taxes and fines, fares, fees of all kinds.All embedded in the lines of code.Hail Big BrotherProgrammable money. Programmable money.C - B - D - CC - B - D - CTears of the sun, fallen from heaven.Empires fall. Radiant droplets everlasting.We will implant you with a microchip,AI and other forms of censorship.We will decide what is good for you.Total control there's nothing you can do.Bitcoin fixes this!From here.Here's a PDF of today's piece.Finally, here are some videos I made of recent articles, for your viewing pleasure. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

The British Retail Consortium shop price index (measuring prices in selected stores in the UK) sank to a 0.2% y/y rate. Is this the end of profit-led inflation? Profit-led inflation occurs when retailers use a dominant narrative to disguise profit increases when raising prices. However, at some point, price increases become the dominant narrative and consumer rebellion defeats margin expansion.

The Bank of England's ("BOE") outgoing Deputy Governor, Ben Broadbent, defended the bank's policy-making process against accusations of groupthink, highlighting robust discussions at meetings. While acknowledging progress on inflation, Broadbent hinted at possible rate cuts ahead of the BOE's next meeting in the coming months. Meanwhile, there has been positive news on the consumer front; the British Retail Consortium reports UK shop price inflation has returned to normal levels, with May seeing the lowest annual shop prices since late 2021. This decline, likely due to subdued consumer demand, coincides with the fastest growth in UK retail sales since December 2022, as reported by the Confederation of British Industry Distributive Trade Survey, suggesting rising consumer confidence.Stocks featured:Auto Trader, Pets at Home Group and Wizz Air HoldingsTo find out more about the investment management services offered by Walker Crips, please visit our website:https://www.walkercrips.co.uk/This podcast is intended to be Walker Crips Investment Management's own commentary on markets. It is not investment research and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy, sell or trade in any of the investments, sectors or asset classes mentioned. The value of any investment and the income arising from it is not guaranteed and can fall as well as rise, so that you may not get back the amount you originally invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Movements in exchange rates can have an adverse effect on the value, price or income of any non-sterling denominated investment. Nothing in this podcast constitutes advice to undertake a transaction, and if you require professional advice you should contact your financial adviser or your usual contact at Walker Crips. Walker Crips Investment Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 226344) and is a member of the London Stock Exchange. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In anticipation of the Federal Reserve's (“Fed”) upcoming policy decision, the FTSE 100 and gilt yields saw modest increases. This decision is expected to influence the Bank of England's (“BOE”) interest rate strategy. Currently, UK markets have dialled back interest rate expectations, predicting only 0.38% in cuts this year, with the first adjustment anticipated in the fourth quarter. This cautious stance comes despite the slowest rise in UK shop prices since December 2021, as reported by the British Retail Consortium. This reflects a notable deceleration in non-food price inflation and easing food costs.Stocks featured:Standard Chartered, Smurfit Kappa Group and Melrose IndustriesTo find out more about the investment management services offered by Walker Crips, please visit our website:https://www.walkercrips.co.uk/This podcast is intended to be Walker Crips Investment Management's own commentary on markets. It is not investment research and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy, sell or trade in any of the investments, sectors or asset classes mentioned. The value of any investment and the income arising from it is not guaranteed and can fall as well as rise, so that you may not get back the amount you originally invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Movements in exchange rates can have an adverse effect on the value, price or income of any non-sterling denominated investment. Nothing in this podcast constitutes advice to undertake a transaction, and if you require professional advice you should contact your financial adviser or your usual contact at Walker Crips. Walker Crips Investment Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 226344) and is a member of the London Stock Exchange. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FTSE 100 looked to break new highs yet again as the market opened, this time topping the 8,300 mark. BP shares failed to contribute to the gains though, as the oil major fell after reporting a significant fall in first-quarter profit and revealing plans to save US$2 billion by late 2026. Retail sales and house price data unveiled on Tuesday were also skewed, with the former showing a 4.4% fall in April against a year earlier, according to the British Retail Consortium. House prices increased by 1.1% over the month against a year earlier, but climbed just 0.1% from March, Halifax said, with analysts warning high mortgage rates were still hitting. Finally, elsewhere, UBS outdid expectations with a first quarterly profit of US$1.8 billion since overtaking Swiss rival Credit Suisse. #ProactiveInvestors #marketreport #ftse #footsie #ftse100 #bp #ubs #creditsuisse #halifax #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

The FTSE 100 enjoyed a bright start on Tuesday, as news broke shop price inflation was at its lowest level in nearly two and a half years. Shop prices climbed by 0.8% in April, against 1.3% in March, as non-food items even fell, the British Retail Consortium reported. Among companies, a busy day of reports saw HSBC rise early on, as its chief executive unveiled a $3 billion share buyback but also his retirement on a first-quarter earnings beat. Premier Inn owner Whitbread fell after announcing 1,500 job cuts within its struggling food business, which includes brands Brewers Fayre and Beefeater. FTSE 250-listed Card Factory soared after reinstating its dividend on improved profit last year. And finally, Morrisons announced the £2.5 billion sale of its petrol forecourts to tackle its mounting debt pile. #ProactiveInvestors #marketreport #ftse #ftse100 #footsie #hsbc #cardfactory #whitbread #brewersfayre #beefeater #morrisons #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

U.S. Treasury yields rise following better-than expected manufacturing data with odds of a June rate cut slightly slipping. In the UK shop price inflation falls below 2 per cent for the first time in two years, according to the British Retail Consortium. Iran accuses Israel of bombing its consulate in Syria with several senior Revolutionary Guard commanders killed. Tehran has vowed a “harsh” response. In Asia, Xiaomi shares are up boosting the Hang Seng after the tech giant enters the EV sector. This, as BYD sells 300k units in March. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The FTSE 100 climbed as the markets reopened following the long weekend. Fuelling gains was news UK shop price inflation hit a more than three-year low of 1.3% in March, against 2.5% in February, as per figures from the British Retail Consortium. Data from Nationwide showed house prices had continued to fall in some areas of England over the first quarter meanwhile, but were up 0.4% across the board. Among companies, Revolution Bars' woes continued as the chain said shares would be suspended from London's junior market after it failed to publish an interim report on time. And finally, Google announced hundreds of billions of records would be destroyed in a bid to settle claims it collected user data, despite assuring it wouldn't, while they browsed on Chrome's private mode. #proactiveinvestors #marketreport #ftse #ftse100 #footsie #inflation #britishretailconsortium #nationwide #revolutionbars #google #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

Lorraine Kelly CBE has been described as the queen of morning television. Now after a lifetime of wanting to, she has written her first novel, The Island Swimmer, a story of family secrets, island communities and overcoming fear. Lorraine joins Anita Rani to discuss her novel, her life and her 40-year career.It's been almost 40 years since most UK coal miners went on strike over pit closures and proposed redundancies. It was one of the most divisive conflicts of a generation – but what role did women play? And how did it change things for them? Nuala McGovern is joined by two women who were there at the time – Lisa McKenzie and Heather Wood – to share their experiences. Violence and abuse against shop workers rose to 1,300 incidents a day last year. That's according to new figures from the British Retail Consortium. Nuala hears from Michele Whitehead, a workplace rep for the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, on what it's like for her. Four years ago, Avon and Somerset Police offered Channel 4 unprecedented access to its Counter Corruption Unit, the people who police the police. Emma Barnett speaks to their Chief Constable, the first woman to hold the post, about why she made the decision to let the cameras in, and the consequences of doing so.Lauren Rowles is a two-time Paralympic Gold, World and European champion rower, who was on the Woman's Hour Power List of Women in Sport. This summer she's hoping to break a record at the Paris Paralympics – she tells Nuala about that, and her work away from sport advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those struggling with their mental health. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

Violence and abuse against shop workers rose to 1,300 incidents a day last year, up by 50% in the year to September 2023,. That's according to new figures by the British Retail Consortium. Nuala hears from Michele Whitehead, a workplace rep for USDAW who has worked at a convenience store in Wolverhampton for 20 years.Dr Natalie Yates-Bolton is 57 and has survived cancer five times. The senior lecturer in nursing was first diagnosed at the age of 22 whilst still at university. She's had 11 operations, 30 sessions of chemotherapy and 55 rounds of radiotherapy. Natalie joins Nuala McGovern to discuss what's helped her get through three decades of cancer care. Professor Katrin Hohl is the new independent advisor to the Government on rape. She joins Nuala to discuss her new role, and her priorities for change. Forty years ago next month most of the coal miners in the UK went on strike over pit closures and proposed redundancies. The strike lasted a year and was one of the most divisive conflicts of a generation. On Sunday, BBC Two is broadcasting Miners' Strike: A frontline Line Story, which features personal testimony from men and women on the frontline of the strike. Nuala's joined by two women who were there at the time to discuss their experiences: Lisa McKenzie appears in the film and was a teenager when her dad was on the picket lines and Heather Woods was also very active in the strike. My Life with the Walter Boys is a teen drama on Netflix that hit 12 million views in it's first week alone. It was adapted from a book written by Ali Novak when she was just 15 years old. She joins Nuala to talk about the transformation of her book to a hit series along with the executive producer who adapted the story, Melanie Halsall.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Dianne McGregor

On today's episode, Ian King speaks to the British Retail Consortium about their latest figures showing the state of retail sales in the UK.He also discusses venture funding with Hector Mason, a partner at Episode 1 Ventures.And with cyber-attacks becoming more common, Ian chats to Jeetu Patel from tech firm Cisco about how firms are staying safe online.

London is in the grip of a shoplifting epidemic with a huge spike in crimes over the past year.In this episode, the Evening Standard's crime correspondent Anthony France reports how store theft in the capital now costs retailers over £9 million each month as offences soared by almost 50 per cent.The head of the British Retail Consortium says “violence, abuse and theft are all significantly up on pre-Covid levels”.At the same time, Londoners with high-value watches continue to be targeted in increasingly violent robberies - and we'll have more on this in part two of the Standard podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, Ian King discusses the new president of the CBI - Rupert Soames - with Sky's city editor Mark Kleinman.He also speaks about spending figures released by the British Retail Consortium.And Ian welcomes Profressor Amy Edmondson onto the show to discuss her latest book - 'Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well'.

Good morning from London where the FTSE 100 is recovering from a bit of a slump yesterday afternoon – the market on Monday was responding to rumours from the US of more interest rate hikes to come. Here in the UK though food prices fell month on month for the first time in two years in September, and overall retail price inflation of 6.2% was the slowest rise so far this year, according to the British Retail Consortium. High street bakery chain Greggs' shares have fallen this morning with investors seemingly unimpressed with solid growth and a reiteration of its full-year guidance, as well as news of a new link-up with Uber Eats. Even harder hit on Tuesday morning was clothing retailer Boohoo, which is reporting a £9.1 million pre-tax loss at the half-year stage, compared to a profit last time around. AstraZeneca's off to a more positive start after announcing a US$425 million settlement of US legal claims relating to alleged side effects for its heartburn drugs Nexium and Prilosec. And finally with the small caps, toymaker Character Group opened higher after hinting that a stronger second-half performance would translate to profitability for the full year. #ProactiveInvestors #FTSE100 #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

Ian King speaks to our City Editor Mark Kleinman about Wilko's latest lifeline. Plus, hear from the director of insight at the British Retail Consortium about UK sales and consumer confidence. And the chief executive of STV Group joins the show to discuss its latest profits and why it's a tough time for commercial broadcasters.

Paul Foulkes Arellano, Circularity Educator at Circuthon® Consulting - Non-Exec Director - Fundraiser for Bioeconomy Pioneers, is welcomed in this discussion. The conversation begins by acknowledging Paul's strong presence on LinkedIn and his unique approach to sustainability within the retail and fashion industry. Unlike many sustainability influencers who focus on specific aspects like packaging or manufacturing, Paul takes a holistic view, addressing various sustainability facets. He shares how his perspective was shaped by Dr. Chris Sherwin's teachings, emphasizing that every decision impacts nature, drawing parallels to fashion's impact on the environment. Paul critiques the fashion industry's weak defenses for unsustainable practices and calls for a scientific, data-driven approach to sustainability, involving experts and scientific officers within companies. Paul highlights the need for comprehensive change in the industry, urging businesses to integrate sustainability into their entire organization, from supply chain decisions to work policies. He cites financial institutions like EY and NatWest as examples of training their employees in sustainability, a practice absent in fashion. He stresses the importance of training and retraining people within the industry, signaling hope for change through new expertise. Paul's view on the future sees a transition toward more sustainable practices in the coming years, with businesses adopting transparent metrics and embracing circularity. The conversation then shifts to Paul's role as the founder of Circuit On, a consulting firm guiding billion-dollar companies in achieving circularity. He addresses opposition from industry associations like the British Retail Consortium to measures like extended producer responsibility. Paul also shares insights about emerging initiatives in fashion, like software to track garment lifecycles. The discussion ends on the importance of reshaping fashion education to incorporate sustainability from the start, both in universities and businesses. The interview concludes with gratitude for sharing these insights and fostering awareness on sustainable practices.

HSBC's CEO Talks Bumper Profits & UK Shop Prices Drop Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes. On today's podcast:(1) HSBC plans to buy back up to $2 billion of stock after a Q2 pretax profit of $8.8 billion. (2) UK shop prices drop for the first time in two years according to the British Retail Consortium. (3) Nigel Farage says Coutts have offered to let him keep his account. (4) The UK has dropped its bid to replace Europe's 'CE' quality mark post-Brexit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good morning to you from London, where the FTSE 100 has started the day at what you could politely call a steady pace, following on from an uninspiring Monday in the US markets and a surprise 0.25% interest rate hike in Australia. Fresh data from the British Retail Consortium out this morning shows that May's trio of bank holidays failed to rouse shoppers, with a 3.9% year-on-year rise in UK retail sales less substantial a gain than the 5.1% recorded by the British Retail Consortium in April. In the City, British American Tobacco boss has Tadeu Marroco recommitted to the company's strategy of rolling out less harmful products, as the company reiterated a £5bn revenue target for 2025. Shares in the UK's two listed supermarkets Tesco and Sainsbury's fell this morning as a survey by consumer group Which? found German discounters Aldi and Lidl were continuing to beat them on price. And the future of Britain's largest business group should get a little clearer later today. Members of the Confederation of British Industry will be voting on whether to wind the organisation up entirely. #ProactiveInvestors #invest #ftse100 #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

Welcome to Comms, Actually - a sponsored mini-series by Propeller Group, a specialist B2B PR, content and business development agency. You can find out more about them and Comms, Club that they run which brings together people in communications talking about the big issues. You can find out more at www.propellergroup,com This episode is with Tom Holder, the head of communications for the British Retail Consortium, the trade association for retailers in the UK. He delves into the reality of managing comms and how busy it gets as the retail landscape continues to change and technology shifts consumer behaviours. You can read up more about the BRC at www.brc.org.uk 

Ian King's speaking to Andrew Opie at the British Retail Consortium about today's summit looking at food inflation and supply issues; there's Chris Gray, Director at ManpowerGroup UK, react to rising unemployment figures; Jaeger Glucina, who's the MD of AI company Luminance, talking about law-focused Artificial Intelligence; and there's analysis of the headlines from The Times' Economics Correspondent, Arthi Nachiappan.Also on the show: Arsjad Rasjid from Indonesia's Chamber of Commerce and ASEAN's Business Advisory Council talks about the country's economic growth; and the chief executive of Land Securities, Mark Allan explains why it's had to write down the value of its assets.

Sean Farrington has the latest on what could be the most disruptive strike action in NHS history, as junior doctors in England walkout in a dispute over pay. We'll be talking about how the high street is faring with the latest retail figures from the British Retail Consortium. And Tesla announces plans for a major battery plant in China - will it pay off?

Grocery prices have increased by 17.1% in the four weeks to 19th February, meaning it's at the highest level they've ever been recorded. This could mean households see over £800 extra on their annual food shop (Kantar). With grocery inflation being the second most important financial issue for the public, behind energy costs, we speak to shopper's about how their household budgets are being affected. The experts on the panel are, Kris Hamer, Director of Insights at the British Retail Consortium, Sabine Goodwin, Coordinator at the Independent Food Aid Network and Lisa Webb, consumer expert at Which. Presenter: Dan Whitworth Producer: Amber Mehmood Editor: Clare Worden

According to an in-depth research and analysis by the MBS Group and the British Retail Consortium, about Diversity and inclusion in UK retail, 91% of retailers have a D&I strategy, “but generally many metrics have not moved significantly, or some have gone backwards.” Why is diversity important to your business? This is the question of episode 17. Luiza Gomes, HR Policy Advisor at The British Retail Consortium, talks to Hyve's Content Editor about the current situation in the retail industry and what can be done to improve it.

Miriam Leitão indica que resistências de mérito sobre o arcabouço fiscal estão afastadas e que o debate ocorre agora em torno de contas e projeções. Divulgação pode ocorrer ainda esta semana. O presidente da Câmara, Arthur Lira (PP-AL) passou a admitir a manutenção de comissões mistas para a tramitação das MPs.   Jefferson (FED) afirma em Q&A que inflação tem sido persistente e que taxa atual é muito elevada. British Retail Consortium divulga avanço da inflação no varejo de 8.4% em fevereiro para 8.9% em março na variação YoY. Este é o maior avanço desde o início da coleta do dado em 2005. Podcast Direto ao Ponto do Banco Modal com as principais notícias de Brasil e Internacional ao longo do overnight. Por Felipe Sichel, economista-chefe do Banco Modal.

Ian King speaks to the British Retail Consortium as shop price inflation reaches a record high as consumers are warned prices are unlikely to drop again for months, UK house prices record their first year on year fall in nearly three years and young people are urged to consider careers in farming.

With the rise in food prices reaching a record annual rate in December, Ian is joined by Helen Dickinson from the British Retail Consortium. Plus, as the Consumer Electronics Show gets underway in Las Vegas, he speaks to Nakal Duggal from wireless tech giant Qualcomm – and Chintan Patel from Cisco discusses the 40th birthday of the internet.

The FTSE 100 is up again this morning, holding at six-month highs of just under 7,600 points. But the performance of the stock market may be cold comfort for British consumers - a report from the British Retail Consortium today says that food inflation hit a new high in December, topping 13.3%. High energy costs are also on the agenda. Businesses may see some more clarity on energy support today, with chancellor Jeremy Hunt due to meet business groups this afternoon to discuss packages for March and beyond. Over in the US, Twitter is facing a lawsuit in San Francisco for unpaid rent, adding to concerns over the company's financial troubles. While Microsoft has suggested it could launch a new AI- powered version of its search engine Bing in March, potentially bringing a new level of challenge to Google. And in small caps, shares in tech firm Seeing Machines jumped after it confirmed it'll be unveiling three new strategic collaborations at a Las Vegas event this week. While researcher hVIVO also had a good morning after announcing a US$5.2mln study contract with an Asia-Pacific based biotech company. You'll be able to watch my interview with the CEO of hVIVO Mo Khan here on Proactive later today. This morning's report was written by Josh Lamb and presented by me, Thomas Warner. #ProactiveInvestors #ftse100 #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

One of the major issues of the Pandemic and Brexit has been the gradual demise of the High Street. It is estimated that 450 shops per day, of all sizes, closed during 2022. Another reason for the closures has been the rise of online shopping. The British Retail Consortium has complained to the Government that they are not competing on a level playing field with online retailers, although there has been a great deal of if you can't beat them join them from medium-sized retailers. Quite often, the bricks and mortar shops are not beaten on price, but convenience and the ancillary costs of visiting high streets or shopping malls. As we enter a new year, this is a phenomenon that looks irreversible as local authorities continue to increase business rates and costs of parking and public transport. The Government has failed abysmally in agreeing free trade deals with its major partners since Brexit. They report that agreements in place with 63.1% of the country's partners. However, no trade deal is in place with the U.S. despite an application being made in 2021. Beyond Currency Market Commentary: Aims to provide deep insights into the political and economic events worldwide that can cause currencies to change and how this can affect your FX Exposure.

The difficulties in the egg supply chain continue, with some supermarkets rationing eggs while others import them from Europe. The British Retail Consortium has been saying avian flu is disrupting supply - but farmers say it's because egg producers are losing money on every egg they sell. They say the cost of the ingredients for feed alone has risen by 90% since 2019 - while they're being paid only 35% more. As a result, many are reducing the number of hens they have or even pausing production entirely. The NFU is calling for Government intervention. It's not just the cost of producing eggs that's rising - a report from consultants, Promar International, says the cost of producing fruit and veg in the UK is up by 27% year on year. We hear from one farmer who is concerned about his labour costs for next year. The National Living Wage will be increased from April, and it's not yet clear what that will mean for seasonal workers here on temporary visas, who this year had to be paid above the minimum wage. And the Scottish Government is consulting on plans to introduce licences for grouse moors. Under the proposals - which follow a string of illegal killings of birds of prey - there would be new rules on muirburn, or heather burning. We hear from campaigners who want reform, and visit one grouse moor to discuss the future of the industry. Presented by Charlotte Smith Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

The US markets extended the green run this week into Tuesday as investors anticipate the midterm election results, expecting Republicans to take back the House of Representatives and possibly win the Senate as well, which could impact government spending and regulation. The Dow Jones industrials index added 1.36%, the S&P500 gained 0.97%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq rallied 0.85%.Over in Europe, markets closed higher as global investors looked to the US where the midterm elections are dominating headlines. The STOXX600 rallied to close Tuesday's session 0.78% higher, while Germany's DAX added 1.15% and the French CAC closed the session up 0.39%. In the UK, the FTSE100 added just 0.08% at the closing bell on Tuesday which was a recovery from a sell-off early in the session. The morning sell-off was sparked by British Retail Consortium figures showing UK retail sales growth slowed in October to 1.2% YoY compared to 1.8% in September which dampened investor sentiment.What to watch today:In commodities, it's been a mixed week across the board with commodities moving with investor sentiment around China's COVID zero goal updates. This morning, crude oil is trading 1.32% lower at US$90.57 per barrel, natural gas is down 10.54%, gold is trading up 2.32% at US$1712 per ounce, and Iron ore is down 0.56% at US$88.50 per tonne.Ahead of the local trading day the SPI futures are expecting the local market to open 0.73% higher on the back of a strong session on Wall Street so far on Tuesday.The Aussie dollar has strengthened to buy 64.5 US cents, 56.25 British Pence, 95.07 Japanese Yen and 1 New Zealand Dollar and 9 cents.On the economic data front today, China's inflation rate for October will be announced today with the market expecting the inflation in the region to have slightly cooled in October to 2.6% from 2.8% in September. High inflation is bad for markets and stock markets are forward looking. Inflation expectations have already been priced into current share prices so the risk for investors is that the inflation number comes in higher than expected and, if it does, then that is likely to put further pressure on share prices. With so much commentary on inflation right now, it's important for listeners to look at what has already been priced in and new information that has not because that is where we will see movement.Trading Ideas:Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 7-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $6.96 to the range of $8.10 to $8.40 according to standard principles of technical analysis.Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Infomedia Limited (ASX:IFM) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 24-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $1.23 to the range of $1.02 to $1.06 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 115-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 12,986 on turnover of $2.93-billion N-T. **2.3 million households set to benefit from hiked tax ceiling ** The Ministry of Finance has announced that it is raising Taiwan's basic living expense tax deduction for 2022. The deduction is now $196-thousand NT. Taiwan's 2017 Taxpayer Rights Protection Act stipulates that individuals should not be taxed on the amount they need to cover basic expenses, which is set at 60 percent of the median per capita disposable income (可支配所得) from the preceding year. The MOF estimated that 2.3 million households will benefit from the tax-deductible allowance for basic living expenses, saving over $1.5 billion NT, when they file an income tax return in May next year. **Leopard cat Lulu confirmed as having given birth to 2 new cubs ** Researchers have confirmed that a young adult leopard cat named Lulu has given birth to two new cubs after recent images showed them in Nantou County. The Endemic Species Research Institute says images of the leopard cat family were taken on October 12th by motion-activated cameras installed by the institute. The images showed Lulu with the two young cubs in a mountainous area of Nantou's Xinyi Township. It was the first time the three leopard cats were filmed together since Lulu was electronically tagged and released into the wild in February 2019 in Xinyi Township, one of the native leopard cats' original habitats where the institute operates a rehabilitation center. **NKorea Fires Missiles ** North Korea has fired at least three missiles including a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile, after firing more than 20 missiles yesterday. The Japanese government initially said at least one of the missiles flew over its northern territory, but later revised its assessment, saying there were no overflies (飛過. vi. 飛越上空). The government did issue evacuation alerts and temporarily halted trains as a result. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the North firing a missile it presumed as an ICBM from an area near its capital Pyongyang around 7:40 a.m. Then two short-range missiles were fired from the nearby city of Kacheon that flew toward its eastern waters. **UK Food Prices Surge ** Food prices in the UK are surging (快速上漲) at their fastest rate on record. The figures, published by the British Retail Consortium (財團), deal another blow to the public who are already facing increased energy costs. Laura Makin-Isherwood has more. **US Seeks to Oust Iran from UN Gender Equality Body ** The United States says it will seek to oust Iran from the U.N.'s premiere global body fighting for gender equality. Vice-President Kamala Harris made the announcement of the U.S. intention to work with other countries to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women on Wednesday. She said Iran is “unfit” to serve on the commission and its presence “discredits the integrity (正直、廉正)” of its work. The US accused Iran of systematic violation of the rights of women and girls, pointing out as proof its ongoing brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators who took to the streets in September after the death of a 22-year-old woman taken into custody by the morality police. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____.

This week we are joined by Ben Fletcher, who has been the Chief Financial Officer at The Very Group since January 2020 and leads the 150-strong finance team. He was previously the UK and European President at Clarks Shoes, Managing Director of Boots Opticians, and spent at Walgreens Boots Alliance and Procter & Gamble. Ben is a trustee of the National Literacy Trust and chairs the St John's Foundation in Bath. For nearly ten years, he was a non-executive director and Audit Committee Chair of the British Retail Consortium. He has a massive amount of experience to share on the topic of how to work with and for Boards of Directors most effectively. So, if you aspire to an executive position, or are required to present to them, this is the episode for you. Get In TouchWhether it's a leadership question for Ben, some feedback on the show, or a guest suggestion, we'd love to hear from you. Whatever the reason for getting in touch, you can easily do it by clicking the link below that Ben will personally review.You can also use this link if you'd like to come on the show for 5 minutes to talk about your favorite episode; we love having listeners on the show!Resources mentioned in this episode:10-4-10 Mini Course: https://bit.ly/FREEleadershipmini-course Ben's Website: https://bit.ly/BenMortonLeadershipThe Very Group: https://www.theverygroup.com/Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-fletcher-2a95252/ Book | Team of Rivals: https://amzn.to/3C8A1OT

Figures from the British Retail Consortium show that food inflation soared to a record 11.6% last month. They come from a survey which suggests that, overall, shop prices were 6.6% higher in October than the same time last year. Today's Amol Rajan speaks to Richard Walker, Managing Director of Iceland Foods. He is on the candidates list for the Conservative Party, and is supporting a campaign to extend free school meals to all children whose parents are on Universal Credit. (Image credit: David Parry/PA Wire)

5 Things You Need To Know, Today, on Wednesday 2nd November 2022 5. Four more communities have been earmarked for shared banking hubs - becoming the latest on a list of 27 areas waiting for services to begin. At these hubs, customers of any bank will be able to access their accounts, deposit cash and cheques, and withdraw money at any time. Only two have opened so far, while hundreds of bank branches have closed. (Click here to read more) 4. Chinese authorities have locked down a district in Zhengzhou city - which is home to the world's largest iPhone factory - under the country's strict coronavirus measures. The move may have a major impact on shipments in and out of Foxconn's giant manufacturing plant in the city. (Click here to read more) 3. Royal Mail workers will stage two 48-hour strikes around Black Friday and Cyber Monday in a row over pay, jobs and conditions. The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) will recommend around 115,000 of its members reject a pay offer of around 9% spread over two years. (Click here to read more) 2. Morrisons is to close 132 McColl's convenience stores that have no realistic prospect of making a profit in the medium term, putting 1,300 workers at risk of redundancy. The majority of the closures will take place this year, while 55 stores that include a Post Office counter will close next year. (Click here to read more) 1. The cost of making a cup of tea went up significantly as food prices continued to rise at record rates in October, the British Retail Consortium said. Costs for tea bags, milk and sugar all rose as food price inflation jumped from 10.6% last month to 11.6%, the BRC-NielsenIQ price index found. (Click here to read more)

A good team is worth its weight in gold and finding the right people, at the right time, with the right skills is vital for the success of your business. However, recruiting and managing people can feel like a daunting task. In this episode of AHDB's Food & Farming podcast, Kay Lane, AHDB's Agrileader Workforce Development Manager, chats to Kim Stafford, Director of U&I, and farmer Nicola Carr about people management. They discuss the challenge of recruitment and finding time to invest in your people, as well as how the farming sector has been upping its people management game over the last few years. This week's guests Kim Stafford, Director of U&I Kim has been working as a management coach, trainer and facilitator for 20 years. She specialises in service quality management, management development and coaching. Since completing her master's degree in Total Quality Management, Kim has developed a distinctive approach that ensures any learning and development connects to business improvement. Kim's clients get real results. Nicola Carr, Bomber County Produce Nicola manages the team and logistics at Lincolnshire Farm Services and Bomber County Produce. They supply leeks and asparagus to major supermarkets and grow wheat, barley, oilseed rape and sugar beet. Bomber County Produce takes pride in producing a product that is both grown and packed in Lincolnshire. Working hard to improve the local environment there is a wide variety of flora and fauna flourishing on the farm. It is certified through several accreditation schemes, including Tesco Nurture, the British Retail Consortium, Linking the Environment and Farming (LEAF), and Assured Produce (the Red Tractor Scheme). Useful links Are you building or managing a farm team? Find out everything you need to know about planning for, recruiting, managing and training a successful farming team on our website.  There's tips, tools and templates across a range of topics, from writing a job advert, holding interviews and building staff handbooks, to delegating, motivating and coaching teams. There's also advice about running reviews and signposts to find out what to do when things don't go to plan.  Get to know the labour life cycle Join our webinars this autumn 7:00pm on 26 October: Recruiting people and how to be an employer of choice 7:00pm on 2 November: Onboarding people and getting off to the right start 7:00pm on 9 November: Managing people and getting the best from your team 7:00pm on 16 November: Developing people and being a great coach 7:00pm on 23 November: Progressing people isn't always a promotion Find out more about our AgriLeader programme and all the other activities we have on offer. Delivering the future of farming In April and May 2022, thousands of levy payers had a say on what work we should do in Shape the Future. Now we are taking the next step in delivering our promise to put levy payers at the heart of everything we do.  Join our online event in November to see how we've put the issues that matter the most to you at the heart of our plans for each sector.   Find out more and register Feedback We'd love to know what you think of our podcasts. If you'd like to give your feedback, please complete our short questionnaire, which will help us to improve the podcast on an ongoing basis, or email us with your thoughts, comments and suggestions: foodandfarming@ahdb.org.uk    This episode was produced and edited by Miriam Drewett, Marcomms Manager (Pork).

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Allen Weisselberg, who has worked for Donald Trump for almost 50 years, will now have to testify against the Trump Organization after reaching a settlement, and pleading guilty to tax crimes. We hear more from the BBC's Nada Tawfik and American legal analyst Jill Wine-Banks. The US is to begin talks with Taiwan to reduce trade barriers in fields like agriculture and e-commerce. The announcement comes amid tensions with China, which has been conducting military exercises since the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's unexpected visit to the self-ruled island. Scott Kennedy, senior advisor in Chinese business & economics at CSIS, tells us more. Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act is the biggest ever investment to fight climate change in the United States. Roger Hearing discusses its implications with guests Kimberly Adams, co-host of Marketplace's podcast 'Make Me Smart', joining us from Washington, and Simon Littlewood, president of AC Growth Delivered in Singapore. The UK's National Farmers Union is warning consumers that weather conditions suffered this summer will translate into wonky vegetables on supermarket shelves. We talk to Tom Holder from the British Retail Consortium. (Picture: Allen Weisselberg. Picture credit: EPA)

Washington announces negotiations to ease trade barriers with the self-ruled island amid tensions with China. The talks will focus on areas such as e-commerce and agriculture. We hear more from Scott Kennedy, senior advisor in Chinese business & economics at CSIS. The Trump Organization's former CFO Allen Weisselberg has admitted engineering a 15 year tax-fraud scheme at the company. He will be jailed for five months as part of a plea deal that also commits to testify against his former employer at an upcoming criminal trial. We talk to the BBC's Nada Tawfik and American legal analyst Jill Wine-Banks about the fallout of this settlement. Pakistan has lifted the ban on the import of non-essential and luxury items as the government seeks a loan arrangement from the IMF. But Finance Minister, Miftah Ismail, has warned that they will be heavily taxed. We ask emerging markets macroeconomist Ammar Khan about the reasons behind this move. Norwegian bitcoin miner and data centre operator firm Kryptovault is moving its operations north, inside the Arctic Circle, to save on its energy bill. The firm's Kjetil Hove Pettersen explains the decision. The UK's National Farmers Union is warning consumers that weather conditions suffered this summer will translate into wonky vegetables on supermarket shelves. We talk to Tom Holder from the British Retail Consortium.

UK data offers some global insight - not because the UK matters globally, but because many economies are following similar patterns in growth, and economic parallels are more convincing when delivered with a British accent. British Retail Consortium retail sales figures fell sharply in real terms. Falling real incomes mean falling consumption, the slump scenario, unless consumers cut savings or increase borrowing.

The retail landscape is rapidly changing alongside both global shifts and local pressures. Accelerated by the pandemic, businesses are now blurring the lines between digital and physical experiences. This shift towards multiple, connected sales channels has helped build resilience for many businesses. In fact, recent Adyen research has found that 74% of businesses that connect their sales channels expect to grow by more than 20% this year.That doesn't mean the pressure is off. Rising interest rates and crippling costs of living, coupled with the social and political upheavals of the past few years have seen customers evaluating the impact of their spending with increased scrutiny. Not only do consumers need their money to stretch further, they increasingly expect their purchases to align with their social and environmental values as well. With market uncertainty on the horizon, long-term customer loyalty is more important than ever. To secure it, businesses will have to adapt to the changing needs of their customers. In this episode of Beyond Retail, we'll explore how businesses can prove that they're worthy of that long term loyalty with insights from industry experts such as: Adyen Account Managers Ellie Jaggs and Milou van der Lans; Hannah Meyer, a Senior Marketing Manager at Trustpilot; Nick Popovici, CEO of Vita Mojo; Chris Matthews, Global DTC Channel Director at Brompton Bicycle; and Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium. We'll also hear a number of first-hand consumer perspectives on topics such as the effectiveness of loyalty programs, how a company's corporate values can attract more customers, and how consumers are assessing their social responsibility when making purchasing decisions. If you want to find out more about the technology and behavioural trends influencing retail, visit https://www.adyen.com/landing/online/uk/2022/retail-report to download Adyen's latest research report.

Apple will launch a new ‘buy now pay later service' (BNPL) scheme in the US to spread the cost of purchases over four to six weeks. The BBC reported last December that over 15 million people in the UK are already using BNPL services run by the likes of Klarna, Clearpay, Laybuy and PayPal. Challenge to traditional; banks. Citizens Advice reported concerns that 12 million adults are using BNPL services to pay for essentials such as food a toiletries. Deferring payment will be made even easier with millions of iPhone users tapping their way into easy debt. The BNPL market is expected to be worth £30 billion by the end of the decade. Apple's move comes as the cost of living has reached new highs with the cost of unleaded petrol hitting £2 per litre! One haulage firm said the cost of fuelling a truck has risen by £20,000 a year, which will be passed on to customers. The pound fell this week after Boris Johnson survived a vote of no confidence. Although the Queen's Jubilee celebrations gave a welcome boost to spending on hospitality, consumer spending was down in May as the cost of living continued to rise, according to the British Retail Consortium. Food prices continue to soar as India bans wheat exports and shortages are starting in some countries. There is nothing new about consumer debt, but the speed and ease of obtaining credit almost instantaneously has changed in the last few years. Consumer debt is “dumb” according to Warren Buffett, one of the world's richest and most successful investors. There has never been a more pressing time to learn how to manage your money – you can watch my free training video by clicking here - https://bit.ly/3H2WcbA Good debt, used for instance to purchase assets, such as property, or start businesses, is smart borrowing, as I explain in my book, Borrow and Grow Rich. The rich and wealthy have been using smart borrowing or ‘other people's money (OPM) for centuries to finance business ventures and build huge property portfolios. You can learn the secrets of property investing using OPM and build your own portfolio. With inflation running at near double figures the real purchasing power of your cash is being eaten away and will halve every 8 years if consumer prices continue to rise by 9%pa. However, you can use inflation to your advantage using the right assets and good debt. FREE TRAINING – PROPERTY INVESTING SECRETS This Property Investing Secrets free training webinar is designed by the industry's top investing trainers to bring you 120 minutes of valuable content; providing you with the tools to successfully invest in buy-to-let properties, raise finance and build a mighty portfolio from the ground up. Live training Wednesday 8 June 2022 at 7pm UK time. CLICK TO JOIN THE LIVE ONLINE EVENT  https://bit.ly/3DlSlCL See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple will launch a new ‘buy now pay later service' (BNPL) scheme in the US to spread the cost of purchases over four to six weeks. The BBC reported last December that over 15 million people in the UK are already using BNPL services run by the likes of Klarna, Clearpay, Laybuy and PayPal. Challenge to traditional; banks. Citizens Advice reported concerns that 12 million adults are using BNPL services to pay for essentials such as food a toiletries. Deferring payment will be made even easier with millions of iPhone users tapping their way into easy debt. The BNPL market is expected to be worth £30 billion by the end of the decade. Apple's move comes as the cost of living has reached new highs with the cost of unleaded petrol hitting £2 per litre! One haulage firm said the cost of fuelling a truck has risen by £20,000 a year, which will be passed on to customers. The pound fell this week after Boris Johnson survived a vote of no confidence. Although the Queen's Jubilee celebrations gave a welcome boost to spending on hospitality, consumer spending was down in May as the cost of living continued to rise, according to the British Retail Consortium. Food prices continue to soar as India bans wheat exports and shortages are starting in some countries. There is nothing new about consumer debt, but the speed and ease of obtaining credit almost instantaneously has changed in the last few years. Consumer debt is “dumb” according to Warren Buffett, one of the world's richest and most successful investors. There has never been a more pressing time to learn how to manage your money – you can watch my free training video by clicking here - https://bit.ly/3H2WcbA Good debt, used for instance to purchase assets, such as property, or start businesses, is smart borrowing, as I explain in my book, Borrow and Grow Rich. The rich and wealthy have been using smart borrowing or ‘other people's money (OPM) for centuries to finance business ventures and build huge property portfolios. You can learn the secrets of property investing using OPM and build your own portfolio. With inflation running at near double figures the real purchasing power of your cash is being eaten away and will halve every 8 years if consumer prices continue to rise by 9%pa. However, you can use inflation to your advantage using the right assets and good debt. FREE TRAINING – PROPERTY INVESTING SECRETS This Property Investing Secrets free training webinar is designed by the industry's top investing trainers to bring you 120 minutes of valuable content; providing you with the tools to successfully invest in buy-to-let properties, raise finance and build a mighty portfolio from the ground up. Live training Wednesday 8 June 2022 at 7pm UK time. CLICK TO JOIN THE LIVE ONLINE EVENT https://bit.ly/3DlSlCL

Quality management is a really misunderstood area of the food industry and other departments can often be reluctant to engage with quality management procedures. We're here to change your mind about quality management and to explain why quality management matters and what a solid quality management procedure can do for your food business. We explain the benefits of investing in establishing a quality management procedure. Although it's a long process that can be really stressful for technical teams, quality assurance can bring structure to your business, especially if you're a young start-up that's looking to grow. We give examples of some of the different aspects that you'll need to consider in your quality management procedure, such as the quality accreditations that your suppliers have and the quality requirements of your target market countries. Listen out for exciting details about our upcoming course on food quality management via Young Foodies ! If you enjoyed this episode, hop over to our Facebook page to leave us a message and make sure that you're subscribed to the Oh For Food's Sake Podcast so that you don't miss an episode. Timestamps[0:47] Today we're talking about quality management! Why does quality management matter? [1:55] Getting through a British Retail Consortium audit: Why you need to learn about quality management in the food industry[4:52] Our definition of a quality management system [5:17] The three core areas of quality management: Quality, safety, legality[8:35] Quality management isn't super interesting…but it is really important [10:00] Some businesses push back on introducing quality management procedures, but they benefit the business in the long run [12:34] There's a difference between a BRC certification and accreditation? Yes! [13:52] Quality management prevents mistakes before a product leaves the manufacturer's building [15:23] It's tempting to cut corners, but skipping steps in quality management can have a serious impact on the whole business [16:48] The pressure of working in the technical department of a food manufacturing business [18:45] How quality management can lower business costs and improve your credibility[20:25] Why your food business should have a QAS: A Quality Attribute Sheet [22:53] You need to consider in which countries your product will be sold [24:13] Start-ups and quality assurance: How implementing quality right from the get-go can help your business to grow[26:31] Top tip: Always check for GFSI standards on imported products[27:47] An example of a quality management system that saved a brand's reputation: Fig Gate!  [30:50] What's the difference between a product withdrawal and a product recall? [32:20] Please let us know what you think of these more technical podcast episodes!  [33:15] Your career becomes richer if you start asking questions and getting involved with other departments LinksOur Quality Management Course on Young FoodiesYou can follow us here on instagramIf you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedInFor food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedInSee you next time!

Sky's Ian King looks at the government's plan to "level up" Britain and improve the economic prosperity of regions outside of London. He also speaks to British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson as shoppers are hit by the highest price rises in almost 10 years. Plus, a look at the pressure facing the world's main oil-exporting nations to pump more to help the global economic recovery from the pandemic.

Ian King speaks to the chief executive of HS2 trains about how its engines will be powered using zero-carbon electricity. Plus, hear from the CEO of the British Retail Consortium about Christmas sales. And the chief executive of taxi app Bolt joins the show to discuss the firm's latest investment.

Ian King speaks to the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium about the effect mandatory face masks will have on business. He's also discussing the resignation of Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, and the implications that will have on the social media firm. And DHL Express chief executive John Pearson speaks about globalisation and how that's affected supply chains.

China has announced a plan to tighten regulation of its economy. The five-year plan is seen by some as a further crackdown on the tech sector by Beijing. China has already started targeting the technology and education industries. We ask Dr Sara Hsu, visiting scholar at Fudan University, to analyse the new plans. In the UK the latest GDP figures show growth of 4.8 % for the quarter between April and June. However, the British economy is still 4.4% smaller than it was before the pandemic. Kyle Monk from the British Retail Consortium tells us how the reopening of the retail sector has impacted growth figures. And neurodiversity is an umbrella term referring to conditions including autism and dyslexia. The BBC's Elizabeth Hotson investigates how employers are responding to the needs of their neurodiverse employees.

The number of empty shops in Britain has continued to rise as retailers struggle with the effects of the Covid pandemic, the British Retail Consortium has said. Shopping centres have been hardest hit, with nearly one in five units empty, the industry group said.

Ian King speaks to the chief executives of the Food and Drink Federation and the British Retail Consortium about supply problems for retailers, we hear from a British economist who explains what levelling up really means, and the boss of Raleigh UK talks about how electric cargo bikes could become a thing of the future.

In episode 102 of the Sustainable Business Covered podcast, which is kindly sponsored by the Woodland Trust, edie's senior reporter Sarah George explores whether a green recovery is possible for the UK's retail sector after three national Covid-19 lockdowns. To help answer this big question are our three guests for this episode: The British Retail Consortium's head of sustainability policy, Peter Andres; Mi Apparel founder and director Kate Auguste and the Woodland Trust's head of partnerships Pip Borrill.

Business rates are charged on non-domestic properties, such as shops, offices, pubs, factories and warehouses, and raise around 3% government's revenue.At the start of the COVID pandemic, the government waived business rates for most businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. But the tax will start again from summer. As the high street reopens, we ask what effect business rates have on our high streets, whether they should be reformed, and whether we need a new tax on online retail to level the playing field. This week, we speak with Helen Miller, IFS tax expert, and Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium.Support the IFS: https://www.ifs.org.uk/about/membership/individual See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Millions of people must cancel their Christmas get-togethers and most shops have to close in London and much of southern England, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday as he imposed a new, stricter level of coronavirus restrictions on the region to curb rapidly spreading infections.Johnson said Saturday that the capital and large areas in southern England already placed under the highest level of the U.K. government's three-tiered coronavirus alert system will move into a new Tier 4 that requires all non-essential shops, hairdressers and indoor leisure venues to close after the end of business hours Saturday.With just days to go until Christmas, Johnson also announced that a planned easing of socializing rules that would have allowed up to three households to meet in "Christmas bubbles" from Dec. 23 to Dec. 27 will be canceled for Tier 4 areas and sharply curtailed in the rest of England."It is with a very heavy heart that I must tell you we cannot proceed with Christmas as planned," Johnson said.He said he concluded there was "no alternative open to me" and people must sacrifice this Christmas to have a better chance of protecting the lives of loved ones.No mixing of households will be allowed in Tier 4 except under very limited conditions outside in public places. Travel in and out of Tier 4 areas won't be allowed unless essential. In the rest of England, people will be allowed to meet in Christmas bubbles for just one day instead of five, as the government originally planned.The changes upend the plans of millions of people who were looking forward to gathering with family and friends next week and force scores to revise their travel plans at the last minute. Before Saturday, government officials maintained they would allow small, private gatherings to go ahead.While restaurants, pubs, bars and theaters in much of England are already closed and prepared for a bleak Christmas, all shops in Tier 4 areas that don't sell food or medicine received only hours' notice that they must shutter after Saturday until officials review the situation on Dec. 30.The British Retail Consortium said it was "hugely regrettable news," especially coming just two weeks after a month-long lockdown in England ended and at the height of the year's peak retail period."Retailers have invested hundreds of millions of pounds making stores COVID--secure for customers and staff," said Helen Dickinson, the trade body's chief executive. "For businesses, the government's stop-start approach is deeply unhelpful."In announcing the more restrictive category, Johnson said that a fast-moving new variant of the coronavirus that is more than 70% more transmissible than existing strains appears to be driving the rapid spread in London and southern England.While London fared relatively well in controlling the virus throughout the fall, the city now has the highest infection rates in England. Officials said the new mutation accounted for some 60% of the capital's cases."There's no evidence to suggest it is more lethal or causes more severe illness," the prime minister stressed, or that vaccines will be less effective against it.England's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, said the U.K. has alerted the World Health Organization that the new variant identified this week appears to be accelerating the spread of COVID-19. The government's scientific advisers came to that conclusion based on preliminary modelling figures, and they are continuing to analyze the available data, he said.Viruses mutate regularly, and scientists have found thousands different of mutations among samples of the virus causing COVID-19. But many of these changes have no effect on how easily the virus spreads or how severe symptoms are.Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's technical lead on COVID-19, told reporters after receiving notification from England this week that the U.N. health agency had "no evidence this variant behaves differently" and that it was similar to a va...

Beef production has been in the spotlight for its carbon footprint and there have been many people encouraging us to eat less beef. Now, the National Beef Association is suggesting farmers should send their cattle for slaughter at a younger age - the idea being that animals that live shorter lives produce fewer emissions. They're proposing a tax on animals raised for more than 28 months. The proposals have been put out for consultation to their members across the country - but it’s received short shrift from some, and especially from beef farmers who have pasture-fed slower growing cattle, including rare breeds. Meanwhile, a lot of work is going into developing diets that reduce the amount of methane cattle produce. We hear from a company trialling feed containing red seaweed on two farms in Ireland. In the summer, after a public campaign that raised more than a million signatures, the Government set up a new Trade and Agriculture Commission. It includes representatives from the National Farmers Union and the British Retail Consortium - among others - and its job is to advise Ministers. Some hope it will be able to prevent imports that would undermine British standards of food production, but according to a new coalition of environmental organisations set up this week, the Commission’s not good enough. We hear from The Future British Standards Coalition. And pasta is usually made from durum wheat, which is difficult to grow in the UK. We meet an Italian pasta maker based in London, who is on a mission to make UK-grown pasta from heritage wheats. Presented by Charlotte Smithy Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

In episode 4, an expert panel discuss the historic challenges the retail sector is facing internationally.What will retail look like post Covid-19?Featuring:Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive, British Retail Consortium.Dr Alan Treadgold, retail sector adviser.Jonathan Reynolds, Associate Professor of Retail Marketing and Deputy Dean, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/ For more Business Insights head to Oxford AnswersCredits:Producer/editor – Eve Streeter for Stabl

Spain's migrant fruit pickers face tougher challenges than usual in the era of coronavirus. Hannah Wilson is a lawyer in the Madrid office of Women's Link Worldwide, which campaigns to advance the rights of women and girls, and explains how the industry sources migrant workers from Morocco. Spanish strawberry picker Ana Pinto who runs workers' rights group Jornaleras en Lucha describes the poor working practices she has seen Moroccan migrants subjected to. And Peter Andrews, head of sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, tells us whether his organisation feels labour standards in Spanish fruit fields need to be improved. Also in the programme, Eric Schmidt, adviser to the US Department of Defence, and former head of the internet giant Google, has told the BBC that Chinese electronics firm Huawei is a threat to western nations' national security. BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera brings us the latest. Plus, Lyndon Davies, chief executive of model train company Hornby, tells us how the coronavirus pandemic has actually led to an increase in sales for the firm, which also owns the toy car racing brand Scalextric and model plane maker Airfix.

In March, Aafiyah was told the garment factory where she worked would be closing. And like many other garment workers, she was left destitute in the slums of Dhaka. Bangladesh’s garment industry employs millions of workers, mainly women, who make clothes for high street brands in Europe and the US. Western retailers, who have seen sales plummet due to the pandemic, have cancelled or suspended more than 3 billion dollars’ worth of orders from Bangladeshi garment factories. Over a million jobs in the sector could now be at risk. For Assignment, Caroline Bayley and Morshed Ali Khan hear Aafiyah’s story, and talk to factory owners and the British Retail Consortium about the huge challenges facing Bangladesh's main export industry. Producer: Josephine Casserly (Image: Women, wearing masks, work in a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Credit: Reuters/Mohammad Ponir Hossain)

The United Kingdom plans to escalate its virus-fighting measures, its top health official said Sunday, indicating that Britain is edging closer to tactics adopted by its European neighbours that so far the government has resisted.Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Britain Conservative government is preparing the next phase of its action plan, which includes requiring the elderly to self-isolate, possibly for months. It's also planning to announce emergency legislation this week that will give the government extra powers, such as quarantining people who are sick but refuse to isolate themselves.Britain has been taking a different approach from other countries across Europe and around the world by declining to heavily restrict everyday activities or introduce "social distancing" measures. The U.K. strategy is based on the presumption that most people will eventually get the COVID-19 virus and severe measures to contain it are unlikely to work.But as infections rise in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so has criticism of the government's approach from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's political opponents, scientists, and an increasingly worried population. Britain's virus death toll rose to 35 on Sunday from 21 a day earlier while confirmed infections rose by 232 to 1,372.For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, and the majority recover. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. Worldwide, some 156,000 people have been infected, over 5,800 have died and nearly 74,000 have recovered.Hancock said the government will set out the emergency powers on Tuesday with a bill published two days later."We will do the right thing at the right time," Hancock told the BBC. "We will publish the bill this week coming, we will change the law so that we take the power to be able to close mass gatherings if we need to."Hancock said authorities would be able to act if people are sick but refuse to self-isolate."We are going to take the powers to make sure we can quarantine people if they are a risk to public health, " he told the BBC, adding that he doubted there would be much need because people were being responsible.Hancock told Sky the government would in the "coming weeks" require people over 70 to self-isolate for up to four months."We also need to take steps to protect the vulnerable, and we set out in the plan how we would be prepared to do that and to advise the elderly and the vulnerable who are most at risk from this virus to protect themselves, to shield themselves, by self isolating," Hancock told Sky News.British supermarkets, meanwhile, pleaded with customers not to panic buy, after photos circulated on social media of empty store shelves."We would ask everyone to be be considerate in the way they shop," a dozen supermarket copmanies said in an joint letter released by the British Retail Consortium. "We understand your concerns but buying more than is needed sometimes means that others will be left without. There is enough for everyone if we all work together."

Premier League star Mamadou Sahko is the latest celebrity to have his home raided, in a £500,000 heist. Following the burglary of TV chef Markus Wareing's home by ‘burglary tourists' from Chile, police suspect similar tactics are being used again. The Evening Standard's crime correspondent Anthony France joins the Leader podcast to discuss the criminals' tactics and offer advice on how to avoid falling prey to them.Christmas humbug for High Street:Retail sales fell for the fifth month in a row in December – and that's after the British Retail Consortium had already said 2019 was the worst year since 1995. The Leader podcast speaks to consumer business editor Jonathan Prynn, who has been looking at the latest figures.Les Miserables revamp:Les Miserables has been given a “gritty reboot” – will the people still sing? The Leader podcast asks the Evening Standard's chief theatre critic Nick Curtis. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our guest is Kyle Monk, Head of Insight and Analytics at the British Retail Consortium. In his role, Kyle manages a team of economists and analysts who collect key metrics that measure the health of the UK high street. Prior to joining the BRC, Kyle worked in policy research and for cross border financial technology suppliers Join us as we explore the transformation of Britain's High Street, the key KPI's today's retailers should be examining, and how a potential Brexit could impact Britain's consumers. Hosted by Julia Raymond Researched, written and produced by Gabriella Bock Edited by Trenton Waller

Mothers are taking part today in the Extinction Rebellion protests with a mass ‘nurse in’ when they will bottle or breastfeed their young babies on the front line of one of the road blockades. Jenni looks at the history of women taking their children to protests with Anne Pettitt one of the founders of the Women’s Peace Camp at Greenham Common in the 1980’s, Lorna Greenwood one of the organisers of today’s ‘nurse in’ and Dr Caitriona Beaumont, associate Professor of Social History from London South Bank University. While the catwalks of London, New York and Paris appear to be thriving, the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium reveal that the high street has just experienced its worse September in over 20 years – with clothing sales down 3.9%. There’s also a much greater awareness of the environmental impacts of fast fashion. With 11 million items of clothing going into UK landfill each week, the days of guilt-free shopping sprees are surely over. So what is the real face of fashion today? Stylist and journalist Basma Khalifa discusses the rise of ‘season-less’ style, while Oxfam’s sustainable fashion expert Fee Gilfeather talks about the surge in second-hand fashion as an alternative to buying new. The second of two reports on the American states that have tightened their abortion laws this year. Today we hear from Alabama which voted in the strictest abortion laws in the whole of America. Despite this there’s a surprising building going up in its largest city, Birmingham. It’s a sexual health clinic which will offer abortions. People are already protesting against it and Siobhann Tighe has been to meet them. Shuck ‘N’ Jive is the debut play written by Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong and Simone Ibbett-Brown. Frustrated by the stereotypical roles available to them, Cassiopeia and Simone decided to write a play exploring representation and systemic racism in the performing arts. Presented by Jenni Murray Produced by Caroline Donne Interviewed guest: Anne Pettitt Interviewed guest: Lorna Greenwood Interviewed guest: Dr. Caitriona Beaumont Interviewed guest: Basma Khalifa Interviewed guest: Fee Gilfeather Interviewed guest: Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong Interviewed guest: Simone Ibbett-Brown

Cash is no longer king. It’s dying. New figures show 80% of sales are with a debit or credit card. Debit cards are most popular - 57% of sales according to the British Retail Consortium, but this is the first time credit card use has overtaken cash. Is this a good thing? Cards definitely come with lots of benefits, but so do cards. So should we be worried about a cashless society? in this episode of the award-winning Cash Chats podcast, Andy has taken a look at the pros and cons of both cards and cash. Plus news about why your contactless payments could be rejected, and a brief round-up of what to do if you have a Thomas Cook holiday. FURTHER READING: Contactless payment declined? You might just need to enter your PIN Credit card spending overtakes cash for the first time (The Guardian) Poorest areas hit hardest by loss of free cash machine (Which?) The Big Issue goes contactless (Big Issue) ABOUT CASH CHATS Cash Chats is presented by money blogger and broadcaster Andy Webb. In 2019 it was awarded Best Money Podcast at the SHOMOS - the UK Moneybloggers annual awards. Cash Chats episodes go live twice a week. At the start of the week Andy is often joined for friendly and accessible conversations by a member or friend the UK Money Blogger community to cover topics as diverse as freebies and investments. Then on Thursday you can listen to a bonus “deals of the week” episode – a quick rundown of the hottest offers from the last seven days. Andy also runs the award-winning website Be Clever With Your Cash, presents Channel 5’s Shop Smart Save Money and founded the community ukmoneybloggers.com. To contact Andy email Andy@Becleverwithyourcash.com ANDY ON SOCIAL Andy's handle is @AndyCleverCash and you can follow him over at: twitter.com/AndyCleverCash instagram.com/andyclevercash  

The British Retail Consortium has asked the Chancellor, Sajid Javid to reform Business Rates to stop the decline of the High Street The internet has opened up a new world of learning, working, socialising and doing business. We no longer need to go back to school or university to learn new skills. We can work from home, start a business or find a new life partner all from the comfort of our home. Amazon has also enabled thousands of authors to easily self-publish their books online, as I have with my book, Yes, Money Can Buy You Happiness! See link - http://bit.ly/2MoneyBook If you want to quit the rat race and work from home, but can't quite replace your income from your paid job, why not try and gradually make the transition over a period of time? You can learn how to get started on Amazon or Facebook by following the steps of people who have done all the hard work for you and now want to pass on their knowledge. For more information on Amazon and Facebook courses email charles@charleskelly.net Word of the Day Gearing Financial gearing refers to the relative proportions of debt and equity that a company uses to support its operations. This information can be used to evaluate the risk of failure of a business. When there is a high proportion of debt to equity, a business is said to be highly geared.

In an exclusive interview, recorded at the World Retail Congress 2019, host Ben Bland sits down with Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium to discuss the challenges facing UK retail in the light on unprecedented change in the industry that's resulted in difficult trading conditions and evolving shopper habits.

This week I was at the Houses of Parliament for a meeting with the All Party Parliamentary Group for textiles and fashion to discuss the issue of the lack of skilled garment machinists in the UK. The meeting was organised by Tamara Cincik of Fashion Roundtable, who is the secretariat for the group.  There were several UK garment manufacturers in the room, along with representatives from the British Retail Consortium and The UK in a Changing Europe - an independent research body that gives advice on all of the possible outcomes with Brexit. The reason that we were all there was to ask the Government with help to ease the issue of the lack of skilled garment workers in the UK, and to impress upon them WHY this is important The UK textile industry is worth over £9bn to the economy currently - but it could double if supply could keep up with demand. The only thing holding it back is the lack of staff. If you care about the lack of skills in UK garment manufacturing, there are a couple of things that you can do: Write to your local MP and state you case as to why you think garment machinists and textile workers should be put on the shortage occupation list. Complete the APPG survey  if you are a manufacturer, or pass it on to any manufacturers that you know, who employ garment machinists. If you have any thoughts on this I would love to hear from you. Please leave me a review on iTunes  - and help spread the word about UK manufacturing. Shownotes: www.makeitbritish.co.uk/071 More about Fashion Roundtable More about The UK in a Changing Europe Website: makeitbritish.co.uk Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/katehills Instagram: @makeitbritish Twitter: @makeitbritish

Within the retail market, technology has been causing disruption for many years, impacting the way customers shop and how retailers run their businesses around the world. One of our partners, Chloe Forster discusses the innovative use of tech in retail with Economist, Liliana Danila, and Crime and Security Advisor, James Martin, both from the British Retail Consortium. Chloe Forster will also be moderating a session on the subject at our upcoming European Technology Summit in October 2019.

In this episode of Assurance in Action, Americas Food Safety Program Manager and Intertek Expert William Muil discusses the key differences among the industry's most utilized Global Food Safety Initiative-recognized standards. The standards discussed include the Safe Quality Food code, FSSC 22000 and the British Retail Consortium standard. Learn about the key differences between these standards and what to consider when choosing one for your organization.Relevant LinksAbout FSSC 22000About BRCAbout SQF

If the UK crashes out of the EU on 29 March with no agreement on continuing trade relations, how will it affect Britain's supplies of fresh food? Could the country's supermarket shelves be left empty?Dan Saladino speaks to farmers, traders and officials fretting at the unknown but potentially serious consequences of a "no deal" Brexit for food security in the UK, as well as one middle class family who are already stockpiling their own food supplies.Interviewees include Guy Singh-Watson of Riverford Farm, Professor Tim Lang of City University London, Ian Wright of the Food & Drink Federation, Andrew Opie of the British Retail Consortium, Emily Norton of Nuffield College Oxford, Tim Worstall of the Adam Smith Institute, and New Covent Garden mushroom trader Michael Hyams.(Picture: A mother and her son look at the empty bakery shelves in a supermarket in Tewkesbury, England following flooding in 2007; Credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

With just over 60 days before we're set to leave the EU Dan Saladino gathers thoughts along the food supply chain, from farmers and retailers to exporters and so called "preppers", on the prospects of a no deal Brexit. The likes of the British Retail Consortium, which represents the major supermarkets, and the Food and Drink Federation, which speaks on behalf of the biggest processors and producers in the UK have voiced their concerns that a "no deal" and more disruptive Brexit could mean significant delays importing food into the UK. For this reason their members have been stockpiling supplies to prevent disruption for customers. However, as farmer Guy Watson explains, we are entering the so called hungry gap, meaning that by March 29th we'll be supplying very little of our own fruit and veg. Businesses such as his, the Riverford box scheme, will instead be depending on fresh produce brought in from Italy and Spain. He believes more than four days of disruption could wipe out his profits, and two weeks of delays could bankrupt the business. Meanwhile other members of the farming community believe we should stay focused on the idea that food benefits will come from Brexit, whilst others are convinced trading under World Trade Organisation terms will provide us with plenty of new options for imports. Dan travels along the supply chain to hear a range of different views on what the next few weeks might hold as farmers, food producers and retailers wait for the stalemate in Westminster to end.

In October 2018, techUK held its Supercharging the Digital Economy flagship event in Manchester. Whilst at the event, Matthew Evans, associate director at techUK caught up with Liliana Danila, Economist at the British Retail Consortium on how technology is impacting the high street stores and online shopping experiences. He then catches up with our own, Jessica Russell, programme manager for transport and smart cities, on techUK’s new report, Future Mobility Services in the UK.

MEPs have voted to urge the EU not to open the next phase of Brexit talks unless there is a "major breakthrough". A motion in the European Parliament to back a delay in any decision over trade discussions was supported by 557 MEPs, with 92 against and 29 abstentions. The result was something of a foregone conclusion after last week's fourth round of negotiations, when Michel Barnier made it clear there were still stumbling blocks. Several MEPs claimed UK divisions were hampering the process, but UKIP's Nigel Farage accused the EU of "treating the UK like a hostage". William Bain is a trade and Brexit expert at the British Retail Consortium and a former Labour MP. He distilled the subtle botanicals of international trade in a post-Brexit world to a decidedly English-tasting gin. Now who’s exporting tonic water?

Delegates from the British Retail Consortium, House of Fraser, John Lewis, the University of Leeds and WRAP discuss how sustainability is becoming a matter of responsibility for UK retailers.

The public outrage that followed the discovery of several ‘forced labour’ labels sewn into clothes stocked by budget clothing shop Primark has brought the issue of the ethics of the supply chain back into the headlines. Just what is the real cost of cheap goods in the West? In April 2013, 1,100 people – including garment workers who had been producing clothes for UK retailers - died when the Rana Plaza commercial block in Bangladesh collapsed. Earlier this year, the Guardian claimed fishmeal used to produce farmed prawns for UK supermarkets was produced using fish caught with slave labour. These revelations fit into a history of claims made about ‘sweatshop’ conditions faced by workers producing everything from fashionable footwear to top-of-the-range consumer electronics. However the problem is not restricted to developing countries, as cases of exploitation and abuse of labourers continue to emerge across the UK, too. Some have called for UK retailers to boycott firms or even entire countries that allow unacceptable working practices. After the Rana Plaza disaster, Labour MP Michael Connarty demanded legislation to force UK firms to audit their supply chains. But others believe boycotts do more harm than good and that a better solution is to maintain commercial links while demanding suppliers improve and work towards higher standards. As a recent report by the British Retail Consortium notes: ‘Retailers drive positive change by embedding certain values and standards in their supply chain that are central to its brand and which address specific issues or concerns that are important to their customer base.’ Withdrawing entirely from a country, some argue, would actually make things worse by causing thousands of relatively poor people to lose their jobs. What is more, given the long and complicated international supply chains that big retailers deal with today, is it really possible to ensure goods are produced in an ethical fashion? Or do we need ever more scrutiny of big businesses to ensure they don’t turn a blind eye for the sake of profit? While retailers debate how best to restore trust and demonstrate that their products are ethically sourced – for example, by making details of supply chains more transparent - shoppers are under pressure to ‘buy responsibly’. Maybe it makes business sense, too, as ethical fashion labels have become trendy and no doubt attract higher profit-margins than low-cost clothing. However, some commentators warn against demonising those who seek out cheap bargains or undermining the harmless joys of shopping by turning retail therapy into an anxious moral maze of label-checking. Is virtuous shopping really a case of guilt-ridden consumers in the West showing off their consciences rather than helping exploited producers? Or is it at least better than nothing, a morally worthwhile alternative that reminds us of our responsibility to others? Could clumsy interventions by retailers, responding to pressure from campaigners, make things worse rather than better for developing-world workers? Should concerns about working conditions be dealt with by governments and workers in the producing countries rather than by shoppers and stores in the UK? Speakers Sandy Black professor of fashion & textile design & technology, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, London; editor and co-author, The Sustainable Fashion Handbook; author, Eco Chic the Fashion Paradox Barbara Crowther director of policy and public affairs, Fairtrade Foundation Andrew Opie director for food and sustainability, British Retail Consortium Nathalie Rothschild freelance journalist; producer and reporter for Sweden's public service radio Chair Jason Smith partnerships coordinator, Debating Matters Competition; freelance journalist; co-founder, Birmingham Salon

Adrian Goldberg presents cutting edge investigative journalism, as well as taking on listeners' campaigns and consumer issues. Drug drivers know that the chances that they'll be brought to book are low, say MPs. Why - after 10 years - has the Home Office still failed to introduce a roadside drugs test to tackle what's recognised as a lethal problem? In many other European countries, the police have small hand held screening kits. In Germany last year, they led to 34,500 drivers losing their licence. Figures for the UK - and for the previous year - reveal that only 168 drug driving guilty verdicts were recorded by the courts. Without a hand held test, UK police have to look for the tell-tale signs in the driver's general demeanour. In a damning assessment of the situation, MPs on the Transport Select Committee say: "At the moment, people assume - quite correctly - that they can take drugs and drive a vehicle with little chance of being caught." Also on the programme - Adrian asks why the UK food industry is doing so badly in controlling a bug that contaminates the outside of chickens and causes potentially-fatal food poisoning. More than 8 in 10 chickens are infected with campylobacter, which lives on the outside of the bird, and get on your hands or the work surface. The Food standards Agency is now putting pressure on supermarkets to improve conditions in the supply chain - they have been given 12 months. Adrian asks the British Retail Consortium why we have worse record than Romania. How safe are you and your computer after you've signed up to 'Operation Pay Back', the campaign to exact revenge on companies who've abandoned WikiLeaks? It's illegal, but will there be prosecutions? Your computer will have to be dis-infected otherwise it could be used for other campaigns you might not support. And Christmas crackers - why has the Government ruled that children under 16 can't buy a box of crackers to go with the turkey dinner? To contact the programme, email goldberg@bbc.co.uk - or send comments via Twitter to @5LInvestigates.