Are the Boxing Day sales enough to kick start the UK economy?
Retailers around the UK have been reporting massive sales today with shoppers out in force to grab the best of the bargains after Christmas. Many have been surprised by the substantial amount of money seemingly available to the UK consumer after months of concern about where the sales were going to come from. So have we reached the bottom of the retail market?
While there is no doubt that today's figures have given some confidence back to UK retailers in general the next few months will be very difficult indeed with cash flow and growing debt set to be a problem for consumers and businesses alike. Whether we have seen the last kicks of a dying market or a sudden burst of energy which could continue for a while remains to be seen but experts are not confident that the pickup will continue indefinitely.
When you consider discounts of up to 90% have been made available today either retailers are selling off their old stock or desperation has hit new highs. Business has also been very brisk on the online auction sites such as eBay where many unwanted Christmas gifts are up for sale.
Share this..
Related stories
General Motors announces major U-turn on GM Europe
Despite months and months of negotiations with the Canadian consortium Magna as well as the German government, General Motors has today announced plans to retain GM Europe and called off the expected disposal. Initially the move has been welcomed in the UK where unions believe this will offer more job security to the Opel division which employs thousands of workers in the country. But what about t...
Read MoreBarratt Developments Shares Under Pressure
The bloodbath of the housing market continued when Barratt Developments was forced to deny rumours that it was in desperate need of funding to stay afloat. While the denial was well received by the market, after the shares had fallen by over 40%, the company refused to rule out a funding request in the short term. Some analysts believe that the group is suffering from debts which are said to be...
Read MoreGraduates on the government's tax hit list
Vince Cable will today set out plans for a so-called graduate tax with hopes that this will dispel some fears over the potential increase in tuition fees. Under the current system graduates are loaned money by the UK government which is a repaid at a later date when they are in employment. However, this repayment system takes no account of a graduates income in the future although under Vince Cabl...
Read MoreSimple ways to reduce your car insurance
As UK car insurance policies are renewed up-and-down country each and every year the trend for policy premiums seems to be going higher and higher each year. However, while much of the increase in policy payments is down to uninsured drivers causing damage on the roads it is the humble and honest car driver who is suffering. So what can you do to reduce your future car insurance premiums?
<...
If the Iceland crisis is not affecting local services why was £858 million on deposit?
As news continues to seep out about the £858 million which UK local councils held on deposit with Icelandic banks, we are moving into a rather bizarre situation with regard to local council funding. If, as the vast majority of councils claim, the loss of this collective £858 million will not affect local services and future funding, why was it not used to reduce council tax bills?
...
