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LIVEBUSINESS & MARKETS: Retail sales fell even before the Iran war; Oil rises to $108

Retail sales fell even before the Iran war; Oil hits $110- MARKETS LIVE

The latest retail sales paint a gloomy picture for the high street, even before the Iran war, and underline how fragile the economy is. Oil retreated to $107 a barrel on Thursday, but is nearing $110 a barrel. The FTSE 100 is down 0.5 per cent.

Retail sales fell before the Iran war while consumer confidence weakens as shoppers brace for a wave of price hikes

Retailers took another hit last month, with sales falling even before the Iran war as households rein in their spending.

Just Eat and Autotrader among five firms under investigation as competition watchdog launches fake reviews probe

The CMA said it would probe whether the companies, which span sectors including funerals, food delivery and car sales, had broken consumer laws.

Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane urges MPC to avoid interest rate hikes

Andy Haldane (pictured) said that a series of rate rises predicted by financial markets was 'relatively unlikely' even as the Middle East crisis rages.

We need a leader to run the country like a business and put the 'great' back into Britain, says Yo! Sushi founder

In an interview with the Daily Mail and This Is Money, he shares his ideas on how to run the country and his potential political ambitions.

EXCLUSIVEBritain is 'letting down a generation of kids' with soaring youth unemployment, warns M&S chief

Britain is 'letting down a generation of kids' as job opportunities for the young dwindle in the face of Labour's tax hikes, the boss of Marks & Spencer has warned.

Household confidence rocked by 'ripple of fear' spread by Middle East crisis

GfK's long-running consumer confidence index dropped two points to minus 21 this month amid expectations of further sharp price rises.

Middle East conflict will push up prices on the High Street, warn retail chiefs

Next boss Lord Simon Wolfson, pictured, said the conflict is 'likely to have knock-on effects on costs, selling prices and consumer demand'.

Big blow to national saving: Scandal at NS&I threatens a critical source of government funding, says ALEX BRUMMER

Trust in the great state-run financial institutions is at low ebb. Hard on the heels of the still unresolved Post Office scandal comes scandal at NS&I.

'Just not sustainable': M&S boss accuses Labour of driving up energy bills

Stuart Machin, who runs one of Britain's biggest High Street chains, said that government levies now make up more than half of the retailer's energy costs - which is 'not sustainable'.

Labour promised the strongest economy in the G7 but the OECD says we're the most vulnerable - this is a humiliation for Rachel Reeves, says HUGO DUNCAN

Instead of being the fastest growing economy in the group, as Labour promised, the UK is becoming a laggard mired in stagflation.

Consumer confidence 'collapsed' after Iran war as economic gloom gathers

Consumer confidence 'collapsed' after Iran war as economic gloom gathers

The worrying survey from the British Retail Consortium and pollsters Opinium - which comes just as Labour had insisted there were green shoots appearing in the economy - shows that Brits' confidence in both the economy and personal finances dropped to record lows.

'Totally unprepared': Labour accused of leaving UK at the mercy of economic storm as figures show inflation stuck at 3 per cent

Rachel Reeves was yesterday accused of leaving Britain 'totally unprepared' for the coming economic storm as figures showed inflation was stubbornly high even before the Iran war.

UK interest rate hikes 'won't tame Trumpflation': Bank of England warned of damage to economy as households feel the squeeze

Business chiefs joined forces with union leaders to sound the alarm over the impact of higher borrowing costs at a time of weak growth and job losses.

Drax under fire over £8bn green energy tax break for its wood-burning power stations

Drax came under fire as it emerged its boss could earn nearly £7m this year having scooped just under £2.7m last year despite a sharp drop in profits.

The Competition & Markets Authority is the watchdog that fails to bark... let alone bite, says ALEX BRUMMER

Britain's veterinary surgeons, the Royal Mail and Thames Water might not appear to have much in common as businesses.

Economy was on its knees before war erupted, says HUGO DUNCAN: It's going to get worse for the Chancellor... and the rest of us

Inflation stood at a punishing 3 per cent in February - before the conflict sent oil and gas prices soaring and fuelled fears of a fresh cost-of-living shock.

Wilko owner says 'significant opportunity' to bring back chain to shops after new Morrisons launch

Budget homeware chain Wilko was bought by rival The Range for £5m in 2023 after it collapsed and has since made a return to the High Street by being sold in The Range shops.

Is Asos staging a comeback? Shares surge after a sharp rise in profits

Asos enjoyed a sharp jump in half-year profits in the period to 1 March, but total goods sold fell.

So who's cashing in from Trump's war? Mystery traders who made millions in just minutes before 'peace hopes' post

Mystery traders may have made a fortune after betting billions on markets just before a surprise social media post by Donald Trump raising hopes of peace with Iran.

ALEX BRUMMER: I've never been this concerned that the person nominally in charge of our economy is so out of their depth

Rachel Reeves had the opportunity to rise to the occasion yesterday. Instead, she treated us to yet another of her now-familiar flops.

Factories costs see biggest surge for 30 years as Iran war stokes fears of recession

S&P Global said the rise in oil and gas prices has led to 'input prices' paid by manufacturers rising at the sharpest rate since October 1992.

'Creepy old man' Crispin Odey insists 'delicious' receptionist was 'willing participant' in flirting

Disgraced financier Crispin Odey has admitted that he risked being seen as a 'creepy old man' over his behaviour towards a receptionist at the firm he owned.

Humbling for Royal Mail boss: Czech Sphinx has failed to deliver after debt-fuelled takeover, says ALEX BRUMMER

The Czech Sphinx, Daniel Kretinsky could have easily cried off an appearance before the Commons Business and Trade Committee.

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