MAY TRADE NEWS Warehouse complex proposed for Peterborough Local authorities urged to help businesses improve recycling Business leaders lose faith in the Labour government Sole traders join forces on the Isle of Wight FPB calls for government to cancel fuel duty increase Consumers get better protection from rogue traders Health and beauty sector will grow despite economic slowdown Credit crunch hits wholesale and retail businesses' cash flows CBI reports manufacturers expect to increase prices Businesses attack new agency worker rules Credit crunch 'has not stopped owners selling their businesses' BRC stresses UK firms do not use exploitative suppliers OFT targets retailers who claim to be closing Carbon Trust urged to support small firms London business buck trend as sales increase Bank charges 'could harm small business Small businesses 'could be hurt by extended flexible working rules' BRC reports gloomy sales figures Businesses urged to embrace rail network Business pessimistic about economic future Fuel duty rises 'should be postponed to help businesses and consumers' Report calls for better government support of small businesses Businesses asked for bribes to win contracts Small businesses hit by staff absences Small businesses 'turn to older employees to plug skills gap' Businesses warned of continuing economic slowdown Tories pledge to support small suppliers and local businesses Continuity plans 'vital for small firms' Manufacturers force to pass rising costs on to customers Oxfordshire Retailers Flex Their Muscle FSB steps up campaign to protect local suppliers Small firms 'are turning to bridging loans to maintain cash flows' Government looks to help business by streamlining consumer laws Business disappointed by interest rate hold Shop prices 'only rising slowly' Postal competition 'has not helped small wholesalers' Small firms are turning to bridging loans to maintain cash flows South-west's roads 'need to be improved to help wholesalers' Retailers see April increase in shoppers Government urged to involve small firms in tax forum Good online retail practice satisfies customers Small retailers urged to embrace gift card schemes Commission inquiry not doing enough for small retailers Hornby buys model car maker Corgi Trade News Archive   April 08   March 08   February 08   January 08 Subscribe to our newsletter   Go to The Wholesaler UK Directory 8th May 2008 Shop prices 'only rising slowly' A new report has suggested that shop price inflation in the UK rose in-line with recent averages in April. The British Retail Consortium and Nielsen published their monthly Shop Price Index (SPI), which indicated that the annual rate of shop price inflation reached 1.2 per cent in April. The companies said that the average for the last seven months was between one per cent and 1.3 per cent. However, the report showed that shop price inflation was driven by increases in the food sector. The non-food sector reported a 0.6 per cent drop in prices in the month. BRC director general Stephen Robertson explained that non-food prices were dropping at their fastest rate since September 2007. "Retailers are succeeding at protecting customers from the full force of increasing commodity, energy and transport costs by absorbing most of those increases themselves, even when it’s at the expense of their own margins," he added. Mike Watkins, a senior manager of retailer services at Nielsen, added: "Shoppers continue to benefit from retailer competition and supply chain efficiencies which are keeping increases as low as possible for as long as possible."   (c) 2008 Adfero Ltd.