UK Economy Above Pre-Pandemic Levels Revised figures for January now reveal that UK GDP is 0.3% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. New data also suggests an increased likelihood that growth outpaced forecasts in the first three months of 2023. Last month, the fiscal watchdog warned that Q1 of 2023 would show a 0.4% contraction but this appears to have failed to materialise. Economists labelled this an “accomplishment” but the recovery ...
Read MoreGlen is President of the Husqvarna Division. Since joining Husqvarna in 2002, Glen has held various positions including Vice President Global Sales & Services, Husqvarna Division 2016–2018, VP & CFO Husqvarna Division 2014–2017 and VP & CFO EMEA, 2013– 2014. The autumn seems a long way off right now with a lot of immediate uncertainty around the general macro pressures, energy prices, cost of living crisis, as well as the terrible ...
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UK Retail The number of shoppers visiting stores at the weekend increased 9.7% in March compared to the previous year, according to the British Retail Consortium. However, this still remains 10.2% below pre-pandemic levels which has been attributed to the rise in online shopping and the “challenging economic environment”. The change in working patterns, with the rise in hybrid working, is partially responsible for a disproportionate increase in weekend shopping. Total UK ...
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On Wednesday 5 April, the BSCC had the pleasure of hosting a financial outlook with Handelsbanken at their office in Stockholm. The economic and real estate outlook was given by Johan Löf, Head of Forecasting and Senior Economist at Handelsbanken. Prior to joining Handelsbanken, Johan worked at both the Riksbank and the Ministry of Finance. The event focused on the current macroeconomic situation as well as the real estate markets of ...
Read MoreErik is an Adjunct Professor at the Stockholm School of Economics and an active member of the Chamber. He is an experienced lawyer and works at the Legal Services department of KPMG Sweden. The conditions for international trade and investment are facing considerable changes. The EU’s focus on strategic autonomy, Brexit, serious security concerns in Europe and rising tensions between the US and China are among the challenges that generate significant ...
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UK Commercial Property Dealmaking Rises In the first quarter of 2023, investors pumped £6bn into UK office, retail and industrial buildings following record lows in Q4 of 2022. However, dealmaking is still equal to around half of its 10 year average- partially as a result of central London property declining in value and the cost of debt rising. 2023 has already seen several large deals such as Deutsche Bank’s Winchester House ...
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We are are always curious about the challenges and possibilities our member companies are facing within their industries. This week we are happy to share updates from Intrum and BCC. Intrum has received a B score in Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a higher score than the global average as well as among other credit management servicers. This score signifies how Intrum is setting the direction for their industry when it comes ...
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New First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf MSP on Tuesday (27th March) was elected as the new leader of the Scottish National party (SNP) and will shortly take the role of First Minister of Scotland. The 37 year-old health secretary won a final round ballot of SNP members (52.1% versus 47.9%) and was seen as a strong defender of the former First Minister of Scotland’s (Sturgeon) progressive policies on social issues. Sturgeon, ...
Read MoreJonas Gram was previously Brand Ambassador for The Macallan Denmark at Edrington and has now been Ambassador for the Nordics since 2021. Jonas is based in Copenhagen and frequently visits Stockholm, welcoming enthusiasts to experience The Macallan. This week we had the opportunity to learn more about what trends Jonas sees in his line of business.A growing trend within the luxury business is that of collaborations between like-minded brands that share common DNA and values. For instance, in ...
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We are delighted to introduce our newest members, Henkel and Läkarintyg Direkt. Henkel operates worldwide with leading innovations, brands and technologies in two business areas: Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands. Founded in 1876, Henkel looks back on more than 145 years of success. The company holds leading positions with its two business units in both industrial and consumer businesses thanks to strong brands, innovations and technologies such as Persil, Schwarzkopf and ...
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