THE HUB RETAIL RECRUITMENT’S WEEKLY NEWS SNIPPETS

Another Wednesday. Another issue of The Hub Retail Recruitment’s Weekly News Snippets. This week our chosen stories are: A gaping pay gap; GB still holding firm; supermarket sales hotting up; and Tesco’s in trouble with Scottish customers.

A gaping pay gap: Whilst the pay gap between men and women in Britain is narrowing, it’s still there. And when you’re a mother who has taken time off to have a child, or returned to part-time work, it jumps to a whopping difference of 33%. Despite government committing to erase the gender pay gap, and with larger businesses having to publish their pay data for men and women from April 2017, the Institute for Fiscal Studies latest report shows that the pay gap is unfortunately – and shockingly – still alive and well. this article is excellent at setting out the issues – including the lack of quality part-time work on offer.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/aug/23/gender-pay-gap-average-18-per-cent-less-uk-women

GB still holding firm: So, exports, housing, and construction are all still doing well, despite the expectations that all 3 would slump after Brexit. Indeed, manufacturing orders are at a 2 year high. It is of course a result of the weaker pound. And as we’ve reported before, there are pros and cons to both strong and weak currency. There is the looming possibility of inflation rising sharply over the fourth quarter, but certainly these third quarter results are giving hope to a stronger economy than was first thought back in June and July.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/08/23/exports-pick-up-as-weak-pounds-boosts-the-economy/

Supermarket sales hotting up: Thanks to the recent warmer weather, and to some extent the feel good factor of the Olympics, supermarket sales were stronger than expected in the last 12 weeks. As per usual, Lidl and Aldi sales were ahead of the rest climbing by 10%, but even Tesco sales improved as its downward trend slowed over the last quarter. Apparently, the weather helped the sales of frozen confectionary such as ice cream. And it must surely have been the Olympics and Team GB’s outstanding performance that increased champagne sales by 10%.

http://news.sky.com/story/warm-weather-boost-for-supermarket-sales-10548452

Tesco in trouble with Scottish customers: And talking of Tesco, it would seem its media team has managed to stir up the Scots over Twitter. Tesco received some tweets from Scottish customers complaining that the Scottish flag – the saltire – had been changed to the Union Jack on strawberries grown in Scotland. It would seem that the tweeting responses from Tesco has inflamed the situation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-37164237

That’s our pick for this week. Next Wednesday will be our bumper issue as it’ll be the Monthly Newsround edition. Don’t miss it on 31st August. Join us then, but in the meantime, do let us have any comments you have about the stories we’ve covered throughout August.