RE: Fast fashion squeezes UK middle-market brands17 Nov 2025 10:03
This Christmas is entirely different, discretionary spending has shifted toward essentials for significantly more households and individuals.
It’s not the awaited budget so much as what’s gone before, a year or so of purse/wallet hostility. Food inflation, higher rent, mortgages, and staggering hospitality prices has left many with nothing to fall back on. 9 out of 10 middle class friends and family of mine will not be buying presents, and if they do probably 75% less than last year.
This winter will be much more about making do and just surviving!
Retailers need to take note, in particular the likes of M&S/Next, H&M.
Debenhams and asos are probably going to benefit and of course the Chinese digital economy. Unless the UK chancellor scraps the £150 parcel value exemption.
The last time I felt this nervous for the UK economy was in the 1970’s, but this feels much worse because today we don’t have political leaders, to help steer the country, in any political party.
I quite liked Gordon Brown, Margaret Thatcher, and even Harold Wilson! Because we and the world knew where we stood, our principles and values of fairness with steadfastness. Now we are seen as selfish, and sloppy.