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August offered a mixed picture for UK business: stronger growth and improving consumer confidence, but rising costs, subdued hiring and continued pressure on retailers. This month’s In-Brief looks at what those signals mean for leadership, people, retail and business management — and why disciplined execution matters more than ever.

July delivered political change, firmer retail sales, easing inflation and a welcome improvement in business confidence. It also produced a softer labour market, cautious consumers and a Bank of England increasingly divided over whether interest rates are high enough.

The past four weeks have delivered a curiously British business picture: modest economic resilience, deeply cautious sentiment, encouraging retail sales and fewer people actually visiting shops…

Chancellor Reeves has drawn new battlelines between the High Street and the online giants. But for business leaders, the immediate reality is a delicate balancing act between rising operational costs and future structural promises.

The economic climate in October was dominated by a distinct wait-and-see approach from business leaders, driven by anxiety over the upcoming Autumn Budget…

UK business leader confidence in the broader economy reached a new record low in September 2025, according to the Institute of Directors (IoD) Economic Confidence Index, falling…

The UK business environment continues to grapple with persistent inflationary pressures, with a significant number of businesses citing labour costs as a primary factor for considering price increases…