Brexit news and archive

Fashion in the news: Brexit, industry challenges & fashion week stress

Every Friday, FashionUnited selects the most interesting reads about the fashion industry published across US and international news outlets. Here’s what you may have missed this week: What’s next for Brexit? This week has been chaotic for UK politics, to say the least. British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit Plan suffered an historic defeat...

BusinessFeatured

No deal Brexit could spell disaster for British fashion industry

It was to be the plans of all plans, with Prime Minister Theresa May to lay out the withdrawal agreement for the UK to leave the EU. The terms of which spelled out the future relationship for both citizens and companies whose close ties to the continent remain under threat. But while in a matter of weeks Britain is due to leave the EU, the...

Report

UK economic growth hits six-month low

Growth in the UK economy has slowed in the three months to November to its weakest pace in six months. The economy grew by 0.3 percent in this period, down from 0.4 percent in the three months to October, according to new data by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The economy grew by 0.2 percent in November, up from October’s 0.1 percent...

Management

Leading firms 'watching in horror' over no-deal Brexit plans

With just 100 days until the UK is set to leave the EU, and with the future of Theresa May’s deal looking as uncertain as ever, five leading business groups have voiced their concerns about a no-deal outcome. The CBI, British Chambers of Commerce, Institute of Directors, Federation of Small Businesses, and the manufacturers' organisation EEF,...

Video

Video: Brexit Explained: Inside a Disunited Kingdom

Two and a half years after Britain’s referendum on whether to leave the European Union, the country remains divided. We met with voters on both sides of the debate — those who voted to leave and now feel betrayed, and those campaigning for a second referendum. Source: The New York Times, YouTube.

Management

Richard Branson: UK will be 'near bankrupt' after Brexit

British business magnate and founder of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, has said that a hard Brexit would be disastrous for the UK and would force many british business to close, leaving the country “near bankrupt”. “I think that Theresa May just needs to be 100 percent honest with the public,” Branson told the BBC. “She’s admitted that her...

Management|ANALYSIS Featured

British fashion firm Joules readies up for Brexit with European logistics centre

New York – British fashion retailer Joules Group is taking measures to mitigate the impact of the UK leaving the European Union. Amongst Joules’ Brexit plan there is the opening of an EU-based distribution facility, as well as bringing inventory of its 2019 spring-summer collection into the UK earlier than usual. In a conference to update the...

ManagementFeatured

'Season of uncertainty': UK consumer confidence drops to lowest point of the year

It looks like growing uncertainty about the UK leaving the EU in March continues to affect UK retail. UK consumer confidence dropped to its lowest point of the year in November, falling three points to -13, according to GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index. Commenting on the results in a statement, Joe Staton, Client Strategy Director at...

ManagementFeatured

More than a third of UK retailers 'under-prepared' for a hard Brexit

As 29 March fast approaches, and the UK prepares itself - as well as it can - to leave the European Union, new research shows that more than a third of UK retailers aren’t fully prepared for the potential outcome of a no-deal Brexit. The research, conducted by Retail Economics and Squire Patton Boggs, surveyed 26 large UK retailers with a...

ManagementFeatured

UK consumer confidence continues to drop in build up to Christmas

UK consumer confidence continues to drop in October as a one point fall in the Consumer Confidence Index leads to a 3-month low of -10, according to a survey by GfK. The index shows that concern over how the economy will fare in the next 12 months is at its highest point since December, as the country prepares to leave the EU. Commenting on the...

ManagementFeatured

Brexit timeline: How the UK referendum result has affected the fashion industry

It’s hard to believe that the Brexit referendum, which took place way back on 23 June, 2016, has been a staple topic for rowdy pub chats and friendship-ending Facebook statuses for over two years already. As 29 March quickly approaches - and the whole of the UK twiddles their thumbs in shared anticipation - FashionUnited asks the question: how...

Retail

Walpole appeals to Brexit ministers on behalf of British luxury companies

Walpole, the official sector body for UK luxury, has made a statement to the media ahead of the Brexit cabinet meeting today. Walpole hopes the vocal support from its members presents an opportunity to urge ministers to put pragmatism and common sense ahead of ideology, to acknowledge that crashing out of the EU on WTO rules – a no-deal Brexit –...