KPMG

Retailers suffered a subdued October as shoppers delayed spending ahead of Black Friday and Christmas, figures show. Photo: Brian Lawless/Press Association

Retailer firms suffer subdued October as shoppers hold back for Black Friday
Retailers suffered a subdued October as shoppers delayed spending ahead of Black Friday and Christmas, figures show.

The North of England has seen a slowdown in hiring activity for both permanent and temporary roles. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

North of England sees slowdown in hiring activity for permanent and temp roles

Diane Spence is a life coach specialising in helping high-achieving women to overcome imposter syndrome

How I help women overcome imposter syndrome

Library image of Leeds city centre. The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: North of England survey signalled concurrent growth in the recruitment of permanent and short-term staff. Both rates of expansion were slightly above their respective long-run averages and the strongest among the four monitored English regions. (Photo by Greg Wright)

Permanent hiring in North is growing, says survey

UK retail sales increased by 1.3 per cent year on year in July. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Retail sales lift just 1.3 per cent despite World Cup boost for food purchasing

Phil Murden has hailed the outlook of Yorkshire business owners

Yorkshire firms 'bucking national trend' with growing confidence

Supply Chain In-Sites (SCI) has seen off competition from a raft of tech startups to be named Yorkshire and the North East Tech Innovator as part of a competition organised by KPMG. (Photo supplied by KPMG)

Supply Chain In-Sites in contention for KPMG award

Phil Murden, Leeds Office Senior Partner at KPMG UK, said: “Private businesses across Yorkshire are looking ahead to 2026 with a higher degree of confidence that people might have expected." (Photo by KPMG)

'Eight in 10 business owners expect to see growth'

Retail sales finally lifted in January. Photo: Aaron Chown/PA Wire

Retail sales lift in January after consumers hold out for New Year deals

Leeds skyline from Holbeck. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

Permanent staff hiring continues to weaken in North of England

Library image of Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves. Neil Carberry, REC Chief Executive, said: "A genuinely pro-business, pro-growth Autumn Budget next month could provide much-needed relief, by avoiding unaffordable tax rises on business, committing to real practicality on the Employment Rights Bill, supporting flexible work and reforming public sector hiring.” (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

'We need pro-business, pro-growth Budget, Chancellor'

Skipton Building Society staff are making use of AI to have more effective conversations with members.

Major AI rollout 'freeing up building society staff'

Phil Murden, Leeds Office Senior Partner at KPMG UK, says that despite economic pressures, Yorkshire’s private businesses are showing "impressive determination" to grow

Vast majority of Yorkshire businesses 'confident about growth'

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves during a visit to a coal tip in Port Talbot. Picture: Matthew Horwood/PA Wire

Extra business taxes 'risk job losses and shop closures'

Yorkshire’s start-ups raised £50.2m in the second quarter of 2025. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

Investment in Yorkshire start-ups leaps year-on-year

58% of the UK public distrust AI: How marketers are maintaining a human touch in...

Warmer weather and Mother’s Day offered a boost to retailers in March, according to KPMG's latest Retail Sales Monitor. Photo:Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Warm weather and Mother’s Day offer boost to retailers

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, appearing on the BBC 1 current affairs programme, Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg. Credit: Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire

Public concern about the economy grows ahead of spring statement

Andrew Sills, Finance Director, SBD

Andrew Sills Joins SBD as Finance Director

Looking up to one of the iconic towers

KPMG report found Drax did not breach sustainability rules - Ofgem

Andrea Harrison shares her expert insight

Why organisations should apply for a Fair Tax Mark: Andrea Harrison
I began my professional career at KPMG where I trained as a Chartered Accountant. Since then, I have worked for Bradford and Bingley, UK Asset Resolution and Coventry Building Society in many different finance roles and had the privilege of leading a number of important projects and transformations.
Andrea Harrison

The January sales gave retail stores their strongest growth in almost two years in some good news after a dire Christmas, figures show.

January sales give stores strongest growth in almost two years

Drax Power Station, near Selby. Photo: Simon Hulme

PM to look at report on legality of Drax power station subsidies

(left-right) In April 2024, Labour's then shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, and deputy leader Angela Rayner visited Yarm to unveil a five-point plan to "breathe new life" into high streets which included reforming business rates and tougher laws on shoplifting. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

Rachel Reeves urged to act as retailers face falling sales and higher costs

Supermarket sandwich maker Greencore saw profits jump more than a third after a “stronger than expected” year. (Photo by Victoria Jones/PA Wire)

Greencore's profits jump more than a third

Ian Beaumont has joined Azets, the UK top 10 accountancy and advisory firm, as Regional Senior Partner for the North East and Yorkshire. Ian, left, is pictured with Russell Turner, Regional Managing Director for North East & Yorkshire.

Ex-KPMG regional boss joins Azets in Yorkshire in 'genuine coup'

Retailers suffered a "disappointing" October after pre-Budget uncertainty coupled with rising energy bills "spooked" consumers, figures suggest. Total UK retail sales were up 0.6 per cent year-on-year last month against a 2.6 per cent increase last October, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. Photo Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

‘Disappointing’ October for retailers as pre-budget uncertainty ‘spooks’ consume...

The new Government must address skills shortages in the first 100 days of being elected, the chief executive of the membership body for the UK recruitment industry has said. Photo: Phillip Toscano/ PA

New Government must address skills shortages in first 100 days, says REC

Phil Murden from KPMG says the firm is looking for the region's hidden gems

KPMG launches competition to find Yorkshire's most exciting tech start-up

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey attends the central bank's Monetary Policy Report press conference at the Bank of England, in London, on February 1, 2024. (Photo by Justin Tallis - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Andrew Bailey urged to cut interest rates with firms stuck in 'holding pattern'

Around 100 jobs have been put at risk at big four UK accountancy firm Deloitte, as the firm looks to cut costs after a slowdown in deal activity. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Around 100 jobs at risk at Big Four accountancy firm Deloitte

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and accounting firm KPMG have shown that retail sales remained low across January, with the “hangover” of low consumer confidence continuing to affect businesses. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

Retail sales remain slow as ‘hangover’ of low consumer confidence remains
New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and accounting firm KPMG have shown that retail sales remained low across January, with the “hangover” of low consumer confidence continuing to affect sales.
Michael Crossland

Despite a challenging year for regional companies, business confidence in the region should soon start to return, according to accounting firm KPMG’s head of private enterprise in the UK. Picture by Bruce Rollinson

Business confidence should rise in 2024, says KPMG head of private enterprise

Giles Taylor, Head of Corporate Finance in Yorkshire & the Humber at KPMG UK said: “Across the UK, deals were impacted by challenging conditions last year, and the mid-market in Yorkshire & the Humber was no different. Despite this, the volume of deals completed in the region last year remained on par with pre-pandemic rates in 2019." (Photo supplied on behalf of KPMG)

Yorkshire suffered slump in private equity activity in 2023, says KPMG report

Nile Rodgers attends the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Hipgnosis music fund changes auditors after half-year results delayed

Euan West is changing roles at KPMG

KPMG Leeds office boss Euan West promoted to new national role

Recruitment in the North of England deteriorated further last month although pay pressures for permanent staff eased, according to the latest KPMG and REC report. Picture: Adobe Stock

Recruitment in the North deteriorates but pay pressures ease, says report

Audit giant KPMG has been fined a total of £21m after a series of failures in its audit of collapsed outsourcer Carillion. (Photo by Yui Mok/PA Wire)

KPMG boss says he ‘cannot defend’ Carillion audits after record £21m fine

Euan West has commented on the findings

'Troubling time' for North's job market as permanent appointments fall

Euan West shares his expert insight

Academic partnerships key to reinvigorating Yorkshire’s economy: Euan West

Dermot Callinan (photo: LNT Group)

Inquest to open into death of leading Yorkshire tax specialist who died in Alps

A pedestrian walks past a branch of a Patisserie Valerie cafe in London on January 23, 2019. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)

Former Patisserie Valerie chief financial officer among four charged with fraud

The value of Venture Capital investment in Yorkshire businesses nearly quadrupled in the second quarter of 2023, Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Value of venture capital investment in Yorkshire almost quadruples

UK transactions involving mid-market private equity investors in Yorkshire have cooled in the first half of 2023, according to new analysis from KPMG. Picture by Bruce Rollinson

Yorkshire private equity activity cools amid tough trading conditions

There is speculation that rates - which stand at 5.25 per cent - could peak below six per cent, a shift down in expectations from just a few months ago, says Beckie Hart of the CBI (Photo supplied by CBI)

Business can strike an optimistic note as autumn looms: Beckie Hart of the CBI

Venture capital investment in businesses like those based in Leeds has dropped. Picture: James Hardisty

VC investment in Yorkshire firms sinks 72 per cent following 'outlier period'

High inflation continued to support retailers in April but soaring prices meant shoppers bought fewer products during the month. Photo credit: Philip Toscano/PA Wire

Inflation drives retail sales growth but shopper budgets remain under pressure

Nearly two-thirds of Yorkshire consumers plan to reduce their non-essential spending in 2023, according to new research by KPMG

Over half of Yorkshire consumers plan to cut down on non-essential spending

KPMG's Leeds office.

KPMG announces second year of double digit growth

People shopping on Oxford Street in London. Christmas shoppers provided retail and hospitality with a crucial boost despite the cost-of-living crisis and rail strikes, figures show.

Christmas boosts sales but masks nervous festive season for consumers

The Northcoders team.

Leeds coding trainer Northcoders reaches milestones before year end

Euan West has given his view on the new findings.

Northern firms 'facing persistent shortage of candidates', KPMG boss warns

Retailers are facing challenging conditions as the vital Christmas shopping season takes place.

Consumers turn to hot water bottles and hooded blankets, sales figures show

Accountancy giant PwC is shutting most of its offices over Christmas and New Year for the first time to save energy as UK power supplies come under mounting pressure this winter.

PwC to shut majority of offices over Christmas to save energy

Cost-of-living challenges are expected to impact on Christmas retail sales this year. Picture: Alamy/PA.

Retail sales slow as consumers turn to pre-loved gifts for Christmas

Euan West from KPMG in Leeds shares his employee retention advice.

KPMG Leeds boss Euan West on how firms can attract and keep the best employees

Joules in talks to sell a stake to high street giant Next

Auditing giant KPMG will pay £18.35 million over the potentially conniving behaviour of some of its former staff when they reported to regulators on their audit of collapsed outsourcing firm Carillion. Picture: PA

KPMG fined for misleading regulator about Carillion audit

Ligentia is a supply chain technology firm.

Leeds-based supply chain tech firm Ligentia agrees deal to combine with VGL

Fashion retailer Joules confirmed it has called in advisers to look at bolstering its finances as soaring costs and waning consumer confidence hit the group’s bottom line.

Joules seeking advice amid reported plans for capital raise

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