【社会】惨淡的圣诞节过后，英国零售商可能不得不裁员数千人

【来源龙腾网】

正文原创翻译：

UK retailers may have to cut thousands of jobs after bleak Christmas

-British Retail Consortium figures show sales growth close to flatlining, as card spending fails to rise

惨淡的圣诞节过后，英国零售商可能不得不裁员数千人

——英国零售协会的数据显示，由于信用卡消费未能增长，销售增长接近持平

(Retail sales growth over the ‘golden quarter’ between October and December came close to flatlining.)

（去年10月至12月的“黄金季度”零售额增长接近持平。）

新闻：

Britain’s largest retailers are warning they could be forced to cut thousands of jobs this year as the industry braces for higher taxes and employment costs after a bleak Christmas shopping season.

英国最大的几家零售商警告称，今年他们可能被迫裁员数千人，因为在惨淡的圣诞购物季过后，该行业将面临更高的税收和雇佣成本。

In the latest sign of tough trading conditions on the high street, figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show sales growth over the “golden quarter” between October and December came close to flatlining.

英国零售协会的数据显示，在10月至12月的“黄金季度”，销售增长接近持平，这是商业街艰难交易环境的最新迹象。

For the three months to December – when many retailers make the bulk of their annual profits – the BRC said total UK retail sales growth was 0.4% year on year as shoppers prioritised spending on food and drink over the festive season. Once inflation was factored in, retail sales by volume slid over the year.

在截至12月的三个月里——这是许多零售商赚取大部分年度利润的时期——英国零售商协会表示，由于购物者在节日期间优先考虑食品和饮料的消费，英国零售总额同比增长0.4%。一旦将通货膨胀因素考虑在内，全年零售额就会下滑。

For 2024 overall, total sales increased by 0.7% from 2023, highlighting a cautious approach to consumer spending as households continue to grapple with higher prices after the worst inflation shock in decades.

从2024年整体来看，总销售额比2023年增长0.7%，突显出消费者支出的谨慎态度，因为在经历了几十年来最严重的通货膨胀冲击后，家庭继续与更高的价格作斗争。

Separate figures from Barclays show zero growth in consumer card spending in December, as households cut back on essential items and pub and restaurant meals in favour of spending on experiences.

巴克莱的另一份数据显示，去年12月消费者信用卡支出零增长，因为家庭削减了必需品和酒吧和餐馆的支出，转而将钱花在体验上。

原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处

Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the BRC, said retailers were poised for a challenging year as they faced £7bn of additional costs from tax increases and new regulations planned by the government.

英国零售商协会首席执行官海伦·迪金森表示，由于税收增加和政府计划出台的新法规，零售商将面临70亿英镑的额外成本，这将是充满挑战的一年。

Pressure is mounting on Keir Starmer’s government amid signs of a worsening slowdown in the British economy, with growth on track to have flatlined for the entire second half of 2024.

有迹象表明，英国经济放缓加剧，基尔·斯塔默政府面临的压力越来越大，预计2024年整个下半年的经济增长将停滞不前。

Business leaders have warned that measures in Labour’s budget to increase employer national insurance contributions by £25bn from April and a 6.7% rise in the national minimum wage will force companies to cut jobs or pass on the higher employment costs in the form of higher prices.

商业领袖们警告说，工党预算中的措施将从4月起增加250亿英镑的雇主国民保险缴款，并将全国最低工资提高6.7%，这将迫使公司裁员或以更高的价格转嫁更高的雇佣成本。

Clive Black, a retail industry analyst, said he had doubled his forecast for food inflation to 3% for 2025 from 1.5%, claiming it was “UK government policy that is now the prime source of grocery price appreciation”.

零售业分析师克莱夫·布莱克表示，他将对2025年食品通胀的预测从1.5%提高了一倍，达到3%，声称“英国政府的政策是目前食品价格上涨的主要来源”。

原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处

Retailers including Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Next wrote to Rachel Reeves in November to warn that a £7bn increase in annual costs after the budget would lead to job cuts and higher prices.

去年11月，包括特易购、玛莎百货和Next在内的零售商致信瑞秋·里夫斯，警告称预算后年度成本增加70亿英镑，将导致裁员和涨价。

Dickinson said the government needed to take steps to ease the pressure on struggling retailers, or risk widespread job losses.

迪金森表示，政府需要采取措施缓解苦苦挣扎的零售商的压力，否则将面临大规模失业的风险。

“With little hope of covering these costs through higher sales, retailers will likely push up prices and cut investment in stores and jobs, harming our high streets and the communities that rely on them,” she said.

她说：“由于通过提高销售额来弥补这些成本的希望渺茫，零售商可能会推高价格，削减对商店和就业的投资，损害我们的商业街和依赖它们的社区。”

The chancellor has rebuked critics of her budget for offering no alternatives, arguing tax increases are vital for fixing austerity-starved public services while ensuring sustainable government finances.

财政大臣指责批评她的预算方案没有提供替代方案的人士，称增税对于改善紧缩带来的公共服务，同时确保政府财政的可持续发展至关重要。

Consumer spending has come under pressure after inflation rocketed to a peak of 11.1% in October 2022 after the exit from pandemic lockdowns and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a surge in living costs, leading the Bank of England to raise interest rates to the highest level in 15 years.

在疫情封锁结束和俄罗斯入侵乌克兰引发生活成本飙升后，通货膨胀率在2022年10月飙升至11.1%的峰值，导致英格兰银行将利率提高到15年来的最高水平，消费者支出面临压力。

Inflation has fallen back to more normal levels, but is forecast to remain above the Bank’s 2% target until 2027 – limiting its scope for rate cuts. Households have begun to repair the damage to their finances after a period of wages rising above inflation, but consumers have maintained a cautious approach to spending.

通货膨胀率已经回落到更正常的水平，但预计到2027年仍将高于央行2%的目标，这限制了其降息的空间。在一段时间工资涨幅高于通胀之后，家庭已经开始修复他们的财务状况，但消费者在支出方面仍保持谨慎态度。

Separate figures from the audit firm BDO show retail sales in discretionary spend categories grew by 2% year on year in the golden quarter, compared with a fall of 1.6% in the same period in 2023.

来自审计公司BDO的独立数据显示，在黄金季度，可自由支配支出类别的零售额同比增长了2%，而在2023年同期则下降了1.6%。

However, it warned much of the increase was driven by online sales, as high street stores continued to struggle with sales growth of just 0.1% in the final three months of the year.

然而，它警告说，大部分增长是由在线销售推动的，因为高街商店在去年最后三个月的销售增长仅为0.1%，继续挣扎。

BDO said that bad weather and flooding in parts of the UK may have driven consumers to shop online, where sales increased by 20.7%. However, the audit firm warned the struggling performance on the high street could be compounded by higher employment costs and tax rises.

BDO表示，英国部分地区的恶劣天气和洪水可能促使消费者在网上购物，其销售额增长了20.7%。然而，该审计公司警告称，高街企业的艰难表现可能会受到更高的雇佣成本和税收上涨的影响。

Sophie Michael, head of retail and wholesale at BDO, said: “Businesses are yet to feel the impact of increased wage costs introduced in the budget which disproportionately impacts consumer-facing sectors. Recent reports note that 170,000 shop workers lost their jobs in 2024, with an expectation that this number will only increase in 2025.”

BDO零售和批发主管索菲·迈克尔表示：“企业尚未感受到预算中引入的工资成本上涨的影响，这对面向消费者的行业造成了不成比例的影响。最近的报告指出，2024年有17万名商店工人失业，预计到2025年这一数字只会增加。”

The government has been approached for comment.

记者已联系政府请其置评。