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M&S has unveiled plans to invest £30 million in bricks and mortar stores across Scotland. The retailer’s investment will deliver more than five new store openings and expansions over the next eighteen months, supporting over 6,500 jobs in communities across the country. As one of the biggest private sector investments in Aberdeen for years, these plans include £15m for M&S Aberdeen Union Square – next year expanding to almost the double the size with a spacious fresh market-style food hall full of exciting new features including a beautiful flower shop, a cheese barge, larger in-store bakery and dedicated M&S Wine Shop as well as bigger clothing, home and beauty departments – all designed to make shopping inspirational and easier than ever before. Alongside a new M&S foodhall coming to Linlithgow later this month, there’s more investment in the Northeast economy with a new full-line store in Dundee’s Gallagher Retail Park on track to open in Summer 2024. M&S will also open in Largs for the first time with a new foodhall due to open in early 2025. Scotland is also an important strategic sourcing location for M&S – with 2,500 Scottish farms in its supply chain and long-standing partnerships with companies such as Kettle Produce, McSween and Scottish Sea Farms. Many Scottish-sourced product lines are sold not just in 94 stores in Scotland but across a wider network of stores across the UK and beyond. Sacha Berendji, M&S Operations Director said: "This is our biggest ever investment in Scotland, putting £30m into transforming the shopping experience for customers in Aberdeen, Largs, Dundee and Linlithgow - bringing new jobs across the country with bigger, better, fresh-market style foodhalls and new opportunities for Scottish shoppers to access our best-ever, most inspiringly presented clothing, home and beauty range. Our investment in Scotland goes beyond new stores with M&S sourcing more Scottish produce than ever before, through strong partnerships with local producers." "Around 2,500 Scottish farms, sea farms and fisheries supply us with great quality products, many supplied beyond Scotland to M&S stores across the UK. Our commitment to Scotland has never been stronger.” Spring 2025 is when the £15m expansion in Aberdeen Union Square is scheduled to complete and the city can boast the fourth biggest M&S in Scotland. M&S will then be closing its store on St Nicholas Street. Plans for this longer-term relocation have today been shared with colleagues – with all those on permanent contracts transferring over to M&S Aberdeen Union Square or other nearby stores next year. M&S will work closely with the council and partners on the future development of the St Nicholas store. Rachel Rankine, North East Regional Manager for M&S, said: “The scale of our investment is a vote of confidence in the future of retail in Aberdeen city centre, with a flagship store on the same scale as city centre stores in Birmingham and Liverpool. Where we have already invested in new formats, our customers have responded to the destination shopping experience and Aberdeen shoppers can look forward to having a bigger, better, fresher food hall and the best in M&S clothing and home.” The Scottish investment announced today reflects M&S’ aim to become the UK’s leading omnichannel retailer, with its store rotation programme designed to ensure M&S has the right stores, in the right place with the right space. The retailer is aiming to rotate from a base of 247 stores across the UK to 180 higher quality, higher productivity full line stores that sell its Clothing, Home and Food ranges, while also opening over 100 bigger, better food sites by FY27/28. At the start of last year, M&S set out a c.£500m multi-year investment in its store rotation programme across the UK and outlined its ambition to go faster in the programme and target delivery in three years instead of five by FY25/26. This new investment of £30m for Scotland announced today is on top of £32m already invested in eleven Scottish stores over the last four years – including brand-new foodhalls in Paisley, Hamilton and East Kilbride. Beyond this headline investment, M&S has already launched eleven new and renewed stores over the last four years in Scotland, including new foodhalls in Straiton (Edinburgh), Hamilton, Falkirk Central, Cumbernauld, East Kilbride and Paisley alongside renewals and expansions in Glasgow Silverburn, Edinburgh Gyle, Anniesland, Glasgow West End and Bishopbriggs alongside two recently opened convenience stores in Glasgow Battlefield and Glasgow Queen Street. In the last year, M&S has continued to see strong performances from these recently opened and relocated stores with sales ahead of plan with increased footfall and customers buying bigger baskets of food giving the retailer the confidence to accelerate the programme. New stores deliver an omni-channel shopping experience so customers can shop how they want The new stores pipeline means M&S will have more than 15 stores across Scotland in its renewal format. Each store aims to appeal to families, with customers able to browse in wider, brighter aisles, with fresh market-style foodhalls stocking the full M&S Food range and spacious clothing, home & beauty departments. Many renewal stores also have more ample and accessible car parking to make shopping more convenient for customers, especially for bigger weekly food shops. The new stores and renewals are also underpinned by substantial investment in new digital services that offer customers an omnichannel service – including the roll out of Digital Click & Collect so that customers can collect their parcels in-store in under 60 seconds. Other innovations include Scan & Shop which lets customers use their phone to scan and bag food items directly from the M&S app as they shop.

Business activity at UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expanded at the fastest rate for seven months in December, led by renewed growth in the service economy. Adding to signs of a steady turnaround in business conditions, new orders stabilised at the end of 2023, which ended a five-month period of reduced workloads. Key Findings: Fastest rise in overall UK SME output since May 2023 Service providers report growth rebound, but manufacturers see an accelerated decline Business optimism among SMEs reaches highest level since March 2022 Cost inflation hits three-month high and is seen as the biggest obstacle to sustainability action in 2024 The headline NatWest SME PMI® Business Activity Index registered 51.2 in December, up from 50.7 in November and the highest reading since May. This signalled a marginal overall increase in SME business activity, with growth in the service economy more than offsetting sustained declines in manufacturing and construction output. The latest fall in manufacturing production was the steepest since October 2022, reflecting weak demand in both domestic and export markets. Survey respondents often commented on relief at the pause in Bank of England interest rate hikes last autumn, alongside a positive impact on business and consumer spending from lower borrowing costs and easing inflationary pressures. This contributed to an improvement in business activity expectations for the year ahead. Overall business confidence among SMEs was the highest since early-2022, helped by a marked improvement in service sector optimism at the end of last year. Elevated wage pressures and squeezed margins meant that UK SMEs were wary about adding to their staffing numbers. Job creation stalled in December, which ended a 33-month period of employment growth. A number of firms commented on the non-replacement of voluntary leavers due to spare capacity and efforts to contain business expenses. Input cost inflation accelerated to its highest since September, which was overwhelmingly linked to greater salary payments. December data also signalled a robust rise in prices charged by SMEs, led by those operating in the service sector, largely in response to higher operating expenses. Meanwhile, the latest NatWest Sustainable Business Tracker indicated that 35% of UK SMEs viewed sustainability action as a high priority for the year ahead, down from 36% in Q3 and the joint-lowest since the survey began in 2020. A slide in prioritisation was reported by both manufacturers and service providers, with survey respondents often commenting on the need to focus on rising business expenses and challenging economic conditions. In contrast, the proportion of large enterprises citing sustainability action as a high priority rose from 59% to 64% in Q4. Finally, our special feature on obstacles to sustainability actions in 2024 illustrated that worries about higher business costs were by far the most prevalent constraint cited by UK SMEs. Around 60% of the survey panel noted that rising business costs was a major obstacle to becoming more sustainable in the next 12 months. Difficulties measuring carbon footprint were the second-highest ranked barrier, reported by 31% of SMEs in Q4. Large enterprises also noted that rising business costs (59%) were the top ranking obstacle for 2024, while uncertainty about government regulation was the second-highest cited constraint on sustainability action (37%). Sebastian Burnside, NatWest Chief Economist, said: “Small businesses are starting 2024 on a positive footing with confidence getting back to pre-energy crisis highs. Costs are clearly a concern and rising wages, especially the national minimum wage, means businesses are going to be working hard to find efficiencies this year. That may mean sustainability initiatives slide down the priority list for some, but investments in energy efficiency will make even more sense for others. The market’s expectations of interest rate cuts may also help lower financing costs, if the Bank of England builds more confidence that inflation is falling reliably.” James Holian, Head of Business Banking at NatWest Group, said: “After a turbulent year for the economy, it is really encouraging to see that small businesses ended 2023 in higher spirits, with growth accelerating at the fastest rate since May. The services sector in particular has been buoyed by strong sales in the last quarter as borrowing costs have eased. With business confidence now at its highest level in over a year there’s a real sense of momentum as we start 2024." “For those businesses looking to improve their environmental sustainability, rising business costs remain the biggest challenge. At NatWest we have developed the tools to support businesses to understand where they can improve their energy efficiency and save money, so they can concentrate on the day-to-day running of their business.” Obstacles To Sustainability Goals in 2024: NatWest asked businesses to report on obstacles that UK SMEs face in becoming more sustainable in 2024. Of the ten potential barriers covered by the survey, rising business costs were cited as the biggest challenge for SMEs when looking to improve their environmental sustainability. Six-in-ten SMEs noted this as the largest obstacle, with manufacturers more likely to report this as a constraint than services companies (66% versus 54%). Furthermore, the proportion of SMEs stating rising costs as a barrier was nearly double that recorded for the next biggest obstacle; the inability to accurately measure their carbon footprint (31% of all SMEs). A number of companies reported that suppliers, particularly those based overseas, were often unable to provide information on their carbon emissions, which made it challenging to calculate their companies' overall footprint. A lack of customer demand for more sustainable products (26% of all SMEs) and difficulties in making a business case for sustainability in terms of cost savings (25%) were also key concerns. While rising business expenses were also the main concern among large companies when it came to future sustainability goals in 2024 (59%), uncertainty around government regulation placed second in the rankings of top obstacles. Around 37% of large firms reported uncertainty around government policy as a constraint on sustainability plans for the year ahead, compared to 30% of SMEs.

Cameron Mason retained his national championship title on home turf in Falkirk, while Anna Kay secured her first elite title in the female race on the first day of the British National Cyclo-cross Championships. Corran Carrick-Anderson and Ella Maclean Howell secured the under-23 titles, while Cat Ferguson and Oscar Amey took the junior podiums after strong performances. Elite Open Cameron Mason (Cyclocross Reds) took his second consecutive national title in style after a brilliant solo effort that saw him cross the line a minute ahead of Thomas Mein (Hope Factory Racing), while Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) came home third after a great battle with under-23 winner Corran Carrick-Anderson (T-Mo Racing). A rapid start saw the elite open race strung out in the opening lap, with Mein the front runner up ‘The Wall’. Mein was followed closely by Carrick-Anderson and Toby Barnes (Ribble-Verge Sport), with home favourite Mason and under-23 rider Dan Barnes (Team Spectra Cannondale) just behind. On the second lap, Mein went solo as Mason took it up a gear, overtaking others with ease and keeping the National Trophy winner in his sights. Just after a technical section, Mason made his move to overtake Mein and storm ahead in pole position. With only a handful of seconds between them, Mein kept calm and continued the chase with Mason in his reach. The two were comfortably ahead of the field, with Carrick-Anderson sitting in third as Askey, Dan Barnes and Simon Wyllie (Team Spectra Cannondale) chased. Mason racked up his gap to 30 seconds with Mein securely in the place for silver. The closing stages of the race saw Mason maintain his gap on Mein, while Askey caught and overtook Carrick-Anderson in the bronze medal position. Coming into the finish line, Mason finished one minute and 15 seconds ahead of Mein, shouting in relief to take his second national title – all the more special on home turf. North East rider Mein came in second with a smile, while Askey secured the third spot on the podium after a fantastic chase. Speaking after his win, Mason said: “What a crazy day! I really felt the pressure today and just wanted to do what I knew I could do. I know how to ride this course in order to get the most out of myself. My plan was to kind of let the race unfold and not go too deep, too early." "I’ve raced on this course for the last 10 years or so, but I am just happy to execute the plan and get it done. That's exactly why I ride a bike – the feeling of winning is just so awesome.” Carrick-Anderson came home fourth to see the Scotsman take the under-23 title, while Wyllie’s sixth place saw him take the silver, and despite dropping his chain three times, Dan Barnes was able to take the bronze with a seventh place finish. Elite Female Anna Kay (Cyclocross Reds) showed pure dominance from start to finish in the elite female race to take her first ever elite national title, while Ella Maclean Howell’s (Hope Factory Racing) second place also saw her win the under-23 title as Grace Inglis (Muckle CC) finished in a brilliant bronze position. Kay was off the front from the gun and led the pack by a huge margin within the first lap. Junior rider Imogen Wolff (Trinity Racing), Millie Couzens (Fenix-Deceuninck), Maclean Howell and Inglis chasing, and Nikki Brammeier just off the back of them. Kay continued to push on her lead, attacking ahead alone as Couzens, Maclean Howell and Inglis trailed 50 seconds behind, and Brammeier 20 seconds behind them. The Cyclocross Reds rider remained calm and composed in the final two laps, while a chasing Inglis started to put the power down, but Maclean Howell counterattacked and managed to get away as the solo chasing rider to Kay. The bell lap saw Kay maintain a 45 second gap as Maclean Howell continued to battle on alone behind, while Inglis and Couzens were neck-and-neck for the bronze. Kay raised her arms in elation as she crossed the finish line 50 seconds ahead of Maclean Howell to take the national title. A valiant battle for Maclean Howell saw her take second, while a last lap spurt from Inglis secured the bronze. Speaking after her win, Kay said: “I still don't believe it. It's my first elite title in any discipline, so I'm really happy. I knew it was going to be fast and I just felt good on the first lap, so I thought, ‘yeah, why not just go?’ It's such a good for spectators and it's good for us as riders because we get support everywhere.” Maclean Howell’s second place was enough to secure her the under-23 victory. A fourth place from Couzens allowed her to take the silver. Wolff’s commendable ride saw her finish in seventh place to round off the under-23 podium in bronze. Junior Female Cat Ferguson (Hope Tech Factory Racing) had a sensational ride to win the junior female race. She finished almost four minutes ahead of silver medallist Alice Colling (Shibden CC) as Esther Wong (Shibden CC) took the bronze. Ferguson fired off the start line, stringing out the bunch from the off to put the pressure on the pace. Summiting ‘The Wall’ for the first time, Ferguson was already 45 seconds up on the field, with National Trophy Series winner Colling and teammate Wong chasing behind, with the two working together well. On the second lap, Colling pushed on to form a gap ahead of Wong, while Ferguson extended her lead to over a minute. Ferguson continued to put the pressure on, gaining a two-minute advantage over Colling, who maintained the silver medal position from a chasing Wong. Coming into the bell lap, Ferguson was lapping the riders at the back and had almost three minutes on Colling, and took it to the limit to cross the line three minutes and 47 seconds ahead of second place. Ferguson crossed the line with a bow, asserting her dominance with clear enjoyment, while Colling took a sensational silver medal and Wong finished in third, 30 seconds back after a strong race. After her podium presentation, Ferguson said: “To come away with a title today is really special. It’s quite a challenging course physically and technically, so I wanted to just lead from the start and to see what gap I could get and just extend it throughout the race." "In that final lap, I just wanted to enjoy it and take in the crowd. There were so many people out there supporting me today and I’m just really grateful.” Junior Open Oscar Amey (GKR Racing) reflected his talent from the National Trophy Series to take the national title ahead of defending champion Sebastian Grindley (Trinity Racing), while his brother Alfie Amey (GKR Racing) took home the bronze. The junior open race kicked off the weekend, with the peloton firing off the start line. Oscar, Alfie and Grindley were the clear favourites, escaping off the front in the opening lap of the race. Grindley was spearheading the front of the race, but a slow bike dismount saw the Amey brothers make a big attack, but it wasn’t enough to get rid of the Trinity rider. With two laps remaining, Grindley and Oscar pushed on with Alfie unable to match the pace, taking the bell lap 10 seconds behind. The three were well ahead of the rest of the field with the medal positions practically decided. Oscar put the power down in the final lap, pushing on to forge a gap on Grindley, taking the technical sections with ease and clocking up the seconds on his lead. The GKR Racing rider crossed the line to take the win 10 seconds ahead of Grindley to claim the national title, while Alfie finished third 30 seconds behind him. Oscar said: “We were all kind of attacking each other for most of the race, and just on that last lap, I managed to get away from the technical section and just hold it to the finish. After Alfie made a mistake on The Wall, I tried to wait for him a bit, but Seb attacked on that section, so it just worked out really well.” Veterans In the veteran over-50 open race, Nicholas Craig (SCOTT Racing) was dominant from start to finish, firing off the start line with Ian Taylor (Shibden CC) hot on his wheel, with Nicholas Whitley (Team Enable - M.I.Racing ) chasing behind. On the second lap, Craig pushed on the pace, and formed a gap which he continued to extend with pure power, crossing the line over a minute ahead of Taylor to claim the national title. Taylor took the silver, while Whitley finished almost 20 seconds behind to round off the podium. Grant Johnson also had a dominant day, lapping the field in the veteran over-60 open race. Johnson stormed to the win ahead of Simon Hime (Finchley Racing Team) and John McGrath (Team TMC - Strada Wheels). Full Podium Results Elite Open Cameron Mason Thomas Mein Lewis Askey Elite Female Anna Kay Ella Maclean Howell Grace Inglis Under-23 Open Corran Carrick-Anderson Simon Wyllie Dan Barnes Under-23 Female Ella Maclean Howell Millie Couzens Imogen Wolff Junior Open Oscar Amey Sebastian Grindley Alfie Amey Junior Female Cat Ferguson Alice Colling Esther Wong Veteran Over-50 Open Nicholas Craig Ian Taylor Nicholas Whitley Veteran Over-60 Open Grant Johnson Simon Hime John McGrath Photo Credits: SWPix

Aldi has been named as the nation’s most popular supermarket, according to new polling data for Q4 2023 from YouGov. In the poll, Aldi maintained its position at the top, ranking ahead of its traditional Big Four rivals, as well as M&S and fellow discounter Lidl. It comes after Aldi was named by Which? as the UK’s Cheapest Supermarket of the Year for 2023,having also won the accolade in 2022 and 2021. Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket was also named the UK’s Cheapest Supermarket of the month for December by Which? A basket of 43 everyday items cost £10.38 – or 14% – more at the average Big Four supermarket than at Aldi, while this was 27% more at the most expensive supermarket, Waitrose. Richard Thornton, Communications Director at Aldi, said: “We know that with the rising pressures of the cost of living, customers are looking for ways to save without having to compromise on the quality British food they love." “Aldi continues to offer great quality products at unbeatable prices, which is why we believe British shoppers have voted us the nation’s favourite supermarket yet again.” In 2023, Aldi also attracted more than half a million additional customers and saw customers switch spending from every major UK supermarket, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S and Lidl, to Aldi.

In the last year, almost half (42%) of parents and grandparents aged 55 and over have assisted younger family members with childcare. Those who have provided childcare spend the equivalent of a long workday (almost 9 hours) childminding per week. Parents and grandparents – the ‘Bank of Family’ – are offering childcare support to family members that is equal to around £38 billion per year, according to research from Legal & General and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in 50% of working families both parents are employed full-time, and many are calling on their wider family for help. Almost half (42%) of parents and grandparents aged 55 and over have assisted their family by providing unpaid childcare in the past year. Those who have helped spent almost 9 hours a week on average helping to look after children or grandchildren. The value of this childcare is around £5,400 per year. It is just one of many forms of ‘soft support’ that the Bank of Family provide in addition to financial gifts. Legal & General’s research found that over a third (31.1%) of parents and grandparents welcomed adult children back home to help them save a deposit for their own home, avoiding an estimated £24,900 in outgoings. Legal & General has launched several Bank of Family resources to help parents and grandparents make informed decisions about the financial support they offer their children. Bernie Hickman, CEO, Legal & General Retail: “People assume that the Bank of Family is just about financial support. But as our research reveals, people depend on their parents and sometimes wider family for many things – including the gift of time. The recent childcare reforms to help families are a step in the right direction, but many people depend on their parents so they can continue to work." “For parents and grandparents providing support, managing these responsibilities while also navigating retirement, or the approach to retirement, can be a challenge. With the increased financial pressures of the cost-of-living crisis, it’s important those providing support take a considered approach and make sure it feels manageable.”

Britain’s manufacturers are viewing the UK as a more competitive place to locate their activities compared to twelve months ago, with an increasing number believing they are moving ahead of their European rivals. However, they remain wary of the huge threat to their competitiveness posed by the economic behemoths of the US, India and China. The findings come from a major survey of over two hundred senior manufacturing executives published today by Make UK and PwC. The survey shows that after a very difficult few years through the pandemic and, the shock to energy prices, there are optimistic signs with companies more bullish about the prospects for manufacturing in 2024. As a result, the majority of companies are seeing opportunities outweighing the risks to their business. Key findings: Companies more confident about sector prospects but wary of UK and global economic conditions deteriorating Majority of manufacturers see UK as more competitive place to locate compared to twelve months ago Manufacturers see themselves moving ahead of European rivals though India, US and China set to dominate competition Opportunities coming from new products, digital technologies and expansion into new markets But significant risks from ongoing access to skills, increasing energy and employment costs Manufacturers are backing this belief with investment in new products, expansion into new markets and accelerating use of new digital technologies to improve their business. However, the survey also shows that manufacturers are wary of the prospects for both the UK and global economies, while significant challenges remain in the faces of increased energy and employment costs, as well as access to domestic skills. Stephen Phipson, Chief Executive of Make UK, said: “The last few years have been a rollercoaster of emotions for manufacturers, yet they have more than demonstrated their resilience time after time. We are now seeing some hope that conditions may be improving, amid a more supportive and stable policy environment, but this must be cemented within a long term industrial strategy." "While undoubted challenges remain, the accelerating use of digital technologies, our strength in innovation and expansion into new markets sets the scene for manufacturing to be at the heart of efforts to boost growth.” Cara Haffey, Leader of Manufacturing at PwC added: "After what has been a rocky few years for manufacturers, it seems there is a cautious optimism in the air." "In fact, our research showed that in the year ahead, more than half of them are planning to seize opportunities in new products, with more than a quarter (27.3%) hoping to explore uncharted territory, and expand into new markets." "For many, despite January's to-do list likely looming large, as the headwinds of sustained economic challenges, geopolitical instability, and steep employment and energy costs continue, the horizon seems brighter.” According to the survey more than half of companies (52.7%) see the UK as a more competitive place to manufacture. This compares to just under a third (31%) in the same survey a year ago following the political chaos of 2022. Less than a fifth (16.6%) believe the UK is not a competitive place in which to manufacture. Furthermore, almost a third of companies believe the UK is increasing its competitiveness against Germany and France (30.7% and 30.2% respectively) while more than a quarter believe the UK is moving ahead of Spain and Italy (29.3% and 28.3%). These figures are greater than those who see the UK’s competitiveness decreasing against EU rivals. However, by contrast, the share of companies who believe the UK is losing competitiveness against the US, India and China dwarfs those who believe the UK is gaining. The survey also shows manufacturers are bullish about their prospects for the coming year with more than four fifths (44.4%) believing that conditions in the sector will improve, while a fifth (20.5%) see conditions deteriorating. In addition, almost two thirds (62%) of companies see opportunities outweighing the risks this year while just 14% disagree. However, by contrast, more than four in ten companies (41.5%) see the UK economy deteriorating in 2024 compared to just over a third (36.6%) who see it improving. A similar proportion (37.6%) see the global economy getting worse this year compared to just under a third (31.2%) who see it improving. In the year ahead, more than half of manufacturers (52.7%) see opportunities in new products while more than a quarter (27.3%) are expanding into new markets and a similar proportion (26.3%) are net zero opportunities. Furthermore, digital technologies have the potential to boost productivity with almost three quarters of companies (71.2%) believing digitising operations will boost operational efficiency. In addition, more than half of companies (52.2%) see generative AI increasing the productivity of their workforce. However, more than half of companies still see risks from increased energy costs (53.2%) closely followed by the impact of political instability (43.9%). More than two thirds (36.1%) are still seeing supply chain disruption while a similar number (35.1%) see lack of access to domestic skills as a risk. The survey of 205 companies was carried out between 8 and 29 November.

Veganuary, a global movement challenging individuals to adopt a vegan lifestyle for the month of January, has gained significant traction in recent years. In essence it is a transformative journey towards plant-based living. It has gained more and more traction in recent years but what is really behind the movement and what is Veganuary all about? Here we explore some of the motivations behind this annual initiative, the impact it has on participants and the environment, and the growing popularity of plant-based living. As more people seek sustainable and ethical choices, Veganuary serves as a catalyst for change, encouraging participants to reevaluate their dietary habits. From plant-based recipes to educational resources, this movement provides a supportive platform for those curious about the vegan lifestyle. With a focus on health, animal welfare, and environmental consciousness, Veganuary promotes a holistic approach to sustainable living. Participants often report improved well-being, heightened awareness of food sources, and a reduced ecological footprint. The movement not only fosters personal growth but contributes to the larger conversation about our global food systems. Veganuary is not merely a month-long challenge; it represents a cultural shift towards more compassionate and eco-friendly choices. As individuals explore plant-based alternatives and engage in a community of like-minded individuals, the impact reverberates beyond January, influencing long-term lifestyle changes. Veganuary transcends a temporary dietary experiment; it symbolises a commitment to conscious living. As awareness of the environmental and ethical implications of our choices continues to grow, the movement offers a positive and accessible avenue for individuals to align their values with their daily actions, fostering a more compassionate and sustainable world.

easyJet and easyJet holidays have revealed the latest travel trends for 2024 as bookings took off during the first days of its biggest ever Big Orange Sale, offering up to 20% off over two million seats across Europe and up to £300 off package holidays until 5 February 2024. Flights to Amsterdam, Paris, Geneva, Alicante and Malaga from the UK proved to be the most popular during the sale’s first week, while Hurghada in Egypt, Rovaniemi in Lapland and Milan are among the destinations to have experienced the greatest rise in popularity compared to 2023. Since the launch of the sale, destinations including Prague, Nantes, Berlin, Bilbao and Verona also increased in popularity for Brits compared to 2023. Package holidays remain popular for 2024, with all inclusive, seven night breaks in highest demand during the first week of the sale. Tenerife, Lanzarote and Hurghada led the way for beach breaks and Paris, Amsterdam and Iceland proved most popular for city escapes, which account for stays of three to five nights. More people are spending the festive period searching for holiday deals, with easyJet holidays web and app visits up over 40% on Christmas Day and up nearly 80% on Boxing Day compared to last year, with between 4pm and 6pm being the busiest time of day to make a booking. In the first week of the sale, flights in January were most popular, as British consumers snapped up last minute winter sun breaks. Bookings to Tunisia during the start of the sale saw a boost compared to last year, as well as Hurghada and Almería in the Spanish region of Andalusia. Geneva, Lyon and Innsbruck are proving most popular for ski breaks at the start of the sale. The airline has been focusing on expanding ski routes with the addition of three aircraft in Switzerland and will see a 20% increase in its ski flying programme this year compared to last. May proved to be the most popular summer month for flight bookings in the first week of the sale, with people taking advantage of half term deals to the likes of Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and Faro, while August is set to be the most popular departure month for package holidays. Faro is the most-booked peak summer destination since the sale began, while the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, Agadir in Morocco, Malta, Verona and Valencia have all seen early signs of greater popularity compared to 2023. The booking trends follow recent research carried out by the airline in November 2023 that showed more than two thirds of Brits (67%) have said they more likely to travel abroad in 2024 than in 2023. Protecting holiday spend remains a priority for most with over three quarters (77%) saying they will prioritise spending money on a holiday over anything else in their yearly budget – up from 70% last year. Great value deals are still to be had during the Big Orange Sale with up to 20% off 1.2 million seats across thousands of flights to and from the UK, from just £24.99 and up to £300 off on easyJet holidays, with over 5000 hotels to pick from. Johan Lundgren, easyJet CEO commented: ”Year after year we continue to see the value and importance of holidays to consumers, which is evident in this traditionally busy booking period for holidays. " "It's great to see North African destinations seeing a resurgence in popularity alongside last minute winter sun, city and ski bookings for the new year. Destinations in Spain and Portugal remain firm favourites for our customers time and time again, while the popularity of easyJet holidays packages shows no sign of slowing down, with all-inclusive breaks proving most popular for 2024." “With flights from the UK to over 130 destinations to choose from across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, package holidays available to over 5000 hotels and customers choosing us for our network and fantastic value for money, easyJet is looking forward to taking even more people on the holidays they value in 2024.”

Aldi has confirmed it will continue its expansion in Scotland, with plans to invest more than £56m over the next two years, opening three new stores in Broughty Ferry, Straiton and Castle Douglas next year. The move supports the discount retailer’s growth ambitions and will allow it to meet consumer demands for outstanding quality and the lowest value in Scotland. In 2023, Aldi became Scotland’s third-biggest supermarket by volume, moving it ahead of Morrisons and Sainsbury’s for the first time. According to recently published Kantar data, Aldi’s share of the grocery market had increased from 9.7% in November 2022 to 10.6% in November 2023[1]. Aldi has soared in popularity in recent years and welcomed more customers than ever before through its doors, with an additional 5 million customers this year. In addition to the new stores in 2024, the supermarket has also committed to extend five of its existing stores, including Erskine, Port Glasgow and Alexandria over the next two years. Having been crowned Employer of the Year at the Scotland Food and Drinks Excellence Awards 2023, the investment will see Aldi increase its employees in Scotland by over 10% in 2024. Aldi also recently committed to a New Year pay rise, making it the first supermarket in the UK to offer rates in line with the Real Living Wage. It will also guarantee store and warehouse colleagues pay of at least £12 an hour. Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Aldi Scotland, said: “2023 was another excellent year for Aldi Scotland, and I am extremely proud that our presence within the Scottish market has continued to be recognised and celebrated." "We remain committed to the strong relationships we have built with our Scottish suppliers, allowing our customers the opportunity to purchase locally sourced, high-quality Scottish products at affordable prices." “As we look to the new year, we remain committed to reaching more customers than ever before, with the opening of more stores and increased investment in Scotland." "Next year will be extra special for us as we mark 30 years since we opened our first store in Scotland on Glencairn Street in Kilmarnock." “Whether it's enhancing our product offerings, maintaining the lowest prices, supporting our dedicated teams, or contributing to the communities we serve – every investment is a testament to our unwavering commitment to Scotland.” Aldi was commended for its selection of quality, locally sourced Scottish produce in 2023. Its Toradh Scottish Seville Orange Gin was awarded Gold by The Spirits Business’ Gin Masters blind tasting, while its Specially Selected All Butter Shortbread Rounds won Gold in the Christmas Category at the Quality Food Awards. Known for its longstanding commitment to supporting community initiatives, Aldi’s Scottish Sports Fund, which has donated nearly £400,000 to amateur sports clubs to date, will continue in 2024. The retailer’s popular Supermarket Sweep initiative will also return for its ninth year. More than £10,000 was donated to Scottish foodbanks through the initiative in 2023. In November, Aldi announced a new partnership with Age Scotland, encouraging shoppers to submit festive greetings to help combat loneliness amongst the elderly this winter.

The private country retreat to Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the former home of the late composer Sir William Walton set on an Italian island, and a “rewilded” wildlife-friendly garden lovingly tended to by a Norfolk couple are among the new sites to join the Royal Horticultural Society’s celebrated Partner Gardens scheme. Sandringham Gardens, a 60-acre garden with streams, lakes, ornamental trees and shrubs, is nestled within the wider 243-hectare Sandringham Estate. Originally purchased as a gift for the then-Prince Edward VII for his 21st birthday in 1860, the residence has been developed in turn by each monarch since and officially opened to the public in 1908 by King Edward VII. Enjoyed by members of the Royal Family and their guests when in residence, Sandringham Gardens’ most recent developments have seen the addition of a Topiary Garden covering approximately an acre, bringing a more decorative aspect and naturalistic planting to the area to improve biodiversity. The vision of His Majesty the King and a strong belief in the interconnectedness of all things is reflected in The Topiary Garden. Launched two decades ago, the Partner Garden scheme enables RHS members to visit a range of gardens for free at selected times of the year. There are now 220 partner gardens covering the British Isles, with 25 overseas including in Barbados, France, Japan and South Africa. The eight other new gardens to join next year’s scheme include the beautiful La Mortella, the home of the late composer Sir William Walton, designed by Russell Page and developed by the late Lady Susana Walton. Set on the island of Ischia, near Naples, the tropical gardens display water features, collections of rare plants and breathtaking views of the Mediterranean. Natural Surroundings, in Norfolk, offers eight acres of gardens and meadows nestling on a gentle slope beside the River Glaven. A horticultural, wildlife gardener’s paradise, the diversity of plants and wildlife both delights and inspires. It is owned by Anne and Simon Harrap, who have created garden rooms for moths, butterflies and bugs alongside a medicinal garden from a previously unused field. Gilbert White’s Garden, home of the 18th century naturalist Gilbert White, the author of The Natural History of Selborne, features a miniature landscape garden of 12 hectares with a mix of formal garden, orchards, kitchen garden, herb garden, naturalist’s garden and wildflower meadow. Planting is based on his ‘Garden Kalendar’ of 1751-1767. Also in 2024’s list are Riverhill in Kent, family-run historic gardens with expansive views across the Weald of Kent, and the American Museum and Gardens in Bath, Grade II listed gardens featuring designs by American landscape architectural firm Oehme Van Sweden including a replica of George Washington’s garden. Athelhampton House and Gardens in Dorset, two hectares of formal Elizabethan-style formal walled gardens set alongside more natural Arts and Crafts movement gardens, Mothecome Gardens at the mouth of the Erme estuary in Devon, and Andalusia Historic House and Garden overlooking the Delaware River in America, including gardens designed by Arabella Lennox-Boyd, are also among the new Partner Gardens. Dr Tim Upson, RHS director of Gardens and Horticulture, said: “We are delighted to help showcase some of the great gardens not just here in Britain, but around the world, to our members." "From the private residence of Their Majesties, to smaller, independent family-owned gardens and a tropical Mediterranean island paradise – it’s great to know members can enjoy free days out to such a range of sites with historic importance, horticultural excellence and wonderful plants.” Details of all RHS Partner Gardens can be found at www.rhs.org.uk/partnergardens

Post-Christmas sales could be back in a bigger way for 2024 according to new research from PwC. PwC Promotions data, which gathers information from 200 UK online retailers, points towards more widespread discounting over Black Friday and the potential for some good deals in the Boxing Day sales. It suggests UK consumers are feeling the pinch and anticipated spending less on Black Friday and festive gifting and celebrations this year. But after a weak Autumn, marked by unseasonably warm then wet weather, retailers came out en masse and almost 90% discounted over Black Friday. This was similar to the level seen during the second national lockdown in 2020, when non-essential retailers were closed. Participation increased across all categories including some luxury and high end brands participating for the first time. Black Friday offers also started earlier with around 10% more retailers in promotion mode from early November. However, while more retailers held sales, the level of discounts was less generous than observed previously, and were typically targeted to specific brands or lines such as winter attire. As a result, some retailers may enter the run-up to Christmas with more stock than they had anticipated. With so many consumers leaving the majority of their present shopping until December, trading in the few weeks up till Christmas will be critical for retailers hoping to cash in on the Golden Quarter. With 7% of shoppers saying that they will do most of their present shopping in the week before Christmas, the tills will be ringing right up to Christmas Eve, particularly for men, who are more than twice as likely to leave their shopping until the week before the big day. PwC estimates that overall spending on presents and festivities will fall from £23bn to £20bn this year - down by 13% from 2022, with one in six planning to spend less this year. The £20bn figure amounts to roughly £400 per UK consumer - a drop of £40 per person spending from 2022. In addition, 6% more people say they do not intend to spend anything at all this year. While consumers say they expect to spend less this festive season, there is a good chance that people will spend more than they think. This would be a similar pattern to last year where people on average ended up spending around 15% more (£3bn) than anticipated. Lisa Hooker, PwC’s Consumer Markets Leader comments on trading for the festive season: “As we near Christmas Day it is all to play for as, whilst Christmas shopping started earlier this year, the majority of presents are still bought in December. But if shoppers are right and they do spend less, coupled with weaker Autumn sales and less interest in Black Friday, there could be deeper discounts as retailers clear seasonal stock after Boxing Day." "This will be particularly true in categories such as big-ticket, home, DIY, electricals, and toys, which consumers told us were less important to them this Christmas than in previous years. So will shoppers go all out to make Christmas extra special as we saw last year when they spent more than expected, or wait for a bargain post Christmas?”

Supermarket Asda opened a record 81 new Asda Express stores in December in a bid to bring Asda value to even more communities ahead of Christmas. The conversions of its recent acquisition of Co-op and EG UK sites, alongside the opening of eight standalone Asda Express stores, brings the total number of Asda Express sites to 229 nationwide – with the rest of the 254 sites due to convert by the end of Q1 2024. The accelerated conversion process sets Asda on track to have 1000 stores across the UK and Northern Ireland by March 2024 – giving Asda its biggest estate in its 58-year history. The latest openings include Asda’s first convenience store in Manchester city centre and three new London stores in Romford, Acton and Ealing. Asda plans to open a further 11 Express stores in the capital next year, as it looks to grow it footprint in an area where it has traditionally been underrepresented. The new Asda Express stores stock up to 3,000 branded and own-label products to suit a broad range of customer needs including ‘top up’ shops for essential items such as milk and bread, grabbing lunch on the go or cooking dinner from scratch. Andy Perry, MD of Convenience at Asda, said: “It has been a Herculean effort by the teams involved in our Asda Express roll out to convert 81 stores in one month as part of our commitment to bringing Asda’s great value offer to even more communities." "Expansion into the growing convenience market is a key pillar of our long-term strategy to become the UK’s second largest supermarket retailer – and we know how important Asda’s great value is to families managing cost of living pressures – especially in the run up to Christmas." "As we head into 2024 it is incredibly exciting to see the continued roll out of Asda Express stores into more communities – meaning customers will be able to access Asda amazing value and quality in more locations than ever in its proud history.” Addressing Asda’s gap in the growing convenience market has been a key pillar of the retailer’s strategy since its acquisition by the Issa brothers and TDR Capital Ltd completed in 2021.