Analyzing International Trade Outlooks for British Industry thumbnail

Analyzing International Trade Outlooks for British Industry

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Trading businesses were asked how their turnover in January 2026 compared with December 2025, omitting any seasonal trading. Information are plotted in the middle of the duration of each wave. Nearly a 3rd (31%) of trading organizations reported that their turnover had actually reduced in January 2026 compared to the previous month.

However, the motions are broadly in line with those observed around this time in previous years, with peaks in December followed by small falls in January. The industries with the greatest proportion reporting that turnover reduced in January 2026 were: the accommodation and food service activities market (52%, which is a 21 percentage point rise from December 2025) the other services industry (45%) the arts, entertainment and leisure industry (40%) Roughly 16% of trading companies reported that their turnover increased in January 2026, which was a 3 portion point increase compared to December 2025.

For trading services with 10 or more workers, 33% reported that their turnover had actually reduced, which was broadly steady compared with December and January 2025. More than one in 5 (23%) services reported that their turnover had increased, up 2 percentage points compared to December 2025. Generally, the proportion of organizations reporting that their turnover increased associated to the size of business.

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The exception to this was the proportion for businesses with 250 or more staff members, which was 25%, and 5 percentage points lower than December 2025 (30%). Trading organizations were asked how they expect their turnover to alter in the coming month. This can then be used to predict how business's turnover will really change once that calendar month concludes.

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Although patterns between anticipated turnover and real turnover have actually broadly moved in the exact same direction, the motions for expectations tend to be larger. For presentational purposes, some action options have actually been eliminated. Information are outlined in the middle of the duration of each wave. Caution needs to be taken when translating expectations questions, as the workers responding on behalf of services might not have complete oversight of all of their business's future expectations.

ANSR July UK PRsANSR July UK PRs


More than one in 5 (21%) trading businesses anticipate their turnover to increase in March 2026. This is a 6 percentage point increase from February 2026 however was broadly steady compared with expectations for March 2025 (22%). The proportion of trading services anticipating a boost in January 2026 was 13%, while the proportion that reported a real boost in turnover in January 2026 was 16%, recommending a small pessimism in businesses expectations.

The patterns have broadly followed each other since the questions were presented in April 2022. The outcomes for March 2026 follow the pattern from previous years, with the portion of companies anticipating turnover to increase peaking after a decrease in January. Larger services were most likely to expect a boost in turnover in March, with the percentage ranging from 20% for companies with 0 to 9 staff members, to 42% for organizations with 100 to 249 workers.

For presentational functions, some response alternatives have been gotten rid of. Information are outlined in the middle of the period of each wave. Care ought to be taken when interpreting expectations questions, as the employees reacting on behalf of businesses may not have complete oversight of all of their service's future expectations. "." represents data not yet available.

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The percentage of trading services that anticipated a reduction in January 2026 was 25%, while the percentage that reported a real decrease in turnover in January 2026 was 31%. The percentage of organizations anticipating turnover to reduce for a particular month ahead of time has remained considerably lower than the percentage of companies reporting an actual decrease because month given that April 2022.

Nevertheless, expectations for turnover to decrease have consistently followed the very same pattern, as real reported turnover reduces throughout this time. Trading organizations were asked what challenges, if any, were affecting their turnover in early February 2026. Around 3 in 10 (30%) trading businesses reported that economic uncertainty was having an impact on their turnover, which was broadly stable with early January 2026.

For trading organizations with 10 or more workers, expense of labour was the most regularly reported difficulty, at 36%. Businesses with 10 to 49 workers were more most likely to report expense of labour as an obstacle than companies with 250 or more staff members (37%, compared with 20%). One in five (20%) trading organizations with 10 or more employees suggested that they were not presently experiencing any turnover difficulties in early February 2026.

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