6:37 am, May 13, 2025
Warm weather and late Easter boost retail sales by 7%
The sunniest April on record helped boost retail sales by 7% on last year, new figures show.
The significant increase was also helped by this year’s late Easter, but even figures for March and April combined – to smooth out any distortion – show sales were 4.3% higher than a year ago, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor.
April’s 7% boost was above three-month average growth of 2.9% and the 12-month average of 1.4%.
Virgin Media O2 strikes tie-up with Daisy to form £1.4bn business telecoms giant
Virgin Media O2 has agreed a merger deal of its business customer operation with Daisy Group in a tie-up that will create a ‘powerhouse’ telecoms company with around £1.4bn in sales.
The combined group will be majority owned by Virgin Media O2, which will hold a 70% stake, with Daisy owning the remaining 30%.
It is thought the new firm will have around 700,000 customers in total, with the deal bringing together Virgin Media’s broadband fibre network and mobile infrastructure with Daisy’s IT platforms and customer service offering.
Toyota set to unveil new model on May 21
Toyota is set to reveal a new model on May 21, and it could be the next RAV4 SUV.
Details on this new model are very limited at this stage with no information on its powertrain, performance figures, or equipment but Toyota has released some teaser shots that hint to what’s in store.
Photos suggest the newcomer is a mid-size SUV, and that the interior will feature a digital driver’s display, a central infotainment screen, a camera for the rear-view mirror, plus plenty of storage.
One of the teaser images Toyota released this week
The markets
The FTSE 100 climbed to a fresh month-high as global financial markets rallied on the back of plans for the US and China to slash tariff rates for 90 days, following weeks of intensifying trade tensions.
London’s top index finished up by 0.59%, or 50.18 points, to close at 8,604.98; The Cac 40 ended 1.37% higher for the day and the Dax index was up 0.22%.
The pound was 0.81% lower at 1.319 US dollars and was up 0.46% at 1.187 euro when London’s markets closed.
Police probe suspected arson attacks on properties linked to Sir Keir Starmer
Counter-terror police are investigating after two properties linked to Sir Keir Starmer were damaged in suspected arson attacks.
Emergency services were called to blazes at the doors of two homes in north London within 24 hours of each other.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that it is investigating whether the fires were linked and said counter-terror police are involved. Scotland Yard is also looking into a vehicle fire as part of the probe.
Starmer faces criticism over immigration plans
The prime minister faces criticism from multiple quarters after unveiling his government’s plan to cut net migration on Monday.
The plans, which are expected to reduce the number of people coming to the UK by up to 100,000 per year, include reforming work and study visas and requiring a higher level of English across all immigration routes. But Monday’s proposals sparked concern from employers, particularly in the care sector, following the announcement that care worker visas would be scrapped.
GMB national officer Will Dalton said the decision would be ‘potentially catastrophic’ as the care sector was ‘utterly reliant on migrant workers’ and still had more than 130,000 vacancies across the country.
Monday on Car Dealer
BYD aiming to use ‘engaged dealer network’ to become UK’s number one car brand
BYD aims to become the UK’s top car brand within three years, expanding its dealer network and launching new models. Sales director Steve Beattie highlights the UK’s openness to new brands and focuses on supporting profitable, engaged dealerships for growth.
Just ONE WEEK left to vote for motor trade’s cream of the crop in Car Dealer Power 2025
Time is running out to vote in one of the motor trade’s most prestigious awards, so getting nominating TODAY. Click the link above to get voting.
LSH Auto hosts Women in Sport networking event at Mercedes-Benz of Birmingham
LSH Auto hosted a record 150 attendees at Mercedes-Benz of Birmingham for a ‘Women in Sport’ networking event with elite female athletes. The event celebrated female role models, promoting diversity and supporting the 2025 Women of the Year Awards.
Omoda and Jaecoo host first dealer awards as best of fledgling network is honoured
Omoda and Jaecoo hosted their first UK dealer awards at The Grove, celebrating top-performing retailers across sales, aftersales, and marketing. With 73 dealerships in just a year, standout winners included Arnold Clark, Brindley Garages, and Stoner Gillingham for EV leadership.
Big three Detroit car makers claim Trump’s UK tariff deal hurts American auto industry
Detroit’s big three car makers criticized Donald Trump’s UK trade deal, arguing it unfairly benefits British imports with lower tariffs. They claim it disadvantages US-made vehicles from Mexico and Canada, threatening American jobs and potentially setting a harmful trade precedent.
Weather
Sea fog will persist along northern coasts today, while southern Wales and central-southern England may see scattered thundery afternoon showers, reports BBC Weather. Elsewhere will be sunny and warm.
Tonight, low cloud spreads across Scotland and northern England, with clear skies elsewhere and showers arriving in Cornwall by dawn.
