11 June 2015

Q2 forecasts and confidence reveal optimism remains high - BOSS Outlook

The latest edition of BOSS Outlook reports that healthy growth in sales and output does not match the strong expectations for Q1, however forecasts for Q2 reveal that optimism remains high.

Highlights form the Q2 report as follows:

• The state of the trade continued to be reported as positive; albeit slightly less so than in the previous quarter.
• Sales volumes have also remained very positive in Q1, though somewhat below expectations.
• Output volumes also held positive in Q1.
• Competitor pricing has now moved up one place to be the most widely-cited business concern.
• Employment results are increasingly positive.
• Average product prices are once again reported to have been largely unchanged on balance in Q1.
• With employment levels increasing further in Q1, staff costs have also risen again. As expected, the cost of both distribution and energy fell overall in Q1.
• Average stock levels have continued to improve in Q1, albeit at a lower rate than in Q4. Stock turn fell back further into the negative in Q1 to continue the general trend of decline since Q1 2013.
• Following several quarters of turmoil, gross margins continue to be fairly stable.
• Investment intentions over the next 12 months continue to be universally positive.
• Levels of bad debt have increased both in March 2015, and (much more significantly) over the previous 12 months.

BOSS Outlook is free to BOSS members.

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