Latest news with #Unleashed
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK fashion manufacturers see record Q1 sales performance with 171% surge
New data from the Manufacturing Health Index provided by Unleashed indicates this growth occurred despite a decline in small-medium enterprise (SME) business confidence to its lowest point in two years. The negative sentiment among businesses due to global uncertainty, inflation, and tax increases may not be entirely justified, the data suggests. The index is created by compiling data on purchases, sales, and stock movements from over 600 UK manufacturers, using Unleashed's inventory management software. Unleashed owner The Access Group ERP Small Business GM Joe Llewellyn said: 'Anecdotally, what we're hearing from some of our customers is that Q1 brought welcome windfalls. Some tariff-affected international customers have turned to UK firms to do business, while others raced to order more before tariff pauses came off. That's delivered a shot in the arm for some firms, but more importantly we're hearing that steadily falling bank rates are starting to stimulate the economy, which obviously is very welcome to UK manufacturers who've posted a really strong start to the year.' Although sales revenue increased, profitability metrics such as gross margin return on inventory (GMROI) experienced a downturn. Clothing manufacturers saw a 53% decline in GMROI compared to the previous quarter and a 36% decrease YoY, with returns of £4.14 for every pound invested in inventory. Decline in profit comes as excess stock level rose by 76% on a YoY basis and 51% on quarterly basis. Delivery lead times averaged 19 days as per the index, marking a 24% decline from 25 days in previous quarter and 14% decline from 22 days in the same period last year. However, purchase orders stood at 313 as of Q1 2025, declining by 7% from last year's quarter of 336 orders and declined 22% previous quarter orders of 399. When examining all 12 manufacturing categories analysed by Unleashed, there was an overall increase of 30% in sales in Q1 2025 compared to Q4 2024 and a YoY rise of 13%. Profitability also saw an upturn of 10% in Q1 with £4.03 generated per pound spent on stock. The broader manufacturing sector's profit margins may have been influenced by purchasing managers delaying inventory purchases due to unfavourable GBP-USD exchange rates earlier in the year. However, by April's end, the exchange rate had improved. Except for electronics & telecoms and food categories, which saw declines of 23% and 34% respectively, most manufacturing sectors experienced positive sales performance quarter-on-quarter. Lead times reduced across all categories, with Sports & Entertainment leading at a 45% reduction. Additionally, many categories reported decreases in excess stock levels, with industrial machinery observing the most significant drop at 68%. "UK fashion manufacturers see record Q1 sales performance with 171% surge" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fashion Network
09-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
UK fashion manufacturers sales surged in Q1, but profits fell
UK fashion manufacturers enjoyed a 'remarkable' sales performance in the opening quarter of 2025 'flying in the face of low business confidence among SMEs'. New figures show the average small-to-medium UK clothing and fashion manufacturer made 68% more sales revenue in Q1 than Q4 2024, and 171% more year-on-year, according to The Access Group. The findings, based on direct data from over 600 UK firms and processed by Access's Unleashed software, shows that across all of the 12 manufacturing categories analysed, sales were up 30% in Q1 2025 compared to Q4 2024 – and 13% year-on-year. However Unleashed's data also showed Q1 profitability dropped compared to last year. Gross Margin Return on Inventory (GMROI) for the average clothing manufacturer declined 53% against Q4 and by 36% year-on-year to £4.14 return for every pound spent on buying stock. Lead times fell to 19 days on average, which offers some reassurances, noting 'faster delivery times allow businesses to reorder in smaller quantities, which is a more cost-efficient way to generate sales that improves margins'. Joe Llewellyn, GM of ERP Small Business at The Access Group, said: 'Unusual business conditions of the first three months of the year had generally played out well for the country's smaller producers, as had falling bank rates. 'Anecdotally, what we're hearing from some of our customers is that Q1 brought welcome windfalls. Some tariff-affected international customers have turned to UK firms to do business, while others raced to order more before tariff pauses came off. That's delivered a shot in the arm for some firms, but more importantly we're hearing that steadily falling bank rates are starting to stimulate the economy, which obviously is very welcome to UK manufacturers who've posted a really strong start to the year.'
Fashion Network
09-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
UK fashion manufacturers sales surged in Q1, but profits fell
UK fashion manufacturers enjoyed a 'remarkable' sales performance in the opening quarter of 2025 'flying in the face of low business confidence among SMEs'. New figures show the average small-to-medium UK clothing and fashion manufacturer made 68% more sales revenue in Q1 than Q4 2024, and 171% more year-on-year, according to The Access Group. The findings, based on direct data from over 600 UK firms and processed by Access's Unleashed software, shows that across all of the 12 manufacturing categories analysed, sales were up 30% in Q1 2025 compared to Q4 2024 – and 13% year-on-year. However Unleashed's data also showed Q1 profitability dropped compared to last year. Gross Margin Return on Inventory (GMROI) for the average clothing manufacturer declined 53% against Q4 and by 36% year-on-year to £4.14 return for every pound spent on buying stock. Lead times fell to 19 days on average, which offers some reassurances, noting 'faster delivery times allow businesses to reorder in smaller quantities, which is a more cost-efficient way to generate sales that improves margins'. Joe Llewellyn, GM of ERP Small Business at The Access Group, said: 'Unusual business conditions of the first three months of the year had generally played out well for the country's smaller producers, as had falling bank rates. 'Anecdotally, what we're hearing from some of our customers is that Q1 brought welcome windfalls. Some tariff-affected international customers have turned to UK firms to do business, while others raced to order more before tariff pauses came off. That's delivered a shot in the arm for some firms, but more importantly we're hearing that steadily falling bank rates are starting to stimulate the economy, which obviously is very welcome to UK manufacturers who've posted a really strong start to the year.'
Metro
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Watch the moment 'flustered Billie Piper accidentally spoils Doctor Who return'
Doctor Who fans have spotted the moment Billie Piper might have let slip that she was returning to the show weeks before she was revealed in Ncuti Gatwa's shock regeneration. The 42-year-old appeared in the Doctor Who: Unleashed special to mark 20 years since the sci-fi show was rebooted by Russell T Davies. Piper was also among the returning cast and creatives for the one hour special, featuring behind-the-scenes that included Ncuti Gatwa, David Tennant and Jodie Whittaker. The last we saw Piper in the Whoniverse, it was after Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor had burned away to reveal a grinning familiar face: Piper's beloved Tennant and Christopher Eccleston companion Rose Tyler. While Piper's reveal in the latest Who finale was a surprise to many, those filming the special episode of Unleashed might have seen it coming after she appeared to slip up during a pre-recorded interview. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. When asked if she would ever return to the show again, Piper told the cameras: 'Yeah I would. I would come back. What's funny is that I never feel like I've left Doctor Who, because there is this huge Doctor Who afterlife.' She continued: 'Obviously people still really want to talk about it, it's a massive fandom, so we do conventions and we meet lots of the fans, and there's always features. It's always on the TV on some channel and a new generation pick it up, so it never feels like it's over, like it does with all the other jobs I've done.' As she continued to talk about the show, Piper then added: 'So coming back is really good fun.' Yet she immediately seemed to realise a misstep and stumbled over her words as she added: 'So I would do it, but I still feel like I'm in it. Just a lot older.' The clip from the episode was posted to the official Doctor Who account on Instagram, where fans took to the comments to point out the apparent slip-up. With fans all aware that Piper is likely to become the Sixteenth Doctor, @mxtthxll_ commented: 'Accidentally telling on herself there,' alongside a crying laughing emoji, white @marshallexi echoed: 'What a slip,' with another crying laughing face. ''So coming back is always good fun- and uh so I would do it ' Not Billie slipping up there before it was confirmed,' @li4mrice commented alongside a crying emoji. @ also commented: 'You can see she's trying to hide something. Welcome back, Billie. Or should I say 'Doctor'?' Since filming Unleashed and Rose's big reveal in the Tardis doorway is out the bag, Piper shared a statement saying: 'It's no secret how much I love this show. More Trending 'And I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse, as I have some of my best memories there. So to be given the opportunity to step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn't refuse.' We don't yet know when or under what circumstances exactly Piper will be back on Doctor Who, but our resident Whovians have shared some possible theories. View More » Doctor Who: Unleashed is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: New Doctor Who rumours have fans worried show is 'out of ideas' MORE: Doctor Who fans fume that character was 'butchered' as actor speaks out on exit MORE: Violent Doctor Who scene 'put show at risk of being cancelled before it started'
Metro
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Doctor Who fans in disbelief over 'disrespect' of iconic star Jenna Coleman
Fans of Doctor Who have been left in a state of disbelief at the 'disrespect' of former companion and viewer favourite Clara Oswald. This came as a special episode of the spin-off documentary series Doctor Who: Unleashed celebrated 20 years of the sci-fi drama's rebooted iteration. First airing on BBC One on March 26 2005, Doctor Who returned to screens after an absence of 16 years, introducing Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, and Billie Piper as companion Rose Tyler. The rest, as they say, is history – and Doctor Who recently wrapped up its most recent series, with Ncuti Gatwa stepping down as the Fifteenth Doctor during a surprise regeneration. Looking back over 20 years of filming in Cardiff, last night's Unleashed paid tribute to Doctors and companions past. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. However, many fans were disappointed by one particularly glaring omission – namely, the curious absence of Clara Oswald, as played by Jenna Coleman. Clara was initially introduced as a companion to the Eleventh Doctor, as played by Matt Smith. First appearing in the Series Seven episode Asylum of the Daleks in 2012, Jenna's enigmatic appearance (playing one of three different people who shared a similar name, but the same face) turned into a full-time companionship under the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi). Clara departed the TARDIS in Series 9, with the 2015 finale Hell Bent being her last in a starring role. However, she did return for the Twelfth Doctor's final episode, showing up for a cameo in the 2017 Christmas special, Twice Upon A Time. As such, Clara is one of the rebooted Doctor's longer-serving companions… making her absence from this week's celebration seem particularly odd. 'I'm in utter disbelief over how little time was dedicated to the 12th Doctor's era in the new Unleashed ep, only a little under 2 minutes in an hour long special,' wrote DWfigurephotos on X. The user continued: 'The episode 'Blink' alone got more time dedicated to it than Peter's entire run! 🤦♂️ Also no Clara AT ALL?!' 'I know the Doctor temporarily lost all his memories of Clara, but it seems that the makers of Doctor Who Unleashed have forgotten about her completely,' said MrDavidEBrown. 'Is it just me or is it odd that the #DoctorWho Unleashed 20th Anniversary Special didn't even mention Clara. It just skipped over her completely. I can understand if Jenna Coleman wasn't available, but to not even mention or show the character seems really strange,' commented JovialVulcan. 'The whole time when Jenna Coleman played Clara, was skipped over. Her name not mentioned & only a glimpse of her from the distance in a scene from 'Deep Breath'. I wonder why that was?' said PayneNotes1. Also missing from the line-up was Series 3 and 4 companion Martha Jones, as played by Freema Agyeman. Surprisingly, Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday didn't rate a mention either, although she did appear in the background during an interview with Ncuti and Varada Sethu. Former companions who were included in this love letter to Cardiff-era Who included Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, who played Amy and Rory Pond during Matt Smith's run on the show. Representing Peter's time, Pearl Mackie also addressed her time as Bill Potts, while Jodie Whittaker's TARDIS-mate Mandip Gill provided some insight of her own. Catherine Tate may not have appeared in an interview, but showrunner Russell T Davies and the documentary did at least acknowledge her existence. Meanwhile, as the most recent companion, Varada joined Ncuti on the red carpet to discuss their stints on the show. As perhaps the Doctor's most well-known companion, Billie Piper joined David Tennant as they reflected on their time in the TARDIS together. Both have returned to the show since their exit, with David starring in three special episodes last year after (re)regenerating from Jodie's much-maligned Thirteenth Doctor. His three-episode return culminated in the show's first bi-generation – heralding the arrival of Ncuti Gatwa as the show's Fifteenth Doctor. More Trending In shocking scenes during this month's series finale, Ncuti stepped down from the show after only two seasons – apparently regenerating into Billie Piper as the episode ended. Whether Billie is actually the Doctor remains to be seen, but her return to the show has left fans worried for its future. View More » Amid rumours that David Tennant might come back (again!) some have suggested that the show is 'running out of ideas' and coasting on its past. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: 'I had to snort pure glucose': Inside BBC's outstanding 80s crime drama MORE: BBC's 'brilliant' true crime drama made me question my own morals MORE: Divisive horror movie full of 'grotesque monsters' now streaming on BBC iPlayer
