Foofall levels in August were down on a year earlier shows new research from the Welsh Retail Consortium

Retailers in Wales experienced a fall in shoppers in August with the Welsh Government being urged to provide targeted support for the hard-pressed sector.

Latest research from the Welsh Retail Consortium show that footfall on the high street, shopping centres and retail parks, was down 1.3% compare to August 2025. In July it was flat on a year earlier.

In England there was a year-on-year fall of 2.1% and in Scotland a decline of 0.1%. Northern Ireland experienced a 2.8% rise. The only other rises in the nations and regions of the UK were in the east of England, up 1.9%, and the west Midlands, 0.7% The biggest decline, 4.9%, was seen in London.

In August footfall, defined as someone entering a shop, at Welsh shopping centres decreased by 1.7% and in retail parks by 0.3%.

Footfall in Cardiff decreased by 1.9%.

Head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, Sara Jones, said: “The heat may have stayed, but Welsh footfall cooled. August’s 1.3% fall shows that good weather alone is not enough to bring shoppers back when confidence remains under pressure. While this is a much softer decline than some of the sharper drops seen earlier in 2026, it shows that consumer confidence remains fragile.

“After a flat July, August’s return to negative territory is a reminder that good weather alone is not enough to bring people back into our town and city centres – retailers still need sustained support to drive footfall, boost spending and help Welsh high streets thrive.

“With members returning to the Senedd this month and the new town centres task force (set up by the Welsh Government and chaired by Simon Gibson) now in place, this must be a moment for action, not delay.

“Welsh high streets need practical support that tackles the pressures retailers face every day – from business rates and parking to public transport, safety, vacant units and investment in town centre regeneration. The task force must listen to businesses and deliver at pace, with clear commitments that help rebuild confidence, boost footfall and give retailers the conditions to invest and grow.”

Andy Sumpter, head of consulting and analytics for Europe at Sensormatic, which carried out the research for the Welsh Retail Consortium, said: “August saw Welsh retail footfall remain under pressure, with total visits down -1.3% year-on-year. While still in negative territory, this was a stronger performance than the wider UK, highlighting a degree of resilience despite the challenges facing retail.

“Above-average temperatures may have continued to influence shopper behaviour, although conditions were less extreme than July’s record-breaking heat. While all retail destinations remained negative, Retail parks proved the most resilient at -0.3%, while retailers within Shopping Centres fell -1.7%, suggesting consumers remained selective about where and how they shopped.

“With the crucial golden quarter fast approaching, retailers will take some encouragement from Wales’ performance. However, with inflation now at a two-year high and household budgets remaining under pressure, the focus remains on converting footfall into meaningful spend during the industry’s most important trading period.”

Music producer Benny Blanco has revealed he worked with a therapist to draw up a detailed checklist describing his “ideal partner” before eventually finding love with pop star Selena Gomez, with being “age-appropriate” topping the list of qualities he sought.

Blanco, 38, discussed the process during an appearance on “The Mel Robbins Podcast,” which aired Thursday, offering new detail on how a period of intentional self-reflection ultimately led him to Gomez, 34, whom he married in California in September 2025. The couple first went public with their relationship in December 2023 and announced their engagement roughly a year later.

Blanco told Robbins he had approached his therapist directly out of frustration with his previous romantic history, expressing a clear desire to understand what had prevented him from finding a lasting relationship.

“I really wanna find the right partner, and I’m doing something wrong. I can’t find the person that I’m gonna spend the rest of my life with, and I want to do that,” Blanco recalled telling his therapist.

In response, his therapist encouraged him to write out a specific list of qualities he wanted in a future partner. According to Blanco, the first item on that list was being “age-appropriate,” a quality he said he now views as essential compatibility.

“Then the second thing on my list was, someone who’s nice,” Blanco said. “Nice, caring, compassionate, like someone who’s a nice person.”

Blanco said he also prioritized finding someone with a generally positive outlook, along with the willingness to actively address personal struggles rather than simply enduring them.

“I wanted someone who woke up generally happy,” Blanco said. “And if they were sad, they were doing something about it. Like they were going to therapy, they were taking medicine if they need to, they were doing yoga. They were actively trying to change things.”

Blanco offered a lighter moment during the discussion, joking that his list avoided overly specific physical criteria.

“I want their like left toe longer than their right,” Blanco said, mocking the kind of narrow physical preference his checklist deliberately excluded. Instead, he emphasized that the list focused on broader personal qualities that served as a filtering mechanism for potential partners.

“These were like broad things, and if it didn’t meet those first five or six things, I couldn’t even pursue,” Blanco said.

Blanco also detailed the long and unusual timeline of his relationship with Gomez, noting that the two had known each other for years, through periods of professional collaboration, before their romance eventually developed.

“We first met about 15 years ago. We worked together five or six years after that, and then again five or six years after that, and had a casual friendship during the time. Then we started dating a few years after that,” Blanco said.

Blanco’s account builds on similar comments he and Gomez have made in past interviews about the deliberate, reflective approach he took toward dating before their relationship began. In an earlier joint appearance on the “On Purpose with Jay Shetty” podcast, Blanco described feeling that he had been searching for a partner in the wrong ways before ultimately deciding to get intentional about what he wanted.

“Before I met her, I was just another guy in L.A. trying to find the right person,” Blanco said during that earlier appearance. “I think I was maybe looking in all the wrong places.”

Blanco added during that same conversation that his broader goal extended beyond simply finding a romantic partner, describing a desire to build a family and a genuinely reciprocal relationship.

“I want to start a life, I want to have a family, I want someone who feels like my other half. I want it to be a real give-and-take, that perfect yin and yang,” Blanco said.

Gomez has echoed similar sentiments about the relationship in her own separate interviews. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, she described her relationship with Blanco as the “safest I’ve ever felt” in a romantic partnership. In a separate interview with Interview magazine, Gomez explained how a five-year period of being single before meeting Blanco helped prepare her for a healthier relationship dynamic.

“That time alone helped me appreciate someone like Ben,” Gomez said. “He gets so weirded out when I say this, but honestly, 10 years ago I couldn’t have accepted the kind of unconditional love and patience he gives me now.”

Blanco and Gomez, whose relationship became public in December 2023 following years of professional collaboration in the music industry, have continued to speak openly about their partnership across multiple public appearances since their engagement was announced. The couple collaborated on a joint album, “I Said I Love You First,” which they announced together in a press release after previously discussing their engagement publicly.

Blanco has also spoken separately about his desire to become a father, telling InStyle in an earlier interview that he hopes to have children with Gomez.

“I love kids; I love being an uncle,” Blanco told the outlet at the time. “I want to be a dad, though, God willing. I’m just dreaming and praying every day.”

Blanco’s latest comments on “The Mel Robbins Podcast” add further public detail to a relationship that has drawn significant media attention given both partners’ prominence in the entertainment industry, with Blanco’s Grammy-nominated production career spanning collaborations with numerous major recording artists, and Gomez’s decades-long career spanning music, television and film.

The therapist-guided checklist Blanco described reflects a broader cultural trend toward more deliberate, self-aware approaches to dating and relationship formation, one that has gained increasing visibility in recent years as public figures have grown more open about discussing therapy and personal growth work as part of their romantic journeys. Blanco’s willingness to detail the specific process that led him to Gomez offers fans additional insight into a relationship that، since becoming public in 2023, has evolved from a long-standing professional friendship into marriage, following what both partners have described as years of mutual respect and collaboration that ultimately deepened into romance at what they’ve each characterized as the right moment in both of their lives.

WASHINGTON — A longtime US household staple, bread is undergoing a consumer shift as shoppers gravitate from traditional white/wheat loaves to other category segments, new research from the Grain Foods Foundation (GFF) shows.

A GFF-commissioned survey of 1,043 US adults by market research and polling firm Ipsos found that consumers have become more diverse in their bread product selections, exhibiting a rising preference for artisan and sourdough varieties and sharpening their focus on ingredients and nutrition. Titled “Consumer Perspectives on Bread,” the study also revealed shoppers increasingly have branched out in bread formats beyond conventional loaf slices.

“Bread’s story is being shaped as much by media and dietary conversations as by what’s on the shelf, and independent, best-in-class insights have never mattered more,” said Erin Ball, executive director of the Grain Foods Foundation. “Consumer Perspectives on Bread gives our industry a clear, credible picture of where bread stands with today’s shopper as well as where it’s headed.”

Of the polled households’ primary bread purchasers, 53% said they purchased traditional sandwich bread in the past three months, compared with 22% buying artisan bread, 14% alternative bread formats and 11% better-for-you bread offerings.

Among specific bread items purchased in that time frame, tortillas/wraps led the field, with 71% of respondents buying them. Next were rolls (57%), sliced wheat/whole wheat sandwich bread (53%), sliced white sandwich bread (50%), sourdough bread (45%), artisan sliced bread (37%), baguette bread (31%), grains and seeds traditional sliced bread (30%), sandwich thins and flatbreads (23%) and ciabatta (20%).

Other varieties bought by at least 10% of those surveyed included rye/pumpernickel European-style bread (19%), high-protein/keto bread (14%), ancient grain loaves (12%) and focaccia (12%).

Still, traditional white/wheat sliced sandwich bread stood as the top bread purchase for the three-month period, cited by 78% of consumers polled. Interestingly, however, 72% of traditional bread primary purchasers said they bought tortillas/wraps during that time span, and 59% bought rolls.

“Traditional sliced sandwich bread remains the primary anchor for households, but its core buyers are actively diversifying with alternative formats like tortillas/wraps and rolls,” the GFF study said.

Source: Sosland Publishing Co.

Consumption evolves

Bread consumption has stayed relatively level among consumers. Sixty-seven percent said they’ve eaten about the same amount of bread over the past year, compared with 18% reporting they eat less and 15% saying they eat more, according to the GFF/Ipsos research.

“Overall bread consumption remains largely flat, indicating that growth in the bakery aisle is a battle for share rather than increased volume,” the report said.

But changes in bread consumption clearly show a growing consumer predilection for artisan and better-for-you items, the study noted. For example, over the past year, 46% of respondents said they were eating more high protein/keto bread versus 46% eating about the same and 8% eating less, for a net shift of 38% — the sharpest of the varieties in the research. Next in terms of a net shift toward eating more were boule/batard (27%), sourdough (17%), sprouted grain (16%), ancient grain loaves (14%), sliced grains and seeds (11%), sandwich thins and flatbreads (4%), artisan-style sliced (3%), tortillas/wraps (2%) and focaccia (2%).

Sliced wheat/whole wheat bread and rye/pumpernickel showed no net shift in consumption. Meanwhile, 12% of those surveyed said they eat more sliced white bread versus 61% eating about the same and 27% eating less, for a negative net shift of 15%. Other varieties showing a net shift toward less consumption included rolls (-10%), ciabatta (-8%) and baguette (-4%).

“While traditional sliced white and wheat loaves remain flat or decline, many have actively increased their intake of functional, seeded and fermented breads and artisan types like sourdough,” the GFF study said.

Nevertheless, bread remains a “resilient staple” and a “nutritional anchor,” the report noted. Among respondents, 59% agreed bread and bread products are an affordable way to eat nutritiously, while 39% agreed that a good meal isn’t complete without bread or another bread product.

Changes in choice

But many of the consumers polled also agreed with the following: bread with visible grains/seeds is significantly better for health than traditional white bread (62%), sourdough bread is better for gut health/digestion than regular bread (53%), traditional sliced bread is boring compared to other bakery options (50%), artisan or grainy breads have less added sugar than traditional white bread (48%) and a standard loaf is too much to finish before it goes bad (28%).

In addition, 43% said they worry about carbs/weight gain and are trying to limit bread intake. Yet 36% said they are looking for a new bread type as their household’s staple, and 62% like to use alternative breads, such as wraps, to make different kinds of sandwiches.

“Despite nearly half actively limiting their intake due to carb and weight fears, a majority still view bread as an affordable way to eat nutritiously, highlighting the category’s enduring relevance for today’s shopper,” the study said.

On the health and nutrition front, whole wheat (36%) and simple/clean label (35%) topped the list of “healthy bread descriptors” that catch consumers’ eyes when shopping for bread, the research found, with “clean label” defined as bread with recognizable ingredients and/or five ingredients or less. Other descriptors appealing to respondents included high fiber (30%), low/no added sugar (24%), high protein (19%), sourdough starter/naturally fermented (19%), visible seeds (16%), ancient grains (14%), low calorie (14%) and sprouted grains (9%).

“Consumers define healthy and high-quality bread through foundational health cues, prioritizing whole wheat, clean labels and high fiber over niche diet claims,” the report said.

Those descriptors, along with sensory experience, also play into consumers’ “must-haves” when shopping for bread. Price, cited by 50% of consumers polled, was a top-three must-have when choosing bread, but more respondents cited taste (86%) and texture (55%). Other factors considered most important when bread shopping included clean ingredients (40%), shelf life (38%), healthier than other options (36%), loaf size (32%), visual appeal (28%), specific nutritional benefits (24%), low/no added sugar (24%), brand familiarity (18%), low carbs (15%) and low calorie (14%).

“While price is important, taste, followed by texture, are the ultimate ‘must haves’ that dictate the (bread) purchase decision,” the GFF study said.

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh visited the Siemens Energy plant in Byker on Thursday to announce the deal to manufacture steam turbines for Rolls-Royce’s small modular reactors planned for Anglesey

Critical components for a new UK nuclear power station will be manufactured in Newcastle. The Siemens Energy facility in Byker will produce steam turbines for Rolls-Royce’s flagship small modular reactors (SMRs) under construction on Anglesey in North Wales.

It marks the first occasion that such equipment will be built for a small modular reactor anywhere across Europe. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh toured Siemens Energy’s Shields Road site last Thursday morning and stated that the agreement demonstrated “what our golden age of nuclear looks like in practice”.

The Labour minister told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “This part of the world has a huge history in engineering. We have good, high-skilled workers, and a history of training people up. The opportunity, for me, with reindustrialisation is this – it is using clean energy, which we know we need more of, building out a supply chain here in Newcastle. We want to see this and we need to see far more of it.”

Siemens Energy occupies the site of the historic works established by engineer Charles Parsons in the 1800s and currently employs approximately 600 people on Tyneside, with dozens of new apprentices set to join next week. The works was also where the steam turbine was constructed for the world’s first commercial nuclear power plant, Calder Hall in West Cumbria, which commenced generating in 1956.

Ms Fahnbulleh said the SMR station, scheduled to become operational in the mid-2030s, would contribute to delivering sustained energy bill reductions for households. She added: “My number one job is getting bills down. That is the thing the Prime Minister has asked me to do and every time we see the price cap increase it is tough for families and hugely frustrating for me. Part of the way we are going to bring bills down for good is, firstly, we need to diversify the energy mix.”, reports Chronicle Live.

“When we talk about clean power it is because one of the things that is driving up bills is our reliance on global fossil fuel markets. The more we have nuclear, the more we have wind, the more we are relying on homegrown energy, the more we can break that link. But at the same time, we also have to do things to make sure the market is working for consumers. A big part of what we need to do is look across the piece and say ‘how are we doing everything we can to push coats down so it impacts on people’s pockets and the cost of business’.”

Rolls-Royce SMR appointed Siemens Energy as its international turbine supplier in 2025 and has also secured deals for comparable nuclear power facilities in Sweden and Czechia. Darren Davidson, UK Vice President for Siemens Energy, said he was optimistic the partnership would trigger further investment into the firm’s Newcastle facility.

He added: “We have 600 jobs here and we have seen significant growth over the last two years. We have seen the creation of more than 100 jobs in the last two years on this site and the collaboration with Rolls-Royce will allow us to grow further and provide further investment.”

Rolls-Royce SMR chief executive Chris Cholerton described Siemens Energy as a “world class” supplier, stating: “This is a perfect example of reindustrialisation and the golden age of nuclear bringing that to life.”

Labour’s Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “When the Prime Minister promised growth in every postcode, this is what he meant. This investment will support more than 550 good jobs for people in Newcastle and delivers on our pledge to reindustrialise Britain. Building small modular reactors here in the UK presents huge benefits for us, from more export opportunities to more jobs on the ground at home.

“Through our Modern Industrial Strategy, we are creating the conditions for businesses to invest in high-skilled jobs, strengthen supply chains and back the industries that can put more money in people’s pockets.”

Firmus Energy has announced an 8.98% price increase for customers in the Ten Towns area and 12.5% for Greater Belfast.

The Ten Towns new tariff will be effective from 1 October and equates to an extra £7 per month on the average bill for customers.

In greater Belfast, around 54,000 customers’ new tariffs will be effective from 8 October and equates to an extra £12 per month.

They said the increase was “due to the increased cost of gas on the global energy markets caused by the prolonged conflict in the Middle East”.

About 77,000 households and small businesses are in the Ten Towns area which includes Antrim, Armagh, Banbridge, Ballymena, Coleraine, Craigavon, Newry, Londonderry and more than 25 other towns and villages in the surrounding area,

Announcing the tariff change, Sharleen Winning, head of regulation at Firmus Energy, said they “cannot ignore the impact the situation in the Middle East is having on the cost of energy”.

“Unfortunately this has left us with no option other than to increase our tariffs.”

Winning said Firmus Energy have “held off for as long as we could in the hope of a resolution that would lead to a reduction in the global wholesale prices”.

“We have demonstrated that when we are in a position to reduce tariffs, we do so without delay, and we hope to be able to do so again, once the global markets allow this.”

It comes after last week, Northern Ireland’s largest provider of natural gas, SSE Airtricity, announced it is increasing prices by almost 19% from 1 October for its 200,000 customers.

Leigh Greer from the the Utility Regulator said if customers are worried about paying for gas or electricity they should contact their supplier as soon as possible.

“Suppliers will work with customers to discuss payment options and the support available.

“We recognise that another increase in energy bills will be deeply concerning for households and small businesses, particularly for those already under pressure from the wider cost of living.”

Raymond Gormley, from the Consumer Council, said the increase hadn’t come as a shock to him, but acknowledged it “could be a really tough winter for consumers”.

“We consume about two-thirds of our energy in the winter months, so this is the time we’re going to be using the energy and paying that bit more for it.

“Think about ways of saving money, think about the way you pay for your energy and the supplier you’re with. Every little bit will help at this stage.”

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Integrated contact centre platforms offer the potential for more streamlined service, faster resolutions, and fewer handoffs for customers. Many companies are evaluating these technologies to improve both satisfaction and business outcomes.

Delivering an effective customer journey relies not just on brand promises but on responsive, coherent operational design. As expectations increase for quick, consistent support across multiple channels, businesses are assessing how modern platforms can meet these requirements. Contact centre as a service solutions, frequently chosen for their flexibility, play a significant role in supporting integrated approaches that help minimise friction and support organisational priorities. Understanding what genuine integration means, and how it can impact outcomes, remains important for decision makers seeking operational improvements.

Customer experience as a driver of operations

Customer experience is closely linked to tangible operational metrics such as retention, revenue, and cost-to-serve. When customers receive prompt responses and achieve first-time resolution, they are more likely to remain loyal and recommend the business.

Consistency in handling queries, regardless of communication channel, further increases satisfaction. High rates of unresolved contacts or repeated requests can drive up service costs and affect trust in the organisation.

Responsive service is not simply a branding concern; it affects operational figures, such as repeat contact rates and average handle times. Operational inefficiency can result in longer queue times and increased frustration, directly influencing customers’ perception of an organisation.

Cyber security reseller services are now often included within contact centre systems to help improve data protection and support consistent service delivery. Balancing information security with smooth customer interactions has become an essential operational consideration.

Defining integration in modern contact centres

Integration involves more than connecting channels at a basic level. In a modern contact centre, it includes bringing together voice, email, chat, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), ticketing, and workforce management tools into a unified system.

This lessens the chances of customers having to repeat themselves or experience multiple handoffs between agents. When an agent can see interaction history, preferences, and recent tickets in one place, each contact is more efficient and relevant.

Integrated workflows remove data silos, allowing processes to operate across departments and platforms smoothly. This supports root-cause analysis of recurring issues, so teams can proactively address underlying service challenges.

Technological integration also provides adaptability, as platforms designed for interoperability can accommodate new business needs without the need for ongoing replacement or extensive staff retraining.

Customer experience gains and measurable outcomes

One advantage of integration is improved first-contact resolution, where customer issues can be resolved during the first interaction, reducing the need for follow-up. This minimises customer effort and can lead to higher satisfaction scores.

Faster call routing and user-friendly self-service tools may lead to shorter waiting times. When agents have immediate access to customer details and prior interactions, conversations are more relevant and tailored to individual requirements.

Providing consistent service across channels ensures customers receive comparable support whether they reach out by phone, email, or chat. Reducing handoffs between teams prevents confusion and helps move queries towards resolution efficiently.

Integrated performance reporting enables organisations to identify and address recurring customer challenges, adding clear value to their platform investments.

Operational changes, risks, and best practices

For managers and team leaders, integration creates new visibility into live performance metrics. Real-time dashboards can display queue lengths, abandonment rates, and agent availability, making resource planning and workload management more straightforward.

Clearer reporting enables targeted coaching, helping teams lower average handle time and improve quality scores. However, without careful planning, integration initiatives can lead to fragmented data or difficulty with user adoption.

Managing data quality and compliance is essential as platforms gather more personal information. Implementing robust access controls and keeping customer records accurate across interconnected systems are key for reliable operations.

Successfully deploying integrated contact centre solutions involves reviewing current customer journeys and finding friction points. Organisations benefit from phased integrations, comprehensive training, and adjusting processes using insights from metrics such as first-contact resolution, average handle time, and customer effort. Avoiding excessive tool complexity and maintaining clear reporting responsibilities are also important for long-term results.