Consumer spending

Inflation bites wealthy Britons as price rises hit luxury goods

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Fine wines, oysters and fancy restaurants up by 5.9% in past year, says Queen’s bank

UK enjoys record tourism as fall in pound boosts visitor numbers

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ONS says weaker sterling since Brexit vote led to 37.3m visits to UK in 2016, with big rise in North American tourists

Santa comes to Selfridges early – and he’s everywhere

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From setting off confetti cannons to unveiling more than a dozen festive windows, Oxford Street’s top draw launches its Christmas campaign

Why global recovery could depend on China’s taste for luxury

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Attitudes are changing in China, but western export hopes are pinned on a swelling middle class embracing its inner consumer