The CMA opened a consultation on 20 October on access to iPhone contactless technology. It proposes broader technical access and pricing principles intended to help competing services. Responses close on 17 November. This is a proposal, with a final decision still to follow.
The useful bit
Keep today’s payment arrangements working, and build a short comparison checklist for any new services that actually launch.
ONS figures published on 20 October estimate 691,000 UK vacancies in July to September, down 21,000 from April to June. The change is within the survey’s reported confidence interval. Separate Great Britain figures show regular pay growing 3.7% over the year in June to August.
The useful bit
Use your own order workload and the full cost of paid help to plan seasonal staffing, rather than copying a national percentage.
The government published new Jobs Plans on 19 October. Professional and business services firms have committed to 22,400 new under-25 apprenticeships each year over the next five years. These are sector commitments; individual vacancies, entry requirements and start dates still need checking.
The useful bit
Choose one skill you want to build, then compare real vacancies or training routes before making a commitment.
The CMA opened a consultation on 16 October on its proposal to give Microsoft strategic market status in business software. This is a provisional step, not a final designation or an immediate price cut. Businesses can use the moment to check subscriptions and the practical cost of switching.
The useful bit
List the software you pay for, its renewal dates and what it would take to export your business records before making a change.
Shopify’s 16 October release lets eligible stores group up to 250 fulfilments for picking, labels, documents and packing checks. The workflow is customisable. Eligibility depends on a merchant-managed location where Shopify label buying is supported; a third-party fulfilment location alone does not qualify.
The useful bit
Try a small group of straightforward, ready-to-pack orders and keep a separate check for personalisation, exceptions and actual carrier handover.
Shopify’s 15 October update adds Royal Mail pickup points for UK checkouts. Buyers can select a Post Office branch or Royal Mail Customer Service Point. Eligibility matters: some baskets and payment routes will not show the option, and the delivery price is yours to set.
The useful bit
Check your store’s eligibility, price the service, and test a realistic basket before advertising collection as an option.
A 15 October Shopify update adds automatic label purchasing through Flow. The action buys a label for a matching fulfilment using your settings. It does not support fulfilments assigned to a third-party fulfilment service, and buying a label is not the same as handing over the parcel.
The useful bit
Start with a narrowly defined order type, confirm weights and services, and check the customer notification timing before turning the workflow on.
The ONS’s 15 October footfall dataset shows a small weekly drop in visits to UK retail locations. SellerBundle calculates a 0.9% fall for the week ending 11 October, using the latest workbook’s UK indices. It measures visits, not sales or online orders.
The useful bit
Check your own sales, conversion and stock cover before turning a national footfall change into a bigger buying decision.
Whatnot’s 13 October UK update covers show duplication, reusable mobile listings and refreshed analytics. It could save repeat setup work, but sellers should review copied inventory and judge results after costs. Party Purchase is still a limited test, not a feature everyone can switch on.
The useful bit
Try one reusable show setup, check every copied detail, and review the money left after costs rather than sales alone.
Amazon’s earlier announcement set 28 October as the UK inventory-arrival date for Black Friday Week Prime-badge eligibility. That date has passed. Selected UK and German FBA fees run from 15 October 2026 to 14 January 2027. This is a refreshed planning guide, not a new announcement.
The useful bit
Check actual shipment status and your account’s current eligibility and fee information before promising a seasonal offer.
ONS figures published on 15 October estimate that real UK GDP grew 0.7% in the three months to August, compared with the three months to May. August alone grew 0.1%. The different time periods matter when reading the headline.
The useful bit
Compare your own orders, margin and stock commitments before changing your sales forecast.
UK goods trade values fell in August, the ONS reported on 15 October. Later the same day, the government confirmed a revised ports planning framework took effect. These are separate developments: neither is a new shipping quote or a reason to assume your next delivery will cost less.
The useful bit
Price one real shipment end to end before placing an overseas stock order or launching a new export offer.
Whatnot’s 14 October UK update separates cancellation-free and refund-free rates in Account Health, alongside on-time scans. Weekly views cover the last 12 weeks. Premier Shop continues to use its separate three-month evaluation, and rollout is expanding over the coming days.
The useful bit
Check which metric changed, then fix the order process behind it instead of guessing from one combined score.
The National Crime Agency reported on 13 October that an international operation led to almost 30 suspected scammers being arrested and Meta removing 3.7 million online profiles and accounts. The London coordination event took place on 6–9 October; these are reported results from that operation.
The useful bit
Build a repeatable way to verify unusual payment requests, especially when they arrive through social messages.
The Government opened a consultation on employment status on 14 October. It proposes ways to tackle bogus self-employment and protect genuinely self-employed people. These are proposals about employment rights, not new tax-status rules.
The useful bit
Review how paid help actually works in your business, and do not treat a contract label as the whole answer.
A BRC update on 14 October highlights the 25 October entry deadline for Let’s Celebrate Towns 2026. Five category winners receive £20,000 towards community-led projects. Town representatives enter on behalf of their communities.
The useful bit
Send one practical local-business project idea to your council, MP’s office or Business Improvement District before the deadline.
Shopify’s 13 October update brings Sidekick guidance into the desktop checkout and accounts editor, with help for Checkout Blocks too. The useful next step is checking one change carefully—not assuming AI advice guarantees a working checkout.
The useful bit
Record the current settings, make one controlled change, then test the buyer journey before sending paid traffic.
The UK Intellectual Property Office has announced plans to make licensing for patents built into technical standards clearer. This matters most if you develop, brand or import connected products—not if you simply resell ordinary stock.
The useful bit
Ask who is responsible for technology licensing before placing a large connected-product order.
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