-3.2 on previous index reading
At 89.8 in November 2018, the Business Pulse was down 3.2 on last month. With the Brexit negotiations entering the endgame, the Industry and Services Pulses posted softer readings this month while the Construction Pulse was little changed. The Retail Pulse rose however, buoyed by broadly positive expectations for the festive trading period – three in ten retailers expect their turnover to be higher than last year, while 54% think it will be much the same. The weak pound is a headwind for the sector though as some consumers will likely travel to the North to do their shopping. Retailers in the border area are particularly exposed in this respect and, unsurprisingly, were less upbeat about Christmas trading prospects than firms in other parts of the country.
