Business Insights and Conditions Survey questions: 16 May to 29 May 2022

These questions are for Wave 57 of the fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) dispatched on the 16th of May 2022.

Which of the following statements best describes your business's trading status?

• Currently fully trading

• Currently partially trading

• Paused trading but intends to restart in the next two weeks

• Paused trading and does not intend to restart in the next two weeks

• Permanently ceased trading

How did your business's turnover in April 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Turnover increased

• Turnover stayed the same

• Turnover decreased

• Not sure

What are your business's expectations for turnover in June 2022?

• Expect turnover to increase

• Expect turnover to stay the same

• Expect turnover to decrease

• Not sure

How did the prices of goods or services bought by your business in April 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Prices increased

• Prices stayed the same

• Prices decreased

• Not sure

• Not applicable

How did the prices of goods or services sold by your business in April 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Prices increased

• Prices stayed the same

• Prices decreased

• Not sure

• Not applicable

What are your business's expectations for the prices of goods or services sold in June 2022?

• Prices will increase

• Prices will stay the same

• Prices will decrease

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Which of the following factors, if any, are causing your business to consider raising prices in June 2022?

• Energy prices

• Finance costs

• Labour costs

• Raw material prices

• Other

• Not sure

• Business is not considering raising prices

How did your business's domestic demand for goods and services in April 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Demand increased

• Demand stayed the same

• Demand decreased

• Not sure

• Not applicable

How did your business's international demand for goods and services in April 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Demand increased

• Demand stayed the same

• Demand decreased

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Has your business been affected by recent increases in energy prices?

• Yes, production has been affected

• Yes, suppliers have been affected

• Yes, both production and suppliers have been affected

• No, my business has not been affected

• Not sure

• Not applicable

In which of the following ways, if any, has your business been affected by price rises?

• Discontinued lines of sale

• Had to absorb costs

• Had to change suppliers

• Had to make redundancies

• Had to pass on price increases to customers

• Had to reduce staff work hours

• Unable to maintain workspaces

• Other

• Not sure

• The business has not been affected by price rises

How did your business's stock levels of raw materials in April 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Stock levels were higher

• Stock levels stayed the same

• Stock levels were lower

• Not sure

• Not applicable

How did your business's stock levels of finished goods in April 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Stock levels were higher

• Stock levels stayed the same

• Stock levels were lower

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Is your business stockpiling any goods or materials?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Where is your business sourcing these stockpiled goods or materials from?

• UK suppliers

• EU suppliers

• Non-EU suppliers

• Not sure

Which of the following goods or materials in your business stockpiling?

• Agricultural products

• Chemicals

• Coal, gas or oil

• Food

• Manufacturing parts

• Metals and materials

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Pharmaceuticals

• Other consumer goods

• Other

• Not sure

Where are the stockpiled goods or materials being stored?

• UK

• EU countries

• Non-EU countries

• Not sure

In April 2022, approximately what percentage of your business's workforce were:

• Using a hybrid model of working

• Working from home

• Working from a designated workspace

• On sick leave, or not working due to coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, self-isolation or quarantine

• Made permanently redundant

• Other

How did the number of employees at your business in April 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Number of employees increased

• Number of employees stayed the same

• Number of employees decreased

• Not sure

What are your business's expectations for the number of employees in June 2022?

• Number of employees will increase

• Number of employees will stay the same

• Number of employees will decrease

• Not sure

Does your business expect to make any of your workforce redundant over the next three months?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

When do you expect these redundancies to happen?

• Within the next 2 weeks

• Between 2 weeks and 1 month

• Between 1 and 3 months

• Not sure

Why is your business making these redundancies?

• Automation

• Business is closing or insolvent

• Certain job roles are no longer required

• Change in management

• Relocation of the business

• Site closures

• To reduce staff costs

• Other

• Not sure

• Prefer not to say

Did your business experience any difficulties recruiting employees in April 2022?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Is your business intending to permanently close any business sites in the next three months?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Where in the UK are the sites that will permanently close in the next three months?

• Northern Ireland

• Scotland

• Wales

• East of England

• East Midlands

• Greater London

• North East of England

• North West of England

• South East of England

• South West of England

• West Midlands

• Yorkshire and The Humber

• Not sure

How do you expect closing these sites to affect your workforce?

• Decreased hours

• Increased hours

• Move to remote working

• Permanent redundancies

• Relocation

• Other

• Not sure

• Workforce will not be affected

In April 2022, how did your business's debt repayments compare with turnover?

• Repayments were more than 100% of turnover

• Repayments were between 50% and 100% of turnover

• Repayments were between 20% and 50% of turnover

• Repayments were up to 20% of turnover

• Not sure

• Not applicable

How much confidence does your business have that it will meet its current debt obligations?

• High confidence

• Moderate confidence

• Low confidence

• No confidence

• Not sure

• Do not have any debt obligations

What is your business's risk or insolvency?

• Sever risk

• Moderate risk

• Low risk

• No risk

• Not sure

• The business is solvent

How would you describe your business's overall performance in April 2022, compared with this calendar month last year?

• Performance increased

• Performance stayed the same

• Performance decreased

• Not sure

How do you expect your business's overall performance to change over the next 12 months?

• Performance will increase

• Performance will stay the same

• Performance will decrease

• Not sure

Please tell us anything else about your business's current situation relating to topics covered in this survey

• Comments