Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey questions: 2 November 2020 to 15 November 2020

These questions are for wave 17 of the fortnightly Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey (BICS) dispatched on the 2nd November. These are the most up-to-date survey questions.

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

• Currently trading and has been for more than the last two weeks

• Started trading within the last two weeks after a pause in 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

Where in the UK are your business's sites located?

• 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

• Not applicable

Where in the UK are your sites temporarily or permanently closed?

• 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

• None of our sites are currently paused or ceased trading

Why have these sites temporarily or permanently closed?

• Required to temporarily close due to lockdown regulations

• Insufficient footfall or customer interest

• Not financially viable to keep open

• Other

• Not sure

Are you expecting to temporarily or permanently close any sites in the next two weeks?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Where in the UK are you expecting your site to temporarily or permanently close in the next two weeks?

• 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

• None of our sites are currently paused or ceased trading

Why are you expecting these sites to temporarily or permanently close?

• Required to temporarily close due to lockdown regulations

• Insufficient customer interest or footfall

• Not financially viable to keep open

• Other

• Not sure

In the last two weeks, how has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business's turnover, compared with normal expectations for this time of year?

• Turnover has increased by more than 50%

• Turnover has increased between 20% and 50%

• Turnover has increased by up to 20%

• Turnover has not been affected

• Turnover has decreased by up to 20%

• Turnover has decreased between 20% and 50%

• Turnover has decreased by more than 50%

• Not sure

Please explain in more detail how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected turnover in the last two weeks

What are your expectations about turnover in the next two weeks?

• Expect turnover to substantially increase

• Expect turnover to increase a little

• Expect turnover to stay the same

• Expect turnover to decrease a little

• Expect turnover to substantially decrease

• Not sure                 

In the last two weeks, how has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business's profits, compared with normal expectations for this time of year?

• Profits have increased by more than 50%

• Profits have increased by between 20% and 50%

• Profits have increased by up to 20%

• Profits have stayed the same

• Profits have decreased by up to 20%

• Profits have decreased by between 20% and 50%

• Profits have decreased by more than 50%

• Not sure

Has your business exported goods or services in the last 12 months?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

How has exporting of goods or services been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the last two weeks?

• Exporting more than normal

• Exporting has not been affected

• Exporting, but less than normal

• Not been able to export in the last two weeks

• Not sure

Let us know anything else that will help us understand your business's exporting in the last two weeks

Has your business imported goods or services in the last 12 months?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

How has your business's importing of goods or services been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the last two weeks?

• Importing more than normal

• Importing has not been affected

• Importing, but less than normal

• Not been able to import in the last two weeks

• Not sure

Let us know anything else that will help us understand your business's importing in the last two weeks.

Was [Ru Name] able to get the materials, goods or services it needed from within the UK in the last two weeks?

• Yes, the business has been able to get what it needed

• Yes, but the business had to change suppliers or find alternative solutions

• No, the business has not been able to get the materials, goods or services needed

• Not applicable

Please explain why your business was not able to get the materials, goods or services needed

In the last two weeks, did your business use logistics services to distribute goods or services produced, within the UK?

• Yes

• No, because we could not obtain the UK logistics services we needed

• No, because we did not need UK logistics services

• Not sure

Did the logistics services used in the last two weeks meet your business's UK distribution demands?

• All distribution demands were met

• Some distribution demands were met

• Not sure

To what extent do you expect that your business's UK distribution demands will be met by logistics services in the next two weeks?

• All UK distribution demands will be met

• Some UK distribution demands will be met

• None of the UK distribution demands will be met

• The business will not need any UK distribution

• Not sure

How did the prices of materials, goods or services bought by your business change in the last two weeks, compared with normal price fluctuations?

• Prices increased more than normal

• Prices did not change any more than normal

• Prices decreased more than normal

• Some prices increased, some prices decreased

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please give more details about the prices of materials, goods or services that changed

What are your expectations about changes in prices of materials, goods or services that your business needs for the next two weeks?

• Expect prices to generally increase

• Expect prices not to change

• Expect prices to generally decrease

• Not sure

How did the prices of goods or services sold by your business change in the last two weeks, compared with normal fluctuations?

• Prices increased more than normal

• Prices did not change any more than normal

• Prices decreased more than normal

• Some prices increased, some prices decreased

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please give more details about how prices changed

What are your expectations about prices of goods or services that your business will sell over the next two weeks?

• Prices will generally increase

• Prices will stay the same

• Prices will generally decrease

• Not sure

Has your business had an increase in demand for goods or services sold in the last two weeks?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Which goods or services have had an increase in demand?

How has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business's stock levels in the last two weeks?

• Stock levels are higher than normal

• Stock levels have not changed

• Stock levels are lower than normal

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please explain in more detail how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected stock levels in the last two weeks

Is your business stockpiling any materials or goods?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Which of the following materials or goods are you stockpiling?

• Agricultural products

• Chemicals

• Food

• Manufacturing parts

• Metals and materials

• Pharmaceuticals

• Other consumer goods

• Other

• Not sure

Where are the stockpiled materials or goods being stored?

• Within the UK

• Outside the UK: EU

• Outside the UK: non-EU

OR

• Not sure

Which storage solutions are you using for stockpiling these materials or goods?

• Building new storage

• Renting new storage

• Using more of our current storage

• Other

OR

• Not sure

How has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business's capital expenditure?

• Capital expenditure is higher than normal

• Capital expenditure has not been affected

• Capital expenditure is lower than normal

• Capital expenditure has stopped

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please explain in more detail how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected capital expenditure.

Has your business applied for any of the following grants?

• Local Restrictions Support Grant - England

• Local Restrictions Support Scheme - Northern Ireland

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Restrictions Fund - Scotland

• Lockdown Business Fund - Wales

• Not sure

OR

• Not applied for any of these grants

Has your business received any of the following grants?

• Local Restrictions Support Grant - England

• Local Restrictions Support Scheme - Northern Ireland

• Business Closure Fund - Scotland

• Lockdown Business Fund - Wales

• Not sure

OR

• Not received any of these grants

Has your business received any of these other grants?

• Small business grant

• Sector-specific grant

• Business Development Grant - Wales

• Not sure

OR

• Not received any of these grants

Which governments in the UK provided the small business grant, or grants?

• Northern Ireland Executive

• Scottish Government

• UK Government - England only

• Welsh Government

OR

• Not sure

Which governments in the UK provided the sector-specific grant, or grants?

• Northern Ireland Executive

• Scottish Government

• UK Government - England only

• Welsh Government

OR

• Not sure

Has your business received any government-backed loans or finance agreements during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Are you using, or intending to use, either of the following schemes?

• Kickstart Job Scheme for young people

• Job Retention Bonus

• Not sure

OR

• Not using, or intending to use, either of these schemes

Why is your business not intending to apply for the Job Retention Bonus?

• Furloughed employees will be made redundant before the end of January 2021

• Furloughed employees are not eligible

• We have not furloughed any employees

• Other

• Not sure

How long do you think your business's cash reserves will last?

• No cash reserves

• Less than 1 month

• 1 to 3 months

• 4 to 6 months

• More than 6 months

• Not sure

How much confidence does your business have that it will survive the next three months?

• High confidence

• Moderate confidence

• Low confidence

• No confidence

• Not sure

In the last two weeks, approximately what percentage of your business's workforce were:

• On partial or full furlough leave

• Working at their normal place of work

• Working from home instead of at their normal place of work

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

• Made permanently redundant

• Other

Of those partially and fully furloughed, what percentage are fully furloughed?

• Approximate percentage of furloughed staff who are 'fully furloughed'

• Not sure

In the last two weeks, approximately what percentage of your workforce have:

• Returned from furlough to homeworking, either fully or partially

• Returned from furlough to the normal workplace, either fully or partially

• Moved from homeworking to the normal workplace

• Moved from the normal workplace to homeworking

             In the next two weeks, approximately what percentage of your workforce will:

• Return from furlough to homeworking, either fully or partially

• Return from furlough to the normal workplace, either fully or partially

• Return to the workplace from homeworking

Approximately what percentage of your workforce do you expect to be made redundant over the next three months?

• Approximate percentage of redundancies in the next three months

• 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

OR

• Not sure

Which, if any, of the following professions have you found it more difficult to retain staff, or recruit for, since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

• Science / Research

• Engineering

• Health

• Information Technology

• Legal / Financial

• Education

• Profession(s) relevant but no difference experienced

• These professions are not relevant for this business

OR

• Not sure

Does your business operate in the hospitality sector?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

What change in operating hours has your business implemented due to local or national lockdown regulations?

• 10pm curfew

• 6pm stoppage on indoor alcohol sales - Scotland

• 6pm closure - Scotland

• Full closure

• Not sure

OR

• Not made any change to operating hours

Overall, how has this change in operating hours affected trade?

• Substantially increased

• Increased a little

• Stayed the same

• Decreased a little

• Substantially decreased

• Not sure

Overall, how has the change in operating hours affected footfall?

• Footfall has increased

• Footfall has stayed the same, but shifted to adapt to the changed hours

• No change in footfall

• Footfall has decreased

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, how has the number of workers from within the European Union (EU) at your business changed?

• Number of workers from within the EU has increased

• Numbers of working from within the EU has stayed the same

• Number of workers from within the EU has decreased

• Not sure

• Prefer not to say

Since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, how has the number of workers from outside the European Union (EU) at your business changed?

• Number of workers from outside the EU has increased

• Number of workers from outside the EU has stayed the same

• Number of workers from outside the EU

• Not sure

• Prefer not to say

Thank you for completing this questionnaire. Please tell us anything else that may help us understand your business's current situation

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