The Sloman Economics News Site

As we saw in a recent post, Why have diesel prices risen more than petrol prices?, diesel prices have soared since the outbreak of the Iran war at the end of February this year. In the UK, they rose from arou...

The grocery retail market in New Zealand is worth billions of dollars each year and is one of the most concentrated supermarket sectors in the world. The industry is dominated by two large groups: Foodstuffs and Woolworths New Zealand. Together, these firms account for around 80–90 per cent of grocery sales, with Foodstuffs operating brands such as Pak’nS...

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key technology in the 21st Century. Businesses use AI systems to analyse data, automate routine tasks, improve customer service, write software, create content and even assist with decision-making. As AI improves and becomes even more capable, governments, economists, businesses and society are debating its effect...

Inflation has been rising around the world. The main reason has been the supply shock of rising oil, fertiliser and commodity prices caused by the Iran war and the disruption to global supply chains from conflicts in the Middle East and Russia (see the blog,

From the start of the American and Israeli war with Iran on 28 February 2026 to mid-September – a period of a little over six months – the retail price of petrol in the UK has risen by approximately 40p, from around 132p to 172p per litre – a rise of 30%. In contrast, the price of diesel has risen by approximately 53p, from around 142p to 195p per litre –...