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- Sale fever 'not enough for shops'
The head of the British Retail Consortium says shops suffered a poor December, despite successful post-Christmas sales. - Bargains in closing Woolworths shops
Shoppers find savings of up to 90% as a quarter of Woolworths' 800 stores close their doors for the final time. - Tories 'may unveil tax cut plans'
The Conservatives would cut taxes if they won the next general election, George Osborne suggests. - Full coverage of the UK economy, and tips on surviving the crisis
Tips on surviving the financial crisis, and full coverage of the UK economy - Ashley calls off Newcastle sale
Magpies owner Mike Ashley announces he has taken the club off the market. - Gloomy message on Scots economy
Next year will be "incredibly difficult" for Scotland's economy, a business group says in its new year message. - Gloomy prediction for UK economy
An independent group of economists forecasts the biggest contraction in the UK economy since 1946 next year. - UK tourists 'head out of Europe'
Many British tourists will shun continental Europe next year because of the falling value of the pound, a report says. - House prices 'will fall further'
House prices will probably fall by another 10% in the coming year, predicts the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. - Zavvi placed into administration
Music, games and DVD retail chain Zavvi goes into administration following the problems at Woolworths. - Biggest Christmas injury risk from toys? People tripping over them
The biggest injury risk from toys this Christmas is from people tripping over them, according to trading standards officers. - Year of woe
Who is to blame for the UK's economic troubles? - Mourning Woolies
Customers' dismay as famed retailer begins closures - Unwanted gifts
Your rights on returning presents explained - Retail therapy
A boost to retailers as bargain hunters flock to the sales - 2008 in Business
Looking back at the year in business in 2008 - Medieval crunch
King Edward I would recognise current troubles - Shops offer last-minute discounts
Retailers are hoping for a last-minute Christmas rush with a number of shops already starting their sales. - 'Boat burglaries up' says insurer
The number of break-ins of boats in 2008 is up 20% on the previous year, according to an insurer. - Fake Colgate recalled from shops
Sainsbury's and Boots recall thousands of tubes of fake Colgate toothpaste from their stores. - City watchdog's fines at record
The City watchdog handed down fines of Ј22m in 2008 as it clamps down on mortgage fraud and loan insurance mis-selling. - Oil falls back below $39 a barrel
More bad economic news from the US on Tuesday sends oil prices falling back below $39 a barrel. - US consumers cut their spending
US consumers cut back on their spending in November as the recession and rising unemployment took effect. - Toyota sales plunge in November
Toyota reports a 21.8% fall in gloabl vehicle sales in November, its worst decline since it began tracking such data. - Officers Club deal saves 900 jobs
Menswear retailer The Officers Club goes into administration, resulting in the sale of 118 stores and the closure of 32. - Madoff investor commits suicide
A French investment manager who put $1.4bn into Bernard Madoff's fraud-hit fund kills himself, police say. - Whittard sold to private equity
The Whittard of Chelsea chain of shops has been sold to a private equity firm after going into administration. - Russia devalues the rouble again
Russia devalues the rouble for the third time in a week, to its lowest value against the US dollar since January 2006. - Cocoa prices hit a 23-year-high
London cocoa futures hit a 23-year-high as it proves to be the most lucrative commodity in 2008. - Toshiba plans bike battery plant
Toshiba plans to build a new plant to make its super charge ion batteries, the uses of which include electric bikes. - IMF approves bail-out for Latvia
The International Monetary Fund approves a rescue plan to stabilise the troubled economy of Latvia. - IMF criticises the UK's VAT cut
The International Monetary Fund's chief economist says the UK's cut in VAT is unlikely to influence consumer spending. - Price of stamps set to rise again
The price of first and second-class stamps will rise from next April by 3p respectively, the Royal Mail says. - Shoppers hit post-Christmas sales
Thousands of bargain hunters across the UK flock to post-Christmas sales - Mortgage lending 'shrinks again'
UK mortgage lending by the major banks has fallen sharply with approvals for house purchases 60% lower than a year ago. - Insurance lies 'on the increase'
A growing number of people are lying on insurance applications in an attempt to get a better deal, says an industry body. - Pension fund finances 'riskier'
Private sector final salary pension schemes have become riskier, say the Pensions Regulator and the Pension Protection Fund. - UK economy contracts faster
The UK economy shrank faster than previously thought between July and September, official figures show. - US new home sales at 17-year-low
US new home sales slow to their lowest level in 17 years, while new home prices drop by the biggest amount in eight months. - Last-minute increase in shoppers
The number of shoppers on UK High Streets grew on Monday, compared with the corresponding Monday in 2007, new figures show. - EU approves UK finance measures
The European Commission gives the go ahead for British government changes to its support package for the banking sector. - Wal-Mart settles labour lawsuits
The world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, s