general/economy

While almost all sectors showed nice growth in recent years, retail remains in dire straits. In recent months, we also saw well-known and large retail chains go bankrupt. Think of Intertoys, Fred de la Bretonière, the Dutch branch of Taco Bell, Men at Work, Travelbird, Leapp, Supertrash and we could go on. The end is not yet in sight. Many more retailers are expected to disappear from the scene in the coming months and years. One example is Coolcat, which recently filed for bankruptcy itself.

Coface's Country Risk event is an annual event where global economic developments are reviewed. In February, it took place at the Louvre convention centre in Paris. Xolv attended, along with 1,300 other guests. The main message: global economic growth is weakening sharply. What are the reasons and how can you arm yourself?

The accounting rules introduced in 2018 under IFRS 9 aim, among other things, for companies to reflect their debtor risks in the balance sheet more accurately and transparently than ever before. To achieve this, companies have had to move from an 'actual incurred loss' model to the 'expected loss' model. Quite a challenge!

Nobody knows what the final effects of the Brexit will be. Will it be a hard or a soft Brexit? The general expectation is that both The United Kingdom (UK) and EU countries will not benefit. UK businesses and individuals are likely to be hit hardest. One thing is certain: at the moment, both UK residents and businesses are already suffering enormously from the uncertainty that has prevailed for quite some time.

Last 1 January marked exactly 20 years since the euro was introduced. Now, twenty years later, it is a good time to take stock. Thanks to the currency, Dutch exports got a boost. And on holidays in Europe, we often no longer have to calculate with foreign currency. However, the currency is far from perfect.