1. Survey information

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

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2. Trading status of your business

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

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3. Turnover

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

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4. Prices

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

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5. Stock

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

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7. Business confidence

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

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8. Comments

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

  • Comments
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Contact details for this Article

Emily Hopson
bics@ons.gov.uk
Telephone: +44 1633 455 592