Business Insights and Conditions in Scotland (wave 158): 25 June 2026

Key points for businesses with 10+ employees and a presence in Scotland:

• the top concern for businesses for July 2026 was falling demand (13.4%); although an estimated 17.3% of businesses had no concerns
• an estimated 73.1% of businesses were very or somewhat concerned about energy prices, with this share rising to 82.0% for businesses in the Accommodation & Food Services sector and 85.1% for businesses in the Transport & Storage sector
• an estimated 71.1% of businesses were very or somewhat concerned about increases in fuel prices, with this share rising to 89.0% for businesses in the Transport & Storage sector and 89.8% for businesses in the Construction sector
• for an estimated 31.1% of businesses the prices of goods or services bought in May 2026 increased compared with April 2026, and 12.6% increased the prices of goods and services they sold
• an estimated 16.3% of businesses were expecting to increase the prices of goods or services sold in July 2026; labour costs (32.3%) and energy prices (29.0%) were the top factors for businesses considering price increases
• around 3 in 10 (29.8%) businesses reported that their turnover had increased in May 2026 compared with the previous month, which was up on April 2026 (24.3%), but in line with May 2025 (27.5%)
• in June 2026, an estimated 30.5% of businesses expected their business performance to increase over the next 12 months and an estimated 10.3% expected it to decrease

Note that the next BICS Scotland publication, with data to Wave 159, is scheduled for release on Thursday 9 July 2026.