Business Insights and Conditions in Scotland (wave 160): 30 July 2026

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

• the top concern for businesses for August 2026 was falling demand (17.4%), followed by worker shortages (11.9%); although an estimated 15.6% of businesses had no concerns

• an estimated 72.9% of businesses were very or somewhat concerned about energy prices, with this share rising to 83.0% for businesses in the Accommodation & Food Services sector and 84.6% for businesses in the Transport & Storage sector

• an estimated 70.5% of businesses were very or somewhat concerned about increases in fuel prices, with this share rising to 87.3% for businesses in the Transport & Storage sector and 91.3% for businesses in the Construction sector

• for an estimated 29.1% of businesses the prices of goods or services bought in June 2026 increased compared with May 2026, and 11.2% increased the prices of goods and services they sold

• an estimated 12.1% of businesses were expecting to increase the prices of goods or services sold in August 2026; labour costs (30.9%) and energy prices (27.6%) were the top factors for businesses considering price increases

• around a third of businesses (32.2%) reported that their turnover had increased in June 2026 compared with the previous month, which was in line with May 2026 (29.8%), but up on June 2025 (25.8%)

• in July 2026, an estimated 28.2% of businesses expected their business performance to increase over the next 12 months and an estimated 8.9% expected it to decrease

Note that the next BICS Scotland publication, with data to Wave 161, is scheduled for release on Thursday 13 August 2026.