Business Insights and Conditions in Scotland (wave 162): 27 August 2026

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

• the top concerns for businesses for September 2026 were falling demand (14.9%) and energy prices (14.6%); an estimated 13.4% of businesses had no concerns
• an estimated 76.4% of businesses were very or somewhat concerned about energy prices, with this share rising to 79.7% for businesses in the Transport & Storage sector and 81.7% for businesses in the Accommodation & Food Services sector
• an estimated 73.5% of businesses were very or somewhat concerned about increases in fuel prices, with this share rising to 86.8% for businesses in the Construction sector and 90.7% for businesses in the Transport & Storage sector
• for an estimated 26.3% of businesses the prices of goods or services bought in July 2026 increased compared with June 2026, and 11.2% increased the prices of goods and services they sold
• an estimated 11.8% of businesses were expecting to increase the prices of goods or services sold in September 2026; labour costs (30.1%) and energy prices (27.1%) were the top factors for businesses considering price increases
• around a quarter of businesses (23.6%) reported that their turnover had increased in July 2026 compared with the previous month, which was down on June 2026 (32.2%), and down on July 2025 (30.6%)
• in August 2026, an estimated 27.7% of businesses expected their business performance to increase over the next 12 months and an estimated 9.8% expected it to decrease

Note that the next BICS Scotland publication, with data to Wave 163, is scheduled for release on Thursday 10 September 2026.