Business Insights and Conditions in Scotland (wave 164): 1 October 2026

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

• the top concerns for businesses for October 2026 were falling demand (16.3%) and energy prices (12.1%); an estimated 14.7% of businesses had no concerns
• an estimated 73.3% of businesses were very or somewhat concerned about energy prices, with this share rising to 82.9% for businesses in the Construction sector and 84.1% for businesses in the Transport & Storage sector
• an estimated 72.6% of businesses were very or somewhat concerned about increases in fuel prices, with this share rising to 87.8% for businesses in the Transport & Storage sector and 90.8% for businesses in the Construction sector
• for an estimated 23.8% of businesses the prices of goods or services bought in August 2026 increased compared with July 2026, and 8.0% increased the prices of goods and services they sold
• an estimated 14.3% of businesses were expecting to increase the prices of goods or services sold in October 2026; labour costs (31.3%) and energy prices (30.5%) were the top factors for businesses considering price increases
• around a quarter of businesses (26.3%) reported that their turnover had increased in August 2026 compared with the previous month, broadly in line with July 2026 (23.6%) and August 2025 (24.1%)
• in September 2026, an estimated 26.7% of businesses expected their business performance to increase over the next 12 months and an estimated 9.2% expected it to decrease

Note that the next BICS Scotland publication, with data to Wave 165, is scheduled for release on Friday 9 October 2026.