Consumers are cutting spending, unemployment is expected to rise over the next year and in a week of ever-gloomier forecasts for the economy, business and consumer confidence has been dropping like a stone. So what do Starbucks, Hilton and Marstons know that the rest of us don’t? All three have chosen this week to announce expansion in the UK - Starbucks with a market development move to open 200 drive-through outlets, Hilton with expansion of over 20 new hotels (part of a plan to open 110 across Europe) and Marstons with a market penetration plan to build 19 new pubs this year and a further 25 a year from 2012.

Good news all round - how nice to see some evidence of growth amidst all the dire news about the economy. But it is intriguing to see these plans just now - where do they get their confidence from?