JD assembles Ikea chair after rocky period for retailer Retail The former boss of Ikea has been named as JD Sport’s new chair following a tumultuous period for the retailer. Peter Agnefjäll, who spent more than two decades at the Swedish home furnishing brand, is set to succeed Darren Shapland as the chair of JD from the beginning of September. Shapland was appointed to the [...]
Gino D’Acampo restaurants face HMRC winding-up order Hospitality The company behind TV chef Gino D’Acampo’s restaurant empire has been hit with a winding-up petition by the UK tax authority. Upmarket Hotels & Leisure, which runs five British restaurants named after the former This Morning star, was served the petition by HMRC after a filing made to the High Court, as seen by City [...]
Here’s how to fix London listings Opinion The exodus from the London Stock Exchange demands practical solutions, not complaint, says Jonathan Dickson This week DCC Energy became the latest FTSE 100 group to be taken private, amid growing global competition for listings. Just last month, it emerged that as many as 20 FTSE 100 companies may move direct listings to New York. [...]
Wetherspoon shares dive as pub chain warns on profit again July 22, 2026 JD Wetherspoon shares slumped after it issued its fourth profit warning this year, as the pub chain grapples with surging food and energy costs and a rising business rates bill. Tim Martin, founder and chairman of the UK’s best-known pub chain, said: “Profits for the year are likely to be below market expectations, with marginally [...]
Toast the City Awards 2026 finalists announced – vote now! July 16, 2026 It’s here: the Toast the City Finalists have been announced, with bars, restaurants, coffee shops, green spaces and more from across the City being celebrated in the Square Mile’s biggest and best awards. Now is your chance to vote for your favourite city spots – just visit our Toast the City website and cast your [...]
England draw with Ghana worth £20m extra to British pubs June 24, 2026 England’s lacklustre 0-0 draw against Ghana may have lacked fizz but hospitality industry experts estimate it was worth an extra £20m in trade for Britain’s pubs. Thomas Tuchel’s men were held to a goalless 90 minutes in Boston on Tuesday but the late kick-off and blistering weather proved a boon to boozers up and down [...]
JD Sports becomes latest blue-chip to trade on New York market June 24, 2026 JD Sports has become the latest blue-chip firm to trade its shares onto a New York market in an attempt to boost its appeal to American investors without having to shift its listing to the US. On Wednesday, the retail giant will begin trading on OTC Markets’ over-the-counter market in America, City AM can reveal, [...]
Would a £10bn VAT cut really save hospitality? June 20, 2026 Calls for the government to slash VAT on hospitality firms have been backed by pub and restaurant bosses, and Prime Minister hopeful Andy Burnham. What would this tax break really mean for the economy? The UK’s pubs, hotels and restaurants say they are at breaking point. Higher business rates, hikes to national insurance and minimum [...]
‘Reason to be optimistic’: Hospitality bosses say World Cup a lifeline for pubs June 9, 2026 Pub bosses are hoping for a much-needed boost from the World Cup this summer, as the hospitality industry warns of a crushing tax and cost burden. Leading pub chains Greene King and JD Wetherspoon have told City AM they are hoping for a “useful boost” to counteract the “layering of costs” they have faced in [...]
Mike Ashley wins trademark appeal, throwing out eye-watering damages bill May 12, 2026 The retail empire of business tycoon Mike Ashley has won an appeal challenging damages awarded in a trademark infringement claim, sidestepping paying a potentially stinging bill. The judgment follows a longstanding legal dispute between the discount sports retailer and the Beverly Hills Polo Club brand, owned and managed by Lifestyle Equities, which argued Ashley’s Sports [...]