Argos treated like an ‘unloved child’ by Sainsbury’s Retail Argos “is not performing to the best of its ability” and the strategy of its owner, FTSE 100 giant Sainsbury’s, has left it like an “unloved child”, according to an analyst. The future of Argos was thrust into the headlines after Sainsbury’s confirmed in September that it was in discussions to sell the retailer to Chinese e-commerce giant [...]
The best (and worst) Christmas sandwiches in supermarkets, from Tesco to Pret Life&Style Has there ever been a more exciting way to pep up a working lunchtime than with a Christmas sandwich? Probably. Still, take a moment out of your day this week to celebrate the arrival of December by treating yourself to a seasonal sarnie (if you’re a seasonal Scrooge, here is our pick of the most [...]
Candy Kittens: ‘We want to be the Unilever of challenger brands’ Retail When Ed Williams and Jamie Laing first set up Candy Kittens in 2012, they dreamt of being bought by Unilever. Now – 13 years later – they’ve bought healthy snack brand Graze from the consumer giant for a fraction of what Unilever paid for it in 2019. “Everybody’s supermarkets are dominated by big players,” co-founder [...]
Argos loses more than £200m as over 2,000 jobs cut December 1, 2025 Argos lost more than £200m during its latest financial year as over it cut over 2,000 jobs. The retailer, which is owned by FTSE 100 supermarket giant Sainsbury’s, has reported a pre-tax loss of £223.2m for the 12 months to 1 March, 2025. The loss comes after Argos posted a pre-tax profit of £37.3m in [...]
Retailers hit by subdued October as Budget threat looms November 11, 2025 UK retailers suffered a “subdued” October as Brits tightened their pockets ahead of what is expected to be a tax-heavy Autumn Budget. Retail sales increased 1.6 per cent year-on-year but remained below the 12-month average of 2.1 per cent, marking the weakest growth since May. The new data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and [...]
Investors pile into Sainsbury’s, but will it last? November 6, 2025 Sainsbury’s has proved a good bet for investors this year as the grocer goes from strength to strength, but will it last into 2026? The UK’s second-largest supermarket has seen a 50 per cent uplift in share price since April, with another five per cent jump following better-than-expected results on Thursday. It’s a marked departure [...]
Autumn Budget: Reeves must avoid tax encore for retail, HMV boss warns October 29, 2025 Ahead of the Autumn Budget, City Reporter Samuel Norman sits down with top industry names for a Budget Briefing. This week, chief executive of HMV joins a chorus of warnings to give the retail sector some reprieve. As high street music retailer HMV breezes into the all-important golden quarter, boss Phillip Halliday is eyeing a chart-topper [...]
The Capitalist: Sydney Sweeney an SEO knockout for The Standard October 23, 2025 Jewel-laden tax bills, the start of Christmas and The Standard's bosom friend Ms Sweeney. Catch up on the latest shenanigans.
Profit at Jamie Laing’s Candy Kittens slashed after major change September 29, 2025 Profit at Candy Kittens, the cat-shaped confectionary brand owned by Radio One DJ and Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing, has been slashed after it made a major change in 2024. The business, which specialises in vegetarian and vegan sweets, decided to switch focus to distribute more to grocers in the UK at the end of 2023 and signed [...]
Require ‘default’ UK weighting in pensions or risk stock market doom loop, report says September 25, 2025 Pension funds should be required to have a “default” UK weighting to prevent the London stock market getting caught in a “doom loop”, a new report has argued. A UK weighted default fund with an allocation of between 20-25 per cent, if made a requirement for defined contribution (DC) pensions with an opt-out for individuals, [...]