M&S profit slumps in fallout from cyber attack Retail Marks & Spencer saw its profit slump by a quarter as the retailer took more than a £100m hit from its “traumatic” cyber attack last year. The FTSE 100 supermarket and clothing business saw pre-tax profit fall by 29 per cent to £365m in the year to March, despite sales growing by 25 per cent [...]
M&S eyes up Brits’ weekly shops as food arm set to expand Retail Marks & Spencer has not been shy over its ambition to conquer the British weekly shop, and the retail giant is nearing a crucial update on its foray into the UK’s fiercely competitive grocery market. M&S Food accounts for more than half (54 per cent) of the retailer’s revenues, and its recent warehouse expansions suggest [...]
Chicken roll boosts sales but Greggs warns of food inflation Retail Brits’ warm embrace of the new chicken sausage roll has helped boost turnover at Greggs, but the company warned it could be burnt by food inflation if the Iran war persists. Greggs’ share price jumped more than six per cent on Tuesday’s market open, to 1,618p, though the stock remained down three per cent in [...]
Supermarkets round on Aldi and Lidl over ‘rigged’ system May 6, 2026 A host of leading British supermarkets have rounded on German discounters Aldi and Lidl over fears competition is being “distorted” by a “rigged” system. Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Iceland are ramping up pressure on the competition watchdog to crack down on Aldi and Lidl’s ability to block rivals from opening new stores on nearby land. The [...]
Supermarket inflation: Falling oil prices help keep costs down at the till May 6, 2026 Thank goodness for the price of oil. No, not Brent crude – the stuff that has sent costs at the pump up sharply since the outbreak of war in Iran – but cooking oil. A 500ml bottle of rapeseed oil fell by an average of 14 per cent between April and May across three supermarkets [...]
Controversial £2bn packaging tax could be scrapped as food inflation looms May 5, 2026 The government is reviewing a controversial £2bn sustainable packaging tax as it faces increasing pressure from retailers to prevent food prices from soaring. The Treasury is reportedly looking at potential changes to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) tax, which requires large businesses to pay towards the cost of disposing of their packaging. Retailers have been [...]
Little Moons founder Vivien Wong: Building a London factory was one of our best decisions April 30, 2026 Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the City's great and good. Today, Little Moons founder Vivien Wong takes us through her career.
Neutonic Raises $6m at $60m Valuation to Accelerate Global Expansion Across Retail and New Markets April 28, 2026 Investment backed by Alan Barrett, founder of Grenade, alongside a group of strategic investors, supporting the next phase of international growth
Economy could suffer for eight months after Iran war ends, minister says April 26, 2026 Surging food and energy prices caused by the Iran war could last for more than eight months after the conflict ends, Starmer’s right-hand man has said. Higher petrol, food and plane ticket prices will persist for “eight-plus months” following the end of the conflict, chief secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said. The minister [...]
‘How long can the pain continue?’ Consumer confidence falls again April 23, 2026 Consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest level in more than two years, as fears grow that the UK economy could be ravaged by soaring inflation caused by the Iran war. A closely-watched survey conducted by research firm GfK found consumer confidence dropped by four points to -25 in April. The index is another warning [...]