Estée Lauder and Charlotte Tilbury owner walk away from merger talks May 22, 2026 Cosmetics giant Estée Lauder has abandoned talks with the Spanish owner of Charlotte Tilbury over a merger which would have created a $40bn fashion powerhouse. Talks between the US cosmetics giant and Spanish beauty giant Puig ended on Thursday despite hopes that the merger could have helped both brands to compete with rival L’Oreal. Estée [...]
Morrisons blames Labour for closure of 100 lossmaking stores May 22, 2026 Morrisons has taken aim at Labour policy for “significant cost increases” as it announced the closure of 100 lossmaking stores. The supermarket chain said on Thursday that it will close the 100 unprofitable Morrisons Daily convenience stores, in a move which could affect hundreds of jobs. Morrisons has faced steep debt costs following its £7bn [...]
Retail sales plummet as Iran war hits consumer confidence May 22, 2026 Retail sales plummeted by 1.3 per cent in April, as Brits cut back on spending amid increasing pressure from the war in Iran. The huge fall in retail sales volumes in April was the largest since May last year and defied economists’ forecasts of a softer drop. This comes after a 0.6 per cent rise in [...]
As it happened: Stocks jump on peace hopes; Reeves hit by falling retail sales and surge in borrowing May 22, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices remain volatile and heightened as peace talks in the Middle East continue to run into stumbling blocks. Brent crude futures were up to $104 this morning following reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader was ordering for the nation’s enriched uranium reserves to remain in [...]
Reeves food tariffs policy will ‘barely touch the sides’ on supermarket prices May 21, 2026 Food manufacturers and retailers have slammed Rachel Reeves’ cost of living measures, claiming the government’s loosening of food tariffs will do little to help supermarkets to cut prices. The Chancellor urged supermarkets to pass on savings from the stripped tariffs to shoppers “in full,” but retailers fear this measure will “barely touch the sides,” City [...]
The Works shares soar as families look for ‘screen-free’ fun May 21, 2026 Shares in The Works soared on Thursday morning after the retailer said growing demand for “screen-free” entertainment is driving up revenue. The Aim-listed stock jumped 11 per cent on early trading, to 60p, after it reported revenue growth of more than three per cent to £260m in the year to May. The retailer saw like-for-like [...]
Tate & Lyle admits ‘disappointing year’ as US buyer circles May 21, 2026 Tate & Lyle has seen profit and revenue slip in what the ingredients firm described as a “disappointing year” marked by muted demand, as a US buyer circles. The FTSE 250 company saw revenue slip by three per cent to £2bn as profit before tax fell by 10 per cent to £238m in the year [...]
As it happened: Stocks jittery as Iran war drags on; Reeves unveil cost-of-living package May 21, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Donald Trump has warned Iran there are two options that could see the US finishing the war in Iran, with one that will “see a few people killed as opposed to a lot”. He added: “We could do it either way.” It’s the latest threat from the White [...]
Next faces shareholder pressure over worker pay May 21, 2026 Shareholders in Next are set to put pressure on the retail giant to take action on its “reliance” on low-paid labour. At Next’s annual general meeting on Thursday, a group of investors will call on the retailer to take further action on worker pay and adopt the “real living wage” for all employees. But the [...]
Costco UK profit soars as Brits buy in bulk amid cost of living pressures May 20, 2026 Profit at Costco’s UK subsidiary has soared as Brits flocked to the wholesaler to buy in bulk in a bid to swerve cost of living pressures. The grocery chain, which has 29 stores across the UK, including six in London, generated pre-tax profit of £218.6m in the year to the end of August 2025, a [...]