‘Bumper’ Boxing Day provides boost to struggling high streets December 27, 2025 Boxing Day was a “bumper day” for all UK retail destinations as data shows shopper footfall was up 4.4 per cent on last year, making it the strongest increase in more than a decade, industry analysts said. The retail sector may end the year on a “positive note” as December 26 saw shoppers flock to [...]
Asda: Will 2026 be the year supermarket giant bounces back? December 26, 2025 This time last year, analysts warned that Asda needed to “dig down into its soul” if it was to turn around its fortunes. After a rollercoaster 2024 in which it struggled with debt, strikes and falling sales, the Leeds-headquartered supermarket giant was hoping the new year would begin to reveal green shoots of recovery. Under [...]
I’ve been speaking to CEOs all year – this is what they really think December 24, 2025 After spending a year interviewing some of the UK’s top business leaders, a number of themes have emerged which paint a concerning picture of their confidence in this country’s future prospects – but there is also hope. In 25 episodes of City AM‘s Boardroom Uncovered podcast series in 2025, a large number of the CEOs [...]
Mothercare shares dive as firm warns future in ‘significant doubt’ December 23, 2025 Shares in retailer Mothercare plunged by 10 per cent on Tuesday after the group cast “significant doubt” over its future on Tuesday. In a trading update it said it had breached an emergency loan agreement leaving the firm on the hook for millions of pounds. The AIM-listed company was set to repay an £8m loan [...]
On: Sales surge by £40m before Ibiza Final Boss viral boost December 19, 2025 Sales at sports clothes and shoes brand On in the UK jumped by £40m in the year before it went viral thanks to the ‘Ibiza Final Boss’. The brand was caught up in a social media sensation earlier this year when the ‘Ibiza Final Boss’, real name Jack Kay, was captured on video dancing at [...]
Budget uncertainty dampens November spending December 19, 2025 Black Friday discounts failed to significantly boost consumer spending in November, as Budget uncertainty kept shoppers away from the high street. Sales declined 0.1 per cent last month, following a 0.9 per cent fall in October, as households opted to hold off spending in the run up to Christmas and wait to see the outcome [...]
FCA probe and bonus clawbacks: WH Smith acts against former directors as North America profit plunges December 19, 2025 WH Smith’s board will trigger clawback provisions for senior executives following accounting errors woes that had resulted in a probe by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). WH Smith chief executive Carl Cowling stepped down with immediate effect last month after the report, produced by Big Four audit firm Deloitte, identified weaknesses in the operations of [...]
Zara turns to AI-edited models amid shop closures December 18, 2025 Zara is using artificial intelligence to edit images of human models for its e-commerce platforms, City AM understands, as the fast-fashion giant looks to cut costs amid a tough retail backdrop. Models who have previously shot campaigns for Zara have since been contacted by the Spanish retail giant and asked for permission for their images [...]
Stella McCartney: Losses widen as sales hit 15-year low December 17, 2025 Losses widened at Stella McCartney’s fashion brand in the year the designer bought LVMH out of its stake as its sales fell to their lowest level since 2009, it has been revealed. New accounts filed with Companies House show that the firm’s pre-tax loss went from £25m in 2023 to £33.5m in 2024. Stella McCartney [...]
Fowl play: Morrisons loses £17m VAT battle over rotisserie chickens December 16, 2025 Supermarket giant Morrisons faces a £17m tax bill after the First-Tier Tax Tribunal threw out its dispute over VAT on cool-down rotisserie chickens. The dispute arose from George Osborne’s controversial 2012 Finance Act changes that sought to clarify the VAT treatment of hot takeaway food, famously known as the “pasty tax” debacle. Morrisons tried to [...]