Unilever: US government shutdown delays ice cream float October 21, 2025 Consumer goods giant Unilever has paused the launch of its ice-cream arm on New York’s stock exchange due to delays at the bourse’s security commission. The US government shut down at the start of October when Democrats and Republicans failed to come to an agreement on spending, with no end in sight. Unilever said the [...]
Hundreds of jobs at risk as Pizza Hut UK dine-in arm goes into administration October 20, 2025 The dine-in arm of Pizza Hut has collapsed into administration, putting dozens of restaurants and hundreds of jobs at risk. DC London Pie Limited, which operates Pizza Hut’s UK restaurants, appointed FTI Consulting as administrators on Monday. The 67-year-old chain has said it will shutter 68 venues permanently, while 1,723 workers face uncertainty on their [...]
Vape giant Supreme buys Slimfast in £20m deal October 20, 2025 Wholesaler Supreme has bought meal replacement and weight management brand Slimfast in what promises to be an immediately earnings-enhancing deal, analysts have said. The deal, which saw Supreme buy Slimfast UK and Europe for £20.1m, sent the former company’s share price up more than six per cent in early trades. Slimfast is known for its [...]
B&M: City broker ‘not concerned’ about retailer despite turmoil October 20, 2025 City broker Panmure Liberum has reassured investors about a serious slide in B&M’s share price, arguing that it’s based on a ‘one-time error’ and doesn’t suggest underlying trouble. B&M surprised markets this morning when it released a trading statement showing a significant accounting error and the related departure of its chief financial officer. The FTSE [...]
Hotel Chocolat tastes sweet success of quitting London October 20, 2025 How Hotel Chocolat has performed since being acquired by Mars for more than £500m in July 2023 has been revealed for the first time. The Hertfordshire-headquartered business quit the London Stock Exchange after being taken over in a £534m deal. The deal, which at the time represented a 169.8 per cent premium on its 139p [...]
Betfred founder: Tax rises are “biggest threat” to the industry October 19, 2025 Betfred shops could vanish from UK high streets if Chancellor Rachel Reeves carries out a potential tax raid in the November budget, the company’s co-founder and chairman has warned. Fred Done, who founded the business in 1967 with his brother, hailed tax rises as the “biggest threat” to the industry he has seen in his [...]
Square Mile bespoke tailor Tom James takes legal action against ex-employee October 16, 2025 Tailoring giant Tom James launched legal action in London against a former employee, seeking to enforce restrictive covenants and confidentiality obligations. Tom James Company, the UK entity of its US giant, located on Old Jewry, has launched legal action against a former sales professional, Max Potter. The company alleged in its claim, seen by City [...]
eBay: UK profit surges after selling fees removed October 15, 2025 Profit at the UK arm of eBay has surged despite its decision to waive selling fees impacting its revenue during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The division of the US giant has posted a pre-tax profit of £36.5m for 2024, up from the £2.7m it achieved in 2023. New accounts filed with [...]
‘Exceptional’ M&S chair Archie Norman cleared for three more years in role October 14, 2025 Marks and Spencer’s board has unanimously extended Archie Norman’s tenure as chair in light of his “exceptional” performance over the last nine years. While it is uncommon for chairs to stay longer than nine years, the board of M&S agreed that Norman’s “deep knowledge of the business, drive and unique experience” were invaluable to the [...]
Versace: UK sales slashed again as profit almost wiped out October 14, 2025 Sales at the UK arm of fashion house Versace have been slashed by a fifth for a second consecutive year as the downturn in luxury spending continues. The division has reported a turnover of £15.2m for the 12 months to 31 March, 2025, new accounts filed with Companies House have revealed. The latest total is [...]