Oxford Street rebounds to pre-pandemic occupancy as firms bet on shops May 27, 2025 Shop vacancies on Oxford Street have fallen below one per cent for the first time since the pandemic as brands compete for best-in-class retail space. Overall shop vacancies on Oxford Street fell to 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of the year, the first time the figure has fallen below one per cent since [...]
Labour tax hikes drive steepest fall in retail sentiment since Covid May 27, 2025 British retailers’ confidence has made the steepest dive in five years, after facing pressures from Rachel Reeves’ £26bn employer tax raid and uncertainty sparked by Donald Trump’s trade war. The drop is the most severe since the Covid-19 pandemic paralysed the UK high street, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Grim sentiment in [...]
Monsoon and Accessorize owner enters the red as sales slip May 27, 2025 The owner of Monsoon and Accessorize slumped into the red as its sales were slashed during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. Adena Brands, which is owned by Peter Simon, has reported a pre-tax loss of £7.5m for the 12 months to 31 August, 2024. The loss comes after the group posted a [...]
Retail and graduate job vacancies continue to plummet May 27, 2025 Retail and graduate vacancies fell further in April despite overall improvement in the number of available UK jobs. UK vacancies dipped 0.95 per cent in April to 862,876, but annual growth remained positive at 1.02 per cent, according to Adzuna’s latest jobs report. Average advertised salaries hit a new record of £42,278 – up 0.75 [...]
Cyber attacks: Co-op and Harrods ‘lacked insurance coverage’ May 23, 2025 Luxury retailer Harrods and the Co-op did not have cyber insurance policies in place when the retailers were hit by hackers last month
Yorkshire Tea: Profit more than doubles as sales pass landmark May 23, 2025 Sales at the owner of Yorkshire Tea have passed the £300m mark for the first time in its history as its profit more than doubled during its latest financial year. The Betty’s & Taylors Group, which can trace its roots back to 1886, has reported a turnover of £319.2m for the 12 months to 31 [...]
UK retail sales boost as Brits enjoy warm weather May 23, 2025 Sales rose for UK retailers last month as warmer weather helped drive stronger demand for food and drink, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said overall retail sales volumes rose by 1.2 per cent in April. This compared with a 0.1 per cent rise in March, which was revised down from [...]
Seabrook: Crisps brand issues warning over Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes May 22, 2025 The company behind crisps brand Seabrook has warned Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget tax hikes will have an impact on its bottom line this year. The Cheshire-based UK arm of Japanese giant Calbee pointed to the increase in the National Living Wage and employers’ National Insurance contributions, which came into affect in April, as key [...]
Pepco to sell off Poundland business by September – for £1 May 22, 2025 Discount giant Pepco is set to sell its Poundland business by September as the brand struggles with high costs and low sales. In an update to markets this morning, Pepco said Poundland continued to see “challenging trading conditions” with revenue down 6.5 per cent in the first half of the year. The discount chain now [...]
Hisense: Sales surge by over £70m but brand issues warning May 22, 2025 Sales at the UK arm of Hisense, the Chinese appliances and electronics manufacturer, jumped by more than £70m last year, it has been revealed. The Leeds-headquartered division has reported a turnover of £373.8m for 2024, a sharp rise from the £300.4m it posted for 2023. New accounts filed with Companies House also show that Hisense’s pre-tax [...]