Retail sales drop in pre-Budget disappointment November 21, 2025 Retail sales fell 1.1 per cent in October, following a 0.7 per cent rise last month, in a “disappointing” start to the all-important festive season ahead of the budget next week. Sales in clothing were particularly affected as shoppers took a more cautious approach, with spending “constrained by consumer nervousness amid mixed messaging from a [...]
Uplift in patrols: West End businesses fund major Christmas crime crackdown November 19, 2025 The largest single private-sector investment in enhanced security and policing in London’s West End was launched, involving over 600 businesses in the busy section of the capital. Operation West End, an initiative from the New West End Company, which represents over 600 West End businesses, including on Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, works [...]
Black Friday morphs into Black November November 18, 2025 ‘Black Friday’ has been around since the 1950s, when Philadelphia police to describe the chaotic day after Thanksgiving. Since picked up by retailers, it has now morphed into a crucial day of shop discounts in the retail calendar – and (for better or worse) become synonymous with online giant Amazon in the process. But this [...]
Debenhams Group and Peak Collaborate on Cutting-edge AI to Stay Ahead of Holiday Demand November 17, 2025 - Agentic AI solution will help to drive smarter, faster trading decisions
UK bonds sell off after income tax U-turn November 14, 2025 UK government bonds sold off sharply on Friday morning, as markets recoiled from the government’s decision to row back on plans to plug much of its multibillion-pound black hole with a manifesto-busting income tax hike. The yield on 10-year gilts – the common benchmark for the government’s long-term ability to borrow – climbed by some [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Vodafone shares lead blue-chip rally; Unemployment rises November 11, 2025 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. What are you looking forward to more – Black Friday or Budget day? They are two vital days that UK retailers are bracing for in this month’s calendar, both of which can provide a major boost to firms – or crushing disappointment. Retail sales today show another [...]
Retailers hit by subdued October as Budget threat looms November 11, 2025 UK retailers suffered a “subdued” October as Brits tightened their pockets ahead of what is expected to be a tax-heavy Autumn Budget. Retail sales increased 1.6 per cent year-on-year but remained below the 12-month average of 2.1 per cent, marking the weakest growth since May. The new data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and [...]
AI-assisted shopping starts to go mainstream November 5, 2025 The promised AI revolution in shopping is starting to materialise, with shoppers increasingly trusting agents for personal recommendations ahead of the festive season. Traffic to retail sites from AI tools is expected to surge fivefold year-over-year, with particular boosts on Cyber Monday and Black Friday, according to Adobe. “Traditional models of how consumers react with [...]
Defence secretary: there will be “consequences” from weak economic forecasts November 2, 2025 Defence Secretary John Healey has warned there will be “consequences” from recent weaker economic forecasts in the nearing Autumn Budget. The minister insisted no final decisions had been made for the upcoming Budget, which will be delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on 26 November. However, he acknowledged that the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) saw [...]
Keir Starmer may not survive this Budget October 30, 2025 The Prime Minister cannot satisfy all three key audiences: the markets, the party, and the public, says Helen Thomas Every Prime Minister faces a moment when economic reality collides with political promise. For Keir Starmer, Budget day could be that moment of reckoning. He promised calm after chaos: that the grown-ups were back in charge, [...]