Aldi boss wades into supermarket ‘price-gouging’ row August 16, 2026 The boss of Aldi has waded into the bitter row over whether supermarkets are profiteering off of struggling customers as he backed a government crackdown on “rip-off” discounts. Giles Hurley, the chief executive of the discount grocer, said the government is “right” to take on misleading discounts and promotions “in their work to tackle cost [...]
The Works activist investor hits back at retailer’s ‘absurd’ claims August 13, 2026 The activist investor seeking to gain a seat on the board at The Works has hit back at the discount retailer’s “absurd” claims the move would undermine its growth plans. Kelso, an activist investor, has criticised the AIM-listed retailer for urging shareholders to block its attempt to install retired private equity partner Graeme Coulthard as [...]
The Works braces for boardroom battle as activist investor pushes for more control August 13, 2026 Discount retailer The Works has been engulfed in a boardroom drama as a notorious activist investor pushes to install a retired private equity partner as a director. The retailer, which sells toys and arts and crafts, warned on Thursday that the attempted coup could “create unnecessary distraction [and] risk derailing” the board’s growth strategy. Kelso, [...]
Social media ban driving ‘screen-free’ sales, The Works boss says July 23, 2026 The boss of discount retailer The Works has said the government’s crackdown on social media usage has driven customers towards the “screen-free activities” offered in his stores. Gavin Peck, chief executive of the Aim-listed retailer, believes Labour’s incoming social media ban has pushed up demand among parents for analogue activities for their children and was [...]
B&M shares tumble as CFO quits after huge accounting blunder October 20, 2025 Shares in B&M have tumbled as the firm’s finance officer has quit following an accounting blunder that led to the company overstating its profits. The FTSE 250 retailer said it had failed to recognise as much as £7m in overseas freight costs, which disappeared from its forecasts “following an operating system update.” As a result, [...]
B&M swaps one tax haven for another June 19, 2025 B&M has revealed plans to swap Luxembourg, the European tax haven the discount retailer has been domiciled in for over a decade, with Jersey. The London-listed company, which has its operational headquarters in Liverpool, said the move would simplify its corporate and administrative structure and provide “greater flexibility for returning capital to shareholders going forward”. [...]
Poundland sold for just £1 and handed war chest to lead recovery June 12, 2025 Poundland has been sold for just £1 to investment giant Gordon Brothers in a deal which will provide the discount retailer with a £80m war chest to turn around its fortunes. Pepco Group has entered into a definitive agreement with Gordon Brothers to sell Poundland which will continue to be led by chief executive Barry [...]
B&M: FTSE 250 shares plunge as profit and job cuts revealed June 4, 2025 Shares in B&M have plunged by more than ten per cent after the retailer revealed a lower profit, rising debt and job cuts. The Liverpool-headquartered company, which is a member of the FTSE 250 index, reported a pre-tax profit of £431m for the 12 months to 29 March, 2025, down from the £498m it achieved [...]
B&M appoints ex-Tesco executive as new CEO May 15, 2025 Household goods retailer B&M has appointed ex-Tesco executive Tjeerd Jegen as its new CEO. Jegen will succeed Alex Russo, who joined the company in 2020 and was promoted to the top job in 2022. Group CFO Mike Schmidt will continue to lead the business until 16 June. Liverpool-headquartered B&M announced Russo’s departure in February this [...]
Poundland owner Pepco vows to turn around discount retailer as sales fall January 16, 2025 The owner of Poundland has vowed to get the discount retailer back on track after its performance dragged on the wider Pepco Group. In the first quarter of its financial year, the final three months of 2024, Poundland’s sales totalled €563m (£474.5m), down 9.3 per cent year on year on a constant currency basis. That [...]