‘King of Mayfair’ Richard Caring hits out at ‘lacklustre’ economy September 7, 2026 Richard Caring, dubbed the ‘King of Mayfair’, has blamed the UK’s “lacklustre” economy for falling sales at his luxury restaurant group. The hospitality tycoon’s Caprice Holdings reported a four per cent dip in revenue to £90.5m in the year to January, which it blamed on rising employment costs and US tariffs. Caring’s hospitality group includes [...]
Retailers urge Healey to unwind national insurance hike to boost jobs September 3, 2026 Retailers have called on Chancellor John Healey to unwind some of the national insurance reforms made by his predecessor in a bid to tackle the youth joblessness crisis. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer, has written to the Chancellor, urging him to unwind “soaring employment costs”. [...]
Bingo giant takes hit from rising employment costs September 1, 2026 The country’s biggest bingo hall operator has hit out at the “significant” hikes to employment costs which dragged down its earnings despite surging Gen-Z interest in the pastime. Buzz Bingo, formerly Gala, blamed recent increases in employer national insurance contributions (NICs) and the minimum wage for its six per cent dip in underlying earnings, to [...]
Graduate jobs market slumps to new low August 24, 2026 The UK’s ailing graduate jobs market has slumped to a record low as employment costs surge and firms turn to AI for entry-level roles. The number of graduate vacancies in Britain fell 45.6 per cent to 8,383 in the year to July, undercutting the previous low set in May, according to recruitment firm Adzuna. This [...]
Frasers slams ‘nonsense rumours’ over Harvey Nichols bid July 16, 2026 The boss of Frasers has hit back at “nonsense rumours” that retail brands are reluctant to work with the group, which is known for making aggressive plays to take control of rival companies. The group, which owns Sports Direct and Flannels, gatecrashed the auction to buy luxury department store Harvey Nichols last week, despite some [...]
Senior exec layoffs surge as firms brace for major employment law change July 8, 2026 Senior exec exits from top businesses have surged since the start of the year as firms quietly clear out highly-paid staff before fresh costs associated with the Employment Rights Act changes come into force. Law firms have seen a “massive uptick in inquiries” from top staff exploring their legal options after being told they face [...]
M&S chair: Tax and employment costs holding back Britain July 7, 2026 Rising taxes and employment costs are holding businesses back from investing in Britain and helping it “prosper,” an M&S boss has said. Archie Norman, chairman of the retail giant and former chief executive of Asda, told shareholders on Tuesday that these “big regulatory headwinds” are “not making it easier to invest and prosper in Britain”. [...]
Franco Manca and Real Greek owner slumps to £14m loss as boss quits June 24, 2026 The owner of Franco Manca and Real Greek slumped to a £14m loss shortly after it its boss quit in the wake of a swathe of restaurant closures. Private equity firm Fulham Shore was hit by a £14.2m loss before tax in the year to March 2025, Companies House filings have revealed, nearly triple its [...]
Would a £10bn VAT cut really save hospitality? June 20, 2026 Calls for the government to slash VAT on hospitality firms have been backed by pub and restaurant bosses, and Prime Minister hopeful Andy Burnham. What would this tax break really mean for the economy? The UK’s pubs, hotels and restaurants say they are at breaking point. Higher business rates, hikes to national insurance and minimum [...]
Matalan kicks off turnaround under new boss as retailer slashes jobs June 17, 2026 Matalan’s new boss has kicked off the fast fashion retailer’s wide-range turnaround which has revamped dozens of stores but caused the loss of more than 600 jobs. Henrik Nordvall, who took the reins as chief executive in November, said he is “encouraged by the progress already underway” as the clothes seller pushes to renew its [...]