Salons could ‘pull down shutters for good’ as business rates bite February 2, 2026 The British Beauty Council has urged the government to extend support on business rates to hair and beauty salons, or watch firms up and down the country “pull down their shutters for good”. Victoria Brownlie, chief policy and sustainability officer at the British Beauty Council, warned that the profitability of beauty salons has been “hollowed [...]
Debenhams to retain Pretty Little Thing as fast fashion brands recovers January 28, 2026 Online fashion seller Debenhams is set to retain Pretty Little Thing after considering selling the fast-fashion brand after seeing improvements in profitability. The retailer, which rebranded from Boohoo Group in March 2025, has unveiled its decision to keep the low-cost retailer after first mulling the sale in August as it looked to restructure its business [...]
Next seals deal to acquire Russell & Bromley January 21, 2026 High street giant Next has stepped in to buy shoe seller Russell & Bromley in the latest in a string of acquisitions by the FTSE 100 retail giant. The sale will see Next acquire the Russell & Bromley brand, and three of its stores in Chelsea, Mayfair and the Bluewater Shopping Centre, in exchange for [...]
Currys shares soar after retailer defies high street gloom January 21, 2026 Shares in tech retailer Currys soared this morning after the firm released an upbeat Christmas trading update, defying wider gloom on the high street. The London-listed firm recorded a three per cent uptick in UK and Ireland revenue as it clawed a bigger market share from strong sales in mobile, as well as growth in [...]
Why does no one want to buy Costa Coffee? January 15, 2026 The coffee’s gone cold and the milk has soured for the once dominant high street staple Costa, as owner Coca-Cola struggles to find a buyer to take the chain off its hands. The US beverage giant suspended talks with remaining bidders earlier this week, blaming the decision on low offers, bringing the months-long auction process [...]
Revenue at pawnbroker Ramsdens rockets as Brits cash in on soaring gold prices January 14, 2026 Revenue at pawnbroker Ramsdens has risen to a fresh high as Brits take advantage of soaring gold prices. The London-listed business, which has over 160 stores across the UK, posted a 22 per cent jump in turnover to £117m in the year to end September amid a more than 50 per cent in profit from [...]
Ministers to offer business rates relief to pubs after backlash January 8, 2026 Panicked ministers are poised to water down the business rates bombshell faced by pubs, after an aggressive backlash from the industry saw over a thousand landlords ban Labour MPs from their premises. The government is expected to announce an overhaul to the way it calculates business rates for pubs within days, which it says will [...]
British shoppers turn to AI as London high street sales falter January 7, 2026 As our beloved high streets grapple with rising business costs, decaying consumer confidence and yet another bout of tax uncertainty, AI agents are reshaping how consumers shop. A report published by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) warns that that so-called ‘agentic AI’, a quasi-autonomous form of artificial intelligence, could shift from novelty to norm within [...]
Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop collapse into administration, risking thousands of jobs January 6, 2026 High street chains Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) are being put into administration, after their owner said “last-ditch” measures had fallen through, putting about 2,500 UK staff at risk of redundancy. The two retailers had already undergone restructuring and were bought by investment firm Modella Capital last year. Modella said it had made [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Next gets Christmas boost; JLR sales crash after cyber attack January 6, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. British defence stocks were taken for a ride on Monday after rising geopolitical tensions put heightened investor appetite. It was the City’s defence giants Babcock and BAE leading the FTSE 100 to start the week, alongside gold miners who were benefiting from the surging price [...]