FTSE 100 giant ABF shares slide as it braces for £60m sugar crash after Iran war Retail FTSE 100 giant Associated British Foods has issued a major warning on the state of its sugar businesses over “the duration and severity of the Middle East conflict”. The multinational conglomerate – which spans across the food and retail industry – said it expects its sugar operation to deliver a loss of as much as [...]
‘Dispiriting’: Ministers speed up crackdown on Shein and Temu – by just six months Retail Retailers have criticised the government for failing to move fast enough on closing a tax loophole that they say favours fast-fashion importers like Shein and Temu. High street businesses had been urging the government to bring forward its planned end to the “de minimis” regime, which exempts imports worth less than £135 from paying tax. [...]
UK risks becoming ‘dumping ground’ for Temu and Shein, retailers warn Retail The UK risks becoming a “dumping ground” for online fast-fashion giants like Shein and Temu once a European crackdown on those firms comes into effect, leading retailers have warned. High street firms including Primark and Accessorize told City AM they risk facing tougher rivalry from foreign fast-fashion sellers if the UK does not clamp down [...]
Associated British Foods toasts approval for £75m Hovis takeover June 16, 2026 FTSE 100 giant Associated British Foods has been given the green light for a £75m takeover of Hovis, creating the UK’s biggest bread brand. Associated British Foods (ABF) has been cleared to snap up Hovis after the competition watchdog accepted that the foods giant would likely exit the bakery sector in Great Britain and Northern [...]
More than 80 retail bosses urge Starmer to tackle youth unemployment crisis June 10, 2026 More than 80 retail bosses have called on the Prime Minister to set out urgent measures to tackle youth unemployment, warning that the “ladder of opportunity for young people is wobbling”. The chiefs of leading retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and John Lewis have called on Sir Keir Starmer to safeguard the position of retail as [...]
Retailers ramp up pressure on Reeves to scrap tax break for e-commerce rivals May 27, 2026 Retailers have urged Rachel Reeves to “revitalise the high street” by speeding up plans to close a tax break which they say unfairly favours Chinese e-commerce rivals. High street giants like Next, M&S and Primark have urged the Chancellor to impose a £2.60 flat fee on small parcels to rebalance a system which they say [...]
Shopping list: London Stock Exchange could welcome £20bn in retail floats within months April 22, 2026 The London Stock Exchange is gearing up to welcome as much as £20bn in retailer listings amid hopes that the British high street could be key to reviving the capital’s ailing public markets. Three of the UK’s biggest retail brands – Primark, Boots and Waterstones – each appear to be in the advanced stages of [...]
Can Primark go it alone after ABF split? April 22, 2026 FTSE 100 giant Associated British Foods ended months of rumour when it announced its demerger from Primark. Felix Armstrong explores how the budget clothes retailer will fare on its own. Walk into Oxford Street’s Primark, battle through the tightly packed rows of cut-price clothing, and your eyes will seize on the bright blue lights of [...]
Associated British Foods shares slide as £10bn Primark spin-off confirmed April 21, 2026 FTSE 100 titan Associated British Foods has confirmed plans to spin off clothes retailer Primark, signalling a dramatic change in direction for the food and retail firm. Shares in the firm slid more than six per cent on Tuesday’s open, leaving the stock down 16 per cent in the year so far. The market had [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks flat as Trump’s deadline looms; Job vacancies shrink; Primark gets spin-off April 21, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. New unemployment figures this morning have showed an unexpected twist where the joblessness rate slipped under the five per cent mark. But this was accompanied by a blow to the market with the number of vacancies fell by an estimate of 29,000 in the three [...]