Mike Ashley tightens grip on Hugo Boss as son-in-law made chair September 16, 2026 Mike Ashley has tightened his grip on Hugo Boss after his son-in-law, the boss of Frasers Group, was made chairman of the German fashion house. Frasers, which Ashley founded as Sports Direct, has been vying for control of Hugo Boss for months, resulting in him toppling the chairman of its supervisory board, Stefan Sturm, earlier [...]
WH Smith warns on profit again as discounting hits margins September 16, 2026 WH Smith has cut its profit target again after warning that intense discounting and “inflation headwinds” are hitting its bottom line. The convenience retailer had initially told investors it could make as much as £105m in pre-tax profit this year, before slashing the target to between £75m and £90m. On Wednesday, the group reduced its [...]
Can cautious Wolfson keep stunning Next shareholders? September 16, 2026 Lord Simon Wolfson has become a shareholder darling over his 25 years in charge of Next. Felix Armstrong asks whether he can keep on surprising them. Few companies listed on the London Stock Exchange are more bound up with the personality of their chief executives than Next. Lord Simon Wolfson, the long-time boss of the [...]
Wickes gains as Brits go budget in kitchen refurbs September 15, 2026 Wickes is benefiting from a slowdown in consumer spending as Brits switch to the value home improvement retailer and away from premium rivals, its boss has said. The FTSE 250 group posted a 2.1 per cent jump in revenue to £865m in the six months to June, buoyed by rising sales of big ticket items [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers ousts Hugo Boss chairman September 14, 2026 Frasers Group, the retail empire run by Mike Ashley, has overthrown the chairman of Hugo Boss as it seeks control of the German fashion house. The UK fashion group, which owns Sports Direct, Jack Wills and Flannels, told investors on Monday that Stephan Sturm, chairman of Hugo Boss’ supervisory board, has agreed to step aside. [...]
How Fevertree is taking on tap water to woo Gen-Z September 13, 2026 The world’s biggest ginger beer producer is waging war on tap water. Fevertree, best known for its premium tonics, is urging customers to see its products as standalone soft drinks, rather than as mixers for the harder stuff. “Tap water is not a very appealing, aspirational alternative” to alcohol, says the drinks maker’s chief executive, [...]
Burnham eyes youth minimum wage rethink as jobs crisis bites September 13, 2026 Andy Burnham’s government is considering slowing planned minimum wage rises for young workers amid concerns that higher employment costs are making businesses more reluctant to hire them. Downing Street and the Treasury are examining whether the rapid increase in wages for under-21s has contributed to Britain’s youth jobs crisis, Bloomberg first reported, as ministers prepare [...]
Wetherspoon boss: ‘Not up to Burnham’ to choose who is on the high street September 11, 2026 Britain’s pubs have few more committed defenders than Sir Tim Martin. The Norwich-born businessman founded JD Wetherspoon in 1979 when he bought his first pub in Muswell Hill, initially named Martin’s Free House. Since rebranding the pub to Wetherspoon – named after a former teacher of Martin’s who could not control his class – it [...]
UK economy grew unexpectedly after Burnham took over as Prime Minister September 11, 2026 The UK economy had surprise growth in the month Andy Burnham became Prime Minister. Official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed GDP expanded 0.4 per cent in July, racing ahead of City economists’ forecast of zero growth. This was led by 0.4 per cent growth in the UK’s mammoth services sector, [...]
Panini sales tumble after sticker maker loses Premier League licence September 10, 2026 Collectable stickers maker Panini has seen its sales tumble in the UK following the loss of a major Premier League licence. The Italian company’s UK subsidiary recorded a more than 20 per cent drop in turnover to £43.3m in 2025, according to accounts seen by City AM. The 65-year-old firm, which has had a partnership [...]