Next boss slams Labour’s zero-hour contracts crackdown May 26, 2026 The boss of Next has slammed the government’s crackdown on zero-hour contracts and called on Labour to unwind its “employment taxes”. Lord Simon Wolfson, chief executive of the FTSE 100 retailer, said the government’s plans to force employers to offer guaranteed hours to those on flexible contracts will make it “much harder” for Next to [...]
As it happened: Petrol prices surge to Iran war record as Kingfisher helps lift stocks higher May 26, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The City is returning from the Bank Holiday break to find the tensions in the Middle East continuing in a stalemate – or perhaps a further escalation than last week. After days of threats President Donald Trump has issued a strike on Iran, which he [...]
Brewdog founder James Watt launches ‘equity punk’ comeback May 23, 2026 Brewdog founder James Watt has launched a comeback after the craft beer firm he co-founded collapsed earlier this year. Watt said on Friday he will launch Second Best, a new crowdfunded beer venture, in a bid to win back the “equity punks” who were left empty handed in Brewdog’s sale. The divisive entrepreneur said he [...]
Businesses brace for more layoffs as redundancy warnings climb to post-Pandemic high May 22, 2026 Last year emerged as the most severe year for redundancy warnings since the height of the Covid pandemic, and early 2026 is already accelerating that trend. According to new data from the Liquidation Centre, sourced via an FOI, 2025 was the most severe year for redundancy warnings since 2020, with 315,605 jobs flagged for potential [...]
As it happened: Stocks jump on peace hopes; Reeves hit by falling retail sales and surge in borrowing May 22, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices remain volatile and heightened as peace talks in the Middle East continue to run into stumbling blocks. Brent crude futures were up to $104 this morning following reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader was ordering for the nation’s enriched uranium reserves to remain in [...]
Costco UK profit soars as Brits buy in bulk amid cost of living pressures May 20, 2026 Profit at Costco’s UK subsidiary has soared as Brits flocked to the wholesaler to buy in bulk in a bid to swerve cost of living pressures. The grocery chain, which has 29 stores across the UK, including six in London, generated pre-tax profit of £218.6m in the year to the end of August 2025, a [...]
M&S profit slumps in fallout from cyber attack May 20, 2026 Marks & Spencer saw its profit slump by a quarter as the retailer took more than a £100m hit from its “traumatic” cyber attack last year. The FTSE 100 supermarket and clothing business saw pre-tax profit fall by 29 per cent to £365m in the year to March, despite sales growing by 25 per cent [...]
John Lewis, Debenhams censored over Black Friday ads May 20, 2026 John Lewis, Debenhams and Boots have been censored over “misleading” Black Friday ads after being accused of overstating the discounts on offer to shoppers. The three retail giants have had their adverts banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which monitors ads using an AI-powered tool. The watchdog has been cracking down on retailers’ pricing claims [...]
‘Lost for words’ – Treasury sparks uproar with push to cap supermarket food prices May 19, 2026 The Treasury is putting pressure on supermarkets to cap prices on staple groceries as a quid pro quo for axing taxes and red tape amid fears the Iran war is set to unleash a painful bout of food inflation. According to leaked negotiations between major retailers and the government, the Chancellor’s officials have been pushing [...]
Dr Martens shares rocket after kicking down costs May 19, 2026 Dr Martens shares rocketed in early morning trading on Tuesday, after sharp cost-cutting across the business delivered significant profit growth. Shares in the shoemaker soared 8.5 per cent in early trading to 69.8p, with shares up 22.1 per cent over the last year, following its latest annual results. But the share price remains down 7.4 [...]