Collagen business founder loses £3.6m tax battle September 23, 2026 The founder of a collagen company has lost a battle over a £3.6m tax bill after a judge ruled his product could not be classified as food and therefore cannot claim VAT exemption. Tony Sanguinetti founded Minerva Research Labs in London in 2009 after he “became slightly obsessed with finding a way to reverse the [...]
Every Lidl helps: German grocer’s owner poised to snap up Tesco stores September 23, 2026 The owners of Lidl are among the front runners to snap up dozens of Tesco stores as the British supermarket chain seeks to offload some of its biggest subsidiaries. Schwarz Group is expected to submit an offer for Tesco’s Czech and Slovakian businesses, according to the Financial Times, after the FTSE 100 firm said it [...]
Co-op blames job cuts on Labour national insurance raid September 23, 2026 Co-op group has slashed its headcount this year to handle the added costs of Labour’s national insurance raid, its chief executive has revealed, saying the tax hikes had pushed the retailer to invest in more automation. The group, which runs life insurance and funeral businesses as well as its grocery arm, said on Wednesday that [...]
Co-op looks to funeral arm in hunt for turnaround from cyber-attack September 23, 2026 Co-op posted a jump in turnover at its funeral arm, as the member-owned group said it is setting out the foundations to recover from a costly cyber-attack last year. Kate Allum, interim chief executive of the food-to-insurance firm, said the group is facing a “year of two halves” and will see its turnaround plan deliver [...]
JD Sports bemoans ‘tough trading’ as US sales slip September 23, 2026 JD Sports has seen revenue and profit slip so far this year, as weak consumer confidence in its key US market drives a “tough trading environment”. Régis Schultz, chief executive of the so-called ‘King of Trainers’, said on Wednesday that he is “encouraged” by the progress towards his growth plan while admitting that cost-of-living pressures [...]
Debenhams owner facing scrutiny from data protection watchdog September 23, 2026 Few quirks of modern life are so hated as the inability to cancel a subscription. For retail giant Debenhams, that ire could land it in hot water with the UK’s data protection watchdog. The retailer is facing scrutiny from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after the watchdog received multiple complaints from consumers who could not [...]
Claire’s Accessories administrators hand creditors nearly £10m bill September 22, 2026 The administrators of collapsed jewellery retailer Claire’s Accessories have billed nearly £10m for their work, with bosses charging more than £1,500 per hour. The retail chain collapsed for the second time in January, just months after private equity firm Modella Capital bought it out of administration last September. The double collapse of Claire’s looks set [...]
Kingfisher shares rocket after B&Q owner lifts profit target September 22, 2026 Home improvement group Kingfisher saw its shares rocket after the group lifted its profit target, despite summer heatwaves pushing down sales at B&Q. The FTSE 100 retailer, which also owns Screwfix, said it now expects to make a pre-tax profit of between £595m and £635m, having previously guided between £565m and £625m. Last year, the [...]
Business rates cut will ‘backfire’ for Soho and West End September 22, 2026 John Healey’s plans to deliver an emergency tax cut for high street businesses would fail to boost most firms in London’s busiest areas like Soho and the West End, analysis suggests. The Chancellor is reportedly planning to cut taxes for pubs, shops, cafes and restaurants by hiking the threshold for small business rates relief (SBBR). [...]
Fast fashion copyright battle continues as Shein granted appeal against Temu September 21, 2026 Fast fashion retailer Shein has been granted permission to appeal against rival Temu in a first-of-its-kind copyright battle in the UK. A judge confirmed in a hearing on Monday that Shein can challenge a judgement handed down last month in the Court of Appeal. The judge said there were “compelling reasons” for the court to [...]