Burnham’s crackdown on ‘price-gouging’ splits supermarkets Retail Tesco and Sainsbury’s have stood firm after the boss of Aldi hit out at loyalty discounts, as a “price-gouging” row threatens to divide British supermarkets. Giles Hurley, the chief executive of the discount grocer, has backed the government’s plans to clamp down on retailers which offer “misleading” discounts which do not offer real-terms value. Aldi [...]
Activist investor accuses The Works chair of working from home Retail The activist investor locked in a boardroom battle with The Works has accused its chair of switching his residence to New Zealand and dialling in to crucial meetings. Kelso, a London-listed investment fund, is pushing to appoint a director of its choosing to the discount retailer’s board, but The Works has slapped down the move, saying it [...]
Back bookshops in bid to rebuild high streets, Burnham urged Retail Leading authors have called on Andy Burnham to roll out emergency support to the UK’s small bookshops as part of his pledge to save Britain’s high streets. The bestselling writers, along with 200 booksellers, have written to the Prime Minister, urging him to set out a business rates relief package for bookshops as they contend [...]
Aldi boss wades into supermarket ‘price-gouging’ row August 16, 2026 The boss of Aldi has waded into the bitter row over whether supermarkets are profiteering off of struggling customers as he backed a government crackdown on “rip-off” discounts. Giles Hurley, the chief executive of the discount grocer, said the government is “right” to take on misleading discounts and promotions “in their work to tackle cost [...]
The Works activist investor hits back at retailer’s ‘absurd’ claims August 13, 2026 The activist investor seeking to gain a seat on the board at The Works has hit back at the discount retailer’s “absurd” claims the move would undermine its growth plans. Kelso, an activist investor, has criticised the AIM-listed retailer for urging shareholders to block its attempt to install retired private equity partner Graeme Coulthard as [...]
The Works braces for boardroom battle as activist investor pushes for more control August 13, 2026 Discount retailer The Works has been engulfed in a boardroom drama as a notorious activist investor pushes to install a retired private equity partner as a director. The retailer, which sells toys and arts and crafts, warned on Thursday that the attempted coup could “create unnecessary distraction [and] risk derailing” the board’s growth strategy. Kelso, [...]
Brits think supermarkets are profiteering – despite slowing food inflation August 12, 2026 The majority of Brits think that supermarkets are profiteering from rising food prices caused by the Iran war despite the Chancellor John Healey recently admitting there was little evidence of the practice, new polling has revealed. Some 70 per cent of UK voters believe that supermarkets are making “excessive” profits from food inflation, according to [...]
John Lewis’ new boss faces a battle to boost online sales August 12, 2026 Another cloud appeared in an already gloomy sky for John Lewis on Monday, when its managing director, Peter Ruis, announced his surprise departure. Just days before, an internal interview with the group’s chair, Jason Tarry, was leaked to the press, in which he warned of a “really tough” period for the firm. Ruis’s decision to [...]
John Lewis boss quits after warnings of ‘really tough’ trading August 10, 2026 The boss of John Lewis’ department stores has quit after less than three years in charge, days after the group’s chair warned of “really tough” trading at the retail giant. Peter Ruis has said he will step down as managing director of John Lewis at the start of September, less than three years after he [...]
Harvey Nichols will collapse without rescue deal, directors warn August 10, 2026 Harvey Nichols will collapse into administration if a rescue buyer is not found, directors of the luxury department store chain have warned. The retail empire will “cease trading” if it fails to agree a sale and no additional funding is found, the group’s directors cautioned in its latest accounts. Harvey Nichols could find a buyer [...]