Halfords shares hit speedbump despite accelerating sales October 21, 2026 Halfords’ share price recovery is facing a bump in the road after warnings of a lower profit in the second half overshadowed a boost in sales. Shares in the motoring retailer fell as much as eight per cent to 256p on Wednesday morning, putting the brakes on the stock’s gradual recovery in recent months. Halfords [...]
Amazon pledges 30,000 jobs for Neets ahead of Budget October 21, 2026 Amazon has pledged to create 30,000 entry-level roles for young people by the end of the decade, in the latest sign of firms rowing in behind the government’s effort to tackle the youth unemployment crisis. The tech and retail giant has announced its “Youth Promise” programme amid growing concerns about youth joblessness and the number [...]
Iceland eyes Poundland stores as buyers circle budget retailer October 20, 2026 Iceland is interested in buying a limited number of Poundland stores in the event the troubled retailer’s owners cannot find a single buyer, City AM can reveal. The discount supermarket will be on the lookout for a small number of shops if Poundland’s 600-store estate ends up being split apart, sources said. Iceland, which specialises [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers loosens grip on Burberry October 20, 2026 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has loosened its grip on Burberry, despite ramping up its pursuit of high-fashion names. The retail giant, which owns Sports Direct and Flannels, had built up a position in Burberry over recent weeks but has now faltered in its pursuit of the group. Frasers Group had increased its position in Burberry [...]
B&M joins battle to ‘cherry pick’ Poundland stores in sale October 19, 2026 Discount retailer B&M has joined the tussle to pick off select Poundland stores as its Boston-based owner Gordon Brothers eyes a rushed sale of the company. London-listed B&M European Value Retail is interested in acquiring a small number of Poundland stores, should the retailer be broken up if a buyer for the whole company is [...]
Retailers back on alert after new wave of cyber attacks October 15, 2026 When Asos customers were sent a cryptically-worded push notification on Tuesday last week, some shoppers thought they were being hawked the fast fashion retailer’s new Christmas collection. One thought the alert was “some crappy marketing scheme to get me to check the app and to view their snowflake collection,” they wrote on X. The notification [...]
Poundland hits out at ‘speculation’ after union criticises owner October 14, 2026 Poundland has hit out at the “speculation” engulfing the company’s sale after a retail workers’ union dubbed its US owner an “absolute disgrace”. Usdaw, the union representing shop workers, said earlier this week that it has “deep concerns” about US investment firm Gordon Brothers’s sale of the business. Bally Auluk, Usdaw’s national officer, claimed Poundland’s [...]
Healey plans £1bn e-commerce crackdown to fund retail tax breaks October 14, 2026 John Healey is preparing to announce a £1bn tax crackdown on online marketplaces like Amazon and Temu to fund tax cuts for high street shops. At the Budget later this month, the Chancellor is expected to make e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Ebay and Temu responsible for collecting tax owed by the sellers using their site, [...]
We’ll cut Neet support if Healey hikes taxes, warns boss of B&Q owner Kingfisher October 14, 2026 The boss of B&Q-owner Kingfisher has warned John Healey that the FTSE 100 firm may have to cut its support for unemployed young people if the Chancellor hikes taxes. Thierry Garnier, the retail group’s chief executive, wrote in City AM that the Chancellor must exempt shops from the highest bracket of business rates at the [...]
Lidl snaps up market share as rival Aldi stalls October 13, 2026 Lidl is the fastest-growing grocer in the UK, new figures suggest, as the discount supermarket grabs more market share while its rivals stall. The German discounter held 8.6 per cent of the UK’s grocer market in the 12 weeks to October, according to Worldpanel by Numerator, up from 8.2 per cent a year ago. This [...]