Asda turnaround king Allan Leighton hopes for summer boost August 27, 2026 Allan Leighton, the turnaround expert charged with leading Asda’s resurgence, has been known for his showmanship. During his first stint at Asda in the 90s, he kicked off an annual managers’ conference by revving into the auditorium on a Harley-Davidson motorbike. It was this reputation for bold, eye-catching leadership which prompted struggling discount retailer Asda [...]
The Danish retailer plotting to outsmart ‘unsentimental’ Modella Capital August 25, 2026 On the modern-day British high street, a Scandinavian shop featuring maze-like aisles, quirky homeware and bags of licorice near the till is not quite a reinvention of the wheel. But Mikkel Grene, chief executive of Danish homeware retailer Søstrene Grene, believes his business can go toe-to-toe with Ikea and Flying Tiger for pride of place [...]
Lego builds record sales on World Cup and F1 fever August 25, 2026 Lego has posted record first-half sales as its World Cup and Formula 1 ranges helped extend a red-hot run for the toymaking giant. The Danish firm saw revenue grow by 21 per cent to 41.9bn Danish kroner (£4.8bn) in the six months to June, while pre-tax profit jumped by a third to 11.3bn Danish kroner [...]
Burnham accused of ‘piecemeal’ business rates reform August 24, 2026 Andy Burnham has been accused of taking a “piecemeal” approach to business rates instead of committing to Labour’s manifesto pledge to replace the tax system. The government has launched a review into how business rates bills are calculated for pubs and hotels, but industry bodies have urged the Prime Minister to commit to wholesale reform [...]
Morrisons pledges to slash prices as price war intensifies August 24, 2026 Morrisons has pledged to match prices with its rivals on hundreds of products, as the debt-ridden grocer ramps up an emerging price war between UK supermarkets. The private-equity-owned supermarket has vowed that 500 of its “everyday essentials” will not be found cheaper at any of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi or Lidl. Britain’s supermarkets are fighting [...]
Poundland loss doubles as discount retailer nears sale August 24, 2026 Poundland nearly doubled its loss amid a drastic downturn which pushed the discount retailer to post a “challenging set of numbers” last year. The retailer slumped to an £85.2m pre-tax loss in the year to September, nearly doubling the previous year’s £45.4m, its latest filings have revealed. This loss came in the run-up to Poundland’s [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers offers to pay personal shoppers in Harvey Nichols takeover August 20, 2026 Frasers Group has offered to secure the pay of personal shoppers and stylists at Harvey Nichols after Mike Ashley’s retail empire bought the luxury department store. The Sports Direct and Flannels owner will make “goodwill payments” to a number of personal shoppers and stylists who were left owing money when Harvey Nichols collapsed. Frasers snapped [...]
Supermarkets ‘actively shielding’ shoppers as food inflation falls again August 19, 2026 Food inflation fell again in July to its lowest level in nearly five years, as retailers claim they are “actively shielding” consumers from worse price rises. The rate of food price inflation slipped to 1.3 per cent last month, down from 1.7 per cent in June, to reach the lowest point since September 2021. Industry [...]
Fishing retailer catches sales boost to defy summer drought August 19, 2026 The UK’s largest fishing shop has posted a surge in sales to defy fears that the record drought is impacting the country’s rivers and fisheries. Angling Direct, the UK’s leading seller of fishing equipment, said it has grown its market share and is on track to meet its profit targets despite the drought, which has [...]
Poundland owner eyes sale one year after takeover August 18, 2026 The owner of Poundland is weighing up a sale of the discount retailer only one year after snapping it up for just £1. Gordon Brothers, a Boston-based investment firm, is in talks with advisers over launching a potential auction for the retailer – which is in the midst of a drastic restructuring. The sale would [...]