Budget 2026: Sainsbury’s boss urges Labour to tackle Neets crisis Retail The boss of Sainsbury’s has urged the government to tackle the UK’s youth unemployment crisis, as he hit out at previous hikes to the cost of hiring workers. Simon Roberts, chief executive of the UK’s second-largest grocer, said John Healey must “focus on doing the right thing for young people” at next week’s Budget. In [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 losses ease as oil higher after Saudi drone attack FTSE 100 Live Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. London’s blue-chip index is sliding this morning after a shaky week for trading. Oil pressures have climbed higher after a drone attack on Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah oil field killed two people. The incident renewed tensions in the Middle East and heightened concerns over further disruptions to [...]
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons held talks over blockbuster merger Retail Sainsbury’s walked away from talks over a merger with smaller rival Morrisons earlier this year, shelving what would have been the biggest shake-up of the UK’s grocery market in decades. The UK’s second-largest supermarket chain held preliminary talks with its private-equity-owned rival over a merger of the two firms between November 2025 and February this [...]
Record temperatures boost Sainsbury’s sales but store infrastructure feels the heat June 30, 2026 Sainsbury’s recorded a rise in sales in the first financial quarter, as the May heatwave and a run of public holidays boosted sales but caused its fridges and freezers to break down. Total sales rose 3.1 per cent year on year to £3.1bn, bolstered by a five per cent hike in fresh food purchases, as [...]
Supermarket inflation: Falling oil prices help keep costs down at the till May 6, 2026 Thank goodness for the price of oil. No, not Brent crude – the stuff that has sent costs at the pump up sharply since the outbreak of war in Iran – but cooking oil. A 500ml bottle of rapeseed oil fell by an average of 14 per cent between April and May across three supermarkets [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks slump as oil rises; Reeves tax hikes trigger borrowing boost April 23, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. An extended ceasefire may have been announced in the Middle East, but its left markets with major appetite for further peace before investor sentiment recovers. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – was trading back over the $100 mark on Thursday morning. [...]
Sainsbury’s shares dip despite £800m shareholder payout plan January 9, 2026 Sainsbury’s share price has dipped by over 4 per cent on Friday morning following its Q3 results, which revealed grocery sales at the FTSE 100 giant grew by over 5 per cent during the festive period. The boss of the supermarket chain said it “won grocery market share for the sixth consecutive Christmas” after grocery [...]
Christmas grocery shopping hits fresh high while Brits make budget trimmings January 7, 2026 Brits splashed out on groceries in the run-up to Christmas but watched their budgets more than ever, as own-brand products and cut-price veg caught the eyes of shoppers. Festive grocery sales increased by 3.8 per cent on the previous year, as Brits spent a record £13.8bn on Christmas supermarket shops amid moderately easing retail inflation [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Next gets Christmas boost; JLR sales crash after cyber attack January 6, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. British defence stocks were taken for a ride on Monday after rising geopolitical tensions put heightened investor appetite. It was the City’s defence giants Babcock and BAE leading the FTSE 100 to start the week, alongside gold miners who were benefiting from the surging price [...]
Bank of England Live: Bailey refuses to confirm if Budget influenced rates decision November 6, 2025 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Andrew Bailey has refused to confirm whether the upcoming Budget and Rachel Reeves’ recent comments influenced his decision on interest rates. The Bank of England has held interest rates at four per cent in its final decision before the Autumn Budget. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted [...]