BRC chief: Red tape ‘weighs heavily’ on retailers April 23, 2026 Helen Dickinson, the boss of leading trade body the British Retail Consortium, believes red tape “weighs heavily” on retailers. She speaks to Felix Armstrong about food inflation, workers’ rights and her meeting with the Chancellor. Helen Dickinson was six weeks into her job as chief executive of the BRC when the horsemeat scandal landed on [...]
Government urged to halt food inflation ‘before it’s too late’ April 21, 2026 The food industry’s leading trade body has urged the government to act on food inflation before it’s “too late” to protect consumers and businesses. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) expects food inflation to soar from three to between nine and 10 per cent this year, and has accused the government of lacking “urgency” to [...]
Sainsbury’s to deliver food inflation update as Argos future could be settled April 21, 2026 After Tesco hit back against fears of double-digit food inflation last week, supermarket rival Sainsbury’s is set to update the market this week. From the Iran war to the future of Argos, Felix Armstrong looks ahead to a landmark set of results due on Thursday. Sainsbury’s spooked shoppers last week when it threatened people caught swapping [...]
M&S Sparks rewards overhauled as retailer offers cash perks April 16, 2026 Marks & Spencer has overhauled its Sparks card reward scheme using AI after shoppers demanded cash perks instead of the existing points-based system. The upmarket food and clothing giant said it is responding to consumer criticism of its loyalty scheme by offering “personalisation and pounds, not points and tricksy pricing”. The Sparks Card had faced [...]
Tesco boss downplays double-digit food inflation warning over Iran war April 16, 2026 The boss of Tesco said he doesn’t “recognise” warnings that food inflation could soar to double digits this year due to supply chain chaos caused by the Iran war. Ken Murphy, chief executive of the supermarket giant, said he currently has no concerns over significant price inflation and “doesn’t know” whether this is coming down [...]
Tesco shares jump as profit surges despite Iran ‘uncertainty’ April 16, 2026 Tesco shares jumped in early deals this morning after the retailer reported a better-than-expected profit for the year to the end of February. The supermarket giant made an operating profit of over £3.1bn in the year to February 2026 compared to its own forecasts of between £2.9 and £3.1bn. The supermarket expects to make an [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Entain leads modest stock jump; Surprise growth ‘pushed to rear view’ April 16, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are betting the latest round of peace talks will bring some resolution to the conflict in the Middle East. US markets managed to clinch a record high close on the latest news of peace talks but in London the FTSE 100 splintered and finished [...]
Tesco nears crucial update as Iran war threatens food inflation April 15, 2026 As the bosses of the country’s biggest supermarkets crowded into the chancellor’s office earlier this month, no voice will have been as loud as that of Ken Murphy, chief executive of Tesco. Rachel Reeves summoned grocery executives to discuss how the Iran war will impact Brits’ weekly shops, and Tesco’s results tomorrow will pull back [...]
John Lewis boss takes 20 per cent pay rise as retailer cuts jobs April 9, 2026 The new chairman of John Lewis took a pay rise and bonus despite the retailer cutting thousands of jobs. Jason Tarry saw his basic pay rate increase by 21 per cent and took a two per cent bonus, despite his firm slashing more than 3,000 jobs last year. Tarry took the reins of the John [...]
Supermarket bosses meet Rachel Reeves amid dire food inflation warning April 1, 2026 The bosses of some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets met Chancellor Rachel Reeves in emergency cost of living talks on Wednesday, amid warnings that food inflation could rise to double digits this year. Leading supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons attended Downing Street after efforts to gather industry bosses last week were abandoned amid concerns [...]