Warehouse tax ‘dropped over fears of Trump trade war’ Hospitality Andy Burnham’s plans for a so-called ‘warehouse tax’ were dropped over fears a raid on US firms like Amazon could spark a trade war with Donald Trump, a top industry body has claimed. The Prime Minister, during his campaign to become Makerfield MP, pledged to hike business rates on “out of town” warehouses to fund [...]
Warehouse tax could threaten high street businesses, Burnham warned Retail Andy Burnham‘s plans to hike taxes on warehouses to pay for business rates cuts for pubs and shops could backfire and raise costs for high street businesses, industry figures have warned. The UK Warehousing Association (UKWA), a trade body representing retailers including Amazon, Co-op and John Lewis, has written to the new Prime Minister urging [...]
Burnham’s high street tax plan carries £880m price tag Retail Andy Burnham’s plans to overhaul business rates in favour of Britain’s high streets could cost around £880m a year, according to new analysis, as questions mount over how the Labour leadership frontrunner would pay for one of his first major tax reforms. Forecasts by global tax firm Ryan suggest Burnham’s proposal to expand Small Business [...]
Padel craze drives demand for industrial property June 10, 2026 Padel operators have leased out more than one million square feet of industrial space in the last 18 months, as the UK’s newest sports craze takes over the country’s warehouses. The volume of square feet snapped up for Britain’s fastest-growing racquet sport in the past year and a half is almost seven times that in [...]
Dexory auditor raises evidence concerns as robotics firm losses widen April 1, 2026 Auditors for Dexory have issued a rare warning over gaps in its financial records after the British robotics firm Dexory reported surging revenues alongside deepening losses. In newly filed accounts, auditors at Moore Kingston Smith said they were “unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the stock quantities”, adding they could not determine whether [...]
Ocado boss: We were naive to accept orders but US firms should have worked harder February 26, 2026 After its share price tumbled on Thursday morning, the boss of Ocado was given the chance to evade the blame for shuttered warehouses and job cuts. The retail tech group’s financial results set out easing losses and slowly climbing revenue. But it was the plans to cut 1,000 jobs – mostly at the company’s Hertfordshire [...]
Budget fails to dampen commercial property activity January 23, 2026 Leasing and investment demand for commercial real estate remained high in the last few months of 2025, as the industry swerved Budget uncertainty that rattled the housing market. While growth in demand was slightly tempered by speculation surrounding tax changes, year-on-year figures remained robust among individual spaces. Office space investment demand reported a four per [...]
Ocado eyes global tech push after US setback December 30, 2025 Shares in Ocado slipped two per cent on Tuesday as the online grocery group outlined plans to sell its AI-driven warehouse tech globally, following a turbulent year for its international operations. Most of Ocado’s exclusivity deals with global partners, including US retail giant Kroger, have now expired, freeing the company to pitch its evolved robotic [...]
Amazon arms UK warehouses with its new robot ‘Vulcan’ May 7, 2025 Amazon has unveiled its most advanced robot to date – a machine that can sense touch – in a move aimed to alter how its warehouses are staffed and operated. The robot, dubbed Vulcan, was announced today at Amazon’s ‘Delivering the Future’ event in Dortmund, Germany. It is designed to replicate one of the most [...]
Boohoo: Prettylittlething crashes into the red as Mike Ashley battle continues November 22, 2024 Fresh light has been shone on Boohoo’s financial struggles amid its ongoing battle with billionaire Mike Ashley. The financial performance of some of the Manchester-headquartered group’s most well-known brands have been revealed including Prettylittlething crashing into the red and sales being slashed at Nastygal. While Boohoo reports its group results to the London Stock Exchange, [...]