By: Amber Murray

Retail Reporter Amber Murray is a reporter at City A.M., covering retail, luxury and property stores. Prior to City A.M., she worked as a sub-editor for Fastmarkets and completed a Masters in Financial Journalism at City University. Please get in touch with stories/tips/coffees at amber.murray@cityam.com

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Asda boss slams tax hikes: ‘Businesses have to be allowed to invest’

August 28, 2025

Asda chair Allan Leighton has warned that the Government must change the way it thinks about growth or risk a stagnating economy. Ahead of Asda’s quarterly results – where the grocer reported its fourth consecutive quarter of improving like-for-like sales – Leighton said that the company has a “simple philosophy… if you want growth, you [...]
Reeves warned that ‘punitive’ tax hikes on landlords will choke rental sector

August 28, 2025

Property experts have warned that higher taxes on landlords’ rental incomes will have ‘severe’ unintended consequences for the rental sector and the broader housing market. The Chancellor is reportedly examining proposals for applying national insurance (NI) to rental income in the hope of raising £2bn. Officials are drawing up options for tax rises in an [...]
British Retail Consortium appoints its first female chair

August 28, 2025

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has appointed Jo Whitfield as its new chair, the first woman in its history to hold the role. Whitfield will replace outgoing chair Andy Higginson, who has been in the position since September 2023. “I’m honoured to be joining the BRC as its first female Chair, and to be supporting [chief executive] [...]
Reeves to consider national insurance on landlords’ rental income

August 28, 2025

Rachel Reeves is considering a tax increase for UK landlords in this year’s Autumn budget as she attempts to fill a £40bn hole in the public finances. The Chancellor is examining proposals for applying national insurance (NI) to rental income in the hope of raising £2bn. Officials are drawing up options for tax rises in [...]
One in ten UK homes cut asking price in July

August 28, 2025

One in ten UK homes registered a cut to the asking price in July, well above the five-year average, as sellers continue to adjust to a buyers market. Average house prices rose by just 1.3 per cent in the year to July, below the 2.1 price growth recorded at the start of 2025, according to Zoopla’s [...]
M&S takes on Vinted and Depop with eBay tie-up

August 27, 2025

Marks & Spencer has announced it will launch a new resale platform on eBay as it looks to evolve with the changing face of high street shopping. Customers will be able to trade in their clothing, footwear and accessories through M&S’s first online takeback scheme, while pre-loved items will be available to buy on the [...]
Retail sales fall for eleventh consecutive month

August 27, 2025

UK retail sales have continued their steady decline as price pressures weigh on already-stretched consumers, according to new data. The CBI’s monitor for annual retail sales was little changed at -32 in August, from -34 in July. “Weak demand and higher labour costs continue to put pressure on margins, dampening sentiment across the retail and [...]
Debenhams transformation ‘underway’ as fortunes start to look up

August 27, 2025

Debenhams has announced an improvement in trading after a long period of decline fuelled by a restructuring of its business model. The company, which rebranded from Boohoo Group earlier this year, reported earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of £41.6m in 2025. The standout performer was the Debenhams brand, which grew sales by [...]
Thames Water agrees payment plan with Ofwat for historic fine

August 27, 2025

Thames Water has agreed a payment plan with Ofwat for its £123m fine over rule breaches tied to its wastewater operations and dividend payouts. The payment plan will see 20 per cent of the total penalty – £24.5m – paid no later than 30 September this year. The penalty will not be funded by customer bills, [...]
JD Sports announces new buyback despite falling sales

August 27, 2025

JD Sports has announced a new share buyback programme despite a drop in like-for-like quarterly sales. The FTSE 100 company said it would invest £100m into the programme, which it said reflects “confidence in medium-term industry growth, our ongoing market share gains and focused execution”. This is despite a three per cent drop in like-for-like [...]

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By: Amber Murray

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