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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How artisan mezcal brand Zacal is hoping to storm the UK’s alcohol market

July 16, 2025

If you’ve been to a London bar recently, chances are you’ve seen a mezcal margarita on the menu. Having already found popularity in the US, the once-small market is rapidly expanding into the UK, helped by a shift towards ‘less but better’ consumption. Zacal is one of the brands hoping to make the most of [...]
Cake Box: ‘We do very well when there’s trouble on the high street’

July 15, 2025

Cake Box has managed to find success on the high street at a tough time for in-store retail, consistently outperforming peers in day-to-day goods. Its recipe for success is simple, according to its chief executive Sukh Chamdal: small celebrations – birthday cakes which start at £20 – are one of the last non-essential things stretched [...]
UK property bodies form build to rent alliance: ‘Planning reform is not enough’

July 15, 2025

The British Property Federation (BPF) and the Association for Rental Living (ARL) have formed an alliance to boost the struggling build-to-rent sector, arguing that planning reform alone won’t save construction. Trying to create a “single voice” for build to rent, the alliance aims to combat investor shyness by tackling current viability and delivery challenges as [...]
B&M’s shares drop despite hints of turnaround from new CEO

July 15, 2025

B&M has reported a strong set of results under its new CEO after a tough year and a half marked by supply chain issues. But its share price still plunged by 13 per cent in early trades, pulled down by concerns about margin pressures like price deflation and cost inflation. The FTSE 250 company told [...]
Barratt Redrow misses homebuilding target as affordability hits demand

July 15, 2025

Housebuilder Barratt Redrow has built fewer homes than its target after affordability pressures continued to hit demand for new houses. The company, which was formed by a merger of Barratt and Redrow last year, said that total home completions for the 52 weeks ended June 29 reached 16,565. It had aimed for between 16,800 and [...]
First-time buyer demand for furniture and the ‘lipstick effect’ boost June sales

July 15, 2025

Demand for furniture and beauty goods caused retail sales to rise in June, boosted by good weather and slowly-recovering consumer confidence. Sales in the UK rose 3.1 per cent year on year in June, against a decline of 0.2 per cent in June 2024, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). “Retailers will [...]
McVitie’s changes tune on UK investment with £68m boost

July 14, 2025

The company behind McVitie’s is set to invest millions in the UK despite the latter’s boss ‘dunking’ on the UK as an investment destination last year. London-based snacking giant Pladis will funnel £68m into its facilities, including £21m for its Jaffa Cake factory and £33m for the home of Jacob’s Cream Crackers. The funds will [...]
Pub bosses in joint call for ‘urgent’ tax reform

July 14, 2025

Pub bosses have called for urgent reform of the business rates system, arguing that the levy places unfair pressure on hospitality venues at a time of rising costs across the board. Greene King boss Nick Mackenzie said that business rates should be “fundamentally reformed” so that the tax – which applies to all commercial venues [...]
The Building Safety Regulator’s near-impossible balancing act

July 10, 2025

Originally implemented to tackle safety concerns in light of the devastating Grenfell fire, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has now been accused of hamstringing developments in the capital. Delays in the system are currently “undermining investor confidence” in the sector, “holding back the delivery of new homes and adding to uncertainty for residents”, head of [...]
Arrests made after M&S, Co-op and Harrods cyber attacks

July 10, 2025

Four people, including three teenagers and a 20-year-old woman, have been arrested in connection with a wave of cyber attacks that crippled M&S, the Co-op and Harrods. The group allegedly unleashed ransomware that stole millions of customer records, shut down online orders and left supermarket shelves bare. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the individuals [...]

Six Nations in-game ads pave way for football to be split into quarters

Hunslet RLFC’s lesson for rugby league profitability? Pay HMRC

London Sports Festival Returns to the Capital

By: Amber Murray

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