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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High street stalwart Claire’s explores a sale as cost pressures mount

June 24, 2025

The accessories and piercings company Claire’s is exploring the possibility of a sale as it battles rising costs and competition. Claire’s, which is owned by US investors JP Morgan, Elliott Management and Monarch Alternative Capital, operates 2,750 shops worldwide and 281 shops on UK high streets and retail parks. Julie Palmer, partner at financial advisory [...]
Sunny spring boosts grocers as Brits buy 2,400 packs of strawberries every minute

June 24, 2025

The UK’s unusual burst of sun boosted purchases of fruit and ice lollies this spring, although food inflation continued to soar at the UK’s grocers. Higher prices for fresh meats, chocolate and butters drove food inflation to 4.7 per cent, its highest level since February 2024, according to data insights group Kantar. But Fraser McKevitt, [...]
Amazon’s £40bn investment to create nearly 10,000 jobs

June 24, 2025

Amazon will invest £40bn into the UK in the next three years as it looks to boost production and delivery capacity, creating 9,500 jobs in the UK. The investment will provide funds to build four new robotic fulfillment centers, as well to refurbish the media giant’s film studios in Berkshire. The three already-announced high-tech warehouses [...]
UK’s competition watchdog sets its sights on Google search

June 24, 2025

The UK’s competition watchdog has proposed designating Google with ‘strategic market status’ after an investigation earlier this year revealed market issues. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had “heard concerns” that Google’s search advertising costs are higher “than would be expected” in a “more competitive market”. It will also look into the transparency [...]
UK-India film: Nandy’s cultural agreement starts to show green shoots

June 24, 2025

While the UK and India have a strong history of collaborating on film productions, the 2020s has seen a boom in co-operation between the two countries. Helped since 2008 by a series of film co-production deals, a new cultural deal this May promised to “open the door” more for UK creative exports to India. “The [...]
London won’t come close to 88,000 homes a year by 2029

June 24, 2025

London’s housing crisis exists on a spectrum, from the weary resignation of young professionals, first-time buyers and university students – to an acute, impossible state of affairs for those stuck in mouldy homes or unable to pay rent. Few disagree that a housing crisis exists, and few can find good reasons to lament the government’s [...]
Keir Starmer accused of hypocrisy over Camden housing targets

June 20, 2025

Keir Starmer has been accused of hypocrisy over low housebuilding targets in his own constituency amid a country-wide push to ‘get Britain building again’. Camden council, which falls within Starmer’s constituency of Holborn & St Pancras, has shrugged off the government’s targets for housebuilding this parliament and instead used figures set by the 2021 London [...]
Berkeley notes rising demand for new homes as profit drops

June 20, 2025

Housebuilder Berkeley has stated that it is ‘fully aligned with’ and ‘committed to’ the government’s ambitious housing agenda, despite a decline in annual profit. The FTSE 250 company told markets this morning that its profit before tax fell 5.1 per cent in the last financial year, from £557.3m to £528.9m. Its operating margin improved from [...]
KKR offer commended by Assura

June 19, 2025

The heated battle for Assura’s takeover has finally reached a conclusion, with KKR’s bid to take over the healthcare property giant, securing EU approval for the bid if it goes ahead. Assura accepted private equity giant KKR’s £1.7bn bid, which was made via acquisition vehicle Sana Bidco, last week. The merger has now received clearance [...]
Bupa acquires first UK hospital since 2008

June 19, 2025

Private healthcare giant Bupa has agreed to acquire its first UK hospital since 2008 as it looks to expand its access to the London market. The independent private hospital is called New Victoria and located in Kingston-upon-Thames. General manager for Bupa Health Services, Sarah Melia, said: “[It] enables us to provide more Bupa services directly [...]

‘Drastic’ Dave to serve up new vision for Guinness maker Diageo

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

London Sports Festival Returns to the Capital

By: Amber Murray

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