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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Retail in 2025: The year of personalisation, AI, wellness – and no more barcodes

December 24, 2024

2024 has been a tough year for retail. From companies sounding the alarm on business rates in the first half of the year to low consumer confidence and footfall proving stickier than expected, the festive period has now been overshadowed by stark warnings about further cost rises next year. Restructuring partner at RSM UK, Gordon [...]
That video call could have been an email: After four years, are Brits sick of WFH?

December 23, 2024

There is a brilliant novelty about working from home. Household amenities are always within reach, transport fares are reduced to the difficulty of moving from your bed to the desk, and no one steals your food from the fridge. But, after more than four years, has it become a nuisance? Around 40 per cent of [...]
London’s poshest district is nearly 100 times pricier than the north of England

December 23, 2024

Knightsbridge has been named the most expensive district in London and the UK, with the average house price coming in at a whooping £21.4m. That’s nearly 96 times the average price of a home in the north of England. The West London region is home to the capital’s most expensive residential site, Knightsbridge’s One Hyde [...]
Housing sales end year on a high but fears about mortgage rates linger

December 23, 2024

The London housing market has ended 2024 on a high, although buyers remain price-sensitive and concerned about the cost of mortgages. Over 280,000 homes worth £104bn are in the sales pipeline for 2025 – the highest number in four years, according to Zoopla. In another good sign, house prices returned to growth – up 1.9 [...]
75mph gusts forecast as Christmas getaway disruption continues

December 22, 2024

Winds of up to 75mph have been forecast for parts of the UK as the Christmas getaway period continues to see disruption caused by bad weather. Heathrow Airport has confirmed around 100 flights have been cancelled on Sunday and passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling. It comes as the Met Office [...]
Outsourcing giant Serco: Shares spike as business pipeline “at its best for a decade”

December 19, 2024

British outsourcing giant Serco has said that its pipeline of business opportunities is at its strongest in over a decade thanks to a boost from North American defence contracts. Shares subsequently spiked more this seven per cent in early trades. The FTSE 250 firm told markets this morning that underlying operating profit was £270m in 2024, [...]
London rents rise again as house prices hold: ‘It is nothing short of brutal’

December 18, 2024

Rents in London have continued to show double-digits rises despite a stablisation in the housing market and lower mortgage rates. Average UK private rents increased by 9.1 per cent in the 12 months to November 2024, with rents in London up 11.6 per cent, according to the latest ONS figures. Propertymark chief Nathan Emerson called [...]
B&Q owner Kingfisher sells underperforming Romanian arm

December 18, 2024

Kingfisher has agreed to sell its Brico Dépôt Romania business for £58m to Altex Romania. The sale, which is expected to be completed in the first half of the next financial year, comprises the entire Brico Dépôt Romania business, including its network of 31 stores in 24 cities, distribution operations, and head office in Bucharest. It [...]
Shoe Zone: Firm slams Budget tax hikes as it’s forced to close ‘unviable’ stores

December 18, 2024

Shoe Zone has said it has been forced to close “a number” of stores following higher costs announced in the Autumn budget. The affordable footwear company said a combination of lower consumer confidence following the budget, plus “significant additional costs” due to the increases in National Insurance and the National Living Wage, have made the stores [...]
Why Canary Wharf has just topped the list of UK retail destinations

December 18, 2024

The phrase ‘London retail’ tends to conjure up images of crowds on Oxford Street, boutiques in Marylebone or Chelsea, maybe a Westfield. Green Street, however, has just rated Canary Wharf as the number one retail destination in not only London, but the UK as a whole. Canary Wharf is certainly having a good year: In [...]

Mandelson wanted a near £550,000 payout – and got £75,000

2026 Fifa World Cup: Iran ‘welcome’ despite US military attacks, Trump

Mother’s Day 2026: 5 amazing ways to celebrate in London

By: Amber Murray

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