By: Felix Armstrong

Retail Reporter Felix Armstrong is City AM's retail reporter, covering retail, hospitality and property news. He has previously written for The Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph and The i Paper. Email Felix at Felix.Armstrong@cityam.com

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Asda boss: Government ‘more and more difficult’ to deal with

March 4, 2026

The boss of supermarket chain Asda has said the government has become “more and more difficult” to deal with, claiming the pressures on business posed by policy have ballooned since he began his career. Allan Leighton, Asda’s chair, said businesses are increasingly facing obstacles to growth which are “not of their own making”. At Tuesday’s [...]
Brewdog: James Watt ‘heartbroken’ as craft beer firm sold

March 4, 2026

Brewdog co-founder James Watt has said he is “heartbroken” after the craft beer titan’s sale cost nearly 500 jobs and left thousands of “punk equity” investors empty-handed. Watt, who co-founded the firm with his school friend Martin Dickie in 2007, said the past week “has been incredibly hard” and described the sale to US cannabis [...]
Vistry: Housebuilder boss quits as output falls

March 4, 2026

The boss of the UK’s second-biggest housebuilder has quit as the company battles with falling revenue and output caused by the uncertainty around last year’s November Budget. The news spooked investors as Vistry Group’s share price nosedived on Wednesday, down as much as 22 per cent to 490p. Vistry’s chief executive Greg Fitzgerald said he [...]
Spring Statement: Reeves’ pro-growth message ‘at odds’ with reality, say retailers

March 4, 2026

The pro-growth message delivered by the Chancellor at the spring statement is at odds with the high-cost reality faced by businesses, retail and hospitality leaders have said. Leaders in the sector have called on the Labour government to deliver urgent reform to the business rates system and slash tax and policy barriers to hiring to [...]
First real estate float on challenger stock market Aquis

March 4, 2026

A Yorkshire retail centre will become the first real estate asset to float on Aquis, London’s challenger stock exchange, with the firm to issue more than £25m in shares, City AM can reveal. Scotch Corner Designer Village will launch its IPO in April, becoming the first listing as part of Aram, Aquis’ real estate division. [...]
Construction recovery remains fragile amid high costs

March 3, 2026

The construction sector is recovering but its growth remains fragile as developers contend with high wages, planning delays and labour shortages. The industry will grow over the next year due to major infrastructure projects but confidence in the housebuilding and commercial sectors remains shaken, according to a report by construction firm McBains shared exclusively with [...]
Greggs ‘working hard’ to stop investors betting against Britain’s most-shorted stock

March 3, 2026

Battling to convince investors to stop shorting her bakery chain, Greggs boss Roisin Currie insisted “evolution” away from the steak bake purveyor’s key offering is the path to ever higher growth. But it is this rampant expansion which has spooked enough investors to bet against Greggs, making it the most shorted company in the UK, [...]
Brewdog sale: what next for the craft beer giant?

March 3, 2026

Brewdog’s bars sat empty on Monday, lights off and beer taps dry, as weeks of frenzied anticipation over the sale of the craft beer titan built to a head. It quickly became clear on Monday afternoon that many of those bars would never see another punter walk through their doors. For the venues lucky enough [...]
Shop price inflation eases in relief for cash-strapped Brits

March 3, 2026

Shop price inflation slowed in February, as retailers introduced a raft of promotions to ease the cash burden on struggling shoppers. The price of goods in UK shops grew at a rate of 1.1 per cent in February year on year, down from the 1.5 per cent rate of inflation seen in January, according to [...]
Greggs profit flakes as baker faces lukewarm start to year

March 3, 2026

Profit at Greggs is flaking away as the chain bakery faces a lukewarm 2026, with sales slowing already this year. The chain’s underlying profit before tax fell nine per cent to £171.9m in the financial year to December 2025, though total sales were up seven per cent, the bakery’s preliminary results show. The baker is [...]

School of Hard Knocks and Investec celebrate spring rugby tournament

School of Hard Knocks and Investec celebrate spring rugby tournament

Barbican Centre: the brutalist landmark weaving art into everyday London life.

By: Felix Armstrong

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