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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Government urged to halt food inflation ‘before it’s too late’

April 21, 2026

The food industry’s leading trade body has urged the government to act on food inflation before it’s “too late” to protect consumers and businesses. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) expects food inflation to soar from three to between nine and 10 per cent this year, and has accused the government of lacking “urgency” to [...]
Associated British Foods shares slide as £10bn Primark spin-off confirmed

April 21, 2026

FTSE 100 titan Associated British Foods has confirmed plans to spin off clothes retailer Primark, signalling a dramatic change in direction for the food and retail firm. Shares in the firm slid more than six per cent on Tuesday’s open, leaving the stock down 16 per cent in the year so far. The market had [...]
Sainsbury’s to deliver food inflation update as Argos future could be settled

April 21, 2026

After Tesco hit back against fears of double-digit food inflation last week, supermarket rival Sainsbury’s is set to update the market this week. From the Iran war to the future of Argos, Felix Armstrong looks ahead to a landmark set of results due on Thursday. Sainsbury’s spooked shoppers last week when it threatened people caught swapping [...]
M&C Saatchi profit slumps amid Iran war warning and ‘softer’ UK market

April 20, 2026

Advertising firm M&C Saatchi expects the Iran war to deal a blow to its sport and entertainment business, and revealed a profit slump for last year. For the year to December 2025, profit tumbled by 34 per cent to £19m. Revenue dipped by more than seven per cent to £205m. The firm, whose chief executive [...]
‘Devastating’ tube strikes: Pubs brace for 40 per cent sales hit

April 20, 2026

London’s pubs and restaurants are bracing for a knock of as much as 40 per cent of daily sales from this week’s tube strikes as industry leaders warn of the “devastating” impact on hospitality. The capital’s hospitality industry is set to be the hardest-hit from the industrial action, which is due to begin at noon [...]
AI could be picking your coffee as startup takes £2m

April 20, 2026

An AI-powered coffee vending machine which tells its users when and what it might like to drink is set to spring up in forecourts, gyms and campuses across the country. Unity Coffee, which uses AI to offer tailored discounts based on the time and user behaviour, has completed a £2m fundraising and aims to “disrupt” [...]
Consumer confidence suffers biggest drop in four years amid Iran inflation fears

April 20, 2026

Consumer confidence fell at the fastest rate in four years as Brits tightened their purse strings amid fears the Iran war will spike inflation. Brits’ confidence in their spending power fell by three per cent at the start of this year, as it reached its lowest level since 2023 and made the biggest drop since [...]
Easyjet tops FTSE 100 risers as airline, travel shares rocket after Hormuz reopening

April 17, 2026

Airline and travel shares listed on the London Stock Exchange have rocketed after Iran said it has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, potentially signalling an end to weeks of chaos to the tourism industry. London-listed Wizz Air and Easyjet surged nine and eight per cent on the news, after the blockage to the crucial shipping [...]
‘Relentless pressures’: More hospitality firms forced to shut even before Iran war

April 17, 2026

The rate of corporate collapse in hospitality surged in February in signs the sector was struggling to stay afloat even before the Iran war brought further cost pressures. The number of accommodation and food service firms declaring insolvency jumped by 22 per cent to 270 in February, according to government data. This acceleration of the crisis [...]
Next boss Simon Wolfson takes record £7.4m pay packet

April 17, 2026

Next boss Simon Wolfson took home a bumper £7.4m pay packet last year, as his best-ever pay day could be beaten by next year’s £9.3m – if the firm meets growth targets. Wolfson’s total pay soared from £4.9m the year before, as he took £967k in basic pay and more than £6m in bonuses. The [...]

Vattenfall’s UK energy assets poised to be snapped up by private equity firm

Uefa probes Brighton and Hearts connection under Tony Bloom ownership

No, you don’t have Chardonnay. Here’s why it’s your favourite grape

By: Felix Armstrong

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