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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Next unveils huge development in £2.5bn economy boost

March 26, 2026

Retail giant Next has unveiled a huge new development which it says will add £2.5bn to the economy, as the FTSE 100 firm invests over £300m in its warehouses. The firm has been granted planning permission to build a new 1.2m sq ft warehouse in its Elmsall complex in Yorkshire, with construction set to commence [...]
Co-op takes £126m knock from cyber attack as boss quits

March 26, 2026

Retailer Co-op has slumped to a £126m loss as it reels from the cyber attack which cost the firm nearly £300m last year, as its chief executive quit. The grocery chain is preparing to slash costs in the coming year, as it plans to cut £200m of spending in 2026. Co-op’s cyber attack in April [...]
Next: Iran war costs retailer £15m and could push up prices

March 26, 2026

High street giant Next has said it will take a £15m hit from the soaring air freight and fuel prices caused by the Iran war, as it races to make savings elsewhere to offset the costs. The FTSE 100 firm said it expects the conflict to constrain its growth in the Middle East, which accounts [...]
Vodafone set for £85m court showdown with ex-franchisees

March 26, 2026

An £85m court battle between Vodafone and its former franchisees will kick off on Thursday over claims the telecoms giant imposed cuts on franchises which left managers facing closures and bankruptcy. The 62 ex-franchisees pursuing a civil action against Vodafone – recently renamed VodafoneThree – will launch their case at the High Court for the [...]
Consumer confidence collapses as Iran war provokes inflation fears

March 26, 2026

Brits’ confidence in the state of the economy has plummeted since the outbreak of war in Iran, as shoppers tighten their purse strings amid fears of sharp price rises. Consumer sentiment over the UK’s economy has fallen to its lowest level on record, down from -30 per cent to -53 per cent, according to trade [...]
London house prices drop again as market faces fresh headwinds

March 25, 2026

House prices in London have fallen for the sixth consecutive month, as the capital’s property market continues to struggle compared to the rest of the country. The average house price in the capital fell by 1.7 per cent in the year to January, up from the 1.2 per cent year-on-year fall in December, according to [...]
Guinness Index: How much is a pint of the black stuff in your borough?

March 25, 2026

While the ONS has added hummus and dog grooming to its sample shopping basket in a bid to move with the times when tracking inflation – City AM prefers a cooler metric: the Guinness Index. Nothing encapsulates British consumer habits like Guinness’ meteoric rise: taking stout from the preserve of grey-haired aficionados to an ever-present [...]
Food industry warns of inflation ‘calm before the storm’

March 25, 2026

Food and retail bosses have warned the fall in food inflation is the “calm before the storm,” as business brace for the Iran war to push up energy costs. Trade body Food and Drink Federation (FDF) said Wednesday’s drop in food inflation – from 3.6 to 3.3 per cent year on year – could be [...]
Where is London’s cheapest pint?

March 25, 2026

Drawn out of the office and into the City’s pubs by the springtime sun, Square Mile workers will face a bitter taste when they pay for their pints. The City of London is one of the 28 London boroughs where the cost of a pint has surged over the past two years, with the price [...]
Cancel student debt in exchange for first time buyer equity, housebuilders urge government

March 24, 2026

Cash-strapped graduates struggling to get on the property ladder should have their debt written off in exchange for giving over a stake of their first home to the government, a new report has urged. The report, backed by more than 50 housing sector bodies including top housebuilders Vistry and Barratt Redrow, proposes offering a discount [...]

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Glengarry Glen Ross at the Old Vic fails to close

By: Felix Armstrong

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