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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Picky Brits: Heatwave fuels surge in finger food spending

August 18, 2026

Record summer temperatures have driven a surge in “picky bits” spending as British shoppers rush to the chilled aisle in a boost to UK supermarkets. The sweltering heat is causing Brits to cut back their grocery bills, instead spending little and often on items like olives and quiche, according to figures from Worldpanel by Numerator. [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers ups stake in Hugo Boss after takeover bid

August 18, 2026

Frasers Group has pushed up its stake in Hugo Boss to nearly half of the company, though Mike Ashley’s group misses out on full control of the luxury fashion brand. The Sports Direct owner has increased its portion of the German fashion house to nearly 48 per cent after offering €38 for every share in [...]
Luxury London property developer collapses as housing market slows

August 17, 2026

A luxury London property developer has collapsed after running out of funds, as the capital’s prime housing sector faces growing pressure. London Richmond Ltd, which describes itself as a “boutique” developer focusing on the “finer areas” of the capital, has appointed administrators, City AM has learned. In the latest sign that London’s prime property market [...]
Jenrick: Welfare cuts worth £50bn allows us to ‘sustainably pay’ triple lock pension

August 17, 2026

Reform UK’s Robert Jenrick has said a £50bn welfare cut plan allows the state to “sustainably pay” for the triple lock pension. In a press conference on Monday, Jenrick said plans to strip welfare from around 3m people, including foreign nationals, would be the biggest overhaul of the benefits system in a generation. Jenrick said [...]
Burnham’s crackdown on ‘price-gouging’ splits supermarkets

August 17, 2026

Tesco and Sainsbury’s have stood firm after the boss of Aldi hit out at loyalty discounts, as a “price-gouging” row threatens to divide British supermarkets. Giles Hurley, the chief executive of the discount grocer, has backed the government’s plans to clamp down on retailers which offer “misleading” discounts which do not offer real-terms value. Aldi [...]
Activist investor accuses The Works chair of working from home – in New Zealand

August 17, 2026

The activist investor locked in a boardroom battle with The Works has accused its chair of switching his residence to New Zealand and dialling in to crucial meetings. Kelso, a London-listed investment fund, is pushing to appoint a director of its choosing to the discount retailer’s board, but The Works has slapped down the move, saying it [...]
House prices suffer biggest August slump in eight years

August 17, 2026

House prices in the UK have suffered their biggest August drop since 2018, as a usually quiet period for the property market is stifled further by fears of Budget tax rises. The average house price slumped by two per cent this month to £364,999, according to property portal Rightmove. House prices are down one per [...]
Jobs market ‘stops moving’ as employment costs weigh on hirers

August 17, 2026

The UK’s jobs market has “largely stopped moving” as employment costs weigh on businesses and block jobseekers’ progression into the world of work. Private sector employment intentions are stuck at the lowest ever level outside of the covid-19 pandemic, at plus 11, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). The organisation, which [...]
Back bookshops in bid to rebuild high streets, Burnham urged

August 16, 2026

Leading authors have called on Andy Burnham to roll out emergency support to the UK’s small bookshops as part of his pledge to save Britain’s high streets. The bestselling writers, along with 200 booksellers, have written to the Prime Minister, urging him to set out a business rates relief package for bookshops as they contend [...]
Aldi boss wades into supermarket ‘price-gouging’ row

August 16, 2026

The boss of Aldi has waded into the bitter row over whether supermarkets are profiteering off of struggling customers as he backed a government crackdown on “rip-off” discounts. Giles Hurley, the chief executive of the discount grocer, said the government is “right” to take on misleading discounts and promotions “in their work to tackle cost [...]

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By: Felix Armstrong

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