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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Soaring energy bills set to fuel inflation spike

August 16, 2026

Rising energy prices are poised to send UK inflation rearing back up, as economists warn that the summer boost to the economy could be fleeting. The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation is tipped to rise to 2.9 per cent in July, climbing from June’s 15-month low of 2.6 per cent, when the Office [...]
The Works activist investor hits back at retailer’s ‘absurd’ claims

August 13, 2026

The activist investor seeking to gain a seat on the board at The Works has hit back at the discount retailer’s “absurd” claims the move would undermine its growth plans. Kelso, an activist investor, has criticised the AIM-listed retailer for urging shareholders to block its attempt to install retired private equity partner Graeme Coulthard as [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers snaps up Harvey Nichols

August 13, 2026

Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has bought Harvey Nichols, plucking the struggling luxury department store from the jaws of insolvency. The group, which also owns Sports Direct and Flannels, has acquired each of the chain’s stores, excluding the site in Dublin, from FTI Consulting through a pre-pack administration process. Frasers’ acquisition of Harvey Nichols marks the [...]
The Works braces for boardroom battle as activist investor pushes for more control

August 13, 2026

Discount retailer The Works has been engulfed in a boardroom drama as a notorious activist investor pushes to install a retired private equity partner as a director. The retailer, which sells toys and arts and crafts, warned on Thursday that the attempted coup could “create unnecessary distraction [and] risk derailing” the board’s growth strategy. Kelso, [...]
Could a ‘land blocking’ rule change spell danger for Aldi and Lidl?

August 13, 2026

German discounters Aldi and Lidl have rapidly taken control of the UK’s budget grocery market in recent years. But could new curbs on ‘land blocking’ slow their insurgency? Only a few decades ago, Lidl and Aldi were oddities. By 2008, the German discount supermarkets had been in the UK for more than 10 years but [...]
Bingo halls at risk if Burnham hikes taxes, Mecca Bingo owner warns

August 13, 2026

Britain’s “much-loved” bingo halls are at risk if the Andy Burnham commits to a £460m hike on gambling taxes, the owner of Grosvenor Casinos and Mecca Bingo has said. Richard Harris, chief executive of Rank Group, said on Thursday: “Tax proposals from anti-gambling campaigners continue to cast clouds over a regulated industry that is proud [...]
Labour’s ‘chaotic’ zero-hour crackdown could cost firms £3bn per year

August 12, 2026

Labour’s ‘chaotic’ crackdown on zero-hour contracts could cost businesses nearly £3bn every year, though firms have warned the real cost could spiral even higher. The cost of the new rules, which include offering guaranteed-hour contracts to flexible employees and paying workers for cancelled shifts, has been revealed in a government impact assessment. The reforms could [...]
Tui hit by Middle East travel chaos and rising fuel costs

August 12, 2026

Tui has suffered a slip in earnings at its airlines business as the Iran war continues to wreak havoc on global tourism routes and spike fuel prices. The Frankfurt-listed group, which is the world’s largest travel and tourism firm, swung to a €17m loss in its airlines arm in the six months to June, reversing [...]
Balfour Beatty ups profit forecasts as it defies construction gloom

August 12, 2026

Balfour Beatty has boosted its earnings and cash flow targets, as the construction firm’s “real momentum” defies wider gloom facing the sector. The group, which works with the government on major infrastructure projects, has seen the value of its order book jump by 17 per cent to £22.9bn in the six months to June, as [...]
Brits think supermarkets are profiteering – despite slowing food inflation

August 12, 2026

The majority of Brits think that supermarkets are profiteering from rising food prices caused by the Iran war despite the Chancellor John Healey recently admitting there was little evidence of the practice, new polling has revealed. Some 70 per cent of UK voters believe that supermarkets are making “excessive” profits from food inflation, according to [...]

Nandy flags downsides of closer EU relations

Women’s football doesn’t need to become men’s football to succeed

The Capitalist: City AM reporter gets royal trashing by AI slop

By: Felix Armstrong

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