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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Two-thirds of hospitality firms to cut jobs as April tax rises ‘suffocate’ sector

April 1, 2026

Two-thirds of hospitality businesses will be forced to cut jobs and one in seven will shut altogether as a direct result of “suffocating” April tax rises, leading trade bodies have found. More than half (51 per cent) of hospitality firms will cancel investment plans and 42 per cent will reduce trading hours, according to a [...]
‘Unprecedented’ – Food inflation to soar to 9 per cent by end of year

April 1, 2026

Food inflation will soar from three to nine per cent by the end of this year due to the “unprecedented” energy and supply chain shocks caused by the Iran war, a leading association has warned. The rate of food price growth is currently at 3.3 per cent but will climb to nine per cent by [...]
Family-run construction firms pushed ‘to brink’ by inheritance tax

April 1, 2026

Family-run construction firms are being pushed to the brink of insolvency by reforms to inheritance tax which undermine Labour’s housebuilding target, a trade body has warned. Plant-hire firms – which provide machinery and services to the construction sector – are almost always family run and are being forced to scale back by inheritance tax changes, [...]
Marmite maker Unilever creates food empire in $45bn merger

March 31, 2026

Unilever has sealed a $45bn merger of its food brands with US spice and seasoning giant McCormick, forging a $60bn food empire in which the London-based firm holds a majority stake. Unilever and its shareholders will own 65 per cent in the new body, with the firm receiving $15.7bn (£11.6bn) in cash and the equivalent [...]
German backers of Olympia redevelopment add new £500m investment

March 31, 2026

The German investors behind the redevelopment of Kensington’s Olympia exhibition centre have committed an additional £500m as the consortium refinances the project. Deutsche Bank AG will hand a £900m loan to the consortium behind the project, which includes German pension fund Bayerische Versorgungskammer and insurer Versorgungskammer Bayern. The project is one of London’s biggest regeneration [...]
Reeves summons supermarket bosses again after snub

March 31, 2026

Rachel Reeves has summoned supermarket bosses for a Downing Street meeting on Wednesday after being snubbed last week. The new meeting will be attended by executives at Sainsbury’s and Tesco but bosses at Asda, Aldi and John Lewis will miss out, supposedly due to diary clashes. The Chancellor hastily invited grocery executives to a meeting [...]
Unilever freezes hiring as Iran war poses ‘significant challenges’

March 31, 2026

FTSE 100 giant Unilever has placed a global freeze on hiring for at least three months as the Iran war wreaks havoc on global supply chains and fuel prices. The London-based business, which owns Dove soap and Hellman’s mayonnaise, told staff the ban on hiring will affect “all levels” of recruitment and was taken in [...]
House prices pick up but property outlook remains ‘clouded’

March 31, 2026

House prices picked up in March as the property market gained traction after a slow start to the year, though experts warn the Iran war could “cloud” this momentum. The UK’s house prices rose by 2.2 per cent year on year in March, up from one per cent growth in the year to February, as [...]
Shop prices creep up as retailers brace for Iran war supply chain disruption

March 31, 2026

Shop price inflation edged up in March as cost rises related to the Iran war began to take effect. The cost of shop items increased by 1.2 per cent year on year in March, up from 1.1 per cent in February, according to data compiled by NIQ for the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The BRC [...]
London developers call for emergency measures in office space squeeze

March 30, 2026

The capital’s largest developers have called on the government to introduce emergency measures to solve London’s office space crisis, which risks “constraining” growth. London Property Alliance (LPA) is urging the government to designate offices as critical economic infrastructure to address dwindling supply and boost economic growth. The LPA represents the capital’s largest property developers and [...]

Qatar Racing takes over sponsorship of £4.4m British Champions Day

Qatar Racing takes over sponsorship of £4.4m British Champions Day

What’s on in London August

By: Felix Armstrong

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