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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Councils turn to AI to boost housebuilding

May 18, 2026

Local councils across the country are turning to artificial intelligence to speed up the planning process, as Labour’s 1.5m housebuilding target clashes with a slowing construction sector. A number of local authorities – including several in the capital – have either piloted or implemented AI planning tools, but housing leaders have warned that the government [...]
Innocent smoothie boss bananas for EU red tape reset

May 18, 2026

The boss of smoothie giant Innocent has backed closer ties between the government and the European Union, in the same week Labour leadership hopeful Wes Streeting threw his weight behind a return to the bloc. Nick Canney, chief executive of Coca-Cola-owned Innocent Drinks, told City AM that closer ties with the EU would be “helpful” [...]
Whitbread: Activist investor pushes for sale of FTSE 100 Premier Inn owner

May 18, 2026

An activist investor with a major stake in Premier Inn’s owner Whitbread has called for the FTSE 100 firm to put itself up for sale, attacking its “chronic misallocation of capital”. Corvex Management, which owns 11.8m shares – around seven per cent – in Whitbread, has issued a scathing rejection of the firm’s latest cost-saving [...]
Rachel Reeves to scrap fuel duty hike

May 18, 2026

Rachel Reeves is set to scrap plans to hike fuel duty, following pressure over the impact of the Iran war on fuel prices and the cost of living. Fuel duty was first frozen by the Tories in March 2022 and the Chancellor had extended this hold on the rate until the end of August this [...]
Ryanair warns ‘weak’ airlines will go bust this year as fuel costs soar

May 18, 2026

Ryanair’s finance boss has said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if some of the airline’s “weaker” rivals went bust later this year, as the Iran war spikes fuel costs. The Dublin-based budget carrier has insisted it is “confident” despite warnings of a jet fuel crisis, but US carrier Spirit Airlines shut down last month, and Ryanair [...]
Tesco boss Ken Murphy took £1m pay rise in grocer’s bumper year

May 15, 2026

Ken Murphy, the boss of Tesco, took a more-than £1m pay rise this year, bringing his total pay packet to £10.8m in the year the grocer solidified its dominant position in the market. The chief executive of the supermarket giant’s total pay packet for the 2025/26 year included £1.5m in basic pay, a £3.4m bonus [...]
Satisfaction: Mick Jagger prevails in bid to block Battersea tower

May 15, 2026

Rock star Sir Mick Jagger has won a two-year planning battle to block a controversial 29-storey tower in Battersea, proving you can get what you want. The Rolling Stones frontman had been joined by a host of stars including guitarist Eric Clapton, actress Felicity Kendall and comedian Harry Hill in opposing the development. A planning [...]
M&S eyes up Brits’ weekly shops as food arm set to expand

May 15, 2026

Marks & Spencer has not been shy over its ambition to conquer the British weekly shop, and the retail giant is nearing a crucial update on its foray into the UK’s fiercely competitive grocery market. M&S Food accounts for more than half (54 per cent) of the retailer’s revenues, and its recent warehouse expansions suggest [...]
Year of the fire horse brings glad tidings as Burberry’s bet on China pays off

May 15, 2026

FTSE 100 fashion house Burberry had spooked the market with its drastic cost-cutting turnaround, but its full-year results saw the brand canter back to profit. Felix Armstrong looks at the firm’s renewed focus on Chinese consumers British luxury brand Burberry has identified a symbol of “luck and prosperity” according to its latest collection for the [...]
Lego bricks hit a wall: Iconic toymaker goes digital as spin-off builds profit

May 14, 2026

Toy titan Lego’s move away from the small plastic bricks that made it famous is gaining pace, as its digital spin-off made a profit in its first year of operation. Lego Digital Play, which aims to reach a new generation of children who play on their iPads rather than with their hands, turned a £1.4m [...]

Nvidia shares set to slide as spy scandal threatens AI recovery

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

Tamdhu: The scotch whisky taking on Macallan

By: Felix Armstrong

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