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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Jet fuel crisis worse than Covid for airlines, says AirAsia chief

May 7, 2026

The global jet fuel shortage caused by the Iran war has caused a bigger crisis for airlines than the Covid-19 pandemic, the chief of AirAsia has warned. Tony Fernandes, chief executive of AirAsia, said: “I thought I’d seen it all with Covid […] but having seen jet fuel go up almost three times — this is much [...]
IHG: Holiday Inn owner braces for 50 per cent Middle East hit

May 7, 2026

Holiday Inn owner IHG expects to see a 50 per cent hit to its operations in the Middle East, as the Iran war wreaks havoc on global travel. Intercontinental Hotels Group said revenue per available room in the Middle East slumped to a 26 per cent year-on-year fall in March, reversing the nine per cent [...]
JD Sports warns of ‘muted growth’ amid weak consumer spending

May 7, 2026

JD Sports has seen profit fall as the sportswear retailer warned it is preparing for a period of “muted” growth amid weak consumer spending and potential Iran war cost pressures. Pre-tax profit at the FTSE 100 firm fell by 12 per cent to £629m in the year to January, even as sales rose by 12 [...]
WH Smith successor to shut 150 stores in ‘aggressive’ restructuring

May 6, 2026

The owner of WH Smith’s former high street stores is set to shut as many as 150 of them as part of an “aggressive” overhaul which will put jobs at risk. Modella Capital bought the stationer’s 480 high street stores for £40m last year, and is now set to shut more than a quarter of [...]
Cinema chain Vue eyes blockbuster £1.5bn sale or listing

May 6, 2026

Vue is bringing in bankers to oversee a float or sale which could value the cinema titan at as much as £1.5bn, according to reports. The British cinema chain, helmed by Canadian founder Tim Richards, has been interviewing banks in recent days as it pencils in the formal appointment of advisors later this year. Vue [...]
Who Gives a Crap: The toilet roll tycoon making a splash

May 6, 2026

Simon Griffiths founded Who Gives a Crap toilet paper with the philanthropic aim of ensuring everyone has access to a clean toilet. He has raised £11m so far, but Griffiths tells Felix Armstrong that’s not nearly enough “I was always an entrepreneurial kid at school,” Simon Griffiths says, as he explains the complex process of [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in Southwark?

May 6, 2026

CLICK HERE to view all the latest London election results A divided borough may end up under no overall control, with Lib Dems faring well in the prosperous north, while social housing heartlands stick with Labour, which has struggled with local infighting and defections to the Greens. From the vantage point of the Shard, at [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in Richmond upon Thames?

May 6, 2026

Boasting the best quality of life in London, the Lib Dems are dominant and Ed Davey hopes to strengthen control of the borough. But a back-to-basics campaign from the Greens and high taxes are also on the agenda. Richmond, a borough of leafy avenues, stunning nature and quaint pubs is as close to an ideal [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win Redbridge?

May 6, 2026

A rise in support of Nigel Farage’s Reform will be tested in the north of a borough dominated elsewhere by Labour which faces its own fight from the left. Results will be closely watched by Wes Streeting, whose parliamentary constituency is on the patch. Redbridge is a complex constituency. Labour is battling the Greens to [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in Newham?

May 6, 2026

What could have become the heartlands for Jeremy Corbyn’s Your Party may represent the shortcomings of the former Labour leader’s new venture, as well as the impact of travails of his old comrades in Westminster. Newham is Jeremy Corbyn’s worst nightmare. A fertile seat for progressive politics, almost all of its wards have been Labour-dominated [...]

Pep Guardiola to stay on CFG payroll after quitting Manchester City

Pep Guardiola to stay on CFG payroll after quitting Manchester City

Jinkx Monsoon’s Judy Garland musical proves drag is serious art

By: Felix Armstrong

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