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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Developers shrink Silk Street plans to dodge objections

February 24, 2026

Plans for a huge new office development in the heart of the City have been shrunk in a bid to dodge objections raised by furious locals. The plans to redevelop the existing western building, located next door to the Barbican estate, will now see it stand ten metres shorter than initially planned, in response to [...]
Shoplifting cost retailers £400m last year

February 24, 2026

British retailers lost out on nearly £400m last year due to shoplifting, despite falling numbers of violent theft and abuse. Violence and abuse against shopkeepers occurred 1,600 times per day on average, down 20 per cent from 2,000 last year, according to a crime report published by the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The Crime and [...]
Pubs to open late during World Cup – a life raft for hospitality?

February 24, 2026

Though the Labour government and the country’s thousands of pub landlords have very rarely seen eye-to-eye in recent months, the World Cup could bring a summer truce to this fiery dispute. Hospitality trade bodies and one of the country’s biggest pub chains have told City AM they welcome the government’s move to allow pubs to [...]
Admiral pubs boss: business rates will ‘kill off the high street’

February 23, 2026

The boss of a northern-based pubs company has claimed business rates will “kill off” the high street as well as pubs unless the levy is fundamentally reformed. Chris Jowsey, chief executive of Admiral Taverns, told City AM the government must deliver on its pledge to overhaul the business rates system, which he said “penalises bricks [...]
Novo Nordisk shares tumble after drug trial falls short

February 23, 2026

Shares in Danish drug giant Novo Nordisk have shed more than a sixth of their value after poor drug trial results sparked an investor selloff. The firm behind weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy saw its shares tumble by 16.7 per cent to 257.23 Danish Krone on Monday morning after trials of its new obesity shot, [...]
Brewdog: HSBC could seize brewery if no buyer found

February 23, 2026

Brewdog’s sprawling Scottish brewing estate could be seized by HSBC if the craft beer firm fails to find a buyer to steady its finances. Brewdog has agreed for its debts to be secured against its brewery in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, meaning it could lose its huge brewing estate if it cannot pay up. Co-founder James Watt [...]
Nadhim Zahawi joins equity group piling £1bn into Mayfair hotels

February 23, 2026

Former Tory chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has joined the board of an investment firm piling £1.1bn into two luxury Mayfair hotels. Evolution Investment Fund, based in the British Virgin Islands, has acquired a long leasehold interest in the London Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square and a luxury hotel development site in New Bond Street. The fund, [...]
Job vacancies at lowest level since 2021 as London worst affected

February 23, 2026

The UK’s job market took another hit after total vacancies fell to the lowest level since 2021, with London the region facing the biggest drop in open roles. The number of jobs advertised plummeted 16 per cent year-on-year to January, dipping below 700,000 for the first time since January 2021, according to job search platform [...]
Franco Manca owner appoints advisers for possible sale

February 20, 2026

The group which owns pizza chain Franco Manca and The Real Greek restaurants has hired advisers to review its strategic options in a possible first move of a sale or restructuring. Fulham Shore said on Friday it had appointed advisors Alvarez & Marsal, and reports say a sale could be on the table. The UK’s [...]
Segro boss David Sleath: AI data centre roll out a matter of life and death

February 20, 2026

The roll out of AI data centres in the UK’s urban hubs is a matter of life and death, warehouse magnate David Sleath has said. In an interview with City AM, the chief executive of industrial property group Segro said developing data centres in urban areas is “critical” for relying on developments such as saving [...]

KSI, Dagenham and Redbridge and the rise of the passion investor in sport

Alpine boss confirms four potential buyers, including Mercedes, for F1 team

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival to drive millions into Scotch sector

By: Felix Armstrong

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