Soaring beef and butter prices drive food inflation in June July 16, 2025 Food inflation has risen to its highest level in nearly a year as farmers struggle with high costs amid tax rises and extreme weather. Overall inflation was ahead of expectations in June at 3.6 per cent, but food and drink inflation continued to outpace the rest of the economy at 4.5 per cent. This was [...]
Booktok boosts Bloomsbury again as Sarah J Mass tops bestseller lists July 16, 2025 Bloomsbury has been buoyed by the success of its fantasy-romance list as online discourse fuels mass interest in the books. Sarah J Maas topped bestseller lists again this year with the paperback launch of House of Flame and Shadow in June, following global success with the previous two books in the series. She has now sold [...]
How artisan mezcal brand Zacal is hoping to storm the UK’s alcohol market July 16, 2025 If you’ve been to a London bar recently, chances are you’ve seen a mezcal margarita on the menu. Having already found popularity in the US, the once-small market is rapidly expanding into the UK, helped by a shift towards ‘less but better’ consumption. Zacal is one of the brands hoping to make the most of [...]
Cake Box: ‘We do very well when there’s trouble on the high street’ July 15, 2025 Cake Box has managed to find success on the high street at a tough time for in-store retail, consistently outperforming peers in day-to-day goods. Its recipe for success is simple, according to its chief executive Sukh Chamdal: small celebrations – birthday cakes which start at £20 – are one of the last non-essential things stretched [...]
UK property bodies form build to rent alliance: ‘Planning reform is not enough’ July 15, 2025 The British Property Federation (BPF) and the Association for Rental Living (ARL) have formed an alliance to boost the struggling build-to-rent sector, arguing that planning reform alone won’t save construction. Trying to create a “single voice” for build to rent, the alliance aims to combat investor shyness by tackling current viability and delivery challenges as [...]
Mobico: National Express owner rises after tying up US school bus sale July 15, 2025 Shares in Mobico jumped on Tuesday after the owner of National Express closed a deal with private equity for its North American school bus business. The London-listed transport group announced the £457m sale to I Squared Capital back in March as it looked to cut costs and revitalise the business following a string of downbeat [...]
B&M’s shares drop despite hints of turnaround from new CEO July 15, 2025 B&M has reported a strong set of results under its new CEO after a tough year and a half marked by supply chain issues. But its share price still plunged by 13 per cent in early trades, pulled down by concerns about margin pressures like price deflation and cost inflation. The FTSE 250 company told [...]
Barratt Redrow misses homebuilding target as affordability hits demand July 15, 2025 Housebuilder Barratt Redrow has built fewer homes than its target after affordability pressures continued to hit demand for new houses. The company, which was formed by a merger of Barratt and Redrow last year, said that total home completions for the 52 weeks ended June 29 reached 16,565. It had aimed for between 16,800 and [...]
First-time buyer demand for furniture and the ‘lipstick effect’ boost June sales July 15, 2025 Demand for furniture and beauty goods caused retail sales to rise in June, boosted by good weather and slowly-recovering consumer confidence. Sales in the UK rose 3.1 per cent year on year in June, against a decline of 0.2 per cent in June 2024, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). “Retailers will [...]
McVitie’s changes tune on UK investment with £68m boost July 14, 2025 The company behind McVitie’s is set to invest millions in the UK despite the latter’s boss ‘dunking’ on the UK as an investment destination last year. London-based snacking giant Pladis will funnel £68m into its facilities, including £21m for its Jaffa Cake factory and £33m for the home of Jacob’s Cream Crackers. The funds will [...]
