The Works shares jump after activist investor ups stake Retail Shares in The Works jumped on Monday morning after a well-known small cap activist investor upped its stake in the retailer. The high street staple, which has more than 500 stores across the UK, had been trading with a market cap of just £20m despite turning over more than £250m annually. According to activist investor [...]
‘Drastic’ Dave to serve up new vision for Guinness maker Diageo Retail It’s been a rocky 12 months for drinks titan Diageo and Sir Dave Lewis will be looking to cure the firm’s long-running hangover when he serves up his future vision next week. Diageo’s stock has tumbled over 15 per cent in the last 12 months with a notable drop in November after operating profit growth [...]
Boost for retail sales as tech and fuel drives growth Retail UK retail sales grew by 1.8 per cent in January as the performance of non-food retailers outshone struggling supermarkets, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures reveal. Automotive fuel sales, art galleries and tech retailers drove this growth, the ONS said, which was partially dragged down by falling supermarket sales. Retail sales were up slightly on [...]
Debenhams clinches equity raise after share price spook February 19, 2026 Debenhams Group successfully closed its equity fundraise above its initial £35m target despite a stock market spook which saw its shares drop by 20 per cent. The fashion group, which recently rebranded from Boohoo Group, had pitched the equity raise as central to its turnaround from significant struggles in recent years. Debenhams Group, which owns [...]
eBay snaps up second-hand fashion app Depop in $1.2bn deal February 19, 2026 Online seller eBay has struck a deal to purchase online fashion marketplace Depop for $1.2bn (£890m). The cash deal, expected to be completed by the middle of this year, comes just five years after the second-hand clothing app was acquired by craft marketplace Etsy for $1.6bn (£1.18bn). Peter Semple, Depop’s chief executive, hailed the sale [...]
Retail jobs at risk from Labour’s employment reforms February 19, 2026 Retailers could cut hours and make redundancies as a result of Labour’s Employment Rights Act, a survey of business leaders has found. Employment costs have shot up the list of concerns cited by retail chief finance officers (CFOs) and finance directors since the start of the act’s implementation, according to a survey by trade body [...]
Exclusive: NHS must keep medicine clawback down or lose investment, says weight-jab boss February 18, 2026 The NHS must keep its medicines clawback tax low and predictable or else risk disrupting the rollout of weight-loss drugs in the UK, Novo Nordisk’s UK chief has said. Sebnem Avsar Tuna, general manager of UK operations for the Ozempic and Wegovy maker, told City AM the Government must keep in place the current ceiling [...]
John Lewis boosts staff pay despite losses February 18, 2026 Retail giant John Lewis has announced a £108m investment in staff pay despite losses at the retail giant tripling over its last financial year. The John Lewis Partnership, which also owns supermarket Waitrose, announced on Wednesday it will hike shop floor pay by 6.9 per cent, which it says will boost the pay packet of [...]
Debenhams shares plunge after £35m capital raise confirmed February 17, 2026 Debenhams shares plunged ten per cent in early deals after the struggling fashion group confirmed plans to launch a £35m equity raising round. The group’s board said the fundraise will allow it to complete its resurgence but the plans did little to calm investors as its share price tumbled on the Tuesday open. Debenhams Group, [...]
Oak Furnitureland pares back losses as firm eyes showroom expansion February 16, 2026 Oak Furnitureland is eyeing further showroom expansion after the retailer improved its profitability. The Swindon-based business is targeting a host of new stores over the course of 2026 following the opening of a new showroom in Coventry in September, and is eyeing a refurbishment of at least half of its existing store estate by the [...]