More than 80 retail bosses urge Starmer to tackle youth unemployment crisis Retail More than 80 retail bosses have called on the Prime Minister to set out urgent measures to tackle youth unemployment, warning that the “ladder of opportunity for young people is wobbling”. The chiefs of leading retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and John Lewis have called on Sir Keir Starmer to safeguard the position of retail as [...]
This is why the City’s fintech IPO boom hasn’t happened yet Fintech Hopes remain high for a flurry of fintech listings, in this week’s column Samuel Norman takes a look at whether this could come to fruition and what could be holding it up. City officials have pinned a hefty portion of their hopes for a London Stock Market revival on the nation’s fintech stars. Rachel Reeves [...]
Retailers ramp up pressure on Reeves to scrap tax break for e-commerce rivals Retail Retailers have urged Rachel Reeves to “revitalise the high street” by speeding up plans to close a tax break which they say unfairly favours Chinese e-commerce rivals. High street giants like Next, M&S and Primark have urged the Chancellor to impose a £2.60 flat fee on small parcels to rebalance a system which they say [...]
Superdrug owner eyes up London float in $30bn dual listing May 23, 2026 The owner of Superdrug is eyeing up a blockbuster London float as part of a $30bn dual listing later this year. AS Watson, which owns the health and beauty retailer, plans to raise about $2bn by listing its shares in both London and Hong Kong before the end of 2026. The Superdrug owner would join [...]
Shopping list: London Stock Exchange could welcome £20bn in retail floats within months April 22, 2026 The London Stock Exchange is gearing up to welcome as much as £20bn in retailer listings amid hopes that the British high street could be key to reviving the capital’s ailing public markets. Three of the UK’s biggest retail brands – Primark, Boots and Waterstones – each appear to be in the advanced stages of [...]
Can Primark go it alone after ABF split? April 22, 2026 FTSE 100 giant Associated British Foods ended months of rumour when it announced its demerger from Primark. Felix Armstrong explores how the budget clothes retailer will fare on its own. Walk into Oxford Street’s Primark, battle through the tightly packed rows of cut-price clothing, and your eyes will seize on the bright blue lights of [...]
Associated British Foods shares slide as £10bn Primark spin-off confirmed April 21, 2026 FTSE 100 titan Associated British Foods has confirmed plans to spin off clothes retailer Primark, signalling a dramatic change in direction for the food and retail firm. Shares in the firm slid more than six per cent on Tuesday’s open, leaving the stock down 16 per cent in the year so far. The market had [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks flat as Trump’s deadline looms; Job vacancies shrink; Primark gets spin-off April 21, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. New unemployment figures this morning have showed an unexpected twist where the joblessness rate slipped under the five per cent mark. But this was accompanied by a blow to the market with the number of vacancies fell by an estimate of 29,000 in the three [...]
The defence industry can’t wait for the government to find its courage April 13, 2026 The government slips from one deadline to another and insists all is well. But the damage is already being done, to our industrial base, our capabilities and our reputation, says Eliot Wilson Sir Keir Starmer’s government cannot be blamed for all the shortcomings in Britain’s defence posture and capabilities, the roots of which can be [...]
Primark appoints Eoin Tonge as chief executive March 5, 2026 Fast fashion juggernaut Primark has appointed a new chief executive, as the company looks to tighten its product offerings and bolster marketing firepower. Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) appointed Eoin Tonge permanent chief executive on Thursday, cementing him in the top job following his tenure as interim chief. Tonge has served as a director [...]