Boots: Profit jumps after closing hundreds of stores June 5, 2025 Profit at Boots has surged as the high street pharmacy chain closed hundreds of stores during its latest financial year as its owners abandoned plans for an initial public offering (IPO). The Nottingham-headquartered business shuttered 334 locations in the year to the end of August 2024, new accounts filed with Companies House have revealed. Instead [...]
Zonal pricing proposals backed by peers June 5, 2025 Plans to introduce a “zonal pricing” regime to the UK’s electricity market have been backed by an influential group of Lords. A report from the Industry and Regulators Committee found regional pricing “should enable better use of existing grid capacity” and lower the cost of electricity, provided the transition and its risks are “managed well.” [...]
Grandparents are the missing piece in the fertility crisis June 5, 2025 An under-discussed aspect of the housing shortage is that it forces many young Londoners to move away from their parents, making it harder to raise children of their own, says Phoebe Arslanagic-Little My husband and I knew that our baby would be much loved by our parents, but we have both been surprised by the [...]
Happy Valley maker shut down by owner StudioCanal June 4, 2025 The maker of TV hits such as Happy Valley and It’s a Sin has been shut down by its owner, StudioCanal. Red Production Company, which is headquartered in Manchester, has closed with the loss of around ten jobs. Included in the departures was chief executive Patrick Schweitzer who left the business last week. Schweitzer had [...]
Phone Marking Sessions Helping Combat Mobile Theft June 4, 2025 Five City Business Improvement Districts and City Business Partnership have partnered with the City of London Police to run free phone marking events to help combat the increase in mobile phone theft. To make stolen phones traceable and strengthen the criminal case against thieves when arrested, these discreet and unique stickers help police to quickly [...]
Thames Water mess could soon swamp ministers – and taxpayers June 4, 2025 Water takes the path of least resistance, and so – on this occasion as least – does private equity. Apparently deterred by the increasingly hostile political and regulatory environment KKR, the US giant which secured ‘preferred bidder status’ for a takeover of Thames Water, pulled the plug on its £4bn investment over the weekend. They [...]
Westminster is dancing to Nigel Farage’s tune June 4, 2025 Whether it’s Keir Starmer’s welfare U-turns or Robert Jenrick’s viral videos, parties of the left and right are scrabbling to respond to Farage’s Reform onslaught, says Emma Revell Spending time away from the office when you work in Westminster is a strange experience. Either you keep watching the news and doomscrolling on social media, in [...]
Tommy Hilfiger joins Formula 1 grid with Cadillac June 4, 2025 The newest team to the Formula 1 grid, Cadillac, have announced Tommy Hilfiger as a major partner. The Regent Street clothing brand has been synonymous with the Mercedes Formula 1 team but will join the American outfit ahead of their first season on the grid. The deal for the American apparel brand founded by its [...]
British Steel braces for fresh Trump tariff blow June 3, 2025 The British steel industry is gearing up for the hammer blow of fresh US tariffs after Downing Street could not confirm that steelmakers would be exempt from the levies. The UK government unveiled a trade deal with the US last month, under which metal exports would be exempted from punitive tariffs. But negotiations on the [...]
Thames Water: What next after KKR walks? June 3, 2025 Thames Water was dealt a crushing blow this morning after its preferred bidder, the US private equity giant KKR, abruptly withdrew from its pursuit of the embattled utility. The decision leaves the UK’s largest water supplier without a buyer and puts it back on the brink of administration. It follows just a week after it [...]