Burberry’s decline shows British brands can’t trade on heritage alone May 30, 2025 The decline of Burberry should be a cautionary tale for British luxury brands relying on heritage, writes Manfredi Ricca.
Is Asda’s ambitious turnaround starting to bear fruit? May 29, 2025 Asda has had a tumultuous year and a half. Since January 2024, the supermarket giant has undergone numerous leadership changes, IT issues, and sales woes. Its troubles began back in 2021, when it was bought in a debt-fuelled takeover by the billionaire Issa brothers – who have since departed the board – and private equity firm [...]
Avison Young loses over £100m for a second year as more jobs cut May 29, 2025 More than £100m has been lost for a second consecutive year by the UK and European arm of global commercial real estate services firm Avison Young as it continued to cut jobs, it has been revealed. The Birmingham-headquartered division has reported a pre-tax loss of £101.8m for 2024, having posted the same total for 2023. [...]
PureGym: Losses near £90m amid huge expansion drive May 29, 2025 Losses at PureGym widened to almost £90m as it created hundreds of jobs and opened new locations in 2024, it has been revealed. The Leeds-headquartered low-cost chain has posted a pre-tax loss of £88.5m for its latest financial year, after having also lost £77.6m in the prior 12 months. In 2024, PureGym increased its headcount [...]
Reeves’ tax raids crush business confidence – but worst is yet to come May 29, 2025 Business confidence plummeted in the three months to May as Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes took hold and firms have warned more pain is to come. Consumer services’ optimism marked its eight consecutive month of decline at -42 per cent, whilst levels of business value plunged to -56 per cent. This was down from -44 per [...]
Tom Sellers: My message for Gen Z chefs May 29, 2025 Twelve years ago Tom Sellers, aged just 26, launched Restaurant Story. The fine dining restaurant in Bermondsey went on to land two Michelin stars and became one of the most sought-after meal tickets in the land. The menu, which revolved around stories from Sellers’ life, was a hit with both diners and critics, with dishes [...]
AI isn’t undermining university, it’s exposing it May 29, 2025 The crisis in universities didn’t start with ChatGPT, it began when the acquisition of knowledge became a transaction. To tackle it, universities should rediscover their foundational purpose: intellectual innovation, says Eliza Filby Universities are at a tipping point with AI. One recent survey found 88 per cent of students have used Gen AI for written [...]
Grocery inflation jumps to highest level in more than a year May 28, 2025 Grocery price inflation shot up to 4.1 per cent in May, driven by chocolate and suncare products in the hottest start to the month on record. The rise follows a 3.8 per cent jump in April and a 1.8 per cent rise in March, according to Kantar. “This latest jump in grocery price inflation takes [...]
Pets at Home: Demand for vet services soars May 28, 2025 Pets at Home has reported flat year-on-year revenue, with a starkly diverging performance in retail sales and veterinary services. Underlying profit before tax in retail fell by 16.6 per cent year on year to £72.9m, while underlying profit before tax from the company’s vet arm grew by 23.3 per cent year on year to £75.9m [...]
Spending in pubs surges as Brits flock to beer gardens May 28, 2025 Pubs enjoyed a boost in April during the sunny spring weather as Brits opted for outdoor beer gardens over indoor restaurants. Like-for-like sales growth at pubs reached 9.1 per cent year on year, according to the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. Sales across all hospitality outlets were 4.2 per cent ahead of April 2024 [...]