‘I fired the board that fired me’: TGI Fridays boss on restaurant turnaround April 8, 2026 TGI Fridays had its heyday in the 1980s but slumped into administration last year. Its new boss Ray Blanchette tells Felix Armstrong the nostalgic chain can win back Britain after a period in turmoil. “I land at Heathrow and jump in a cab. The plane got in late,” says Ray Blanchette, recalling the day he [...]
MiQ Acquires Rocket Lab to Accelerate AI-Powered App Growth Globally April 7, 2026 Deal brings in-app growth and total-market reach together in one unified advertising solution
Iceland boss offers job to Waitrose worker who tackled shoplifter April 7, 2026 The boss of Iceland has offered a job to a man who was sacked by Waitrose after he prevented a shoplifter from attempting to steal luxury Easter eggs. Richard Walker, boss of the budget supermarket chain, posted on LinkedIn telling Walker Smith, the shop assistant sacked by Waitrose: “You’re welcome to a job with us. [...]
Goldman Sachs flagship private credit fund bucks industry sell-off April 7, 2026 Goldman Sachs’ flagship private credit fund has said investors looked to pull less than five per cent of their holdings in the first three months of this year, dodging an industry-wide redemptions wave that has forced some rivals to gate their funds. The investment bank’s direct lending arm, which functions like a private equity fund [...]
Private credit firm exposed after cosmetics retailer plunges into administration April 7, 2026 A private credit firm has been forced to write down the value of one of its portfolio companies after online retailer Give Me Cosmetics was placed into administration. London-based Beechbrook capital, which offers finance to lower mid-market British businesses, had lent around £6.5m to fund the acquisition of Give Me Cosmetics in April 2024, in [...]
Tories urge Waitrose to re-hire worker who tackled shoplifter – and give him a bonus April 6, 2026 Shadow home secretary Chris Philp has urged the boss of Waitrose to re-hire Walker Smith, who tackled a shoplifter in south London attempting to steal luxury Easter eggs. Waitrose shop assistant Walker Smith was sacked by the supermarket after tackling a shoplifter, whom Smith recognised as a repeat offender. Philp wrote to Denyard, the managing [...]
Labour to curb jail terms for shoplifters as retail crime fears grow April 4, 2026 Labour’s plans to scrap most prison sentences of under a year will see thousands of prolific shoplifters avoid jail, in a move that risks intensifying pressure on retailers already warning of rising violence and disorder. The changes, introduced under the Sentencing Act, mean around 98 per cent of shoplifters currently in custody would instead qualify [...]
M&S boss: Sadiq Khan is soft on crime April 3, 2026 Marks and Spencer has hit out at the Mayor of London for being soft on crime, after crowds of young people have targeted London shops in the past week. Thinus Keeve, the supermarket’s retail director, has called on Sadiq Khan to crack down on violent disorder against retailers, after a Marks and Spencer (M&S) shop [...]
Barbican Centre: the brutalist landmark weaving art into everyday London life. April 2, 2026 For many people, the Barbican is a place to visit, to catch a show, enjoy some food or just hang out. For others, like Jo Davis (Head of Retail) and Oluwatoyin Odunsi (Senior Producer for Learning & Participation), it’s a place of work – as seen in the video below. And for a fortunate few, [...]
Friends of The Whisky Exchange launches to reward customers April 2, 2026 In an exciting development for all whisky and spirits fans, The Whisky Exchange has launched a loyalty programme. The scheme is designed to reward the company’s most loyal customers with exclusive bottlings, shared knowledge, discounts and much more. The initial invites for the Friends of The Whisky Exchange scheme were sent out to a handful [...]