Boots to be taken over by US private equity firm in $10bn deal March 7, 2025 Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), the owner of Boots, has agreed to a $10bn (£7.8bn) takeover by a US private equity firm. Sycamore Partners is expected to complete the takeover by the end of the year. The US-listed WBA said of the deal: “[Sycamore’s] experience in retail and consumer services would ensure WBA was better positioned [...]
Week in Business: Who will Rachel Reeves blame for higher taxes in Spring Statement? March 6, 2025 City AM Editor Christian May looks at the biggest business stories in his weekly video, today focusing on the UK economy and upcoming Spring Statement.
Ocado: CEO pay jumps despite heavy losses and flagging share price March 6, 2025 The chief executive of Ocado has seen his pay jump despite continuing heavy losses at the technology and grocery platform. Tim Steiner took home more than £2.6m for his company’s latest financial year, a rise from the £1.9m he was awarded in the prior 12 months. The increase was mainly driven by a rise in [...]
Brits spent almost £1bn this Valentines Day March 5, 2025 Brits spent almost £1bn on flowers, gifts, and at-home meals this Valentine’s Day as shoppers sought to create a special occasion at home rather than splashing out at a restaurant. According to the latest NIQ Till Tracker, £962m was spent on food and gifting on Valentine’s Day, with the biggest growth in spending on flowers, [...]
Government told to improve education for young entrepreneurs March 5, 2025 A new report has exposed the education system’s failure to boost business knowledge among aspiring entrepreneurs. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and Simply Business have called on the Government to incorporate business education into the national curriculum, in a bid to unlock “a gold mine of enterprise potential”. The study revealed just a third [...]
The 13 skyscrapers set to redefine the City of London’s skyline March 4, 2025 The City of London Corporation has released new images visualising how the Square Mile’s skyline will look.
Three ways to restore confidence in UK public markets March 3, 2025 To reignite confidence in our public markets, we need domestic reforms that increase liquidity, foster investor confidence, and provide more avenues for capital flow, says Alastair King As Lord Mayor I have the privilege of traveling the world promoting London as a global financial powerhouse. Liberalised trade opens doors for stronger partnerships, smoother business, and [...]
Oxford Street: Mayor wants ideas on pedestrianising iconic shopping area February 28, 2025 Sadiq Khan is asking Londoners for their ideas on pedestrianising Oxford Street in a bid to transform the iconic shopping district into a “world-class, accessible, clean, avenue”. The Mayor today launched a public consultation on the proposed transformation of the central London road which will run until 2 May 2025. Sir Sadiq is proposing to [...]
Hiscox: Profit hits record at Lloyd’s of London insurer February 27, 2025 Lloyd’s of London insurer Hiscox has reported a record profit for the year ended 31 December 2024, with pre-tax earnings reaching $685.4m (£541.5m), a 9.5 per cent increase from the previous year. The insurance group’s net insurance contract written premiums rose to $3.7bn (£2.9bn) in 2023, up from $3.6bn (£2.8bn) in 2023. Insurance contract written [...]
Why clubs – not schools – are key to solving the youth crisis February 26, 2025 Youth clubs were great levellers of the 1980s and 90s. A new wave would go a long way in tackling today's youth crisis, writes Eliza Filby.