Marks and Spencer shares slide as investors brace for inflation hit Retail Shares in Marks and Spencer have taken a dip as investors fear that rising inflation will push shoppers away from the upmarket grocer and towards its budget rivals. FTSE-100-listed M&S, whose food arm accounts for more than half of its revenue, dropped as much as four per cent on Wednesday to 357p. The share price [...]
Gareth Southgate hits out at WFH and warns high taxes are harming youth unemployment Economics Former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate has said he is against working from home and argued that young people need workplace mentors to develop their careers. On a trip with the Neets tsar Alan Milburn, Southgate hit out at companies’ working from home policies and linked it to the joblessness crisis facing under 25-year-olds. “What [...]
Tesco and Boots lead 100,000 jobs pledge to tackle Neets crisis Retail Tesco, Boots and dozens of other retailers have pledged to create 100,000 new jobs in a bid to tackle the youth unemployment crisis, which they say is trapping young people in a “doom loop”. A group of top high street firms – which also includes Asda, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer – have joined [...]
Retailers urge Healey to unwind national insurance hike to boost jobs September 3, 2026 Retailers have called on Chancellor John Healey to unwind some of the national insurance reforms made by his predecessor in a bid to tackle the youth joblessness crisis. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer, has written to the Chancellor, urging him to unwind “soaring employment costs”. [...]
Tesco and M&S warn Burnham against Budget tax raid on retailers September 1, 2026 Top supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer have urged Andy Burnham to rule out a Budget tax raid on retailers, warning they are already facing “unsustainable” costs. The Retail Jobs Alliance (RJA), which represents retailers employing more than 1m people, has urged the Prime Minister not to prioritise pubs and bars over high [...]
‘Big hitter’ Baldock readies Boots makeover August 31, 2026 As workers across the City return to their desks after the summer holidays, one executive is starting somewhere new. Alex Baldock, the former boss of Currys, will take his place as chief executive of health and beauty retailer Boots on Tuesday, City AM understands. The group, one of the UK’s biggest and best-known retailers, has [...]
Asda turnaround king Allan Leighton hopes for summer boost August 27, 2026 Allan Leighton, the turnaround expert charged with leading Asda’s resurgence, has been known for his showmanship. During his first stint at Asda in the 90s, he kicked off an annual managers’ conference by revving into the auditorium on a Harley-Davidson motorbike. It was this reputation for bold, eye-catching leadership which prompted struggling discount retailer Asda [...]
Burnham accused of ‘piecemeal’ business rates reform August 24, 2026 Andy Burnham has been accused of taking a “piecemeal” approach to business rates instead of committing to Labour’s manifesto pledge to replace the tax system. The government has launched a review into how business rates bills are calculated for pubs and hotels, but industry bodies have urged the Prime Minister to commit to wholesale reform [...]
John Caudwell and Stuart Rose blast ‘tax creep’ August 24, 2026 Billionaire political donor John Caudwell and retail bigwig Lord Stuart Rose have hit out at the “creep of taxes” hitting businesses across the country. The influential business veterans have joined a campaign led by entrepreneur group Helm calling on the government to “stop the creep of taxes on wealth creators”. A letter, which has been [...]
Twilight and Thunder the Calls at Shergar Cup August 4, 2026 SOME of the world’s best jockeys will line up at Ascot this Saturday for Flat racing’s annual team competition, the Shergar Cup. This year’s edition looks a high-class one, with the decision to move the Curragh’s Group One Phoenix Stakes to Sunday meaning that both Ryan Moore and Dylan Browne McMonagle are free to compete. [...]