Oak Furnitureland pares back losses as firm eyes showroom expansion February 16, 2026 Oak Furnitureland is eyeing further showroom expansion after the retailer improved its profitability. The Swindon-based business is targeting a host of new stores over the course of 2026 following the opening of a new showroom in Coventry in September, and is eyeing a refurbishment of at least half of its existing store estate by the [...]
Greene King weighs job cuts as pub sector braces for cost squeeze February 15, 2026 Greene King is preparing to cut around 100 roles as Britain’s second-largest pub operator reviews its cost base against a backdrop of rising taxes and mounting pressure across the hospitality sector. The brewer and pub group, which operates roughly 2,600 sites across the UK, is understood to be assessing changes to its head office and [...]
Carmakers swallow $65bn EV hit as UK bucks slowdown February 15, 2026 A $65bn (£51bn) rethink of electric vehicle strategies by global carmakers is colliding with a very different picture in the UK, where EV uptake continues to climb despite new taxes and policy scrutiny. Manufacturers across the US, Europe and Japan have booked tens of billions in writedowns over the past year as demand undershot expectations [...]
Why London bakers obsess over this Michelin starred restaurant February 13, 2026 Alex Dilling at Hotel Cafe Royal has maintained his second Michelin star for his on-trend style of decorative cooking, says Adam Bloodworth It is dinnertime at Alex Dilling at Hotel Cafe Royal, although you wouldn’t think it from looking at the plates. The food, at quick glance, presents more like fine patisserie. Most dishes are [...]
Former Six Nations stadium to become 50,000-seat football arena February 13, 2026 A former Six Nations stadium is set to be transformed into a new £380m, 50,000 arena for top flight football. The Stadio Flaminio in Italian capital Rome will be transformed from its current derelict state into a new state-of-the-art arena for Lazio The arena was opened for use during the 1960 Summer Olympics before it [...]
Clearpay CEO: I welcome buy now pay later regulations February 13, 2026 New FCA rules for buy now, pay later will strengthen, and legitimise, our industry, writes Clearpay CEO Rich Bayer.
UK innovation economy is the most under-priced asset in global markets February 13, 2026 Don’t write off Britain’s science and innovation sector. We are building global companies and attracting international attention, says Saul Klein If you listened only to the mood music in the City, you’d think the UK’s innovation story was already over. But in the week that London-founded ElevenLabs raised $500m from investors, making it the UK’s [...]
Alipay AI Payment Exceeds 120 Million Transactions in One Week as Agentic Commerce Accelerates in China February 13, 2026 Alipay announced that its AI Pay, a payment solution that enables secure and seamless payment through AI agents, exceeded 120 million transactions in the past week, as agentic commerce accelerates in China, making it the world’s first AI agentic payment service to reach this milestone. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: [...]
Bertone Runabout: A retro roadster inspired by a 1969 concept car February 13, 2026 International motor shows, once the epicentre of new car launches, have struggled to recover from the financial blows dealt by Covid. However, the annual Retromobile show in Paris has defied this trend by looking to the past, with a focus on classic cars and restomods. For legendary Italian design studio Bertone, Retromobile provided a natural [...]
Six Nations: What is the Calcutta Cup and how many trophies can teams win? February 13, 2026 The Six Nations is more than just a competition, it’s a series of rivalries between a number of rugby-playing nations. This weekend sees the Calcutta Cup up for grabs. There are a total of 10 gongs to be won and Scotland go into each tournament with hopes of securing seven of them – which is [...]