Meat and coffee prices drive grocery price inflation October 14, 2025 Grocery price inflation in the UK passed five per cent in September to its highest level since July after the cost of fresh meat and coffee jumped. Like-for-like grocery price inflation rose to 5.2 per cent over the four weeks to 5 October versus the same period last year, according to the latest figures from Worldpanel [...]
THG reports strongest quarter of growth since 2021 October 14, 2025 THG, the London-listed firm behind fitness supplement brand Myprotein, has reported a better-than-expected uptick in sales following operating model changes. Third-quarter revenue rose 6.3 per cent, the retailer told markets this morning, driven by 10 per cent in nutrition, alongside “continued momentum” in beauty. This represents the highest organic quarterly growth since the fourth quarter of [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Retail sales slow; Unemployment figures tick up October 14, 2025 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. After a dismal first three quarters of the year, London’s IPO market is finally roaring back, returning the capital to a level playing field with its rival listing venues after a string of fresh flotation announcements. That’s the view of bosses at top City broker Peel Hunt, [...]
Retail sales slow as Budget and inflation weigh on spending plans October 14, 2025 Retail spending slowed in September, as a tax raising Budget and higher household inflation expectations forced Brits to tighten their belts before the all-important ‘Golden Quarter’. Total retail sales in September increased by 2.3 per cent year on year, down from the 3.1 per cent that the sector notched up in August and the 2.5 [...]
Shawbrook looks to raise over £50m in November IPO October 13, 2025 Specialist lender Shawbrook has confirmed its intention to kick off an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange. The company is targeting a listing in early November 2025 and expects to raise £50m in net proceeds through new shares. This will be alongside the sale of existing shares by Marlin Bidco Ltd – [...]
AI fraud surge squeezes UK retail margins as businesses fight back with tech October 13, 2025 UK retailers are under siege from a surge in AI-driven fraud, eroding thin profit margins and forcing a scramble for smarter defences. As economic headwinds bite, fraud losses are climbing, with businesses from high street giants to e-commerce heavyweights investing heavily in technology to stay afloat. Michael Reitblat, chief executive of fraud prevention specialist Forter, [...]
British icon in the red after Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes costs jobs October 10, 2025 John Smedley, the historic family-owned luxury knitwear brand, has been forced to raise prices and make redundancies as it battles Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes as it fell into the red. The Derbyshire-headquartered business can trace its roots back to 1784 and is currently run by the eighth generation of the Smedley family. Executive chairman [...]
Tax fears heat up as firms ‘not ready for another Budget battering’ October 10, 2025 Tax fears across businesses in the UK are bubbling up, a leading survey has indicated, as Chancellor Rachel Reeves is warned that firms are “not ready for another Budget battering” later this year. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC)’s survey has shown that business confidence remains in a fragile state amid nerves that another damaging [...]
Del Boy billionaire’s empire returns to profit after rescue deals October 9, 2025 The retail empire owned by the so-called ‘Del Boy billionaire’ and behind The Range and Wilko, returned to the black before rescuing the Homebase brand, it has been revealed. Chris Dawson’s Norton Group Holdings has reported a pre-tax profit of £10.5m for the year to 2 February, 2025, new accounts filed with Companies House show. [...]
Topshop and Topman losses revealed before John Lewis move October 7, 2025 Losses at the joint venture behind Topshop and Topman have been revealed ahead of the brand’s return to UK stores next year. The brands were sold by online clothing retailer Asos to a joint venture alongside Danish retail tycoon Anders Holch Povlsen’s Heartland in September 2024. Asos had previously acquired Topshop and Topman along with [...]