Retail data threats peak in Q2, as UK sector grapples with cyber spree July 17, 2025 New analysis of cyber threat data suggests a clear seasonal pattern is emerging in retail-focused attacks, with the second quarter of the year consistently seeing a spike in malicious activity targeting retailers across the UK. The findings, based on Abnormal AI’s data collected between January 2023 and June 2025, indicate that threat actors are increasingly [...]
Does Rachel Reeves believe in capitalism? July 17, 2025 The Chancellor can’t do the biggest things she needs for growth because she can’t escape her own ideology, says Helen Thomas Spin only gets you so far in the business world. Action has to back up rhetoric or the game will be found out. This is the main difference between business and politics: the former [...]
Mark Kleinman: Radical Post Office reform has mutual interest July 17, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column Radical Post Office reform has mutual interest Talk about a pregnant pause: it’s nine months since I reported that ministers had asked the consulting firm BCG to explore options for transferring the Post Office into mutual [...]
First-time buyer demand for furniture and the ‘lipstick effect’ boost June sales July 15, 2025 Demand for furniture and beauty goods caused retail sales to rise in June, boosted by good weather and slowly-recovering consumer confidence. Sales in the UK rose 3.1 per cent year on year in June, against a decline of 0.2 per cent in June 2024, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). “Retailers will [...]
Exclusive: Amazon Prime Day UK sales top £2bn despite consumer caution July 14, 2025 Amazon’s biggest UK shopping event on record has delivered a much needed adrenaline shot to Britain’s faltering retail sector – with online spending during its four-day Prime event topping £2bn for the first time. Consumers splashed out £2.08bn online between the 8th and the 11th July, driven by steep discounts on everything from baby toys [...]
Wimbledon, Euros and Test cricket set to boost pubs and supermarkets July 12, 2025 Pubs and supermarkets are bracing for a bumper weekend thanks to the heatwave and a deluge of live sport on TV including Wimbledon finals, Test cricket and the Lionesses. A British and Irish Lions tour match, England and Wales rugby internationals, other Women’s Euros fixtures, Tour de France cycling and a trilogy fight between Katie [...]
Hamleys: More loss-making stores closed by iconic toys seller July 9, 2025 Hamleys has closed another raft of loss-making stores as it battles to boost its bottom line. The retailer shuttered 29 shops during its latest financial year, having also closed 40 in the prior 12 months. Hamleys, which also opened 22 new locations in the year, now operates 11 stores in the UK and has 176 [...]
M&S shares sink lower after failing to recover from cyber attack July 8, 2025 Shares in FTSE 100 giant M&S are now lower than they were at the height of the cyber attack that hit the British icon earlier this year. The retailer’s shares are currently changing hands for 337p, after declining steadily from their 374p price on 16 June. That price was itself a recovery from the low [...]
Shein files for Hong Kong IPO as London listing prospects wane July 8, 2025 Shein has filed for an initial public offering in Hong Kong as the prospects for the firm’s London listing continue to wane. The Singapore-based business last week confidentially filed a draft prospectus for the Hong Kong Exchange and sought approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), according to the Financial Times. The fast-fashion firm [...]
Longest-ever Prime Day to see Brits spend nearly £2bn on Amazon July 8, 2025 A four-day-long Prime event is set to see Brits spend £1.9bn as consumers increasingly look to deals and discounts for their shopping. Retailers are hoping the discount bonanza will be a boon after a tough first half of the year, and a chance to get ahead of what is expected to be a tough second [...]