Currys kicks off year with strong sales despite high street pressures September 4, 2025 Currys has reported a robust start to its new financial year, with sales growth across the UK, Ireland and Nordics, and a £50m share buyback programme as the electricals retailer looks to reward shareholders. In a trading update for the 17 weeks to 30 August, the FTSE 250 firm said UK & Ireland like-for-like revenue [...]
UK economy on ‘much stronger footing’ as growth hopes rise September 3, 2025 The UK economy is expected to accelerate as leading survey data for August showed the services sector on a “much stronger footing”, according to researchers. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged to put “working people” at the heart of plans for the Autumn Budget, which has been announced for 26 November. Businesses will be hoping expected [...]
Zopa Bank expands payments grip with retail finance acquisition September 2, 2025 Digital bank Zopa has expanded its payments reach with a fresh takeover. The fintech has snapped up Rvvup – a platform designed to streamline businesses’ acceptance, collection and management of payments. Zopa said the acquisition will treble the size of its embedded finance business in two years, which covers the integration of financial products into [...]
Arne: Brothers enjoy huge pay day as profit surges September 1, 2025 The brothers behind clothing brand Arne have raked in the cash after sales and profit at their company surged in 2024 ahead of the brand opening its first store. The Warrington-headquartered business has posted a turnover of £84.1m and pre-tax profit of £11.9m for 2024 The figures compare to the turnover of £37.4m and pre-tax [...]
Local shops axe jobs and cut investment amid surging costs September 1, 2025 UK convenience stores have cuts 2,000 jobs over an “extremely challenging year” after coming under pressure from soaring labour costs and fierce competition from supermarkets. The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) warned that pessimistic consumers and increased costs for retailers are therefore putting the UK’s 50,000 local shops under pressure, resulting in weaker investment and [...]
Asda boss slams tax hikes: ‘Businesses have to be allowed to invest’ August 28, 2025 Asda chair Allan Leighton has warned that the Government must change the way it thinks about growth or risk a stagnating economy. Ahead of Asda’s quarterly results – where the grocer reported its fourth consecutive quarter of improving like-for-like sales – Leighton said that the company has a “simple philosophy… if you want growth, you [...]
British Retail Consortium appoints its first female chair August 28, 2025 The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has appointed Jo Whitfield as its new chair, the first woman in its history to hold the role. Whitfield will replace outgoing chair Andy Higginson, who has been in the position since September 2023. “I’m honoured to be joining the BRC as its first female Chair, and to be supporting [chief executive] [...]
Mark Kleinman: Gupta steeled for high-wire act to end without Liberty August 28, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column Gupta steeled for high-wire act to end without Liberty It’s crunch time – again. For Sanjeev Gupta, brushes with insolvency are nothing new. The steel tycoon has turned the process of snatching victory from the jaws of [...]
Retailers’ woes stretch into second day after bearish Deutsche note August 27, 2025 A sell-off affecting some of the UK’s largest retailers has extended into a second day, after an analyst warned the spectre of higher taxes in the Autumn Budget, a softening labour market and sticky inflation will dent consumers’ spending habits. Shares in AB Foods, Wickes and B&Q-owner Kingfisher all shed between one and 1.5 per [...]