Historically sunny spring to set UK retailers up for a bumper quarter May 10, 2025 The UK’s sunniest spring on record has encouraged Brits into brick and mortar stores in a much-needed boost for Britain’s struggling retailers. Britain experienced its sunniest April ever in 2025, while Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland each recorded their second sunniest. The effect has been to loosen wallets and “encourage shoppers to head out to [...]
Santander rejected £11bn Natwest bid for UK business May 9, 2025 Santander rebuffed an £11bn bid for its UK retail banking division from Natwest earlier this year because it was was too low. The two lenders are no longer in negotiations, according to people familliar with the matter cited by the Financial Times, despite consistent speculation about the fate of the Spanish financial juggernaut’s UK business. [...]
Soho House: New venue reveals opening date after long delays May 9, 2025 A new opening date has been revealed for the UK’s latest Soho House location which has been beset by long delays. The private members’ club, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, is now targeting October as the launch month for its new venue in Manchester. The new location will be based at [...]
Champagne Lanson sales fail to fizz as prices rise May 9, 2025 Champagne Lanson suffered a sharp drop in its UK sales in 2024 as drinkers turned their backs on bars and restaurants amid the cost-of-living crisis. New accounts filed with Companies House show the brand’s turnover was slashed from £45.2m to £35.5m last year while its pre-tax profit also fell from £1.7m to £819,000. The champagne [...]
M&S will ‘need to go on a charm offensive’ to win customers back May 8, 2025 Analysts have warned that Marks and Spencer (M&S) faces an uphill battle to win back customers when it has dealt with its ongoing cyber attack. The high street darling told markets it had suffered a “cyber incident” at the end of April. Around £1bn has been wiped off its market value since 1 April, and [...]
How did Next become an online shopping behemoth? May 8, 2025 A better-than-expected set of first-quarter results from Next this morning has highlighted its growing reputation as an online fashion platform. Online sales, which account for around 30 per cent on overall sales, grew by 8.9 per cent in the UK and 29.6 per cent internationally. Internet-based sales have been a bigger driver of revenue over [...]
Next warns impact of tax hikes could hit sales May 8, 2025 High street bellwether Next has upgraded its full-year profit guidance after better-than-expected sales, but warned consumer confidence will slow sales in the second half of the year. Next told markets this morning that total full price sales rose 11.4 per cent year on year in the 13 weeks to April 26. The sales boost, which [...]
Why M&S, Harrods and the Co-op were hit by cyber attacks May 8, 2025 Cyber security experts have warned that retail’s lack of investment in IT protection, as well as the amount of consumer data it has access to, has put a bullseye on the sector. The warnings follow a trio of serious attacks at major UK households names – Harrods, Marks and Spencer (M&S) and the Co-op. “Retailers [...]
Mark Kleinman: This is not just any retail cyber attack… May 8, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column This is not just any retail cyber attack… It’s hardly an exclusive club these days: a big listed company is the victim of a major cyber attack, compromising its systems and ability to continue serving customers. [...]
Gymshark: How going public could help take on ‘monster rivals’ Nike and Adidas May 7, 2025 Gymshark, the activewear brand co-founded by billionaire Ben Francis, could be pushed towards becoming a public company in its bid to “achieve the kind of global domination enjoyed by monster rivals Nike and Adidas”. According to Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, the Solihull-headquartered business would need to “amp up its presence” [...]