UK retail sales surge at the fastest rate in four years April 25, 2025 Retail sales unexpectedly rose in March as shoppers were boosted by good weather, according to new data. Retail sales volumes rose by 0.4 per cent in March 2025, following 0.7 per cent rise in February, according to the Office for National Statistics. Quarterly sales volumes rose by 1.6 per cent quarter on quarter and 1.7 [...]
Asos: Losses narrow as e-commerce giant drives turnaround April 24, 2025 Struggling ecommerce giant Asos has reported reduced losses as its turnaround plan begins to take shape. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) moved into positive territory at £42.5m in the 26 weeks to March 2, from a loss of £16.3m last year. Its share price dipped by nearly two per cent in [...]
Shawbrook eyes £5bn Starling merger instead of IPO April 24, 2025 Shawbrook Group is weighing up a £5bn merger with fintech giant Starling, in a move that would be emblematic of a tougher outlook on stock market listings. The mid-cap lender has reached out to Starling in the last two months to initiate talks on a potential deal, as reported by Sky News. The proposal remains [...]
City broker upgrades Boohoo shares to ‘Hold’ April 23, 2025 City broker Shore Capital has upgraded fast-fashion retailer Boohoo, now trading as Debenhams, from a ‘Sell’ to a ‘Hold’ in light of its falling share price. Boohoo’s share price has dropped by more than a third since last November, after a series of poor trading updates and a public spat with Mike Ashley. Shore Capital [...]
More jobs lost at Dead Man’s Fingers maker as sales fall April 23, 2025 More jobs have been lost at the company behind Crabbie’s Ginger Beer and Dead Man’s Fingers spiced rum as sales fell and it remained in the red. Halewood Artisanal Spirts, whose brands also include Whitley Neill Gin, Liverpool Gin and Samuel Gelton’s Irish whiskey, cut its headcount from 472 to 390 in the 12 months [...]
Charles Tyrwhitt: Office return helps sales to new record April 23, 2025 Sales at Charles Tyrwhitt have surged to more than £300m for the first time as the trend of returning to the office has boosted the workwear retailer. The London-headquartered business, which was founded by Nick Wheeler in 1986, has posted a turnover of £305.7m for the 12 months to 3 August, 2024. The total comes after [...]
Tesla profits crash as Elon Musk fallout hits brand and bottom line April 23, 2025 Tesla reported a sharp decline in first-quarter profit on Tuesday, missing Wall Street estimates as the electric vehicle maker continued to grapple with slowing demand, rising competition, and mounting brand headwinds tied to chief executive Elon Musk’s political activities. Net income nosedived 71 per cent year-over-year to $409m (£307m) while revenue fell nine per cent [...]
WHSmith shares continue to sink ahead of high street chain rebrand April 22, 2025 WHSmith’s shares have sunk more than 18 per cent since the company’s board approved the sale of its high street chain at the end of March. It’s one of the few retail stocks that hasn’t recovered from the tariff-fueled market dip in the first week of April, with investors still concerned about the stationer’s prospects. [...]
Hargreaves Lansdown co-founder returns to board after £5.4bn takeover April 21, 2025 The billionaire co-founder of Hargreaves Lansdown has made a surprise return to the investment platform’s board following its private equity takeover last year. Peter Hargreaves, who helped set up the investment site in 1981 and stepped down as a director a decade ago, will reappear on the company board in a non-executive role. Hargreaves has [...]
A Shein-shaped question looms large over London April 20, 2025 With UK regulators said to have rubber-stamped its application to list in London, Shein’s long-awaited blockbuster IPO is closer than ever. But with questions over its links to forced labour continuing to dog the Chinese-founded firm, and recent turbulence from Trump’s tariffs, Ali Lyon asks, is it losing steam at just the wrong time? On [...]