Estée Lauder loses over £360m as it prepares to cut jobs March 26, 2025 Estée Lauder, the beauty giant behind brands such as Clinique, MAC, and Jo Malone, has slumped to a loss of more than £360m in the UK and Ireland as it prepares to cut thousands of jobs. The US multi-national, which is also the owner of Bobbi Brown, Aveda and Tom Ford, posted a pre-tax loss [...]
Julian Charles rescued out of administration after tax rises bite March 26, 2025 Julian Charles, the luxury bedding and homewares retailer, has been rescued out of administration after struggling with falling sales and increasing taxes. The Manchester-headquartered company’s business and assets have been sold to Great Bedding Co Ltd in a deal which safeguarded 230 out of 251 jobs and more than 25 trading sites as well as [...]
Retail sales plummet as trade fears and taxes weigh on confidence March 25, 2025 Retail sales dropped in March and are expected to fall further as low confidence worsens a decade-long decline in retail. Sales volumes in the UK dropped “markedly” in the year to March, according to the CBI’s latest trading survey. It was the sharpest drop since last July and marks the sixth consecutive months of decline, [...]
Profit jumps at electrical retailer AO World March 25, 2025 Profit has risen more than twice as fast as sales and far outstripped revenue growth at online electrical retailer AO World. The company told markets this morning that it expects retail revenue to increase by around 12 per cent in the 12 months to March 31. It expects like-for-like revenue to increase by around seven [...]
Kingfisher: French trading dampens performance of B&Q owner March 25, 2025 Kingfisher, the parent company of B&Q and Screwfix, has reported a drop in sales driven by the weak consumer market in France. Sales fell 1.5 per cent to £12.78bn in the year ended January 31, Kingfisher told markets this morning. This drop was overwhelmingly driven by a 6.2 per cent drop in sales in France, [...]
Will rising costs kill off Savile Row’s renaissance? March 25, 2025 On a Wednesday morning earlier this month, there was plenty of activity on the shop floor at the Georgian townhouse that plays home to Richard James’ bespoke suit-making. One staff member is on the phone discussing colours and time frames, another getting a glass of water for a customer in the changing room, and smartly [...]
Co-op invests further in lower prices as ‘trolley wars’ beckon March 25, 2025 Co-op Group has invested millions in lower prices as all the grocers gear up to battle for value-seeking customers. The business, which is owned by its 5.5 million members, will invest more than £70m into matching prices with Aldi on 100 everyday essentials for its members. The move will take the co-operative’s investment into lowering [...]
Colliers label business rates bill ‘poorly thought out’ and ‘growth strangling’ March 24, 2025 Commercial real estate agents Colliers has said the Government’s business rates bill will strangle growth rather than succeeding in saving the high street. The Non-Domestic Rates Bill is currently on its third reading in the House of Lords before being sent back to the Commons. “The Government is rushing through Parliament new business rates legislation [...]
Morrisons to cut hundreds of jobs and close cafes in huge shake-up March 24, 2025 Supermarket giant Morrisons has put 365 jobs at risk after it revealed plans to close more than 50 of its cafes. The Yorkshire-headquartered chain said 52 of its cafes, 17 convenience stores and dozens of meat and fish counters at its shops are slated for closure. Morrisons said the closures are part of a “wide-ranging” [...]
JD Sports: Nike woes could spell trouble for retailer says broker March 24, 2025 London broker Peel Hunt has downgraded its forecast for JD Sports ahead of the company’s full-year results next month due to short-term industry issues. Peel Hunt cut its projected profit before tax and earnings per share for JD Sports by three per cent for the financial year 2026. The broker attributed the downgrade to an [...]