New Look owners line up Rothschild as high street chain prepares for possible sale August 24, 2025 The owners of New Look have appointed Rothschild to oversee a strategic review that could see the high street fashion chain change hands next year. Alcentra and Brait, which have controlled the retailer since 2020, tapped the investment bank after receiving unsolicited approaches from potential buyers, Sky News reported. No timeline has been set for [...]
‘IPO jungle drums starting to beat’: City grandees eye autumn flurry August 14, 2025 Global equities climbed to a record high on Wednesday, aided by yet another day in the green for the FTSE 100 that has sparked a rare bout of optimism among City grandees that life could be breathed into the Square Mile’s beleaguered IPO market this autumn. Stock markets in London, New York and across Europe [...]
River Island saved from brink of administration but stores to close August 8, 2025 High street retailer River Island has been saved from the brink of administration after a High Court judge approved its restructuring plan
What’s next for River Island as it enters ‘last chance saloon’? August 6, 2025 River Island will face its last chance to restructure its flagging finances this Thursday at the High Court, with the retailer set to fall into administration as early as September if the plan is not allowed. This follows months of uncertainty over the company’s future as customers increasingly turn away from middle-market, bricks-and-mortar stores. “River [...]
Klarna receives regulatory approval to take on Monzo and Revolut July 30, 2025 Swedish fintech Klarna has received an electronic money institution licence from the Financial Conduct Authority, setting the firm up to compete with UK firms Monzo and Revolut. The licence will allow Klarna to offer its 11 million UK customers savings accounts and also pave the way for a debit card launch. Abby Vickers, Klarna’s head [...]
Exclusive: Airwallex to bulk up UK workforce after rapid growth July 30, 2025 Singaporean fintech unicorn Airwallex has its sights set on UK expansion after a period of rapid growth. The cross-border payment specialist – which counts Shein, Brex and Rippling among its customers – recorded a 95 per cent annual jump in global revenue to $850m in the last year, with UK takings jumping 109 per cent [...]
These charts show the scale of the London Stock Exchange’s decline July 9, 2025 In May, one of the London Stock Exchange’s smallest constituents decided to leave. Brighton Pier, which had been listed on the exchange’s AIM market with a £5m market cap, delisted and jumped ship to private securities venue JP Jenkins. “It’s something that had been building up for quite a while for the past several years,” [...]
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 [...]
What happened to River Island? June 26, 2025 River Island is suffering from a common affliction. Declining sales and an inability to keep up with competition have led to a restructuring plan, with imminent store closures if the strategy goes ahead. High-street peers like Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins and Debenhams have already disappeared and become online-only – River Island is just the “latest [...]
A tin of baked beans could decide the fate of the LSE June 26, 2025 A lot was riding on Shein’s plans to float in London. Too much, probably. The Asian e-commerce giant’s IPO was set to be the UK’s biggest in years, and was seen as our best bet to revive the market. But plans changed, and Hong Kong now looks the likely home. Is that such a loss [...]