Is Asda’s ambitious turnaround starting to bear fruit? May 29, 2025 Asda has had a tumultuous year and a half. Since January 2024, the supermarket giant has undergone numerous leadership changes, IT issues, and sales woes. Its troubles began back in 2021, when it was bought in a debt-fuelled takeover by the billionaire Issa brothers – who have since departed the board – and private equity firm [...]
Grocery inflation jumps to highest level in more than a year May 28, 2025 Grocery price inflation shot up to 4.1 per cent in May, driven by chocolate and suncare products in the hottest start to the month on record. The rise follows a 3.8 per cent jump in April and a 1.8 per cent rise in March, according to Kantar. “This latest jump in grocery price inflation takes [...]
Fintech hiring to boom after cyber attack carnage May 27, 2025 UK fintech is set for another shot of momentum after a series of cyber attacks on top retailers exposed a need for greater security expansion. Hiring in the industry is projected to increase 32 per cent in 2025 as risk and compliance becomes crucial amid surges in financial crime. Marks and Spencer suffered a near-£700m [...]
Competition intensifies to buy UK supermarket stores despite uncertainty May 26, 2025 Real estate investors are increasingly competing to snap up UK supermarkets as a lack of new locations and slow planning processes weigh on developments. Grocery properties are “proving to be one of the most resilient and attractive investment sectors”, according to research by Colliers. Experts at the real estate firm said international and UK investors [...]
Spanish wine: What I’ve learned and where to drink it May 20, 2025 Spanish wines are changing. At the annual Spanish Wine Tasting earlier this year I was struck by how the traditional styles are evolving and many of our preconceptions must be thrown out the window. Here are some of the top trends I noticed. Red wines are getting lighter There is still plenty of power but, [...]
MPs grill Barclays on outages as HSBC raises cyber attack concerns May 20, 2025 Bank chiefs have said they are ramping up spend on cyber defences after a spate of attacks have blighted the retail sector. HSBC’s UK boss Ian Stuart told the Treasury Committee the bank’s work on cyber protection and IT infrastructure was the “biggest expense in the business”. “Cyber security is at the top of the [...]
Cyber attacks will get worse without serious regulation, experts say May 20, 2025 Cyber experts have said that changes must be made to reverse three years of damage to companies’ supply chain security after a spate of attacks on UK retailers. Their warnings follow yet another cyber attack at a UK firm, this time Peter Green Chilled – supplier to Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Aldi. “It is not a [...]
Tesco and Sainsbury’s supplier hit in latest cyber attack May 20, 2025 A key logistics supplier to several of the UK’s major supermarkets, including Tesco and Sainsbury’s, has confirmed it is being held to ransom by hackers following a cyber attack that disrupted operations this week, following a string of assaults on UK retail in the last month. Peter Green Chilled, which also supplies Aldi, said it [...]
Government urged to prioritise high streets or risk losing seats to Reform May 19, 2025 A retail lobby group has warned that job losses in the sector could overwhelmingly affect areas at risk of turning from Labour to Reform. The Retail Jobs Alliance (RJA), made up big names like ASDA, Primark, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, found that retail is a major driver of local employment in areas where Reform made significant [...]
Cricketing star Ben Stokes takes stake in alcohol-free Cleanco May 18, 2025 Cricketing star Ben Stokes OBE has taken a stake in reality tv star Spencer Matthews’ alcohol-free spirits brand Cleanco. Stokes partnership with the firm comes as part of a $5m fundraising round for the brand as it hopes for its first year of cash-flow positivty. Cleanco is also gearing up for global expansion with ambitions [...]