Aldi debt jumps by £100m as profit slips at discount grocer Retail Aldi took on more than £100m in net debt last year, as the discount grocer’s profit slipped despite its blockbuster expansion plans. The supermarket chain, the UK’s fourth largest, saw its net debt grow by a fifth in 2025, from £717m to £862m. Aldi’s jump in debt comes despite the grocer’s plans to expand rapidly [...]
Tesco and Boots lead 100,000 jobs pledge to tackle Neets crisis Retail Tesco, Boots and dozens of other retailers have pledged to create 100,000 new jobs in a bid to tackle the youth unemployment crisis, which they say is trapping young people in a “doom loop”. A group of top high street firms – which also includes Asda, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer – have joined [...]
Asda in ‘foothills of recovery’ as grocer returns to growth Retail Asda has posted sales growth for the first time in more than two years, marking a “major milestone” in the turnaround led by Allan Leighton on his comeback at the grocer. The discount supermarket saw like-for-like sales excluding fuel grow by 0.2 per cent in the seven weeks to mid-August. Like-for-like food sales jumped by [...]
October Budget could be a ‘tipping point,’ Asda boss warns Burnham August 28, 2026 Andy Burnham’s first Budget in October could be a “tipping point” for British businesses and the economy, the chair of supermarket giant Asda has warned. Allan Leighton, who is attempting to push through a turnaround of the grocer, said it is “too early to tell” whether the government is committed to halting the rise of [...]
Asda turnaround king Allan Leighton hopes for summer boost August 27, 2026 Allan Leighton, the turnaround expert charged with leading Asda’s resurgence, has been known for his showmanship. During his first stint at Asda in the 90s, he kicked off an annual managers’ conference by revving into the auditorium on a Harley-Davidson motorbike. It was this reputation for bold, eye-catching leadership which prompted struggling discount retailer Asda [...]
Morrisons pledges to slash prices as price war intensifies August 24, 2026 Morrisons has pledged to match prices with its rivals on hundreds of products, as the debt-ridden grocer ramps up an emerging price war between UK supermarkets. The private-equity-owned supermarket has vowed that 500 of its “everyday essentials” will not be found cheaper at any of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi or Lidl. Britain’s supermarkets are fighting [...]
Can debt-ridden Morrisons become a Big Four supermarket again? August 22, 2026 “Nothing but difficult” is how one retail analyst describes the road ahead for Morrisons boss Rami Batiéh. Since taking charge of the grocer in November 2023, the chief executive has faced an uphill battle, as the group – once a firm member of the UK’s ‘big four’ – is outpaced by its rivals. Batiéh, whose [...]
Asda credit card firm Jaja faces 15 per cent loan interest as debt pile swells August 18, 2026 The company behind the Asda credit card has added to its debt pile after posting a widening loss. Jaja Finance, which operates the supermarket’s card alongside its own credit card services, has drawn down nearly £50m from a debt facility since March, for which it pays an eye-watering 15 per cent annual interest rate. That’s [...]
Could a ‘land blocking’ rule change spell danger for Aldi and Lidl? August 13, 2026 German discounters Aldi and Lidl have rapidly taken control of the UK’s budget grocery market in recent years. But could new curbs on ‘land blocking’ slow their insurgency? Only a few decades ago, Lidl and Aldi were oddities. By 2008, the German discount supermarkets had been in the UK for more than 10 years but [...]
The former African gold miner taking on the billionaire Issa brothers July 8, 2026 Roadside Real Estate has been along a weird and wonderful journey since it was first floated on the stock market. The company began life as Sovereign Mines of Africa, hunting gold deposits in the farthest corners of the African continent. But in 2016 the firm had a change of heart and decided to sell its [...]