Food industry warns of inflation ‘calm before the storm’ Retail Food and retail bosses have warned the fall in food inflation is the “calm before the storm,” as business brace for the Iran war to push up energy costs. Trade body Food and Drink Federation (FDF) said Wednesday’s drop in food inflation – from 3.6 to 3.3 per cent year on year – could be [...]
Fortress prepares to offload Majestic Wine Retail The owner of Britain’s biggest specialist wine retailer are drawing up plans to offload the retailer nearly seven years after its operations were bought out of its London-listed company. Fortress Investment Group is in the early stages of preparing to launch a sale of Majestic Wine, which it took control of in 2019, according to [...]
Removing UK’s tariff exemption could hurt small businesses, trade body warns Business Removing the UK’s tariff exemption for low value imports could risk pushing up prices, reduce trade intensity and damage small businesses, a leading trade body has warned. The British Chambers of Commerce’s (BCC) warning comes amid the government considering the move after the US removed its ‘de minimis’ exemption for certain commercial shipments. The EU [...]
Monsoon CEO: high streets will pay the price for mishandled jobs reform March 6, 2026 Retail supports better pay and conditions for employees, but with labour costs rising and declining footfall, a poorly implemented Employment Rights Act will do harm than good, says Nick Stowe You might not have thought it, but we are seeing some of the best retail ever emerging in parts of the UK, from major shopping [...]
Primark appoints Eoin Tonge as chief executive March 5, 2026 Fast fashion juggernaut Primark has appointed a new chief executive, as the company looks to tighten its product offerings and bolster marketing firepower. Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) appointed Eoin Tonge permanent chief executive on Thursday, cementing him in the top job following his tenure as interim chief. Tonge has served as a director [...]
Shoplifting cost retailers £400m last year February 24, 2026 British retailers lost out on nearly £400m last year due to shoplifting, despite falling numbers of violent theft and abuse. Violence and abuse against shopkeepers occurred 1,600 times per day on average, down 20 per cent from 2,000 last year, according to a crime report published by the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The Crime and [...]
Minimum wage is lowering standards of living, argues Wetherspoons boss February 21, 2026 The founder and chairman of budget pub chain JD Wetherspoon has warned that minimum wage is making lowering people’s living standards by limiting companies’ ability to increase pay and hire. Sir Tim Martin argued that rather than serve as a safety net to protect workers, minimum wage is now doing more harm than good, following [...]
Debenhams to retain Pretty Little Thing as fast fashion brands recovers January 28, 2026 Online fashion seller Debenhams is set to retain Pretty Little Thing after considering selling the fast-fashion brand after seeing improvements in profitability. The retailer, which rebranded from Boohoo Group in March 2025, has unveiled its decision to keep the low-cost retailer after first mulling the sale in August as it looked to restructure its business [...]
Wetherspoon shares sink after business rates knock profit January 21, 2026 Wetherspoon shares slumped on Wednesday after the pub giant laid bare the scale of the financial hit from November’s tax-raising Budget. The FTSE 250 member said cost rises across energy, wages, repairs and business rates had put up costs by a staggering £45m in the 25 weeks to mid-January. That would imply a cost rise [...]
UK inflation faces December bump from travel and food costs January 18, 2026 UK inflation may have edged higher at the end of last year, with Christmas travel and higher duties pushing up prices, economists have warned. Several forecasters expect the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) to have ticked up in December after falling sharply in November. Economists at Pantheon Macroeconomics say they expect inflation to rise to 3.3 [...]