John Lewis posts £120m loss as Labour tax raid pushes up costs Retail The owner of John Lewis fell to a loss of more than £120m in the first half of its trading year as the retail giant hit out at Labour tax raids for “the increased costs of doing business”. The John Lewis Partnership, which also owns Waitrose, posted a pre-tax loss of £124m, 41 per cent [...]
Black market cigarette trade ‘accelerating high street decline’, Co-op tells Burnham Retail Criminal gangs selling illicit cigarettes in shops across the UK are “accelerating” the decline of Britain’s high streets and must be stopped, the Co-op has warned Andy Burnham. The black market trade of tobacco is undermining the Prime Minister’s push to rejuvenate UK high streets, eroding public safety and weakening community cohesion, the cigarettes-to-funerals seller [...]
Dunelm shares crater as hot weather undermines growth plan Retail Shares in Dunelm plummeted after its new boss warned that record summer temperatures had posed an early hurdle to her plans to kick off growth at the furniture and homeware seller. Clo Moriarty, who joined the group from Sainsbury’s in October last year, said progress towards her new strategy has so far been delayed by [...]
Retail sales slow as heatwave boost cools September 8, 2026 The heatwave boost fuelling summer sales cooled last month, as Brits cut back on retail spending to deal with rising bills. Retail sales grew by 0.7 per cent in the year to August, marking a significant slowdown compared to 3.1 per cent growth in August 2025, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). August’s rate [...]
Retailers call for ‘lifeline’ from Healey as cooler weather fails to boost footfall September 4, 2026 Britain’s retailers have called for a “lifeline” from the Chancellor John Healey after footfall fell again in August despite cooler temperatures. Total footfall in the UK fell by 1.7 per cent year on year last month, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Though shopping traffic fell at a slower rate than July’s [...]
John Lewis boss: UK economy facing a ‘permacrisis’ September 3, 2026 The boss of John Lewis has warned that the UK economy is locked in a “permacrisis” as he urged the government not to hike business rates on large retailers. Peter Ruis, the outgoing managing director of the retail giant, said that British businesses are facing a “permacrisis externally [which] isn’t going to go away”. Last [...]
Retailers urge Healey to unwind national insurance hike to boost jobs September 3, 2026 Retailers have called on Chancellor John Healey to unwind some of the national insurance reforms made by his predecessor in a bid to tackle the youth joblessness crisis. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer, has written to the Chancellor, urging him to unwind “soaring employment costs”. [...]
Poundland owners rush to sell discount retailer before Christmas September 2, 2026 The owners of Poundland are racing to find a buyer for the discount retailer ahead of the all-important Christmas trading period, having already received interest from suitors. Gordon Brothers, who bought Poundland only a year ago, have appointed advisors Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) to sound out interest in the company after several parties approached the [...]
Tesco and M&S warn Burnham against Budget tax raid on retailers September 1, 2026 Top supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer have urged Andy Burnham to rule out a Budget tax raid on retailers, warning they are already facing “unsustainable” costs. The Retail Jobs Alliance (RJA), which represents retailers employing more than 1m people, has urged the Prime Minister not to prioritise pubs and bars over high [...]
‘Big hitter’ Baldock readies Boots makeover August 31, 2026 As workers across the City return to their desks after the summer holidays, one executive is starting somewhere new. Alex Baldock, the former boss of Currys, will take his place as chief executive of health and beauty retailer Boots on Tuesday, City AM understands. The group, one of the UK’s biggest and best-known retailers, has [...]