Banks keep £100 contactless limit despite new powers March 19, 2026 Britain’s banks will not be lifting the £100 cap on contactless payments despite the regulator giving them the power to do so, citing low demand. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) lifted the cap on Thursday, leaving it up to banks to increase their own limits – although none of the UK’s biggest banks have decided [...]
Ex-Battersea Power Station boss takes owners to court over dismissal March 19, 2026 The former boss of Battersea Power Station has launched legal action against the owners of the iconic London landmark after being dismissed from his role in May. A £9bn project has transformed Battersea Power Station from a disused, decommissioned site to a 42-acre estate with 2,000 homes and 60 companies in under a decade. Don O’Sullivan, formerly [...]
UK risks ‘jobless generation’ as retail hiring plummets March 19, 2026 A leading industry body has warned the UK faces a “jobless generation” as the number of jobs in retail fell to a record low. There were 2.8m retail jobs in 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics’ four-quarter average, which smooths out seasonal variations in hiring, which is 383,000 fewer than in 2015. The [...]
DFS defies wet weather to double profit March 19, 2026 Furniture retailer DFS almost doubled its half-year profit despite recording lower shop footfall as wet weather dampens sales across retail. The London-listed company recorded a £30m profit in the first half of this year, almost double the £16m recorded the year prior, as revenue grew by nine per cent to £548m. The wet weather has [...]
Ramsdens shares rocket as pawnbroker cashes in on gold boom March 18, 2026 Shares in pawnbroker Ramsdens rocketed as it looked poised to take advantage of gold prices, inflated by the Iran war, by taking as much as £28m this year. The firm’s share price soared by more than ten per cent on Wednesday, to 404p, leaving it up more than four per cent in the year so [...]
Virgin wines looks to Gen-Z wine-lovers for growth after suffering loss March 17, 2026 Online retailer Virgin Wines turned a loss but remains confident a surge of Gen-Z drinkers who no longer view wine as “elitist” will push the firm into the black. The wine seller made a £400k pre-tax loss in the first half of the year, down from a £1.3m profit last year, but saw revenue grow [...]
Lidl owner Schwarz Group scores landmark Uefa partnership March 17, 2026 Uefa, European football’s governing body, has announced its first organisation-wide sponsorship deal with the parent company of discount retailer Lidl. Schwarz Group has become Uefa’s corporate strategic partner in an agreement that encompasses competition sponsorship, grassroots initiatives and recycling efforts. Lidl, already a partner of Uefa’s Europa League and Conference League as well as women’s [...]
Wickes profit doubles as DIY firm bets on solar March 17, 2026 Home improvement retailer Wickes has doubled its profit as the firm positions itself to become a leader in solar panel installation. The firm took revenue of £1.6bn, up six per cent, and pre-tax profit grew from £23m to £49m, in the year to December 2025. Wickes was promoted to the FTSE 250 last year, as [...]
Alcohol-free beer and hummus: Trendy food transforms inflation basket March 16, 2026 Healthy food and personal security products have dominated the list of additions to the Office for National Statistics’ basket of goods, which is used to calculate CPI inflation each month. Alcohol-free beer, hummus and baby food are among the new entries in the inflation basket of goods, it has been revealed. The revisions to the [...]
Chinese online retailer takes on Amazon March 16, 2026 Chinese retail giant JD.com has mounted a challenge to Amazon’s control of the home-delivery market with its UK launch of online shop Joybuy. The platform will offer big-name brands including Apple, Samsung and Lego and is taking on Amazon’s reputation for speedy delivery with its “Double 11” promise – meaning orders placed before 11am will [...]