Boots moves closer to London float but billionaire Westons circle Retail With one potential suitor out of the running, high street titan Boots is moving closer to a London float, a move that would mark a return to the FTSE 100 for one of the UK’s biggest retailers and deliver a major boost to UK capital markets. The 177-year-old British pharmacy saw the withdrawal of Sigma [...]
Superdrug owner eyes up London float in $30bn dual listing Retail The owner of Superdrug is eyeing up a blockbuster London float as part of a $30bn dual listing later this year. AS Watson, which owns the health and beauty retailer, plans to raise about $2bn by listing its shares in both London and Hong Kong before the end of 2026. The Superdrug owner would join [...]
Estée Lauder and Charlotte Tilbury owner walk away from merger talks Retail Cosmetics giant Estée Lauder has abandoned talks with the Spanish owner of Charlotte Tilbury over a merger which would have created a $40bn fashion powerhouse. Talks between the US cosmetics giant and Spanish beauty giant Puig ended on Thursday despite hopes that the merger could have helped both brands to compete with rival L’Oreal. Estée [...]
Claire’s Accessories to launch UK high street comeback May 1, 2026 Collapsed jewellery chain Claire’s Accessories will return to British high streets next month after its stores were shuttered only days ago, according to reports. The budget accessories retailer is set to launch 50 new stores on UK high streets, in a comeback staged by the owner of its European stores. Claire’s shut its remaining stores [...]
Unilever beats analyst expectations but food spin-off costs up to €500m April 30, 2026 Unilever beat analyst expectations to record nearly three per cent volume growth, despite a €500m hit from its food spin-off and falling revenue. The FTSE 100 consumer goods giant said it will face between €400m and €500m (up to £433m) of “stranded costs” after it offloaded its food brands – including Marmite and Hellman’s – [...]
Unilever confirms talks to sell food arm March 20, 2026 FTSE 100 giant Unilever has confirmed it is in talks to offload its foods business, which includes iconic brands like Hellman’s and Marmite. The mayonnaise-maker said it has received an offer from US seasoning manufacturer McCormick and is now in discussions with the firms. The company has been prioritising its €13bn (£11.2bn) beauty and personal [...]
Estee Lauder sues Jo Malone March 12, 2026 Beauty giant Estee Lauder has launched legal action against perfumer Jo Willcox (nee Malone) over her new perfume brand with Zara. Estee Lauder bought Malone’s self-named perfume brand and naming rights in 1999 for ‘undisclosed millions’. She stayed on as creative director until 2006, when she left her eponymous perfume brand. After a five-year legal [...]
Coty recovers from £50m loss amid potential Rimmel and Max Factor sale January 7, 2026 The UK and Ireland arm of Coty has recovered from losing more than £50m as it considers selling off the likes of Rimmel and Max Factor. The New York-listed giant announced at the end of September that it was weighing its options for its consumer beauty division. While a formal decision has not yet been [...]
Charlotte Tilbury creates 150 jobs as profits spike August 1, 2025 Makeup, skincare and fragrance brand Charlotte Tilbury created 150 jobs as its profit jumped by more than a quarter during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The London-headquartered business has posted a pre-tax profit of £18.3m for 2024, up from the £14.4m it achieved in the prior 12 months. New accounts filed with [...]
Refy: Sales spike at influencer Jess Hunt’s beauty brand June 19, 2025 Sales and profit have both spiked at Refy, the beauty brand co-founded by British model, social media influencer and entrepreneur Jess Hunt. The Manchester-based business, which Hunt launched alongside chief executive Jenna Meek, has posted a turnover of £40.3m for the year to 31 August, 2024, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. The [...]