Battersea power station lights the way for regenerating our high streets July 3, 2025 Mixed-use development, funded by private capital like Battersea Power Station can bring life back to high streets hammered by Labour’s tax rises, says Jamila Robertson Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of Labour’s landslide victory and their year-long opportunity to attain the growth they promised the electorate. I have written extensively about the damage decisions made [...]
H&M to shed light on turnaround amid consumer confidence slump June 21, 2025 H&M investors will be hoping the high street fashion chain shows it is on the road to recovery next week despite caution among many shoppers. The retailer is expected to report a slight rise in sales for the latest quarter in an update on Thursday June 26 as it continues with its turnaround strategy. It [...]
Boots: Profit jumps after closing hundreds of stores June 5, 2025 Profit at Boots has surged as the high street pharmacy chain closed hundreds of stores during its latest financial year as its owners abandoned plans for an initial public offering (IPO). The Nottingham-headquartered business shuttered 334 locations in the year to the end of August 2024, new accounts filed with Companies House have revealed. Instead [...]
Pret A Manger: Why prices rises are ‘inevitable’ after surviving ‘near-death crisis’ May 19, 2025 The boss of Pret A Manger in the UK has revealed the tough economic reality the country is currently facing means it is “inevitable” that some prices will have to be increased. Clare Clough admitted recent years have been “challenging” for the high street staple but that the brand’s number one priority is to find [...]
Clintons back in profit after closing stores and cutting over 300 jobs April 7, 2025 Clintons has surged back into the black after closing more stores and cutting over 300 jobs. The gift card giant has posted a pre-tax profit of £8m for the year to 29 June, 2024, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. The total comes after Clintons made a pre-tax loss of £5.3m in the [...]
Colliers label business rates bill ‘poorly thought out’ and ‘growth strangling’ March 24, 2025 Commercial real estate agents Colliers has said the Government’s business rates bill will strangle growth rather than succeeding in saving the high street. The Non-Domestic Rates Bill is currently on its third reading in the House of Lords before being sent back to the Commons. “The Government is rushing through Parliament new business rates legislation [...]
Editor’s Interview: Charles Tyrwhitt founder – ‘No point whinging about the government’ March 24, 2025 The founder of Charles Tyrwhitt, Nick Wheeler, has told Morning Wire that there’s “no point whinging about what the government are doing or not doing, because they’re not going to change,” adding “I’ve got to get on and make my own decisions.” His comments came during an interview with Morning Wire in which he lamented [...]
HMV: Sales on song as billionaire owner helps turn around high street icon March 6, 2025 Sales at HMV have more than doubled in the last three years as its recovery under the ownership of Canadian billionaire Doug Putman continues at pace. The high street staple has reported a turnover of £189.5m for the 12 months to 30 May, 2024, up from the £177.9m it achieved in the prior year. The [...]
Labour’s tax bombshell for high streets December 11, 2024 The government is rushing through business rates reforms for private schools without considering the wider implications for sectors we all rely on, says John Webber Twelve months ago, the Labour Party was still talking about scrapping business rates if it got into power. Whether that was a genuine plan or whether the £22m blackhole discovered [...]
National service will damage the economy May 30, 2024 Forcing every 18-year-old into unpaid national service will harm our already decimated hospitality, retail and leisure sectors