British Retail Consortium appoints its first female chair August 28, 2025 The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has appointed Jo Whitfield as its new chair, the first woman in its history to hold the role. Whitfield will replace outgoing chair Andy Higginson, who has been in the position since September 2023. “I’m honoured to be joining the BRC as its first female Chair, and to be supporting [chief executive] [...]
JD Sports announces new buyback despite falling sales August 27, 2025 JD Sports has announced a new share buyback programme despite a drop in like-for-like quarterly sales. The FTSE 100 company said it would invest £100m into the programme, which it said reflects “confidence in medium-term industry growth, our ongoing market share gains and focused execution”. This is despite a three per cent drop in like-for-like [...]
JD Sports shareholders hoping for progress amid US consumer weakness August 24, 2025 JD Sports investors will be hopeful the retailer can show signs of progress next week after sales came under pressure at the start of the year. The impact of US tariffs and its overall performance in the US will be particularly in focus when it provides a half-year trading update on Wednesday 27 August. Shares [...]
JD Sports to provide update after tariff sales crunch August 23, 2025 JD Sports investors will be hopeful the retailer can show signs of progress next week after sales came under pressure at the start of the year. The impact of US tariffs and its overall performance in the US will be particularly in focus when it provides a half-year trading update on Wednesday August 27. Shares [...]
Business rates are a relic of a bygone era. Reform them to save the high street August 22, 2025 Business rates are sinking Britain’s high streets - inaction is no longer an option for the Chancellor, writes Shevaun Haviland.
UK online SMEs confident despite economic headwinds August 21, 2025 A wave of online small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) entrepreneurs are showing confidence in their future, despite wider economic pressures, a new report from eBay UK suggests. The study found that nearly four in five, or 78 per cent, of online small businesses expect to see growth over the next 12 months, with a third [...]
WH Smith shares tumble after retailer admits accounting blunder August 21, 2025 Shares in WH Smith tumbled on Thursday after the newsagent and travel retailer admitted to an accounting blunder that has wiped tens of millions of pounds from its profits. The FTSE 250 firm said a “financial review” identified an overstatement of around £30m of expected headline trading profit in its North America division that was [...]
Retail giants warn Reeves her tax plans risk UK living standards August 21, 2025 Tesco, Sainsbury’s and John Lewis, along with other UK retail heavyweights, have issued a direct warning to chancellor Rachel Reeves, arguing that her government’s tax policies could undermine its key promise to raise living standards. The retailers claim they are being forced to raise prices in the face of mounting costs, and that additional taxes [...]
Can nostalgia save Topshop? August 20, 2025 With Topshop set to return to the high street next week, Becky Mailen asks whether nostalgia alone will be enough to save the brand.
The luxury market’s betrayal of Gen Z August 16, 2025 In 2022, Gen Z and Millennials accounted for the entirety of the luxury market’s growth. The latest data, however, shows something of an exodus of younger buyers: Around 50m customers – about an eighth of the base – left the market last year, “in particular” the younger ones, according to Bain’s latest luxury report. A [...]