Can debt-ridden Morrisons become a Big Four supermarket again? Retail “Nothing but difficult” is how one retail analyst describes the road ahead for Morrisons boss Rami Batiéh. Since taking charge of the grocer in November 2023, the chief executive has faced an uphill battle, as the group – once a firm member of the UK’s ‘big four’ – is outpaced by its rivals. Batiéh, whose [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers offers to pay personal shoppers in Harvey Nichols takeover Retail Frasers Group has offered to secure the pay of personal shoppers and stylists at Harvey Nichols after Mike Ashley’s retail empire bought the luxury department store. The Sports Direct and Flannels owner will make “goodwill payments” to a number of personal shoppers and stylists who were left owing money when Harvey Nichols collapsed. Frasers snapped [...]
Budget supermarket Iceland’s sneaky jab at Big Four management consultants Retail Supermarket chain Iceland has shared a subtle dig at management consultants on its website. There is a tongue and cheek reference to a £16m spend on external consultancy firms which include Big Four giant PwC, during a turbulent era for the business in the early 2000s. The retailer, known for selling frozen food, published a [...]
JD Sports shares crater after ‘King of Trainers’ warns on profit August 20, 2026 JD Sports has slashed its profit target as the growth plan led by chief executive Régis Schultz loses steam, sending its share price into a tailspin. The sports and fashion retailer saw sales performance improve in the UK, but a slowdown in the US and intense discounting by rivals is dragging on the firm’s profit, [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 rallies after JD Sports drags on blue chips; oil jumps again August 20, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. The FTSE 100 has slipped to a week low on Thursday, as JD Sports dragged on the index after warning on profit. The blue-chip index fell to 10,693 around midday, marking a 0.46 per cent drop on Wednesday’s close and a 0.7 per cent fall in the week [...]
Cut student loan repayments to get youths out of chicken shops August 19, 2026 Crippling student loan repayments have stolen billions from the economy sending struggling graduates to cheap food options and public transport, a consultancy firm has argued. Analysts at Baringa found that cutting the student loan repayment rate from nine per cent to five per cent would free up to £6bn in consumer spending each year for [...]
Supermarkets ‘actively shielding’ shoppers as food inflation falls again August 19, 2026 Food inflation fell again in July to its lowest level in nearly five years, as retailers claim they are “actively shielding” consumers from worse price rises. The rate of food price inflation slipped to 1.3 per cent last month, down from 1.7 per cent in June, to reach the lowest point since September 2021. Industry [...]
Fishing retailer catches sales boost to defy summer drought August 19, 2026 The UK’s largest fishing shop has posted a surge in sales to defy fears that the record drought is impacting the country’s rivers and fisheries. Angling Direct, the UK’s leading seller of fishing equipment, said it has grown its market share and is on track to meet its profit targets despite the drought, which has [...]
As it happened: Miners fuel FTSE 100 recovery; oil jumps as Trump claims Strait of Hormuz August 19, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. The FTSE 100 is falling on Wednesday as oil prices continue their march upwards and investors digest a jump in inflation. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) put the consumer price index inflation reading at 2.9 per cent for the 12 months to July. The previous inflation reading [...]
Poundland owner eyes sale one year after takeover August 18, 2026 The owner of Poundland is weighing up a sale of the discount retailer only one year after snapping it up for just £1. Gordon Brothers, a Boston-based investment firm, is in talks with advisers over launching a potential auction for the retailer – which is in the midst of a drastic restructuring. The sale would [...]