Driven to the edge: life on the Christmas parcel delivery run
Patrick Wilson’s* heavy eyelids drop momentarily as he parks on a steep terraced street on the suburban edges of north Bristol. He raises...
Call for tougher controls as ‘buy now, pay later’ deals spiral
Campaigners have called for new controls on “buy now, pay later” finance deals, which have spread online and in high-street stores and are...
Ted Baker needs a saviour. Could that be its founder?
Ted Baker investors are hoping for a change in trends at the fashion brand this week as the company marks the end of...
Retail landlords fall into a new crisis at Christmas
A smattering of festive lights, a giant gingerbread house and big-name brands offering deep pre-Christmas discounts: the Gracechurch Centre in Sutton Coldfield is...
Santa claws: UK supermarkets sell festive snacks for pets
Pet pampering has gone festive with special turkey-flavoured mince pies among the Christmas treats on sale to dog owners.
For the first time, Tesco...
Landlords struggle for festive cheer in retail gloom
At a rundown shopping centre near Birmingham, Christmas festivities are in full swing, with wreath making, crafts and a Jolly Jumper Day planned...
'It shows a nicer way of life': meet the makers of the £100 viral...
At this time of year business is usually steady rather than spectacular at the Hafod Hardware store in the Welsh town of Rhayader.
People...
Jessops jobs and stores at risk after administrators called in
Camera retailer Jessops has called in administrators to its property arm, putting 500 jobs at risk.
The business, which is controlled by Dragons’ Den...
John Lewis to offshore contact centre jobs as UK staff laid off
John Lewis is to offshore hundreds of call-centre jobs to the Philippines as part of a cost-cutting move that has already led to...
How our home delivery habit reshaped the world – podcast
The great trick of online retail has been to get us to shop more and think less about how our purchases reach our...
Come mall ye faithful: 40,000 festive shoppers to hit Swedish superstore
More than 40,000 people are expected to descend this weekend on one of Europe’s largest department stores to hunt for bargains in a...
Investors pull £2.8bn out of UK property funds amid high street gloom
Investors pulled almost £3bn out of UK property funds over the past year, highlighting the toll that extended Brexit uncertainty and high street...
‘I’m Ikea’s first female carpenter in the UK and I love it’
Last year, I became Ikea’s first female carpenter in the UK and Ireland. I’ve long been involved in building work, carpentry, decorating and...
Dunelm bucks ailing homewares sector with expected profits boost
Furnishings chain Dunelm has said it will make better profits than expected after improvements to its website boosted sales.
Shares in the company soared...
Sports Direct puts Lillywhites London lease up for sale
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct could be about to ditch its six-floor Lillywhites store on London’s Piccadilly after putting the lease on the market.
A...
Coles to pay milk supplier $5.25m after allegedly failing to pass on full price...
Supermarket giant Coles has agreed to pay an extra $5.25m to one of its milk suppliers to settle a stoush with the consumer...
Clintons sold out of administration
Clintons, the high street greeting card chain, was sold out of administration on Wednesday to the Weiss family, its current owners, in a...
Card retailer Clintons seals rescue deal that saves 2,500 jobs
Clintons, the card retailer, has been bought out of administration in a deal that safeguards 2,500 jobs.
The pre-agreed deal with the chain’s existing...
What does the M&G property fund own?
M&G, which recently split from its parent Prudential, has temporarily suspended dealings in its property portfolio. It said Brexit-related political uncertainty and structural...
A very Black Friday: how the fetish for vinyl is sending prices soaring
In the UK, it didn’t take long for Black Friday – a sales event pegged to Thanksgiving in the US – to go...
M&G suspends £2.5bn property fund blaming retail crisis and Brexit
One of the UK’s biggest property funds, which owns shopping centres across the country, has alarmed investors by banning withdrawals and blaming both...
Edinburgh Woollen Mill cancels dividend as it eyes ailing rivals
Philip Day’s Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) has cancelled its dividend payout this year as it prepares to buy up rival retailers battered by...
Fashion brand Quiz makes £6.8m loss amid high street sales slump
The fashion brand Quiz has made a £6.8m loss after sales fell across its high street store chain and concessions, forcing the retailer...
John Lewis reports record sales week thanks to Black Friday
Black Friday helped John Lewis ring up its best-ever week of sales with a 9.5% rise over 10 days.
The department store said sales...
Why does John Lewis act as if it is above the law?
In May this year, my husband bought me a pair of Sony in-ear headphones from one of the John Lewis stores in London.
I...
UK firms urge Brazil to stop Amazon deforestation for soy production
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and the UK’s largest asset manager are among 67 major companies and investors who have written to Brazil’s far-right president,...
BlackRock's Larry Fink must think again over tackling climate crisis
Here’s a good question for Larry Fink, the BlackRock billionaire, to address when he dispatches his lofty annual “dear CEO” letter in the...
UK retailers enjoyed 'outstanding' Black Friday sales figures
Forecasts that Black Friday would leave shopping centres deserted as consumers shopped online or boycotted fake bargains have been confounded by figures revealing...
Ted Baker: skeletons key
Fashion groups are supposed to have clothes in their closets that are to die for, not skeletons. But a whole boneyard has been...
Ted Baker shares fall after it warns of £25m balance sheet error
The struggling fashion chain Ted Baker has warned that it overestimated the value of its stock and appointed a law firm to carry...