McDonald’s names Stephen Graham new voice of the brand
Stephen Graham has taken over from English actor Dexter Fletcher as the voice of McDonalds. His voice will be featured in the fast food chain’s UK advertising. Graham’s first voiceovers were for McCrispy, Big Arch, and Breakfast Done properly. They w...
Road quality firm Highway Data Systems raises £1.25m
Automated roadside quality assurance provider Highway Data Systems (HDS) has secured £1.25m from the Investment Fund for Scotland, managed by Maven Capital Partners and delivered by the British Business Bank. Glasgow-based HDS develops automated qual...
Online Oceans raises £4m to scale autonomous security fleets
Christchurch-based Online Oceans has raised £4m to scale its build of autonomous surface vessels and fleet software for defence and maritime security. Online Oceans is building a new model for persistent maritime coverage. Scout, its autonomous surfa...
Why startups don’t make it to Series A
The UK boasts one of the world’s best ecosystems for funding early-stage tech companies. But for the scores of startups securing pre-seed and seed investments, the majority seem to struggle to extend beyond that. Much has been said about the UK’s sup...
New law cracks down on misogynistic abuse online
The Crime and Policing Act has become law, bringing in new measures to ensure women and girls are more protected online as new technologies evolve. The wide-sweeping measures cover AI chatbots, non-consensual images published online, image hashing an...
London and the regions: Fintech’s connected future
Each year, UK FinTech Week serves as a useful reminder of just how far the national fintech ecosystem has come. Over a decade ago, the conversation was centred on disruption and novelty. Today, fintech is no longer adjacent to financial services; it ...
Weaker currencies cause Puma’s sales to drop
Puma has reported that in the first quarter its currency adjusted sales were down 1.0 per cent to €1.8 billion (£1.6 billion) due to weaker currencies. The US Dollar, Turkish Lira and Argentine Peso deprecating caused a reported sales decline of 6.3 ...
Why are caged eggs still on UK supermarket shelves?
Golfers at Royal Dornoch expecting a quiet round on Tuesday (28 April) were met with chants, megaphones and a protest against caged eggs on Britain’s supermarket shelves. The Humane League campaigner Laurie Wills The disruption , led by animal welfar...
BioOrbit secures £9.8m to advance drug manufacturing in space
In-space drug manufacturing company BioOrbit has raised £9.8m in seed funding to accelerate its mission to manufacture pharmaceutical drugs in space at scale. BioOrbit’s solution enables the usage of microgravity to develop crystals of biological dru...
‘Be careful what you wish for’: Why the GCA’s Defra move won’t deliver ‘fairness’
The government’s decision to move the Groceries Code Adjudicator to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs , and MPs’ recent questions whether the watchdog has enough “teeth”, reignites the debate whether the watchdog can, or should, de...
Earlybird VC closes early-stage fund at £312m
Earlybird VC has closed its eighth early-stage tech fund at €360m (£312m), marking the largest raise in the firm’s history. The Berlin-based VC, which has a central London office , has long invested in promising UK startups including Tilt, Payable an...
Co-op welcomes new retail crime laws as shoplifting falls 21%
Co-op has welcomed the Crime and Policing Bill becoming law, describing it as a landmark moment in the fight against retail crime. The legislation, which has received Royal Assent, will introduce a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker and...
OPINION: The attention trap – why brands keep losing at big sporting moments
Elizabeth Maxson, chief marketing officer at Contentful, explores the ways brands can successfully leverage major sporting moments – and how they risk missing out. With the London Marathon behind us, Wimbledon and the FIFA World Cup still to come, 20...
Unilever sales rise as Power Brands drive volume growth
Unilever has reported a rise in first-quarter underlying sales, driven by strong volume growth across its Power Brands and emerging markets. The consumer goods giant said underlying sales grew 3.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, with volume gr...
The Very Group names Edward Fry as permanent CFO
The Very Group has appointed Edward Fry as chief financial officer on a permanent basis. Fry has served as interim CFO since September 2025, having previously held the role of group finance director. He joined The Very Group in 2020 and has played a ...
Estée Lauder takes minority stake in luxury skin care brand 111Skin
The Estée Lauder Companies has taken a minority stake in luxury clinical skin care brand 111Skin as it sharpens its focus on science-backed beauty and treatment-led innovation. Founded in 2012 by plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Yannis Alexandri...
Frasers Group snaps up children’s cycle brand Frog Bikes from administration
Frasers Group has acquired children’s cycle brand Frog Bikes after the business fell into administration earlier this year. The Sports Direct owner, controlled by retail tycoon Mike Ashley, struck a deal for the brand following a sales process run by...
Eucerin advert banned over misleading ‘five years younger’ serum claim
An advert for a £49 Eucerin face serum has been banned after the UK advertising watchdog ruled it made misleading claims about making users look younger. The billboard poster for Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Epigenetic Serum claimed the product was “clini...
Co-op targets shoplifters with invisible forensic spray in retail crime crackdown
Co-op is marking high-theft products with invisible forensic spray as part of a wider push to tackle organised shoplifting and the resale of stolen goods. The supermarket has been trialling the technology in Manchester and London since last year and ...
INTERVIEW: Designing retail media for scale and relevance: Helene Trad on Kingfisher’s approach
Ahead of Retail MediaX Europe , Helene Trad, who leads retail media at Kingfisher , spoke with Amanda Vlietstra, managing editor of InternetRetailing, about how the group is building a scalable, customer‑centric retail media proposition across banner...
Construction robotics firm All3 scores £18.5m seed round
All3, a company developing robotic tools for the construction industry, has secured a $25m (£18.5m) seed investment. The group has built technologies to work across the construction sector, including an autonomous legged robot ( pictured ) for on-sit...
Forest raises £40m to accelerate London e-bike expansion
London-based micromobility company Forest has secured a further £27m in funding, taking its total Series B round to £40m. The round supports the continued expansion of Forest’s e-bike operations as it scales across the capital. The company has invest...
It’s time to move quantum from science to industry
Britain has long been a nation where important technologies begin. From the jet engine to the stored-programme computer, the country has repeatedly produced breakthroughs that shape entire industries. Quantum computing is the next test. The UK govern...
Apple’s new subscription model signals shift for retail recurring revenue
Apple has unveiled a new App Store subscription option that allows customers to pay monthly while committing to a 12‑month term, a move that could have wider implications for retailers experimenting with subscriptions, memberships and paid loyalty sc...
Shein partners with THG Fulfil to boost UK marketplace seller services
Shein has partnered with THG Fulfil to offer UK marketplace sellers direct access to its logistics network. The partnership will provide sellers on Shein Marketplace with a direct integration into THG Fulfil’s global logistics capabilities, creating ...
Adidas shares rise after London Marathon runners break records in new Adizero shoes
Adidas shares climbed on Monday after three athletes wearing the sportswear giant’s latest running shoe delivered record-breaking performances at the London Marathon. Shares in Adidas rose by almost two per cent in early afternoon trading in Frankfur...
How The Jolly Hog scaled to supermarket shelves without losing its bite
Way back in 2007, Olly Kohn was a man with a vision to change the shelf-dynamics of the UK’s supermarkets. Sick of seeing what he believed to be increasingly poor-quality meat products stocked in the aisles, and after being gifted a sausage maker by ...
FCA approves Vestd as a PISCES operator
Share scheme and equity management platform Vestd has been granted approval by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to operate the Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System (PISCES). The PISCES framework was established by the FCA ...
John Lewis unveils exclusive shop-in-shops Korean skincare partnership
John Lewis is increasing its investment in beauty by partnering exclusively with Skin Cupid to launch its first Korean beauty shop-in-shops. The partnership will bring the beauty brand’s “expertise and community” to customers outside London for the f...
Tesco teams with 17 hygiene brands to tackle hygiene poverty
Tesco has launched a major product donation push with 17 hygiene brands as UK households continue to cut back on everyday essentials. The supermarket is working with six major FMCG suppliers including Unilever, Essity, Haleon, Kimberly-Clark, Edgewel...
Third Space Learning raises £4.4m to scale AI tutoring
Online education platform Virtual Class Limited – trading as Third Space Learning (TSL) – has raised £4.4m to scale its AI tutoring service. The funding was provided by the British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund, managed by Maven Capital ...
The White Company CEO Paula Nickolds to step down
The White Company chief executive Paula Nickolds is leaving the business at the end of May after two years at the helm. Nickolds, who joined the retailer in 2024, is understood to be stepping back to spend more time with her family. The brand has emb...
Vinted valuation soars to €8bn as investors pile into resale boom
Vinted has hit an €8bn valuation after completing an oversubscribed €880m secondary share sale, cementing its status as one of Europe’s hottest resale businesses. The Lithuania-founded second-hand marketplace said the transaction was led by existing ...
Huggies and Kleenex owner Kimberly-Clark warns oil price surge could add £126m to costs
Kimberly-Clark has warned that sustained higher oil prices could add up to $170m (£126m) in costs in the second half of the year. The Huggies maker said that if oil prices remained at around $100 (£74) a barrel throughout the second half, it could fa...
UK supermarkets could face shortages of potatoes, milk and chicken amid Iran conflict
UK supermarkets could see shortages and higher prices across fresh produce, meat and dairy as the conflict in Iran puts pressure on global food supply chains. Food supply chains expert Professor Chris Elliott told The Independent that the closure of ...
MAM Baby MD Damien Butler reflects on 50 of fierce customer loyalty
MAM Baby is turning 50 this year. The mother and baby brand can be found in retailers nationwide and is even a supplier for the NHS -the brand is the only feeding supplier to hold that distinction. Retail Gazette sits down with Damien Butler, managin...
The twin regulation test facing UK subscription retailers
For UK subscription retailers, compliance is a key focus in 2026 as new consumer legislation in both the European Union and the UK adopts the same principle: leaving a subscription must be as easy as joining. In the EU, new rules effective 19 June 20...
MyProtein pushes beyond subscriptions with high-street Footasylum move
MyProtein is bringing its activewear brand MP Activeway to the high street via a new partnership with Gen Z sportswear retailer Footasylum. Seven Footasylum stores, including Manchester Arndale, Oxford Street and Meadowhall, will sell a curated selec...
Loop targets returns, fraud and lost revenue with AI-led post‑purchase tools
Returns are one of the biggest drags on ecommerce margins and a persistent problem for retailers – but Loop believes returns can also be a source of growth. The post‑purchase platform has launched a new suite of tools designed to help retailers reduc...
AI is the ‘defining currency of the age’ says Tech Secretary
The UK must “master” AI, the “defining currency of the age” to secure its position in history, according to Technology Secretary Liz Kendall in the announcement for a new AI hardware plan. Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Kenda...
LemFi to invest £100m in UK as it relocates to London
LemFi, the Nigerian-founded remittance fintech, has announced plans to invest £100m in the UK as it moves its global headquarters to London. First founded in 2021, LemFi was launched to offer financial services to immigrant communities. The company e...
The brave new world of AI marketing – Rebecca Sykes, Brandtech
This week’s podcast guest is Rebecca Sykes, a partner at Brandtech, who discusses how AI is being used to transform marketing. The firm has worked with global brands and believes AI-generated content can revolutionise the creative industries. She des...
Claire’s shuts all 154 UK and Ireland stores
Claire’s has closed all of its stores across the UK and Ireland, resulting in around 1,300 redundancies. The move does not affect the brand’s concessions business, which will continue to trade. The jewellery and accessories retailer was placed into a...
Data: Lidl hits record UK market share as shoppers hunt for deals
Ocado and Lidl were the fastest-growing UK grocery retailers in the latest quarter, as consumers continued to hunt for deals, according to data from Wordpanel by Numerator. New figures for the 12 weeks to 19 April 2026 show Lidl sales rose by 8.8%, l...
Smart money app Plum reaches profitability
Smart money app Plum has announced that the company has reached operational profitability for the first time. Plum has reported strong financial growth of 60%+ year on year, along with making £34m in annual recurring revenue (ARR). The app has multip...
Søstrene Grene and Suit Direct to launch at the O2
Outlet Shopping at The O2 is adding Danish homewares and lifestyle retailer Søstrene Grene and menswear brand Suit Direct to its site. Søstrene Grene has secured a 4,850 sq ft space at the entrance to the outlet, adjacent to menswear specialist Hacke...
Card Factory profits fall as weaker footfall hits Christmas trading
Card Factory’s full-year profits dropped after it experienced weaker high street footfall and cautious consumer spending hit trading during the key Christmas period, despite growth in sales and continued store expansion. The greetings cards and celeb...
YFM Equity Partners invests £7.6m in agency Swanky
YFM Equity Partners has invested £7.6m into Swanky, a full-service Shopify Platinum agency headquartered in Exeter. Swanky specialises in helping retailers and brands launch, scale and optimise their ecommerce operations within the Shopify ecosystem....
Ineffable Intelligence secures £814m seed round
UK-headquartered AI superintelligence company Ineffable Intelligence has secured $1.1bn (£814m) in seed funding. Ineffable is developing a new generation of algorithms that learn through experience. Instead of being trained only on vast amounts of ex...
Claire’s shuts all UK and Ireland stores with 1,300 job losses
Claire’s has closed all of its standalone stores in the UK and Ireland, with more than 1,300 staff notified of redundancy. Administrators Kroll this afternoon confirmed that all 154 standalone stores ceased trading on 27 April, following the retailer...
University of Southampton and UCB to develop digital antibodies with AI
The University of Southampton and biopharma company UCB have launched the Digital Antibody Research Collaboration (DARC) to develop an end-to-end platform for the in-silico design of therapeutic antibodies. In-silico refers to research, modelling or ...
Enviromena secures £825m to expand its renewable energy platform
Reading-based independent power producer Enviromena has signed an £825m senior portfolio financing package to facilitate a major expansion of its renewable energy platform. This milestone represents a significant step forward for Enviromena, strength...
One in four retail tech providers say AI is overhyped
One in four retail technology providers believe artificial intelligence (AI) is overhyped or actively adding to confusion, according to new research from retail and hospitality technology PR agency ASPR. The survey, carried out among attendees at the...
Retail refresh: 5 brands with revamped store formats in April
Despite living through an AI and digital boom, the UK’s physical retail sector is “evolving rather than disappearing” in 2026 according to Rightmove Commercial. A recent report from NatWest claimed that the role of physical retail stores was changing...
Scotland Women in Technology to fund AI leadership training
Scotland Women in Technology (SWiT) will fund two new cohorts of The Data Lab’s Data and AI Leadership Programme in a bid to boost AI leadership skills among women working in the Scottish tech ecosystem. The news is part of a wider multi-year partner...
Starmer to crack down on ‘disgraceful’ retail crime ‘free-for-all’ with new measures
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to pledge tougher action on shop theft today, declaring that the government is “calling time on the free-for-all” on retail crime. In a speech to come later today, Starmer will hit out at “disgraceful” atte...
Boots Opticians property director on its ‘luxury’ Wigmore Street revamp
Boots Opticians recently unveiled its new Wigmore Street store in London, which it described as a “luxury destination” for premium designer frames and specialist eyecare. Following a seven week refurbishment, the company said the store brought togeth...
Wickes head of property on the chain’s ambition to hit 300 stores
Known for its “can do spirit” and “winning” attitude, Wickes is a brand that knows how to get the job done. After reporting full-year profit ahead of expectations, the DIY giant is now embarking on plans to grow to 300 stores nationwide. Wickes curre...
Seraphim Space targets £350m raise to accelerate the space boom
Seraphim Space Investment Trust (SSIT) has announced plans to raise up to £350m through a C-share offering. The spacetech investor says it intends to invest in companies that have come through its accelerator programme or venture fund, in addition to...
M&S to expand low-emission truck fleet in 2026
Marks & Spencer (M&S) is expanding its lower-emission heavy goods vehicle fleet, with new biomethane-powered trucks set to join its logistics network throughout 2026. The retailer said the move will support both its food and fashion, home and beauty ...
Tesco ramps up free fruit and veg for schools programme
Tesco has launched a new campaign, as it doubles its Free Fruit and Veg for schools programme from September. Participation in the programme will go from 500 schools to over 1000, with the aim to double the programme again in 2027. It aims to suppor...
Tesco and Morrisons equal pay claims reach key tribunal stage
Tesco and Morrisons are facing a critical stage in long-running equal pay claims, with tribunal hearings due to begin this week. The supermarket’s equal pay cases involve tens of thousands of current and former shop workers who argue they were paid l...
PlaqueTec secures £3.7m to develop cardiovascular disease database
Cambridge-based medtech PlaqueTec has raised $5m (£3.7m) in an oversubscribed financing round funded by the company’s existing investor base. PlaqueTec is pursuing a better understanding of the biological mechanisms of atherosclerotic cardiovascular ...
Debenhams Group expands Pennies partnership after raising £260k
Debenhams Group has expanded its partnership with micro-donation charity Pennies across more of its brands after raising more than £260,000 in its first year. The group said customers have made more than 850,000 micro-donations through the partnershi...
The UK has ‘significant opportunity’ to lead next wave of robotics innovation
The United Kingdom has a ‘significant opportunity’ to lead the next wave of robotics innovation and deployment, according to a new report published today by techUK. The Seizing the Robotics Opportunity report highlights how breakthroughs in AI, sensi...
Lidl reveals ‘hit list’ of new UK store locations as £600m rollout ramps up
Lidl GB has revealed hundreds of target locations for new stores across Great Britain as it steps up one of the supermarket sector’s most ambitious expansion programmes. Lidl is seeking sites from Garthdee in Aberdeen and Aldgate in London to Ystradg...
John Lewis tells staff to get back to the office as turnaround pressure mounts
John Lewis has told head office staff they are expected to spend more of the working week in person. In a memo to central office teams, the John Lewis Partnership said staff should be working “more in person than not”, either in the office, with supp...
P&G warns higher oil costs could push up prices despite sales boost
Procter & Gamble has warned that rising oil and transport costs linked to the Iran war could put further pressure on prices, despite beating its quarterly sales expectations. The owner of Ariel, Gillette, Olay and Head & Shoulders posted third-quarte...
Gen X shoppers are beauty retail’s new spending powerhouse
Gen X is fast becoming one of beauty retail’s most valuable customer groups, as new data shows the so-called ‘forgotten generation’ is set to outspend younger shoppers in the category. While much of the industry has been chasing Gen Z and Gen Alpha, ...
Nike axes 1,400 roles in fresh turnaround push
Nike is cutting around 1,400 jobs across its global operations, with technology teams set to be hit hardest, as the sportswear giant pushes ahead with its “Win Now” turnaround strategy. The latest round of layoffs will affect employees across North A...
Lululemon appoints former Nike boss Heidi O’Neill as CEO
Lululemon has named former Nike executive Heidi O’Neill as its new chief executive. O’Neill will take up the role on 8 September 2026 and will also join the retailer’s board. She succeeds former chief executive Calvin McDonald, who left the business ...
Retailers warned food and fuel price hikes could last eight months after Iran war ends
Food and fuel prices could remain elevated for more than eight months after the Iran war ends. Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said the UK was likely to face prolonged price pressure as disruption to oil, gas and ammonia supplies f...
JD Sports chair quits after failed attempt to oust CEO
JD Sports chair Andy Higginson has stepped down after reportedly pushing for chief executive Régis Schultz to be removed from the business. According to the Financial Times , Higginson made representations to JD Sports board members arguing that Schu...
New Balance launches London Run House for TCS London Marathon
TCS London Marathon official apparel and footwear partner New Balance is set to open a community-led space over the marathon weekend. The sportswear giant will launch London Run House over the period, with the space designed to celebrate “the people ...
KIKO Milano names first global artistry chief
KIKO Milano has appointed Marcelo Gutierrez as its first global make-up artistry creative director as the beauty brand looks to strengthen its global creative direction. Gutierrez will work across product development, campaigns and the beauty brand’s...
Braze steps up its AI ambitions
Braze has announced a series of major updates to its AI offerings, strengthening its position as a leading customer engagement platform for B2C brands. The announcements were made on 23 April at City x City London — Braze’s flagship EMEA event — whic...
UK tech funding roundup: This week’s deals from Cloudsmith to Locai
This week’s UK tech funding deals include AI management platform Cloudsmith, synthetic fuel developer Rivan and more. UKTN tracked £103.3m worth of UK tech investment this week (20 April to 24 April), a 35% week-on-week increase across eight funding ...
Food Brands Now to manage Iceland’s licensed food brands
Iceland Foods has partnered with Food Brands Now to manage the development of its licensed food brands. As part of the agreement, the licensing firm will work with Iceland to grow its licensed brand opportunities to increase consumer engagement and d...
Former Orbex CEO named partner at Balderton Capital
Revolut and Wayve investor Balderton has appointed veteran tech executive Phillip Chambers as its latest partner. Chambers, who has spent more than 20 years working across the tech and investment sectors, will focus on early-stage investments at the ...
AI referrals deliver almost three times the conversion rate of traditional search, new research suggests
New data shows that customers trust AI referrals more than Google search results when shopping online – converting at almost three times the rate. Marketing intelligence specialist Lebesgue analysed data from over 35,000 online sellers and brands usi...
Ocado launches ‘Future of Food’ aisle for sustainable and healthier products
Ocado has launched a new ‘Future of Food Edit’ aisle on its grocery website to help shoppers find healthier and more sustainable products. The online grocer has developed the initiative in partnership with Future of Food, a free not-for-profit platfo...
GB Roundnet team names Fatface as sponsor
Fashion and lifestyle retailer Fatface has been named as the main front of shirt sponsor of the GB Roundnet team. Roundnet is a four player game that is growing in popularity across the UK. It involves serving a ball over a small circular net. As pa...
Nearly half of ecommerce entrepreneurs say market saturation is costing them customers, survey finds
Nearly half of ecommerce entrepreneurs say intensifying competition across online marketplaces is costing them customers, according to new research from The Accountancy Partnership. The survey of freelancers and self‑employed professionals found that...
GOODFOLIO founder: Always think in systems
Omid Pakseresht is the founder and chief executive of GOODFOLIO, a company building AI systems to solve problems in enterprise environments. In this week’s Founder in Five Q&A , Pakseresht discusses why founders need to be able to think in systems, a...
UK government ‘stepped back from the brink’ on AI copyright
The UK government “stepped back from the brink” of what could have been an “absolutely devastating” move when it rolled back its controversial AI copyright proposals, according to the artists’ union Equity. Last month the government published a repor...
FCA continues illegal ‘finfluencer’ crackdown
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has continued its push to target social media-based investment influencer as part of an international coalition. The FCA has in the past few years made clear its position on so called ‘ finfluencers ‘, socia...
DRS operator confirms 20p returnable deposit for drinks containers
Exchange for Change has confirmed that a flat 20p deposit will apply to all in-scope drinks containers when the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) launches in October 2027. The charge will cover single-use PET plastic, steel and aluminium drinks containers ...
Sainsbury’s in talks with Tu Clothing team with redundancies looking likely
Sainsbury’s is in early-stage discussions with staff in its Tu Clothing team over potential operational changes that could lead to job cuts. The grocer is understood to be reviewing parts of the clothing division, including buying and merchandising f...
H&M hires former Inditex executive as CIO to drive digital transformation
H&M has appointed former Inditex executive Diego Teijeiro Ruiz as its new chief information officer as the fashion giant ramps up investment in its technology infrastructure. Teijeiro Ruiz will take up the role on 25 May and join the Swedish retailer...
WH Smith shares tumble as Iran war hits travel outlook
WH Smith shares tumbled on Thursday after it warned that the conflict in the Middle East was weighing on passenger numbers and consumer confidence. The travel retailer’s share price fell more than 15 per cent in early trading to 532p, leaving the sto...
Robert Dyas losses double as Theo Paphitis eyes turnaround
Robert Dyas saw its losses more than double last year as owner Theo Paphitis steps in to lead a turnaround of the struggling hardware retailer. The retailer’s pre-tax loss widened to £4.7m in the year to the end of March 2025, compared with a £2.3m l...
Sainsbury’s Simon Roberts urges government to ease energy costs to prevent food price rises
Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts has called on the government to help ease rising energy costs for farmers, food producers and retailers, warning that higher bills could feed through into food prices. Roberts said the conflict in the Middle ...
M&S chair: ‘self-checkouts are turning honest shoppers into shoplifters’
Marks & Spencer chair Archie Norman has warned that self-checkouts are contributing to a rise in ‘good honest people’ shoplifting. Norman, who has chaired the retailer since 2017, said self-service technology had weakened the “human link” between sho...
UK consumer confidence stuck at record low as households brace for further cost pressures
UK consumer confidence remained at record lows in April, as households continued to face mounting financial pressure and economic uncertainty. The latest British Retail Consortium Opinium Consumer Sentiment Monitor showed expectations for the state o...
‘Tentative relief’ as UK retail sales rise 1.7 per cent in March, but more disruption to come
UK retail sales rose 1.7 per cent year on year in March, offering retailers a modest boost after a weaker February, but rising fuel costs and geopolitical uncertainty continue to cast a shadow over the sector. According to the latest figures from the...
Whole Foods Market launches new shop in Liverpool Street
Whole Foods Market has opened a new store today (23 April) in Liverpool Street, London. The new store, which is based on Blomfield Street and spans 3,315 sq ft, has been designed with busy City workers in mind, offering a “convenient, grab-and-go for...
Northern Gritstone closes £20m to back UK life sciences
Northern Gritstone has secured £20m in new funding commitments to support its investments in the life science and deep tech sectors of the north of England. The funding boost came from existing shareholders in the venture capital group, including a c...
Tech funding thrives outside of London, report reveals
More than half of venture capital investment in the UK now goes to firms outside of London, highlighting the growth and significance of regional ecosystems, a new report has found. In a comprehensive analysis of UK-based investment term sheets by HSB...
Growth in UK tech surges despite geopolitical uncertainty
The number of new technology companies incorporated in the first quarter of 2026 surged to a record high despite geopolitical tensions and uncertainty, according to audit, tax and consulting firm RSM UK. RSM’s analysis shows there were 16,887 new tec...
Sainsbury’s warns Middle East conflict could lead to profit fall
Sainsbury’s has reported a sixth consecutive year of grocery market outperformance, however cautioned that disruptions from the Middle East war could lead to a drop in profit. For the 52 weeks to 28 February 2026, sales excluding fuel rose 4.9% to £2...
Sovereign AI needs a Channel strategy
Britain is a serious AI power. The launch of the Sovereign AI Unit and a £500m commitment to help the most promising companies reach global scale is a welcome recognition of that strength. But we have an AI advantage that no one is talking about – ou...
ASOS narrows losses as turnaround gains pace despite Middle East disruption
ASOS reported improved first-half profits and narrower losses, as it said its turnaround plan is beginning to rebuild growth despite weaker sales and a volatile trading backdrop. In the 26 weeks to 1 March, group revenue fell 14 per cent to £1.116 bi...
Q&A: Kingfisher’s David Jaffe talks marketplaces – and making the most of opportunities
David Jaffe, head of marketplace growth at Kingfisher – and one of the speakers at this year’s ChannelX event on 17 June at Convene, London – explores some of the key challenges and opportunities in the current UK retail environment and how Kingfishe...
Naturbeads secures £3.6m to set up Italy production plant
University of Bath spinout Naturbeads has raised €4.1m (£3.6m) in EU funding to help set up and support its production plant in southern Italy. Naturbeads is striving to remedy the use of harmful microplastics in everyday products by developing a bio...
Waitrose unveils Rivals themed product range
Disney+ has teamed up with Waitrose to launch an exclusive new product line to celebrate the release of Hulu Original Series Rivals season two, which premieres on May 15. The new range, ‘Noshtalgia’ will be available from 27 April and brings back pop...
Cloudsmith raises £53m to accelerate its artifact management platform
Belfast-based Cloudsmith has raised a $72m (£53.4m) Series C round to accelerate product development and expand its go-to-market capabilities. Cloudsmith is a cloud-native artifact management platform ‘built for the age of AI’. As AI coding agents tr...
Aldi commits £1.1bn to British egg suppliers in five-year farming push
Aldi has announced plans to invest £1.1bn into British egg production over the next five years, as the supermarket moves to strengthen long-term relationships with UK farmers and secure domestic supply. The grocery retailer said the investment will b...
OurCoop expands green energy push to power 65,000 homes
OurCoop says its renewable energy partnerships now generate enough electricity to power more than 65,000 homes, as the newly launched co-operative group steps up its sustainability plans. The business , created in January through the merger of Centra...
MoD courts investors in defence tech push
The UK government is meeting with leaders from banking, venture capital and strategic finance in the hopes of encouraging significant investment into the defence industry. Defence Secretary John Healey and Chancellor Rachel Reeves will explore privat...
Ocado creates new aisle for healthier and sustainable brands
Ocado Retail has launched a new Future of Food Edit aisle on Ocado.com, designed to help shoppers find healthier and more sustainable grocery products more easily. The new curated online aisle has gone live on today, Earth Day, (22 April) and has bee...
UK regulators crack down on illegal crypto trading
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has led its first operation to disrupt an illegal peer-to-peer crypto trading scheme. Working alongside HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU), the FCA targeted ei...
Specsavers rolls out recycling scheme to stores nationwide
Specsavers has rolled out its recycling initiative to all UK stores, expanding the scheme to a further 300 locations. The optician said every UK branch will now offer customers a place to recycle unwanted glasses, cases and contact lens packaging. Th...
Comment: Should AI be used to design adverts?
AI has no place in the arts is something many people believe, both in the creative industries and outside of it. And its a statement I’m inclined to agree with. Writing, art, film and music should be a purely human process, one that doesn’t require t...
UK faces ‘perfect storm’ for cybersecurity, says cyber chief
The UK is facing a ‘perfect storm’ for cybersecurity against the backdrop of a new technological revolution, the head of the UK’s cyber agency is set to say at the CYBERUK conference in Glasgow today. Dr Richard Horne, the CEO of the National Cyber S...
Middle East conflict starting to lift prices, warns BRC
The British Retail Consortium has warned that the impact of the US-Iran war in the Middle East is beginning to feed through into UK prices after the latest inflation figures showed headline CPI rising to 3.3% in March. Food inflation also increased t...
Locai raises £1m to develop its off-cloud AI infrastructure
Deeptech startup Locai has raised £1m in pre-seed funding to further develop its off-cloud AI infrastructure. Currently, every user interaction generates ongoing fees for cloud providers on servers beyond the user’s control, turning business growth i...
The Entertainer outlines 2026 store expansion plans
The Entertainer has unveiled fresh store expansion plans for 2026, including new openings, relocations and a larger outlet format. The toy retailer said plans for the first half of the year include a new relocated store at St David’s Shopping Centre ...
Uniqlo launches romantic new collection with Cecile Bahnsen
Uniqlo has launched a new limited edition collection with Danish womenswear designer Cecile Bahnsen. The new line is based on the concept of ‘Shapes of Poetry” and combines Bahnsen’s craftmanship with Uniqlo’s “commitment to comfort”. It features a s...
John Lewis to launch Pottery Barn and West Elm concessions
Home and furniture brands Pottery Barn and West Elm are launching new concessions across several UK John Lewis stores this year. Concessions will be rolled out in John Lewis stores including its Glasgow and Liverpool sites, after Pottery Barn debuted...
Aurrigo to relocate global headquarters in Coventry
Autonomous vehicle and mobile robotics company Aurrigo is to relocate its global headquarters and core design and manufacturing centre to a new UK facility at Power Park in Coventry. The new site will span over 130,000 square feet – more than three t...
Blacks unveils rebrand with new store concept and website relaunch
Blacks has revealed a major brand refresh, repositioning itself as a destination where outdoor heritage meets everyday style. The outdoor retailer said the relaunch includes revamped stores, a redesigned website and a sharper focus on consumers blend...
Microsoft faces £2bn lawsuit for overcharging UK businesses
The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has ruled to certify a £2bn legal opt-out collective action against Microsoft over its cloud computing and software practices. The court case, brought by digital markets regulation expert Dr Maria Luisa Stasi, ac...
Retail media is not just about retailers any more
As retail media expands to cover the entire shopping journey, Colin Lewis delves into the world of apps, aggregators and deals. Most retail media conversation centres on three things: The retailers, their first-party transaction data, and retail medi...
Retail staff abuse costing sector at least £235m a year, analysis finds
Violence and abuse against shopworkers is costing UK retailers at least £235m a year in people-related costs, according to new analysis from Reveal Media, which warned the true bill could be far higher once under-reporting is taken into account. The ...
Circular Fibre Collective launched to speed up recycled textile adoption in fashion
The Fashion Pact and Fashion for Good have launched a new cross-industry initiative aimed at helping fashion brands scale textile-to-textile recycled and next-generation fibres by 2030. The new Circular Fibre Collective has been created to tackle one...
The Very Group secures menopause friendly employer accreditation
The Very Group , which operates digital retailers Very and Littlewoods, has received the accreditation from Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace following an independent assessment of its employment policies, workplace culture, training programmes a...
Pets at Home launches new dropship programme to widen online range
Pets at Home has partnered with commerce platform Rithum to launch a new dropship programme, as the retailer looks to speed up product launches, broaden online choice and strengthen its omnichannel offer. The partnership is designed to help Pets at H...
Asda hires M&S alum Jon Downes as vice president of ambient
Asda has appointed Jon Downes as vice president of ambient, as the supermarket continues to strengthen its commercial leadership team. Downes will join the business in June and report to chief commercial officer Darren Blackhurst. He arrives at Asda ...
Firenze secures £6m to accelerate access to Lombard lending
Lombard lending fintech Firenze has secured a £6m funding round led by AlbionVC, with follow-on participation from all major existing investors including Outward VC and Form Ventures. A Lombard loan is a type of loan that is backed by liquid assets f...
Particular Audience launches PA DiscoveryOS app on Shopify – signalling a new era of accessible enterprise AI for merchants
Shopify merchants are gaining access to a new generation of enterprise AI capabilities, as tech once limited to the world’s biggest retailers becomes easier to deploy at scale. Particular Audience is heralding the launch of its PA DiscoveryOS app on ...
Not lost in translation – Ed Crook, DeepL
Many people will have learning another language on their bucket list and with the help of AI that reality is creeping ever closer. Ed Crook, strategy and operation leader at German-based AI translation firm DeepL discusses how the startup is helping ...
Mountain Warehouse overhauls ecommerce to support international expansion
Mountain Warehouse has replaced its long‑standing ecommerce platform as part of a wider effort to support international growth and reduce the operational strain of legacy technology. The global outdoor clothing and equipment retailer has launched a n...
Exergy3 raises £10m to shake up the clean heat market
University of Edinburgh spinout Exergy3 has raised £10m in seed funding to scale its proprietary technology and address industrial decarbonisation, grid balancing and energy security. Exergy3 is an innovative cleantech company that specialises in ult...
Clarks to launch new Marble Arch flagship
Clarks is gearing up to open a new store at Marble Arch, London, in July. The shoe retailer’s upcoming shop, which will be based on 522 Oxford Street, will span 2,839 sq ft over the building’s ground and basement stores, Drapers reported. It will mar...
Formula One teams up with Off Season for motorsport inspired collection
Formula One and sports apparel brand Off Season have collaborated to release a limited edition collection that channels the “movement and momentum” of the sport. The collection has five women’s and two unisex styles and takes inspiration from Formula...
Founders Forum Group and Accenture launch ‘AI for Growth’ alliance
Founders Forum Group and Accenture have launched a joint ‘AI for Growth’ alliance to support more British businesses to reap the benefits of AI. The alliance will support businesses with guidance on security, upskilling and infrastructure. Founders F...
Henkel’s Bloo broadens marketing reach through WPP Media-run full-funnel retail media strategy
German multinational chemical and consumer goods company Henkel , in partnership with WPP Media , has launched a new retailer-led full-funnel commerce strategy for its Bloo toilet cleaning brand. This marks a strategic shift, moving beyond traditiona...
Company Shop Group passes 1bn surplus items milestone
Company Shop Group has redistributed more than one billion surplus items since its launch, as the business reported another year of growth in its latest impact report. The surplus redistributor and retailer said 117 million individual units were redi...
Retail media finds a new signal: the shopper’s state of mind
In the race to make retail media more precise, marketers have long relied on purchase history, loyalty data and real-time browsing signals. But new insights from Manhattan Mental Health Counseling (MMHC) suggest the next major targeting advantage may...
Talent recruitment platform inploi raises £3m
Inploi, the talent technology platform helping employers hire at scale, has secured £3m in a funding round led by YFM Equity Partners with support from existing investors. The startup’s platform works alongside existing applicant tracking systems to ...
The Entertainer extends Barclays funding deal to support growth plans through 2028
The Entertainer has secured an extended funding package with Barclays UK Corporate Bank, giving the toy retailer fresh firepower to back store openings, digital investment and international expansion through to 2028. The retailer said the revised agr...
Amazon accused of pressuring brands to raise rival prices in California case
In a newly unsealed court filing, California attorney general Rob Bonta alleged Amazon ran an illegal price-fixing scheme that prevented shoppers from finding lower prices elsewhere online. The filing forms part of a lawsuit first brought in 2022 and...
All eyes on Sainsbury’s as inflation fears and Argos questions loom over results
Sainsbury’s heads into Thursday’s full-year results under very different conditions from the strong Christmas period it enjoyed just a few months ago, with food inflation fears and fresh scrutiny over Argos set to dominate the conversation. The UK’s ...
THG posts strongest first-quarter sales growth since 2021
THG has reported its strongest first-quarter revenue growth since 2021, with beauty and nutrition both delivering solid gains as the group reiterated its full-year guidance. The group said total revenue rose seven per cent on a constant currency basi...
Apple taps John Ternus as chief executive as Tim Cook steps aside
Apple has named longtime hardware chief John Ternus as its next chief executive, with Tim Cook set to move into the role of executive chairman from 1 September 2026. The iPhone maker said Ternus, currently senior vice president of hardware engineerin...
ABF to spin off Primark in demerger as retailer and food arm prepare to go it alone
Associated British Foods has confirmed plans to demerge Primark from its food business, in a landmark move that will see shareholders handed stakes in two separately listed companies. The FTSE 100 group said its board had concluded that separating th...
Synthetic fuel startup Rivan raises £25m investment
Rivan, a startup developing synthetic fuel has raised £25m in new funding to scale its production capacity. The new funding round saw VC group Plural re-invest in the firm after leading its £10m funding round in May 2025. The company was launched to ...
Hormuz shut again as Iran warns ships face attack
Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, warning that any vessel approaching the route will be targeted, as tensions in the Middle East escalate. The latest move comes after reports that several ships in or near the strait were at...
Hear direct from leading broadcasters and streamers at the CTV Summit 2026
Hear direct from broadcasters, brands and tech providers at the CTV Summit in London next month. Speakers from Channel 4, Netflix, Sky Media and ITV are set to help shape the agenda at the event, billed as the premier gathering for those with commerc...
Nearly half of UK shoppers experience payment failures at checkout, research finds
Nearly half of UK consumers have experienced payment failures at checkout in the past year, according to new research from Transaction Network Services (TNS) – a reliability gap that can cost retailers dearly in both lost trust and revenue. The study...
Multiverse and Age UK partner on AI and data academy
Tech upskilling platform Multiverse has partnered with Age UK, the charity for older people, to launch an AI and data academy that will equip 60 team members with critical digital skills and transform how they supports millions of older people facing...
British Business Bank commits £35m to new Episode 1 fund
The British Business Bank has made a commitment of up to £35m to VC Episode 1’s Fund IV. Episode 1 is an investor backing early stage companies primarily at the pre-seed and seed stages. It takes an algorithmic approach to finding and evaluating soft...
Lemonade Dolls founder Lemon Fuller breaks down its Earth Day campaign
Earth Day is just around the corner and lingerie brand Lemonade Dolls has launched a campaign offering consumers a look into its supply chain. Lemonade Dolls is a slow fashion brand that aims to make lingerie that is good for the planet and for consu...
Purpose-led innovation takes centre stage at LCR Tech Climbers
Tech Climbers revealed the best performing product-led tech businesses that are making an impact in the Liverpool City Region. The list was announced to a room of founders, investors, and ecosystem supporters from across the City Region. View the lis...
Urfuture raises £1.7m to rebuild entry-level hiring
Manchester-based HR tech startup urfuture has secured a £1.7m seed round to support its mission to rebuild entry-level hiring in the AI age. Urfuture is building a hiring infrastructure designed to replace CVs and job boards. Its platform combines a ...
Debenhams Group appoints Paul Aspden as CTO to scale marketplace tech and AI push
Debenhams Group has appointed Paul Aspden as chief technology officer as it accelerates its technology strategy and deepen the role of AI across the business. Aspden, who joined the group in 2023 and most recently served as director of technology, ha...
Waitrose makes airport retail debut with Heathrow Terminal 2 launch
Waitrose is set to enter airport retail for the first time through a new wholesale partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail, bringing its products to four RELAY stores at Heathrow Terminal 2. It marks a new channel for the supermarket, as it looks to...
Kering unveils next phase of turnaround as Gucci weakness weighs on sales
Kering has unveiled the next phase of its turnaround strategy as it to return to growth, following a weak first quarter driven by continued pressure at Gucci. The owner of Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, McQueen and Brioni said its ...
Mulberry turnaround gathers pace as sales rebound and Christopher Kane appointment boosts buzz
Mulberry has said its turnaround strategy is gaining momentum after returning to sales growth in the second half. The luxury retailer cited stronger full-price trading, sold-out launches and a positive industry response to the appointment of Christo...
Tesco ditches barcodes for QR codes on own-brand lines
Tesco is replacing traditional barcodes with QR codes on a selection of its own-brand meat products, in what it says is a UK supermarket first. It said the move will give shoppers easier access to more detailed product information, while also helping...
ABF poised to reveal outcome of Primark and food demerger review
Associated British Foods is expected to reveal this week whether it will press ahead with plans to split Primark from its wider grocery and ingredients empire. The FTSE 100 group, which owns Primark alongside grocery, bakery, sugar and ingredients bu...
UK tech funding roundup: This week’s deals from Wayve to The Little Loop
This week’s UK tech funding deals include autonomous driving software group Wayve, fashion re-selling platform The Little Loop and more. UKTN tracked £76.7m worth of UK tech investment this week (13 April to 17 April), a 45% week-on-week increase acr...
UK’s sovereign AI fund is needed to avoid Trump-era mayhem
The UK’s launch of a £500m Sovereign AI fund is a necessary move to avoid reliance on US capital amid the volatile Trump administration, according to British AI founder. The government this week unveiled the fund, which will be state-operated but act...
UK shoppers turn to multi-supermarket shopping as grocery affordability tightens
The days of one big weekly shop are long gone. New research shows that UK workers now need to work an average of 68 minutes to afford a typical grocery basket – an increase of two minutes compared to Q4 2005 – and as grocery affordability tightens, s...
Definely founder: For the cause, not the applause
Nnamdi Emelifeonwu is the co-founder and chief executive of Definely, an automated tool for crafting and reviewing legal documents. In this week’s Founder in Five Q&A , Emelifeonwu discusses staying dedicated to your company’s mission instead of pers...
First investment from the UK’s £500m Sovereign AI Fund announced
The UK government has confirmed the first investment from its new flagship £500m Sovereign AI fund will go towards infrastructure startup Callosum. The fund, unveiled this week by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the fund...
This is not any old loyalty scheme refresh, its an M&S loyalty scheme refresh
British retailer M&S has unveiled their refreshed loyalty scheme which gives customers a “more rewarding, personalised experience”. M&S launched a campaign starring Rivals star Emily Atack to introduce the new experience to its customer base. The ret...
Inside POP MART’s biggest London store yet as Charing Cross Road site opens doors
POP MART has opened its biggest London store to date on Charing Cross Road, as the fast-growing collectibles brand ramps up its UK expansion and doubles down on the West End. The global designer toy and pop culture retailer opened the doors to its ne...
Apparel brands’ response to US tariffs put garment workers at risk, report warns
Apparel brands’ response to US tariffs introduced in 2025 exposed garment workers to serious human and labour rights risks, according to new research from the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. The report found that brands reacted to tariff-rel...
Retailers urged to rethink training plans as apprenticeship funding changes loom
Retailers are being urged to review their apprenticeship strategies after the government confirmed that 16 apprenticeship standards will be removed from the funding list by the end of this year. The shake-up has created uncertainty for businesses tha...
Sales plunge as worried shoppers cut back in Scotland
Scottish retail sales fell back sharply in March as cautious consumers reined in spending, despite hopes that an earlier Easter would give the sector a lift. Total sales in Scotland declined by 1.3 per cent year on year over the five weeks from 1 Mar...
The UK’s ‘R&D approach’ to boosting education with AI
The UK government has announced plans to work with edtechs, AI labs and schools to develop new tools that could radically shift student education. Tech firms have been invited to participate in a government-led initiative to create AI systems that ca...
Iconic US TV shopping channel QVC readies bankruptcy filing as losses deepen
QVC Group, the US home shopping business behind QVC and HSN, is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it looks to restructure its finances and stabilise the business. In its delayed annual report, the group said it intended to fil...
Puma hires former Adidas exec James Carnes to lead creative direction
Puma has appointed former Adidas executive James Carnes to the newly created role of senior vice president of creative direction as it looks to sharpen its brand identity and support its wider growth ambitions. Reporting to chief brand officer Maria ...
Vision Express launches Emma Willis eyewear edit with Rankin live photoshoot event
Vision Express this week launched a new eyewear campaign with brand ambassador Emma Willis, marked by a one-day-only live photoshoot at its Oxford Street store in London. The event, which took place on 15 April, coincided with the launch of Emma’s Ed...
Next hands Simon Wolfson record £7.4m pay packet after bumper year
Next chief executive Simon Wolfson took home a record £7.4m last year after the fashion and homewares giant delivered stronger profits and upgraded guidance multiple times. The retailer’s latest annual report shows Wolfson’s single total figure of re...
Inditex brings Lefties to Metrocentre in North East first
Metrocentre has secured Inditex-owned fashion brand Lefties for its North East debut. The retailer will open at the scheme in winter 2026, with the new store set to occupy a central unit at the interchange between Red and Green Mall on Town Square. T...
A look at one of the biggest years in quantum
The journey of quantum computing from a sci-fi-esque speculative technology to R&D intensive long-term play to clears signs of strong commercial opportunity has been nothing short of astounding. The public eye last year, in terms of technology at lea...
British Business Bank makes biggest commitment to date with £100m for health fund
The British Business Bank has agreed to make a £100m commitment to Apposite Healthcare Growth I, a fund investing to support the growth of health technology companies primarily in the UK. The news marks the bank’s largest fund commitment to date and ...
Lidl and Iceland ad bans send warning shot to retailers over HFSS and retail media
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) decision to ban ads from Lidl and Iceland has sent a clear signal to retailers that the UK’s long‑trailed restrictions on advertising foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) are no longer theoretical. The ru...
Coal Drops Yard lands Anthropologie, La Maritxu and The Outsiders Store
London retail destination Coal Drops Yard has confirmed that it has secured three new retail signings. Anthropologie, Basque-style cheesecake brand La Maritxu and adventure clothing retailer The Outsiders Store have all committed to the King’s Cross ...
New £50m fund to bring AI and robotics to UK farms
Around £50m of public and private investment will be used to turn new technologies into practical tools for farmers, said Farming Minister Angela Eagle. The funding will deliver up to 12 innovative tools to farms, using technologies spanning from rob...
Shoplifting offences soar 133 per cent in five years
Shoplifting offences have increased by 133 per cent over the past five years, according to official figures. The number of thefts reported to police jumped from 228,128 in 2020-21 to 530,457 in 2024-25, House of Commons Library data analysed by the L...
Tesco reports sales growth as war-driven uncertainty weighs on UK economy
Tesco has reported sales growth of 4.6% from 2024/25 to 25/26 – but its chief executive Keith Murphy has warned that the war in the Middle East is creating “uncertainty for consumers” that may affect its performance over the coming year. The supermar...
Seraphim establishes global space advisory council
Spacetech investment group Seraphim Space has established its Global Space Futures Advisory Council to address key strategic, commercial and geopolitical opportunities and challenges facing the space sector. Bringing together leading space specialist...
Asda and Deliverect partner to enhance rapid delivery across Asda Express
Asda, the UK’s third-largest grocery retailer, has partnered with Deliverect to simplify its quick-commerce operations, availability and pricing synchronisation, and in-store fulfilment, creating a scalable foundation for future growth across conveni...
IKEA turns April Fools’ stunt into global brand activation with Chupa Chups tie-up
IKEA is transforming a light-hearted April Fools’ joke into a real global marketing activation, after teaming up with Chupa Chups to launch a limited-edition meatball-inspired lollipop in stores this June. The sweet was teased by Ingka Group, IKEA’s ...
Deliveroo reveals changing consumer habits as orders pass two billion
Deliveroo today released that it has passed two billion orders worldwide. To celebrate the milestone, the company has released a raft of new data offering a snapshot of how consumer behaviour on the platform has shifted since its launch in 2013. The ...
UK government to launch £500m sovereign AI fund
The government’s Sovereign AI Unit, a £500m investment in UK AI to create jobs and drive economic growth, is set to be launched by technology secretary Liz Kendall today. Sovereign AI is designed to drive enterprise and innovation, and support AI com...
Tesco sales climb as value push drives market share gains, but uncertainty still looms large
Tesco has reported higher full-year sales and cashflow after stepping up investment in ‘lower prices and improved quality’. On a 52-week comparable basis, sales excluding VAT and fuel rose 4.6 per cent to £66.6bn, while adjusted operating profit edge...
Very empowers people to be more confident taking part in sport in new campaign
Very, owned by the The Very Group, has unveiled its new Spring/Summer campaign which is designed to “empower people when they take part in sports. Titled ‘Very Ready To…’, the campaign is set against a backdrop of a “vibrant” cityscape and utilises a...
American Eagle sticks with Sydney Sweeney for sequel to controversial ‘Great Jeans’ campaign
American Eagle has doubled down on its partnership with Sydney Sweeney, launching a follow-up campaign months after its widely discussed ‘Great Jeans’ ad sparked backlash online. The US fashion retailer has unveiled ‘Syd for Short: American Eagle Jea...
Struggling footwear retailer Allbirds makes surreal pivot into AI tech
Allbirds shares rocketed on Wednesday after the struggling footwear brand unveiled plans to pivot into artificial intelligence and rebrand as NewBird AI. The San Francisco-based company said it had struck a $50m (£37m) deal to become an “AI compute i...
Asda and Deliverect partner to enhance rapid delivery across Asda Express
Asda, the UK’s third-largest grocery retailer, has partnered with Deliverect to simplify its quick-commerce operations, availability and pricing synchronisation, and in-store fulfilment, creating a scalable foundation for future growth across conveni...
Retail cyber skills gap in spotlight as govt launches new entry-level standard
UK Cyber Security Council has launched a new entry-level professional title aimed at tackling the UK’s cyber skills gap, as retailers face growing pressure following a wave of high-profile attacks. The Associate Cyber Security Professional title, whi...
Wayve raises new £44m investment from chip giants
London-based AI group Wayve has added $60m (£44m) of new funding from chip giants months after securing a $1.2bn investment . The autonomous driving software developer is working towards integrating its automotive compute platforms into vehicles to s...
Aussie fintech unicorn Zeller to take on UK market
Australian fintech unicorn Zeller has expanded to the UK in hopes of taking on the heavily competitive finance and payments sector. The Melbourne-based group was founded in 2020 and quickly grew to a $1bn business payment and financial solution platf...
SubscriptionX 2026: Why recurring revenue, membership and loyalty are converging
As customer acquisition becomes more expensive and loyalty harder to secure, recurring revenue has moved to the centre of commercial strategy – playing an increasingly vital role, not just as a revenue engine, but as a driver of long‑term customer re...
The Little Loop raises £750k to drive sustainable fashion resale
Brighton-based clothing resale platform The Little Loop has secured £750k in investment from The FSE Group’s growth fund in the South East and FSE’s Business Angel Network. The Little Loop offers a B2B2C clothing resale solution designed to tackle th...
UK subscription SMEs lose £160k a year to failed payments, new study shows
British SMEs with subscription and membership models lose an average of £159,500 annually due to failed payments, abandoned renewals, and checkout friction, according to independent research commissioned by Access PaySuite. The study, which surveyed ...
StirLight secures £1.25m for friction stir welding quality assurance platform
StirLight has secured £1.25m to accelerate the commercialisation of StirSense, its proprietary quality assurance platform for friction stir welding (FSW) for aerospace, automotive, defence and energy supply chains. Friction stir welding produces stro...
Clean Food Group raises £4.5m to scale its sustainable oils factory
Clean Food Group (CFG) has secured £4.5m in a round led by Clean Growth Fund and New Agrarian, two specialist investors dedicated to fostering sustainable growth in food technology. CFG, a UK biotech manufacturer pioneering sustainable oils and fats ...
Ann Summers cuts staff safety incidents by 42 per cent after body-worn camera trial
Ann Summers has reported a 42 per cent drop in personal safety incidents after trialling body-worn cameras in three of its higher-risk stores. The eight-week pilot took place at its Edinburgh Princes Street, London Oxford Street and Nottingham city c...
Waitrose accelerates investment in physical retail estate
Waitrose is accelerating investment in its physical retail estate with plans for new stores, an expansion of its Welcome Break partnership and a nationwide refurbishment programme across 30 existing locations this year. The moves mark further progres...
AI and megarounds drive VC investment surge in Q1
UK startups and scaleups raised over £5.7bn in venture capital in Q1 2026, marking a 60% increase on the same period last year and the strongest first quarter since 2022, according to new analysis from HSBC Innovation Banking UK and Dealroom. Growth ...
Is AI the key to retail’s spiralling loss problem?
Retail loss has swiftly become one of the most pressing and expensive challenges facing the UK retail industry. From theft and stock shrinkage to the growing pressure placed on frontline staff, the issue has far surpassed simply being an operational ...
Debenhams Group hires ex-ASOS director Nikki Tattersall to drive youth brands turnaround
Debenhams Group has appointed former ASOS executive Nikki Tattersall as chief product officer to step up the turnaround of its youth fashion brands. Tattersall joins from ASOS, where she spent 15 years in a number of senior buying and product roles, ...
Aldi lines up major new ‘globally unified’ store format with UK and Ireland in scope
Aldi South Group is set to roll out a new globally unified store format across its markets, with the UK and Ireland among the territories expected to refine and adapt the model from the second quarter of 2026. The new concept has been developed by La...
ASA makes first rulings following introduction of new healthy food and drink rules
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has published its first four rulings following the new healthy food and drink regulations. The rules came in to effect at the beginning of this year and ban adverts for less healthy food items from appearing ...
Kering sales fall as Gucci continues to weigh on performance
Kering reported first-quarter sales of around £3.1bn, down six per cent on a reported basis, as continued weakness at Gucci dragged on the luxury group’s performance. On a comparable basis, which strips out currency movements and changes in scope, re...
WHSmith opens three new Heathrow flagships as travel retail push gathers pace
WHSmith has opened three new flagship stores at Heathrow Airport, marking the latest phase in its long-running partnership with the UK’s biggest travel hub. The new sites, located across terminals 3, 4 and 5, bring together food and drink, health and...
John Lewis appoints Jacqui Markham as fashion creative director amid wider investment push
John Lewis has appointed former Whistles creative director Jacqui Markham as its new fashion creative director, as the retailer looks to sharpen its own-brand offer and build momentum in the category. Markham will oversee the creative direction of Jo...
Crew Clothing expands Superluxe range with second athleisure drop
Crew Clothing has this week launched the second drop of its Superluxe collection. The latest release follows the brand’s debut Superluxe launch last year and forms part of its wider push to strengthen its offer in a category that continues to blur th...
Applications open for NatWest’s £100k Accelerator Pitch
NatWest has opened applications for its Accelerator Pitch competition, inviting entrepreneurs to compete for a share of £100,000 at each of its three live finals. Applications for the Oxford round open today, with the city’s final taking place on Jun...
TraqCheck raises £5.9m to scale its AI agents for recruitment
London-based HR tech startup TraqCheck has closed its £5.9m series A funding round led by IvyCap Ventures, with participation from IIFL. As a remedy to recruiters manually sourcing recruitment candidates, screening resumes and coordinating background...
Be the least intelligent person in the room – Varun Bhanot, CEO, MAGIC AI
Varun Bhanot, co-founder and CEO of Magic AI discusses the journey of growing one of the UK’s most successful AI firms, how the AI-enabled mirror his company devised is disrupting the fitness industry, what he learned from the 149 rejections he got w...
Retail websites among worst performers as accessibility standards continue to slip
Retail websites are the poorest performers for digital accessibility, with new research showing they are significantly more difficult for people with disabilities to use than the average website. The latest WebAIM Million 2026 report, which analysed ...
Ralio raises £1.8m for its agentic business payments platform
Ralio, the payments platform purpose-built for AI agents, has secured a £1.8m pre-seed funding round. The oversubscribed round was led by Sure Valley Ventures (SVV) with participation from venture funds Seed X, Love Ventures, Plug and Play, rule30, A...
Jollyes seeks out 160 new store locations with huge expansion plans
Jollyes Pets has released a list of more than 160 locations across Great Britain where it is aiming to open new stores over the next five years. The pet supplies specialist, which already trades from 120 stores, has opened sites in locations such as ...
Complying with smart energy data governance
Smart data from the energy sector is essential for the UK energy market to reduce costs for households and businesses, support personalised digital services and drive the country’s net zero journey. Quoting annual energy bills, optimising EV charging...
AI court transcripts could boost justice for victims
New research led by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) will take a deep dive into how AI can be used to transcribe court hearings and lead to faster and cheaper access to court records for victims and others who need them. Costly court transcript ...
Clintons rolls out experiential new-format store at Glasgow’s Silverburn
Clintons has opened a new concept store at Silverburn in Glasgow, as the greetings card retailer looks to modernise its estate with a more experiential and customer-focused format. The new store, which opened on 10 April, marks the latest step in Cli...
Thule invests in automated Polish warehouse to streamline European supply chain
Outdoor and active lifestyle brand Thule has announced plans to build a new automated warehouse in Poland to strengthen its European supply chain and support future international growth. The Swedish business said the new facility in Krzyż Wielkopolsk...
Retail sales rise as Easter lifts spend, but shoppers stay cautious
UK retail sales rose in March, but the uplift was driven largely by food spending and an early Easter, with non-food demand remaining subdued. New figures from the British Retail Consortium and KPMG showed total retail sales increased 3.6 per cent ye...
Clothing and digital retail outperform as consumers prioritise “everyday treats” in March
UK consumers continued to spend cautiously in March, but the latest Barclays Consumer Spend report suggests that apparel and core retail categories are proving more resilient than travel and big-ticket purchases, as shoppers prioritise essentials ami...
The Range upgrades marketplace platform as online sales model gains momentum
The Range has strengthened the technology behind its online marketplace, with the aim of supporting further ecommerce growth. The retailer has moved its marketplace operation on to a new platform provided by Mirakl, replacing its previous in-house in...
Iceland turns to AI to sharpen stock availability and replenishment
Iceland has rolled out new AI-driven inventory and replenishment tools to improve availability, reduce lost sales and strengthen store operations across its estate. The supermarket said the move is designed to tackle keeping the right products in sto...
Imperial Brands backs full-year outlook as pricing offsets tobacco decline
Imperial Brands has reiterated its full-year guidance after reporting a solid start to the financial year, with pricing in tobacco and continued growth in next generation products helping offset ongoing volume decline. In a trading update, the group ...
Jigsaw hires former Ted Baker retail chief Chris Browne to drive UK store expansion
Jigsaw has appointed former Ted Baker global retail director Chris Browne as retail director, as the fashion brand ramps up plans to grow its physical footprint across the UK. Browne joins the business to lead the next phase of its bricks-and-mortar ...
IKEA appoints David McCabe as UK and Ireland retail boss
IKEA has named David McCabe as its new country retail manager and chief sustainability officer for the UK and Ireland. McCabe will take up the role on 1 July, succeeding Peter Jelkeby, who recently moved into the position of chief executive and chief...
Gymshark moves beyond retail to open first-ever gym in Miami
Gymshark is set to open its first-ever gym later this year, marking one of the biggest strategic shifts in the brand’s history. The Gymshark Lifting Club will open in Wynwood, Miami, giving the fitness apparel brand a dedicated gym space for its comm...
What UK eCommerce brands need to know about Post-Brexit EU fulfilment
UK brands shipping to EU customers face hidden costs, customs delays and tighter rules from 2026. Here is how to choose the right fulfilment setup, says Cain Fleming, Green Fulfilment. UK retail exports to the EU have fallen by £5.9 billion since Bre...
Former ARIA exec joins Oxford Science Enterprises
Antonia Jenkinson, a former executive at the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), has been appointed as the new finance chief of Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE). The Oxford-based investment group has become one of the most prominent backer...
Wayfair launches paid loyalty programme for UK shoppers
Home furnishings retailer Wayfair has launched a new paid loyalty scheme for UK customers. Wayfair Rewards is now available to UK shoppers following a successful rollout in the US and an expansion into Canada earlier this year. The programme is desig...
Round raises £4.5m to build its finance automation platform
AI-powered finance automation platform Round has secured £4.5m in a seed funding round led by Alstin Capital, with participation from BACKED VC and Love Ventures. As part of the fund, around 10% of Round’s existing customers invested alongside new an...
West Ham United launches exclusive collection with Korean streetwear designer
West Ham United has teamed up with South Korean football streetwear brand Nivelcrack to launch a bespoke capsule collection. The London-based team is the first Premier League team to create a licensed collection with the designer. Based in Seoul, the...
OpenAI secures first permanent London office
OpenAI has secured its first permanent office in London, marking a significant expansion of its presence in the UK. The company has signed an 88,500 square foot space at Regent Quarter in King’s Cross, spanning Jahn Court and the Brassworks Building....
Waitrose sacking: What’s the right approach to tackling shoplifters?
It’s safe to say that UK retail crime is continuing to escalate. Last July, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that shoplifting across the UK had hit record highs, with a total of 530,643 offences recorded in the year to March 2025. In...
Eka Ventures launches £80m fund to back health and sustainability startups
Early-stage impact VC Eka Ventures has announced its £80m second fund to back UK-founded startups in the health, wellbeing and sustainability spaces. The round includes £40m from the British Business Bank, which previously supported Eka’s first fund ...
Met denies ‘blame game’ over shoplifting as retailers urged to share more CCTV
A senior Metropolitan Police officer has denied engaging in a “blame game” with retailers after warning that stores are too often failing to provide the evidence needed to help catch shoplifters. Chief Inspector Rav Pathania, who leads the Met’s busi...
Altilium secures £18.5m to scale EV battery recycling
Plymouth-based cleantech firm Altilium has been awarded £18.5m in grant funding through the UK government’s DRIVE35 Scale-Up Fund, delivered by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) and Inno...
Stefano Gabbana steps down as Dolce & Gabbana chair amid debt pressure
Dolce & Gabbana co-founder Stefano Gabbana has stepped down as chair of the luxury fashion house, as the business navigates mounting debt and a tougher trading environment for the global luxury sector. Gabbana, who co-founded the brand with Domenico ...
Mothercare warns profits will fall sharply as Middle East turmoil and Boots exit weigh on performance
Mothercare has warned full-year profit will come in significantly below the previous year, as it continues to feel the impact of disruption in the Middle East and the end of its UK distribution deal with Boots. In an unaudited trading update for the ...
Starbucks UK retail arm secures £13.7m tax credit despite sales growth
Starbucks’ UK retail business received a £13.7m corporation tax credit last year, despite growing sales by 6 per cent and adding more than 90 stores. Accounts filed at Companies House show the coffee chain’s UK retail arm increased sales to £556.3m i...
Drone delivery is taking off in the US, could 2026 be the UK’s breakthrough moment?
Walmart this week announced its decision to expand drone delivery to another 150 stores in the US. However, more than just a flashy logistics update, it’s another sign that one of retail’s most futuristic ideas is edging closer to commercial reality....
ASOS and Adidas team up to release exclusive womenswear collection
Adidas Originals and online retailer have unveiled an exclusive womenswear collection, which will be available online and in-store at Adidas’ flagship Oxford St. store. The collection , which follows two previous ranges, will be available in-store be...
Mytheresa pushes ahead with Middle East growth despite regional conflict
Luxury retailer Mytheresa is pressing ahead with plans to expand in the Middle East, despite ongoing conflict in the region. New chief executive Francis Belin said the business remains focused on the long-term opportunity in the market, even after re...
B&M interim CFO steps down after less than five months in role
B&M’s interim chief financial officer Helen Cowing has stepped down after spending less than five months in the role. She has been replaced by group financial controller Peter Waterhouse, who will serve as interim CFO with immediate effect until a pe...
UK tech funding roundup: This week’s deals from MillTech to Fieldwork Robotics
This week’s UK tech funding deals include risk management platform MillTech, agricultural technology group Fieldwork Robotics and more. UKTN tracked £52.8m worth of UK tech investment this week (6 April to 10 April), a 63% week-on-week decrease acros...
Route 101 founder: Trust is everything
Russell Attwood is the founder and chief executive officer of Route 101, a customer engagement platform that recently signed a major £265m deal with the Department of Work and Pensions. In this week’s Founder in Five Q&A , Attwood discusses why trust...
Tech executives to be criminally liable for non-compliance with Ofcom
Tech executives could be held personally criminally liable for failing to comply with new rules requiring the rapid takedown of non-consensual intimate images. As part of the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill, digital platforms will be legally require...
Nespresso launches new pop-up to encourage flavour experimentation
Nespresso will celebrate the launch of its global campaign Vertuo World with a six day pop-up in Covent Garden. The campaign will be fronted by the brand’s new global ambassador Dua Lipa. Titled The Recipe Remix, the pop will enable coffee lovers to ...
OpenAI’s Stargate UK put on hold amid cost concerns
OpenAI has shelved plans to construct a massive data centre in Britain, called Stargate UK, with energy costs and regulatory issues cited as the reason. The ChatGPT developer has been rolling out its global Stargate project in the past few years, a s...
Could your sales be up to 11% better?
Research consistently shows that over 60 per cent* of inventory records contain inaccuracies. If retailers can’t trust their inventory, they have no control. It puts them at risk of not delivering on their customer promises. Inventory accuracy affect...
Austen & Blake reopens refurbished Meadowhall store in Sheffield
Jewellery retailer Austen & Blake is reopening its Sheffield Meadowhall showroom following a major refurbishment, as the brand looks to enhance the in-store experience at one of its most popular locations. The revamped store, located on the upper flo...
AI customer experience platform Serve First raises £5m
Serve First, a startup that has developed an AI customer experience and performance management platform, has secured an investment of £5m. Launched in 2023, the Serve First platform collects and analyses customer feedback from in-store surveys, onlin...
Primark launches first UK mobile app to power ‘phygital’ growth
Primark has launched its first-ever mobile customer app in the UK, following successful rollouts in Ireland and Italy. The app, which is available to download on Apple Store and Google Play, aims to offer Primark shoppers the ease of digital browsing...
Gap Inc rolls out AI platform to boost traceability across global supply chain
Gap Inc is strengthening traceability across its global supply chain through a new partnership with Inspectorio. The retail giant hopes to improve visibility, supplier collaboration and quality management across its brand portfolio. The move will see...
Behind Spar’s spring campaign with AFB’s CJ Antal-Smith
Spar unveiled its spring campaign fronted by fitness guru Mr Motivator in an effort to increase footfall and reinforce its role within local communities. Titled ‘Fuel Your Spring’ , the marketing drive is centred around a month-long in-store activati...
UK footfall returns to growth in March, but Easter timing clouds picture
UK retail footfall edged back into growth in March, though the uplift was flattered by the earlier timing of Easter and is unlikely to offer retailers much comfort heading in April. According to the latest BRC-Sensormatic monitor, total UK footfall r...
Viral bottle brand Owala names first UK distributor as it ramps up European expansion
US hydration brand Owala has appointed Unify Brand Partnerships as its first exclusive UK distributor, marking a significant step in its European expansion plans. The deal gives Owala its first dedicated retail and logistics base in Britain and is in...
Frasers Group launches AI shopping assistant, sees conversions jump 25%
Frasers Group has launched a new AI shopping assistant across the FRASERS website as it looks to make online product discovery faster, smarter and more intuitive for customers. The new tool, called Ask Frasers, has been rolled out on the retailer’s p...
AO expects full-year profit at top end of guidance as revenue rises 11%
AO World has said it expects full-year adjusted profit before tax to come in at the top end of its upgraded guidance after delivering strong revenue growth in the year to 31 March 2026. The online electricals retailer said total group revenue is expe...
Primark launches first UK customer app with click and collect integration
Primark has launched its first customer-facing mobile app in the UK, marking a significant step in the retailer’s digital evolution. Available now via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the app brings together a range of features designed to ...
Apex B2B launches its SaaS platform for merchants with £1.3m backing
Apex B2B, a SaaS platform for mid-market B2B merchants like wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers, has launched following an investment of £1.3m. The startup plans to expand its presence in the UK market, targeting B2B merchants seeking to mode...
Revolut launches in-app AI assistant
Revolut has launched its in-app AI assistant AI by Revolut (AIR), which is designed to support how its millions of users interact with their money, manage their lifestyle and grow their money intelligence. AIR aims to move beyond the traditional chat...
Sainsbury’s Nectar360 brings Uber and Uber Eats into Nectar loyalty scheme
Sainsbury’s Nectar360 has partnered with Uber and Uber Eats to let Nectar members redeem points on rides and food delivery, marking a first for both the UK’s largest coalition loyalty scheme and the ride‑hailing giant. Nectar members can now convert ...
AI’s accountability gap
AI has moved out of pilots and into live, business-critical systems faster than most organisations are prepared for, and faster than their governance models can keep up. AI is now shaping decisions that directly affect customers, compliance and reven...
Tesco introduces ‘Park & Pause’ bays to offer families quick respites during Easter break
Tesco is turning a handful of its car parks into temporary “Park & Pause” spaces this Easter, offering shoppers a brief escape from the holiday rush along with a free hot drink and biscuit. The move is aimed at customers who, according to the superma...
MillTech secures £44.8m to accelerate North American expansion
London-based risk management platform MillTech has secured £44.8m investment from Apax Digital Funds. Founded in 2019, MillTech automates FX hedging and investment operations by combining trade calculation, execution, settlement, reporting and transa...
Skechers opens permanent hologram retail experience in-store
Skechers has launched a permanent proto hologram installation at its Manhattan Beach store in Los Angeles, marking what it says is one of the first permanent uses of the technology in a footwear retail environment. The new in-store feature brings bra...
Visa launches agentic commerce tool to help retailers plug into AI shopping
Visa has launched Intelligent Commerce Connect, a new product designed to make it easier for retailers, platforms and payment providers to support AI-led shopping. The service sits within Visa’s wider Intelligent Commerce portfolio and is being pitch...
UK IPO market has muted start to 2026 as volatility delays listings
Muted activity on the London Stock Exchange in the first quarter of 2026 meant there were just two listings, according to EY-Parthenon’s latest IPO analysis. Subdued IPO activity in Q1 follows a busy end to 2025, when issuance accelerated and market ...
INTERVIEW: How Wayfair uses creators and TikTok to drive growth
Carey Pearson, head of brand and integrated marketing at Wayfair – and one of speakers at this year’s ChannelX event – spoke to InternetRetailing managing editor Amanda Vlietstra about how creators, social content and TikTok are powering Wayfair’s ne...
Tesco trials AI shopping assistant with 280,000 colleagues ahead of customer rollout
Tesco is testing a new AI-powered assistant in its app as the supermarket looks to make meal planning and basket building easier for shoppers. The retailer has launched the tool as a beta trial for colleagues, with around 280,000 staff set to get ear...
Lidl announces major expansion with £600m investment and 50 new-store plan
Lidl GB is stepping up its expansion drive with plans to open more than 50 new stores over the next 12 months, backed by a £600m investment in its UK estate and infrastructure. The discounter said the programme would create close to 2,000 jobs and ma...
Laura Ashley says sales rose 15% as Next tie-up fuels revival
Laura Ashley says its turnaround under Marquee Brands continued through 2025 and into the first quarter of 2026, with the heritage brand reporting 15 per cent year-on-year sales growth and strong momentum across both home and fashion in the UK. The b...
Waitrose sacked worker saga continues as workers call for more security
Retail workers are calling for more visible security in stores after the dismissal of a Waitrose employee who intervened in a shoplifting incident reignited debate over how retailers balance staff safety with rising levels of theft and abuse. Walker ...
Vinted confirms 38% growth YoY as reselling market booms
Vinted posted revenue of £956m in 2025, up 38 per cent year on year, while gross merchandise value rose 47 per cent to £9.4bn. Despite the positive uplift in revenue, net profit fell to £53.9m from £66.9m in 2024, with the resale platform saying earn...
Co-op Group lines up Southern Co-op deal in 300-site expansion move
Co-op Group and Southern Co-op have unveiled plans to join forces in a deal that would bring more than 300 Southern Co-op food, funeral and Starbucks branches into an enlarged Co-op Group, subject to member and regulatory approval. Southern Co-op ope...
Bodycare rolls out six new stores as it returns to the high street
Bodycare is returning to bricks-and-mortar retail after securing leases for six new stores, its first physical sites since the value health and beauty chain was acquired out of administration in October 2025. The new locations are at Merry Hill in Du...
Quantum coalition agrees investment deal in London
A coalition of quantum developing nations agreed to improve investment opportunities for the sector in a London meeting. The Quantum Development Group (QDG) is formed of 13 allied nations including Australia, France, Japan and the US. In the fifth me...
Consumers to save £400m a year under UK crackdown on subscription traps
UK consumers are set to save around £400m a year under new government measures designed to clamp down on unwanted and misleading subscriptions, often referred to as subscription traps . Announced on 2 April by the Department for Business and Trade, t...
Trent AI raises £9.7m to boost its AI-native security agents
Agentic security startup Trent AI has secured a £9.7m seed round to boost its layered security solution. Trent AI is designed for engineering leaders, security teams and companies building AI agents and autonomous software systems, helping teams ship...
The 2026 Retail Media X Awards shortlist is here — and the standard is remarkable
The Retail Media X Awards were created to do something specific: recognise the best work in retail media across the globe, judged by a world class panel of experts, scored against specific criteria and free from commercial influence. The shortlist fo...
Entrepreneurship tax relief package comes into force
In a boost to entrepreneurs, startups and scale-ups, a package to unlock private investment and double tax reliefs has been brought into force by the government. The changes implemented to coincide with the start of the new tax year expand the number...
Hotel Chocolat and Cheil on how to make your email communications stand out
Email marketing communications are the backbone of many brands and retailers marketing strategies. It is a form of direct marketing and allows brands to connect with subscribers to promote their products and content. It can be used to strengthen cust...
Trump offers two-week ceasefire if Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump has proposed a two-week ceasefire with Iran, conditional on the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Following discussions with Pakistan’s leadership, who acted as an intermediary for the two countries, Trump said: “I agree ...
Just Eat and Starship Technologies launch delivery robots in Barnsley
Just Eat and Starship Technologies have partnered to launch delivery robots to Barnsley, named government’s first ‘tech town’, from today. The pilot scheme in North East Barnsley will put small orange self-driving delivery robots on local streets to...
Narwhal Labs secures £20m for its autonomous comms platform
Bristol-based AI scaleup Narwhal Labs has raised £20m to coincide with the launch of DeepBlue OS, its autonomous platform designed to replace traditional customer communications with agentic AI. Narwhal Labs builds enterprise-grade autonomous communi...
FatFace trials in-store styling service as it steps up customer experience push
FatFace has launched its first in-store personal styling service. The new service, called Face to Face, is being trialled in six UK stores: Belfast, Chester, Derby, Horsham, Norwich and Wimborne. Customers can book complimentary one-to-one appointmen...
Iceland boss offers job to sacked Waitrose worker as retail crime debate intensifies
Iceland chair Richard Walker has offered a job to former Waitrose employee Walker Smith after Smith was dismissed for intervening in a shoplifting incident at a south London store. Smith, who had worked for Waitrose for 17 years, was sacked after att...
Dr. Martens moves to market-led structure as it reshapes leadership team
Dr. Martens has introduced a new market-led operating structure and created a streamlined executive team as it looks to accelerate delivery of its consumer-first strategy. The footwear brand said it has appointed general managers across its key marke...
Asda’s Wigan logistics facility sold to Prime Box for redevelopment amid industry shift
Asda has disposed of its regional logistics facility in Wigan to a partnership led by Prime Box, marking another shift in the supermarket group’s estate strategy. The 322,198 sq ft warehouse on the Wheatlea Industrial Estate has been transferred with...
Superdry CEO Julian Dunkerton on why his Bench revival is more than nostalgia
Julian Dunkerton has brought back one of British fashion’s most recognisable names, but he insists this is not a throwback for throwback’s sake. At Superdry’s Oxford Street flagship, the return of Bench is being framed as both a commercial opportunit...
Coach and Kate Spade owner Tapestry taps Pinterest CTO for board role
Tapestry, the owner of Coach and Kate Spade New York, has appointed Pinterest chief technology officer Matt Madrigal to its board, in a move that underlines the growing importance of digital commerce, AI and younger consumer engagement at the US fash...
M&S drops Sparks Delivery Pass in latest loyalty reset
Marks & Spencer has scrapped its Sparks Delivery Pass for new customers and will not allow existing members to renew once their current subscription expires, marking a notable shift in how the retailer is using loyalty to support its online business....
Levi Strauss beats Q1 expectations and lifts full-year guidance
Levi Strauss has beaten Wall Street expectations for the first quarter and raised its full-year guidance, as strong global sales and continued momentum in direct-to-consumer helped drive another solid set of results. The denim giant posted adjusted e...
In conversation with: Monumo’s Jarek Rzepecki
Among the fields perhaps most ready for AI-driven efficiencies is industrial engineering, which has already for years now been using automated software to make improvements. For companies like Monumo, which in 2024 emerged from stealth with more than...
Quantum used to tackle fraud in Lloyds experiment
A quantum computer has been successfully used to catch a money mule network in an experiment conducted by Lloyds Banking Group and IBM. Financial institutions have been increasingly investing in quantum capabilities, with strong belief in the industr...
Be where the brand conversation is at FMCG Summit
Global brands, retailers, suppliers and disruptors are preparing to gather at the FMCG Summit in London next month. Speakers from Co-op Media Network, Carrefour, Danone, Mars and L’Oreal are among the brand leaders taking part in the event, on May 14...
OPINION: Ecommerce in 2026 – how online shopping will blend into all digital experiences
Israel Grintz, CEO of Terrific Live – a white-label social commerce platform backed by Arieli Group – dives into ecommerce 2026, exploring the convergence of content, community and shopping. The trends shaping ecommerce in 2026 are defined by one cor...
Berry-picking robot maker secures £3m for farm trials
Fieldwork Robotics, a startup that has developed autonomous agricultural harvesting robots, has announced £3m in funding to support the trialing and adoption of its tech in real farms. The Cambridge-based group launched to address the rising cost of ...
UK retail footfall lifted over Easter weekend despite subdued start
After a bleak few weeks for retailers, the Easter bank holiday delivered a welcome boost, with a solid uplift for UK retail destinations compared with Easter 2025. Overall footfall rose by 3.4%, driven by a 4.1% increase in visits to high streets, ac...
Lacoste taps Pierre Gasly as new global ambassador
Lacoste has signed Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly as a new global brand ambassador, as the French fashion house looks to strengthen its ties to elite sport and sharpen the cultural relevance of its signature polo. The partnership will see Gasly front ...
Gen Z drives surge in multiple frontline jobs as cost pressures bite
Gen Z workers are driving record levels of ‘poly-employment’ across the UK, with younger staff increasingly turning to multiple frontline roles as high living costs and softer wage growth put pressure on incomes. According to new research from workfo...
Everything retailers need to know about the launch of the Fair Work Agency
The Fair Work Agency launches today as one of the first major employment reforms to go live under the Employment Rights Act, giving the UK a single body for much of its labour market enforcement and putting retailers on notice over pay, record-keepin...
UK government launches £50m safety tech scheme
The UK government is putting £50m into a series of challenges funding technological solutions to improve safety on British streets. Delivered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Safer Streets Challenges funding is part of the government’s £500m...
US logistics giant launches UK tech accelerator
GXO Logistics, a New York-listed pure-play contract logistics provider, will launch a new accelerator programme supporting startups from the UK and Ireland. Based in Connecticut, US, GXO Logistics is an $11bn group that manages distribution centres f...
Second-hand becomes first choice for one in 10 shoppers, KPMG finds
One in 10 UK consumers are now mainly buying non-grocery items via resale platforms, as second-hand shopping continues to reshape the retail landscape, according to new data from KPMG UK. The research found that eight per cent of consumers across all...
Former Co-op boss took home nearly £2m in difficult year for retailer
Former Co-op chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq received a pay package worth almost £2m in 2025, despite the retailer falling into the red following a difficult year marked by a major cyber-attack and weakening sales. Khoury-Haq, who stepped down fro...
Waitrose faces calls to reinstate worker sacked after stopping alleged shoplifter
Waitrose is facing mounting pressure to reinstate a long-serving employee who was dismissed after confronting an alleged shoplifter attempting to steal Easter chocolate from one of its London stores. The retailer has come under fire after Walker Smit...
M&S calls for tougher action as retail crime turns more violent and organised
Marks & Spencer has called for a stronger police response to retail crime, warning that abuse, violence and organised theft are becoming a routine part of life on Britain’s high streets. The retailer has issued a stark warning over the rising scale a...
UK tech funding roundup: This week’s deals from 9fin to Riplo
This week’s UK tech funding deals include AI debt intelligence platform 9fin, agentic consulting startup Riplo and more. UKTN tracked £143.8m worth of UK tech investment this week (30 March to 3 April), a 9% week-on-week increase across four funding ...
Zevero founder: Customers are what bring focus
George Wade is the co-founder and CCO of Zevero, a carbon management platform that automates emissions data collection. In this week’s Founder in Five Q&A , Wade discusses the vital importance of listening to customers and integrating the findings, h...
LSEG launches cloud partnership with Dell
London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) has launched a multi-year partnership with Dell Technologies to build a new private cloud platform. Dell has been selected by the group behind the London public markets to optimise its existing on premises infrastru...
Sales collapse in March as retailers face “painful” period
Retailers saw sales collapse in March as a strong start to the month gave way to a steep late-month downturn, according to the latest High Street Sales Tracker from BDO. Total sales in discretionary categories including fashion, homewares and lifesty...
Homebase taps Henry Agg to front garden centre push in The Range stores
Homebase has appointed garden designer Henry Agg as the first ambassador for its garden centre offer housed within The Range stores, as the brand looks to strengthen its position in the gardening category following its move into the wider CDS Superst...
The Perfume Shop promotes two senior leaders as gender pay gap narrows
The Perfume Shop has promoted two women into senior supply chain and logistics roles as its latest gender pay gap report showed further progress on pay equity. Lauren Seabrook has been appointed head of supply chain, while Shelley Malone has stepped ...
YouTube now most influential brand in media: what does that mean for retail media?
The world of brand influence has changed dramatically. A new study finds that YouTube tops the rankings as the most influential brand in media, with digital platforms and tech companies accounting for every position in the top 10. The list also inclu...
Be at the heart of the conversation at Retail MediaX Europe 2026
Retail media leaders from across Europe are set to gather at Retail MediaX Europe 2026 to share their experiences and learnings at a time of fast change. More than 750 attendees are expected at the industry’s largest conference in Europe, which is ta...
The UK is falling behind the G7, but change is possible
The UK under many metrics ranks rather favourable among its fellow G7 nations, however, a recently identified alarming trend has revealed a major shortfall. In recent analysis conducted by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), a prominent ...
AllSaints turns to AI to modernise buying and merchandising
AllSaints is stepping up its use of AI as part of a wider transformation of its buying and merchandising operation. The retailer is introducing a new set of AI-native planning tools to modernise how its teams manage trading, forecasting, allocation, ...
Tumi escapes to the Mediterranean for new campaign
Premium luggage brand Tumi has launched a “joyful” new campaign for its spring collection. The campaign, titled ‘Mediterranean Escape”, was inspired by the “warmth , rhythm and sensorial richness” of the Mediterranean coastline. It was shot in Villa ...
New laws to change how firms can operate subscriptions
The UK government has announced plans to reform how companies can offer subscription services in an effort to improve the consumer experience. Announced by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the new laws concern how easy companies can make ...
AllSaints taps AI to modernise buying and merchandising
AllSaints has announced a partnership with AI-native SaaS platform Impact Analytics, under which the British fashion retailer will introduce AI‑native tools to modernise its buying and merchandising operations. The move is aimed at replacing a legacy...
5 must-know UK fashion retail trends for 2026
Even as inflation eased to 3% in January 2026, the cost-of-living crisis continues to shape how UK consumers shop. Today’s UK fashion customer is more intentional, more price-conscious, and far more selective than ever. Search behaviour reflects this...
Alan Turing Institute deemed ‘unsatisfactory’ in review
The Alan Turing Institute, a publicly funded research organisation focused on AI and data science, has been deemed “unsatisfactory” in a review of its work. The review, conducted by the government funding body UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), ackno...
UK offers Madagascar near tariff-free access to £3tn market to boost supply chain
The UK has moved to bolster its trade ties with Madagascar by offering near-total tariff-free access to its market, as part of efforts to boost exports and strengthen supply chain links with developing economies. The initiative, led by the British Em...
Garage CEO Andrew Lufty: “The beauty of our model is that nothing ever winds up in a landfill”
Walking down Oxford Street, it would be hard to miss Garage’s new store. Despite the drizzling grey London skies, alongside the usual hum of the UK’s busiest high street, rows of shoppers are queuing behind bright pink ropes, waiting for their turn t...
Huddled Group to rebrand as Peeko in cost-cutting platform overhaul
Huddled Group plc is set to rebrand as Peeko as it consolidates its portfolio of surplus goods websites into a single platform, in a move designed to cut costs. The UK-based e-commerce surplus goods retail group will merge Discount Dragon, Nutricircl...
Iceland boss backs government crackdown on £400m subscription ‘traps’
The UK government has unveiled plans to clamp down on so-called “subscription traps”, with new rules expected to save consumers around £400m a year by making it easier to cancel unwanted services. Announced by the Department for Business and Trade to...
Fabletics announces launch of biggest European store in Berlin
Fabletics is set to open its largest retail footprint in Europe at Berlin department store KaDeWe, as part of a new wellness-focused retail concept due to launch in spring 2026. The activewear brand will take more than 160 sq m on KaDeWe’s redesigned...
Women backing Women fund closes £130m
The Women backing Women fund, launched recently by a government-appointed taskforce, has announced its first close of £130m in what it described as a “landmark moment for the UK’s investment ecosystem”. The Invest in Women taskforce launched in 2024 ...
The Cotswold Company unveils Redbrick showroom plans alongside Kingston launch
The Cotswold Company has opened its newest showroom in Kingston upon Thames, London, as it unveiled plans to launch its 16th showroom at Redbrick, West Yorkshire. The Kingston showroom, located at 27 Thames Street, represents the company’s first show...
Insect farming could tackle deforestation and boost food security, study finds
Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming could provide a scalable solution to malnutrition and environmental degradation, following the launch of the world’s largest community-owned BSF farm in Madagascar, suggests a new study. The research, led by Health In ...
Government funding boost unveiled for local tech clusters
A new £20m funding boost has been unveiled by the government to support the local innovation economies of regions across England and Wales. The funding, to be awarded through the competition element of the £500m Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, wi...
Vape retailers urged to prepare ahead of new duty
HM Revenue and Customs has warned vaping businesses they must register now for a new excise duty regime or risk being unable to trade from October, as the government steps up regulation of the sector. Under the new rules, all vaping products sold in ...
Only one third of businesses fully prepared for supply shocks, warns report
UK businesses are increasingly exposed to supply chain disruption, with nearly half relying on just three customers for more than half of their revenue, warns a new report from SCALA. The global supply chain and logistics consultancy’s latest report ...
UK opens access to £1.4bn Japanese organic market in bid to boost exports
The UK has secured expanded access to Japan’s £1.4bn organic market after agreeing mutual recognition of organic livestock standards, in a move aimed at cutting costs and boosting exports for British producers. The agreement, announced by the Departm...
Revolut targets Peruvian banking licence
London fintech Revolut has secured a major step towards establishing a licensed banking operation in Peru as it seeks grow its Latin American business. Revolut has been granted an Organisation Licence by the Superintendency of Banking, Insurance and ...
How to win the AI visibility war
Search engine optimisation (SEO) has been a staple element of business growth for decades now, but if the shift towards AI searching continues, it could be left in the dust, creating a divide between the AI visible and the rest. That was in part the ...
UK Semiconductor Centre appoints new directors
The UK Semiconductor Centre (UKSC), a government-backed hub supporting the domestic microchip centre, has appointed two new directors to its leadership team. Launched in 2024 following the landmark National Semiconductor Strategy, UKSC serves as a ga...
Two in five Gen Z Brits would let AI manage their subscriptions, research finds
Two in five Gen Z consumers in the UK would be willing to let AI manage their subscriptions, according to new research – suggesting a clear generational shift in how people may interact with subscription services in future. The survey of 1,500 UK con...
THG taps booming wellness market as Myprotein expands beyond nutrition into apparel
THG’s flagship nutrition brand, Myprotein, is moving further into apparel via a new limited-edition training collection with Champion, marking a deeper push by its parent company into the health and wellness space. The collaboration with the iconic A...
The new competitive advantage
For much of fintech’s evolution, regulation was treated as a hurdle to overcome rather than a foundation for long-term scale. That narrative no longer reflects reality. In the UK fintech ecosystem, regulatory maturity is increasingly a differentiator...
We pick the best and most absurd April Fool’s Day marketing pranks
It’s the first of April, which means it’s time for another round of absurd marketing campaigns and collabs to celebrate what has now become the tradition of brands pranking customers. Whilst most, as you’ll see below, are quite obviously terrible ide...
Champion and Myprotein unveil limited-edition activewear collection
UK sports nutrition brand Myprotein has partnered with Champion to launch a limited-edition training collection. The collaboration “accelerates” Myprotein’s expansion into other categories and builds upon its partnerships with Decathlon, Frasers Grou...
Jigsaw pulls in £3.5m loss as it plans new UK stores
Luxury womenswear retailer Jigsaw pulled in a loss in its latest annual results, as it plots new stores throughout the UK. The group reported an EBITDA loss of £3.5 million from January 2024 to March 2025, on sales of £52.2 million. Following this pe...
Pension funds to back UK VC with £200m fund close
Three UK pension funds have agreed to invest in the UK venture capital (VC) market via a fund coordinated by the British Business Bank. The government has been encouraging pension funds to direct their considerable capital away from traditional cauti...
William Hill to close around 200 shops as tax and cost pressures mount
William Hill is set to close around 200 shops across the UK after parent company Evoke completed what it described as a “thorough review” of the business. The bookmaker said the closures will begin from May, with the group blaming mounting pressure o...
CMA targets cloud and business software in competition push
The UK’s competition regulator has unveiled plans to target anti-competitive behaviour in the cloud market after engaging with its largest players. Since the introduction of the new digital markets competition regime, the Competition and Markets Auth...
Pets at Home says retail turnaround remains on track as full-year profit guidance holds
Pets at Home has said its retail turnaround plan remains on track as it reiterated full-year profit guidance ahead of its annual results. In a pre-close trading update covering the year to March 2026, the retailer said its strategy to improve product...
Nike bats away Converse sale talk as Authentic Brands circles struggling label
Nike is not preparing to offload Converse, at least not publicly. However fresh speculation over the future of the brand has resurfaced after Bloomberg reported that Authentic Brands Group has expressed interest in buying Converse, should it ever be ...
Unilever seals $45bn McCormick food merger as it sharpens focus health and beauty
Unilever has agreed a $44.8bn (£33.5bn) deal to combine its Foods business with US spices and seasonings giant McCormick, creating a global flavour group with annual revenues of around $20bn (£15bn). The transaction will leave Unilever and its shareh...
Chancellor Reeves to meet supermarket bosses after first talks fail to attract turnout
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to meet senior supermarket executives today, after an earlier attempt to convene the sector was abandoned following a poor response from retailers. The rescheduled Downing Street meeting is expected to be attended by b...
Topps Tiles to close 23 stores as it steps up cost-cutting measures
Topps Tiles is to close 23 underperforming stores this year as part of a wider cost-cutting drive aimed at delivering sustainable profit growth. The retailer said it has begun rolling out a series of “self-help measures” across the business to improv...
Poundstretcher rules out store closures as it launches rent-cut restructuring plan
Poundstretcher has said it is not planning any store closures or redundancies as it moves ahead with a major restructuring plan focused on reducing property costs across its estate. The discount retailer, which operates more than 300 stores and emplo...