Not On The High Street turnaround: Sara Davies, who appeared on the BBC business series between 2019 and 2025, has taken a stake in the online marketplace and joined its board as its German private equity owners try to return it to growth.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
JLR pauses Defender redesign, pushing all-electric version into the 2030s
Electric Defender delay: Jaguar Land Rover has paused the full redesign of its bestselling model for two years, as new chief executive PB Balaji cuts costs and absorbs the impact of US tariffs.
Hundreds of pharmacies weigh closure as business rates bills soar
Almost half of the 420 owners surveyed by the National Pharmacy Association say rising pharmacy business rates bills have them considering closure, with 55 per cent looking at cheaper premises and 44 branches already shut this year, leaving the network at its smallest since 2006.
UK firms in critical financial distress rise 9% to more than 53,000
The number of UK companies in critical financial distress rose 9 per cent year-on-year to 53,756 in the three months to June, according to BTG’s latest Red Flag report, with consumer-facing sectors such as leisure, hotels and sports clubs bearing the brunt as confidence and spending stay subdued.
UK retail sales fall 0.5% in July as heatwave keeps shoppers away
UK retail sales fell 0.5 per cent in July, the Office for National Statistics said, as record temperatures cut spending on clothing, footwear and household goods and wiped out June’s gain.
Borrowing hits £1.8bn in July as Healey’s first budget looms
UK borrowing July 2026 figures from the ONS show the government borrowed £1.8 billion in a month that usually produces a surplus, leaving the deficit more than £2 billion above the official forecast for the year so far as John Healey prepares his maiden budget on 28 October.
Trainline and Virgin Atlantic face CMA drip pricing investigation
The competition regulator has opened a drip pricing investigation into Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School over concerns that mandatory fees were not shown to customers upfront.
Frasers lifts Hugo Boss stake to almost 48% but falls short of control
Frasers Group’s Hugo Boss stake has risen to almost 48 per cent after 17.6 per cent of investors accepted its £1.7 billion takeover offer — short of the majority needed to control the German fashion house.
Charlotte Tilbury profits reach £21m as global sales climb to £539m
Charlotte Tilbury profits rose by just under 15 per cent to £21 million in the year to the end of December, as a launch in Mexico and a debut on Amazon’s US Premium Beauty store helped push turnover to £539 million.
UK inflation rises to 2.9% after energy price cap increase
UK inflation climbed to 2.9 per cent in July, its highest since March, after a 13 per cent rise in the Ofgem energy price cap took effect — with investors now weighing the chance of an interest rate rise before the end of the year.
Personal insolvencies jump 14 per cent as IVAs climb to highest level since 2022
Personal insolvencies in England and Wales were 14 per cent higher in July than a year earlier, driven by a rise in individual voluntary arrangements that took monthly numbers to their highest since November 2022.
UK sells ten-year gilts at 5.155%, highest rate since 2007
UK borrowing costs hit a near two-decade high on Tuesday as the government sold ten-year gilts at 5.155 per cent, the highest rate since August 2007.
Private sector pay growth slows to 2.8%, a six-year low, ONS says
Private sector pay growth slowed to 2.8 per cent in the three months to June, a six-year low, while public sector pay rose 6.1 per cent, ONS data shows.
Perini Navi, builder of Mike Lynch’s Bayesian, put up for sale
Perini Navi, the Italian builder of Mike Lynch’s Bayesian superyacht, is up for sale as parent The Italian Sea Group calls for offers by 15 September.
Dragons’ Den firm Y1 Group buys Redbird Apparel in seven-figure deal
Y1 Group has acquired Redbird Apparel in a seven-figure deal, creating a combined UK branded apparel business with more than £7.5m in annual revenue.
