John Lewis managing director Peter Ruis quits job after less than three years

Surprise departure comes after department store chain’s chair warned of ‘really tough trading conditions’

Not your imagination: from backpacks to food, consumer goods are getting worse

Is it possible to avoid the continuing decline in quality of consumer products brought on by corporate greed?

Harvey Nichols warns it could collapse without rescue deal, as bidders circle

Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group is frontrunner to buy Knightsbridge-headquartered department store chain

Burnham vows crackdown on ‘rip-off’ business practices to ease cost of living

First of PM’s ‘everyday fixes’ to be banning fake discounts and making it easier to cancel unwanted subscriptions

Readers reply: What do you wish you could buy in vending machines?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

Andy Burnham to tour Britain in effort to reconnect government with public

PM expected to announce policies to tackle cost of living and indicate intent to help improve country’s high streets

Sweet, soft and playful: TikTok turns Japanese milk bread into UK’s latest food craze

Shokupan, fresh fruit sandwiches and soufflé pancakes are part of a growing interest in east Asian cuisine

Can Harvey Nichols find its way back to being Absolutely Fabulous again?

Mike Ashley says it’s in a ‘death spiral’ but a refocus on design could be what the department store needs

July’s heatwaves kept UK shoppers away from high street

Visits down 3.8% after 6.2% fall in June, with many choosing to buy online instead, research for retail body finds

Judge casts doubt on future of WH Smith replacement TG Jones

Mr Justice Hildyard, who approved rescue plan in July, said turnaround plan came with ‘very considerable’ risks

Sweltering summer lifts Next sales as profit outlook upgraded again

Clothing and homeware retailer says growth led by suite of alternative brands and strong online sales

Healey’s profiteering warning on food and fuel risks row with retailers

Chancellor says the government wants to prevent shoppers being ‘taken for a ride’ at the pump or till

Inside M&S’s swanky Oxford Street revamp, the blueprint for its £700m growth strategy

As boss Stuart Machin unveils a new-look Pantheon the retailer has fashion and overseas challenges ahead

Knickers in a twist: why M&S selling crotchless underwear isn’t as outrageous as it seems

Some have called it ‘S&M’, but partnership with Ann Summers is less a scandal than another step in a century of evolving underwear trends, experts say

Sainsbury’s to sell Argos to three retail veterans in £120m deal

Trio set up Swift Partners for the acquisition, allowing supermarket to focus on core food business