UK petrol retailers claim ‘inflammatory language’ of ministers led to staff abuse

Trade body attends meeting with Rachel Reeves, hours after saying it was pulling out over suggestions of price gouging

Bleak economic data shows UK plc in trouble well before Middle East crisis

Zero GDP growth in January will not help Rachel Reeves claim she has put UK in position to weather oil price storm

Keeping it simple was always the answer for John Lewis

Remedy for partnership’s post-Covid woes was the old-fashioned one of basic shopkeeping and cutting costs

John Lewis pays first annual staff bonus in four years as profits rise

Payment of 2% at employee-owned partnership follows sales increase to £13.4bn

Estée Lauder sues Jo Malone over use of her name on Zara fragrance

Cosmetics firm takes legal action against London-born perfumer who sold brand and rights to her name in 1999

Billionaire Zara founder Amancio Ortega to receive €3.23bn dividend

Payment for Inditex founder, the world’s 15 richest person, tops last year’s dividend of €3.1bn

UK companies struggling to hire young people amid cost pressures, MPs told

Business lobby groups say firms less likely to take on staff with few qualifications or who have gaps in their CVs

Ending UK customs relief on low-value imports could push up prices, BCC says

Business group warns of harm to small firms and trade as it calls for phased end to ‘de minimis’ exemptions

Supermarkets hit by falling demand for nitrite-cured bacon due to cancer fears

Sales of products made the traditional way dropped 7% in three months to 25 January while nitrite-free sales rose 20%

UK supermarket chain Iceland drops trademark dispute with Iceland

Company promises ‘rapprochement discount’ for shoppers from country after decade-long action in EU court

£25 for a cookie? What the baffling luxury bakery boom tells us about Britain

Amid a cost of living crisis, pricey patisserie is all the rage – and not just in London. Our reporter goes on a crawl to find out if a tart can really be worth £45

Surprise jump in UK grocery inflation makes interest rate cut less probable

ECB says Middle East war could cause higher inflationary pressure and warns of potential ‘sharp drop in output’

Young fashion fans help UK charity shops thrive on struggling UK high streets

Sales beat wider retail sector last year thanks to customers inspired by websites such as Vinted, industry body says

Sainsbury’s to cut 300 jobs as it restructures tech team and Argos deliveries

Head office job losses part of plan for more separation between supermarket and Argos businesses

Hornby sells slot car racing brand Scalextric for £20m

Purbeck Capital Partners seals deal with model railway maker for toy racing car business and IP rights