Bakery chain Gail’s plans to open 40 more outlets as sales soar

Sales rose to £278m in last finanical year but profit margins were hit by increasing staff and energy costs

Harrods warehouse staff underpaid by thousands of pounds after agency error

Pay mistake is latest setback to image of exclusive Qatar-owned London retailer after a series of crises

Asda hits out at government for ‘killing confidence’ among consumers

But supermarket blames ‘self-inflicted’ IT problems that left gaps on shelves for 3.7% drop in sales

UK retailers urge faster end to tax break on low-value imported goods

Primark, Currys and Boohoo criticise government for waiting until 2029 to phase out exemption on customs duty

Debenhams boss could receive almost £150m if he turns around struggling retailer

Incentive scheme for CEO of fashion group, which also includes Boohoo, comes as sales slump 23%

Soup firm Campbell’s dismisses executive over alleged ‘poor people’ comments

Senior figure allegedly referred to customers buying ‘highly processed food’ and denigrated Indian employees

Relief for retailers as business rate changes in budget not as bad as feared

Sainsbury’s chief executive says ‘industry concerns have been heard’, although others outside retail industry are left frustrated by changes

Pets at Home boss says ‘urgent and necessary’ action needed as profits dive

Interim chair of group, which is still looking for a CEO, says chain must ‘return to our retailing roots’

B&Q owner holds firm – but others might struggle if a ‘softening’ retail market turns soggy

Kingfisher may be thriving, but its numbers mask a retail landscape that looks increasingly fragile as budget looms

FCA makes inquiries into WH Smith accounting error that wiped almost £600m off value

Regulator assessing whether firm breached UK disclosure rules for listed companies, but is yet to launch formal investigation

I went to an M&S opening and it was mobbed. Why are people so weird about shops?

I thought it would just be big news for me but I had reckoned without the TikTok generation, mums staring at the premixed cocktails and the yoga-mat brigade stalking every aisle, writes Zoe Williams

‘Replacing the old, stuffy department store’: John Lewis boss on its revamp

Peter Ruis discusses the chain’s £800m reboot, bringing ‘radical relevance’ – and that dance-driven Christmas ad

Black Friday discounts fail to offer cheapest prices, Which? research finds

Products sold by retailers including John Lewis and Very among those cheaper outside of November discount period

Falling stock markets and high shop prices hit US consumer confidence; rate cut hopes lift Wall Street – as it happened

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

Asos turns to AI stylists to win back shoppers after sales slide 12%

Online fashion retailer says action to cut discounts and deter ‘serial returners’ contributed to fall in sales