Brompton profits plunge more than 99% amid bike industry turmoil
Boss of bicycle maker says discounting after Covid boom means ‘sad state of affairs’ in global market is likely to go on
‘Left to rot’: Glasgow’s crumbling heritage comes into focus for 850th anniversary
Pressure grows to do something about city centre’s decaying buildings and empty shops in ‘year of urgency’
Lidl enjoys record £1bn UK sales in run-up to Christmas
Discount grocer records 7% increase in four weeks leading up to Christmas Eve
UK lost 37 shops a day in 2024, data suggests
Almost 13,500 retail stores closed, a rise of 28% on previous year, according to Centre for Retail Research
Former bosses of HSBC and Rolls-Royce knighted in new year honours
Noel Quinn and Warren East, as well as Chanel chief Leena Nair among business figures to be honoured
End of the lines? QR-style codes could replace barcodes ‘within two years’
Retailers already trialling next-generation codes that can show sell-by dates, product instructions and ingredients
Trump Bibles, Rudy coffee, Tucker nicotine pouches: the rightwing knick-knack racket
Republican figures are using their influence to sell a variety of goods, preying on people’s political affiliations
Nearly 170,000 UK shop workers lost their jobs in 2024
Collapse of chains such as Homebase and Body Shop contributed to big rise, and another tough year is on the cards
Many happy returns: sustainable startups are turning a profit from your unwanted clothes
Now that half of our clothing purchases are sent back, reverse logistics – or the returns industry – has become big business, with companies finding ways to reduce waste
More UK retailers in critical financial distress; fashion brand Quiz needs more funding soon – as it happened
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news
Number of UK retailers on brink of collapse soars by 25%
Report for final three months of year shows pressure driven by rising costs and weak consumer confidence
Toilet seat and burial plot: 21% of Britons given unwanted Christmas gifts, Which? finds
Secondhand tumble dryer and roast beef for vegetarian also in ‘worst present ever received’ poll
Boxing Day footfall down on UK high streets despite discounts
Data may reflect shift in behaviour influenced by cost of living crisis or front-loading of spending
‘Wild west’: experts concerned by illegal promotion of weight-loss jabs in UK
Guardian review finds many online pharmacies flouting strict advertising rules that govern prescription-only drugs
Shrinking waistlines and growing profits: the weight-loss drug boom
Drugs such as Wegovy amd Mounjaro are an attractive prospect for online businesses and traditional pharmacies as well as the firms that make them