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

Greggs sales jump as iced matcha lattes and chicken rolls become heatwave hits

Rise to £1.1bn in first six months of year for bakery chain largely down to opening of new stores

Liberty embraces sewing boom with craft classes as it expands fabrics section

London store also plans bigger haberdashery area, where it will hold autumn workshops for crafters

Family of former Vodafone manager found drowned call for ‘Adrian’s law’ to protect franchisees

Adrian Howe’s family believe that fears his deal would be financially ruinous led him to kill himself

Record heat sends online retail sales to five-year high in Great Britain

Soaring temperatures fuel demand for air conditioners and outdoor goods, helping retailers beat expectations in June

‘It’s become a nepo baby sport’: how secondhand fashion got so expensive

Thanks to gen Z resellers and platforms like Depop, thrifting has lost its subcultural roots - and ballooned into a $350bn business

‘Burnham bounce’ and World Cup lift mood in July, says data firm

‘Wave of optimism’ is sparked by prospect of new prime minister, England football team’s progress and hot weather

I joined the long lines for Trader Joe’s viral tote bags. What I found surprised me

Shoppers are waking up before sunrise to score the $3 mini grocery bags, which have become a global status symbol

AliExpress fined record €550m by EU for failing to stop sale of illegal and fake goods

Chinese retail platform handed penalty over listings for items such as counterfeit products and unsafe toys

The disturbing rise of ‘gooner’ assaults at Dollar Tree stores: ‘They find it funny to degrade women’

In dark corners of the internet, men are goading each other to masturbate in public – and on female shoppers – and post the footage

How Elephant and Castle risks becoming London’s gentrification ‘patient zero’

New £500m town centre welcomes its first tenant this month, but displaced traders say promises that they could return have been broken

Why can’t Lifestyle & Mobility store show compassion after my loss?

I bought a wheelchair for my daughter, but she later died in hospital and the company refuses a refund

The Guardian view on pubs: football gave them a boost – now they need another

Editorial: Communal spaces where people can share big moments are a vital part of our shared life

Vodafone settles legal claim brought by 62 former franchisees after Guardian investigation

Agreement, without admission of liability, ends 19-month high court dispute that small-business owners said left them with large debts