ECONOMY

JD Sports warned of 'muted growth' as the war in the Middle East threatens to hit consumer spending.The 'King of Trainers' said that like for like sales fell 2.3 per cent in the first quarter to 25 April - making it the latest retailer to…

I am a retired expat living in Thailand. In early 2020, I booked return flights back to London to visit my elderly parents. I was set to depart from Bangkok to Gatwick via Dubai on an Emirates flight on 9 April, and return on 23 April…

The Tony Blair Institute has proposed scrapping the state pension in favour of a 'Lifespan Fund' where income would be tied to your life expectancy.The radical overhaul would end the popular triple lock pledge on annual increases, and base…

The owner of WH Smith’s former High Street business was last night accused of presiding over a ‘retail bloodbath’ after paving the way for 150 store closures.Modella Capital, which bought the chain last year for £40m and renamed it TG…

Rachel Reeves never tires of blaming the former Tory prime minister Liz Truss for ‘crashing’ the British economy.If anyone dares mention the Chancellor’s own failings – and the foolhardy consequences of her high tax and high spending agenda…

A second-hand luxury SUV or executive saloon can be very tempting proposition for second-hand car buyers.While these vehicles would have been exceptionally expensive new, depreciation over subsequent years means they often become affordable…

Private equity ownership of retail is rarely a good idea. At Modella-owned TG Jones, the High Street successor to the 234-year-old WH Smith, franchise and job losses are underway.The dramatic loss of market share at supermarkets Morrisons…

Stock markets roared higher and the oil price fell below $100 yesterday as reports of a possible US-Iran peace deal stoked renewed optimism about an end to the damaging conflict in the Middle East.The FTSE 100 surged 2.2 per cent, or 219.55…

Odeon has celebrated its busiest weekend of the year as film fans flocked to The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Michael over the bank holiday.The UK’s largest cinema chain said that half a million customers visited its venues over the long…

The maker of the fat-jab Wegovy hailed surging demand for its first weight-loss pill, after smashing sales forecasts.Novo Nordisk launched its Wegovy pill in January as it fought back against Eli Lilly, the maker of rival drug Mounjaro,…