Dragons Den star steps in to save Robert Dyas March 16, 2026 A former Dragons Den star has stepped in to “steady the ship” at a beloved high street hardware store as losses climb. Theo Paphitis, who owns a string of retailers, has installed himself as interim chief executive at Robert Dyas, as the home improvement and electrical appliance seller battles “testing times”. Paphitis bought the retailer [...]
Labour urged to revisit non-dom regime to revive London economy March 16, 2026 Business leaders have urged Labour to overturn its abolition of the “non-dom” tax regime to stem an “exodus” of high-net worth figures leaving the capital. Lobby group BusinessLDN has called on the government to create an “Office for Tax Competitiveness” to identify where the UK loses out on attracting investment and growth due to stricter [...]
Michael Hayman elected chair of British Chambers of Commerce March 16, 2026 Michael Hayman has been elected the new chair of the UK’s leading business network, succeeding former management consultant Sarah Howard. Hayman will take the chair of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) after being picked unanimously by board members. As chair, Hayman will lead the network’s strategic direction as it supports business growth, lobbies the [...]
Second home stamp duty means 2m houses ‘missing’ from rental market March 16, 2026 More than 2m rental homes are missing from the market because of the second home tax imposed a decade ago, new research has found. Nearly ten per cent fewer homes are available to rent than was projected in 2016, when the stamp duty surcharge on second homes pushed millions of houses out of the reach [...]
Nine in ten hospitality job switchers quit the sector March 13, 2026 Nine in ten workers in hospitality and tourism quit the sector altogether when they switch jobs, as the hiring “churn” drives costs and dampens the industry’s productivity. As many as 87 per cent of hospitality and tourism workers who quit jobs end up leaving the industry for good, while the exit rate stands at 82 [...]
Petrol retailers pull out of Reeves meeting over ‘abuse’ of staff March 13, 2026 Petrol retailers have pulled out of a meeting with Chancellor Rachel Reeves, claiming the government’s warnings against “price gouging” have led to forecourt staff being abused. The head of the Petrol Retailer’s Association (PRA) called off the meeting at late notice on Friday, after Reeves’ office allegedly refused to hold the tete-a-tete behind closed doors. [...]
Iran war ‘heavily’ affecting property confidence, developer says March 13, 2026 Property developer Berkeley Group has said the Iran war is “weighing heavily” on market confidence and could push up inflation. The FTSE 100 firm told shareholders on Friday: “The emerging situation in the Middle East is weighing heavily on risk sentiment and we await to see the impact of this on the market.” “While reaffirming [...]
Hospitality sector braces for ‘devastating’ tube strikes March 12, 2026 London’s hospitality sector could face “devastating” disruption from upcoming tube strikes, sector leaders have warned. Members of the RMT union, which represents London Underground staff, will strike over 12 days between March and May, and hospitality intelligence firm Access Hospitality has warned sector bosses to prepare now to protect their revenue. The last set of [...]
John Lewis boss: Labour must keep pledge to reform business rates March 12, 2026 Labour must honour its manifesto promise to fundamentally reform the business rates system, John Lewis boss Jason Tarry has said. The retail chairman said the changes at last year’s Budget were positive for retail but offered a “short-term” fix to a system which unfairly disadvantages physical retailers as opposed to online shops. Chancellor Rachel Reeves [...]
‘Fibremaxxing’: How food manufacturers made fibre cool again March 12, 2026 “Fibremaxxing,” the UK’s new healthy eating trend, erupted at the start of 2026, as fibre replaced protein as the go-to fashionable food. Previously mundane, bland foods like prunes and seeded bread surged in popularity, with posts with the hashtags “fibremaxxing” having been viewed more than 150m times on TikTok. Sales of prunes increased 60 per [...]
