Tax

John Lewis H1 losses widen amid tax and budget costs

The John Lewis Partnership has fallen to a £34m loss in the first half of the year, up from a £5m loss the same period last year, attributing the widened loss to a new packaging tax and the effects of the budget.  Excluding exceptional items, losses almost tripled from £33m…

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Wickes HY PBT rises 17% to £27.3m

Wickes has revealed that its adjusted profit-before-tax rose 16.7% to £27.3m for the half-year ended 28 June 2025, up from £23.4m in the same period last year. Alongside this, the retailer posted total revenues of £847.9m for the period, an increase of 5.6% from the £803.2m it posted in the…

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Inditex HY profits edge up to €2.8bn

Inditex, the parent company of fashion brands Zara, Bershka and Stradivarius, has reported that revenues rose 1.6% year-on-year to €18.4bn (£15.9bn) in the six months to 31 July, with net income up 0.8% to €2.8bn (£2.42bn). Constant currency revenues jumped by 5.1% during the period, while gross profits inched up…

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Retail sales rise 3.1% in August due to warmer weather

UK retail sales grew 3.1% in August compared with the same month last year, marking a stronger end to the summer thanks to warmer weather, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The figures, covering the four weeks from 3 to 30 August, were above the 12-month average growth of…

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Dunelm profits rise 2.7% to £211m as store footprint increases

Dunelm has revealed that its profit-before-tax rose 2.7% to £211m, up from £205.4m, for the year ended 28 June 2025. Alongside this, the company’s total sales rose 3.8% to £1.77bn, up from £1.70bn. It stated that its digital sales were now 40% of total sales, up from 37% in the…

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The Works to meet FY profit expectations

The Works has said it is on track to deliver profit in line with forecasts for the current financial year, despite ongoing cost pressures. In a trading update ahead of its annual general meeting on 8 September, the retailer said the board remained confident of meeting market expectations for pre-IFRS…

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Waitrose sales outgrow rivals for fourth consecutive month

Sales at Waitrose grew 0.5 percentage points more than its supermarket rivals for the four weeks ended 9 August 2025, according to data from NIQ Scantrack seen by The Telegraph. This growth marked the fourth consecutive month it has outgrown its rivals as it revamped its stores and improved its…

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Retail sales rise 0.6% in July boosted by footwear and clothing

Retail sales in the UK rose 0.6% across July, after increasing 0.3% in the previous month, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This increase was driven by clothing and footwear sales, which rose 2.5% in the period, with non-store retailing sales volumes up 2.5%. Furthermore, household…

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Levi’s UK warns rising ‘anti-Americanism’ could damage brand

Levi’s UK has warned that a risk of “rising Anti-Americanism” in light of Trump Tariffs and US governmental policies could drive consumers away from US brands and dent its sales in the UK. In its latest filings on Companies House, the group said that consumers may develop an “increasing willingness”…

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Sweaty Betty returns to profit for first time in three years

Activewear brand Sweaty Betty has revealed that it made a profit of £1.5m during 2024, compared with a £13.4m pre-tax loss the year prior, its first profit since 2021. In accounts submitted to Companies House, the business stated that it also reduced its headcount from 990 to 903 staff members…

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