Harrods hit in cyber spree as experts warn of ‘coordinated campaign’ May 2, 2025 Harrods has become the latest high profile UK retailer targeted by cyber attackers, joining Marks & Spencer and Co-op Group in a spate of recent incidents that security experts fear may be part of a broader attack against the sector. Harrods has confirmed that it had experienced “attempted to gain unauthorised access” to its systems. [...]
Meet the best friends behind fast-growing Castore rival Montirex May 2, 2025 Montirex, a sportswear brand founded by two best friends, has predicted another huge jump in its sales and profit this year as it seeks to take on rival Castore. The Liverpool-headquartered business has revealed it is eyeing a turnover of around £130m for 2025, up from the £76.7m it achieved last year and £33.4m in [...]
Investors keep faith in M&S success story May 1, 2025 There’s no doubt that M&S is in the grip of a crisis, but investors appear to have faith that the current cyber nightmare won’t undermine the dream run enjoyed by this retailer in recent years. The business still stands out as a triumphant turnaround success story, with a share price that’s been on an upward [...]
Puma to move UK head office from London to Manchester May 1, 2025 Puma is to relocate its UK head office from London to Manchester after signing up to take space in a new £87m building. The global sportswear brand is to take 20,000 sq ft at 3 Circle Square in the city centre, which is due to open this summer. The head office will become home to [...]
M&S: Police investigate cyber attack as FTSE 100 shares stall April 30, 2025 The ongoing cyber attack on Marks & Spencer (M&S) is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police as the FTSE 100 retailer and its customers continue to face major disruption. Officers from the force’s cyber crime unit are looking into reports a hacking group known as Scattered Spider may have carried out the attack. When it [...]
The Co-op fights attempted hack as M&S cyber attack rages on April 30, 2025 The Co-op has been forced to shut off parts of its IT systems after it was confronted with an attempted hack. The Manchester-headquartered group has confirmed some of its back office and call centre services have been impacted. However, it added that all its stores, including grocery and funeral homes are trading as usual. A [...]
Truly: Losses continue at brand backed by Dragons’ Den star Peter Jones April 30, 2025 Losses have widened at Truly, the lifestyle brand launched by Dragons’ Den star Peter Jones which used to be backed by Holly Willoughby. The online business has been trading since the end of 2018 – led by Jones and wife Tara Capp – after TV presenter Willoughby stepped away a few months before. At the [...]
Gymshark puts 300 jobs at risk despite record sales April 30, 2025 Gymshark has put almost 300 jobs at risk despite reporting record sales for its latest financial year this week. The Solihull-headquartered company, which was co-founded by self-made billionaire Ben Francis, has entered into a consultation with 296 employees, almost a third of the total workforce. The news, first reported by Drapers, came on the same [...]
Vinted launches venture capital arm with eye on UK start-ups April 29, 2025 Vinted, the Lithuanian-founded secondhand marketplace, has launched its own venture capital (VC) arm and is eyeing UK start-ups. The move adds new competition to the UK’s fast expanding, re-commerce and resale market, now worth already £7bn, as major platforms look to capitalise on shifting consumer habits driven by inflation and sustainability concerns. Vinted Ventures will [...]
M&S: FTSE 100 shares start recovery after near-£700m cyber attack hit April 29, 2025 Shares in Marks and Spencer (M&S) have risen for the first time since a cyber attack wiped almost £700m off the FTSE 100 retailer’s valuation. M&S has seen its share price tumble from 411p to 383p in the last week after first revealing the cyber attack last Tuesday. The cyber attack initially impacted contactless payments [...]