Business

The Christmas period is upon us, and goods are flying off the shelves, but for some reason, the tills are not ringing as loudly as they should be. Across the country, the five-finger discount is being used with such frequency that retailers are taking action into their own hands. With concerns about the police response…

The economy may be stuttering, unemployment may be rising, inflation may be above target. But even so, the Bank of England delivered mortgage payers some welcome Christmas cheer on Thursday. The quarter percentage point cut in interest rates was far from a surprise – the vast majority of economists and investors had expected the Bank…

The owner of the fashion brand LK Bennett is this weekend racing to find a saviour amid concerns that it could be heading for collapse for the second time in six years. Sky News has learnt that the clothing chain, which was founded by Linda Bennett in 1990, is working with advisers at Alvarez &…

BP is parting ways with the chief executive who led its early drive for increased profits from oil and gas, after investor pressure for more progress. It was announced after markets had closed in the US last night that Meg O’Neill, the head of Australia’s Woodside Energy since 2021, would take over from Murray Auchincloss….

Executives at Vodafone will next month meet parliamentarians amid growing scrutiny of its treatment of dozens of its retail franchisees, which a prominent MP said possessed “uncomfortable echoes of the Post Office [Horizon IT] scandal”. Sky News understands that senior executives from the FTSE-100 telecoms giant will hold talks with MPs, including the Reform deputy…

The chairman of Ocado Group has been recruited to the board of Visma, the European software company which is preparing one of the London stock market’s biggest debuts for years. Sky News has learnt that Adam Warby will become a non-executive director of Visma, with an announcement likely as early as Friday, according to banking…

TikTok’s Chinese owner has signed a deal to sell the company’s US arm to American investors – ensuring the video platform can continue operating in the United States. The deal is expected to close on 22 January 2026, according to an internal memo seen by Sky News’ US partner, NBC News. It will end years…

Black Friday sales do not appear to have provided much cheer for retailers amid continued consumer caution, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported a 0.1% decline in sales volumes during November, compared to the previous month, when the data is adjusted for seasonal effects due to the pre-Christmas shopping bonanza…

WH Smith is being investigated by the City watchdog after the company revealed accounting failures in its US operations. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said: “The investigation concerns potential breaches of UK Listing Principles and Rules and Disclosure and Transparency Rules in relation to the matters announced by WH Smith PLC on 19 November 2025.”…

One of the world’s biggest esports organisations is exploring a sale that could value it at about $100m (£74.7m) after receiving approaches from potential buyers. Sky News has learnt that Fnatic, which is based in east London, is working with advisers to field interest from third parties in a minority investment or full takeover of…