Traders in south-west England and the Channel Islands report mixed results from the UK’s warmest summer on record, with gains for some, losses for others.
Category: In Business
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Zoopla returns to £13.3m profit as advertising revenue falls
Zoopla profit has returned, with the property website reporting £13.3m before tax in 2025 despite a 1 per cent revenue fall linked to an ad strategy shift.
CBI tells Healey £345bn business costs are holding back investment
The CBI has urged John Healey to cut business costs ahead of the 28 October budget, reporting firms paid almost £345bn in tax in 2025-26, up 12.7 per cent.
Uber launches London’s first self-driving taxis with 15 Wayve cars
The first self-driving taxis London can hire are now on the Uber app, with 15 licensed Wayve cars and a human safety driver in each ready to take over.
HMRC writes to thousands over Loan Charge Settlement Scheme as third could pay nothing
Thousands of people and employers with outstanding Loan Charge liabilities are being invited to settle under the new Loan Charge Settlement Scheme, which HMRC says will cut most bills by at least half and reduce around a third to zero. Contractor bodies say the offer overstates the benefit and comes too late for those who have already paid.
Sainsbury’s puts £1.5m into school breakfast clubs and food pantries as new term begins
Sainsbury’s has announced more than £1.5 million of funding for school breakfast clubs, school food pantries and kitchen upgrades as the new term starts, including £500,000 each for the charities Magic Breakfast and Rethink Food through its partnership with Comic Relief.
Firms told to audit labour supply chains as Right to Work checks extend to subcontractors from 1 October
Businesses that rely on subcontractors, agency staff and layered labour supply chains are being urged to review their compliance procedures now, with sweeping changes to Right to Work checks due to take effect on 1 October 2026 and civil penalties of up to £60,000 per illegal worker for firms that get it wrong.
Reform UK tax pledges could cost billions with no clear funding plan, warns Blick Rothenberg
Robert Jenrick’s package of Reform UK tax pledges, including scrapping income tax on overtime, cutting employer national insurance and lowering VAT for the self-employed, would eat into the taxes that raise three quarters of UK revenue with little detail on how the gap would be closed, according to Blick Rothenberg.
Return of tax-free shopping would give UK economy £11.5bn boost, says CEBR
Bringing back tax-free shopping for international visitors would attract up to 2.35 million more tourists a year and hand the Treasury a £2.6 billion net gain, according to new research commissioned by Heart of London Business Alliance, as more than 500 business leaders urge the chancellor to act in the autumn budget.
London housing costs are choking firms’ access to young talent, LCCI warns ahead of Budget
London housing costs are limiting the ability of 74% of the capital’s business leaders to recruit and retain staff, according to polling for the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s new Choose LDN campaign, which urges the Prime Minister to use the Budget, devolution white paper and 10 Year Plan to make the capital more competitive rather than less.
Soul Padel raises £3.6m at £30m valuation to grow from four clubs to ten
Soul Padel raises £3.6 million from three family offices at a £30 million valuation, with six new clubs already through planning and the operator saying its schools, women’s and over-50s programmes and a 12,000-member loyalty platform give it the foundations to scale.
Octopus Energy buys Danish startup BD Energy to bolster automated power trading
The Octopus Energy acquisition of Danish startup BD Energy hands its power trading arm a 31-strong team whose algorithms execute around 99 per cent of trades across 15 countries.
Aldi accused of desperation after attack on supermarket loyalty schemes
Aldi has been accused of desperation after its attack on supermarket loyalty schemes, with industry data showing the discounter’s sales growth falling well behind Lidl, M&S and the established chains.
Amazon accused of rigging ad auctions as FTC and 22 states allege $20bn overcharge
An Amazon advertising lawsuit filed by the FTC and 22 US states alleges the company manipulated its ad auctions to overcharge more than a million advertising customers by an estimated $20bn since 2019, claims Amazon dismisses as misguided.
Employers blame lack of soft skills for fuelling youth unemployment crisis
Research for Alan Milburn’s review of young people not in education, employment or training has found that employers regard a lack of soft skills and work readiness as the biggest barrier to hiring school leavers, while teachers report that young people’s preparedness for work has declined over the past five years.
