Business & Tech
The latest stories from independent business & tech media.
The myth of killer AI is a self-serving attempt at regulatory capture
Skynet is coming soon, and also there's this Nigerian prince with a $20 million fortune who wants to give it to you
Bank of Ireland and Stripe strike digital transformation deal
Bank of Ireland (BoI) has announced a partnership with Irish payments fintech Stripe that the bank has described as a "key milestone" in its digital transformation programme.
UK.gov begins killing off passwords for 23 million users
Passkeys promise fewer phishing headaches – and £600 a day off Whitehall's SMS bill
CPython eases Rust requirements as assimilation continues
By making Rust opt-in, the Python builders hope to enjoy Rust bennies without the backlash that roiled the Linux kernel keepers
Tony Wickenden unveils new business after SJP closure
Tony Wickenden, founder of Technical Connection, has joined Phillip Wickenden, Simon Collins and Jamie Dunkley to launch a new independent business serving advisers, advice firms and financial services institutions.
Portfolio Thinking launches investment platform for advice firms
Portfolio Thinking has launched an investment research and communications platform designed to help advice firms develop their investment propositions and produce branded client communications.
Starting Out: How long does it take to become an adviser?
Aspiring advisers who are looking at academies and graduate schemes will find that training programmes last from 12-18 months up to five years.
Hugo Boss chairman exits following Frasers takeover pressure
Hugo Boss chairman Stephan Sturm will leave the company following “constructive discussions” amid recent changes in the company, the German fashion group told Reuters.
Calton’s Evergreen signs first group of self-employed advisers
Evergreen by Calton has welcomed its first six self-employed financial planners as the business looks to provide a new route into independent advice. The planners come from a range of financial services backgrounds.
Europe's right-to-repair rules are broken, not beaten
Patchy compliance is an argument for stronger enforcement, not abandoning the project
Evelyn Partners expands MPS availability through onshore bonds
Evelyn Partners has expanded the availability of its Model Portfolio Service (MPS), with its Core and Index ranges now accessible through onshore investment bond wrappers across several major adviser platforms.
Debbie Seaton: Could self-invested pensions be part of the IHT solution?
Inheritance tax is rarely far from the headlines at present, with changes to Business and Agricultural Property Relief and, from April 2027, most unused pension funds and death benefits being brought within the value of an individual’s estate for IHT purposes.
The Morning Briefing: Evelyn Partners expands MPS through onshore bonds; Portfolio Thinking launches investment platform
Good morning and welcome to your Morning Briefing for Monday 14 September 2026. To get this in your inbox every morning
Who, Me? Tech team stood and laughed at colleague who pressed the wrong off button
Ticklish situation solved with a lie about emergency maintenance
AI and its main promoters are not enterprise-ready, says Gartner
Model-makers move too fast and don’t care when they break things
Clarks launches new Marble Arch store
Clarks has opened a new store at Marble Arch, 522 Oxford Street.
Pave raises $14m for AI-powered portfolio management platform
AI-powered portfolio management platform for financial advisors Pave Finance has raised over $15 million at a $100 million pre-money valuation in an oversubscribed Series A round.
Pets at Home COO: “Pet Pals creates genuine moments of joy and customer magic”
Pets at Home recently hit a milestone of one million children being educated through its Pet Pals programme. The pet retailer’s free in-store workshops are designed to teach children aged four to ten about responsible pet ownership.
Ripple MD David Wolfenden on its ReFrame system debut with Barbour
In August, Barbour became the first brand to use a new British-designed modular retail display system that allows retailers to refresh stores without replacing entire fixture schemes.
Retailers marking store milestones in an increasingly online world
Despite the rise of ecommerce, bricks-and-mortar stores are still the dominant force in the retail sector in 2026. Physical retail stores still represent 80.4 per cent of global retail sales.
Worldline to accept agentic AI payments
French payments provider Worldline has become one of the first European firms to facilitate payments via agentic AI.
The Entertainer gives Meccano a brand refresh
The Entertainer has relaunched its construction toy brand Meccano, redesigning its logo and packaging. Addo Play, The Entertainers’ design and distribution arm, redesigned Meccano’s instructions, making them simpler with step-by-step guidance and colour coded visuals.
Tech Show Paris preview: Why AI is forcing retailers to rethink the infrastructure beneath every decision
As AI moves from pilot projects into day-to-day retail operations, Tech Show Paris conference manager Jaya Sexton explains why cloud, data, energy and governance are becoming board-level infrastructure questions.
Harrods survivors say claims could reach £150m as settlement talks stall
Claims brought by more than 275 survivors of Mohamed Fayed’s alleged abuse at Harrods are worth more than £100m and could reach £150m, according to lawyers representing the group.
Emma Simpson-Scott becomes Space NK CEO as Andy Lightfoot exits
Space NK CEO Andy Lightfoot will step down from the premium beauty retailer on 13 September, with current chief marketing officer Emma Simpson-Scott succeeding him. Lightfoot joined Space NK as global digital director in 2016, before becoming chief executive in April 2019.
Richard E. Grant supports second hand fashion in new campaign from Oxfam
Oxfam is asking shoppers to choose second hand fashion in this year’s Second Hand September campaign starring actor Richard E. Grant. The release of the campaign follows speculation that Oxfam is going shut 100 shops and warehouses, which the retailer has confirmed will not be…
OKA profits as it “refocuses” on UK growth
Luxury home interiors retailer OKA is seeing the benefits of its 2024 financial restructuring, with profits tripled and annual sales growth of 25 per cent.
Dreams media director: Sponsorships are ‘part of our armoury’
Bed retailer Dreams unveiled its new sponsorship deal with UKTV and Channel 4 earlier this year. Marketing and media director at Dreams, Simon Moore explains that for this particular sponsorship it was all about fit.