Business & Tech
The latest stories from independent business & tech media.
The Range and Wilko owner sales surge 16% to record £1.7bn following Homebase takeover
The Range and Wilko owner CDS Superstores has reported record revenues of £1.7bn following its acquisition of Homebase, as the retail group continues to expand its store estate and digital operations.
Open models are having a moment, but martech Jasper still relies on the frontier
Jasper CEO Timothy Young explains how its product team is now "really building the system that is writing the code."
Government warns Poundland owner over potential intervention amid administration threat
Poundland owner Gordon Brothers has been warned it could face government intervention due to mounting concerns over the chain’s future, and claims that a rescue bid was rejected.
Manager threatened to fire a colleague, then gave them a critical task – which they flubbed
Nobody noticed for years, at which point the boss realized they had to cover up their poor decision
Landline phones will switch off across Britland in 100 days, no extensions – Openreach
Legacy public switched telephone network service is
Evergreen by Calton signs first established advice firm
Evergreen by Calton has signed its first established financial advice business, with Victor Sacks’ VS Associates joining its self-employed adviser proposition.
Screwfix expands rapid delivery service to 600 stores across UK
Screwfix has expanded its on-demand delivery service, Screwfix Sprint, to 600 stores nationwide, giving more than 62 per cent of the UK population access to rapid delivery.
Budget leaves just 4% feeling more confident about finances
Just 4% of people feel more confident about their personal finances following the Autumn Budget, compared with 25% who feel less confident, according to new polling by Rathbones.
Royal London makes beneficiary nomination default for protection applications
Royal London has made beneficiary nomination the default option for eligible protection applications in a move designed to reduce delays in paying claims and improve outcomes for customers and their families.
Britain's driverless dream hits a roundabout of awkward questions
Institute for Driverless Transport wants answers on jobs impact and what happens if the supplier bails
From expertise to intelligence: NISCO deploys world's first swarm-intelligence steel model at scale
PARTNER CONTENT: 300+ AI applications delivering surges in core metrics and annual cost reduction of over CNY100m
Looking Ahead: All wrapped up and ready for November
People often laugh – or at least roll their eyes – when I tell them that I do all my Christmas shopping, wrapping and card writing in November. I'm never quite sure whether this reaction expresses admiration or scorn. Either way, I remain convinced that
"HMRC™ by Salesforce" - Tax office defends ~£4.4 billion CRM plan
India floats AI plan under which ‘The model travels to the data, rather than the data travelling to the model’
Wants more local AI, without Big Tech getting open access to everything
Marks & Spencer to open largest international Foodhall in Dubai
Marks & Spencer is set to open its largest Foodhall outside the UK in Dubai next month, as the retailer pushes ahead with plans to expand its international business.
Google says Asian advertisers spending less due to Europe's customs changes
PLUS: Brake pedals break on Huawei-made cars; North Korea named as source of Binance hack; and more!
Linus Torvalds says Linux kernel is out of 'stabilization phase' and using 'much healthier model' for AI contributions
Yet machine-made patches ‘often get rewritten’
Chap who coded Google’s Pac-Man clone reveals how the game freaked out Firefox
DATA: retail theft surged 163% on Halloween
As Halloween landed on a Saturday this year, shoplifting incidents rose sharply – jumping 163 per cent year-on-year. Data from the SAI One Platform, which analyses insight from more than 1,000 UK retail locations and inputs from over 30,000 cameras every day, found there was even…
Superdry to relocate and revamp Harlequin Watford store
Superdry & Co is set to relocate and refurbish its store at Harlequin Watford, as the shopping centre’s total tenant investment reaches £30m since 2024.
M&S, Asos and Topshop turn to celebrity partnerships and AI in high street fashion revival
Marks & Spencer, Asos and Topshop are turning to celebrity collaborations, artificial intelligence and luxury-inspired collections to win back younger shoppers.
Oxfam profits plunge 23% as Vinted and Depop bite into profits
Oxfam’s retail profits have fallen 23 per cent due to mounting pressure from rising costs, declining donations and the growing popularity of resale platforms such as Vinted and Depop.
Fenwick unveils The Gruffalo’s Child-themed Christmas window campaign
Fenwick has unveiled its 2026 Christmas window display at its flagship store, bringing the much-loved children’s book The Gruffalo’s Child to life.
Beyond protection: the strategic role of ecommerce packaging
As UK ecommerce continues to expand, transport packaging is taking on a much bigger role than simply protecting products in transit. It is a key touchpoint for customer experience, operational efficiency and sustainability performance.
Regulator warns Australians about 'highly speculative' prediction markets
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) says it is "not currently convinced" that prediction markets for retail clients are in the public interest, warning that people who access offshore platforms do not have legal protections.
Watch: Sainsbury’s brings back BFG for third Christmas advert
Sainsbury’s has reunited with the BFG for its 2026 Christmas advert, marking the third year the Roald Dahl character has featured in the supermarket’s festive campaign.
'Mother of all editors' Emacs is 50
By a startling coincidence, so is its arch-rival Vi
Argos enlists Richard Ayoade for 2026 Christmas advert
Argos’ 2025 Christmas campaign scooped Christmas Advert of the Year at the RG Excellence Awards 2026, thanks to its humour and toy-led antics. Connie and Trevor return for 2026, to help comedian and actor Richard Ayoade understand that the retailer offers more.