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Costa opens Waterlooville drive-thru with up to 16 jobs
23/10/2026Costa Coffee opened its drive-thru at Waterloo Park in Waterlooville on Thursday 22 October 2026, the first of three national brands to trade on the site. The coffee chain says the unit brings up to 16 jobs, with a KFC…
How to open a barbershop in the UK in 2026
21/10/2026Barbershops led the growth in UK hair and beauty premises in the first half of 2025, according to the National Hair & Beauty Federation. They are also under closer scrutiny than at any time before: since 1 October 2026, right…
Pubs and restaurants brought to market rise 22%, says Christie & Co
07/10/2026Christie & Co brought 22% more pubs and restaurants to market between January and August 2026 than in the same months of 2025, according to the property adviser. It was instructed to sell more than 360 properties and agreed more…
Property Franchise Group takes 25% stake in Enteka AI
07/10/2026The Property Franchise Group (TPFG) has taken a 25% equity interest in Enteka AI, a conversational AI platform for UK estate agents and mortgage brokers. The group announced the investment on 7 October 2026 through a regulatory statement, with a…
Lidl GB turnover passes £13 billion, plans over 50 shops
07/10/2026Lidl GB reported turnover above £13 billion for the year to 28 February 2026, up 10.8%, with operating profit of £345 million. The discounter plans to open more than 50 shops this financial year, backed by £600 million of investment,…
Tesco joins bidders for Majestic Wine and its 200 shops
07/10/2026Tesco has emerged as a bidder for Majestic Wine, the specialist merchant that owner Fortress Investment Group put up for sale this year. Sky News reported the interest on 5 October. Majestic trades from more than 200 shops across the…
Aldi names 24 new UK stores opening before Christmas
02/10/2026Aldi has published the list of 24 new UK stores it plans to open before Christmas, plus three relocations, in the 10 weeks to the end of 2026. The announcement follows annual results showing turnover up 5% to a record…
Vaping Products Duty takes effect at £2.20 per 10ml
01/10/2026Vaping Products Duty took effect across the UK on 1 October 2026 at £2.20 per 10ml of vaping liquid, alongside a stamps scheme intended to trace products through the supply chain. Retailers have until 31 March 2027 to sell existing…
Greggs lifts sales 7.7% and plans four factory closures
01/10/2026Greggs reported total sales up 7.7% in the 13 weeks to 26 September 2026 and nudged up its full-year outlook, while proposing to close four manufacturing sites with about 740 redundancies. The bakery chain's estate now stands at 2,796 shops,…
Aldi plans £900 million investment and 40 new UK stores
01/10/2026Aldi UK has set out a record £900 million investment for 2027, including about 40 new stores, after reporting sales of £19 billion for 2025. The discounter plans to open 42 stores in 2026 and says it aims to grow…
