​The UK government has been asking for evidence that the end of the VAT-three shopping perk for tourists is hurting British retail and payment software specialist Planet came up with some of that again on Friday.

M&S is on a mission to cut costs by more than £400 million over the next five years, and among a raft of store initiatives is a plan to roll out hundreds more self-service tills.

​Armani Group’s 2022 results have shown ongoing progress at one of the world’s best-known luxury names as net revenues jumped 16.5% to €2.35 billion and profit rose even faster.

Central London is the place to be if you’re renting prime commercial and office space. Demand is sky-high and in Wednesday’s year-end results, key landlord GPE referred to its “strong strategic positioning".

​UK inflation — including clothing prices — slowed again in April, although the rate remains high and prices continue to rise, which means consumers are thinking long and hard about discretionary purchases. 

M&S’s annual results offered more evidence of the strength of its turnaround with the retail giant reporting higher sales and headline profits, although operating profits were hit by tough comparisons and higher costs. 

One of the UK retail’s highest-profile execs — Richard Price, MD of Clothing and Home at M&S — is to join Fabacus, the data management and bureau service for the licensing industry, as a member of its Advisory Board.

Klarna’s UK boss Alex Marsh is stepping down from the buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) financier for personal reasons. A replacement has yet to be announced.

UK consumer confidence continues to move higher. From the record lows of late 2022, a steady recovery has gathered pace. 

​Greenwashing isn’t only a problem simply because the authorities are focusing on it these days. It’s an issue for consumers too. They don’t like it and will shun brands caught embellishing their green credentials.

​The result might not have been a good one for the UK’s entrant at last weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest, but Liverpool, which staged the event, enjoy record 2023 footfall and sales at its key shopping mall.

April’s Easter holiday uplift in England was also seen north of the border last month as Scottish sales for the 2-29 April period rose 9%.

Online fashion giant Yoox Net-A-Porter (YNAP) has named Celine Lefebvre as its General Manager for the Middle East, effective 23 May.

UK high street nursery brand Mamas & Papas has expanded its commitment to the resale/second-hand market, launching a ‘Loved for Life’ initiative.

Inazaki, an artist from Takamatsu, Japan, was chosen from 30 finalists by a distinguished jury, including Loewe creative director, Jonathan Anderson.

First the good news. For the year ending 31 March, commercial property giant British Land leased out 3.4 million sq ft of space and portfolio occupancy is now 96.7%.