High Streets Squeezed, Prices on the Rise!

The summary: While businesses are bracing for tax hikes and rising costs, a resilient UK workforce and savvy consumers have weathered storms before—so keep calm, adapt, and carry on!

The details:

• UK businesses are bracing for impact, with a third planning job cuts or hiring freezes ahead of April’s National Insurance and wage hikes—because who needs staff when you have tax bills?

• Retail and hospitality, the backbone of the "everyday economy," are feeling the squeeze, with confidence among small firms hitting a decade-low—excluding, of course, the Covid-induced misery.

• Big retailers warn of shop closures and price hikes, while critics note some, like Next, are still raking in billion-pound profits—apparently, “broad shoulders” come with deep pockets.

• Inflation is creeping back up, and the Bank of England expects a spike to 3.7%—because just when you thought your wallet could breathe, businesses are ready to pass the buck (literally).

Why it matters: With businesses tightening their belts and job cuts looming, the UK job market could feel like a game of musical chairs—except someone keeps taking away the seats. Rising costs mean higher prices at the tills, so get ready to pay more for your pint while companies insist they’re just “adjusting” to economic realities. And with inflation set for a cheeky resurgence, any hopes of financial relief might be as fleeting as a sunny British summer.

Regulators vs. Renovators: The Tile Wars

The summary: Topp Tiles’ takeover of CTD Tiles has caught the CMA’s eye over fears of pricier projects and fewer choices, but with government pressure to prioritise growth, the question is whether competition rules stay rock solid or get smoothed over like fresh grout.

The details:

• Topp Tiles' £9m swoop on its biggest rival, CTD Tiles, has the UK competition watchdog worried that fewer choices and pricier tiles could be on the horizon.

• The CMA warns that in Dorking, Edinburgh, Inverness, and Aberdeen, home renovators and tradespeople might face costlier projects with fewer deals.

• Topps Tiles has until 24 February to charm the regulators with solutions—fail to do so, and the investigation deepens.

• With the government urging regulators to loosen up on post-crash red tape, will the CMA stand firm or bow to economic growth pressures?

Why it matters: When the UK’s biggest tile retailer snaps up its biggest rival, it doesn’t take a grand designer to spot the risk of higher prices and fewer options for home improvers and tradespeople. The CMA’s scrutiny shows that even a £9m deal can shake up competition, especially in areas where shoppers now have about as much choice as a grout colour chart. And with the government nudging regulators to prioritise growth over red tape, the real test is whether consumer protection holds firm or gets quietly tiled over.

MFG's £7bn Sale: Fueling the Future

The summary: CD&R’s £7bn stake sale in MFG, now a petrol-to-EV powerhouse, is a savvy move to cash in on fuel, food, and the future—while keeping a firm grip on the wheel.

The details:

• Petrol forecourt giant MFG, backed by private equity firm CD&R, is eyeing a minority stake sale worth around £7bn—because even fuel empires need a bit of a cash top-up.

• CD&R, which also owns Morrisons, has grown MFG from 360 sites to 1,200, merging it with the supermarket’s forecourts and ramping up high-margin food sales and EV charging stations.

• After a 2022 sale attempt was scuppered by geopolitical turmoil, MFG is now the UK’s second-largest Ultra Rapid EV charging operator, with plans to triple its chargers by 2030.

• With an IPO in the pipeline for the future, CD&R will keep control post-sale—because cashing in a bit while still running the show is the private equity way.

Why it matters: A £7bn valuation for MFG shows private equity knows how to turn petrol stations into cash cows with a side of electric chargers. CD&R’s long-term strategy of playing the energy transition card and keeping control while cashing out is the ultimate game of high-stakes business chess. With EV infrastructure booming and a potential IPO looming, it’s a classic case of riding the petrol wave into the future—quite literally.

Trending stories

Poorest UK households pay rising share of income on council tax, study finds

Folding bikes for city dwellers: Cambridge-based FLIT scoops £1.2M for e-mobility solutions

Reeves warned UK inflation will push public sector unions to seek higher pay rises

Almost 300 pubs closed last year ahead of cost rises