6:28 am, August 7, 2026
July heatwave keeps shoppers at home in blow for high street
Heatwave conditions continued to bear down on shopper footfall in July, with the high street particularly badly affected, figures suggest.
Total UK footfall was down 2.1% on a year earlier, but an improvement on the 3.4% drop seen in June, according to British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Sensormatic data.
England recorded the weakest performance of any UK nation with an overall footfall drop of 3%, with London down 5.3%, highlighting the continued challenges facing larger urban centres during periods of extreme heat, Sensormatic said.
Owner of 139-year-old bikemaker Raleigh files for insolvency
The company behind Nottinghamshire-based bikemaker Raleigh, which was founded 139 years ago, has filed to appoint administrators.
Accell UK and Ireland, part of Netherlands-based Accell Group, which bought Raleigh in 2012 for around £74m, filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators as the wider group kickstarted insolvency proceedings.
The boss of Accell said it was a ‘deeply sad and frustrating situation’ and that it had ‘tirelessly explored’ every option for the future of the cycling business.
Mercedes-AMG launches new entry to GT 4-Door Coupe range
Mercedes-AMG may have only launched its electric GT 4-Door Coupe in May, but it has already added to the range with a lower-powered, entry-level ’53’ model.
Whereas the high-powered 63 uses three electric motors as standard, the 53 has two to develop 544bhp, down from 1,180bhp in the flagship model. It still manages to get to 62mph in 3.1 seconds, though, and gets 4Matic all-wheel-drive and Ride Control suspension. And instead of sythentiased V8 noises for the 63, the 53 gets a sound based on a six-cylinder engine.
Mercedes-AMG claims that the GT 53 will be able to travel up to 497 miles on a single charge, while a maximum charge speed of up to 600kW means that up to 311 miles of range could be added in ten minutes. Prices start from £120,095.
The markets
The FTSE 100 fell on Thursday despite well-received figures from WPP and Diageo.
The index closed down 20.41 points, 0.2%, at 10,867.89. The FTSE 250 ended up 62.79 points, 0.3%, at 24,695.42, a record close, while the AIM All-Share closed up 5.35 points, 0.7%, at 787.13.
The pound traded at 1.3454 dollars on Thursday afternoon, down from 1.3466 at the equities close on Wednesday. Against the euro, sterling rose to 1.1675 euro from 1.1663.
Health alerts issued as temperatures expected to reach up to 33C next week
Heat health alerts have been issued for large parts of England as temperatures are expected to climb back up over the weekend, potentially reaching 33C next week.
Temperatures had dropped down closer to averages for this time of year from Wednesday, but they are expected to rise again from Saturday, according to the Met Office.
By next Tuesday, much of central and southern England as well as some parts of Wales are set to see highs of 30C to 33C, the forecaster said.
Thursday on Car Dealer
Are all used car dealers quiet – or is it just you? We ask the experts what’s really happening out there
What’s really going on in the used car market this summer? Are showrooms quieter than normal, or is the market actually booming?
Onto creditors set to lose millions as liquidators prepare to repay just 1.4p for every pound owed
Creditors left out of pocket by the collapse of EV subscription firm Onto are set to recover just 1.4p in every pound they are owed.
Motor finance growth continues as lenders support £22.7bn of new and used car purchases
Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) members provided more than £84bn of new lending in the first six months of 2026, new data has shown.
BYD’s Denza eyes luxury people-mover market with new £75,000 ‘D9’
Denza’s product blitz continues with a new luxury people-carrier called the D9.
Weather
Today will be largely dry with sunny spells and variable cloud across most of the UK, reports BBC Weather. A few light showers are possible in Wales and northern England, while north-west Scotland stays windy with rain.
Tonight is mostly dry and clear, although blustery rain continues in north-west Scotland with isolated showers reaching Northern Ireland.