6:29 am, October 13, 2026
Retail sales sluggish as consumers exercise spending caution ahead of Budget
Retail sales growth remained subdued in September as households exercised cautious spending ahead of expected rises in household bills and taxes.
Total UK retail sales increased by 1.3% year-on-year last month, a fall from growth of 2.3% last September and below the 12-month average growth of 1.5%, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG.
Food sales drove the overall increase, up 2.5%; non-food sales were flat, up just 0.3% against a growth of 0.7% last September; but health and beauty recorded its strongest month of the year so far as consumers continued to prioritise small indulgences and refresh their routines, while toys also performed well, helped by the launch of Pokemon’s 30th anniversary products, the BRC said.
HMV to close Oxford Street store three years after reopening historic site
HMV has revealed plans to close its flagship Oxford Street store just three years after reopening the site, blaming a doubling in rent demands.
The entertainment chain said it would leave the shop in March next year in a move impacting just over 50 staff. It is hunting for a site in London’s West End district for its new flagship shop as it vowed to keep a ‘significant presence’ in the capital.
The group said landlords have proposed doubling the rent on the site at 363 Oxford Street, although it said it was also facing a bill for ‘substantial’ renovation works at the store, which together would make the shop ‘commercially unsustainable’.
Cupra Raval gets sporty new take with ABT styling
Cupra has given its Raval a sporty upgrade with an ABT styling pack.
There are front and rear splitters and larger side skirts, a larger roof spoiler and ‘winglets’ which give a nod to racing cars. All versions get 19-inch alloy wheels and ABT lettering to set this car apart from the standard Raval.
Cupra has yet to announce pricing for the new ABT styling pack, though it’s likely that further information will be announced shortly.
The markets
The FTSE 100 made a strong start to the week on Monday, as investors shrugged off rising oil prices and eyed key earnings and economic data later in the week.
In London, the FTSE 100 index ended up 104.23 points, 1.0%, at 10,656.28. The FTSE 250 climbed 114.28 points, 0.5%, to 24,328.06, and the AIM all-share fell 2.62 points, 0.3%, at 774.91.
The pound was quoted at 1.3211 dollars, down from 1.3233. Against the euro, sterling firmed to 1.1829 from 1.1818.
Burnham accused of ‘unpicking’ Brexit deal as date set for UK-EU summit
Andy Burnham has been accused of ‘unpicking’ the original Brexit deal after he announced a key UK-EU summit next month will be used to push for new trade deals with the bloc.
The summit will take place in Brussels on November 20, where the two sides will seek to sign a new food and drink agreement, a youth mobility scheme and a pact on emissions trading.
On Monday, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of revealing his hand before the negotiations begin.
Miliband urges need to stand with Ukraine as Trump has fresh dig at Zelensky
Foreign secretary Ed Miliband has stressed the need to stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with Ukraine in a call with his US counterpart as Donald Trump made a fresh jibe at the country’s leader.
The American president claimed Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who triggered the conflict by launching the invasion back in 2022, wanted a peace deal more than Volodymyr Zelensky.
His barb at Zelensky followed a renewed spat between the pair after the US president announced a controversial diesel deal with Russia in a bid to bring down soaring domestic fuel costs ahead of critical stateside elections next month, which will decide control of Congress.
Monday on Car Dealer
Paris Motor Show 2026: All the biggest new cars and concepts revealed
The Paris Motor Show is underway, with manufacturers pulling the covers off a host of new cars and concepts at one of Europe’s biggest automotive events.
Chinese car brands driving virtually all growth in UK new car market, says Autotrader
Chinese car manufacturers are responsible for virtually all the growth in Britain’s new car market this year, with established brands collectively struggling to increase their sales, according to Autotrader.
Eden Motor Group boss reveals painful closures and job cuts behind £4.35m profit turnaround
Eden Motor Group boss Graeme Potts has opened up about the painful decisions he was forced to make to save his business from mounting losses, including closing dealerships, cutting jobs and scrapping investment plans.
Business secretary hints again at Chinese electric car tariffs in the UK
There have been further hints from the government that is planning tariffs for Chinese electric cars.
Used diesel car values tumble nearly 7% as fuel prices hit demand
Used diesel car values have plunged by almost 7% over the past year as soaring fuel prices put buyers off the once-popular fuel type.
Weather
Rain will clear southern England this morning, leaving plenty of sunny spells across most areas, reports BBC Weather. Northern regions will see some showers, locally heavy and thundery.
Tonight will be largely dry and clear, with patches of mist and fog. Cloud, wind and rain will reach north-west Scotland later in the night.