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Boxing Day sales set to fall by £1bn as cost-of-living pressures bite

Boxing Day sales are expected to deliver a £3.6 billion boost to UK retailers this year, around £1 billion less than in 2024, as cost-of-living pressures continue to weigh on household spending. The forecast comes from Barclays, which tracks nearly half of all credit and debit card transactions across the UK. The anticipated decline represents a blow to retailers during their all-important “golden quarter”, traditionally the most lucrative period of the year. Seven in ten...

UK set to become world’s fifth-largest economy by 2040, but living standards slip

The UK is on course to overtake Japan and become the world’s fifth-largest economy by the end of the next decade, according to new long-term projections from Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). In its latest global outlook, the think tank forecasts that Britain’s gross domestic product will rise from just under $4 trillion in 2025 to around $6.8 trillion by 2040, lifting the country back into the global top five when measured at...

Golden Pharaoh Casino UK Review: Bonuses, Games & Safety

Golden Pharaoh leans hard into the “ancient treasure vault” vibe — but under the gold plating it’s basically a modern slots-first casino with a big, code-based welcome package and a wide spread of providers. This review walks through what matters before you sign up: bonuses (with the actual codes), games, payments, withdrawals, and the safety/regulation picture. We’ll also compare a few alternatives so you can sanity-check the terms and pick what fits your style. Feature...

Humanoid robot market tipped to reach $9tn as China leads global adoption

The global market for humanoid robots could be worth as much as $9 trillion by 2050, with China expected to dominate demand and basic household models potentially entering homes within the next five years, according to new research. A report by Royal Bank of Canada estimates that humanoid robots could become a core part of everyday life over the coming decades, transforming labour markets and household routines. The household sector alone is forecast to account...

Dua Lipa and Shania Twain help Glastonbury lift profits and boost charity funding

Glastonbury Festival has reported a rise in profits after a strong year that featured performances from global stars including Dua Lipa and Shania Twain, enabling millions of pounds to be channelled into charitable causes. Accounts filed at Companies House show that Glastonbury Festival Events Limited, the operating company behind Glastonbury Festival, increased revenues to £75.2 million in the year to March 31, 2025, up from £68.4 million the previous year. Pre-tax profits climbed to £7.7...

US economy grows at fastest pace in two years as consumer spending surges

The US economy expanded at its fastest rate in two years during the third quarter of 2025, buoyed by a powerful rebound in consumer spending that more than offset weaker investment growth. Gross domestic product grew at an annualised rate of 4.3 per cent between July and September, according to revised figures from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. The updated estimate was lifted from an initial 3.8 per cent reading and came in well...

City financier Alan Howard joins exodus of UK billionaires to Switzerland

One of the City of London’s most prominent financiers has become the latest billionaire to relocate abroad, adding momentum to the growing exodus of wealthy individuals from the UK. Alan Howard, the co-founder of hedge fund group Brevan Howard Asset Management, is understood to have taken up residency in Switzerland, according to UK registry filings cited by Bloomberg. Howard, 62, was previously reported to be exploring a move out of the UK and is said...

Why iGaming Is Becoming One of the UK’s Most Competitive Tech Niches

The UK has a critical role to play in the global iGaming industry. The country is renowned for its highly developed, strongly regulated, and thriving gambling environment, which has been fueled by dynamic tech niches that have blended digital entertainment, online casinos, and sports betting into a high-growth industry. Regulation and consumer demand have also played a role in this growth, with more non GamStop casinos emerging to target UK players and meet this demand....

Why More UK Startups Are Exploring Gamified Customer Engagement

Gamification is, undoubtedly, an increasingly crucial and fundamental strategy for startups to drive user engagement. Gamification is leading the charge to radically change startups by making it more fun and ultimately more effective in building happy, strong, and better-engaged communities. You see, the digital landscape is already crowded, and customer attention spans have continued to shrink. As such, young companies are turning to game-like mechanics. These include rewards, challenges, progress tracking, and the interactive experiences...

Stake and the Growing Trend of Digital Platforms Expanding Beyond the UK Market

Economists like to say that when behaviour changes at scale, it is rarely accidental. Something in the incentives has shifted. For UK entrepreneurs and SME leaders, the quiet reorientation of many digital platforms away from domestic-only growth is a case in point. This is not a story of businesses fleeing the UK, nor of regulation stifling innovation outright. It is a subtler adjustment, driven by cost, complexity, and the search for sustainable scale. The UK...