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Sarah Butler

Sarah Butler is a Guardian journalist, writing about retail companies, consumer goods and workers' rights. Twitter @whatbutlersaw

12 September 2024

  • An Elizabeth Line train in London

    Business live
    Teenager arrested over Transport for London cyber attack; ECB cuts interest rates – as it happened

    A 17-year-old male was detained last week on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act offences in relation to the attack launched on TfL on 1 September.
  • John Lewis department store signage

    ‘Buzz is back’ for John Lewis, but no commitment to return of staff bonus

    Retail group on course for ‘significantly higher’ full-year profits, with ‘transformation plan working’
  • A shuttered high street store in Stafford.

    Chemist, pub and bank closures lead to 2,300 more empty UK stores, survey finds

    Worst net closures so far this year are on high streets, while retail parks and shopping centres fare better

11 September 2024

  • Shoppers in the produce section at a Walmart Superstore in Secaucus, New Jersey.

    Business live
    US inflation cools to 2.5%, its lowest since February 2021 – as it happened

    UK government’s £500m taxpayer-backed deal for steelworks secures long-term future of Port Talbot but unable to secure guarantees to save 2,500 jobs

9 September 2024

  • A worker checks stock at an Asda Express convenience store

    Equal pay hearing affecting thousands of Asda shop workers begins

    Case is about whether the mainly female roles are equal to predominantly male warehouse staff, who are paid more
  • Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi presenting his report on EU competitiveness today

    Business live
    Mario Draghi warns EU at risk without €800bn a year investment boost; Germany ‘facing three-quarters-long recession’– as it happened

    ‘For the first time since the cold war we must genuinely fear for our self-preservation,’ warns former ECB chief as he presents new report on European competitiveness
  • A customer carries a blue plastic shopping basket inside an Aldi supermarket

    Aldi says a basket of its goods is cheaper than a year ago as it cuts prices

    Supermarket has come under pressure as rivals such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s have promised to match its prices

7 September 2024

  • A woman walks past a Body Shop store in London

    Body Shop’s remaining UK stores saved after rescue deal agreed

    British cosmetics tycoon Mike Jatania leads consortium to acquire UK’s 113 outlets and outposts in Australia and North America

6 September 2024

  • A woman delivering a package from Asos

    Asos to charge shoppers who regularly return large amounts of goods

  • The Ivy restaurant in Covent Garden, London

    Richard Caring ‘close to £1bn sale of Ivy chain to private equity group’

5 September 2024

  • Construction workers at a Homes by Strata building site, in Leeds, yesterday

    Business live
    UK housebuilding growth fastest since mini-budget; US job layoffs surge as hiring weakens – as it happened

  • People walk past the former Topshop store on Oxford Street

    Topshop could return to high street after Asos sells stake for £135m

  • John Lewis promotional image with never knowingly undersold slogan

    John Lewis brings back ‘never knowingly undersold’ promise

  • A model wear s an M&S electric blue velvet suit and off-kilter tie in a Georgian square

    M&S using AI as personal style guru in effort to boost online sales

3 September 2024

  • John Lewis store front

    John Lewis submits £80m plan to turn Reading depot into rental flats

    Department store chain aims to build 215 homes as part of push to diversify beyond retail
  • Woman Stealing In Supermarket

    Huge rise in retail crime driven by gangs, not stealing to survive, says Co-op

    Organised criminals have even used wheelie bins to clear shelves, executive from grocery chain tells peers
  • Alex Baldock with an employee at the Currys repair centre.

    Observer business profile
    Alex Baldock: the Currys boss plugging into a more sustainable future

    Covid and other crises took their toll, but the boss of the electricals chain says its thriving repair and recycling division is now pointing the way forward

2 September 2024

  • Picnic setting on a blue checkered tablecloth

    UK retail sales pick up as shoppers seek picnic and barbecue food

  • Harrods department store

    Harrods owners hand themselves £180m more despite profit dip

1 September 2024

  • Alex Baldock (left) with a technician at the Currys customer repair centre in Newark

    VAT should be cut on refurbished electricals, says Currys boss

    Alex Baldock wants to keep gadgets out of landfill as UK’s largest electricals retailer embraces repair and reuse
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