Business
Superdry Closes Bradford Store Due to Rising Costs and Fewer Shoppers
High street fashion retailer Superdry is closing its Bradford Broadway store today, marking another chapter in the ongoing challenges faced by traditional retail outlets. The store is hosting a significant clearance sale, offering customers substantial discounts as it prepares to shut its doors for good.
This closure is part of a trend affecting the UK’s high streets. In 2024, approximately 13,479 retail stores closed across the country, equating to an average of 37 closures per day—a 28% increase from the previous year. The Centre for Retail Research anticipates that this trend will continue, forecasting around 17,350 retail site closures in 2025.
Several factors contribute to these widespread closures:
- Shift to Online Shopping: Consumers are increasingly favouring online shopping platforms, reducing foot traffic in physical stores.
- Rising Operational Costs: Retailers are grappling with escalating expenses, including higher national insurance contributions and increased minimum wage requirements.
- Economic Pressures: High inflation rates have led to reduced consumer spending, impacting retailers’ revenues.
Other retailers, such as Beales and New Look, are also closing various branches due to financial pressures. Beales, for instance, will close its last remaining store in Poole on May 31, while New Look plans to shut nearly 100 outlets.
The decline in traditional high street shopping has resulted in significant job losses, with nearly 170,000 retail jobs lost in 2024 alone, marking the highest annual loss since 2020. Experts predict that 2025 may bring even worse outcomes for retail jobs and store closures.
MTN has moved closer to acquiring IHS Holding, following shareholder approval of the proposed takeover, marking another major milestone in the transaction.
The approval was secured during the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on 4 August, allowing the deal to progress to the next stage.
If completed, the acquisition is expected to strengthen MTN’s infrastructure capabilities by giving the company greater control over its telecommunications tower assets. Industry analysts believe the move could improve network efficiency, reduce long-term operating costs, and support MTN’s continued expansion across its markets.
The transaction is still subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions before it can be officially completed.
Nigeria’s three biggest cement manufacturers—Dangote Cement, BUA Cement, and HBM Nigeria—generated a combined ₦3.2 trillion in revenue during the first half of 2026.
The strong performance was driven by higher cement prices, increased demand from housing and infrastructure projects, and higher sales volumes across the country.
Compared to the same period in 2025, the companies recorded 26.5% revenue growth, showing that Nigeria’s construction sector continues to expand despite economic challenges. The companies also reported stronger profits and are investing further to increase production capacity to meet future demands.
Nigerian fintech company OPay has introduced new security features to improve the safety of its application.
The company unveiled the Emergency Lock and Safety PIN features to give customers better control over their funds and provide added protection against fraud and unauthorized transactions.
The Emergency Lock feature allows customers to instantly freeze their OPay account with a single tap whenever they sense a threat or believe their account may be at risk.
The newly launched Safety PIN introduces an additional layer of security, helping customers protect themselves in situations where they may be forced to make a transfer or payment against their will.
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