Business

Superdry Closes Bradford Store Due to Rising Costs and Fewer Shoppers

Published

1 year ago

March 15, 2025

Photo source: Google

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.

Business

OPay Introduces New Security Features for Customers

Published

20 hours ago

June 29, 2026

Ese Ohwofa

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.

Business

Nigeria’s Agricultural Sector Cannot Thrive Without Investment – FG

Published

6 days ago

June 24, 2026

Ese Ohwofa

The Federal Government of Nigeria has spoken on the agriculture sector of the country and shared that, in its current state, it needs more capital as it cannot stand alone without it.

They stated that even more capital will be needed in order to transform the agricultural sector and improve food production in Nigeria.

“Relying solely on public capital will not suffice to finance the transformation of Nigeria’s agricultural sector. Similarly, private capital will not be mobilised at the necessary scale unless the associated risks are comprehensively understood, appropriately allocated, and effectively managed.”