Private equity backed supermarkets Asda and Morrisons did not pay a penny of corporation tax last year, as new disclosures shed a light on how buyout firms minimise tax by loading their companies up with debt. (The Times £)

Ocado will be paid £200m after winning a “robot wars” legal battle against a Norwegian rival that accused it of infringing its automation patents (Telegraph £). Ocado shares have surged following revelations it has secured £200m in its patent battle against a Norwegian rival (Sky News).

The specialist retail investor which owns Homebase has pumped millions of pounds of additional funding into Wilko to help salvage its future. Hilco has agreed to lend about £5m to Wilko as the general merchandise chain faces an intensifying cash squeeze. (Sky News)

The four biggest UK supermarkets have doubled their profit margins on fuel since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, analysis by the RAC has revealed. (Sky News)

THG has sold two lossmaking businesses for £4m as part of the ecommerce group’s streamlining effort to reverse lacklustre performance and regain confidence from investors (Financial Times £). Matthew Moulding’s beauty business has offloaded two struggling divisions to stem losses of about £15m (The Times £).

India has banned all exports of non-basmati rice in a move that will halve shipments by the world’s largest exporter and threatens to stoke inflation in global food markets (The Times £). India has banned non-basmati white rice exports to curb domestic inflation, raising fears of further increases in global food prices just days after wheat and corn prices were sent climbing by Russia’s termination of a key grain deal (The Guardian).

Soaring temperatures brought shoppers on to the high street last month, helping a measure of retail sales to increase at a greater pace than had been forecast (The Times £). The hottest June on record gave an unexpected boost to retail sales last month, with households in Great Britain buying more food and furniture despite continued pressure on budgets (The Guardian). A sunshine-fuelled rise in retail sales delivered a ray of economic cheer as UK consumers defied the cost of living crunch (Daily Mail).

Unilever has said it will let Russian employees be conscripted to be sent to Ukraine if they are called up. (BBC)

John Lewis is halving the size of its central London headquarters, after thousands of staff chose to continue working from home. (Telegraph)

Shoppers in Britain are shunning soap and other personal hygiene products, with leading supermarkets reporting a drop in sales of the items amid the cost of living crisis. (The Guardian)

The Guardian looks at ‘skimpflation’ and the suggestion that supermarkets are reducing the quality of goods to cope with inflation. “As well as raising prices and cutting pack sizes, chains are quietly downgrading ingredients”. (The Guardian)

Brewdog’s boss has claimed train strikes ‘are killing UK businesses’ and have cost his company £3.5m. (Daily Mail)

British berry growers have accused supermarkets of pocketing the profits of higher soft fruit prices and failing to fairly compensate struggling producers. (Financial Times £)

A task force launched by UK supermarkets to tackle the exploitation of farm workers has failed to complete audits months after the investigations were supposed to take place, leaving vulnerable migrants at risk. (Financial Times £)

Welsh whisky is to join its Scottish and Irish counterparts in being officially awarded protected origin status under the UK’s post-Brexit regime. (The Guardian)

FT sister publication Investors’ Chronicle advise shareholders to sell Ocado shares. “An uncertain cash flow outlook, higher net debt and weak margins keep us bearish.” (Financial Times £)

The pharmaceuticals business bought by Philip Morris International has suffered a series of senior departures amid other setbacks to the transformation of the world’s biggest tobacco group. (The Times £)

The FT writes of the “humbling” of Casino chief Jean-Charles Naouri. The French retail tycoon is about to be wiped out as part of a bailout of his cash-strapped empire. (Financial Times £)

The end of the bartender? The UK vending machines pouring pints for the masses. Self-service EBars have been popping up at sporting and cultural events, replacing the need for lots of bar staff. (The Guardian)

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