The rollercoaster ride at Ocado showed little sign of slowing after the online supermarket landed a deal to sell its warehouse robotic technology to Canada’s largest pharmaceutical distributor. (Daily Mail)

Iceland Foods suffered an ‘unprecedented’ £94m increase in annual energy costs last year as the ripple effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine weighed on profits. (Daily Mail)

Food price inflation is set to fall sharply after large price rises for consumers in recent years, according to a major lender to agribusinesses, as production of agricultural commodities ramps up and demand is damped by weak economic growth. (Financial Times £)

Diageo boss Debra Crew admitted it is difficult to predict when the company could clear up the issues in Latin America that led to a surprise profit warning and sent its shares 16% lower. (Daily Mail)

The chancellor has been called on to freeze business rates and to extend reliefs as business lobbyists warn a failure to do so risks jobs, businesses and the future of the high street. (Sky News)

The owner of Boots is reported to be close to striking a deal for Legal & General to take over more responsibility for its £5 billion legacy staff pension scheme in a transaction that could help revive plans to sell the health and beauty chain. (The Times £)

There has been a sharp decline in the rate of inflation to 4.6%, driven by a big easing in energy costs (Sky News). UK inflation fell sharply in October to its lowest rate in two years, largely due to lower energy prices (BBC).

New York state is suing food and drinks giant PepsiCo for plastic waste pollution, the latest lawsuit to try to hold companies to account over their environmental impact (Financial Times £). PepsiCo has been sued by New York state for plastic pollution along Buffalo River that is allegedly contaminating the water and harming wildlife (BBC).

Fuel retailers will be required to disclose profit information or face hefty fines from next year, under new powers given to the UK competition watchdog as it seeks to tackle high prices at the pump. (Financial Times £)

Christmas bookings at Fuller, Smith & Turner are running 11% ahead of last year, setting the UK pub chain up for its strongest festive trading period since before the pandemic (Financial Times £). British pub group Fuller’s is set for a cheery Christmas as workers flock back to the office (Daily Mail).

The union representing thousands of Starbucks workers in the US is staging a walkout on one of the coffee chain’s busiest days of the year. (BBC)

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