Sir Philip Green has rebutted a claim by the head of the Pensions Regulator that it only found out about the sale of BHS after reading about it the newspapers. Green and the independent trustee chairman of the BHS pension fund Chris Martin claimed that Lesley Titcomb was incorrect to state that she wasn’t informed of the sale of BHS in advance. Arcadia said there had been discussions between Arcadia, the BHS pension fund trustees and the regulator from “at least July 2014”. (The Financial Times £, The Times £, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail)

Meanwhile, several property agents said they were doubtful that a sales process for BHS run by administrator Duff & Phelps, which entered its final phase this week, would find a buyer willing to take on a large portion of the 88-year-old business or the 11,000 people it employs. (The Financial Times £)

Compass, the catering giant, posted a 5.8pc rise in revenues despite ongoing difficulties in its offshore division due to the slump in oil and commodity prices (The Telegraph). Compass, which operates in more than 50 countries, said that overall growth had been fuelled by a strong performance in North America. (The Financial Times £)

The Times’ Tempus column looks at Compass Group, writing: “There comes a time when size and market share count. Compass Group is now so big in North America, which delivered 56 per cent of revenues at the halfway stage, that it can tailor its catering offering to individual sectors and even subsectors.” (The Times £)

Annual profits at C&C Group dropped by almost 11 per cent, but the beer and cider maker still managed to increase its dividend by more than the market had expected. (The Times £)

Metro narrowed its losses in the first three months of the year, as the conglomerate prepares to divide its retail operations next year. (The Financial Times £)

Nearly half a million shop workers, mostly female, are in danger of losing their jobs as a result of changes on the high street and the growth of online retailing. The group, aged between 26 and 45, are identified as a “lost generation” in a survey conducted by the industry trade body the British Retail Consortium, published on Wednesday. (The Guardian)

The former chief executive of Costa Coffee owner Whitbread, Andy Harrison, received a £2.4million pay package despite stepping down as chief executive more than three months before the end of the year. (The Daily Mail)

The FT’s Lex column look at AB InBev’s decision to rename Budweiser “America”, writing: “AB InBev is quite right to conclude that nationalism sells at the moment. It will make the US market great again by renaming its flagship Budweiser brand “America” (until November). Maybe the brewer considered giving each can a little orange bouffant, only to decide that this was in conflict with its flinty approach to costs” (The Financial Times £)

The Times has an interview with the co-founder of craft gin producer Sipsmith’s on the growth of the UK gin industry. (The Times £)

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