Amazon workers in Britain are taking strike action for the first time, with a third of staff walking out at a warehouse in Coventry in a dispute over pay (The Times £). Amazon workers are staging their first ever strike in the UK in a dispute over pay (Daily Mail). Amazon workers at a warehouse in Coventry will strike on Wednesday in protest over pay, marking the first time UK employees of the ecommerce giant have taken industrial action (Financial Times £). Almost 300 workers are poised to walk out today - marking the first formal strike on British soil for the online giant (Sky News).

Primark’s low prices led to record Christmas sales for the retailer as Britons hunted for bargains amid the cost of living crisis (Financial Times £). If Primark was looking for justification that its decision to curtail price rises was the right one, it appears to have come with a robust performance over the key Christmas period (The Times £). Strong sales of heels, baggy suits and knitwear propelled Primark’s sales ahead of expectations over Christmas as shoppers returned to city centres and consumer spending was more resilient than anticipated (The Guardian). Primark toasted record Christmas sales as it declared the cost of living crunch has had a less dramatic impact on demand for new clothes than feared (Daily Mail).

Businesses came under increasing financial stress in the final months of last year as people reined in spending in response to rising household bills. Consumer-facing businesses have been hit particularly hard by the darkening economic climate. (The Times £)

THG has reshuffled its top team in a bid to revive its fortunes. The troubled ecommerce business – formerly The Hut Group – said board member Damian Sanders, a former audit partner at Deloitte, would take over as chief financial officer (Daily Mail).

People may be taking a hit from the rising cost of living, but many pub-goers have continued to drink so-called sunshine lagers rather than trading down to cheaper standard ones (The Times £). Marston’s has reported bumper Christmas sales ahead of pre-Covid levels, with the pub group also toasting a lift from the World Cup in November (Daily Mail).

The Guardian looks at how Scotland’s whisky industry went from bust to boom: new distilleries are popping up, while old ones are reopening and modernising; some vintages fetch £10,000 a bottle. (The Guardian)

Workers declining to return to the office are hurting the recovery of Britain’s high streets as new figures show sales are still a fifth below pre-pandemic levels during weekdays. (The Telegraph)

It’s been a difficult stretch for many consumer companies. Commodity price spikes, labour shortages and lingering supply chain woes have increased their costs… Last year, that translated into shrinking margins and smaller profits at a range of companies, from those who make cleaning products to the purveyors of big-ticket household items. (Financial Times £)

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