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Unilever is working with advisers at Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan to drum up interest from private equity groups for its ice cream division after the consumer goods group announced plans to hive off the business (Financial Times £).

The Mail says the report in The FT will stoke concerns that London’s stock market could miss out on what could be a blockbuster listing worth up to £15bn.

Ben & Jerry’s has vowed to continue with its controversial social activism under new ownership, as parent company Unilever prepares to spin off the ice cream business (Telegraph £).

The billionaire Issa brothers have ripped out electric car charging points across Asda stores in a blow to customers who want to plug in their vehicles while they shop (Telegraph £).

The Telegraph (£) follows up on The Grocer’s exclusive about Waitrose putting hundreds of jobs at risk as it prepares to shut a north London warehouse opened just four years ago. Read more here in The Grocer.

A string of high profile IT outages that knocked sales offline at Greggs, McDonald’s, Tesco and Sainsbury’s in recent days is being scrutinised by the payments watchdog (Telegraph £).

Next hails best ever revenue and profit (The Times £).

The head of bellwether retailer Next has said the outlook for UK consumer confidence was the best he has seen in seven years, as pay rises encourage shoppers to spend, sending its shares to a record high (Financial Times £).

Next has said the prices it charges customers are falling, as the fashion and homeware retailer reported bumper profits and pointed to an improving UK consumer backdrop (The Guardian).

Bank of England policymakers signalled at least three interest rates cuts this year after seeing “encouraging signs” of falling inflation as they kept interest rates on hold at 5.25% for a fifth time (The Guardian).

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said recent data showed inflation was “moving in the right direction” as policymakers voted 8-1 to keep rates on hold at 5.25% (Telegraph £).

A feature in The Times (£) looks at how M&S has kept its cool to lure in younger fashion shoppers.

In a special report on the ‘Future of Water’, Financial Times (£) says brewers are under pressure to minimise their water footprint.

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