Retail
BrewDog was sold in March 2026 to Tilray Brands for around £33m through a pre-pack administration process after years of financial losses. The deal included the brand, intellectual property, UK brewing operations and 11 bars, while 38 UK bars closed and around 484 jobs were lost, although several hundred roles were preserved. The collapse also left many of the company’s “Equity for Punks” retail investors with no return, prompting criticism of the company’s leadership and earlier funding structure, with co-founder James Watt acknowledging mistakes during his tenure (The Guardian, 02 March 2026; Sky News, 03 March 2026; The Drinks Business, 03 March 2026).
TG Jones owner Modella Capital has appointed advisers from Teneo to develop a restructuring plan aimed at putting the stationery retailer on a more sustainable footing. Around 80 of 480 stores are reported to be at risk after challenging trading conditions, though no final decisions have been made. Store closures are one option, but alternatives like seeking support from WHSmith are being considered. Performance has been stronger at stores not yet rebranded as TG Jones, while cost inflation, weak consumer confidence, and fiscal pressures continue to challenge the business. Modella and TG Jones management remain committed to building a sustainable future for the UK retailer (Retail Gazette, 04 March 2026).
Logistics
DHL issued a cautious 2026 profit outlook, forecasting EBIT slightly above €6.2 bn, down from analysts’ expectations, as weaker freight demand and macroeconomic uncertainty weigh on its European operations. Shares fell 3% following the announcement. CEO Tobias Meyer cited ongoing geopolitical volatility, trade disruptions, and declining freight rates, though he noted DHL’s established road network in the Middle East helps maintain cargo flows. Fourth-quarter 2025 operating profit fell 1.3% to €1.83 bn, with freight forwarding earnings down 36% amid a weak European economic environment (Reuters, 5 March 2026).
Waterland Private Equity has acquired a majority stake in Palletways and formed a strategic partnership to accelerate its European expansion. The deal will support growth across key markets including the UK, Germany, Italy, Iberia, Benelux and Hungary, enhance network capabilities, and fund further investment in technology, infrastructure and customer experience. CEO Luis Zubialde and Waterland will work together to pursue selective acquisitions and strengthen operational excellence, building on Palletways’ position as Europe’s largest palletised freight network with 23 hubs and over ten million pallets handled annually (FleetPoint, 4 March 2026).
Office
Amazon is planning to remove around 49,000 desks from its global office portfolio, potentially reducing more than 14M sq ft of space, as it seeks to cut office vacancy from about 31% to roughly 23% in 2026. The move reflects excess space following layoffs and changes in headcount strategy, with the company aiming to reduce its footprint through lease expirations, subleasing and “hibernating” offices, while still selectively expanding in some markets. The shift comes as CEO Andy Jassy accelerates major AI investment plans, including spending up to $200bn on artificial intelligence in 2026 (Bisnow, 04 March 2026).
People Moves
Associated British Foods (ABF) announced a leadership restructure at Primark, confirming Joana Edwards as Group CFO of ABF and formally appointing Eoin Tonge as Primark CEO, both effective immediately. Edwards moves from interim finance director, bringing over 30 years of international FMCG and retail finance experience, including senior roles at L’Oréal. Tonge, previously interim Primark CEO and ABF group finance director, will continue on the ABF board, focusing on strengthening Primark’s product, value perception, and digital capabilities. ABF also created a new Chief Commercial Officer role at Primark, appointing Filip Ekvall, formerly of H&M Group and BRAV, to start on 1 September 2026, consolidating product, retail, digital, and customer functions to drive the retailer’s next phase of international growth (Retail Gazette, 05 March 2026).
Virgin Media O2 announced David Melcon as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective 2 April 2026. Melcon, formerly CFO of Vivo (Telefónica Brazil), brings over 25 years of telecoms experience, having led digital and operational transformations, multi‑billion investment programs, and customer-focused strategies that doubled Vivo’s market value and positioned it among the world’s most sustainable telcos. CEO Lutz Schüler highlighted Melcon’s expertise in AI-driven transformation, customer focus, and team-building as key to accelerating Virgin Media O2’s growth. Melcon will join the Executive Leadership Team, succeeding interim leaders Mark Hardman and Nick Taylor (Retail Gazette, 04 March 2026).
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc has announced that Independent Non-executive Director Guillaume Bacuvier will step down from the Board at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting on 28 May 2026, having served since January 2024. Uvashni Raman will join as an Independent Non-executive Director from the same date, bringing broad financial and operational expertise from her previous roles as CFO at Booking.com, as well as senior positions at Adevinta, Naspers, South32, and BHP (Investegate, 04 March 2026).
Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has appointed Rahul Bhasin as global vice president of Hellmann Automotive Logistics. Bhasin, who has more than 15 years of international leadership experience across the automotive industry in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe, will lead the company’s global automotive logistics operations and focus on driving sustainable, customer-centric growth for OEM and Tier 1 supplier clients, reporting to chief commercial officer Alexandra Olvera (Air Cargo News, 05 March 2026).
