Henry Saker-Clark

Ikea plans to launch a UK marketplace for customers to buy and sell pre-owned Ikea furniture and homewares, although no launch date has been confirmed. The service will connect Ikea Family members directly and follows trials in Spain and Norway. The move increases Ikea’s competition with eBay, Vinted and Facebook Marketplace, as well as with retailers such as John Lewis and Currys that offer pre-loved or refurbished products.

British warehouse developer Segro has agreed to recommend a £14 billion takeover by US rival Prologis after rejecting three earlier offers. Prologis will pay 1,032p per Segro share, largely in stock alongside £3.5 billion in cash, and the enlarged company will seek a secondary listing in London. The companies said the combination would unite Segro’s UK and European logistics and data-centre assets with Prologis’ global scale, customer base and operational capabilities.

Frasers reported an 8.7% rise in annual revenues to £5.33 billion, driven by international acquisitions that lifted overseas sales by more than half. The company is continuing expansion efforts with bids for remaining shares in businesses it partly owns and interest in other high-profile takeovers, including Harvey Nichols and Hugo Boss. UK sports retail revenues declined due to weak consumer confidence and challenging trading conditions. Chief executive Michael Murray said the group’s strategy is showing strong momentum but that sector-wide pressures are limiting its full potential.

Axel Springer will complete its £575 million acquisition of the Telegraph Media Group after receiving regulatory approval in the UK, Ireland and Austria. The deal ends three years of uncertainty for the Telegraph following the blocked RedBird IMI takeover over foreign ownership concerns. The new owners plan to accelerate digital transformation, expand in the US and use AI to drive growth. Previous bids involving Dovid Efune and DMGT fell through amid competition scrutiny. The Spectator was separately sold to OQS Ventures for £100 million.

Comcast plans to split into two publicly listed companies, separating its media assets, including NBCUniversal and Sky, from its telecommunications operations. The new NBCUniversal entity will encompass theme parks, film and TV studios, broadcast networks and streaming platforms, while Comcast will focus on broadband, wireless and entertainment platform services. The move is intended to allow each business to pursue growth independently. Sky remains active in UK expansion, including discussions to acquire ITV’s media operations and development of a major theme park. Comcast shareholders will receive shares in both companies, with Comcast retaining a minority stake in NBCUniversal for up to a year.