#whsmith

#whsmith

Running out of a tiny kiosk in Clerkenwell, Exmouth Cultural Kiosk is a secondhand bookstore and self-publishing project that sells books for as little as £2. The selection rotates often and can include everything from Tennyson to its own guide to Clerkenwell pubs.

The retailer has launched a multimillion-pound strategy centred on what it calls "AI-powered shopping", enabling its products to appear in recommendations generated by chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini. The move forms part of a wider digital expansion designed to place the brand directly within the new tools consumers increasingly use to search for products and inspiration.

The SoA said the absence of any government measure to compel tech companies to label AI-generated output meant readers were struggling to distinguish between books written by a human, and machine-generated work based on AI models trained on copyrighted work without permission or payment.

The Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD) produces its whiskey, gin, vodka and liqueur from heritage wheat and rye varieties rediscovered in the thatch of medieval roofs. It's an example of the extraordinary lengths the distillers go here to create their unique flavours while building a regenerative farming system along the way. Tour the distillery to find out all about the processes involved,

Looking back at 'em through rose-tinted glasses, the 2010s seemed like they were a much better time. London hosted the Olympics, Sherlock was on the telly, and everyone was wearing Joni jeans and tea dresses from Topshop. Could things be returning to the simpler days when all you had to worry about was how tight your skinny jeans were and how to get the perfect side parting? Maybe, because Topshop is making a comeback to British high streets.

Shifts in consumer behaviour play a pivotal role in shaping the retail landscape. Today's consumers anticipate seamless shopping experiences that blend the best of online and offline worlds. Having that in mind, successful businesses must consider several factors as they navigate the ever-changing retail landscape-from reimagining omnichannel tactics to assessing the evolving value equation. Here's why tracking consumer spending trends is crucial for London businesses today.

Spotify is going all in on books in 2026 and partnering with Bookshop.org to let you buy physical copies of audiobooks and support local retailers starting in the Spring.