Retail The end of a trend

Even before the terrorist attacks in London last week, UK retailers weren’t having an easy time. June retail sales were the worst for 22 years, according to the Confederation of British Industry. It’s hard to tell what effect, if any, the bombings may have on future retail spending patterns. But they could trigger a rethink of one of the bigger M&A fashions of recent years – that of private equity firms making highly leveraged bids for retailers. One thing that has driven this activity has bee...