From Crashing Retail (unless you're a Labubu) to Surging Romance
Why big names are wobbling, fiction is booming, and what it means for your money mindset
This week was all about extremes. Retail giants are shrinking, yet Amazon is betting £40bn on British growth. Oil prices swung on headlines, and the pound hit a 3-year high, all while romance books quietly crossed a billion in revenue.
If there’s a lesson here, it’s this: money flows to confidence, and confidence flows to where people see a future. So, let’s help you understand where things are going and how to stay one step ahead.
🛍️ Retail pain: Sales drop & River Island cuts stores
Retail sales fell 2.7% in May, the sharpest decline in over a year. River Island is closing 33 stores and renegotiating rents on 71 more, citing a £33.2m loss in 2023. Job losses are expected, and operating costs remain high.
What it means for you:
This signals growing pressure on the high street, and potentially more closures ahead. For consumers, it could mean better discounts short term, but fewer physical shops long term.
🚚 Amazon bets £40bn on the UK
Amazon plans to invest £40bn in the UK over the next 3 years, including four new warehouses and thousands of jobs. PM Keir Starmer called it a "vote of confidence" in the UK economy.
What it means for you:
This is a sign the UK remains a valuable tech and logistics hub, especially for global brands. Whether you’re job-hunting or running a small business, look at where investment is flowing. Big players often lead industry-wide trends.
💔 Bumble axes 240 jobs, investors cheer
Dating app Bumble is cutting 240 jobs to save $40m a year after nearly losing its entire $13bn IPO value. Ironically, shares jumped 20% on the news.
What it means for you:
Tech companies are being judged less on growth and more on profit. If you’re an employee or investor in tech, pay attention to how firms are shifting strategy, and what that says about long-term confidence.
📚 Fiction is big business: Romance drives £1bn boom
Romance and fantasy books are fuelling a major commercial surge, pushing UK fiction sales over £1bn for the first time. It’s Gen Z and millennial women leading the charge, now recognised as the readers with the most disposable income.
What it means for you:
Don’t dismiss your niche, the biggest money is often hiding in the genres people joke about. If you’re a creator or entrepreneur, this is your reminder to look where real passion lives (and where people are already spending).
📘 Speaking of books...
The Money Manual isn’t a romance novel (sadly), but it will absolutely change how you feel about your finances. It’s full of practical advice that feels empowering, not patronising like some of those dates you’ve been on in the past.
📉 Tesla's EV slide continues
Tesla’s European sales fell 27.9% in May, despite a 25% rise in the regional EV market. It’s the fifth month in a row of decline, and Q2 delivery figures (due next week) are forecast to show a 21% year-on-year drop.
What it means for you:
Tesla is no longer untouchable. If you’re invested in EVs or sustainability funds, now’s the time to check your exposure. Diversification matters, even when it’s a brand as buzzy as Tesla.
🧸 Labubu dolls: From niche toy to £150k obsession
Pop Mart’s quirky Labubu dolls have officially gone global, with profits up 67%, shares up 182%, and one blind box selling for £150,000. The brand is forecast to hit $6bn in revenue by 2027, fuelled by collectors, TikTok trends, and celeb fans like Olivia Attwood, Rihanna and Blackpink’s Lisa.
What it means for you:
This isn’t just about toys, it’s about the power of emotional value and community-driven spending. Labubu has become the Birkin bag of collectables. If you're building a product, brand or side hustle: people don’t just buy things, they buy meaning, identity and hype. Get those three right, and price becomes a secondary detail.
Final Thought: What’s really recession-proof?
It’s tempting to believe nothing is stable right now, but zoom out. Even as global growth slows, people are still investing in:
Connection (romance, tech)
Convenience (Amazon, automation)
Security (energy, AI, jobs that can’t be outsourced)
If you want to future-proof your finances, ask yourself:
Am I building towards one of those?
If not, this is your nudge to start.
See you next Friday,
Abi x
Now I’m going to do some research on companies which directly is for connection, convenience or security. In term investing.
Many thanks, that’s my first listen to your short podcast and will tune again. So helpful