Consumer spending on credit and debit cards rose by 9.9% in July compared to the same month last year, according to new figures released by Barclaycard yesterday. 

The Penrith branch of JT Atkinson is to close its home and garden centre, making 11 staff redundant. 

Dyson is being advised to seek permission to appeal against a High Court ruling that a rival’s vacuum cleaner did not copy a Dyson design. 

The homewares division of Spanish-owned fashion label Zara has seen UK sales grow by a fifth to £7.2m in the year to January 2010. 

The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) has joined up with event organisers Brintex to launch BALI 2011 - The Landscaping Show. 

The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund has criticised Homebase and Argos for stocking hutches that are smaller than those used in laboratories for animal experimentation. 

Lighting and electrical distributor calls in administrators, axing 58 staff at its subsidiaries Ring Lamp Company and Trident. 

A liquidator is expected to be appointed to the Tabs for Tools owner following a creditors meeting that will be held on Wednesday, August 18. 

The Insolvency Office disqualifies Peter Gelardi and Pepita Diamand -former directors of the failed wedding gift service - from acting as company directors for a combined total of 15 years. 

Dobbies garden centres has revealed a sharp rise in operating profit, making £9.8m in the 12 months to February 28, 2010. 

Tesco has followed other retailers such as Argos and M&S by launching the Tesco Grocery app with Ovi by Nokia. 

Dyson has failed in its bid to prove that a rival’s product copied one of its own vacuum cleaner designs. 

Consumers are split over whether the impending VAT rise will change their spending habits, with more than half (52%) saying it won't, says a new survey from research company Retail Eyes. 

Health and family problems have saved two crooked businessmen from an immediate trip to jail for their £159,000 fraud. 

The majority of shops in the Midlands will stock moderately to avoid being caught out this Christmas as consumers are bombarded with mixed messages about the economy. 

Garden centre made its TV debut on Sunday after Jeremy Clarkson and crew filmed scenes at the site in Clifton for the BBC show earlier this year. 

Peter Manning has seen his patented clip-on boot cover reach the shelves of garden centres, DIY and department stores around the country, thanks to backing from an investor found on the xénos angel network. 

Non-food inflation slowed from 1.4% in June to 1% in July, the lowest rate since November 2009, according to the latest results from the BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index. 

Argos is testing a same-day delivery service in London allowing Check & Reserve customers to have their purchases couriered to them in as little as 90 minutes. 

Carpet and flooring specialist expected consumer demand to "remain subdued", while the closing of operations in Poland affects group sales.