Lord Simon Wolfson, chief executive of the retail group Next, has blamed higher labour costs and slow growth in the UK economy for the shrinking of vacancies.

Next has stores in Oxford, with stores in the Westgate and Cowley Retail Park, as well as at the Orchard Centre in Didcot and Bicester’s Shopping Park.

Lord Wolfson told the BBC’s Big Boss Interview: “You can really see a dramatic fall in entry-level opportunities.

“In our stores just two years ago we had 10 applicants for every single job vacancy in our shops, that’s high.

“Today, that figure is at 19.

“I think that doubling of applicants for shop jobs is indicative of just how big the crisis is in youth unemployment at the moment.”

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Nearly one in six young people aged 16 to 24 were out of work in the first three months of 2026 – the highest level since 2015.

This comes as many retail shops are closing due to low profits.

Claire’s, Russel & Bromley, Dr. Martens, and Soletraders have all left Oxford in the pat year due to either the end of the company or to low sales in that particular store.

Lord Wolfson said the ‘tax on entry-level employment’ was partly behind the drop in opportunities, saying last year’s national insurance rate hike and increases to the national minimum wage had pushed up the cost of labour and “has to be reversed”.

But he said that “much more importantly” there needed to be more growth across the whole economy.

“If you’ve got fewer jobs, then the people who suffer the most are those with the least experience,” he said.

Chief executive, Lord Simon Wolfsom (Image: Next/PA Wire)

The retail boss, who is also a Conservative peer, also took aim at the Government’s Employment Rights Act which gives workers the right to guaranteed working hours over zero-hour or low-hour contracts.

New measures also coming into force next year will stop employers from rejecting flexible working requests without a valid reason.

He described the measures as “restrictions on flexible part-time working” and said “the result of that is we will offer fewer hours and (fewer) extra hours at Christmas”.

“That’s going to be bad news for our colleagues who want the extra hours, particularly students, and bad news for our customers because service won’t be as good,” he told the BBC.

The Oxford Youth Unemployment Hub runs from Monday to Friday at Rose Hill Community Centre.

The hub is run in partnership with the job centre, helping others with CVs, cover letters, and job searches.

The hub offers help and support for 16 to 25 year olds who are not in education, employment, or training.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Optimizely has partnered with Deloitte Digital to develop AI-led marketing programmes for brands, targeting organisations that are struggling to turn AI spending into measurable marketing results.

The collaboration combines Optimizely’s tools for experimentation, personalisation and AI with Deloitte Digital’s expertise in marketing transformation, creativity and human-centred design. The two companies have also produced an “AI Blueprint for Marketing Leaders” to help businesses adopt AI across marketing operations.

The deal reflects a wider problem for marketing teams as businesses increase spending on AI tools but fail to link those investments to customer response or commercial performance. Many companies need more than software deployment, particularly when legacy systems and existing workflows make change harder.

Under the arrangement, clients will be offered a structured process from strategy to execution, including experience design, changes to content supply chains and a redesign of marketing operating models.

For large organisations, such projects often require changes to teams and processes as well as technology. The partnership is intended to give clients a phased route to implementation rather than introducing isolated tools into existing systems.

Optimizely, which sells digital experience software to marketers, is seeking to strengthen its position in a market where AI is increasingly being built into content, commerce, testing and personalisation products. Deloitte Digital, part of the broader Deloitte network, advises companies on customer experience, marketing, commerce and service transformation.

The tie-up comes as vendors and consultancies try to close the gap between executive interest in AI and the operational changes needed to use it effectively. In marketing, that often means changing planning, content creation and campaign delivery processes, while agreeing on how success will be measured.

Jessica Dannemann, Chief Partner Officer at Optimizely, said the partnership is designed to connect AI technology with strategy and organisational change, helping companies scale AI use and deliver measurable business growth.

Marketing workflow

The collaboration focuses on embedding AI into day-to-day marketing work rather than treating it as a standalone add-on. That suggests both companies see adoption challenges as organisational as well as technical, especially for businesses trying to connect content production, customer data and campaign execution.

Deloitte Digital said the aim is to help marketing leaders redesign how teams plan, create and deliver digital experiences. The emphasis is on workflow and operating models, where many companies have found AI pilots difficult to scale.

Perrine Masset, Global Marketing Domain Leader at Deloitte Digital, said marketing leaders need a clearer path to value rather than more AI tools, with the focus on embedding AI into everyday workflows to drive measurable growth.

Optimizely said its broader platform spans content management, content marketing, experimentation, commerce, personalisation and analytics. The collaboration with Deloitte Digital indicates it wants consulting support around those products as customers look for practical ways to apply AI across multiple parts of the marketing function.

Deloitte Digital has framed the partnership around business outcomes rather than software replacement alone. That is likely to appeal to larger companies seeking to modernise customer-facing operations without rebuilding their marketing technology estates all at once.

Both groups are positioning the collaboration around measurable growth, but its immediate significance lies in the model they are proposing: a joint offer that combines software with advisory work on process, design and organisational change. In a market crowded with AI products, that may prove more relevant to companies still trying to work out how those tools fit into everyday marketing practice.

Fabulous Flowers is an Oxfordshire-based florist business specialising in high-end floral design for weddings, events, gifts and corporate clients, with a shop in Abingdon and a design studio in Kidlington.

Founded in 2004, the company has grown into a well-established local brand, serving customers across Oxford, Abingdon, Kidlington and surrounding areas with same-day flower delivery and bespoke arrangements.

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Led by co-founders and directors Gary Cooper and Matthew Taylor, Fabulous Flowers has built a reputation for creative, luxury floristry, underpinned by decades of experience in horticulture, hospitality and event styling.

Their team of specialist florists designs and installs flowers for everything from intimate celebrations to large-scale events, with a particular focus on Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds’ wedding venues and corporate settings.

Positioning itself as a “premier florist”, the business combines traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design, supplying bouquets, venue dressing and ongoing corporate flower contracts for clients across the region.

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The team has now won a gold Chelsea in Bloom award for their floral display outside Boodles on Sloane Street in London.

A statement published on the Fabulous Flowers Instagram page said: “We are delighted to announce the Boodles Chelsea in Bloom flowers on Sloane Street have been awarded GOLD by the Chelsea in Bloom judging committee!

“A big well done to Team Fabulous!”

This was posted alongside a photograph of the team standing outside the store, including co-founders Mr Cooper and Mr Taylor.