Morrisons has shut its first of 100 Daily stores as its closure programme begins.

The first was its branch in Crockhamwell Road in Woodley, Berkshire, which became a Morrisons Daily in November 2024 before closing last week.

Its Post Office also shut after operating from the road for around 60 years and it is understood to be looking for replacement shops that could host services in affected communities.

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52 Post Office branches to shut due to Morrisons Daily closures

Oxfordshire Morrisons not part of UK closures

The closures affect at least 52 Post Office branches across England, Wales and Scotland, with many of the affected sited in southern England.

The affected stores have been unprofitable for years and were former McColl’s shops which the chain rescued in a £190 million takeover in 2022.

The proposals will see stores closed in the next few months and hundreds of shop workers are understood to be at risk of redundancy.

However, it has been confirmed Morrisons will not close any of its Oxfordshire shops, cafes, florists of pharmacies this year.

Morrisons has around 1,700 convenience shops as well as about 500 supermarkets, and employs some 95,000 staff.

There are Morrisons supermarkets in Banbury, Carterton and Faringdon as well as Morrisons Daily stores in Oxford, Abingdon, Thame and Banbury.

KAREN JOY BACUDO

Finance Editor

EHE Ventures has opened the second capital raise for its (S)EIS AI Growth Fund, targeting GBP £15 million to invest in early-stage, AI-first businesses in the UK.

The latest raise totals GBP £1.5 million and follows the deployment of the fund’s first tranche across eight companies. Those investments span pre-seed, seed and Series A businesses in sectors including medtech, fintech, marketing, agri-tech and marine tech.

The first cohort includes Deltabase, Fotenix, Good With, NeuWave, Peppercorn AI, Scooch, Spotlight Pathology and Subjct. EHE invested alongside Deepbridge, PXN, Q Ventures and River Capital.

The Manchester-based investor is part of EHE Group, which also includes EHE Venture Studio. The wider group provides software engineering, AI consultancy and advisory support in areas such as intellectual property, research and development, go-to-market planning and investment readiness.

The fund is managed by Infinity Asset Management and is structured under the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Enterprise Investment Scheme.

Second cohort

Guy Remond, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of EHE Group, is leading the Cohort 2 raise with Venture Principal Troy Wood. EHE plans to deploy the capital raised by the end of the tax year.

“AI has produced a generation of UK companies with credible ideas and capable founders,” said Remond.

“Cohort 2 will continue the approach we took with our first eight investments, backing early-stage, AI-native British businesses at pre-seed, seed and Series A stages.

“We are aiming to deploy the capital raised by the end of the tax year.”

The first portfolio companies offer an early picture of the fund’s investment approach, targeting businesses in workplace analytics, pathology and other specialist software markets. The strategy reflects continued investor interest in UK start-ups applying AI in defined industry settings rather than broad consumer markets.

Backers of the initial tranche were described as sophisticated and high-net-worth investors. The vehicle is not open to public investment.

Portfolio support

EHE says its involvement with investee companies extends beyond capital. Through its studio and advisory operations, the group works with founders on technical development and commercial preparation.

One of the first cohort companies is Liverpool-based Deltabase, which focuses on people and culture intelligence using AI. Its Chief Executive said the investor had provided practical support after the deal was completed.

Spratt said, “EHE Ventures has added value well beyond the capital. The team’s advice comes from genuine, hands-on experience.

“They have given us development capability when we have needed it and are consistently connecting us with the right people across the ecosystem.”

The latest fundraising effort comes as specialist AI investors seek to identify younger companies before larger venture rounds. By focusing on pre-seed to Series A deals, EHE is positioning the fund in a part of the market where founders often need a mix of capital, product support and commercial guidance.

The first eight investments also show a regional spread beyond London, with Deltabase based in Liverpool and EHE headquartered in Manchester. That points to continued AI start-up activity across UK city regions as investors look for companies with sector-specific products and early customer demand.

The fashion brand is set to open its first new standalone UK store later this year, nearly two years after all its British locations closed following the collapse of its UK store operator, No Ordinary Designer Label.

The closures marked the end of the brand’s 36-year presence on the high street.

A spokesman for Authentic Brands Group, which owns Ted Baker, said the first standalone store will open “very soon”.

(Image: Jam Press/Ted Baker)

The brand has already begun a gradual return to physical retail through boutique concessions in Selfridges, including its latest opening at Selfridges Birmingham in the Bullring.

A similar concession was launched at the Trafford Centre in Manchester in May.

After the collapse of its UK store operator in March 2024, all 46 Ted Baker stores across the country closed by August, resulting in hundreds of job losses.

Following these closures, Authentic Brands Group relaunched the Ted Baker UK website in November, resuming online sales of menswear, womenswear, and accessories while searching for a new operating partner.

Ted Baker was founded in Glasgow in 1988 and rose to become one of Britain’s most recognisable fashion labels, operating around 550 stores and concessions worldwide at its peak.

UK clothing retailer at risk after entering administration

A UK clothing retailer is at risk of closing, having fallen into administration.

Activewear Group Ltd, established in March 2014, is a clothing and fashion retailer specialising in affordable activewear, workwear, and uniforms.

The company, which also offers printing and embroidery services, trades directly with leading brands and maintains strong relationships with the UK’s top wholesalers.

Activewear’s LinkedIn profile adds: “Our aim is to provide the highest quality of service to ensure a great end user customer experience through a cost effective approach.”

The company operates online via its website and from a 1,750 square foot warehouse in Redditch, with a 1,500 sq ft area which is used as a showroom, packing, and office/meeting area.

Stuart Kelly and Claire Harsley from Mackay Goodwin Limited were appointed joint administrators on July 8, according to The Gazette.

Activewear Group had registered a charge with Companies House in June, just weeks before entering administration.

The charge represents a loan or debt secured against the company’s assets, giving lenders priority in the event of insolvency.

There is a clearance sale currently running on the Activewear Group website, while other sections are unavailable.