Thursday newspaper round-up: Retailers, Domino's Pizza, liquidations

Retailers have axed 85,000 jobs in the past year as weak consumer demand, rising costs and the switch to online shopping, exacerbated by Brexit uncertainty, have put businesses under increasing pressure. The job losses in the UK’s biggest private employment sector – with particular importance for women – are the latest sign of a crisis on the high street that has seen the closure of thousands of shops and the collapse of some well-known retail names. – Guardian

The five biggest oil and gas companies, and their industry groups, have spent at least €251m (£217m) lobbying the European Union over climate policies since 2010, research has revealed. The data on the scale of lobbying by oil companies and their representatives comes as 200 organisations demand the setting up of a firewall around democratic politics to protect it from the influence of the fossil fuel industry. – Guardian

An aggressive US investor has snapped up a major stake in Domino’s Pizza, piling more pressure on the takeaway business as it grapples with angry franchisees and seeks out a new boss. Los Angeles-based hedge fund Browning West has become the UK-listed pizza company’s fifth biggest shareholder with a stake of 5.33pc worth £70m. – Telegraph

Two leading consultancies have earned £11 million in only three weeks working on the liquidation of Thomas Cook, MPs have been told. The fees cover most of the period since KPMG and Alix Partners were appointed last month to assist the official receiver with the liquidation of the travel company, Dean Beale, chief executive of the Insolvency Service, said. – The Times

Thousands of investors could be facing significant losses after a peer-to-peer lender collapsed. Insolvency practitioners have taken control of Funding Secure, which has issued more than £175 million worth of loans. Its failure leaves about 3,500 active investors facing an uncertain outcome and is the latest insolvency to hit the troubled peer-to-peer industry, which links up ordinary investors with borrowers via online platforms. – The Times