Bloomberg Debenhams Plc, the 241-year-old UK department-store chain that anchors many of the country’s troubled shopping streets, was taken over by lenders after rebuffing a last-minute offer from billionaire Mike Ashley. The retailer entered a form of UK insolvency proceedings that allowed US hedge funds and other lenders to take control. Stores employing about 26,000 people will continue to operate …

Bloomberg Consumer spending declined in March as concerns over Brexit and the late timing of the Easter holiday held back shoppers. Total retail sales decreased by 0.5 percent, compared to a 2.3 percent gain a year earlier when the holiday was in March, the British Retail Consortium and KPMG said. That’s below the three- and 12-month averages. On a like-for-like …

Bloomberg Burger King is the latest brand to spark criticism on social media with an ad depicting diners struggling to eat western food with chopsticks. The fast-food chain showed a video clip of diners trying to eat its new “Vietnamese Sweet Chilli Tendercrisp Burger” with large red chopsticks. Social media users say the ad, which was posted on Instagram, is …