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Wall Street’s major averages aimed to go higher on Friday as oil prices decreased. Nonetheless, the indexes are on track for another losing week. Oil prices rose above $100 per barrel on Thursday after Houthi rebels reportedly struck two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea. President Donald Trump is looking to resume major military operations in Iran, according to reports. Trump also said China and Russia had assured him they would not supply weapons to Iran.

The next week will be packed with major earnings and key economic data releases. The Fed’s interest rate decision on Wednesday dominates the earnings calendar, followed by the FOMC press conference on Thursday. On Thursday, various other data, including preliminary Q/Q GDP numbers, initial jobless claims data, and PCE price index data are also due to be released. Consumer confidence data for July will be released on Tuesday, while Chicago PMI for the month is due on Friday.

Big tech earnings, including Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), and Meta (META) are lined up for the coming week. Other major firms reporting their results next week include Mastercard (MA), Visa (V), Coca-Cola (KO), and Boeing (BA).

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Earnings spotlight: Monday: AstraZeneca (AZN). See the full earnings calendar.

Earnings spotlight: Tuesday: Visa, Coca-Cola, Boeing, Ford (F). See the full earnings calendar.

Earnings spotlight: Wednesday: Microsoft, Meta, P&G (PG), Arm (ARM), Qualcomm (QCOM). See the full earnings calendar.

Earnings spotlight: Thursday: Apple, Amazon (AMZN), Mastercard (MA). See the full earnings calendar.

Earnings spotlight: Friday: AbbVie (ABBV), Chevron (

Long before Erling Haaland became one of the most feared strikers in world soccer, his father was building a career of his own in England’s top flight and on the international stage with Norway. As Erling led Norway to its best-ever World Cup finish this month, attention has turned once again to the man who shaped his path: Alfie Haaland, a former Premier League defender whose own playing days quietly set the stage for his son’s rise.

A career built in England’s top division

Alfie Haaland, born Alf-Inge Rasdal Håland on November 23, 1972, in Stavanger, Norway, began his professional career at hometown club Bryne before moving to England in 1993 to join Nottingham Forest. He spent four seasons there before transferring to Leeds United in 1997, where he was part of a side that reached the semifinals of the UEFA Cup and qualified for the Champions League. In 2000, he joined Manchester City, where he made 35 appearances and scored three goals before persistent knee problems forced him into early retirement in 2003, at age 30.

Across his club career in England, Haaland made more than 180 appearances and scored 18 goals, playing primarily as a right-back or defensive and central midfielder. His knee troubles were largely traced to a notorious 2001 tackle by then-Manchester United captain Roy Keane, an incident that became one of the more infamous episodes of that era of Premier League rivalry and ultimately shortened Haaland’s playing days.

Norway’s 1994 World Cup squad

Haaland earned the first of his 34 senior caps for Norway in January 1994, in a friendly against Costa Rica, and went on to represent his country at that year’s World Cup in the United States, appearing in matches against Italy and Mexico. He continued playing for the national team through 2001, though he never scored a goal in international competition. Injury kept him out of Norway’s 1998 World Cup squad, the last time the country had qualified for the tournament before this summer.

Haaland was one of three players on that 1994 World Cup roster whose sons would go on to represent Norway at this year’s tournament, alongside the fathers of teammates Alexander Sørloth and Kristian Thorstvedt — a generational link that added an extra layer of storytelling to Norway’s return to the World Cup stage after a 28-year absence.

Erling wasn’t born until 2000

Erling Haaland was born in July 2000, three years before his father’s playing career ended, meaning the bulk of Alfie’s professional days came before his son was old enough to remember them firsthand. Still, growing up around professional locker rooms and training grounds gave the younger Haaland an early, close-up education in the sport that would eventually make him one of its biggest stars. Alfie has remained closely involved in his son’s career in the years since, often described as a mentor and adviser as Erling rose through Norwegian youth football, a stint at Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg, and stardom first at Borussia Dortmund and then at Manchester City — his father’s former club.

Norway’s historic World Cup run

This summer marked a milestone for the Haaland family and for Norwegian soccer as a whole. Norway advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in the country’s history, riding a tournament in which Erling Haaland scored in each of his first four matches and finished with seven goals overall, drawing comparisons to some of the most prolific individual World Cup campaigns in the competition’s history.

Norway’s run ended on July 11 in a 2-1 extra-time loss to England in Miami. Andreas Schjelderup gave Norway the lead in the first half, but Jude Bellingham equalized for England in first-half stoppage time and then scored the winner three minutes into extra time, pouncing on a rebound from a Morgan Rogers shot. Norway had a second-half goal from Torbjørn Heggem controversially disallowed after a video review showed Erling Haaland had fouled England’s Elliot Anderson in the buildup to the corner kick that led to it.

Alfie’s reaction on social media

The elder Haaland did not hide his frustration with the result. Writing on X after the final whistle, he took aim at the officiating, posting, “Well done Bellingham and referee,” a pointed jab suggesting the outcome had been shaped as much by the whistle as by the football played. In a follow-up post, he added that Norway felt “robbed” by the result, while conceding, “Hope England win the WC now.”

The posts quickly circulated among soccer fans and media outlets covering the tournament, adding to a wave of attention on the Haaland family throughout Norway’s tournament run. Erling Haaland himself has often credited his father’s influence not just for his technical development but for his mentality on the field, an attitude that became a talking point throughout Norway’s surprise march to the quarterfinals.

A family legacy renewed

Norway’s quarterfinal appearance closes out a remarkable chapter for a country that had not reached the World Cup since 1998, the tournament Alfie Haaland missed through injury after playing in the 1994 edition. With Erling Haaland just 26 and already established as one of the sport’s most dominant strikers, and with Norway fielding a young core built around him and midfielder Martin Ødegaard, the country’s soccer federation and fans alike are hoping this summer’s breakthrough marks the beginning of a sustained run of tournament appearances rather than a one-off return to the world stage.

For the Haaland family, the tournament offered a full-circle moment: a father who once wore Norway’s colors at a World Cup watching his son do the same, three decades later, on a bigger stage than either could have imagined when Alfie first pulled on the national jersey in 1994.

Available for over a year

This week has seen a new Prime Minister and a new Chancellor of the Exchequer. As soon as John Healey was appointed the announcements began. First came the announcement to cut VAT on household energy bills from October, next a plan to cap bus fares in England from January, then a 20% cut to business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues in England starting from April. But what about that major issue on the doorstep when Andy Burnham was campaigning to be elected in his new constituency of Makerfield? The frozen personal tax threshold. We’ll discuss what this might mean for your money.

Nearly two million households in England and Wales are living in water poverty according to a new study seen exclusively by this programme. The technical definition of that is when people spend more than 5% of their income, after housing costs, on water bills. What it means in reality is being unable to afford to pay for water, and being in debt to a water company. We’ll speak to the Consumer Council for Water, who commissioned that study.

Plus, we’ll look at the rules around gifts and inheritance tax as a new survey by the financial advisors The Private Office found more then 8 in 10 of its clients aged over 45 believe parents and grandparents should help younger generations during their lifetime rather than leave an inheritance after death.

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researchers: Amber Mehmood, Catherine Lund and Jo Krasner.
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 25th July 2026)

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Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

This article was written by

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Energy is one of the highest costs a multi-site business cannot easily explain. Rent is fixed and visible. Payroll is planned and tracked to the hour.

Stock is counted. Energy, by contrast, arrives as a set of bills that go up, get paid, and get filed, with very little sense of whether the amount was reasonable. For a business running ten, fifty or two hundred sites, that blind spot is usually costing more than anyone realises.

The overspend is rarely dramatic, which is exactly why it survives. There is no single leak and no obvious culprit, just a few per cent of waste spread thinly across every site and every month until it adds up to a meaningful figure in the accounts. Finding it means comparing sites against one another rather than paying each bill in isolation, and that is exactly what multi-site energy management for retailers is built to do: connect to the meters already in place, benchmark site against site, and surface the ones behaving oddly. Before reaching for any tool, though, it helps to know what you are looking for.

Identical Sites, Very Different Bills

Retail shows the pattern clearly. A chain of stores looks uniform from head office: similar footprints, similar fit-outs, similar trading hours. The energy data says otherwise. Two branches of the same size, in the same format, selling the same products, can differ by a third or more in energy use per square metre. That difference is not down to customers. It is down to how each building is run: whether the refrigeration is maintained, whether the heating and air conditioning are fighting each other, whether the lights and plant actually switch off when the shutters come down.

Spotting this means seeing the sites next to each other, and that is where most businesses come unstuck. Bills are processed one at a time, often by an accounts team focused on paying them correctly rather than questioning them. Nobody is placed to notice that store number fourteen has been drawing more power every night than its neighbours since a refit last spring. The information exists, scattered across separate invoices and meter records. What is missing is the comparison.

Where the Money Hides

There are three places the overspend tends to sit, and each has a tell.

Overnight Consumption

Every site has a baseload, the power it draws when it is closed and empty. Some of it is unavoidable: refrigeration, security, a few always-on systems. But when the overnight floor is high relative to trading-hours use, something is running that should not be. Half-hourly meter data makes this obvious. It shows the shape of consumption across the day, and a closed site that never drops to a low, flat overnight level is a closed site quietly burning money.

Heating and Cooling Working Against Each Other

In a lot of buildings, the heating and the air conditioning are controlled separately, set by different people at different times, and left alone. The result is a building spending energy to warm one zone while cooling another, or doing both to the same space within the same hour. It is common, invisible without the data, and usually corrected with settings rather than spending.

Drift

Equipment that was efficient when it was installed does not stay that way. Seals wear, controls get overridden during a busy week and never reset, a timer gets changed for a one-off event and left. Each change is small. Over a couple of years they accumulate, and consumption rises without anyone deciding it should. The fix is unglamorous but well established: the regular metering and benchmarking set out in the Carbon Trust’s guidance on effective energy management, which catches drift before it becomes permanent.

Why the Overspend Persists

The reason is not negligence. It is structure. Energy bills are handled as an accounts task, not an operational one, and no single person owns the question of whether the estate is running efficiently. Nobody is measured on it, so nobody watches it, and the slow creep goes unchallenged from one year to the next.

The Financial Case

Suppose an estate is overspending by, conservatively, between 5 and 10 per cent on energy through avoidable waste. For a business with a large energy bill, that is not a rounding error. It is a recoverable sum that goes straight to the bottom line, year after year, with no loss of trading and no new capital outlay. Unlike most cost-saving exercises, it does not involve cutting anything customers or staff would notice. It involves stopping buildings from wasting energy nobody wanted them to use in the first place.

Start With Visibility, Not Investment

The businesses that close the gap are the ones that stop treating energy as a fixed cost to be paid and start treating it as a variable one to be managed, site by site, with the data they already generate every half hour. The first step is not spending. It is visibility. Once you can see where the money is going across every site, most of the overspend explains itself, and a good deal of it can be recovered by the end of the quarter.

Finding reliable storage space in a busy city like London can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re moving home, renovating your property, or looking for extra space for business inventory, choosing the right provider makes all the difference.

With so many Self Storage Companies available, comparing features, security, convenience, and flexibility is just as important as comparing prices.

If you’re researching Self Storage in London, this guide highlights the ten best providers, explains what each company does well, and helps you choose the right storage solution for your needs.

What Are the Best Self Storage Companies in London?

The best self storage companies in London combine secure facilities, flexible rental terms, convenient access, and a range of storage options for homeowners and businesses. Based on these factors, Wow Storage ranks as the best overall choice, followed by Big Yellow, Safestore, Access Self Storage, and several other trusted providers.

Top 10 Self Storage Companies in London

London offers everything from premium indoor storage facilities to practical drive-up container storage. The right provider depends on how you plan to use the space, how often you’ll visit, and whether you’re storing household belongings or commercial inventory.

The companies below were selected based on their reputation, security, accessibility, storage options, customer convenience, and suitability for different storage needs.

1. Wow Storage (Best Overall for Businesses and Homeowners)

Wow Storage stands out because it offers practical, flexible storage solutions designed for both domestic and commercial customers. Its drive-up storage units make loading and unloading simple, saving valuable time compared to traditional indoor facilities.

Businesses benefit from secure storage for stock, tools, equipment, documents, and seasonal inventory, while homeowners appreciate the spacious units during moves, renovations, or decluttering projects. Flexible contracts allow customers to scale their storage requirements without long-term commitments.

Best for:

2. Big Yellow Self Storage

Big Yellow is one of London’s most recognised storage brands, offering numerous locations throughout the city. Its facilities provide strong security measures, clean units, and a wide selection of storage sizes suitable for both individuals and businesses.

Best for: Customers looking for a large nationwide provider with premium facilities.

3. Safestore

Safestore has an extensive network across London and caters to both residential and commercial customers. The company offers flexible contracts, multiple unit sizes, and practical storage solutions for growing businesses.

Best for: Businesses needing scalable storage and homeowners requiring flexible rental periods.

4. Access Self Storage

Access Self Storage combines convenient locations with business-friendly services. Many facilities also sell packing materials, making moving and storage easier for customers.

Best for: Local residents and small businesses needing accessible storage.

5. Shurgard Self Storage

Shurgard offers modern storage facilities with online reservations and flexible rental options. Customers appreciate its secure premises and straightforward booking process.

Best for: Customers who prefer digital booking and modern storage facilities.

6. Attic Self Storage

Attic Self Storage focuses on customer service and secure storage facilities. It offers a range of unit sizes suitable for personal belongings, office equipment, and household furniture.

Best for: Personal storage with attentive customer support.

7. Vanguard Self Storage

Vanguard provides secure storage backed by years of industry experience. Its facilities serve homeowners, students, and businesses requiring reliable long-term storage.

Best for: Long-term storage solutions.

8. Henfield Storage

Henfield Storage offers flexible self storage solutions with secure units and professional customer service. Its facilities are suitable for businesses as well as families looking for additional space.

Best for: Flexible storage with personalised service.

9. easyStorage

easyStorage combines collection and storage services, making it attractive for customers who prefer not to transport items themselves. This approach simplifies the moving process.

Best for: Convenient collection-based storage.

10. LOVESPACE

LOVESPACE focuses on storage with collection and delivery services. Customers can arrange pickup and return of stored belongings without visiting a storage facility.

Best for: Students, renters, and customers storing boxes or seasonal belongings.

Comparison of London’s Top Self Storage Companies

Choosing between providers becomes easier when you compare their strengths side by side.

How to Choose the Right Self Storage Company in London

Not every storage provider is the right fit for every customer. A homeowner storing furniture during renovations has different requirements than an online retailer storing inventory.

Before comparing prices, think about how you’ll use the unit and how often you’ll need access. A slightly higher monthly cost can deliver much greater convenience if it saves time and reduces transport costs.

When evaluating Self Storage Companies, consider the following:

• Convenient location

• CCTV monitoring and secure access

• Flexible rental agreements

• Variety of storage unit sizes

• Easy vehicle access

• Insurance options

• Clean, well-maintained facilities

• Helpful customer support

• Ability to upgrade or downsize storage

For example, an e-commerce business receiving weekly deliveries may benefit from drive-up storage that allows quick loading and unloading. A homeowner storing seasonal decorations may prioritise affordability and security instead.

Why Businesses and Homeowners Use Self Storage

Storage has become an essential solution for both commercial and residential customers across London. Limited property space and rising business costs have increased demand for flexible storage options.

Businesses commonly use storage for:

• Inventory and stock

• Office furniture

• Business documents

• Construction equipment

• Promotional materials

Homeowners frequently store:

• Furniture during moves

• Seasonal decorations

• Sports equipment

• Baby items

• Renovation materials

• Student belongings

Imagine a growing online retailer operating from a small office. Instead of leasing a larger commercial property, the business stores inventory in a secure storage unit, reducing overhead while maintaining room for expansion. Similarly, a family renovating their home can protect furniture and valuables until the project is complete.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Renting Storage

Many customers choose a storage facility based solely on price, only to discover hidden inconveniences later. Spending a little more time researching providers can prevent unnecessary costs and frustration.

Avoid these common mistakes:

• Renting a unit that’s too small

• Ignoring security features

• Choosing an inconvenient location

• Forgetting to check access hours

• Not asking about insurance

• Packing items poorly

• Overlooking contract flexibility

Taking measurements, comparing facilities, and asking the right questions before signing an agreement will help you avoid these issues.

Conclusion

Finding the right storage provider is about more than simply renting extra space. Security, accessibility, flexibility, and customer service all contribute to a better storage experience.

Among the leading Self Storage Companies in London, Wow Storage stands out by combining practical drive-up storage, secure facilities, and flexible solutions for both homeowners and businesses. Whether you need temporary space during a move or long-term commercial storage, comparing providers based on your specific needs will help you make a confident decision.

Choose a storage company that supports your current requirements while giving you the flexibility to grow in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the best self storage company in London?

Wow Storage is an excellent choice for both businesses and homeowners thanks to its flexible storage options, secure facilities, and convenient drive-up access.

How much does self storage cost in London?

Prices vary depending on unit size, location, and storage type. Comparing several providers helps you find the best overall value.

What size storage unit do I need?

It depends on what you’re storing. Small units suit boxes and personal items, while larger units accommodate furniture, business stock, or equipment.

Is business storage different from personal storage?

Yes. Business storage often supports inventory, documents, tools, or equipment, while personal storage typically holds household belongings during moves or renovations.

Are self storage units secure?

Most reputable providers offer CCTV surveillance, gated access, secure locks, and controlled entry systems.

Can I access my storage unit anytime?

Access hours differ by provider. Some facilities offer extended or daily access, while others operate during business hours.

How long can I rent a storage unit?

Most companies provide flexible agreements ranging from short-term rentals to long-term storage based on your requirements.