Budget
This coverage examines the UK government’s seasonal budget announcements and their implications for the retail sector. Reporting focuses on tax changes, business rates, employment policies, and economic forecasts that directly affect retailers, brand managers, and executives. With analysis tailored to commercial strategy, the insights help professionals assess how fiscal policy shapes retail operations, profitability, and investment decisions.
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Sep- 2024 -13 SeptemberNews
Today’s news in brief-13/9/24
Logistics UK warned that new EU fingerprint and facial recognition checks for non-EU passengers at Dover could cause delays, impacting fresh food deliveries crucial for Christmas. The Entry/Exit System (EES) implementation from November 10, 2024, threatens significant disruptions, prompting calls for public awareness campaigns. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) asserted…
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13 SeptemberHigh Street
Retail industry is overtaxed, says BRC
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has claimed that the retail industry is overtaxed compared with other sectors of the economy after new research found retail pays 7.4% of all business taxes (£33bn), a share 1.5 times greater than its share of the overall economy (5% GDP). The BRC said this…
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6 SeptemberNews
Today’s news in brief-6/9/24
Burberry, a fixture in the FTSE 100 for the past 15 years, has been demoted to the FTSE 250 following a steep decline in its share price, which has plummeted by around 50% over the last six months. The luxury fashion house has been hit hard by a slowdown in…
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6 SeptemberGovernment
CBI boss calls for gov to fix ‘antiquated’ rates system
CBI CEO Rain Newton-Smith has called on the government to fix the “antiquated” business rates rules in England to boost investment and grow the economy. Ahead of the Autumn Budget, the CBI convened firms from 12 sectors, including retail and manufacturing, to develop cross-economy solutions for a competitive and transparent…
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3 SeptemberEconomy
August sales jump 1% YOY despite weak back to school performance
UK Total retail sales increased by 1.0% year on year in August, against a growth of 4.1% in August 2023, despite back to school sales performing weaker than expected, according to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. The performance was above the three-month average growth of 0.4% and below the…
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2 SeptemberHigh Street
End of tax-free shopping hitting retail hard, warns Kurt Geiger CEO
Kurt Geiger’s CEO has warned that scrapping tax-free shopping for tourists is having a “massively negative effect” on retail in the UK. According to The Times, Neil Clifford said tourists were now travelling to other European countries for their shopping after the scheme was scrapped in 2021. Under the scheme,…
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Aug- 2024 -13 AugustNews
UK wage growth falls to two-year low
Wages excluding bonuses in the UK grew by 5.4% in the three months ended 30 June 2024, the lowest growth for two years, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Furthermore, when price rises, measured by inflation, are factored in wages only grew by 3.2%. Alongside this,…
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6 AugustEconomy
Retail sales jump 0.5% in July as clothing performance improves
UK Total retail sales increased by 0.5% year on year in July, against a growth of 1.5% in July 2023, amid improved performance from clothing as shoppers enjoyed the summer weather, according to the latest figures from the KPMG-BRC retail sales monitor. This was above the three-month average growth of…
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May- 2024 -2 MayNews
Retail bosses lose confidence in tax-free shopping return
Retail bosses have reportedly warned the government that the decision not to restore tax-free shopping for international tourists will have a knock-on effect on other industries, according to The Times. Janine Constantin-Russell, boss of the outlet shopping centre at the O2 Arena, has accused the government of not paying attention…
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Apr- 2024 -4 AprilNews
‘Missed opportunity’ not ending tourist tax says NWEC chief
Dee Corsi, New West End Company (NWEC) chief executive, has called the government’s decision not to end the tourist tax a “missed opportunity”. Ahead of the latest Budget in March a number of business leaders called upon Jeremy Hunt to scrap VAT on purchases made by tourists but Hunt resisted…
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