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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Aug- 2025 -22 AugustHigh Street
Retail bosses urge chancellor to cut industry tax burden in Budget
More than 60 retail leaders have written to the chancellor ahead of the Autumn Budget, warning that rising costs are driving up prices and threatening jobs. Chief executives from companies including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Asda, Boots and Ikea signed the letter, which calls for a reduction in business rates for…
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20 AugustDIY
Tapi opens new Bishopbriggs store after Carpetright acquisition
Tapi Carpets and Floors has opened a new store in Bishopbriggs this weekend, occupying the site of a former Carpetright branch. The launch follows the company’s acquisition of Carpetright in July 2024, when the retailer entered administration. The deal included the takeover of 54 stores across the region. The new…
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20 AugustSupermarkets
Total till sales slow to 3.7% in July, NIQ finds
Total till sales growth at UK supermarkets slowed to +3.7% in the four weeks ended 9 August 2025, down from +5.8% in July, according to data from NielsenIQ (NIQ). NIQ data suggests that following the early summer heatwaves at the end of June and early July, along with treating themselves…
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20 AugustEconomy
Inflation jumps more than expected to 3.8%
Inflation rose more than expected in July, rising to 3.8%, the highest rate in 18 months. On a monthly basis, it rose by 0.1% last month, compared with a fall of 0.2% in July 2024. This was up from 3.6% in June, and means that inflation is almost double the…
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14 AugustEconomy
UK quarterly GDP beats expectations despite slowdown
UK GDP grew 0.3% in the three months to June, behind the 0.7% it grew in the first quarter, as a result of US tariffs and higher business costs, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). However, it is better than expected growth as economists polled by…
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14 AugustSupermarkets
Business rates rise could see more than 100 supermarkets at risk
More than 100 large UK supermarkets could reportedly face closure under government plans to raise business rates for the most valuable retail properties, according to the Financial Times. It learnt that the proposed changes, due to be announced in the autumn Budget, could increase rates for premises with a rateable…
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13 AugustComment
It’s time we had a system that stopped taxing retailers as if it were 1599
Our high streets have had a tough time in recent years – battered by a global pandemic, war, energy shocks and soaring inflation. Yet despite it all, shops have kept going – serving their communities, creating jobs, and showing remarkable resilience. But resilience isn’t a plan for growth, and nostalgia…
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13 AugustHigh Street
Shoe Zone halves profit forecast amid weak consumer confidence
Shoe Zone expects annual profits to fall by half after seeing a drop in footfall and revenues during June and July, as higher interest rates and weak consumer confidence continue to weigh on spending. The footwear retailer now forecasts adjusted profit before tax of about £2.5m for the year ending…
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11 AugustSupermarkets
Iceland links food price rises to Reeves’ budget measures
Iceland has warned that food prices will rise as suppliers pass on higher costs linked to last autumn’s budget measures, The Telegraph has reported. The supermarket said the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions and the National Living Wage was pushing up its suppliers’ labour costs, which in turn were…
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7 AugustEconomy
Luxury loses momentum as midmarket braces for impact, Colliers finds
Luxury and midmarket retailers across EMEA are recalibrating strategies in response to a cooling post-pandemic retail environment, according to a report from Colliers. Colliers found that after years of price-led growth, luxury retail is showing signs of fatigue. Brands such as Kering and Chanel reported revenue declines in 2024, while…
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