Business Rates
This coverage examines business rates policy and its implications for the UK retail sector. Reporting focuses on government decisions, reforms, rate relief measures, and their impact on store operations, profitability, and investment decisions. Tailored for retail executives and managers, it provides analysis to help navigate costs, advocate for change, and plan effectively in response to fiscal pressures.
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Oct- 2025 -24 OctoberEconomy
Retail sales improve as good weather drives clothing sales
UK retail sales rose 0.5% in September as a result of a 1.5% increase in non-store retailing and a 1.2% increase in household goods, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. The rise in total sales in September was the fourth consecutive month of increase as volumes reached…
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22 OctoberEconomy
Inflation holds steady at 3.8% in September
Inflation remained unchanged in September for the third month in a row, as the Consumer Price Index rose by 3.8%, with food prices easing over the period. The September, August and July 2025 figures have been the joint-highest recorded since January 2024, when the rate was 4.0%. Transport made the…
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21 OctoberSupermarkets
M&S chief urges chancellor to reconsider tax policy ahead of Budget
Marks and Spencer chief executive Stuart Machin has urged chancellor Rachel Reeves to “change course” on economic policy ahead of next month’s Budget, warning that persistent tax rises risk trapping the UK in a “doom loop” of weak growth. Writing in The Times, Machin described the government’s fiscal approach as…
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14 OctoberEconomy
Retail sales edge up 2.3% in September as food spending drives growth
UK total retail sales rose by 2.3% year on year in September, up from growth of 2% in September 2024 and above the 12-month average increase of 2.1%, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. Food sales increased by 4.3% on the year, compared with 2.3%…
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13 OctoberHigh Street
150,000 retail jobs at risk without business rate reform, Co-op warns
Around 60,000 small shops and 150,000 jobs could disappear without business rates reform, according to new research from Co-op. If reforms are not delivered, 10% of small high street business owners say they would need to lay off staff, and one in eight say they would be at risk of…
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9 OctoberHigh Street
Shoplifting surge a ‘low-level war’ on high streets, warns Iceland chair
Britain’s rise in shoplifting has become a “low-level war going on every day”, Iceland chair Richard Walker has said, urging retailers and the government to treat the problem as a serious threat to the high street. Speaking at the Financial Times’ Future of Retail conference, Walker said that thefts were…
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2 OctoberHigh Street
Reeves set to scale back business rates plans for large retailers
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly planning to scale back plans to raise business rates on big retailers after warnings it could push up food prices, according to the Financial Times. The news comes after the Treasury had planned to put properties worth more than £500,000 into the highest tax band…
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Sep- 2025 -23 SeptemberHigh Street
BRC warns food inflation could stay above 5% until 2026
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that food inflation could remain above 5% well into 2026 if the retail industry faces further tax rises in the Autumn Budget. The trade body said around 4,000 large shops could see higher bills under a government proposal to impose a new business…
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19 SeptemberEconomy
Retail sales rise as sunshine and rate cuts boost August trading
Retail sales rose in August, closing out the summer on a stronger footing, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS Retail Sales Index showed a 3% year-on-year increase in sales by value and a 1.2% rise in sales by volume, marking the third consecutive…
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17 SeptemberEconomy
Inflation holds steady at 3.8% but food prices on the rise
Inflation held steady last month, with a reported rise of 3.8% in the 12 months to August 2025, unchanged from July’s figures. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the August and July figures mark the joint-highest recorded since January 2024, when the rate was 4.0%. It comes as…
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