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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Mar- 2021 -5 MarchHigh Street
Sales fall 3.1% in Feb despite record online sales
Shuttered high street shops contributed to a 3.1% decline in total like-for-like sales in February but fashion and homeware helped drive online sales to a record high, new figures from accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP reveal. According to BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker (HSST), total like-for-like (LFL) sales,…
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5 MarchSupermarkets
Co-op to hold ‘crunch talks’ over relief repayment
The Co-operative Group will reportedly hold a “crunch” board meeting next week to discuss whether it will repay £80m in government support funding, according to Sky News. According to Sky, Co-op directors, alongside chairman Allan Leighton, will now meet next Tuesday to discuss whether the group will repay the funding…
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4 MarchHigh Street
B&M raises FY21 guidance amid strong Q4 trading
B&M has raised its full-year guidance for the financial year ended 27 March 2021, as revenue has risen 22.5% in its fourth quarter to date, despite “uncertainties” remaining regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. Following this strong trading, B&M expects its EBITDA for the full-year to be in the range of £590m…
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3 MarchEconomy
Shop prices continue to fall in February
Shop prices continued to fall in February, down 2.4%, marking the lowest deflation rate since May 2020. According to the latest figures from the BRC-Nielsen Shop price Index, the decline was below the 2.2% experienced in January and is also below the 12- and six-month average price decreases of 1.7%…
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1 MarchSupermarkets
Sainsbury’s hikes pay of frontline staff
Sainsbury’s has announced it is increasing the pay for its frontline employees this month, and is awarding them a third one-off payment in “special recognition of their incredible efforts to help to feed the nation through the pandemic”. From March onwards, the hourly rate of pay for Sainsbury’s and Argos…
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Feb- 2021 -26 FebruaryNews
Pets at Home raises guidance amid strong Q4 trading
Pets at Home has once again raised its profit forecast as the group continues to see strong trading and rising demand in the pet sector. In light of its trading year-to-date, it now anticipates full-year underlying pre-tax profit, including the previously announced repayment of business rates relief of £28.9m, to…
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24 FebruaryCoronavirus
Chancellor expected to extend furlough until May
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to announce a further extension to the government’s furlough scheme until May in his Budget speech next week. According to The Times, the move is expected after Boris Johnson promised not to “pull the rug out” from businesses when restrictions eventually begin to ease under…
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23 FebruaryGovernment
Gov should ‘remain flexible’ when lifting retail ban, says BRC
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has said the government should “remain flexible” and allow non-essential retailers to reopen as soon as the data suggests it is safe to do so. The statement comes in response to Boris Johnson’s roadmap’ out of lockdown, where the PM said it is possible that…
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22 FebruaryAnalysis
The restructuring options for retailers before it’s too late for rescue
Despite a glimmer of hope that Government may extend more Covid-19 support measures, retailers shouldn’t leave their future to chance if they want to boost their prospects of surviving the pandemic. Up until recent days, it looked like retailers were facing a so-called perfect storm. A moratorium protecting retail tenants…
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22 FebruaryProperty
BPF names NewRiver CEO as chair of retail board
The British Property Federation (BPF) has appointed Allan Lockhart, CEO at real estate investment trust NewRiver REIT, as chair of its new retail board. The board was created in January to ensure central and regional governments could understand the views of the retail property sector, in turn driving the agenda…
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