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.
-
Sep- 2025 -12 SeptemberHigh Street
400 large stores at risk under new business rates proposals, BRC finds
Around 400 large-format stores are at risk of closure, if they are included in the Government’s new business rates surtax on premises with a rateable value over £500,000, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The BRC anticipates that if all 400 at-risk stores were to close, up to 100,000…
Read More » -
Aug- 2025 -26 AugustHigh Street
Business rates ‘double hit’ to cost English firms £2.5bn
Businesses the length and breadth of England are “staring down the barrel” of a £2.5bn hike in property taxes from April 2026, as inflation and a new government stealth tax will combine to drive up business rates bills, according to analysis by global tax firm Ryan. A nationwide revaluation of…
Read More » -
26 AugustEconomy
Shop price inflation hits 18-month high in first week of August
Shop price inflation increased to 0.9% year on year in the week ended 7 August, an 18-month high, according to data from the British Retail Consortium. This increase came against growth of 0.7% in July and was above the three-month average inflation of 0.6%, driven by price hikes across butter,…
Read More » -
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…
Read More » -
21 AugustEconomy
Consumer sentiment improves slightly but remains in ‘doldrums’, BRC finds
Consumer expectations for the next three months improved marginally in August but remain historically low, according to the latest data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Opinium. Expectations for the state of the economy rose slightly to -32, up from -33 in July. Views on personal finances also improved…
Read More » -
14 AugustHigh Street
Nearly half of indie retailers report Q2 sales decline, BIRA finds
Nearly half (46%) of Britain’s independent retailers reported lower sales in the second quarter of 2025 compared with the same period last year, according to new figures from the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA). The decline was attributed to a squeeze on household budgets and falling consumer confidence as key…
Read More » -
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…
Read More » -
13 AugustEconomy
Number of retail job vacancies lower than pre-pandemic, ONS finds
The number of job vacancies in the wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles category fell by 10,000 in Q2, the highest volume decrease of any category, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This category also has 37,000 fewer vacancies than its…
Read More » -
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…
Read More » -
8 AugustHigh Street
Criminals exploiting weak trading enforcement, Bira warns
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has warned that a collapse in trading standards enforcement is allowing criminal operators to undermine legitimate businesses. The warning follows a new investigation by consumer group Which?, which found that 36 trading standards services reported no criminal prosecutions in the 2023–24 financial year. Some…
Read More »
