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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Feb- 2020 -25 FebruaryComment
The changing face of retail in the age of digitisation
Retail: the 2020 snapshot It’s no secret that high street retail in Britain has been struggling for the past decade. Since the collapse of Woolworths in 2009, it has been clear that something, somewhere, has been going very wrong on the Great British high street. In fact, currently it is…
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19 FebruaryEconomy
Revo calls on Government to ‘make good’ on review of business rates system
Revo, which supports businesses in the retail property and placemaking sector, has called on the UK Government to “make good” on its stated commitment to a fundamental review of the business rates system. The organisation said the review is “crucial” to ensuring that the UK remains “internationally competitive”, particularly after…
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17 FebruaryFeatures
Book Smart: Why the independent bookshop is here to stay
The bookselling industry is subject to constant speculation. In a world where Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos reigns and tablet devices are a mainstay, one would be forgiven for assuming the end is nigh for independent booksellers’ success. But despite the rise of retail giants and fall of book…
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14 FebruaryHigh Street
Frasers Group backs BRC’s calls for government review of business taxes
Frasers Group has backed the campaign by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and 52 other retailers calling for the government to take urgent action on business rates. In a letter to now former chancellor Sajid Javid, which was signed by retailers including Debenhams, Harrods, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Primark…
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11 FebruaryEconomy
Retailers suffer ‘stuttering start’ to 2020
Retailers saw a slow start to the year as total sales increased by only 0.4% in January, against an increase of 2.2% during the same period last year. According to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor, this is above both the three-month and 12-month average declines of 0.4% and 0.2%…
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Jan- 2020 -29 JanuaryEconomy
Retail sales fall flat for third consecutive month, CBI finds
Retail sales volumes were flat for the third consecutive month in the year to January with no growth expected next month, according to the latest monthly CBI Distributive Trends Survey. The figures indicate retail sales volumes posted no growth in the year to January (0%, unchanged from December) and that…
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28 JanuaryComment
How ‘Ostrich Shops’ are blighting the high street
The state of the high street isn’t to blame for the closure of shops and growing number of UK retailers entering into Company Voluntary Administration (CVA) schemes. It’s a trend of ‘Ostrich Shops’ which is killing high street retail. It’s all too easy to read about struggling high street shops.…
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17 JanuaryHigh Street
Paphitis delivers ‘resilient’ full year and Christmas performance
The Paphitis retail group has reported a ‘resilient’ performance amid ‘challenging’ conditions in both its full year and Christmas results. Total revenue for Ryman increased by 1.4% to £129.9m in the full financial year, while EBITDA increased 6.5% to £8.2m. This reflected “new categories, development of related services and customer…
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9 JanuaryAnalysis
Who would have thought skinny jeans could be anyone’s undoing?
It’s not often that the business pages give you a good belly laugh. But today we have the spectacle of Marks & Spencer blaming its poor Christmas trading results partly on an oversupply of skinny jeans for men. Apparently customer surveys revealed that the high street bellwether’s ranges were “too…
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8 JanuaryClothing & Shoes
Shoe Zone profits slip due to ‘government imposed’ cost increases
Shoe Zone has reported a decrease in profits before tax to £9.6m, down from £11.3m the previous year, attributed to “government imposed increases” in its operating costs, primarily through the impact of increasing business rates. For the year ended 5 October 2019, the shoe retailer reported a 0.9% increase in…
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