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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Jul- 2018 -6 JulyEconomy
Retail sales fall for fifth consecutive month
Retail sales fell for the fifth month in a row in June, data from BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker has shown. Total in-store like-for-like sales were down 1.7% compared with last year, when the figures rose 1.3%. It is also the ninth consecutive month that sales growth figures have failed…
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4 JulyEconomy
BRC calls for two-year freeze on business rates
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has asked the government to consider freezing business rates for two years to ease the pressure on retailers. By proposing a two-year freeze on increases, the BRC said it would give time for the government and industry to develop a proposal for an updated taxation…
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Jun- 2018 -29 JuneAdvice
Could ‘good cost, bad cost’ rescue the UK high street?
A series of high-profile CVAs and administrations in recent months are a powerful reminder of the tough conditions currently facing the UK high street. The fall in the value of the pound post-Brexit, combined with squeezed consumer spending and recent hikes in business rates have brought many retailers to breaking…
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27 JuneHigh Street
City centres ‘must break reliance’ on retail, says think tank
Too many city centres across England and Wales are over-dependent on retail, and must swap shops for offices, housing and public spaces, according to a new report. Research published by the think tank Centre for Cities with support from Capita, examined for the composition of commercial space in UK cities…
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22 JuneHigh Street
Colliers proposes new property leasing approach to target UK retail troubles
A “radical approach” to property leasing is being proposed to help shopping environments throughout the UK by property consultants Colliers International . The five-point plan is aimed at helping retailers access viable trading space while enabling retailers, landlords and investors to find occupiers for the rising amount of empty shops…
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18 JuneClothing & Shoes
Calvetron Brands to shut 102 Jacques Vert and Precis concessions
Benjamin Wiles, Trevor Birch and Philip Duffy of Duff & Phelps, joint administrators to Calvetron Brands, have announced they are serving notice on 102 Jacques Vert and Precis concessions in the UK and Republic of Ireland. These closures and those announced previously, including Dash and Eastex closures made on 4…
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13 JuneHigh Street
Almost 133,000 business rates appeals from 2010 still remain unresolved
More than 133,000 businesses are still waiting for an appeal of their business rates valuation from 2010 to be resolved, council leaders have revealed. The Local Government Association (LGA) said councils have been forced to divert £2.5bn away from stretched local services over the past five years to cover the…
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11 JuneHigh Street
Retail footfall returns to high street
High street footfall increased to 0.5% in May according to the latest BRC-Springboard Footfall and Vacancies Monitor. According to the report May’s better weather resulted in a marginal improvement in footfall across the nation’s high street and out-of-town shopping areas, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the long term trend…
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8 JuneEconomy
Tesco CEO blames business rates for decline of the high street
Dave Lewis the CEO of Tesco has said that business rates have played a “large part” in the decline of many high street retailers. Lewis questioned whether the rise of business rates created an “uneven playing field” for some retailers. Last year’s restructure of business rates saw rises for some…
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1 JuneHigh Street
Over 10,000 stores predicted to close in 2018, analysts say
A new report from the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has predicted that 2018 will be the worst year on record for store closures, with more than 10,000 outlets disappearing from the high street. The ‘Retail At Bay 2018’ study also argues that the developing crisis in the retail sector…
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