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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Dec- 2024 -23 DecemberHigh Street
BRC warns of ‘spending squeeze’ in January
The British Retail Consortium has warned of a January spending squeeze, as BRC-Opinium data between 10 and 13 December showed that people’s spending intentions dropped 6pts. It comes as public confidence in the state of the economy “took a nosedive”, falling 8pts to -27, creating a widening gap between expectations…
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23 DecemberEconomy
UK economy heading for ‘worst of all worlds’, CBI warns
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned that the UK economy is headed for “the worst of all worlds” as business activity is set to decline at the start of the new year. Private sector firms expect activity to fall in the three months to March (weighted balance of…
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6 DecemberSupermarkets
Morrisons CEO urges gov to rethink budget costs
Morrisons’ CEO has called on the government to stagger its “avalanche” of business costs following the latest budget.Speaking to The Sun, Rami Baitieh urged Labour to consider the costs of National Insurance changes, business rates rises and the increase in minimum wage. He told the paper that National Insurance changes…
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Nov- 2024 -28 NovemberEconomy
Consumer confidence remains weak as Christmas approaches
Consumer confidence remains weak in the run up to Christmas, according to the the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Opinium Consumer Sentiment Monitor. It comes as the survey found that consumer’s expectations for their personal financial situation improved slightly to -3 in November, up from -4 in October. Meanwhile, their expectations for…
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28 NovemberSupermarkets
John Lewis ‘worried’ about increase in National Minimum Wage
John Lewis has told the Telegraph that it is “worried” about the impact of Rachel Reeve’s decision to increase the National Minimum Wage. As part of the budget, the chancellor confirmed that the National Minimum Wage for 18 to 20-year-olds will rise 16.8% from £8.60 to £10, while pay for…
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21 NovemberComment
Third spaces: The changing face of retail outlets
Nicky Lovell, Head of Outlets and Retail Business Development at Global Mutual, embodies the transformation of retail over the past few decades. From her beginnings as a buyer at Selfridges to leading a portfolio of outlet centres across the UK, Lovell has witnessed and influenced the evolution of shopping destinations,…
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15 NovemberNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-15/11/24
The UK economy stagnated in Q3 2024, with GDP rising just 0.1%, a sharp slowdown from 0.5% growth in Q2. The services and construction sectors saw modest gains, but production shrank. Nominal GDP increased by 0.8%, driven by rising employee compensation. Economic uncertainty, partly due to the upcoming budget, hindered…
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15 NovemberEconomy
UK economy stagnates in three months to September
UK gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have stagnated during the third quarter of the year as uncertainty ahead of the budget affected decision making, according to the latest figures from the Office For National Statistics. The ONS found that UK GDP increased by 0.1% in Quarter 3 (July…
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15 NovemberEconomy
BRC warns chancellor Budget could cause inflation and job losses
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that the latest budget could cause inflation and job losses, in a draft letter seen by Sky News. In the draft, the BRC estimated that the National Insurance changes would increase retailers’ tax burden by £2.3bn annually. It also argued that the number…
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8 NovemberNews
Sainsbury’s CEO warns NI contributions will cause spike in prices
Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts has warned that the rise in employer’s national insurance contributions announced in the Autumn Budget will cost the supermarket £140m, Sky News has reported. Roberts said that the rise of NI would cause inflation to be higher than originally predicted and that Sainsbury’s won’t have the…
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