Chancellor
This coverage examines how the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s policies and fiscal decisions influence the UK retail industry. Retail Sector reports on Budget announcements, tax reforms, business rates, wage policies, and economic measures that affect retailers’ operating costs, investment strategies, and consumer spending power. Coverage includes expert analysis, industry reactions, and commentary on how government policy impacts supply chains, employment, and the broader retail economy. For retail professionals, this category delivers essential insight into the financial and regulatory environment shaping strategic planning and performance across the sector.
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Jan- 2026 -2 JanuaryGovernment
Retailers to benefit as 40% first-year tax allowance comes into force
Retail businesses making new investments in stores and supply chains are now able to claim larger upfront tax relief, following the introduction of a new 40% first-year allowance on plant and machinery. The allowance, which was set out at Budget 2025 and came into force on 1 January 2026, enables…
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2 JanuaryHigh Street
Seasalt plans 10 new shops a year despite industry slowdown
Seasalt Cornwall plans to open about 10 new shops a year, pressing ahead with expansion despite weak consumer confidence and rising costs on the high street, the clothing retailer has told The Times. The news comes as the retailer is close to securing three new UK stores for the new…
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Nov- 2025 -28 NovemberEconomy
Half of Britons say Budget leaves them worse off, YouGov finds
Britons view the 2025 Budget as unfair and unaffordable, with only a small minority believing the measures will leave the country or their own finances better off, according to new YouGov polling. Half of those polled say the measures will leave the country worse off, with 50% saying the same…
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27 NovemberEconomy
Budget reaction: Retail split as business rates and import rules shift
The retail industry has labelled the Autumn Budget as a “mixed bag” for retail, offering relief for many shops, but bringing in new costs for others Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered Labour’s first Autumn Statement, outlining permanent business rates reductions for 750,000 retail, hospitality and leisure businesses and confirming new customs…
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26 NovemberEconomy
Budget business rates plan ‘an attack on London and the Southeast’, says Colliers
Business rates changes announced in the November Budget 2025 amount to “an attack on London and the Southeast”, according to Colliers, which said most of the firms facing higher charges under the new system are based in the two regions. The comments came as the government confirmed that overall business…
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26 NovemberEconomy
BUDGET: Income tax bands frozen, minimum wage to increase, NI-exempt pension threshold scrapped
Income tax and NI thresholds will be frozen while the minimum wage will rise by 50p from April 2026, the chancellor Rachel Reeves said in her Autumn Budget statement today. Reeves announced a series of tax changes in other areas, including salary-sacrificed NI contributions on pensions, as part of measures to…
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18 NovemberEconomy
Consumer confidence drops to four-month low ahead of Autumn Budget
UK consumer sentiment has weakened in November as households reported greater strain on finances and growing uncertainty ahead of the Autumn Budget, according to the latest S&P Global UK Consumer Sentiment Index. The index, which tracks financial wellbeing, labour market conditions, spending, savings and debt, fell to 45.2 in November…
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13 NovemberEconomy
UK economy slows to 0.1% in third quarter
The UK’s economic growth slowed to 0.1% in the third quarter, falling short of expectations from City analysts and the Bank of England (BoE). The Office for National Statistics said monthly output slipped 0.1% in September, with earlier figures for July and August revised down. The data arrives ahead of…
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11 NovemberHigh Street
Retail sales slow in October as shoppers hold off for Black Friday
UK retail sales rose by 1.6% year on year in October, down from growth of 0.6% a year earlier and below the 12-month average of 2.1%, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG. Food sales increased by 3.5% in October, matching the 12-month average and up from 2.6%…
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7 NovemberEntertainment
Footfall drops for sixth consecutive month as shoppers await Budget impact
Retail footfall across the UK fell by 0.7% year on year in October, marking the sixth consecutive monthly decline as shoppers remained wary ahead of a possible tax-raising Budget, according to new BRC-Sensormatic Solutions data. Although footfall continued to remain down, the four-week period to 1 November showed an improvement…
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