England
This coverage focuses on retail developments, trends, and performance across England. Reporting includes store openings and closures, regional economic factors, consumer behaviour, property developments, and strategic initiatives by national and local retailers. Designed for executives and managers, it offers insights into operating successfully within England’s diverse retail landscape.
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Sep- 2019 -23 SeptemberHigh Street
Bailiffs visit 310 premises a day over business rates, study finds
Councils across England are sending bailiffs to 310 companies a day over business rates arrears, new figures show. The investigation by the real estate adviser Altus Group revealed that, during the last financial year, for 2018/19, over 78,000 non-domestic properties from shops to restaurants to pubs to factories to offices…
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20 SeptemberHigh Street
High Court rejects legal challenge against Debenhams CVA
The High Court has rejected the legal challenge against Debenhams proposed CVA, which was funded by Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct. The challenge was made by the Combined Property Control Group (CPC) – the landlord of six Debenhams stores in England as it argued the CVA was “designed to create a…
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2 SeptemberGovernment
Retail business rates could rise by £169m over the next 12 months
Retailers could see a £169m increase in business rates next year, prompting renewed calls for the government to overhaul the system. Calculations by real estate advisors Altus Group found gross business rates bills (including non-retail) for the financial year 2020/21 would increase by £662.15m in England, if the headline rate…
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Aug- 2019 -29 AugustHigh Street
Retailers urged to do more to prevent sales of knives to under 18s
Trading Standards is urging retailers to do more to prevent the sale of knives to children, after 15% of its test saw under 18s sold knives last year. Of 2231 tests, carried out in England and Wales between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2019, retailers failed to prevent the…
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28 AugustHigh Street
£1bn ‘Future High Streets Fund’ expanded to 50 more areas
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that an additional 50 towns will benefit from the £1bn Future High Streets Fund. Towns across England – from Dudley to Dover and Scarborough to Stockport – will join 50 successful areas already shortlisted to develop plans to reinvent their high streets. According to…
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15 AugustHigh Street
Wyevale sells John Browns site to Hillier Garden Centres
Wyevale Garden Centres has announced the sale of its John Browns site to Hillier Garden Centres. It’s the second transaction with Hillier following the sale of four centres in April. The store will continue to be run as a garden centre and the sale is expected to complete by the…
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12 AugustAdvice
Calculating holiday pay correctly
We are now in the depths of summer and numerous employees are no doubt enjoying their annual leave entitlement to escape the typical British weather. But whilst their holidays are hopefully trouble-free, calculating holiday pay can be a tricky business. What happens when employers don’t get it right? Background As…
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Jul- 2019 -9 JulyAnalysis
Disorderly Brexit could see the UK economy lose out on £22bn a year by 2024
Employers operating in retail most at risk of losing staff A ‘disorderly Brexit’ could see the UK suffer a £22bn reduction in economic output, compared to an ‘orderly Brexit’ – a new study has revealed. The report, developed by workforce management expert Quinyx in collaboration with Development Economics and Censuswide,…
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8 JulyOnline & Digital
Asda to stop offering plastic bags with online grocery shopping
Asda is to stop providing single-use plastic carrier bags with its online grocery orders, in a move that will remove around 85 million plastic bags from production each year. Following a successful trial period in south west England and from its Dartford Home Shopping Centre, Asda will remove the option…
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2 JulyAnalysis
How to make the most of empty retail spaces
Earlier in this month, The Times reported that the number of vacant shops on UK high streets rose by more than 7,500 last year, fuelled in part by store closures from large retailers such as Mothercare, New Look and House of Fraser. Debenhams then announced that it will downsize at…
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