Business Rates
Business rates are a major operational cost for UK jewellers, impacting independent retailers, chains, and workshop owners alike. With ongoing debates around reform and relief schemes, staying informed on changes to business rates policy is crucial for managing overheads and protecting margins in a challenging retail environment.
Jewellery Focus covers the latest news and analysis on business rates, including government updates, industry reactions, and insights into how changes affect jewellery retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers. Our reporting supports trade professionals in navigating this complex area to safeguard their businesses.
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Jul- 2018 -19 JulyRetailers
‘Phantom hours’ costing UK businesses £37m a week
A survey of shift workers in the retail, hospitality and leisure industries has found staff to be overstating their working hours by an average of almost half an hour a week. Staff rota scheduling firm Rotaready, which conducted the survey, said these ‘phantom hours’ are costing UK businesses as much…
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16 JulyEconomy
Footfall dips for seventh consecutive month
Retail footfall dipped for a seventh consecutive month in June, despite the boost in spending brought on by the World Cup. BRC’s Footfall Springboard and Vacancies Monitor reported that year-on-year footfall for the month dropped by 0.9% The high street was the only area that delivered footfall growth, albeit marginally,…
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9 JulyRetailers
200,000 companies sued over business rates
Over 200,000 businesses were taken to a Magistrates court for failing to pay for businesses rates under the first year of the new business rates revaluation, an investigation has revealed. Real estate advisor Altus Group collated information procured under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) from all councils in England.…
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6 JulyRetailers
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 JulyRetailers
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 -11 JuneRetailers
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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1 JuneRetailers
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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Apr- 2018 -3 AprilRetailers
21,000 retail jobs lost or threatened so far this year
Over 21,000 jobs have been axed or put at risk in the first three months of the year as retailers struggle to break even. A Press Association analysis revealed that 21,413 staff members have already been made redundant or had their role threatened, with the majority being from large high-street…
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Nov- 2017 -23 NovemberCurrent Affairs
Retail associations respond to ‘encouraging’ Autumn Budget
A number of retail associations have responded positively to the Chancellor’s Budget which was revealed yesterday (22 November). The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and NFU Mutual reacted to the announcement that the move from RPI to CPI indexation will be brought forward by two years to 2018, allowing for a…
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Aug- 2017 -18 AugustEconomy
Retail sales increase by 0.3%, says ONS
Retail sales increased by 0.3% in July 2017 compared with the previous month, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). This was due to strong sales in food stores at 1.5%; recovering from a fall of 1.1% in June 2017. The underlying pattern in the quantity bought, measured by…
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