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North Yorkshire cycle hub up for top tourism award

22 Mar 2024

Rob Brown, co-director of Dalby Forest Cycle Hub, a not-for-profit hire scheme has been nominated for the Tourism Superstar 2024 award, run by VisitEngland.
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Independent retail bodies welcome new report aimed at tackling retail crime.

21 Mar 2024

ACS (The Association of Convenience Stores) and the Federation of Independent Retailers (The Fed) have both welcomed a new report published by the Association of Police and Crime... Read more…

Indie retailers outperformed supermarkets in sales of organic food, wellness and beauty products in 2023.

21 Mar 2024

As reported by Healthstores UK, new data contained in the 2024 Soil Association Organic Market report shows that independent retailers delivered an impressive 10% growth in 2023, with... Read more…

Cheltenham beer shop and bar wins top UK award.

21 Mar 2024

An independent bottle shop and bar in Cheltenham has been named as the UK's Independent Beer and Wine Retailer of the Year 2024 at the Drinks Retailing Awards. 
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Welsh Government Announce £20m Future Proofing Fund for Retail Businesses in Wales

21 Mar 2024

A number of organisations, including Bira (the British Independent Retailers’ Association), other trade associations, BIDs and unions have met with officials from the Welsh Government to... Read more…

High Street Faces 'Unprecedented Challenges' says Trade Association

21 Mar 2024

The British Independent Retailers’ Association (Bira) has reacted to data released by PwC and the Local Data Company exploring the state of the UK retail landscape.
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Greeting Card Association expresses concern on new evidence Royal Mail prioritising parcel deliveries over letters.

6 Mar 2024

The Greeting Card Association has reacted to a BBC Panorama programme lifting the lid on Royal Mail management prioritising parcel delivery over letters, which it says are in contradiction of... Read more…

Kate Bush named as Record Store Day ambassador.

4 Mar 2024

Pop star Kate Bush has been announced as an ambassador for this year's Record Store Day, on 20 April.
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Shortlist for Independent Bookshop of the Year 2024 revealed.

4 Mar 2024

The British Book Awards has announced its shortlist for Independent Bookshop of the Year. 
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Local Bike Shop Day 2024 confirmed for Saturday May 4th.

4 Mar 2024

The ACT is happy to confirm the date for Local Bike Shop Day 2024 as Saturday 4 May, the weekend of the early May Bank Holiday.
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Taxing online sales may be the way to save the high street

Posted on in Business News

Mike Ashley, Sports Direct founder and chief executive, spoke to Parliament's Housing communities and local government committees this week.

tax 

Ashley said that a 20% tax on retailers that turn over more than 20% of their business online would make retailers desperate to keep their high street business running.

As a retailer himself, Ashley said that:

"If I'm a retailer I will make sure not to pay 20% tax, I'd keep 80% of revenues going through the high street - I'd stop closing three stores into one. I'd now say it make perfect sense for me to cross subsidise those stores and keep it open. What's more, what I'd like is if we had click and collect through high street stores, that acts as a credit".

Click and collect as a feature encourages shoppers to come into the stores, it also means that shoppers are coming through the high street increasing foot traffic. But this is not just it, councils, landlords and retailers must all work together if they want to save the high street.

Ashley, argues that the high street is failing because of the internet. With a £400m internet business, the thing that is affected most by this business is the high street. In Ashley's mind the high street and department stores, which is a good concept, need to evolve and be different. Department stores are stuck with prehistoric rents and stopping them from moulding with the changing retail environment.

In his mind, there is a fix for the failing high street and it is not to fight against the internet and its presence in our lives but to work harmoniously with the internet and the community that makes up the high streets.

Although, Ashley has caught the attention of many M&S, New Look and Lakeland Leather were also at the hearing with opinions of their own.

M&S is looking to rebalance online sales with its store, with New Look focusing on its customers and what they want from its stores.

M&S has said it plans to close 100 full line stores as it move more clothing and homeware sale online to target the 33% of sales.

New Look, is also closing stores on the high street to rightsize its store estate for a future that is more online. This decision was driven by the customer.

Lakeland Leather are getting more into personal shopping and experiences with fashion shows in-store, connecting bricks and mortar to online.

The 33% of sales that took place online during Black Friday have not only affected how consumers shop at Black Friday but how they shop all year round.

What do you think?

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