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Small Business Strategy Inquiry 2025 - ACT and Bira call for members to share their voice

20 Jun 2025

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee has asked the ACT, and its parent company Bira, to help them reach out to small business retailers across the country, for their quick input on... Read more…

Beyond the discount: Restoring integrity to the cycle supply chain

18 Jun 2025

The Association of Cycle Traders believes the time has come for greater accountability throughout our supply chain, writes ACT Director Jonathan Harrison in an article published for BikeBiz.
Read more…

Bira welcomes Wales' business rates proposals but calls for key improvements

11 Jun 2025

Bira has welcomed the Welsh Government's consultation on business rate reforms for retail shops, whilst calling for significant improvements to ensure the proposals truly support high street... Read more…

New awards launch to champion Britain's independent high street heroes

9 Jun 2025

Retailers on Britain's high streets are being encouraged to put themselves forward for the first-ever Love Your High Street Awards, designed to celebrate the small businesses that bring... Read more…

"Tectonic shift" in employment law threatens independent retailer viability, warns Bira podcast

6 Jun 2025

Independent retailers are facing a "generational" transformation of employment law that could fundamentally change how small businesses operate, according to the final episode of Bira's first... Read more…

Retailers hope warm weather and bank holidays will boost high street sales

16 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has said that members are hopeful the warm weather, Easter weekend and upcoming bank holidays will provide a much-needed boost to high street sales.
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Economic growth surges to 0.7%, but "April reality check" looms for high street retailers

15 May 2025

UK economy delivers strongest quarterly performance in a year despite forecasts of business downturn.
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Communities come together for Local Bike Shop Day 2025 celebrations

13 May 2025

Local Bike Shop Day 2025 brought a wave of... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira welcomes Bank of England's latest interest rate cut

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has welcomed the Bank of England's decision to reduce interest rates from 4.5% to 4.25%, calling it a "much-needed boost" for the retail sector, including for cycling... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira responds to Beales' "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" as iconic store makes final protest

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has responded to the news that the 144-year-old Beales department store is staging a "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" in its final weeks of trading, with giant yellow... Read more…

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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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