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A fifth of Brits prefer using mobile phones to make payments in shops.

8 Aug 2023

One in five UK consumers (20%) prefer using mobile payment services such as Apple Pay over cash (17%) or chip & PIN card payments (10%) for in-store purchases, a new survey has reported.
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New Consumer Duty comes into force

1 Aug 2023

In what the Financial Conduct Authority has described as “a step change in standards of consumer protection” new Consumer Duty regulations have come into force for all products and... Read more…

US audiobook platform Libro.fm launches to indie bookshops in UK

1 Aug 2023

Independent bookshops in the UK can now sell audio books through Libro.fm. Launching in the last couple of weeks in the UK, the digital audio book platform, which already partners with... Read more…

From Cash to Contactless – IRC Leads Study on Payment Trends in Retail

31 Jul 2023

The Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC) will be working with key financial institutions within the UK to gauge the shift in retail payments.
 
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Retailers call for CCTV grants as shoplifting rises 24% year on year

31 Jul 2023

Independent retailers are calling on the government to offer security grants so that stores can be better equipped to deal with shoplifting, which has risen by a quarter in England and Wales in... Read more…

Indie retail finalists named in the 2023 Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards

31 Jul 2023

The shortlist has been announced for the 2023 Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards, which celebrate innovative products and inspiring independent retailers in the world of artisan food and... Read more…

ActSmart partner Tyl by NatWest leads the charge with new Tap to Pay

19 Jul 2023

Apple has announced that Tap to Pay on iPhone has now rolled out to the UK, enabling small businesses to accept Apple Pay and contactless card payments using nothing more than their... Read more…

Union launches blueprint to save the future of retail sector

19 Jul 2023

Shopworkers’ union Usdaw has launched a blueprint to secure the future of the retail sector, which includes calling for the levelling of business taxation between online and in-store... Read more…

Your views are needed on the 2023 State of the Workforce Survey

19 Jul 2023

Bira is supporting and urging retailers to participate in the 2023 State of the Workforce Survey, which is being run by People 1st International, part of The Workforce... Read more…

Jewellery sector’s Inspiring Independents 2023 - the top 100 independent jewellery and watch retailers - recognised by the industry

18 Jul 2023

Industry magazine Retail Jeweller’s list of Inspiring Independents 2023 - the top 100 independent jewellery and watch retailers from across the UK and Ireland, as voted... Read more…

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How the Queen’s Speech affects independent shops

Posted on in Business News, Cycles News, Political News

The Prince of Wales delivered the Queen’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament today. The speech sets out the government’s agenda for the upcoming Parliament, outlining proposed policies and legislation. An overview of the main announcements relevant to independent shops is below. Please find a breakdown of all the policy announcements with context and explanatory notes from the Government's website here.

The Levelling Up Bill

The Government will bring forward the Levelling Up Bill which aims to grow the economy in towns and cities that need it the most while improving the planning system to empower local high streets. The Bill will reform the planning system by giving councils greater powers to bring empty premises back into use by enabling forced rental auctions of vacant shops in town centres and on high streets. The Bill will also require the Government to produce an annual report that monitors and updates its progress to deliver its missions for levelling up. Further details on the reforms are expected in the coming weeks.  

Non-Domestic Rates Bill

The Government will bring forward a Non-Domestic Rates Bill to deliver reforms to the business rates system. The reforms will include more frequent revaluations, incentivising investment through the introduction of a 12-month relief for improvements made to a property and improving the accuracy of valuations.

Whilst initiatives such as the Levelling Up Bill hold potential in the growth of local economies, there is still much to be resolved in terms of the unrealistic business rates, which remains to be one of the biggest causes of empty shops on our high streets.

Transport Bill

The Government will introduce a Transport Bill that will include proposals to support the roll out of electric vehicle (EV) charge points. The bill aims to keep the UK at the forefront of transport innovation by helping deliver the reforms the Government have promised to decarbonise transport, transform the way UK people travel, and better connect communities. The bill will deliver on the Government Electric Vehicle Strategy to enable the installation of more EV charge points throughout the UK, as part of the transition away from new petrol and diesel car and van sales by 2030.

Following the indication from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps that the Queen’s Speech would hold information on the first legislative moves of e-scooters, the apparent omission on this subject was disappointing.

The legalisation of e-scooters on public roads would certainly provide an obvious opportunity for cycle retailers. Any changes in legislation are unlikely to come into effect quickly and therefore the ACT recommends that dealers should continue advise any potential customers looking to buy e-scooters about current government legislation. It is important the industry provides, and is seen to provide, clear advice to consumers at the point of sale about where e-scooters may be legally used.

Financial Services and Markets Bill

The Government will deliver a Financial Services and Markets Bill that will bring forward new laws to protect access to cash by revoking retained EU law on financial services and updating financial regulators’ objectives to bring about a greater focus on local economic growth. The Bill will support consumers by protecting access to cash by ensuring the continued availability of withdrawal and deposit facilities across the UK, and that the country’s cash infrastructure has a long-term sustainable system.

Public Order Bill

The Government will instate a Public Order Bill that will generate harsher sentences as well as establish new criminal offences for protest groups that lock themselves on, or attach themselves to, premises that are not their own. The bill will also give the police greater powers to conduct stop and search in a bid to prevent disruptive processes and impose Serious Disruption Prevention Orders on offenders that repeatedly endanger the public. In addition, groups that block highways and roads will receive stronger penalties for their actions, including substantial increases in fines.    

Brexit Freedoms Bill 

The Government has announced a Brexit Freedoms Bill. The bill seeks to make repealing laws inherited from the UK’s membership of the EU easier to repeal and reform. EU laws written into the British statute book will not be required to have a specific Commons vote on them. This may mean that these laws will be repealed or amended faster. It is unclear which laws the Government will target. However, the Government’s Benefits of Brexit policy paper, published earlier this year, outlined the plan to cut £1bn of red tape for businesses and improve regulation.

Energy Security Bill

The Government has announced an Energy Bill. The bill seeks to aid the Government’s plans to transition to net zero and build on the COP26 summit. The bill also aims to improve Britain’s energy security, which follows the Government’s energy security strategy policy paper published last month. The Bill also look at reducing the risk of fuel supply disruption by giving Government the power to give directions to, require information from, and provide financial assistance to core fuel sector businesses to ensure resilience and continuity of fuel supply. The measures impacting the fuel sector have been set out in the Draft Downstream Oil Bill.

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