Topic: | Re:Re:Re:How to save the high street | |
Posted by: | Al Webber | |
Date/Time: | 15/01/20 11:33:00 |
It's the Internet and business rates - not parking. I'll use music (guitar) shops as an example, because it's something I know about. Within a few miles of here, you used to have Chandlers and ABC in Kew, Digital Village in Acton, and 3 shops in Hanwell. You could park near all of them without too many problems. There was two hours of residents parking in Kew, but it was free at other times. All of those shops have now gone - and it's nothing to do with parking. The fundamental problem is the costs of doing business as a high street shop. They have been undercut by big internet box shifters. It's not helped by business rates being so ridiculously high. I was shocked when the owner of Chandlers told me how much business rates they were paying when they were closing down. I can't remember the exact number, but it was enormous. A warehouse on an an industrial estate in Romford will be MUCH cheaper on business rates. It's compounded by the fact that a shop has to display things nicely and can't stack things in boxes 8 high, so they need a lot more space for the same number of items - or a smaller selection. That space will add to the amount of business rates they pay. The other problem is the tax arrangements of the likes of Amazon. All their EU trade is routed through Luxembourg with their dodgy tax arrangements. Meanwhile John Lewis are talking about suspending their end of year payment to their staff. Hopefully we can tighten up the tax arrangements post Brexit. Business rates are the big thing that governments need to address. Hopefully now Hammond has gone, we will get a decent chancellor who will do something about this. |