GT INTERVIEW BIRA
What a difference a year makes CEO Andrew Greenacre from the British Independent Retailers Association explains that, while he welcomes the measures pledged during the Budget, he would like to see the Government go one step further
CEO Andrew Greenacre
14 Gifts Today
12 months ago wasn’t the go-to choice for most people I know. As I have made it clear over recent months, Bira wanted a clear message from the Treasury that it was prioritising the independent retail sector in aiding its recovery.
‘
Bira wanted a clear message from the Treasury that it was prioritising the independent retail sector in aiding its recovery
‘
I
t is hard to believe that when Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced his first Budget in March 2020 we were on the cusp of a year like no other in history. At that point - as he pledged a £5 billion emergency response fund to support the NHS in England, and abolished business rates for a year - we had no idea quite how much coronavirus was about to disrupt ‘normal’ life. Twelve months on, more than 124,000 people have lost their lives, billions have been borrowed, the UK economy has shrunk almost 10% - its largest annual contraction since 1709. Many non-essential retailers are still closed after lockdowns prevented them from opening for eight months of the last 12. Staff have been furloughed, bounce back loans taken, local authority support grants awarded. Witnessing this year’s Budget was somewhat different as members of Bira’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee (LPAC) gathered via an online Teams call - a mode of communication that
I have personally spoken to Business Minister Kwasi Kwarteng on a number of occasions, lobbying for extra support for the hard-hit sector; one in five indies did not reopen after the first lockdown, research tells us. And, broadly speaking, the LPAC members welcomed the measures pledged during the Budget statement. We were
pleased there will be discounted rates relief for the next year; restart grants of £6000 per retail business; an extension of the furlough scheme until the end of September, as well as other initiatives. We would, however, like to see the Government go one step further in extending the rent moratorium for three more months, and abolishing business rates until 2022 – following the example of Wales and Scotland. Financial certainty is what indie retail needs right now and removing these burdens would aid recover over the next 12 months and beyond. After all, a lot can happen in a year. If you would like to discuss any of this article with the team at Bira, or would like to find out more about the association and the support it can give independent retail business, then please contact their membership team on 0800 028 0245 or visit bira.co.uk
