Five-point plan to make high streets more desirable
for retailers to invest
This morning the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) has published
the first of three mini-manifestos ahead of next year's Scottish
Parliamentary Election.
This first paper, ‘Scotland's Future High
Streets', focuses on the challenges facing towns and city
centres across the country and the policy solutions the retail
industry believes are necessary. The current challenge is
acute. SRC research shows:
-
In the last year Scottish retail sales only grew by an
average of 0.3 percent over the past year, with
non-food sales only up by 0.7 percent.
-
Between July 2024 until July
2025 shopper footfall to retail destinations in
Scotland fell by 0.9 percent on average. Visits to shopping
centres also fell by 0.9 percent.
-
Government-imposed costs of operating retail stores in
Scotland increased by nearly £200 million in 2025, as a result
of increases in business rates and employers' national
insurance.
-
2,380 shops in Scotland pay a higher
business rate than the equivalent
English stores.
The consequence of this is the retail industry is currently
retrenching its high street offering. If politicians wish to
protect our remaining high streets and make them desirable
locations for retailers to invest then the SRC is recommending a
5-point plan:
- A renewed push to make Scottish High Streets competitive to
invest in through a meaningfully more competitive business rate
than England.
- A drive to make new and refitted stores simpler through an
improved planning and building warrants system.
- A clear focus on combatting retail crime through increased
investment in Police Scotland and introducing a directly elected
Scottish Police & Crime Commissioner to replace the current
Scottish Police Authority.
- A commitment to improve local authority support for the
industry including compensating Local Authorities who use
existing powers under the Community Empowerment Act to offer NDR
relief for high street businesses and to explore creating a
Greater Glasgow Local Authority with a directly elected Provost
to drive growth in Scotland's largest city.
- A renewed push to improve transport infrastructure for
private and public transport to make town and city centres more
accessible.
Commenting on the launch of the Mini-Manifesto, David Lonsdale,
Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said:
“This five-year Parliamentary session has presented the Scottish
retail industry with a series of almost overwhelming challenges.
From starting in the midst of Covid lockdowns and restrictions to
the supply chain disruption that followed the pandemic and the
outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine to the ongoing economic funk;
the first half of this decade has been severely difficult for the
industry.
“Retailers have had to adapt to this new economic norm. That
means fewer stores operating from fewer locations with decisions
made even more on the return on investment. There has been a
complete shift with almost all retailers of scale now operating
online. Consumer behaviour has also changed, with shoppers more
and more willing to go out-of-town or online as opposed to
shopping in store, with greater emphasis on value and purchases
of pre-loved items.
“That is the stark reality and backdrop to which policymakers
must turn if Scotland's remaining retail high streets are to
thrive. The next Scottish Government needs to put town and city
centres and retail destinations at the heart of economic decision
making. That should include reducing the cost of business, making
it easier to visit and to invest in the high street, and ensuring
it's safe for shoppers and consumers.
“Scotland still has some wonderful, vibrant, diverse high streets
which are enjoyed by consumers and deliver for retailers. By
adopting our recommendations we believe those high streets can
thrive in the second half of this decade and beyond.”
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors
- The SRC's sales and footfall average figures within the
Manifesto are from July 2024 – July 2025. The most recent sales
figures are quoted in this release
