In a letter organised by the Scottish
Retail Consortium, leaders from fourteen Scottish headquartered
retailers have written to the Scottish Government's Finance
Secretary, MSP, urging her to introduce
a permanent business rate discount for all
retailers.
The joint plea from retailers with 295
stores in Scotland comes in the wake of the UK Budget which
confirmed retailers in England will be entitled to a 10 per cent
discount on their business rate from April
2026.
Commenting on the joint letter (below)
David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium,
said:
“This is an unequivocal message from a formidable cross
section of Scottish headquartered retailers which calls on
Ministers to at the very least match the business rate discount
on offer to retailers in England from next Spring.
Scottish Ministers have proved fleet
of foot on rates previously, for example delivering more regular
revaluations and ditching the mooted surtax on grocery
stores. Hopefully, the Finance
Secretary will take heed and act in her Budget next month to
protect Scotland's retail industry.”
The joint letter from retailers to the
Finance Secretary is below:
Dear Finance
Secretary,
Business Rate Discount for
Retail
A
thriving retail
industry in Scotland is good for local and flexible jobs, the
health and vitality of our town and city centres, economic
growth, and ultimately for tax
revenues.
That's why as leaders of Scottish
headquartered retailers we are keen to see the industry –
Scotland's largest private sector employer - benefit from a
retail-specific and permanently discounted business rate, as is
being introduced in England from April. We understand stores down
south will receive a 10 per cent discount to the business rate
they pay, a welcome recognition that the industry pays a
disproportionate amount in business
rates.
A retail-specific business rate
discount would help us continue to invest in refurbishing our
existing stores, opening new premises, and hiring store
colleagues. That's critical as it
keeps shops viable and attractive
to shoppers, pulling customers to retail destinations and
surrounding businesses, and minimising the number of boarded-up
shopfronts in our communities. When a shop thrives so does the
café next door, the restaurant down the street, and the town and
city centre around it.
We're keen to ensure retail in
Scotland has a bright future and continues to be a viable,
attractive and cost-effective location to invest and trade in.
Taxing shops on Scotland's high streets materially more heavily
than counterparts down south could see investment slip away to
other parts of the UK.
As such we hope that you and
Parliamentary colleagues can seize the moment in next month's
Scottish Budget to ensure all retailers in Scotland benefit from at least as
competitive a business rate as is planned for down south from
April.
With the right support businesses
like ours can continue to invest locally, provide skilled and
flexible jobs, and help strengthen high streets across the
country. This would
send a strong and positive signal that Scotland's shops matter as
places that employ people and anchor communities, as well as help
deliver on our shared government/industry vision of making
“Scotland the best place in the UK to grow a retail
business”.
Yours
sincerely,
Debbie Harding, Chief People &
Corporate Officer, Dobbies Garden Centres (Chair of Scottish
Retail Consortium)
Donald Begg, Managing Director,
Begg Shoes
, Managing Director, Born in
Scotland
Billy Farrell, Director of Income
Generation, Chest Heart Stroke
Scotland
McLean, Chief Executive Officer, CJ
Lang & Son (SPAR Scotland)
Graham Bell, Managing
Director/Founder, guitarguitar
Paul Stirling, Group Retail
Director, One O One Convenience
Stores
Michael Apter, Managing Director,
Paper Tiger
Kyron Keogh, Managing
Director/Co-Founder, Rox – Diamonds &
Thrills
Temple, President,
schuh
Stewart Robertson, Chief
Executive, Sterling Home
Patrick Birkbeck, Managing
Director, The House of Bruar
Michael Rolland, Managing
Director, The Paint Shed
Karen Forret, Managing Director,
Wilkies
