The UK high street shop dying because of UK Government
The British high street is dying and the Government must take responsibility, according to a retail boss.
Founder of toy retailer The Entertainer has condemned Britain’s soaring business rates, saying the Government is a catalyst in causing casualties on the high street.
Gary Grant said last year’s rate hike had been a ‘real killer’ for retailers by heaping financial pressure on firms already suffering from squeezed margins.
His criticism comes amid a spate of restructuring and refinancing deals involving British retailers, as they grapple with a double-whammy of rising costs and waning consumer confidence.
While pressures from rising inflation and the National Living Wage have hit retailers, Mr Grant said business rates remain the elephant in the room.
Mr Grant ...