The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) has outlined the retail industry’s top three priorities for the Scottish Budget, which is due to be published on 13 January:
- No new additional taxes
- Follow England in giving retailers a business rates cut
- Sustain and ideally enhance funding for Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce
David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, claimed that retailers had had to contend with rising costs, while “retail sales and shopper footfall have been flat of late and the Scottish economy isn’t exactly firing on all cylinders”.
He said that the tax burden on retailers was already “extremely high” and that any further pressure would result in price rises, job losses or more store closures.
Lonsdale warned that failing to introduce a permanent business rates discount for all retailers in Scotland, would also risk more boarded up shopfronts.
Finally, he stated the importance of continued funding for Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce, highlighting the positive difference that had been made since its implementation.
He said: “Persistent offenders have been arrested, instances of abuse toward shop workers have lessened and stolen goods are being returned, so all eyes are on the Scottish Parliament. We hope to see a pro-growth budget delivered by the Scottish Government and backed by MSPs.”
