David Moss
24 comments By David Moss
Like our politicians, the (eminently more sensible) noble Lord is ignoring the impact of Brexit on his business. It would be interesting to hear his perspective as the leading Brexit spokesman with a commercial background on what he expects from our politicians in the face of the hard Brexit forced on us and for which we can safely assume very few* voted.
*ca. 50% voted to remain and, say, half of leavers did not anticipate a hard Brexit.Greater reference to a furlough scheme that permitted employees to sit at home, or on the beach, with the government picking up the tab...
Sunak was over-generous from the off: 80% and £2.5k were too high initially, and that it continued at this level was gross extravagance. We're now paying the price in terms of national debt and a reduced incentive to work.
And Sunak's judged to be the best in the cabinet. Help!No to online sales tax. We don't need yet more new taxes.
Yes to business rates shift from high street to warehouses.
And certainly no to continued prevarication by our indecisive political leaders.3 wise men proposing solutions. Only 1 of them appears to have grasped the problem. James Daunt is spot on. Let's hope he has the ear of government...
John, apologies for joining this discussion late, and I respect that you are clearly an expert in this area, which I am not. My concern is that your lengthy (informed) comment extends an already long drawn out argument. It's time for action. Please provide the solution, as Baldock attempts to do, rather than yet more analysis; the government is clearly incapable of doing so.
Even the dimmest landlord will recognise that an existing occupier may be better than a vacant unit. So I suspect that this element of this essay at least is a little far-fetched.
In fact it's not clear that the eviction moratorium is a good idea; interfering in the market dynamic between landlord and tenant is dangerous. It's may often be better to negotiate with the landlord according to individual circumstances, without artificial protection. If they want you out, surely the sooner you know the better?In the context of a national lockdown this is not an intelligent headline!
Oxford Street described as 'iconic'! Hardly. As this piece suggests it's been filled up with sweet shops (essential retailers which have remained open during lockdown?!) and other tourist tat merchants.
Part of the key (along with pedestrianisation, and rates reform) is to encourage landlords to work together with the council on a strategy for the street and to get real on rents. I certainly wouldn't rely on big brands paying stupid sums and passing it off as a marketing cost. They're more astute than that.Fascinating information. How much did the mayor spend on this research and what on earth is he going to with it?
What an unintelligent headline. London isn't bouncing anywhere, and footfall growth 4-fold is misleading. As you report London is -60%, with the City probably closer to -85%, and the West End -75%.
The enormity of the problem cannot be under-estimated or camouflaged by headline writers.As always Peter you write good sense, thank you.
Your old squad at Selfridge's should take note. Having quite rightly planned for a safe reopening they should soon afterwards have removed most of the precautions which are redundant with so few people shopping. One way systems, stickers everywhere, store announcements, etc.
And it's the same for TFL: Park Lane one lane only northbound, Marylebone Road one lane only westbound, congestion charge extended to 10pm(!); and Westminster: eg North Audley Street parking disrupted/removed.
There is too much trying to be seen to be active which is too often exacerbating problems and compounding a timid population's fears.A first step is to stop mucking around with our roads:
-Park Lane northbound: 1 lane for cars max 20mph (southbound remains 3 lanes 40mph) in order to add a cycle lane; but most continue to prefer, naturally, the adjacent cycle lane through Hyde Park
-Marylebone Road (by Kings X) 1 lane westbound
-North Audley Street: all parking removed (by Westminster Council's 'business' unit!)
This comes at a time when the congestion charge has been extended from 6pm to 10pm (I was unaware there was congestion in the evenings) and in to the weekends.
Sometimes fewer interventions from our bureaucrats would be welcomed. Unless some of these idiot schemes are reversed the West End hasn't a hope.WFH supporters should be careful. If an employee isn't required in the office why continue to keep UK employees at all when employers can recruit elsewhere on the planet considerably less expensively?
Ensuring Amazon and other international players pay corporation tax in the jurisdictions in which they earn their profits is a first step. It's clearly a tricky international conundrum but I suspect our own government is being played for fools.
Some will go shopping because they feel safer, others will not because the experience will be less personal/more alien. My guess: short-term negative for retail, medium-term (for those that survive) neutral.
But in my store anyone wearing gloves is asked to remove them and to help themselves to gel. Horrible habit.2 meters NO
1 meter MAYBEHowever, the trauma of the virus must signal a marked shift away from disposable fashion, over-consumption, excess capacity, etc. towards a far more sustainable model. Of course this will/must have significant consequences for producers, retailers and consumers.
For clarity: £100k per annum, not week!
Well done Primark, and others.
The chancellor should revise his excellent furloughing package so that no company (retail, blue chips, football clubs, etc) can access the scheme until senior employees take a 50% salary cut, or a salary cap of £100k, whichever is the lower.Yet another demand from our retail leadership for fundamental business rates reform, still without any clarity about what they want! How do they expect government to come up with a solution if they can't propose one themselves. This pathetic squabble has been allowed to go on unaddressed because of this.
My proposal: scrap the entire business rates system, including the infrastructure that supports it (surveyors, appeal specialists, etc) and replace with a corresponding increase in VAT, the simplest tax. It would also have the benefit of applying equally to on- and off-line sales.
Yes, it would require reform to the distribution of funds from central government to councils, but that's required anyway. And as businesses don't get a local vote most would be just as happy to pay in centrally.
Commented on: 9 January 2023
Analysis: Next’s Lord Wolfson – caution in 2023 but ‘light at end of tunnel’ for retailers