All Policy & legal articles – Page 3
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Opinion‘Government commitments are welcome but now it’s about turning words into action’
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson reports back from the recent Labour Party conference, which brought an opportunity for retail to influence the decision makers of the next five years on key issues such as business rates and crime
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NewsSainsbury’s boss has called for the Budget to boost consumer confidence
Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts has called on the government to use the coming Budget to boost increasingly gloomy consumer confidence.
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NewsThree-quarters of retail staff ‘unable to perform at their best’ due to anxiety
Three-quarters of retail staff feel they are unable to perform at their best due to surging levels of anxiety, according to a new study from the Retail Trust.
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NewsAmazon has paid UK corporation tax for the first time in four years
Amazon has paid UK corporation tax for the first time since 2020 following the end of a “super-deduction” tax break.
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NewsHarrods boss has apologised and said he was ‘not aware’ of Al Fayed abuse
The managing director of Harrods has said he was “not aware” of allegations of sexual abuse against former owner Mohamed Al Fayed and added that he is “deeply sorry” for “failing colleagues” at the department store.
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Opinion‘The retail sector can’t rely on Keir to deliver a dose of Christmas cheer’
The new government’s party conference didn’t do much to dispel an atmosphere of doom and gloom. As the golden quarter advances, retailers will need to take a DIY approach to spreading the festive cheer that keeps tills ringing, says George MacDonald.
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NewsChancellor unveils plans to ‘overhaul’ business rates in Labour conference speech
Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves has described the current business rates system as “outdated” and pledged to overhaul it in her speech at the Labour Party conference.
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Opinion‘Will it be zillionth time lucky for Oxford Street pedestrianisation?’
Previous Oxford Street pedestrianisation plans have come to naught, but retailers will hope that differences this time around may lead to a big enhancement of the under-pressure shopping destination, says George MacDonald
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NewsHarrods said it ‘failed employees’ as sex abuse allegations against Al Fayed unfold
Luxury department store Harrods has “sincerely” apologised and acknowledged it “failed employees” as allegations of rape and sexual assault against its former owner Mohamed Al Fayed unfold.
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Opinion‘Plenty of lessons can be learned from unusual Tesco fire and rehire court case’
There are a number of lessons to be learned from the Supreme Court’s ruling against Tesco’s practice for firing employees and re-hiring them under new contracts.
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NewsOver 17,000 high street shops could shut over the next decade due to business rates, BRC warns
The retail sector is overtaxed compared to other sectors of the economy in the UK putting over 17,000 high street shops under threat over the next decade, new research by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has revealed.
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NewsTesco has lost its legal battle with Usdaw over fire and rehire
Tesco has lost its legal battle with shopworkers union Usdaw over ‘fire and rehire’ of staff, the UK’s Supreme Court ruled today.
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NewsKeir Starmer: We have to go further than the standalone retail crime offence
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at the Trade Unions Conference today that Labour would “go further” to crack down on rising retail crime and shopworker abuse.
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NewsAsda workers are staging protests as equal pay claim case kicks off
Some Asda workers are staging demonstrations in Manchester and Brighton as an equal pay claim against the retailer begins.
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Opinion‘Confidence has recovered but scar tissue remains in the collective consumer psyche’
Improving fundamentals, evolving consumer behaviour and rapidly developing technologies present scope for investment value creation, believes Matt Truman
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Opinion‘Oasis surge pricing debacle will stoke wider retail digital price gouging fears’
The appearance of digital labels on retailers’ shelves sounds innocuous but is raising suspicions that it will open the way to dynamic pricing. After the row over Oasis tickets, scrutiny of retailers such as grocers’ use of the technology must only be more likely, cautions George MacDonald
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AnalysisWhat industry experts are calling on Labour to do to safeguard UK food security
A new report from think tank Policy Exchange has unveiled the scale of the problem facing UK food security and laid out measures the Labour government can take to help.
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NewsCurrys boss has called for VAT on refurbished electricals to be cut
The chief executive of Currys, Alex Baldock, has said the government should cut or reduce the VAT on refurbished electricals to keep electronics out of landfill.
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NewsIceland chair calls for change to ‘stupid’ retail crime laws
Iceland chair Richard Walker has called on the government to change “stupid” laws that prohibit retailers from sharing CCTV footage of shoplifters online, The Times has reported.
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NewsNext shop workers have won their six-year battle for equal pay
More than 3,500 current and former store staff at Next have won a six-year legal battle for equal pay with warehouse workers.