LMS are not alone

[Erfolg]

I do not know who else read in yesterdays newspaper that information obtained by the "freedom of Information Act" indicates that 1 in 5 or 20% of English and Welsh retailers are in arrears with their rates bill.

The general complaint is that the rates have been set on peak market property valuations and then increased by inflation. Again the argument goes these have disproportionately increased the rate bill. Compounding the problem, is that the government have postponed the re-rating for businesses, which should be now underway. The suspicion being that it would lead to a real fall in rates payable.

The other gripe is that local government, have shown great reluctance to live within there incomes, and are seeking more ways of raising revenue, such as increasing parking fines and charging, making out of town parking chargeable (as favoured by the Green the Party apparently). Which has been likened to both Henry the 7th and the Blair/Brown government, introducing rules and penalties to raise taxes.

Which makes me think that the problem of the LMS is shared with many other high street retailers that we probably value, at some time. At present, it does seem they will have to find lower rated premises, which may not be shops, to survive. As it seems the there is an insatiable appetite for taxes by Local Governments , never mind the Government.

[Tony K]

Posted by Erfolg on 20/07/2013 11:27:49:

Which makes me think that the problem of the LMS is shared with many other high street retailers that we probably value, at some time. At present, it does seem they will have to find lower rated premises, which may not be shops, to survive. As it seems the there is an insatiable appetite for taxes by Local Governments , never mind the Government.

Yes, but what are WE going to do about it?

Wrong forum perhaps?

[Pete B]

Posted by Tony K on 20/07/2013 23:51:31:

Wrong forum perhaps?

Not at all, Tony - provided it's within the C of C, you are at liberty to discuss most things within the Chit-Chat section - and given the rapidly-disappearing High Street LMS, it has some relevance, I think.....

Pete

[001]

In my nearest big town, on one of the main streets there was a new block of flats erected, underneath there was space for three big shops.

In the last month there have been reports, generally, that tanning salons are showing a downturn in customers. Two of the shop premises have been taken over, in the last six weeks by -------- one enormous tanning salon.

This looks to have been a bad move, especially timed, as it was, to the current cloudless weather!

The other unit was taken over by a wine warehouse, now I bet they are doing alright!

Unfortunately my nearest big model shop is 40 miles away.

[IanN]

Churn in the high street has always gone on and is not a new phenomenon. Butchers and greengrocers shops disappeared as the supermarkets rose. Bakers numbers reduced significantly although not as much and some - i.e. Greggs - made a virtue of that and grew into major chains. Many others have fallen to both the 'net and the chains - e.g. record shops - and then some of those chains in turn were also swallowed by the 'net.

I can remember my mum and dad bemoaning the no of charity shops that were appearing right back in the 70s. And in the 80s the estate agents took over as the property boom grew. More lately its been coffee shops, betting shop chains and - as you say - tanning salons

The high st has always changed, and always will, and the "fleet of foot" will always take up whatever the current - or the next - opportunity is, whether we like it or not