Retail

Articles, guides and news on retailing topics for UK small businesses, whether traditional brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce platforms, or omni-channel. Topics covered include the key elements of successful retailing such as inventory management, pricing strategies, customer service, store design, and marketing.

News

Minister mulls U-turn on VAT-free shopping

Business minister asks businesses hurt by scrapping VAT-free shopping for overseas visitors to provide him with ‘data and information’

News

50 shops closing a day in the UK

Number of shop closures across the country hits five-year high with up to 18,000 expected to close this year

News

Mary Portas calls for more Government help to save high street firms

Retail guru Mary Portas wants the Government to support businesses through the cost of doing business crisis

Taking payments as a small business

The 6 best retail POS systems

We’ve rung up the fees and features of top providers to find the best retail POS systems for small retail stores – check out the list below

News

Government ‘should write off’ £1.7bn of Covid loan debt

Thousands of small business shopkeepers face collapse because of soaring debt levels incurred during the pandemic

Podcasts

Gerald Ratner: ‘I don’t think it’s right that there’s such a stigma attached to failure. It’s a British disease’

In this episode of Small Business Snippets, Tim Adler meets Gerald Ratner, an author, motivational speaker and businessman

News

How to cope with the slow return to trade post-lockdown

How businesses can best prepare for the gradual return to normal and the new challenges they face in the process.

News

Government looking at bringing in part-time furlough immediately

MPs and retailers pushing government to allow furloughed shop staff back to work part-time, as they start reopening from June

News

Only allowing part-time furlough work from August doesn’t make sense

Shops are being told to reopen from June but furloughed staff can only work part time from August. Indie retailers face a dire couple of months

Government Grants

Where to find your small business coronavirus grant

Here we provide a round-up of UK local authorities with links to their register pages for small business coronavirus grants.

News

Boris Johnson forces retail shutdown of thousands of small businesses

Boris Johnson has announced a shutdown of most retailers apart from supermarkets, pharmacies, hardware and pet supply stores; newsagents and corner shops.

News