Retail NI Scores Win Over Business Rates
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Issue 4 | Summer 2018 THE RETAILER 1 The Magazine for Retail NI Retail NI scores win over business rates Independents’ Day Launch 2018 pg 8-9 | High Steet Survey pg 13-15 | Business Rates OutlinedRetailNI.com pg 24 2 THE RETAILER Most Punctual Airport in the UK 5 minutes from city centre Belfast City Airport BELFAST Short walk from car park to terminal Northern Ireland’s only connection to Heathrow Our airlines include: UK and Ireland’s Unrivalled • Aer Lingus • British Airways most convenient route network • Eastern Airways • Flybe airport • Icelandair • KLM To find out more visit: belfastcityairport.com RetailNI.com THE RETAILER 3 Welcome Welcome to the latest edition of the Retailer, the in-house magazine for Retail NI. Despite the Assembly being 2018, when we will be hosting in deep freeze, Retail NI a reception in the House of continues to champion our local Commons, setting out our Most Punctual independent retail sector at policy priorities and giving our every opportunity. members an opportunity to Airport in the UK network with MPs. If you would In the last year we have like to attend please email published our own targeted [email protected]. proposals to improve the existing Small Business Rates Relief Retail NI is assisting our Scheme to ensure our members members with a range of get a much needed reduced problems, such as planning, rates bill. car parking, energy bills and 5 minutes many more. If you are a We successfully led the member and need our from city centre campaign to stop plans to raise help, please get in Belfast business rates by 10% and contact with us. City Airport ensured that the existing Small Business Rate Relief scheme If you are not a was saved. member, get in touch with us for a full range Short walk from Retail NI is working hard on of benefits to help BELFAST behalf of its members on key grow your business. car park to terminal policy areas such as Brexit, planning, regeneration, car- Glyn Roberts parking and energy costs. Retail NI Recently we hosted a meeting Chief Executive for the Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn MP [email protected] and met with EU Brexit Chief Northern Ireland’s Negotiator Michel Barnier. We recently led a bigger only connection and better than ever before Independents’ Day campaign, to Heathrow partnering with Q Radio. We are planning to host a major town centre regeneration conference in the Autumn and to launch a manifesto Our airlines include: for next year’s local council UK and Ireland’s Unrivalled • Aer Lingus elections. • British Airways • Eastern Airways A key date for your diary is most convenient route network Wednesday 5th September • Flybe airport • Icelandair • KLM To find out more visit: belfastcityairport.com 4 THE RETAILER FOR A SMARTER AND MORE ACTIVE WAY TO TRAVEL translink.co.ukRetailNI.com THE RETAILER 5 These are retailers who provide an invaluable community service for many elderly, disabled and people without cars” “We now need to focus on moving forward and agree a broader strategy to grow the weekend economy of Belfast. Retail NI is committed to seeing Belfast becoming a truly global city with a competitive retail and hospitality offer to shoppers and tourists” “Retail NI tabled proposals for a Small Shop Sunday campaign to encourage shoppers and tourists to support the city’s smaller retailers on a Sunday morning between 11am-1pm. Large retailers would continue to trade from 1pm onwards” “This proposal would offer visitors something different for a Sunday morning and could showcase Belfast’s fantastic independent retailers through a dynamic FOR A SMARTER AND MORE ACTIVE WAY TO TRAVEL social media campaign and increased animation” Retail NI Welcomes ‘”Our proposals have the support of the shop workers union USDAW and could provide Belfast City Council tourists with something different on a Sunday morning. It does not require any changes to Rejection of Sunday the existing Sunday Trading legislation and we believe it could be established in time for Trading Extension this summer” “We have seen how successful Retail NI has welcomed Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn campaigns such as Small the decision of Belfast City Roberts said: Business Saturday have had “This was the right decision by a real positive impact on Council’s Strategic Policy Belfast City Councillors” independent retailers and we and Resources Committee “If the proposed change had believe our Small Shop Sunday to vote against proposals gone ahead it would have placed idea would address the central to extend Sunday trading extra pressure on retail workers issue of providing activity on hours. The Committee and would have had a damaging a Sunday morning which is effect on small independent distinctive to the rest of the voted by 16-4 against retailers (below 3000 sq. ft.) who week” extending Sunday trading - trade on a Sunday morning” “Small Shop Sunday could be a bigger majority than last “Local independent retailers implemented over a three month year’s vote. have seen a 71% hike in their pilot, starting from July and rate bills following the last rate evaluated in October” Retail NI repeated its call for revaluation and continue to “We have always said that just a new broader strategy for struggle to stay in business. This allowing large multinational developing the weekend proposal would have resulted retailers to open on a Sunday economy of the city with key in a number of local community morning lacked imagination and strategic partners. independent retailers closing. that new thinking is required” translink.co.uk RetailNI.com 6 THE RETAILER Retail NI Calls For Changes To Buncrana Road Dual Carriageway Plans “Retail NI recognises the full support for the Derry and strategic importance of the Strabane City Deal and urge the new proposed Buncrana Road NI Secretary of State to give it the Dual Carriageway to the future green light” economic growth of Derry as a whole” “We are also very supportive of the need for a Business “We want to see modest Improvement District (BID) for the changes to the plans to ensure Derry City Centre. This could be that our members who trade on a significant game changer for the road will have full access for the City Centre and a catalyst for the shoppers visiting their stores” much needed regeneration” Retail NI has urged the Department for “Our planning team is looking “I am also delighted that Infrastructure to ensure at this and will be submitting respected Derry retailer, David some ideas to the Department Barber has joined the Retail that its members on the for Infrastructure in the coming NI Board. David will have an Buncrana Road in Derry weeks” important voice in the work will continue to have we do in standing up for local unimpeded access as part “Retail NI also restated our retailers” of its plans for the dual carriageway on the road. The Retail NI CEO Glyn Roberts was in Derry/Londonderry meeting with traders on the Buncrana Road along with Foyle MP Elisha McCallion to discuss the plans for the new Carriageway. Glyn also met with the CCI Chief Executive Jim Roddy and Londonderry Chamber Chief Executive, Sinead McLaughlin. Retail NI can also announce that Buncrana Road independent retailer David Barber has joined the Retail NI Board to represent Derry/Londonderry. Retail NI Chief Executive said Cllr Sandra Duffy, Elisha McCallion, David Barber and Glyn Roberts at Glyn Roberts said: the meeting to discuss Buncrana Road. RetailNI.com THE RETAILER 7 Retail NI Meet With Jeremy Corbyn The Chief Executives of Infrastructure Investment, City and technical skills and training ” Manufacturing NI, Retail Deals for Belfast and Derry, Brexit, Skills and Training and the “On Brexit we stressed to Jeremy NI and Hospitality Ulster, local political situation” Corbyn that there is a need to has hosted an economy find a way which ensures no themed round table “Our three organisations will hold Border in Ireland or between meeting with the Leader of further meetings with Shadow these islands in the interest of the Labour Party, Jeremy Ministers to ensure that our our economy and the hundreds policy priorities form part of of thousands of people across Corbyn MP, Shadow Brexit Labour’s developing agenda for Northern Ireland who work in our Secretary Sir Keir Starmer government” businesses” MP and Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Tony “At the meeting we urged “During our meeting we make Lloyd MP. the Labour Leader to publish it clear that trade between their detailed priorities for the Northern Ireland and the rest of Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Northern Ireland economy if they the UK must remain unfettered Roberts said: are elected to government at the regardless of the Brexit next election” agreement outcome” “This was a very welcome “The current political limbo in opportunity to engage with “The Labour manifesto has some Northern Ireland is nothing less Jeremy Corbyn and his senior positive ideas such as a £250 than a total disgrace and we Shadow Cabinet colleagues million National Transformation need to see new leadership, an on a range of issues, covering Fund for Infrastructure and end to the blame game and new greater investment in vocational talks beginning immediately” RetailNI.com 8 THE RETAILER Lord Mayor and Retail NI launch annual Independents’ Day campaign The newly appointed 70 pence remains in our local Lord Mayor of Belfast has economy. backed Retail NI’s annual Glyn commented; “To campaign to engage the complement this year’s public with their local campaign, we have carried out independent retailers extensive consumer research in during a launch event in towns across Northern Ireland, and the results show that Belfast city centre.