BIRA says that Beales’ decision to name the chancellor in its sale reflects the ‘genuine anger and frustration felt’ across the retail sector.
BIRA has responded to the news that the 144-year-old Beales department store is staging a Rachel Reeves closing down sale in its final weeks of trading.
Andrew Goodacre, ceo of the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA), said: “Beales’ decision to explicitly name the Chancellor in its closing down sale reflects the genuine anger and frustration felt across our sector. When a business that has survived for nearly a century and a half takes such a public stance, it demonstrates just how devastating these cumulative tax increases have been.
“This is a Government that, prior to coming in, wanted to revitalise high streets. What they’ve done is find ways of making it more expensive to run a shop. Our members are perplexed, flabbergasted and angry.”
BIRA, which represents 6,000 independent retailers across the UK, warns that Beales will not be the last historic name to disappear from Britain’s high streets if urgent action isn’t taken. With approximately 13,000 shops closing in 2024 and forecasts suggesting this could rise to 17,000 closures in 2025, the association is calling for practical measures including the restoration of free, time-limited parking and a reconsideration of business rate relief policies.
“The closure of Beales isn’t just the loss of another shop – it’s the end of a retail institution. Without meaningful intervention, we fear many more independent retailers will be forced to follow suit, permanently altering the character of our high streets,” Andrew said.
