{$inpagemarkup}

Search News

Results: 61-70 of 699


Indie retailers urged to battle 2025 duty change

28 May 2024

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is calling on independent retailers to keep writing to their MPs to highlight the impact of the upcoming February 2025 duty change.
Read more…

Retail industry key recruiter of people from under-utilised sections of society

15 May 2024

A new report released on behalf of the Retail Sector Council has outlined the work that the industry is doing to create more career opportunities for people that would otherwise be... Read more…

Teacher and ice-cream store manager move from Australia to take over Halifax indie bookshop.

14 May 2024

A family of booklovers are moving from Australia to become the new owners of an independent bookshop in Halifax.
Read more…

Global Payments Report says consumer choice not just influencing but dictating the future of commerce.

14 May 2024

Worldpay’s 2024 Global Payments Report has revealed a transformative shift where consumer choice is not just influencing but dictating the future of commerce.
Read more…

Competition and Markets Authority says grocers need to prioritise accurate pricing.

13 May 2024

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has called on grocers to prioritise accurate pricing following a review of the way in-store prices are displayed.
Read more…

Leicester indie retailers defend ‘special’ city centre after M&S announces closure.

13 May 2024

Independent businesses in Leicester have praised the “uniqueness” of the city and its "vibrant" atmosphere after the news that M&S was set to close drew a... Read more…

Independent shops better than big retailers at surviving COVID in the UK

1 May 2024

Small shops have been more "agile" at fighting COVID sale slumps than chain stores, according to a new report.
Read more…

Bike shops and cyclists alike urged to gear up to take advantage of Local Bike Shop Day 2024

30 Apr 2024

The UK’s estimated 7.6 million cyclists are being urged to get on their bikes on Saturday May 4th and head down to their local independent bike shop, as many prepare special activities to... Read more…

Peterborough store selling solely local products looks to expand.

29 Apr 2024

A Peterborough store stocking products solely from local entrepreneurs said it is bucking the High Street trend and looking to expand due to its success.
Read more…

BIRA launches ‘High Street Matters’ podcast for independent retailers

29 Apr 2024

BIRA is giving independent businesses across the UK a powerful new resource with the launch of its “High Street Matters” podcast.
Read more…

Back to news menu

Indie retailers urged to battle 2025 duty change

Posted on in Business News

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is calling on independent retailers to keep writing to their MPs to highlight the impact of the upcoming February 2025 duty change.

Wine Bottles

Speaking at a panel at the London Wine Fair, chief executive of the WSTA Miles Beale said although “we have all the right arguments, all the right evidence, and an industry that supports us” that “we currently have a government that steadfastly refuses to listen.”

However, he added with a general election coming up, it was imperative to continue to leverage pressure on MPs, particularly disgruntled backbench Tories who may be facing a tough battle to hold onto their seats.

As part of the duty reform applied last year, wine will be taxed incrementally, by 0.5% ABV, between 11.5% and 14.5%, but these changes will come into play later, on 1 February 2025.

In the meantime, temporary arrangements have been in place for the 18-month period from 1 August 2023 until 1 February 2025, which sees all wines between 11.5% and 14.5% ABV taxed as if they are 12.5% in strength — a temporary duty increase of £0.44 per 75cl bottle. The government argues that this has been done to support wine producers and importers in moving to the new method of calculating duty on their products.

After 1 February 2025 will be split into sub-categories with differing duty rates. Producers have argued that the temporary measures unfairly preference higher alcohol wines as those between 11.5% and 12.5% ABV will be taxed at a higher percentage for the time being. One leading wine brand has even said it will begin reducing the ABV of its wines to avoid this higher duty rate.

Although Beale said the overall message from the Tories was that “it’s a political directive” to not alter the duty changes, or the easement period which has deferred them temporarily, he argued that independents were well placed to makes their concerns known through their local MPs.

He said: “There are around 1,000 independent merchants around the UK. If every single MP heard from them, they’d know there was an issue.

“They will never be more likely to listen than when they have an election coming up.”

He said it was “as pretty close to existential as it gets,”, arguing that “we’re all going to be in trouble unless we win this. If we want the UK to remain the most important market in the world, then we need to win.”

As part of its plan to engage with the independent sector, former Co-op wine boss Simon Cairns has been working with the WSTA to bring the concerns of the independents to the table. Next week will see the launch of a new survey to gauge the exact impact that the end of easement will have on independent retailers across the UK.

“We need to be able to quantify it,” Cairns explained. “We have a think about the impact and put that in pounds, shillings, and pence, as that will carry more weight.

We have to unify, or nothing will ever change.”

Back to news menu

Useful links

If you have any other queries please contact us.