26 February 2025
SHW Rating Diary - Navigating Retail Relief in 2025
Business Rates, Business Space, Commercial, Industry News, SHW News
The SHW Rating Diary is a monthly series of LinkedIn posts aimed at highlighting important factors, growth areas and opportunities within the Rating world.
Chapter 2 – Navigating Retail Relief in 2025
The 2024/25 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Rates Relief scheme provides eligible, occupied, retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with a 75% relief, up to a cash cap limit of £110,000 per business.
However, as of 1st April 2025, the relief will be reduced to 40% which will have a financial impact on many businesses applicable to this relief. Retailers currently benefiting from the relief will likely see their rates bills increase from April onwards. Furthermore, BRC (British Retail Consortium) have mentioned without swift action, 17,000 shops could be forced to close over the next decade.
Controlling and retaining healthy cash flow is one of the most important matters in retail and hospitality businesses. A reduction in rates provides an opportunity to have more cash in hand which in turn ensures cash flow stability. Business owners can utilize this cash to handle other unforeseen costs that may arise.
We’ve helped many retailers, local and national to assess their business rates, and we’ve often been successful in that process. In addition to achieving rate savings for our retail clients, we’ve also provided savings and budgetary reports which in turn offers a detailed road map that focuses on key financial targets that track & monitor progress.
It is important to recognise that the term ‘retail’ is a broad category and it isn’t isolated to businesses that operates from a traditional ‘shop’. The test is on the use of the property not type, so if you sell products or services from a warehouse or office, you could still be eligible for this relief. This is where SHW can help, we make the case that you should be eligible for this relief.
If you sell a product or service from your business premises (whether a shop, warehouse or office) and haven’t had your business rates reviewed or you’re unsure whether you’re paying the correct amount of rates, please get in touch to see how we can help you.
For information, please contact our Rating Business Development Executive – Keirran Celestine.
