THE ERT REPORT
‘The high street isn’t a nice to have’
Business rates remain one of the biggest barriers facing independent 36
retailers. The current system punishes businesses for having a physical presence on the high street, at exactly the moment we should be encouraging investment in bricks and mortar, not discouraging it. Reform of business rates has to be a priority if the high street is going to survive, let alone thrive. Online retail is often framed as the enemy of the high street, but
that isn’t how we see it. Online should be viewed as an addition to the independent retail offer, not a replacement for it. Many of our members use online channels successfully alongside their physical stores. What we do need is a level playing field. Online-only retailers need to pay their fair share towards the retail and transport costs that physical businesses carry every day, from business rates to the upkeep of the high streets that still do so much of the heavy lifting for local economies. For the electrical sector in particular, the high street isn’t a nice to
have. It’s essential, both for suppliers and for consumers. Take away the physical presence and electricals risk becoming little more than an online catalogue, a category people scroll through rather than one they properly engage with.
Customers need somewhere to see, touch and try products before they buy them, particularly with electrical goods, where size, functionality and build quality genuinely matter. A customer who can hold a product, ask a question and get a straight answer from someone who knows what they’re talking about is a customer far less likely to return that product, or regret the choice they’ve made. That face to face expertise reduces returns, reduces wrong choices and builds the kind of trust that keeps customers coming back, both to the retailer and to the category as a whole.
The retailers who responded to this survey are proof that our sector
By Jeff Moody, Commercial Director at Retra
I
ndependent electrical retailers are fighting harder than ever for every sale, and this report puts real numbers behind what we hear from our members every week. Rising costs, falling footfall and growing competition from manufacturers’ direct-to-consumer channels are squeezing margins across the sector, and much of that pressure comes from a system that was never designed for today’s retail landscape.
isn’t standing still. They are investing in installation services, smart home solutions and energy efficient products, and building the expert relationships that online retailers simply cannot replicate. That adaptability deserves recognition and support, not just from us but from suppliers too. Strong partnerships, built on fair pricing, reliable stock availability and protected margins, are what allow independent retailers to keep investing in the service and expertise that sets them apart. This report is a valuable contribution to that conversation. Retra and Bira will continue to use insights like these to inform our advocacy on the issues that matter most to independent retailers, from business rates reform to securing a fairer deal on the true cost of doing business, whether that trade happens online or on the high street. The high street still has a critical role to play in the electrical sector’s future, and it’s one worth fighting for.
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