NEWS
7 MARCH 2025 ASIAN TRADER 7
NEWS
The start of 2025 has deliv-
ered a devastating series of
blows to Britain’s high
streets, with WHSmith
considering the sale of all
500 UK stores, Lloyds
Banking Group announcing
136 branch closures, Sains-
bury’s cutting 3,000 jobs,
Morrisons reducing its
workforce by 200, and Tesco
eliminating 400 positions.
This isn’t just another cycle
of retail change – it’s a
fundamental collapse of high
street infrastructure.
The sheer scale of these
closures should sound alarm
bells in Westminster. We’re
witnessing the systematic
dismantling of services that
have supported local commu-
nities for generations.
The government’s
response to this crisis has
been woefully inadequate.
While ministers talk about
levelling-up and supporting
local communities, their
inaction tells a different
story. The cost of running
physical stores has become
nearly impossible to sustain,
with business rates, energy
costs, and staffing expenses
creating an unsustainable
burden for retailers.
Banks justify their
closures by pointing to
online banking uptake, but
this ignores the vital role
these branches play in our
communities. Since 2015,
Britain has lost over 6,000
bank branches. The prom-
ised alternatives – banking
hubs and Post Office services
– are struggling to fill the
void, particularly in rural
areas. Now, with WHSmith
potentially selling their
stores, many of which house
Post Office counters, we face
losing yet another essential
community service.
These closures create a
domino effect. When anchor
stores and banks close,
footfall decreases dramati-
cally. This impacts every busi-
ness in the area, particularly
independent retailers who
rely on the customer traffic
generated by these larger
establishments. Each closure
makes the next one more
likely.
The government must
wake up to this crisis. We
need meaningful reform of
business rates, support for
modernisation, and incen-
tives for businesses to
maintain physical premises.
The current approach of
watching from the sidelines
while our high streets
crumble is not just
short-sighted - it’s destruc-
tive.
Online shopping will
continue to grow, but
physical retail remains vital.
High streets aren’t just about
transactions, they’re about
community, employment,
and the character of our
towns and cities. When we
lose these spaces, we lose
more than just shops – we
lose the heart of our commu-
nities.
How many more major
retailers need to close? How
many more jobs must be lost?
The time for half-measures
and empty promises has
passed. We need decisive
action now to save what
remains of our high streets
before it’s too late.
In his regular column, Bira CEO Andrew Goodacre surveys the
damage done to retail so far in 2025.
The High Street Crisis – How Many More
The High Street Crisis – How Many More
Warnings Does Government Need?
Warnings Does Government Need?
Bird flu measures
Bird flu measures
intensify as numbers rise
intensify as numbers rise
The government has further
expanded bird flu housing
measures as case numbers continue
to rise nationwide.
The avian flu outbreak continues
to spread in the UK, with almost 1.8
million farmed and captive birds
culled over the past three months.
The government said it had
acted quickly to cull all poultry on
infected premises “to protect
Britain’s food security” but
recognised the devastating impact
it was having.
There have been over 33
outbreaks of the virus on farms, with
almost 1.8 million farmed and
captive birds culled.
Fed praises InPost
Fed praises InPost
Newstrade for changes
Newstrade for changes
InPost Newstrade, formerly Menzies
Distribution, is making some
changes to its carriage charge
model.
In a letter to its UK customers,
the news wholesaler has announced
it is lowering the base charge to
support retailers with lower sales.
For all other customers, the
increase – which takes efect from
April 5 – is being capped at £4.99
per store a week.
The Fed’s National President Mo
Razzaq said, “The Fed has been in
discussion with InPost Newstrade
about the difculties our members
are facing in such challenging
financial times.”
Trump tarifs haunt
Trump tarifs haunt
Scotch whisky makers
Scotch whisky makers
President Donald Trump has
launched trade wars with Canada,
China and Mexico and has Europe in
his sights - spooking Scotland’s
export-focused whisky industry.
The US remains the primary
export market for Scotch whisky,
accounting for £1 billion per year.
Scotland’s whisky industry is
well-acquainted with the toll of
tarifs, having sufered a £600
million hit during Trump’s first term.
Few spirits companies are
talking aloud about the policies, but
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she’ll
make the case to Trump that Scotch
whisky should be spared.
By Andrew
Goodacre, CEO
of Bira (British
Independent
Retailers
Association)