Category Archives: Legislation

Vacancy Rates and The Vacant Shops Academy

Way back in 2010, Anne Findlay and myself tried to summarise our thinking about the drivers and measurement of retail vacancy. Then, a decade ago, we did some work with the Local Data Company on retail vacancies (First event, Fifth … Continue reading

Posted in Data, Government, High Streets, Landlords, Legislation, Local Authorities, Non-domestic rates, Permitted Development Rights, Property, Rates, Retailers, Shop Numbers, Town Centres, Towns, Vacancies, Vacant Shops Academy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Scottish Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) Debacle

I am no expert on the ins and outs of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Scotland, but instead am an interested bystander. You can read my only other foray into this area on this blog from this post in … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, Convenience stores, Costs, Deposit Return Scheme, Food Retailing, Government, Herkku, Legislation, Minimum Unit Pricing, Politicians, Recycling, Returns, Reverse Vending, Scottish Government, Scottish Retailing, Small Shops, UK Government | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ground Down

Last February I wrote about the state of customer service and specifically the failure of KRUPS to honour their manufacturer warranty.  A further two months have now passed and last week I finally got a replacement coffee grinder, but not … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, Currys, Customer engagement, Customer Service, Legislation, Retailers, Sale of Goods Act, Warranties | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who Owns Scotland’s Towns, High Streets and Shopping Centres?

One of the issues raised in the recent report by the Economy and Fair Work Committee of the Scottish Parliament concerned the lack of transparency over the ownership of much of the property in Scotland. I noted this in the … Continue reading

Posted in Community Ownership, Dumfries, Government, High Streets, Landlords, Legislation, Local Authorities, Midsteeple Quarter, New Future for Scotland's Towns, Out of Town, Place Based Investment Programme, Retail Change, Retailers, Scotland, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scottish Government, Scottish Retailing, Shopping Centres, Streets, Town Centre Action Plan, Town Centre Review, Town Centres, Towns, Urban, Vacancies, Who Owns Scotland? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Small Business Bonus Scheme

One of the recommendations of the 2017 Barclay Review of the Non-Domestic Rates System in Scotland was that an evaluation of the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) be undertaken. Five years on, it has finally arrived, all 232 pages of … Continue reading

Posted in Barclay Review, Government, Internet, Large Store Levy, Legislation, Local Authorities, Non-domestic rates, Online Retailing, Out of Town, Public Policy, Rates, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scottish Government, Small Business Bonus Scheme, Small Shops, Tax, Town Centres | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Webinar: “A New Future for Scotland’s Town Centres”

The Town Centre Action Plan Review was published on the 3rd February. On the 18th February (1430-1530), Scotland’s Towns Partnership are holding a webinar launching the Review. There may be few spaces left (but capacity is close to being reached) … Continue reading

Posted in 20 Minute Neighbourhood, Barclay Review, Car Parking, Climate Emergency, Community, Community Assets, Community Ownership, Creative Places, Government, High Streets, Leadership, Legislation, Local Authorities, Localisation, Places, Public Policy, Public Realm, Rates, Regeneration, Regulation, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scotland's Towns Partnership, Scottish Government, Small Towns, Social Inequality, Social Justice, Streets, Streetscapes, Sustainability, Sustainable Development, Town Centre Action Plan, Town Centre Action Plan Review Group, town centre first, Town Centre Living, Town Centre Review, Town Centres, Towns, Uncategorized, Understanding Scottish Places, University of Stirling, USP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Retail Armageddon or Reinvention?

On the 3rd March, the University of Stirling, the Stirling Management School and the Institute for Retail Studies were very pleased to host the Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, Helen Dickinson, OBE.  In front of an audience of … Continue reading

Posted in Accounting, BRC, Brexit, Consumer Change, Employees, Government, Institute for Retail Studies, Internet shopping, Legislation, Local Retailers, Online Retailing, Rates, Regeneration, Regulation, Reinvention, Retail brands, Retail Change, Retail Policy, Scottish Government, Scottish Grocers Federation, Scottish Retailing, Small Shops, Technology, Uncategorized, University of Stirling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Scotland: Housing to 2040

On a regular basis I get emails offering content for this blog.  Most are ‘cold calls’ selling some product/service or other.  Unless they are from a company/person I already know in some way, they get rather short shrift.  Just before … Continue reading

Posted in Airbnb, Edinburgh, Government, Housing, Legislation, Places, Scottish Government, Town Centre Living, Town Centres, Towns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Scottish Business Rates: a Local and/or National Issue?

A fair degree of concern was whipped up in the run-up to the New Year by the vote in the Scottish Parliament to give local councils the ability to set non-domestic, i.e. business rates. This is not yet confirmed as … Continue reading

Posted in Barclay Review, Bids Scotland, Government, Internet shopping, Legislation, Local Authorities, Local Retailers, Localisation, MSPs, Online Retailing, Rates, Regulation, Retail Levy, Retail Policy, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scottish Government, Scottish Retail Consortium, Scottish Retailing, Small Business Bonus Scheme, Small Shops, Tax, Towns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fighting Fit? Independent Convenience Stores and the Public Health Agenda

The last 2019 Cross Party Group for Independent Convenience Stores, held last week, was a cracker.  With all the excitement of the AGM (not really), it was almost too much to have three excellent presentations on retailing and the public … Continue reading

Posted in Academics, Alcohol, Best Start Foods, Convenience stores, Cross Party Group, Deposit Return Scheme, Diet and Health, Food Retailing, Food Standards Scotland, Government, Healthcare Retail Standard, Healthy Living, Independents, Internet shopping, Legislation, Local Retailers, Politicians, Products, Regulation, Retail leadership, Retail Policy, Scotland, Scottish Government, Scottish Grocers Federation, Scottish Local Retailer, Scottish Retailing, Small Shops, Sugar Tax, Uncategorized, University of Stirling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment