Drive to Survive has always been steadfast in its ability to perceive drama at the heart of the show despite adding flair to the storyline. The Formula 1 docu-series has little to show for itself when it comes to authenticity and realism. However, it was not a total waste of resources as the show learned […]
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Dhaka, March 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The much-flaunted unity of various political outfits in Bangladesh, which was on full display during the ousting of democratically-elected Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, seems to...
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A SHOE chain is set to shut one of its branches in weeks after 60 years of business.
A. G. Meek will permanently close its store on Eastgate Street, Gloucester, early next month, in a blow for the high street.
It will leave the small retail chain with just four sites, all of which are based in Wales.
Owner David Meek said the Gloucester city centre store was shutting due to the upcoming hike on employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs), a reduction in business rate relief and lower footfall.
From next month, employer NICs will rise from 13.8% to 15% and the threshold at which they are paid lowered to £5,000 from £9,100.
Meanwhile, an existing discount on retail business rates will fall from 75% to 40%.
Posting on Facebook, Mr Meek said: “We have been struggling with rapidly rising costs and reduced footfall since the pandemic and the shop has not been covering its costs.
“I have held off hoping things would improve, but the recent budget is a disaster for small businesses employing lots of part time staff like ours.
“Our national insurance on one shop and our business rates are increasing by £5,000 a year each from April and this is unsustainable.”
Stock at the Gloucester branch has been massively reduced ahead of its closure, with discounts available on a range of branded footwear.
Customers making a purchase can also get a £10 voucher to use on the A. G. Meek website or at the retailer’s other branches in south Wales.
News of the closure has also spread on Facebook, with shoppers and local expressing their dismay.
One said: “This is a sad day. I love the shoes that you sell. And the brands that you carry are just lush.”
Another said: “This is so sad to read as your business is part of the fabric of Gloucester’s history.
“Sorry to hear your (sic) closing. I wish you all the best for the future.”
A third commented: “I am very sorry to hear this..you are a great store and a landmark of Gloucester.”
Meanwhile, a fourth added: “So sorry to hear this. It is certainly a tough time for small businesses.”
A.G. Meek opened its first store in Cardiff in 1912, and shot to local popularity in the 1950s with the launch of “Meek’s Sets” – shoe, bag and glove bundles.
Small businesses have struggled in recent years in the face of changing shopper behaviour and reduced footfall to stores.
The British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) said 2024 was of the most challenging years for shop owners.
Andrew Goodacre, chief executive officer, said: “Consumer spending on non-food items has declined significantly, while persistent footfall problems and fragile consumer confidence have impacted high streets nationwide.”
Mr Goodacre added smaller businesses were struggling in an “increasingly competitive” market, with larger chains able to massively discount stock, and for longer periods.
The Centre for Retail Research said 13,479 high street stores closed for good in 2024, made up of 11,341 independents.
The centre said it expects 14,660 independent retailers to shutter this year due to the hikes to employer NICs and national minimum wage from April.
The independent retail sector has also been hit with an increase in in-store crime.
BIRA’s latest survey revealed 78% of businesses had been targeted by thefts in the past 12 months and that the frequency and severity of theft incidents had risen.
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
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THOUSANDS of Irish learner drivers have expressed frustrations with delays as the latest stats from the RSA show that test waiting times have increased again.
The Road Safety Authority’s latest figure shows that were 74,674 people on the list waiting for a date in February, an increase of just over 2,000 compared to January.
The stats also revealed that the estimated national average waiting time has increased from 22 weeks in January to 23 weeks last month.
However, the RSA’s target meant that no one should be waiting more than 10 weeks for their driving test.
And none of the 61 test centres nationwide meet the goal.
Many learner drivers have been in the system for a total of ten months, including Matthew Duff.
Talking to RTE News, he revealed that he applied for a retest and still has not heard back with a confirmed date.
He said that the delay has a major effect on his daily life, including lengthening his commutes because he is only able to drive when accompanied by a fully qualified driver.
He said: “I’m extremely frustrated over it. I live in Ratoath. I go to college in Coolock, and I also work in town. Public transport wise, it just doesn’t cut it.
“I’m normally late to college because it takes about two hours to get there [compared to 40 minutes in the car].
“Not having a license prevents me from actually getting more work in other counties.”
In hopes to reduce the delays of waiting time, the RSA and the Department of Transport stated that additional testers have been recruited.
The first group of testers has begun their training and is set to see 200 testers once completed.
It is anticipated that the intention to reinstate the ten-week waiting period and steps to expedite that process will be at the forefront of the Minister of Transport’s upcoming meeting with the RSA.
Brendan Walsh, the chief operations officer at the RSA, said: “This is an important first step in bringing down driving test waiting times and I am confident that we will see a significant improvement over the coming months.”
However, there are calls by a TD for an audit to be carried out to assess whether more test centres are needed and that more permanent staff are needed to reduce the waiting time.
Sinn Fein TD Mark Ward stated that it was a scandal that over 74,000 people were waiting on dates for their tests.
Matthew added: “I’d love to see more local testing centres.
“I live in Ratoath, but the closest one for me is in Navan. I’d like to see more testers, more slots. I think there’s a lot more they can do to accommodate learners.”
There were 17,045 with a planned test date last month, up from 16,933 in January, according to the most recent numbers for February.
