Independent retailers are urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves to use the autumn statement to restore business confidence, warning that uncertainty and rising costs are weighing on the UK high street and risking a slowdown in economic growth.
Fresh survey data from the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) points to weaker trading in late 2025 and subdued expectations for 2026, with business rates reform emerging as the sector’s top ask.
Confidence dips ahead of the autumn statement
Bira’s latest Heartbeat survey reports that 46.2% of independent retailers feel pessimistic about 2026, while only around a quarter are confident about the key Christmas trading period.
Just over half said sales were down or significantly down compared with a year ago, and 43.9% reported weaker trading in Q3 2025 versus Q2.
Respondents linked softer sales to caution among consumers and businesses before the fiscal event.
Business rates reform top of retailers’ concerns
The trade body says business rates reform is the most urgent priority, with the next revaluation due in April 2026 expected to lift bills for thousands of firms unless mitigations are introduced.
Bira argues that higher property taxes would add to existing pressures from energy, staffing and other operating costs, and could discourage investment on the high street.
Its chief executive said the Chancellor faces a choice between “boosting business confidence” or “piling on additional costs,” framing the autumn budget as a “moment of truth” for independent retailers.
What retailers want from the autumn budget
Independent shop owners are seeking measures in the autumn statement that they say would support growth and jobs, including action on business rates, predictable tax policy for SMEs, and steps to ease regulatory burdens.
The association’s members report pulling back on investment plans amid low confidence for 2026, with only 25.5% expressing optimism for next year.
Calls for clarity are centred on the business rates system and the broader cost base facing small businesses, which retailers say is constraining margins and stalling expansion.
