SCOTTISH retail sales last month were down by 27.9 per cent on January 2020 – the sharpest year-on-year drop since last April – as shops remained “trapped in the depths of a dark and dismal winter” amid tightened coronavirus lockdown measures. The sharp acceleration in the year-on-year decline in the total value of sales, from a corresponding 16.6% in December, is revealed in the latest monthly figures published today by the Scottish Retail Consortium. However, the SRC, while highlighting the “depths” in which Scotland’s retail sector is stuck, welcomed a “bold” extension of business rates relief for the sector announced yesterday by the Scottish Government.
Hospitality figures hit out at Stirling University study which claims pubs pose Covid risks dailyrecord.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailyrecord.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
PUBS might not be able to prevent Covid-19 from spreading, warn scientists, after observing risks in licensed premises last summer. Scottish researchers examined Covid-19 measures in licensed premises in the first study of its kind in the world and found alarming results. They say blanket closures, curfews or alcohol sale bans could be more likely to be deemed necessary to control the spread if risks cannot be reduced through support or sanctions for pubs and other premises. Their findings will inform governments, public health experts and policymakers in the UK and overseas as they consider the impact of the pandemic on hospitality and the risks of lifting restrictions.
Covid in Scotland: Business rates relief to be extended for full year bbc.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bbc.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
CALLS are mounting for radical reform of Scotland’s business rates system to ignite the recovery of Scotland’s stricken high streets, as fears grow that outlets currently closed because of coronavirus will not be able to afford bills when current relief ends in the coming months. The catastrophic fallout from the pandemic has sharpened focus on the need for policy interventions to help businesses in towns and centres recover from the dramatic drop in footfall they have endured in recent months. Non-essential retail outlets, pubs, restaurants, cafes and cinemas have been closed for much of the last year in a bid to halt the virus.