Up-to-date coverage of the latest events in UK retail.

Boxpark to expand to new sites

Boxpark has announced plans to expand to 10 new sites and introduce food halls as part of an ambitious expansion plan for the retail and leisure specialist. 

The mooted expansion will also see Boxpark add shared working space for the first time with its new BoxOffice concept. The schemes will be between 50,000 and 150,000 sq ft and will also offer the street food and bars for which Boxpark has become best known. 

The developer will also be launching its food halls BoxHall concept - 10,000 to 20,000 sq ft food and beverage destinations based on existing Boxpark sites. 

Boxpark founder and chief executive Roger Wade said: “I’m really excited to announce our plans for our brand new BoxOffice and BoxHall concepts. Boxpark has always been an innovator in the retail and leisure sector and these brand new formats demonstrate our investment in continuing to evolve both the brand and the sites we build and operate.

“These two major new innovations will help us secure a further 10 sites across the UK over the next five years.”

One in six businesses sued over business rates

Almost one in six businesses have been ordered to appear before magistrates for non-payment of business rates in the last year, raising yet more issues with the levy.

An investigation by business rates consultancy Altus found from local authority replies to freedom of information requests that 171,018 summonses were issued to businesses in the year to March 31 - almost 750 businesses a day. 

Altus said Westminster was the most stringent of the councils in England when it came to issuing summons over business rates, followed by Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds.

Head of UK business rates at Altus Robert Hayton said: “Major retail and hospitality businesses were reducing their estates and headcount often citing high level of rates as a contributory factor whilst other sectors, such as manufacturing, were hurting too… A tax stimulus was desperately needed.”

A number of retailers this year, including Debenhams, Arcadia and Monsoon have resorted to various insolvency procedures to reduce rents and close stores – and all have cited the cost of bricks and mortar stores, including business rates, as one of the reasons for their struggles.