A group of local councils in England is formally asking the government for new powers to tax large supermarkets.
BBC News has learned that Derby City Council has called for the right to bring in a levy as a "modest" effort to ensure supermarket spending "re-circulates" in local communities.
I don't agree with the notion.
Because it wouldn't work mainly.
The reason High streets are dying is because of the internet, not down to the like of Tescos.
If the councils want to help small business, they should cut the high rates and rents.
Tesco Tax ?
Tesco Tax ?
I thought I knew more than this until I opened my mouth
Tesco Tax ?
They're also dying because very few cities actually have people living in the town centres any more - it's all offices and shops. People go to out of town centres and big supermarkets because they are convenient town centre retailers are not owed a living.
They forgot the three l's of retailng Location location location. What really got out of town supermarkets like asda and tesco going was when they buuilt large housing schemes with no shops in them. A lot of the "traditional" retailers refused to move to open shops or move to where the pople were in the belief that they would come to them the supermarkets filled a vacuum. Asda and tesco for instance used to run free bus services from out of town housing schemes to their stores. They also run online services and pre order and pick up points as do all the superstores that are doing well. Aldi and lidl also place their stores where the people are no the town centres.
It's sad tro see the town centres dying but blaming the superstores is silly - blame the shoppers who don't want to go in to town centres any more. The towns that still thrive say the likes of glasgow has thriving town centre shopping but it also has good public transport and large multi-story car parks so it's easy to get in.
retailers should stop bleating and accept their business model is redundant.
They forgot the three l's of retailng Location location location. What really got out of town supermarkets like asda and tesco going was when they buuilt large housing schemes with no shops in them. A lot of the "traditional" retailers refused to move to open shops or move to where the pople were in the belief that they would come to them the supermarkets filled a vacuum. Asda and tesco for instance used to run free bus services from out of town housing schemes to their stores. They also run online services and pre order and pick up points as do all the superstores that are doing well. Aldi and lidl also place their stores where the people are no the town centres.
It's sad tro see the town centres dying but blaming the superstores is silly - blame the shoppers who don't want to go in to town centres any more. The towns that still thrive say the likes of glasgow has thriving town centre shopping but it also has good public transport and large multi-story car parks so it's easy to get in.
retailers should stop bleating and accept their business model is redundant.
Tesco Tax ?
I don't believe it would do any good either. Not only with Tesco (who the article is clearly targeted at), but any retailer. In order to recoup their losses they just simply put up the prices (rounded up to the next penny, rather than down) to cover their overheads.
I hate going into Southampton City Centre. There's only 1 store for doing proper Grocery Shopping, and that's Asda - and I'm not exactly a fan of them. All the other stores are mainly Fashion Stores, HMV, Mobile Phone Shops, and loads & loads of Fast Food joints (Mac Donalds, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, etc., etc.). Nowhere to do real shopping at all, yet it's always packed - mainly with the younger fashion sheep compelled to get whatever the latest trend may be in order to exert their individuality.
There is nothing in town than can't be sourced for at least 60% of the price online. It's no wonder the smaller retailers can't compete. They don't have the resources to bulk buy, or the means to stock it, so their prices are likely to be higher than even the trendiest designer stores.
It's not really the stores' fault, per se, it's the customers who, obviously in these times of austerity (although where all the money comes from for all these designer clothes & latest phone upgrades every month or 2 is a mystery to me) are going to be guided by their pockets.
I hate going into Southampton City Centre. There's only 1 store for doing proper Grocery Shopping, and that's Asda - and I'm not exactly a fan of them. All the other stores are mainly Fashion Stores, HMV, Mobile Phone Shops, and loads & loads of Fast Food joints (Mac Donalds, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, etc., etc.). Nowhere to do real shopping at all, yet it's always packed - mainly with the younger fashion sheep compelled to get whatever the latest trend may be in order to exert their individuality.
There is nothing in town than can't be sourced for at least 60% of the price online. It's no wonder the smaller retailers can't compete. They don't have the resources to bulk buy, or the means to stock it, so their prices are likely to be higher than even the trendiest designer stores.
It's not really the stores' fault, per se, it's the customers who, obviously in these times of austerity (although where all the money comes from for all these designer clothes & latest phone upgrades every month or 2 is a mystery to me) are going to be guided by their pockets.
Tesco Tax ?
In The States, the latest thing is all of the states and counties are now trying to collect taxes on mail order/internet shopping purchases.
Probably a more reasonable approach.
We have two Walmart stores within easy driving. One is in the city of Longmont, and shoppers there pay city and Boulder County Taxes. The other is on the next county which has a lower % tax and it is unincorporated, so no city tax. Shoppers planning on spending a few hundred will go to the other county and save about 6% on their purchase. We drive north to another county for most of our groceries and such. They have only a 2% sales tax. And we buy a lot of big stuff online and save 6-8% over buying in Boulder or Longmont. Now the cities are trying to figure out how to collect on that.
Probably a more reasonable approach.
We have two Walmart stores within easy driving. One is in the city of Longmont, and shoppers there pay city and Boulder County Taxes. The other is on the next county which has a lower % tax and it is unincorporated, so no city tax. Shoppers planning on spending a few hundred will go to the other county and save about 6% on their purchase. We drive north to another county for most of our groceries and such. They have only a 2% sales tax. And we buy a lot of big stuff online and save 6-8% over buying in Boulder or Longmont. Now the cities are trying to figure out how to collect on that.
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
- DH Lawrence
- DH Lawrence
Tesco Tax ?
I know that the local Tesco Superstore here gives a load of its near sell by date food to Homeless Hostels & Old Age People's Homes / Community Centres - although it must be said that all that probably gets claimed back on tax & it saves them the cost of disposing of it as Industrial Waste, but even that is a drop in the ocean.
The real problem is clamping down over the massive Corporate Chains that avoid paying their tax at all. I've already written to my M.P., John Denham, suggesting that rather than the "Name & Shame" campaign, which isn't likely to have much effect, as the public has short memories, but to authorise companies that DO pay their due to display a sign with a recogniseable logo, with a slogan such as "We're Proud To Pay Our Way", in much the same way as the "Fair Trade" logos you see on certain goods. In this way the absence of the logos might raise questions in the public eyes. Only a small step, perhaps, but something that would cost next to nothing to implement, with everything to gain - and something that most 'honest' retailers would probably welcome.
I did get a reply from Mr Denham saying that he liked the idea & had passed it on to the appropriate Minister. Time shall tell if anything comes of it.
The real problem is clamping down over the massive Corporate Chains that avoid paying their tax at all. I've already written to my M.P., John Denham, suggesting that rather than the "Name & Shame" campaign, which isn't likely to have much effect, as the public has short memories, but to authorise companies that DO pay their due to display a sign with a recogniseable logo, with a slogan such as "We're Proud To Pay Our Way", in much the same way as the "Fair Trade" logos you see on certain goods. In this way the absence of the logos might raise questions in the public eyes. Only a small step, perhaps, but something that would cost next to nothing to implement, with everything to gain - and something that most 'honest' retailers would probably welcome.
I did get a reply from Mr Denham saying that he liked the idea & had passed it on to the appropriate Minister. Time shall tell if anything comes of it.