Close Menu
Pet Business World
  • Trade News
    • Distributors
    • International
    • Legislation
    • Manufacturers
    • Other trades
    • Retailers
  • New Products
    • Birds
    • Cats
    • Dogs
    • Small Animals
  • Features
    • Industry Experts
    • Retailer profiles
  • Aquatics
  • Columnists
    • Newshound
    • Reptile Trade Views
  • People
  • Magazines
    • March 2025
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
  • Classifieds
  • Trade Directory
  • Advertise
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
Facebook X (Twitter)
  • FREE Email Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Free Magazine Subscriptions
X (Twitter) Facebook
Pet Business World
  • Trade News
    • Distributors
    • International
    • Legislation
    • Manufacturers
    • Other trades
    • Retailers
  • New Products
    • Birds
    • Cats
    • Dogs
    • Small Animals
  • Features
    • Industry Experts
    • Retailer profiles
  • Aquatics
  • Columnists
    • Newshound
    • Reptile Trade Views
  • People
  • Magazines
    1. May 2025
    2. April 2025
    3. March 2025
    4. February 2025
    5. January 2025
    6. December 2024
    Featured

    PBW News – May 2025

    By David ReesMay 13, 2025
    Recent

    PBW News – May 2025

    May 13, 2025

    PBW News – April 2025

    April 24, 2025

    PBW News – March 2025

    March 11, 2025
  • Classifieds
  • Trade Directory
Pet Business World
Retailers

High Street banks ‘should hang their heads in shame’

Michele SwalesBy Michele SwalesMarch 31, 20202 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

High street banks are failing to support small independent retailers in the current crisis, according to a survey by the British Independent Retailers Association.

Bira asked its members three key questions about the support they’ve received following the outbreak of coronavirus – and the results show a large majority are getting little or no help.

Almost two thirds (64.5%) said they would not benefit from the self-employed income protection announced on Thursday (March 26). Many members said they would not qualify because they pay themselves in dividends, while others admitted they were confused over how it was claimed.

One said: “We haven’t had enough profit in the last three years as we are just about ticking over in a job I love.”

Secondly, Bira asked members whether they’d received a Business Support Grant from their local authority to which 91% said they had not. Despite Bira lobbying for local authorities to be more forthcoming about the support grants, the majority of members said they’d had no communication.

One respondent said: “I’ve been in touch with local authority but they do not have a timescale for the initial letter notification going out.”

High street banks came under fire in the survey with only 1% of the members who have applied for a business interruption loan being succesful so far. Nearly 20% of members surveyed have approached their lender for help – with many still waiting for a response.

OVERDRAFT – AT 6% INTEREST

One member said: “I was advised an overdraft would be better suited for my needs with an arrangement fee of £150 and more than 6% interest.”

Another said: “Had a rather lengthy discussion that was very downbeat and obstructive even though they hold security on my mortgage-free business premises.”

/Andrew Goodacre, Bira’s CEO, said: “It is clear that the well-intended Government initiatives are not reaching the retailers that need the support.

“I do not understand why it is taking so long to award the grants. The self-employed income protection scheme will only help a quarter of retailers.

“The high street banks are simply not willing to help and should hang their heads in shame. Independent retailers have no money coming in, have had low margins and low profits for many years and need more support than is currently available – otherwise many of these businesses will not re-open when the situation returns back to normal.”

Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Previous ArticleShell shock
Next Article Britain’s most expensive dog breeds revealed
Michele Swales

Read Similar Stories

Retailers

Edinburgh pet shop claims win in national spring campaign

May 15, 2025
Retailers

Lake District pet food brand launches mountain rescue partnership

May 1, 2025
Retailers

Cornish retailer to sponsor charity celebration

April 25, 2025
Most Read

PATS Aquatic Zone set to be biggest yet

May 22, 2025

Pedigree Wholesale expands Natures Deli paste range

May 22, 2025

OATA appoints new office manager

May 22, 2025
© 2024 Lewis Business Media. All Rights Reserved.
Lewis Business Media, Suite A, Arun House, Office Village, River Way, Uckfield, TN22 1SL

Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions

  • OvertheCounter
  • Pest Magazine

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “ACCEPT ALL”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsREJECT ALLAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
AWSALBCORS7 daysThis cookie is managed by Amazon Web Services and is used for load balancing.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category .
PHPSESSIDsessionThis cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
AWSALB7 daysAWSALB is a cookie generated by the Application load balancer in the Amazon Web Services. It works slightly different from AWSELB.
explat_test_aa_weekly_lohp_2021_week_4517 days 8 hoursNo description
ppwp_wp_session30 minutesNo description
tk_ai14 daysGathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.
tk_qssessionGathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
OAID1 yearThis cookie is set when an AdsWizz website visitor have opted out the collection of information by AdsWizz service or opted to disable the targeted ads by AdsWizz.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_31822138_71 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
_gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
tk_lr1 yearThe tk_lr is a referral cookie set by the JetPack plugin on sites using WooCommerce, which analyzes referrer behaviour for Jetpack.
tk_or5 yearsThe tk_or is a referral cookie set by the JetPack plugin on sites using WooCommerce, which analyzes referrer behaviour for Jetpack.
tk_r3d3 daysJetPack installs this cookie to collect internal metrics for user activity and in turn improve user experience.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo