Speaking ahead of the draft outline Budget being presented to the Welsh Parliament tomorrow, Head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, Sara Jones, said:
With footfall down across Welsh high streets and consumer confidence still fragile, this budget is a vital opportunity to show genuine support for both shoppers and stores.
Retailers are working tirelessly to offer value to customers, yet they’ve faced an unprecedented surge in government-imposed costs throughout 2025 — from higher National Insurance and the National Living Wage to the new packaging tax — creating £320 million of additional pressure on Welsh retailers alone.
While many key levers rest with the UK Government, the Welsh Finance Minister can still make a real difference by delivering a meaningful cut in business rates — ensuring no shop ends up paying more. Current proposals risk creating winners and losers, with a welcome reduction in rates for small stores but with medium sized and large stores — the backbone of many high streets — facing a surtax and sharp increases that could deter investment and further impact employment and prices.
If Government chooses instead to pile on further costs to retailers, it’s households that will feel the squeeze at the tills. Ruling out any rise in the Welsh Rate of Income Tax, guaranteeing no store pays more in business rates, and pausing heavy-handed regulatory plans must all feature in this year’s budget to give the industry the boost it so urgently needs.
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