Vote Scottish Retail 2026
In the run up to the 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Elections the SRC will be producing a range of content to highlight the industry's priorities. This will include three mini-manifestos on the issues, as well as media releases, articles, interviews, and more.
On the 15th of September we published our first mini-manifesto calling for initiatives to protect the High Street. The media release can be found here: https://brc.org.uk/news-and-events/news/corporate-affairs/2025/ungated/src-calls-for-high-streets-to-be-protected-in-holyrood-manifestos/
This first paper, ‘Scotland's Future High Streets', focuses on the challenges facing towns and city centres across the country and the policy solutions the retail industry believes are necessary. The current challenge is acute. SRC research shows:
- In the last year Scottish retail sales only grew by an average of 0.3 percent over the past year, with non-food sales only up by 0.7 percent.
- Between July 2024 until July 2025 shopper footfall to retail destinations in Scotland fell by 0.9 percent on average. Visits to shopping centres also fell by 0.9 percent.
- Government-imposed costs of operating retail stores in Scotland increased by nearly £200 million in 2025, as a result of increases in business rates and employers' national insurance.
- 2,380 shops in Scotland pay a higher business rate than the equivalent English stores.
The consequence of this is the retail industry is currently retrenching its high street offering. If politicians wish to protect our remaining high streets and make them desirable locations for retailers to invest then the SRC is recommending a 5-point plan:
- A renewed push to make Scottish High Streets competitive to invest in through a meaningfully more competitive business rate than England.
- A drive to make new and refitted stores simpler through an improved planning and building warrants system.
- A clear focus on combatting retail crime through increased investment in Police Scotland and introducing a directly elected Scottish Police & Crime Commissioner to replace the current Scottish Police Authority.
- A commitment to improve local authority support for the industry including compensating Local Authorities who use existing powers under the Community Empowerment Act to offer NDR relief for high street businesses and to explore creating a Greater Glasgow Local Authority with a directly elected Provost to drive growth in Scotland's largest city.
- A renewed push to improve transport infrastructure for private and public transport to make town and city centres more accessible.
