Results of LinkedIn Poll
What type of occupier do you think will be most negatively affected by the total withdrawal of business rates support from the government?
This was the question we asked on a recent LinkedIn poll, the results of which pointed strongly towards restaurants, cafes and bars. Lockdowns hit the High Street hard, however, many retailers were able to carry on making sales online and in some cases grow their businesses, while the leisure sector ground to a halt. Because of this, leisure occupiers felt the effects of the pandemic more than others and are continuing to rely on support from the government in order to stay open and trading. The shift in favour of working from home over coming into the office is also having a detrimental effect on the leisure sector, further keeping the pressure on these types of business into the future. What is clear is that there are winners and losers in any period of upheaval and with government failing to assist, these businesses need to manage their rates liabilities to minimise the impact to their bottom lines.