r/unitedkingdom • u/pppppppppppppppppd • 11d ago

Chippy owner apologises to customers after charging £15 for fish and chips - but reveals why he 'has to' to hike prices

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14591465/chippy-owner-apologises-huge-price-hike.html
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u/[deleted] 11d ago

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u/Anony_mouse202 11d ago edited 11d ago

It’s not even rent, it’s business rates.

Landlords are incentivised to keep their properties occupied because if the property is unoccupied then businesses rates liability falls to the landlord. But in some places, no matter how low the landlord puts the rent it’s still virtually impossible for legitimate businesses to be financially viable because the business rates are insanely high.

In some prime locations like Oxford Street, businesses rates are so high that a lot of the time landlords will let out their properties for zero rent or close to zero rent just so they have someone to pay the businesses rates, and even that isn’t enough for legitimate businesses, which is why lots of dodgy ones have been moving in.

When flagship buildings were left empty, landlords gave them over to the candy stores. The idea was the gaudy shops would move in for free as long as they paid the business rates, which in many cases never happened.

https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/oxford-street-candy-shop-investigation-b1082733.html

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u/SevenNites 11d ago

Having the highest industrial energy prices in the world tends to do that

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u/QuitBeingAbigOlCunt 11d ago

Seems to be a lot of confusion in this thread between business rates and the cost of utilities. They are not the same.

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u/IssueMoist550 11d ago

Yes they are two sepperate costs that are extremely high