Nicola Sturgeon unveils plans for new retail strategy

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon unveiled plans to introduce a Retail Strategy as part of the legislative priorities for 2021/22.

Addressing the Scottish Parliament yesterday (7 September) on the Scottish Programme for Government, she said the new strategy aims to help the sector innovate, thrive and support local supply chains.

The Programme for Government includes plans to revitalise local communities through the development of ‘20-minute neighbourhoods’ where essential services can be accessed within a short walk or cycle.

In a measure to support small businesses, Sturgeon said the government will maintain the Small Business Bonus Scheme for the lifetime of the parliament, ensuring that 100,000 business properties pay no rates and that the majority of ratepayers continue to pay a lower poundage than elsewhere in the UK.

The First Minister also confirmed an update is due shortly on the implementation timetable for a deposit return scheme (DRS) in Scotland.

The DRS proposes a 20p deposit on single-use drinks containers, and materials will include PET plastic, steel, aluminium and glass.

Commenting, ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Local shops will play a key role in the introduction of a deposit return scheme and in order to ensure that that the scheme is workable for both businesses and consumers it is important that it is cost-neutral for retailers via an appropriate handling fee and aligns with the rest of the UK.

“The introduction of this system is likely to be complex, which is why retailers need clarification on the implementation of a deposit return scheme in Scotland, which is currently planned for summer 2022.”

The DRS is currently set to take effect on 1 July 2022, after the government has delayed the introduction by over a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In March, the government has commissioned an independent gateway review to assess the impact of the pandemic on the go-live date for the scheme.