Business owners across the region are working hard to stay open while they battle against these costs, trying to keep prices down, taking care of their staff and is some cases have pivoted their business in some manner to keep drawing consumers in.

Back in October 2024, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves put forward the first Labour Budget in 14 years, announcing a raft of measures which impacted the retail sector and SMEs generally. Since then, these businesses have had to address these financial implications and assess the viability of their businesses.

Having come through the pandemic, praised for being key workers and being on the frontline of an unprecedented lockdown period, retailers have been bombarded with significant challenges from huge rises in energy bills, the cost-of-living crisis and continued rising business costs, leaving the last few years a hardened battleground for SMEs.

On top of this, legislation working through government will see new challenges within the tobacco and vaping sector, while the single-use vape ban has already made its mark, and illicit tobacco remains a thorn in the side of retailers here.

Post Offices across Northern Ireland are also calling out for an increase in their services, stating they have faced a decade of decline, and are asking MLAs for real help and tangible support to battle the challenges they are also facing.

NI President of the Fed, Julie Brown told NR that they had met with Jim Shannon MP to stress the difficulties independent retailers here are facing, and warned that if higher tazes and energy costs weren’t addressed, they would likely lead to shorter shop opening hours and cutting staff hours.

“These have been very trying and testing times, that is what we are all facing generally,” said Julie.

“So far, we have managed to negotiate our way through without many changes, but we are constantly looking for new suppliers, new lines to bring in and ways to keep our costs under control.”

Meanwhile, Stormont is considering whether to bring forward an Employment Rights Bill that proposes to reform 17 separate areas of employment law in one move. As Roger Pollen, Head of the FSB NI told NR, were it to proceed, the Bill could cause extraordinary turmoil within NI’s vital SME community.

“The Department brought forward a massive suite of proposals nearly two years ago, called the ‘Good Jobs Bill’, yet their consultation process has meant that few employers are aware of them in outline, let alone in detail,” said Roger.

“We now await the revised Bill which, once published, will let business owners start to get to grips with what it might mean for them as employers. This matters; not least as the recent actions of Westminster have repeatedly driven up the cost of employing people, with a worrying contraction in graduate jobs offers perhaps being the harbinger of worse things to come.”

SEE THE FULL FEATURE IN THE MARCH ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

The post What lies ahead for NI’s high streets? first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The Good Jobs Employment Rights Bill has been anticipated for some time, with the Department for the Economy introducing a suite of proposals approximately two years ago.

A revised Bill was expected to be published within the first part of this year, however it has still not emerged. As a result, the business community across Northern Ireland is now deeply concerned it will be published in the final months of this Assembly mandate.

As Head of the Federation of Small Businesses NI, Roger Pollen told NR, the reality is few employers are aware of the proposals of the Good Jobs Bill in outline, let alone in detail.

Some of the key areas of concern centre around proposals to lower the threshold for trade union recognition from 21 to 10 employees; and new union access measures, which will bring administrative complexity and cost, particularly for SMEs and family-owned firms.

Additionally, the Bill will require a mix of primary legislation and secondary legislation to implement all 50 policy measures and it is unclear how many statutory instruments will be required at this stage.

“The business community is deeply concerned that attempts will be made to force it through with little effective scrutiny and certainly with little exploration of the potential intended and unintended consequences,” said Mr Pollen.

“This matters, not least as the recent actions of Westminster have repeatedly driven up the cost of employing people, with a worrying contraction in graduate jobs offers perhaps being the harbinger of worse things to come.”

UNPRECEDENTED INTERVENTION

This week, more than 20 business organisations came together with an almost unprecedented intervention, writing to Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald and the wider Executive. Signatories included FSB NI; CBI Northern Ireland; Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce; the Ulster Farmers’ Union; NIFDA and Employers’ Federation for Northern Ireland.

Whilst acknowledging that some concerns have been listened to, the coalition is warning that the scope, pace and timing of the Good Jobs Employment Rights legislation come at a time of unprecedented pressures for all business across Northern Ireland.

Following ongoing engagement with members, the coalition had previously suggested breaking the proposals into smaller, more manageable Bills, allowing for proper scrutiny and targeted reform. However, they now believe that the remaining time in this mandate is insufficient to deliver due and proper scrutiny of some of the most significant proposed changes to employment law in NI in decades, which currently incorporates at least 50 policy measures.

“The breadth of the Bill and the limited time remaining in the mandate risk repeating the legislative pressures seen in the previous Assembly term, when scrutiny was severely compressed and widely regarded as inadequate,” added Roger Pollen.

The letter comes as one element of the recent Employment Rights Act 2025 in Westminster came into force this month, namely the changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), which does not require approval from Stormont and is applicable to all parts of the UK.

SSP is now payable from the first full day of sickness absence and is available to all eligible employees regardless of their earnings, with the Lower Earnings Limit having been removed, and the business bearing the cost, not government.

* There will be an in-depth focus on the Good Jobs Bill in the upcoming issue of NR and we’d love to hear your thoughts – get in touch with us to share your views and concerns on the Bill and what you want to see from Stormont; email caroline.rainey@pentonmedia.co.uk

The post Business community urges Executive to pause plans for employment legislation first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

This is the issue you’ve all been waiting for – our award winners’ special!

The 2025 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards was another fantastic event, with history made and records broken, as the best of Northern Ireland’s independent retail came together to celebrate their successes.

You can see full coverage of this gala awards night and the full list of winners in our exclusive supplement.

Following his record-breaking fifth win as Northern Ireland Retailer of the Year, NR visited Tom McAvoy’s Milestone Rathfriland store for a behind-the-scenes look at what makes this award-winning store so successful.

Meanwhile, the Windsor Framework continues to impact the day-to-day running of retail and wholesale businesses across Northern Ireland. NR spoke to Head of FSB NI, Roger Pollen to discuss the issues and see what lies ahead for businesses on both sides of the Irish Sea.

Elsewhere, we find out more about a brand-new family-run convenience store opened by the Wilson family at Carn, and we’re officially on the Christmas countdown and there is plenty of NPD to catch your eye.

ALL THIS AND MUCH MORE IN THE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER ISSUE – READ IT HERE!

The post The 2025 Christmas issue of Neighbourhood Retailer is live online now! first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

In a special piece of work commissioned by the Federation of Small Businesses NI, businesses both here and in GB have said the Windsor Framework is “impossible to navigate”.

Over the course of the summer, retailers experienced a variety of issues with paperwork required by the Windsor Framework, with many having their supplies stopped at the ports, pallets returned or supplies halted completely meaning they were unable to provide items to their customers.

The Windsor Framework Realities report is the first of its kind examining how the Windsor Framework is working on both sides of the Irish Sea. Almost 800 UK-wide businesses responded to the survey from across a variety of sectors including retail and wholesale, manufacturing and logistics, with over half of respondents (58%) who trade GB and NI stating they have experienced moderate or significant difficulties operating across the UK Internal Market.

Of those who move goods or provide services between NI and GB, 34% have halted trade with the other region entirely rather than contend with the Windsor Framework’s demanding requirements.

This pattern is most pronounced for GB firms cutting off NI customers (32% halted from GB to NI and 2% from NI to GB), a trend that could accelerate if compliance costs remain high.

Ongoing regulatory changes have undermined business planning, with the survey showing that of those affected by the Windsor Framework, 56% are “not confident” or only “slightly confident” in shaping their business strategy for the next 12 months, while only a minority (4%) felt completely confident.

As Head of FSB NI, Roger Pollen told NR, there are at least three cost layers to this.

“When a specific shipment goes wrong and has to be returned and brought back again, there is the cost in that. There could be the loss of the product and there is also the opportunity loss – if you do not have the product you are wanting to sell, there is that loss,” said Roger.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ROGER POLLEN IN THE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER, COMING SOON

The post Windsor Framework problems ‘not being tackled properly’ first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.