AUGUST TRADE NEWS Bad weather blamed for shopping centre delay Chester council  not supporting retailers New rules 'won't help save retail centre' Irish shoppers look abroad for bargains British consumers spend more on beauty products Yorkshire town gets behind plastic bag reduction scheme Rising obesity prompts calls for VAT rule changes eBay restructures fee scheme to make fixed-priced sales cheaper Online sales boom despite slowdown Music retailer goes out of business Matalan named and shamed for how it treats wholesalers BCC slams higher parking charges proposals Booming wholesaler moves to new warehouse Market traders told to only 'shout quietly' London's retailers show growth despite gloom Counterfeit goods dealer sentenced to prison UK's smallest town protests supermarket plan More retailers and wholesalers going out of business Online retail sector predicted to expand rapidly Henley retailers protest development plans Retail sales continue to slow Tiffany appeals US court's eBay ruling Report criticises electricity suppliers' treatment of small businesses MK retailers protest Tesco expansion plan Yorkshire retailers protest supermarket move Manchester wholesaler shut down over fraud worries Businesses welcome plans to reduce red tape Rate hold accepted by small businesses Internet sales put pressure on the high street Huge counterfeit goods haul in Somerset Irish entrepreneur online retail plans Wholesaler sector set to struggle Staycations could help British retailers Retailers 'gloomy' about economic outlook Retailers report footfall continues to decline as consumers cut back Hidden door reveals huge counterfeiting operation in Manchester shop No recession for the UK this year East London wholesaler goes into receivership London mayor reveals plans to support small retailers Toy retailers defy gloom Retailers urged to embrace online sales Trade News Archive August 08 July 08 June 08 May 08 April 08 March 08 February 08 January 08 Subscribe to our newsletter   Go to The Wholesaler UK Directory 12th August 2008 Henley retailers protest development plans A group of independent retailers from Henley-on-Thames have said that development plans could put them out of business. The local Henley Standard reported that plans to turn the historic Henley Antiques Centre into flats could put several of the town's independent retailers out of business. It is believed that the owners of the building, which is home to a number of the town's small businesses, want to sell it to a property developer in the coming months. However, the independent retailers in question have said that such a move would leave them homeless and potentially force them to either relocate away from the town or wind up their operations. Doug Shepherd from the Henley Antique Centre told the paper: "I can't believe this has happened. I am absolutely gutted. "We were offered the premises for £1.2 million, which is an obscene amount. There is no way that these buildings are worth that, and no bank would lend you that sort of money." Mr Shepherd said that the move against the independent retailers risked turning Henley into a "clone town" as only large chains can now afford rents in the area.   (c) 2008 Adfero Ltd. Sponsor of August Trade News Tilting TV Brackets   Comment on this news story To comment on any story please click on the above link, put the story title in the subject line and please provide your name, trading style ie. retailer or wholesaler and the town where you trade.