TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY 2010 Retailers experience sales growth in February Online retailers to benefit from universal broadband Retailers face disproportionate utility costs Counterfeit goods seized in Norfolk BPF calls for public debate on CVAs NFRN quits JIG Tories reveal new supermarket planning laws NI independent fashion retailers folding Clothing retailers buck sales trend Isle of Man Tesco could 'impact' independent retailers Asda expansion threatens independents Scarborough's independent shops suffer rise in closure rate Small retailers 'not understanding shoppers' needs' Oxfordshire retailers come together to encourage local trade Scottish retailers left exposed to business rates UK retailers facing closure epidemic Computer chip counterfeiter prosecuted Village Shop of the Year named Family furniture retailer sees sales soar Counterfeit goods recycled Retailers receive grants to bolster security Inflation slow as retailers ignore VAT rise Uncertainty over economic policy Britons are biggest online shoppers   European visitors to The Wholesaler please click here   What’s New At The Wholesaler UK New Categories added recently Wholesale Fabric Tents and Camping Equipment Nautical and Marine Gifts Wholesale Golf Products Fireside Nostalgia, Nostalgic gifts, retro and vintage Wholesale Haberdashery Trade News Archive 2009  January   February   March   April   May   June   July   August   September   October   November   December Subscribe to our newsletter   Go to The Wholesaler UK Directory  24th February 2010 BPF calls for public debate on CVAs The British Property Federation (BPF) has called for a public debate on the fairness of company voluntary arrangements (CVAs). It is suggested that the adoption of CVAs, which allow retailers to downsize and reduce their debts and interest repayments while remaining solvent, are unfair on those outlets that are well-managed. A relatively new scheme, the process has come under pressure following plans by Blacks Leisure, which had entered into a CVA, to move back into some of the old premises it had left as a result of a CVA-assisted restructuring. Liz Peace, chief executive of the BPF, said that retailers had made leasing agreements of their own accord and should perhaps therefore be held fully responsible if things go awry. She said: "Landlords do not force retailers into agreeing leases or into expanding beyond their capacity. Clearly there is resentment over abuses of the system and we now need a public debate on how the system is taken forward." A CVA can only be put in place if more than 75 per cent of a chain's landlords agree to the arrangement. © 2010 Comment on this news story   Trade News Archive 2008  December   November   October   September August   July   June   May   April   March   February   January