Spring Fair has welcomed government plans to expand small business rates relief, but its portfolio director says lower operating costs alone will not secure the future of high streets. The plans include raising the Small Business Rates Relief threshold for qualifying retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England from £12,000 to £18,000 from April 2027.
An estimated 70,000 additional businesses are expected to pay no business rates as a result. Eligible businesses will also benefit from a two-year real-terms freeze on business rates bills. The measures would reduce fixed costs for qualifying operators; they would not by themselves address footfall.
Positive step, wider action needed
Jackson Szabo, portfolio director of Spring Fair and Autumn Fair, described the measures as a positive step for independent retailers, many of whom face rising employment costs and pressure on margins. He stressed, however, that reducing operating costs alone would not secure the future of the high street.
Parking tops retailer priorities
Research from The Voices of Retail 2026, produced by Spring Fair and Autumn Fair in partnership with Faire, found that 96% of consumers believe independent retailers are important. Among consumers, 63% said free parking would encourage them to visit their local high street more often.
Among retailers surveyed, 38% identified free parking as the intervention most likely to benefit their business, compared with 34% who cited business rates relief. The results place parking ahead of rates relief when retailers were asked which measure would most help their business. They also highlight the importance of accessibility and footfall for independent retailers, including specialist greetings card shops that rely on customers visiting town centres to browse new designs and find cards for different occasions.
For those shops, the commercial case for parking is direct: they depend on shoppers making the trip into town and having the time to browse. The survey suggests that both consumers and retailers see access to town centres as a practical factor in whether those visits happen.
Petition seeks 90 minutes’ free parking
Spring Fair and Autumn Fair are campaigning for a minimum of 90 minutes’ free parking in town and city centres across England through a parliamentary petition. The organisers say the proposal could encourage more visits and give shoppers greater opportunities to explore local businesses. The campaign is a request for action, rather than a policy already in place.
Consumer appeal must become visits and sales
Szabo added that consumers continue to value distinctive products and the personal service offered by independent retailers, but that support must translate into visits and sales. That message links the rates changes and the parking campaign: cost relief can ease pressure on retailers, while access measures are presented as a way to bring customers through the door.
2027 edition dates
Spring Fair will return to the NEC Birmingham from 7–10 February 2027, bringing together retailers and suppliers across gifts, greetings, home and lifestyle.