World

Birmingham Photographer Faces High Costs as UK High Streets Struggle

By Sonia Gallego

Surpreet Suri runs a family photography shop on Birmingham’s Kings Heath High Street, a location that once offered visibility but now carries high running costs. He says the business is “working our fingers to the bone” and is living month to month, earning less than the minimum wage of £12.21 an hour. Suri’s expenses include business rates, rent, VAT, wages, pensions, energy and specialist materials; for example, refilling a professional printer costs about £2,000. He notes that online retailers account for 28 % of UK retail sales, adding pressure on independent shops.

The UK government’s Wednesday budget will consider further relief from business rates, but Suri believes a rate cut alone will not solve the problem. He argues that the high street needs broader changes, including easier enforcement of tax rules and support for entrepreneurs.

Nearly 14 % of high‑street retail units are vacant, and many customers now prefer online shopping or find the high street uninteresting. A parliamentary inquiry earlier this month highlighted that recent business‑rate reforms have not benefited smaller retailers and that some larger operators may evade taxes, giving them an unfair advantage.

Suri’s family business, which began 40 years ago and expanded to four locations, now operates a single shop. He is considering relocating to reduce costs, but he warns that the high street’s future depends on the government making it easier for independent businesses to thrive.