Boss of Beaverbrooks urges government to give businesses ‘a bit of a break’

Beaverbrooks, which operates 56 of its own stores, reported a slight fall in sales to £217m. Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer Beaverbrooks, which operates 56 of its own stores, reported a slight fall in sales to £217m. Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer Retail industry Boss of Beaverbrooks urges government to give businesses ‘a bit of a break’ Jeweller reports flat sales and fall in underlying operating profit as retailers anticipate October budget

Prefer the Guardian on Google The boss of the family-owned jeweller Beaverbrooks has called on the government to give business “a bit of a break” by halting cost increases amid flat sales and falling profits.

The retailer, founded in 1919, revealed a 9% fall in underlying operating profit to £7.8m last year after an increase in employer national insurance contributions (NICs) and the legal minimum wage introduced by the former chancellor Rachel Reeves .