{"id":5046,"date":"2018-12-03T19:14:37","date_gmt":"2018-12-03T19:14:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/mike-ashley-calls-for-online-tax-to-save-the-high-street\/"},"modified":"2018-12-03T19:14:37","modified_gmt":"2018-12-03T19:14:37","slug":"mike-ashley-calls-for-online-tax-to-save-the-high-street","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/mike-ashley-calls-for-online-tax-to-save-the-high-street\/","title":{"rendered":"Mike Ashley calls for online tax to save the High Street"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Mike Ashley has called for a new tax on online retailers to help revive ailing town centres.<\/p>\n

The Sports Direct owner told MPs that the “internet is killing the High Street”.<\/p>\n

His answer is taxing all retailers that make more than 20% of their turnover online – and not just online-only operators.<\/p>\n

Mr Ashley said a tax would hit his own \u00a3400m online operation, but give retailers a reason to keep stores open.<\/p>\n

“I want to make it crystal clear: the mainstream High Street as we think about it today – not the Oxford Streets and the Westfields – are already dead. They can’t survive,” he told the Housing and Local Government Committee.<\/p>\n

“We have to realise the High Street won’t make 2030 – it’s not going to be there unless you do something really radical and grab the bulls by the horns. It won’t be there.”<\/p>\n

All parties, including landlords and the government bodies responsible for setting business rates, had to play a part in helping to save the High Street, Mr Ashley told the MPs.<\/p>\n