Online marketplace Trouva has announced a new partnership with retail advisor Harper Dennis Hobbs (HDH) to help its indie partners tackle unfair business rates. The news reinforces the company’s ongoing mission to support its community of over 500 indie shops.
Retailers signed up with Trouva will be offered access to ‘no win, no fee’ bespoke business rates investigation and appeal services. The strategic partnership also provides shops with hands-on lease advisory services to assist with rent reviews, lease renewals and negotiations as well as expert assistance in sourcing and acquiring new stores.
Mandeep Singh, co-founder and CEO at Trouva, comments: “There has never been more uncertainty around the future of our high streets, and at Trouva we’ve long been campaigning for a reduction in business rates so that independent shops don’t continually get punished by this archaic tax. Although indies are starting to get help of sorts from the government via the Future High Street Fund, we see it as our responsibility to also make a practical difference to our community of boutiques. Independent stores don’t typically have the resource or budget to access tailored services from these real-estate experts, so by offering this service by a trusted partner and in a convenient and cost-efficient manner, we hope our community will benefit greatly.”