Last Thursday we all heard the news few of us anticipated or believed.
That Queen Elizabeth II had passed peacefully at her beloved Balmoral at the age of 96.
Now as Britain mourns the death of our longest-serving monarch, many businesses might be thinking about how her majesty’s death will impact them over the following few days of official mourning.
Bank Holiday
Businesses across Britain have announced that they will be closing on Monday, September 19th as a mark of respect for Queen Elizabeth II ’s funeral, which has now been declared a bank holiday.
Retailers are not required to shut their doors on the day of the funeral, and others may choose to open for reduced hours, as many regularly do on other bank holidays.
The government guidance states: “Some businesses may wish to consider closing or postponing events, especially on the day of the state funeral, however, this is at the discretion of individual businesses.”
While most supermarkets have confirmed plans to close for the day of the funeral, such as Sainsburys, Lidl and Aldi, however some have made some exceptions.
Co-Op and Tesco Express stores will be open in the evenings from 5pm, and a small number will stay open in Central London and Windsor to accommodate those attending the funeral.
A very limited number of Waitrose’s stores may also be open on the route of the funeral procession to serve those attending – but these stores will close for the funeral itself.
Asda and Morrisons are yet to announce their plans for Monday 19th, however it is expected to close their stores altogether or operate at reduced hours, closing for 4 hours roughly between 10am-2pm.
Pubs
Pubs across the country will be opening their doors on the day of the Queen’s funeral, as thousands flock to London to mourn the Queen’s death.
A spokesperson from Fullers Group said “Fullers pubs will be opening on the day of the funeral to provide a place for people to come together and pay their respects.”
Some chains even said where possible they would screen the funeral, following the momentous and sombre death of the 96 year old.
Shopping Centres and Retailers
Retailers across the country are set to close their stores on the day of the Queen’s funeral as a mark of respect, however some shopping centres will stay open despite the number of stores closed inside.
Some of the main retailers to announce their closures on Monday 19th September are: Primark, John Lewis, B&Q and many more.
The Royal Mail and Amazon have also made the decision to suspend postal services on the day.
Interest Rates
The Bank of England were set to announce their decision over raising interest rates to tackle soaring inflation, however like many other financial institutions and unions they have postponed events as a mark of respect to the Queen.
The central bank said its rate-setting monetary policy committee (MPC) would hold its next meeting due on Thursday a week later than scheduled, as the UK observes a period of national mourning.
A statement from Threadneedle street said: “In light of the period of national mourning now being observed in the United Kingdom, the September 2022 meeting of the monetary policy committee has been postponed for a period of one week. The committee’s decision will be announced at 12 noon on 22 September.”
It was assumed that the Bank would raise interest rates by at least 0.5 percentage points, from the current level of 1.75%, to respond to inflation hitting its highest levels since the early 1980s.
Energy Bills Support
Businesses across the country were also expecting an announcement surrounding the talks on its energy bills bailouts this week, however, Government communications have shut down due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
While business leaders recognised the historical significance of the Queen’s death, they said it was unacceptable for Westminster to close down talks on implementation until parliamentary business returns on 21st September.
The new prime minister first announced details last Thursday and was expected to publish in the following few days, however government departments have now told businesses there will be no communication for at least another week.
We’ve covered what support has been announced so far here but further details won’t be revealed possibly until the mini budget announced for 23rd September.
Royal Warrants
Over 800 food and drink brands and retailers, that have been granted a Royal Warrant from the Queen, will also have to begin the reapplication process to allow them to continue to use the Royal Arms in connection with their business.
A Royal Warrant of Appointment is the document that appoints a company or individual in a trading capacity to the Royal Household, this entitles the holder of the Royal Warrant to use the Royal Arms in connection with their business, with many opting to display this on their premises, vehicles, packaging and in marketing material.
Following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, this document became void. However, the company or individual may continue to use the Royal Arms in connection with the business for up to two years, provided there is no significant change within the company concerned.
Some of the businesses that hold a Royal Warrant include Cadburys, Coca-Cola, Heinz, Selfridges and Waitroses, just to name a few.
The Royal Household will review Warrant grants upon a change of the reigning Sovereign. To qualify, businesses must prove that they supply products or services on a regular and on-going basis to the Royal Households of grantor/s for not less than five years out of the past seven. Amongst other things, applicants are also required to demonstrate that they have an appropriate environmental and sustainability policy and action plan.
The sad news about Her Majesty will also remind most business owners and directors of a truth they might have forgotten.
Those unforeseen events can have a profound effect on your business even if you knew there was a chance of them happening one day.
The best defence against being taken by surprise is always to be prepared and one way of making sure there are less negative impacts affecting your business is to get some free professional advice.
Our free initial consultations will be available after Her Majesty’s funeral from Tuesday and we’ll be happy to talk about what we can do to make your business more resilient and robust for what might be a challenging few months ahead.