# Independent bookshop closing after rise in bills

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/independent-bookshop-closing-after-rise-in-bills/
- Published: 2026-11-10T06:22:52+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-10T07:22:17+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Business (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crx2dd92ne9yo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Business

## Key points

- Brentwood’s Chicken and Frog bookshop will close in January.
- Owner Natasha Radford cited rising bills and weak footfall.
- The shop also provided workshops and a sensory space.

## Summary

The Chicken and Frog, an independent bookshop in Brentwood, will close in January after 14 years, with owner Natasha Radford citing sharply higher bills and low town-centre footfall. Its closure matters to local families because the shop also offered workshops, a sensory space and support for neurodivergent children.

Radford said electricity bills had tripled and annual business rates rose from £2,868 in 2024 to £8,435 this year. She said a book bought for £4.05 typically sold for £6.99, leaving thin margins and little room to compete with larger retailers. The government reduced temporary business-rates relief from 75% to 40% in April 2025; the Treasury said a higher threshold in the autumn Budget would give some high-street businesses more breathing space, though not all would benefit.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.