The U.K. government has announced that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, will order a £900 million (€1,010.4m-$1,149.0m) tax cut for small high-street retailers in the annual budget. The measure is meant to help physical retailers compete against Amazon and other online rivals. A further £650 million (€729.8m-$829.8m) will be available over the next four years for infrastructure, under-used property and transport access to shopping areas in city centers, adding a long-term dimension to the overall package. The U.K. has the highest proportion of adults shopping online in Europe, with more than 80 percent last year.

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