In this discussion on the reach of AI into the retailer’s world of estate management and property accounts payable, host Gary Marshall asks what functions could be helped by AI? 

Will it replace traditional estates / finance databases, or back-office teams? 

Can it drive greater efficiency than its human counterparts? 

Is there anything it couldn’t do – like negotiate a rent review?

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Go to ThatRetailPropertyGuy for more on Gary Marshall, Smarter Estates and the TRPG podcast. You can also check out the TRPG Blog for reading versions of key episodes.

For our niche 'Accounts Recoverable in Retail Property' business services, visit SmarterEstates

And find Gary and team on LinkedIn for regular updates and community info!

Host Gary Marshall discusses aspects of SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) as a means of Profit Protection and Compliance.  He highlights the need for well-documented process bibles which explain How to Do the function, but critically also explain WHY each step is necessary. 

He emphasises that the WHY is fundamental, to allow evolution without compromising the basic requirements for other stakeholders, including safety, compliance, financial reporting.

He discusses Knowledge Transfer, the advantage of using established SOPs to train new colleagues or handover to new teams, and the risks of losing established expertise.

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Never miss an episode! Follow and like That Retail Property Guy on your favourite podcast platform - available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and more.

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Go to ThatRetailPropertyGuy for more on Gary Marshall, Smarter Estates and the TRPG podcast. You can also check out the TRPG Blog for reading versions of key episodes.

For our niche 'Accounts Recoverable in Retail Property' business services, visit SmarterEstates

And find Gary and team on LinkedIn for regular updates and community info!

Host Gary Marshall discusses extreme wintry weather, and its impact on bricks & mortar retail, through reduced footfall, and additional costs such as heating, or repair, or losses due to storm damage. 

He highlights the challenges of maintaining comfortable working temperatures for store personnel while acknowledging the discomfort for customers transitioning from low external temperatures. 

He also raises awareness for retailers to carefully consider how to deal with costs and losses, to carefully Read The Lease to avoid picking up costs which should fall to the landlord, or be claimed on insurance.

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Never miss an episode! Follow and like That Retail Property Guy on your favourite podcast platform - available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and more.

Find out more and message us on the podcast website

Go to ThatRetailPropertyGuy for more on Gary Marshall, Smarter Estates and the TRPG podcast. You can also check out the TRPG Blog for reading versions of key episodes.

For our niche 'Accounts Recoverable in Retail Property' business services, visit SmarterEstates

And find Gary and team on LinkedIn for regular updates and community info!

Host Gary Marshall discusses the growing need for estate-management databases by retail tenants with leases, aligning leased-property data with finance function.  

He highlights how recent changes in accounting standards such as IFRS 16 and FRS 102 have driven the need for supportive software to hold relevant lease data, and to handle complex Discount Cash Flow calculations for Balance Sheet reporting. 

He describes the challenges of procuring tenant-friendly software among many landlord-biased applications, and of integrating contractual Property payments such as rent and service charge into a dominant Finance landscape built around Purchase Order numbers and invoices.

In conclusion, he highlights the need for cost-effective applications with ease of integration into established Finance databases, and the need for Subject Matter Expertise in managing consistent  input and output to ensure close control on costs, and optimised profit.

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Never miss an episode! Follow and like That Retail Property Guy on your favourite podcast platform - available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and more.

Find out more and message us on the podcast website

Go to ThatRetailPropertyGuy for more on Gary Marshall, Smarter Estates and the TRPG podcast. You can also check out the TRPG Blog for reading versions of key episodes.

For our niche 'Accounts Recoverable in Retail Property' business services, visit SmarterEstates

And find Gary and team on LinkedIn for regular updates and community info!

In this episode, host Gary Marshall discusses Business Rates and Pubs, particularly a recent U-Turn by the UK Government as it seeks to mollify Publicans who were outspoken about rates increases on their businesses.

Gary highlights the new discount being offered to pubs and live music venues, but not to any other business such as retail. He considers the example that this presents – pubs as a special case – to argue that the same argument applies to all businesses, and that this could be the opportunity to bring about greater change such as replacing the Business Rates system with a fairer and more relevant business tax.

Link to Gov.uk check Rateable Values https://lnkd.in/eEz3FVdy 

Link to BBC article, demands for Retail to be treated same as pubs   https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp80l2ndz5yo

Link from Commons Library on Rates/discounts   https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10460/

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Never miss an episode! Follow and like That Retail Property Guy on your favourite podcast platform - available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and more.

Find out more and message us on the podcast website

Go to ThatRetailPropertyGuy for more on Gary Marshall, Smarter Estates and the TRPG podcast. You can also check out the TRPG Blog for reading versions of key episodes.

For our niche 'Accounts Recoverable in Retail Property' business services, visit SmarterEstates

And find Gary and team on LinkedIn for regular updates and community info!

Host Gary Marshall welcomes Listeners to another series of That Retail Property Guy.  

Series 1 closed on a cliffhanger of upcoming FRS 102 accounting changes.  

Series 2 opens by checking back in on that – what consequences or observations have become apparent since it went live on 1st Jan?      

Gary reminds Listeners that changes to FRS 102 mean that the Balance Sheet must now recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for many leases, which requires data gathering, analysis, and discounted cash-flow values.   He urges tenants to reach out  to experienced advisers.

And from the perspective of a retailer as tenant, Gary recognizes the cyclical nature of retail estate management, as yearly activities come around again.  

He suggests some tasks in planning and budgeting for upcoming breaks or expiries, new acquisitions or disposals, as well as rent reviews, rates appeals, scrutinising service charge proposals and reconciling year-end accounts.  

As one example of Housekeeping, he highlights Business Rates where February is a key date, he urges occupiers to check that annual rates accounts are now clear, and to recover any credit balances, which could amount to thousands of pounds.  But he also highlights some of the challenges in identifying and recovering those credits.

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Never miss an episode! Follow and like That Retail Property Guy on your favourite podcast platform - available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and more.

Find out more and message us on the podcast website

Go to ThatRetailPropertyGuy for more on Gary Marshall, Smarter Estates and the TRPG podcast. You can also check out the TRPG Blog for reading versions of key episodes.

For our niche 'Accounts Recoverable in Retail Property' business services, visit SmarterEstates

And find Gary and team on LinkedIn for regular updates and community info!

New FRS 102 Accounting rules introduce changes to how lease liabilities are reported in a business' annual accounts. This episode considers the impact of lease length in those calculations, where breaks, options to extend, reversionary renewals and Minutes of Variation might have a substantial impact but protected renewals under the 1954 L&T Act might not.  

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Never miss an episode! Follow and like That Retail Property Guy on your favourite podcast platform - available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and more.

Find out more and message us on the podcast website

Go to ThatRetailPropertyGuy for more on Gary Marshall, Smarter Estates and the TRPG podcast. You can also check out the TRPG Blog for reading versions of key episodes.

For our niche 'Accounts Recoverable in Retail Property' business services, visit SmarterEstates

And find Gary and team on LinkedIn for regular updates and community info!

Newly amended UK domestic accounting standard FRS 102 kicks in 1st January 2026. This episode compares the old & new rules for recognizing lease incentives such as rent free or landlord’s contributions. Tune in to gain valuable insights, and ensure your business is prepared.

00:00 Introduction to FRS 102 and Podcast Overview

00:49 Understanding FRS 102: Basics and Implications

01:34 Lease Obligations and Financial Reporting

03:24 Calculating Lease Liabilities and Incentives

05:30 Rent-Free Periods and Break Options

08:35 Complexities of FRS and IFRS Reporting

09:14 Stamp Duty and Its Impact on Lease Accounting

10:45 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Never miss an episode! Follow and like That Retail Property Guy on your favourite podcast platform - available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and more.

Find out more and message us on the podcast website

Go to ThatRetailPropertyGuy for more on Gary Marshall, Smarter Estates and the TRPG podcast. You can also check out the TRPG Blog for reading versions of key episodes.

For our niche 'Accounts Recoverable in Retail Property' business services, visit SmarterEstates

And find Gary and team on LinkedIn for regular updates and community info!

Preparing for FRS 102:  Discount Rates when calculating Lease Liabilities

This episode is part of a mini-series focusing on the challenges faced by retailers as tenants, for the upcoming mandatory changes to domestic accounting standard, FRS 102, set to take effect on January 1, 2026. 

Host Gary Marshall explains the complexities of discounted cash flow calculations, and the importance of choosing the appropriate discount rate for accurate financial reporting

He suggests practical steps for small businesses, and some potential pitfalls for low-cost reporting solutions. Listeners are encouraged to consult with experienced accountants or FRS specialists!

00:00 Introduction to FRS 102 Changes

00:55 Understanding Lease Liabilities

03:01 Calculating Discount Rates

06:24 Discount Rate Options and Implications

10:05 Practical Considerations for Small Businesses

11:46 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Link to excellent article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/whats-new-frs-102-discount-rates-lease-accounting-harpreet-kaur-0ncte/

Send a text

Never miss an episode! Follow and like That Retail Property Guy on your favourite podcast platform - available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and more.

Find out more and message us on the podcast website

Go to ThatRetailPropertyGuy for more on Gary Marshall, Smarter Estates and the TRPG podcast. You can also check out the TRPG Blog for reading versions of key episodes.

For our niche 'Accounts Recoverable in Retail Property' business services, visit SmarterEstates

And find Gary and team on LinkedIn for regular updates and community info!

In this episode of 'That Retail Property Guy,' host Gary Marshall examines new FRS 102 accounting standards set to impact UK and Irish retailers from January 1, 2026, considering the challenges of transitioning existing leases to the new reporting method, the options available for doing so, and the potential impact on annual accounts. For Retailers with Leases, this episode offers valuable insights into preparing for the significant changes ahead. Tune in for practical tips to ensure a smooth and compliant transition.

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast

00:20 upcoming FRS 102

00:44 Challenges with Existing Leases

01:05 Basics of FRS 102

01:55 Impact on Retailers

06:01 Transitioning to FRS 102

06:24 Modified vs. Full Retrospective Application

09:47 Practical Considerations for Retailers

11:44 Conclusion and Suggestions

Send a text

Never miss an episode! Follow and like That Retail Property Guy on your favourite podcast platform - available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and more.

Find out more and message us on the podcast website

Go to ThatRetailPropertyGuy for more on Gary Marshall, Smarter Estates and the TRPG podcast. You can also check out the TRPG Blog for reading versions of key episodes.

For our niche 'Accounts Recoverable in Retail Property' business services, visit SmarterEstates

And find Gary and team on LinkedIn for regular updates and community info!