On line retailers without naming them operate with little high street presence , and other than seeing their name in the press or social media no one would have heard of them . They are able to operate on line and pay little if any business rates compared to their high street counterparts.
You may be interested in these active petitions
With the increasing competition and presure on prices it is inevitable that customers will search for a bargain. Searching for certain items will find it cheaper on line by a wide margin, and the imposition of an additional sales tax,say 5%, would diminish the edge on line retailers have. Increasingly aged individuals find it difficult to purchase on line since the technology is leaving them behind , and they find that the shops that they used for years simply are not there.