This afternoon Chancellor George Osborne will announce his sixth budget, sure to impact retailers‘ future decisions.

There will be “no giveaways. No gimmicks” Osborne has said, with potential for the government to be boosting consumer pockets by up to £6bn.

Important predictions that are set to influence retailers include:

A 12 sided pound coin

A newly designed 12-sided shape pound coin will be included in this £6bn figure, with anti-counterfeiting technology and two different metals, spelling good news for retailers suffering from illegal transactions in store. The coin hopes to combat the circulation of fake coins which currently adds up to a staggering £45m. Every penny (or pound) counts.

Stock Market

In light of this year‘s budget predictions, the FTSE 100 index is set to be up by 11 points, as Osborne‘s promise of action to support the oil and gas industry has pushed shareholders to the stock market.

Sainsbury‘s and Tesco have already benefitted from the increase in confidence, with Sainsbury‘s shares up yesterday by 4%, and Tesco‘s shares up from 8.5p to 241.4p.

Business Rates

Small businesses are likely to benefit from a review on business rates, with triple net shop closures in Britain affecting smaller businesses. A “radical reform” of business rates that are currently worth £20bn will hope to improve the high street, preventing smaller retailers spending mass money on rents they cannot afford.

Personal Tax Allowance

The amount of tax free income is set to rise to £10,600 next month, with predictions of a possible increase to £11,000. This means that consumers will have more dispensable income to purchase more luxury items. While this year has seen a rise in ‘budget Britain‘, an increase of ‘12 sided coins‘ in the public‘s pocket could mean better news for the high street‘s failing sectors, mobile phones and women‘s clothing. 18% of mobile phone shops closed last year, while a net total of 98 women‘s clothing stores were shut in 2014.

Pensioners selling annuities for a cash sum

Larger amounts of income will also be on hand for pensioners looking to sell annuities for a cash sum once they retire. According to the National Association of Pension funds, this will mean that a staggering 5m will be eligible to access pension money in the next five years.

Annuity sales dropped by 64% last year, showing an increase in demand for pensioners wanting to enjoy their money. This will have an impact on retailers, as Hymans Robertson – an Acturial firm highlighted that £6bn could be released from the pension pot from April to July.

Saga, a research firm, found that 8% of over 50‘s would buy themselves a few treats with the cash. The pension‘s minister, Steve Webb is aware that the reform will increase spending, citing that he‘s relaxed if people, “get a Lamborghini, and end up on the state pension”.

Broadband

Ultra fast broadband will possibly be introduced across the UK, paying attention to the ‘Northern Powerhouse‘. This is great news for businesses outside of London or major cities who want to ensure a speedy multi-channel business.

By creating a ‘Northern Powerhouse‘, demand for jobs outside of London will increase. This means more talent for Northern companies such as Boohoo, McVitie‘s, Misguided and Kellogg‘s. The plan will be centred in Manchester while also creating 100,000 new jobs in Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Liverpool. It will work on the infrastructure, energy, science and property in the cities.

Cut in beer duty

A cut on beer tax is great news for the 1m working in the beer and pub sector. It will increase the demand for beer, beneficial for those in the alcohol sector, who have recently suffered from alcohol consumption