British Retail Consortium news and archive

400 of Britain’s largest shops at risk, BRC warn

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is warning that 400 large-format stores, from department stores to supermarkets, are at risk of closure if the Government forces them into its proposed higher business rates tax band. New research from the BRC reveals that large stores would be at risk if they are included in the Government’s new business...

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Retail

December sales boost fails to save UK retail’s “Golden Quarter”

Christmas fails to save 2024 trading, as new data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG International reveals that UK total retail sales for the year increased by just 0.7 percent from 2023, while non-food declined by 1.5 percent. For the three months to December, known as the “Golden Quarter,” sales growth was 0.4 percent...

Retail

Industry leaders comment on September retail sales growth

Retail sales rose by 0.3 percent in September and increased 3.6 percent by value and 4 percent by volume. Three industry leaders comment on the latest figures: Kris Hamer, Director of Insight at the British Retail Consortium, said: “September saw the strongest retail sales growth since January, and the highest sales volume since March 2022. This...

Retail

UK retail sales show modest growth amid summer spending

Retail sales in the UK saw a slight uptick in August, driven by summer-related purchases, according to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. Total retail sales increased by 1 percent year-on-year, outpacing the three-month average growth of 0.4% but falling short of the 12-month average of 1.2 percent. Non-food sales, which includes fashion,...

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UK retailers see sustainability as a major business driver

A new study analysing the sustainability of the UK retail industry through a survey of British Retail Consortium (BRC) members has found that 85 percent of major retailers outline sustainability as a business driver. The report, ‘The Imperative to Act: Advancing Sustainability Maturity within the UK Retail Industry,’ conducted by BearingPoint,...

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Retail

Top 5 Strategies for Successful Retail 2024: Part 5, Be the Change You Want to See (and Buy)

In today's constantly shifting retail landscape, navigating immediate challenges while focusing on future expansion for success is essential. Retailers are facing high inflation, ongoing pandemic impacts, and geopolitical unrest, leading to increased costs and financial pressures for consumers. Despite these challenges, some retailers have...

Retail

BRC calls on retailers to make ‘meaningful change’ through D&I strategies

A report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has found that 66 percent of retailers in the UK have no specific targets when it comes to diversity and inclusion (D&I), prompting the organisation to urge for more “meaningful change” in this area. Titled ‘Diversity and Inclusion in UK Retail’, the report, made alongside The MBS Group, did note...

Retail

Retail jobs fall by 14,000 as retailers attempt to keep costs down

New figures from the Office for National Statistics have shown a significant decline in retail jobs over Q4 2022, as retailers continue their efforts to keep costs low. According to the government department’s Labour Market results, there were 3.12 million jobs in UK retail as of December 2022, down 14,000 year-on-year. Meanwhile, retail...

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Retail

Retail vacancies saw marginal decrease towards end of 2022

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) found that the UK’s retail vacancy rate saw a slight improvement compared to that of the previous year. In the fourth quarter of 2022, vacancies improved to 13.8 percent, 0.1 percentage points up from Q3 and 0.6 up compared to the same period in 2021. All locations were reported to have seen...

Retail

Christmas footfall highest since beginning of pandemic, according to BRC

Despite a shift in consumer confidence and their move towards essentials amid a cost-of-living crisis triggered by record inflation, footfall during the peak Christmas period was reportedly the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. According to the British Retail Consortium’s Sensormatic IQ data, total UK footfall for 2022 still fell 11.8...

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UK store vacancy rates drop, but rising costs put retailers at risk

A new report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has found that overall UK store vacancy rates had decreased to 13.9 percent in Q3, however it warned that rising business costs could put retailers at risk. In its report, the organisation said for this quarter there was a 0.1 percent improvement compared to the last, as Great Britain begins to...

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Retail

BRC publishes guideline on secondhand and pre-loved items

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has published a new guideline dedicated to secondhand and pre-loved items in a bid to help the industry work towards a circular economy. The report has been developed with input from retailers, resale platforms, charity retailers and industry experts and outlines steps businesses can take to adhere to the...