Mary Portas to open BRC summer school to push community engagement

Retail consultant and broadcaster Mary Portas is set to launch a development programme for leaders in the British Retail Consortium (BRC) to urge the adoption of community engagement within the sector.

Set to open in June, the BRC Leaders Summer School will focus on the divisive nature of retail, namely the contrast between companies competing on price and operational efficiency and those building cultural relevance through community and purpose. It's the latter that will bring success and longevity, Portas argues, and how to build on those foundations will therefore be at the centre of the school.

The session will set the tone for the BRC Learning’s flagship development programme, an initiative for mid-level retailers navigating a market shaped by shifting consumer priorities and changing behaviours. Portas will be joined by other speakers, such as Enolla Consulting’s Paul Anderson Walsh, Hawkwood College’s Alicia Carey, and Elite Mind’s Evelina Dzimanaviciute.

Speaking on the programme, Portas said: “The retailers planting roots right now in their communities are the ones who’ll still be standing in ten years. The ones still asking how cheap, how fast, how much can we squeeze out, are running a different race entirely. Summer School is exactly where that honest conversation needs to happen, and I’m looking forward to being part of it.”