BRC news and archive

UK sales growth slows in December as customers hold off for discounts

“It was a drab Christmas for retailers,” Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said in commentary on the organisation’s latest sales figures for the month of December. While total retail sales across the UK rose by 1.2 percent year-on-year, this reflected a slow down in growth for the month, which saw sales...

Retail

BRC: December footfall falters despite uplift in latter half

New figures from BRC-Sensormatic have revealed a notable decline in footfall for the month of December, as shoppers held off for post-Christmas sales. According to the data, total UK footfall fell 2.9 percent year-on-year (YoY), while for the three months to December, footfall decreased 2.2 percent. Compared to November, footfall was down 0.8...

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Retail

Britain’s retail recovery is running on fewer people

December trading numbers and footfall trackers may suggest that UK retail has steadied itself. But behind the apparent normality of peak season sits a more structural concern that cannot be solved with a strong weekend or a good Christmas run: the sector is operating with materially fewer people than it once did. For many retailers, staffing has...

Retail

Footfall drops in October marking sixth consecutive months of decline

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) have shown what is now the sixth consecutive month of decreasing footfall this year as consumer confidence remains weak across the UK. According to BRC-Sensormatic, total UK footfall fell 0.7 percent in October compared to the year prior. This came above the 1.8 percent decrease reported in...

Retail

UK retail sales increase in September yet shoppers delay clothing purchases

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) suggest a 2.3 percent year-on-year uptick in total retail sales for the month of September, as food sales drive performance. The figure came slightly ahead of September 2024, and was above the 12-month average growth rate of 2.1 percent. While food sales increased 4.3 percent, non-food sales...

Retail

UK Conservatives pledge to scrap business rates for high street retailers

The UK’s Conservative party has said they would abolish business rates for high street businesses, including retailers and pubs, if they were to win the next election. During a conference in Manchester, shadow chancellor Mel Stride said “the burden of Labour’s tax rises” have been "simply too much to bear”. Stride further claimed that 89,000...

Retail

Packaging EPR tax to “push up prices” for consumers

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is calling on the UK government to provide “great clarity” on how consumers and the environment will benefit from the new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme. New figures from the BRC reveal that more than 80 percent of the costs of the new packaging tax, which came into effect at the start of the...

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Business

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...

People

Former Matalan CEO Jo Whitfield names chair of BRC

Jo Whitfield, retail veteran and former chief executive for Matalan, has been appointed chair of the British Retail Consortium (BRC). She will succeed Andy Higginson, whose tenure comes to an end on October 2. Whitfield, who is the first female chair of the BRC, brings to the role 25 years of experience in retail, having previously served in...

Retail

July retail sales rise yet fashion experiences bumpy ride

Total retail sales across the UK rose by 2.5 percent year-on-year in July, according to new data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). While warm weather at the beginning of the month encouraged activity, the eventual return of rain impacted sales, particularly in fashion. “Fashion sold well early in the month, but deteriorated as weather...

Retail

Retail finance chiefs sound alarm over tax burden and inflation risks

A new survey from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has revealed mounting concern among retail finance leaders, as fears grow that government policy is fuelling inflation, job losses, and reduced investment across the high street. With the Chancellor preparing his next Budget, 56 percent of retail CFOs described their outlook for the coming...

Retail

UK: Inflation rises despite discounting in fashion sector

Inflation in the UK rose to 0.7 percent year-on-year in July, largely driven by increased prices among food. While non-food inflation rose to -1.0 percent, against a decline of -1.2 percent in June, food inflation rose to 4 percent YoY, according to new figures by the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The increase comes despite discounting in...