BRC news and archive

UK fashion sales weaken in April as consumer confidence falls

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show UK non-food retail sales declined in April as weak consumer confidence impacted discretionary spending. According to the BRC, total UK retail sales fell 3 percent year-on-year in the four weeks to May 2, while non-food sales declined 3.3 percent. In-store non-food sales dropped 4 percent...

Retail

UK retail footfall falls in April as consumer confidence weakens

UK retail footfall declined in April as consumer confidence weakened amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to new data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Figures from BRC-Sensormatic showed total UK footfall fell 11 percent year-on-year in the four weeks to May 2, reversing the 2.4 percent increase recorded in March. High...

Retail

BRC warns of rising costs as Middle East conflict adds pressure

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has called on the UK government to act on rising domestic cost pressures, as new polling shows growing concern among consumers over the impact of the Middle East conflict on prices. Research commissioned by the BRC found that 80 percent of people are worried the conflict will lead to higher food prices, while...

Retail

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...

Retail

UK retail sales rise in March, fashion and footwear lag behind

British Retail Consortium (BRC) has reported a rise in UK retail sales for March, though fashion and textile categories continued to lag behind broader growth. Total retail sales increased 3.6 percent year on year in the five weeks to 4 April, supported largely by stronger food performance. Non-food sales, however, rose just 0.9 percent,...

Retail

UK retail crime: 14 million witness violence against workers annually

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Opinium have highlighted the continued scale of retail crime across the UK, with more than 14 million people witnessing violence or abuse against retail workers over the past year. According to the survey, 21 percent of shoppers reported seeing incidents such as racial or sexual abuse,...

Retail

Wet weather impacts February sales

UK retail sales saw limited growth in February as subdued consumer spending weighed on performance across much of the sector. Over the four weeks from February 1 to 28, total retail sales increased 1.1 percent year-on-year, matching growth recorded in February 2025 but falling below the 12-month average growth of 2.3 percent, according to new...

Retail

UK footfall sees sharp decline in February as wet weather impacts activity

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic have revealed a sharp decline in UK retail footfall in February. Total visits dropped 4.7 percent year-over-year, a notable deterioration from January’s modest 0.6 percent decline. High streets saw the steepest fall, with footfall down 5.4 percent YoY, compared to a 1.9 percent...

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Business

UK Spring Forecast 2026: Economic outlook for retail businesses

The UK government has set out its new Spring Forecast 2026, with chancellor Rachel Reeves telling Parliament that her economic plan is “the right one” for a more uncertain world. For retail businesses, the key talking points were reports of inflation falling, borrowing allegedly being lower than expected, and household incomes that are...

Retail

Rising employment costs threaten retail jobs new BRC survey reveals

The retail sector is already under pressure, balancing a fragile economy and low consumer confidence. The implementation of the Employment Rights Act, which came into force in January, could only heighten this pressure, with a new report from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) emphasising particular concern regarding labour costs. The...

Retail

BRC: Retailers adopt cautious optimism as footfall remains flattish in January

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic have revealed a slight drop in footfall for the UK in January. Despite a decrease of 0.6 percent year-over-year, performance was more promising than the disappointing Christmas period, during which footfall fell 2.9 percent. High streets experienced the sharpest drop at 1.9...

Retail

UK retail sales pick up in January

Following a disappointing December, total retail sales picked up in the UK during January, as discounting enticed shoppers. Over the month, sales rose 2.7 percent year-on-year, increasing against a growth of 2.6 percent at the beginning of 2025, new BRC figures have shown. January performance came above a 12-month average growth of 2.3 percent,...