British Retail Consortium

The Prime Minister’s ‘national effort’ to tackle youth unemployment is an important step forward and retailers are ready to play our part. Retail is the ladder into work for tens of thousands of young people every year. But record-high employment costs are holding back permanent hiring. Here are the three crucial next steps for government: 1. Establish a joint government-retail taskforce to simplify and enhance routes into employment for young people🤝 2. Bring down the cost of employing young people to help businesses create more jobs📉 3. Implement employment and skills reforms in a way that supports entry-level recruitment and progression⚖️ If the Prime Minister wants to provide jobs and opportunity to young people, he should #BuyIntoRetail. We look forward to partnering with Government to achieve this. Andy Burnham | 10 Downing Street | GOV.UK https://lnkd.in/duMx6xBn

🚨 NEW: Consumer confidence edges up for third consecutive month, but sentiment remains at historic lows Our latest Consumer Sentiment Monitor, delivered in partnership with Opinium (Insights with impact), shows expectations for the economy have risen six points, to a negative balance of -37, while personal spending on retail has declined by four points. Helen Dickinson: "This improvement should not be mistaken for recovery: only around one in ten expect the economy to improve in the future, and spending intentions remain more modest." 👇 Read more below, or follow the link in comments for the full press release. https://lnkd.in/eJCxG6qN

Our Lead Economist Harvir Dhillon responds to the latest Office for National Statistics CPI figures... 📌 Headline inflation down to 2.6% 📌 Food inflation down to 1.7% 📌 Food prices fell on the month "It is vital that the new Government prioritises maintaining this momentum and works with retailers to keep prices down, as any reduction in cost burdens will help keep a lid on prices." Read more at the link below 👇 https://lnkd.in/eBUhdinW

Helen Dickinson joined Radio 5 Live this morning to discuss the lates Office for National Statistics Labour Market Statistics. While today’s figures are welcome, unemployment is still up year-on-year - it is clear that more must be done. Retail is one of the UK’s biggest job creators, but rising employment costs are making recruitment harder. The arrival of a new government is the perfect opportunity to deliver pragmatic reforms that reduce employment costs and make entry-level recruitment easier, supporting pathways for young people into the workforce. Now is the time for policymakers to #BuyIntoRetail and accelerate progress on this issue. Listen to the full interview below 👇

Timing is one of the biggest barriers to leadership development in retail. The people most ready to grow are often the hardest to release. That's why we’ve decided to run our flagship programme, Leaders Summer School, in September for the first time. The programme has always run over the summer however, feedback from L&D teams made a consistent point: peak trading, annual leave and cover demands can sometimes make it difficult to release mid-level leaders during those months. This new date responds directly to that. Delivered virtually and starting the week commencing 21 September 2026, it carries the same programme, speakers and cohort model as the established Summer School: ✅ The four-lens framework: People, Planet, Profit, Purpose ✅ The Business Simulator, applied to live retail challenges ✅ A cohort of mid-level retail leaders developing together ✅ Ten weeks of structured leadership development The programme supports mid-level and people managers moving from operational delivery to strategic leadership, one of the most common development gaps retailers face. Please reach out directly to our Head of Learning, Vicki Young, or visit our website to find out more information - link in comments👇

Today we launch our #BuyIntoRetail Manifesto - a rallying call from the retail industry. We are calling on policymakers to recognise the value of the everyday economy, support businesses rooted in their communities, and reduce the burden on retailers so that they can drive investment, support jobs, and deliver growth. With a new incoming Government committed to a high street renaissance, it's time to partner with the retail industry to make that ambition a reality. It's time to Buy Into Retail. Read the manifesto in full at the link in comments 👇 https://lnkd.in/dhukPQWw

🤝 Retailers welcome the proposed reforms to strengthen the Modern Slavery Act in the Immigration & Asylum Bill, which successfully passed its second reading this week. ➡️ This is a significant policy milestone for the UK retail sector. Mandating more stringent reporting requirements, strengthening accountability, and introducing meaningful enforcement with direct financial penalties is a necessary step to ensure greater transparency across British supply chains. 🗣️ But disclosure alone will not root out exploitation. As Andrew Opie outlined, we hope this legislation will act as a catalyst for "greater due diligence requirements on human rights and the environment." 💡 Establishing a robust regulatory baseline will ultimately give consumers, businesses, and investors absolute confidence in the ethical standards we set for the industry. We look forward to continuing our work with the Government to ensure these vital protections are implemented effectively. 👉 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eWtEWR9p