BRC news and archive

Unseasonable weather triggers ‘disappointing’ June sales

The UK’s untimely summer has, quite unsurprisingly, had an impact on sales in the region for the month of June, during which time the retail market evidently flatlined. While the sun finally showed its face towards the latter half of the month, it appeared to be a little too late for British consumers, causing retail sales to remain largely at a...

BusinessFeatured

In the UK, a new Labour government is incoming: What this means for retail

In what has been a largely anticipated turnout, Labour has swung the election with a landslide majority, making Keir Starmer the UK’s next prime minister (made official once King Charles III formally requests him in during a ceremony later today). It marks the first change in government in 14 years, throughout which the Conservatives served at...

Business

BRC: Retail still lacking in the way of inclusion despite slight improvements

A new report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has outlined slight improvements in the UK’s retail sector in the way of diversity and inclusion, yet such elements remain tough to crack. Together with The MBS Group, the BRC released a Diversity and Inclusion in UK Retail report, looking into areas such as gender, ethnicity and disability,...

Business

UK inflation drops to 2 percent, hitting Bank of England targets

New figures drawn up by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown inflation in the UK fell to 2 percent during May, hitting the Bank of England’s target. According to ONS, the consumer prices index (CPI) rose 2 percent in the 12 months to May 2024, dropping from 2.3 percent in the 12 months to April. Including owner occupiers’ housing...

Retail

UK retail sales see ‘modest’ improvement for May

For the four weeks spanning April 28 to May 25, total retail sales in the UK saw a subtle increase of 0.7 percent year-on-year, against a growth of 3.9 percent in the same period last year. The figures came above the three-month average growth of 0.3 percent, yet below the 12-month average of 2 percent. While food sales shot up, non-food sales...

Retail

BRC calls on UK politicians to revitalise footfall as figures drop again

UK footfall continued to decrease over the period of April 28 to May 25, according to new figures by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), leading to the organisation calling on politicians in the region to help revitalise shopping destinations. Total footfall across the UK fell 3.6 percent YoY, up from a 7.2 percent decrease in April. Shopping...

Business

BRC: UK inflation returns to ‘normal levels’

Inflation in the UK is finally taking a turn for the better, with a new report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) showing that levels are returning to “normal” as food inflation begins to slow. Shop price annual inflation for the period between May 1 and 7 eased to 0.6 percent, down from 0.8 percent in the month prior. This was also below...

RetailFeatured

UK retail suffers dismal April sales amidst weather woes and Easter timing

April's retail sales in the UK took a hit, dropping by 4 percent compared to the same period last year, according to data from the British Retail Consortium. The timing of Easter played a role in this decline, with the holiday falling in March this year as opposed to April last year, skewing year-on-year comparisons. To counteract this...

Retail

UK shop price inflation eases, providing relief for consumers

Inflationary pressures seem to be easing for retailers, offering some respite for consumers, as shop price annual inflation in the UK softened to 0.8 percent in April, a decline from the 1.3 percent recorded in March. Shop Index data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and NielsenIQ marks the lowest shop price annual growth since December...

Business

Retail sales see boost in March but weather dampens clothing sector

Retail sales saw a slight uptick during March, increasing 3.5 percent according to new figures by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG. While this appears to be a positive improvement on the month prior, and coincides with a three-month average growth of 2.1 percent, it didn’t hit the more significant increase seen in March 2023, when...

Business

Greenwashing: BRC boss warns retailers could pull back on eco-friendly practices

Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), has warned that a stricter approach to enforcing greenwashing regulations could cause retailers to take a step back with sustainability. Speaking to The Times, Dickinson said that there was “a real risk [retailers] will pull back and not feel confident to shout about...

BusinessFeatured

UK’s Spring Budget: What to know and how the industry is responding

Jeremy Hunt outlined his Spring Budget earlier this week and, like his prior Autumn Statement, was met with mixed reactions from the retail industry as a whole. His speech to MPs began by outlining the government’s achievement of lowering inflation from 11 percent, when prime minister Rishi Sunak came into office, to 4 percent, which Hunt said “...