British Retail Consortium

Superdrug FY profits jump 22.6% amid focus on value items

Superdrug has seen its full-year pre-tax profits jump by 22.6% to £136.8m, as store openings, refurbishments and a focus on value helped offset weaker UK footfall and pressure on consumer spending.  It comes as the health and beauty retailer saw its sales rise by 7% during the year to 28…

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Women hold half of retail board seats but ethnic diversity falls, BRC finds

Gender representation in retail boardrooms has increased significantly, with women now holding 47% of board seats compared with 32% in 2019, according to a report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and executive search firm the MBS Group. The report found that many retailers have invested in leadership development programmes,…

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Retail sales see sharpest monthly fall since December 2023

Retail sales volumes fell by 2.7% in May, according to the latest retail sales figures from the ONS, marking the sharpest monthly decline since December 2023. The fall followed a revised 1.3% rise in April and was driven largely by reduced spending in food stores and weaker sales of clothing…

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Warm weather fails to boost footfall in May

Retail footfall across the UK declined by 1.7% compared with May 2024, spelling a sharp drop from the 7.2% rise recorded in April, according to the latest data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic Solutions. The downturn affected most retail locations, with High Streets down 2.5% year-on-year, and…

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Retailers welcome £2bn police boost but urge for more action

Retail trade bodies have welcomed the £2bn funding boost for police forces in England and Wales, but cautioned that the investment alone will not be enough to tackle rising levels of high street crime. It comes as Rachel Reeves announced in yesterday’s Spending Review (11 June) that the police’s spending…

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ONS Data: Retail loses over 360,000 jobs in a decade

Retail has lost over 360,000 jobs in the past decade, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), further highlighting the difficulties the sector is facing. The figures show there were 2.76 million jobs in retail in March 2025, while the four-quarter average, which smooths out…

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Retail sales rise 1% in May despite low non-essential spending

Total retail sales rose by 1% year-on-year in the four weeks to 31 May, up from 0.7% in the same period last year, despite customers cutting back on non-essential purchases, according to new figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC).  It comes as consumer confidence had risen in May, supported…

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One in 10 part-time retail jobs at risk by 2028, warns BRC

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that around 160,000, or more than one in 10, part-time retail roles are in danger of being lost over the next three years. The warning follows a new report published by the BRC which lays bare the threats to retail employment, which has…

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Discounters win out as grocery sales growth slows to 3% after Easter

Total Till sales growth slowed to +3% at UK supermarkets in the last four weeks ending 17 May 2025, following +9.6% recorded last month following a boost in Easter sales, according to new data released by NielsenIQ (NIQ). NIQ said the lower growth rate is a “reset” as shoppers reign…

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Fresh food prices drive food inflation up 2.8% in May

Food inflation increased to 2.8% year-on-year in May, rising for the fourth consecutive month, driven by a surge in the cost of fresh food, according to the BRC-NIQ Shop Price Index. It found that Fresh Food inflation increased to 2.4%, against growth of 1.8% in April. This is above the…

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