British Retail Consortium
This coverage focuses on the British Retail Consortium’s role, initiatives, and influence within the UK retail industry. Reporting includes policy advocacy, industry reports, regulatory developments, public statements, and leadership actions that shape the sector. With a focus on commercial implications and operational challenges, it provides valuable context for retail executives and managers navigating industry-wide issues and strategic decisions.
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May- 2019 -13 MayEconomy
Shop vacancy rate rises to highest level in four years
The national town centre vacancy rate rose to 10.2% empty outlets, according to data from the BRC-Springboard Footfall and Vacancies Monitor. This is an increase on the previous quarter’s 9.9% rise and the highest vacancy rate seen since April 2015. In the four weeks from 31 March to 27 April,…
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8 MayEconomy
Retail sales ‘below expectation’ in April
Retail sales fell below expectations in April, despite a total sales increase of 4.1% against the decrease of 3.1% the previous year, according to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. This was due to figures being “distorted” by the timing of the run-up to Easter, which was in April this…
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Apr- 2019 -25 AprilEconomy
74,400 retail jobs lost in first three months of 2019
The retail sector saw a 2.4% year-on-year drop in the number of employees in the first quarter of this year, equating to a loss of 74,400 jobs. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), this is a higher reduction than the 2.2% drop seen in 2018. The trade organisation said…
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9 AprilEconomy
Brexit uncertainty slows retail sales in March
UK retail sales decreased by 1.1% in March, compared with the increase of 1.4% in 2018, according to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. Over the three months to March, in-store sales of non-food items declined 1.5% on a total basis and 1.7% on a like-for-like basis. This is above…
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3 AprilEconomy
Shop price inflation hits highest level in six years
Shop price inflation accelerated in March to 0.9%, up from 0.7% in February, the highest inflation rate since March 2013. The figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen’s Shop Price Index also revealed that food inflation had increased by 2.5% in March, up from 1.6% in February. This…
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1 AprilEconomy
Shops, pubs and restaurants to get £500m tax reprieve
Small firms on England’s embattled high streets are set to share in half a billion pounds worth of tax cuts as business rates bills are slashed, real estate adviser Altus Group has said. The government announced a business rates discount scheme for small sized high street properties in England which…
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Mar- 2019 -22 MarchHigh Street
Crime cost retailers £1.9bn last year
The British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) annual Retail Crime Survey has revealed the total cost of crime and crime prevention for retailers was £1.9bn last year. This was up 12% from the previous year (£1.7bn) and was made up of £900m direct cost from retail crime, and £1bn spent in efforts…
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21 MarchAdvice
How to curb e-commerce fraud as people migrate to online shopping
Figures from the annual BRC Retail Crime Survey report an exponential increase in e-commerce fraud, specifically fraudulent Card Not Present (CNP) refunds. As consumers shift away from spending on the high street and adopt a proclivity for online shopping, e-commerce fraud is growing at twice the rate of e-commerce sales.…
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11 MarchHigh Street
Feb footfall signals 15th month of decline
Footfall fell by 2% in February, a significant decline compared with the previous year, when it fell by 0.2%, and marks the fifteenth consecutive month of decline. According to the BRC’s figures it was also the weakest February in five years. High street footfall was found to have declined by 1.9%, marking seven consecutive months of weakening…
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5 MarchHigh Street
February retail growth hit by ‘Brexit uncertainty’
February retail growth was hit by “Brexit uncertainty” according to the BRC as on a total basis, sales increased by 0.5% in the month, a slowdown when compared with 1.6% in February 2018. This was found to be below both the three-month and 12-month averages of 0.9% and 1.2% respectively.…
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