Helen Dickinson
This coverage follows Helen Dickinson’s leadership and contributions to the UK retail industry. Reporting includes her public statements, policy advocacy, industry insights, and role in shaping retail strategies and government relations. Designed for senior retail professionals and decision-makers, it offers context on her influence over regulatory developments, sector challenges, and opportunities affecting retail operations and management.
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Jan- 2025 -9 JanuaryNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-9/1/25
The BRC-Nielsen IQ Shop Price Index showed shop price deflation at 1% in early December, up from 0.6% the previous month, reflecting strong discounting tied to a later Black Friday. Non-food prices fell sharply by 2.4%, though food inflation remained steady at 1.8%, its lowest since December 2021. BRC CEO…
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9 JanuaryEconomy
BRC warns of 2025 headwinds despite lower Xmas inflation
Consumers benefited from lower inflation for the week to 7 December 2024, according to the latest BRC-Nielsen IQ Shop Price Index, yet the British Retail Consortium anticipates fresh headwinds for the new year. The later timing of Black Friday in 2024 meant that the first week of December included the…
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7 JanuaryHigh Street
BRC warns of 2025 falling sales volume despite December sales growth
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned of possible falling sales volume in 2025 despite the modest increase in total retail sales experienced in December 2024. UK total retail sales in December 2024 increased by 3.2% year on year, against a growth of 1.9% in December 2023, according to new…
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Dec- 2024 -23 DecemberNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-23/12/24
Fashion retailer Quiz plans to delist from the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and re-register as a private company following weak sales and financial strain. A shareholder vote, requiring a 75% majority, is scheduled for 8 January 2025, with the transition set for 23 January if approved. The company cited regulatory…
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23 DecemberHigh Street
BRC warns of ‘spending squeeze’ in January
The British Retail Consortium has warned of a January spending squeeze, as BRC-Opinium data between 10 and 13 December showed that people’s spending intentions dropped 6pts. It comes as public confidence in the state of the economy “took a nosedive”, falling 8pts to -27, creating a widening gap between expectations…
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17 DecemberPeople Moves
Retail loses 225,000 jobs in five years
The retail industry has lost 225,000 jobs in the last five years, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). On a four-quarter average there were 40,000 less jobs in the industry compared with last year. Overall there were 2.81m jobs in retail in September 2024, although this…
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3 DecemberNews
UK retail sales dip 3.3% in November
UK total retail sales decreased by 3.3% year on year in November, against a growth of 2.6% in November 2023, the British Retail Consortium showed. According to the new figures, this was below the 3-month average growth of -0.1% and the 12-month average growth of 0.5%. However, the BRC said…
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Nov- 2024 -28 NovemberEconomy
Consumer confidence remains weak as Christmas approaches
Consumer confidence remains weak in the run up to Christmas, according to the the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Opinium Consumer Sentiment Monitor. It comes as the survey found that consumer’s expectations for their personal financial situation improved slightly to -3 in November, up from -4 in October. Meanwhile, their expectations for…
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25 NovemberHigh Street
BRC urges public to give retail workers gift of a ‘safe Christmas’
Ahead of Black Friday and the busy festive period, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and its retail members are calling on the public to “stand together against violence and abuse towards retail workers this Christmas”. The BRC said Christmas is an “incredibly complex and challenging time of year” for the…
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5 NovemberEconomy
Retail sales see weak growth in October amid pre-budget uncertainty
Total retail sales in the UK nudged up by only 0.6% in October, compared with a growth of 2.6% in October 2023, as retail was hit by ongoing uncertainty surrounding the autumn budget, the BRC has reported. The BRC also attributed this slowdown to the fact that the October half-term…
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