The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has launched a ‘Manifesto for Retail’ after a challenging 2023.
The manifesto lays out the vision for a “better retail future” with a net zero, digitally transformed industry with higher skilled, better paid jobs and an improved shopper experience.
The trade association said three major fixes were needed to carry out the vision, centred around a more coordinated approach to tax and regulation, jobs, and net zero and the circular economy.
The news comes after the Official for National Statistics (ONS) revealed retail sales volumes dropped 2.8% across 2023, on the back of a 3.9% fall on 2022’s figures.
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BRC CEO Helen Dickinson said: “The UK has one of the most developed retail offerings in the world, employing three million people and playing a key role in every community in the country.
“As political parties gear up for the next election, we need a different way of working with government so that we can use the industry’s size, scale and reach to deliver more.
“That means removing the blockages which hold the industry back, preventing it reaching its full potential.”
She continued: “It’s time to support the upskilling of workers and accelerate our journey to net zero, while finding ways to address any unnecessary burdens on the industry and its sixty million customers.
“By delivering a more business-friendly approach to retail, the industry can deliver on its own vision – a net zero, digitally transformed industry which provides higher skilled, better paid jobs and more investment in local communities.
“It’s time to unleash the industry’s size, scale and reach to drive greater positive change.”
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