More than 80 retail bosses urge Starmer to tackle youth unemployment crisis Retail More than 80 retail bosses have called on the Prime Minister to set out urgent measures to tackle youth unemployment, warning that the “ladder of opportunity for young people is wobbling”. The chiefs of leading retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and John Lewis have called on Sir Keir Starmer to safeguard the position of retail as [...]
TG Jones owner Modella buys Flying Tiger in latest high street swoop Retail Modella Capital has snapped up Flying Tiger Copenhagen in the private equity firm’s latest swoop on the British high street. The private equity firm sealed the previously trailed deal with Danske Bank and Nordea, the owners of Flying Tiger, on Wednesday. Modella bought Claire’s Accessories before shortly pushing it into administration and its empire of [...]
Retail sales plummet as Iran war hits consumer confidence Retail Retail sales plummeted by 1.3 per cent in April, as Brits cut back on spending amid increasing pressure from the war in Iran. The huge fall in retail sales volumes in April was the largest since May last year and defied economists’ forecasts of a softer drop. This comes after a 0.6 per cent rise in [...]
‘Political choice’: Retailers urge government to act on rising costs May 6, 2026 Retailers have urged the government to cut tax and red tape to counter soaring energy costs caused by the Iran war. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), an industry trade body, has accused Labour of making a “political choice” not to cut energy taxes and delay costly regulation to avoid the worst shop inflation. The effective [...]
Controversial £2bn packaging tax could be scrapped as food inflation looms May 5, 2026 The government is reviewing a controversial £2bn sustainable packaging tax as it faces increasing pressure from retailers to prevent food prices from soaring. The Treasury is reportedly looking at potential changes to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) tax, which requires large businesses to pay towards the cost of disposing of their packaging. Retailers have been [...]
BRC chief: Red tape ‘weighs heavily’ on retailers April 23, 2026 Helen Dickinson, the boss of leading trade body the British Retail Consortium, believes red tape “weighs heavily” on retailers. She speaks to Felix Armstrong about food inflation, workers’ rights and her meeting with the Chancellor. Helen Dickinson was six weeks into her job as chief executive of the BRC when the horsemeat scandal landed on [...]
Easter boosts high street footfall but retailers hold their breath April 10, 2026 Retail footfall jumped in March as Easter boosted shopping activity, but business leaders fear tax and employment costs could yet cause havoc. Total footfall in the UK increased by 2.4 per cent last month, according to trade body the British Retail Consortium (BRC), offering a welcome boost for retailers after wet weather drove shoppers away [...]
Shop prices creep up as retailers brace for Iran war supply chain disruption March 31, 2026 Shop price inflation edged up in March as cost rises related to the Iran war began to take effect. The cost of shop items increased by 1.2 per cent year on year in March, up from 1.1 per cent in February, according to data compiled by NIQ for the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The BRC [...]
Shop price inflation eases in relief for cash-strapped Brits March 3, 2026 Shop price inflation slowed in February, as retailers introduced a raft of promotions to ease the cash burden on struggling shoppers. The price of goods in UK shops grew at a rate of 1.1 per cent in February year on year, down from the 1.5 per cent rate of inflation seen in January, according to [...]
Currys shares soar after retailer defies high street gloom January 21, 2026 Shares in tech retailer Currys soared this morning after the firm released an upbeat Christmas trading update, defying wider gloom on the high street. The London-listed firm recorded a three per cent uptick in UK and Ireland revenue as it clawed a bigger market share from strong sales in mobile, as well as growth in [...]