Discover brc

As the trade association for retail businesses, our purpose is to make a positive difference to the retail industry and the customers it serves, today and in the future.

We tell the story of retail, work with our members to drive positive change and use our expertise and influence to create an economic and policy environment that enables retail businesses to thrive and consumers to benefit.

We do this in a way that delivers value back to our members, justifying their investment in the BRC. This membership comprises over 170 major retailers - whether operating physical stores, multichannel or pureplay online - plus thousands of smaller, independent retailers through a number of niche retail Trade Associations that are themselves members of BRC. Our members deliver an estimated £180bn of retail sales and employ over 1.5 million employees. 

Retail is an exciting, dynamic and diverse industry. It is a driving force in our economy, a hotbed of innovation and the UK’s largest private sector employer. Retailers touch the lives of millions of people every day, supporting the vibrancy of the communities they operate in. However, the industry is going through a period of profound change, with technology transforming how people shop, costs increasing, and growth in consumer spending slowing.

Retailing will continue to evolve and advance. Online retail will continue to grow as retailers invest in new emerging technologies; there will be fewer stores and those stores remaining will offer new experiences; there will be fewer, but better jobs and a career in retail in the future will be very different to today.

We are committed to ensuring the industry thrives through this period of transformation.