The British Retail Consortium continues to be at the forefront of the public discourse around the retail industry. Our recent focus around the Budget, Employment Rights Bill and packaging tax (EPR) have garnered significant attention in the media, across online, print, TV and radio. Check out this page (updated each Friday) to stay up to date with all the latest media coverage around our key campaigning areas.
24 May – 30 May 2025
27 May – Shop Price Index
Our Shop Price Index for May showed food inflation at its highest level in 12 months as retailers begin to take on the £5 billion in costs from the Budget. Given these costs, we stated that it is important the government avoids unintended consequences from future policies such as the Employment Rights Bill which could burden the industry further.
- The Times – Rising price of steak helps steer fresh food inflation to 2.4% (print)
- BBC News Online – Beef drives food inflation to highest in a year
- Daily Telegraph – Food gets more expensive as Reeves’s tax raid pushes up prices
- Guardian – UK food inflation rises for fourth month in a row as steaks beef up prices
24 May – ONS Retail Sales Index
We reacted to the latest ONS Retail Sales Index which showed strong sales growth in April as a result of good weather. We urged the government to ensure no shop pays more as a result of business rates reform to protect high streets across the country.
- I News – Warm weather boosts sales in April, especially food (print)
- Daily Express – Warm weather sparks retail sales rise (print)
17 May – 23 May 2025
22 May – Consumer Sentiment Monitor
Our latest Consumer Sentiment Monitor showed consumer confidence gradually improving as the trade outlook improved. The over 60s saw the biggest improvement though they remain the most pessimistic of all generations. We reiterated our ask for the reintroduction of tax-free shopping to boost growth.
- The Times – Jobs rise defies fears that payroll taxes would drive unemployment
- Retail Week – Flurry of UK trade deals improve consumer confidence
19 May – UK-EU trade agreement
We welcomed the government new UK-EU trade agreement which will see the removal of SPS checks, easing the administrative burden on retailers who import from and export to the EU. We asked that the next steps should focus on alignment on environmental and product safety regulation:
- The Times – EU trade deal welcomed by British business – with some caveats
- Telegraph – Starmer trying to ‘kiss goodbye to Brexit’
- City A.M. – ‘A leap forward’: UK plc on the EU deal (print only)
- Standard – PM defends ‘common sense’ EU deal as critics condemn ‘surrender’ to Brussels
19 May – Tax free shopping
We signed a joint letter with three other trade associations pushing for tax-free shopping to be reintroduced in the UK. Our ask got picked up in a few outlets:
- The Times – Businesses urge Rachel Reeves to reinstate tax-free shopping
- I News – Businesses call for return of tax-free shopping for tourists in wake of tariff chaos
- Daily Express – Rachel Reeves issued damning high street warning over VAT blunder
11 May – 16 May 2025
14 May – Trade
With the UK/EU Summit taking place on Monday we made it clear that the retail industry would welcome any reduction in SPS checks, easing the administrative burden on retailers.
- Daily Telegraph – EU offers Briain truce in ‘sausage war’ – but it comes at a cost
13 May – Retail Sales
Our Retail Sales Monitor for April showed retail sales boosted by a late Easter and some sunny weather. We called on the government to ensure no shop pays more as a result of business rates reform, easing the burden on high streets and communities across the country.
- Guardian – Spending in April boosted by sunshine says Barclays
- The Times – Sunny weather boosts retail sales with rise in DIY and gardening
- Daily Telegraph – Sunniest April on record boosts retail spending (print)
3 May - 10 May
9 May – Footfall
Our footfall monitor for April showed a healthy improvement in shopper traffic as a result of a later Easter and some sunny weather. We called on government to ensure business rates reform leaves no shop paying more, paving the way for increased investment in high streets.
- Independent – ‘Small but positive’ rise in retail footfall as sunny April encourages shoppers
- Mail Online – Retailers boosted by rise in footfall last month, figures show
7 May – EPR amendments
DEFRA announced some minor amendments to the EPR. These didn’t go far enough, failing to address our call for the money to be ringfenced and used to improving recycling in the UK. We briefed the Grocer and the article below outlines our concerns.
4 - 5 May – Closure of Beales and the burden on the high street
The closure of Beales has brought up many of the challenges facing the UK high streets. We used the opportunity to reiterate our concerns around rising NI, higher NLW and the new packaging tax.
- Mail on Sunday - And if hackers are not bad enough … Rachel Reeves is killing the High St
- Telegraph – Labour ‘taxing high streets out of existence’
26 April – 2 May 2025
2 May – Cyber attacks
In light of recent cyber attacks, the BRC has been responding to journalists to explain the efforts retailers are making to prevent against further attacks and we urged the public to have patience while issues were being resolved. Our response got good pickup, including an interview with our CEO, Helen Dickinson, on the Today Programme.
- BBC Radio 4 Today Programme - Helen speaks to Today - 7.53 a.m.
- Mail Online - Britain's M&S enters second week of sales disruption after cyberattack
29 April – Lobbying on Employment Rights Bill
As part of our lobbying efforts on the Employment Rights Bill, we published the results of our HR Directors survey. Most said the Bill would reduce job flexibility and hiring while 70% of HR Directors said the bill would have a negative effect on their business. We used this survey to raise member concerns around the Bill as it enters The House of Lords. There was widespread coverage across all forms of media.
- City A.M. - Employment Rights Bill will ‘cut retail staff numbers’ (front page)
- Mail Online - Angela Rayner's plans for workers' rights will force firms to slash jobs and put up prices, retail bosses warn
- BBC News Online – Graduates turned down by supermarkets as vacancies drop
29 April – Shop Price Index
Our BRC-Nielsen IQ Shop Price Index for April showed food inflation rising to its highest level in 11 months following the £5 billion of additional costs which hit the industry last month. We urged the government to ensure that the Employment Rights Bill does not add to the burdens already on the retail industry.
- Daily Telegraph – Food prices jump in reply to minimum wage increase
- Sky News Online – Food inflation highest in almost a year – more to come, industry warns
- Bloomberg – UK Food Prices Rise Most in 15 Months as Tax Hike Starts
18 April - 25 April
24 April - Consumer Sentiment Monitor
Our Consumer Sentiment Monitor for April showed consumer confidence plummeting to a record low as a trade war looms. Despite this, good weather did boost the confidence of Gen Z, who plan to spend more on eating out.
- City A.M. - Threat of global trade war pulls down Brits' economic confidence
- Daily Telegraph - Confidence plunges to record low as Trump trade war hits
- Daily Express - Donald Trump sends British economy plunging to record low with latest horror move
24 April - Retail crime
We responded to the latest ONS shoplifting statistics. Our quote highlighted that the ONS continue to significantly underestimate the problem and that our own Crime Survey contained more accurate figures.
- Guardian - Shoplifting offences in England and Wales at highest level ever recorded
- Retail Gazette - Data: Shoplifting soars to highest levels since police records began
23 - 24 April – Tariffs
We continued to spread messaging to ensure that retailers' concerns were heard around UK de minimis rule and achieved success when the UK Government announced that they intend to review the customs treatment of Low Value Imports.
- The Times - Shoppers warned they will pay for shipping disruption from tariffs
- BBC News - Interview with BRC CEO, Helen Dickinson, on the government's review into the de minimis rules, 7.35 a.m.
12 April - 17 April
15 April - Retail Sales
Our Retail Sales Monitor for March showed sales increasing despite a later Easter this year. We used the statistics as an opportunity to make the point that for more investment across the country no shop should pay more as a result of business rates reform and that the Employment Rights Bill must not reduce the availability of part-time and entry level jobs. We got good coverage across print and digital platforms.
- Guardian - 'Welcome green shoots': warm March weather gives 1.1% lift to UK retail sales
- Bloomberg - UK Consumer Spending Remains Strong in Boost for Growth Hopes
- The Times - Jump in retail sales raises hopes of a bumper Easter (print only)
14 - 15 April - Tariffs and 'dumping'
Following the announcement of heavy tariffs on Chinese goods from the US administration, we briefed journalists to make sure retailers' concerns were heard around UK de minimis rule which would allow Chinese goods to be 'dumped' onto the UK market at little to no cost. Our coverage also included Helen Dickinson's op-ed for Retail Week.
- Retail Week - Traders from outside the UK may take advantage of our de minimis rule to sell displaced US stock
- Financial Times - UK retail bosses raise fears of Chinese 'dumping' due to Trump tariffs
- Daily Telegraph - Retail chiefs raise alarm on China 'dumping' goods in UK market (print only)
13 April - EPR
Andrew Opie's comment was used in a City A.M. article which highlighted the inflationary impact of Extended Producer Responsibility. Andrew's comment highlighted the fact that in light of other costs EPR costs will go onto prices.
5 April - 11 April 2025
11 April - Retail Crime
Off the back of an investigation by the Sun into retail crime, we have pushed our statistics showing the scale of the issue.
- The Sun - Brazen thieves filmed stripping Greggs’ shelves bare across broken Britain with staff powerless to stop (Page 5)
- BBC News (5.45pm) – Helen Dickinson interviewed
- Talk TV (9.20am) – Tom Holder spoke to Mike Graham on the issue
11 April – March Footfall
Our latest data shows footfall down 5.4% on last March, though this was largely due to the shift of Easter. We have used it as an opportunity to talk about the challenge for consumer confidence given the trade war between the US and China. We also called for fixes to both the business rates and employment rights reforms.
- Daily Mail - Tariff carnage could hit Britain's already battered High Streets, warns the British Retail Consortium
- Scotsman - Scottish shopper footfall latest: Will an Easter rebound lift retailers’ spirits?
- Belfast Telegraph - Retail footfall in NI slumps by 9% as retailers face ‘challenging circumstances’
7 April 2025 – Surge in retail crime in Scotland
David Lonsdale wrote an Op Ed in the Herald on the rise in retail crime in Scotland:
6 April 2025 – NIC and NLW rise
Last Sunday we put out a PR to push the impact of NIC and NLW rises on the availability of flexible, local and entry-level jobs.
- Independent - Rise in national insurance to hit jobs and investment, high street bosses warn
- The Sun - TAX BOMB Business chiefs warn of high street bloodbath as Labour’s £25billion tax raid comes into force
- Daily Express - Garden centres are being battered by Rachel Reeves in 'triple whammy' tax hit
- City AM - Reeves’ £25bn national insurance tax raid has arrived. What happens now?
31 March - 4 April 2025
3 April 2025 – Payments Systems Regulator (PSR) consultation
BRC Payments Adviser responded to the PSR’s long-awaited consultation outlining their proposals to tackle harms in card scheme and processing fees market. We put out a PR in response, outlining that these proposals fall well short of what is needed to fix existing problems.
• The Times (Print) – “Retailers hit out at credit card reforms”
1 April 2025 – April Cost Cliff Edge
We spoke to City AM about the impact of the various costs incoming from this month on retail jobs, investment and prices. They quoted us calling the costs a “bombshell” and “This huge cost burden will undoubtedly reduce investment in stores ad jobs, and is likely to lead to higher prices.”
• City AM - British firms brace for ‘eye-watering’ April cost hikes
1 April 2025 – BRC-NielsenIQ March Shop Price Index
We published our March Shop Price Index, which showed overall shop price deflation at -0.4%. But, food rose to its highest rate of inflation since June 2024, at 2.4%. We used it as an opportunity to warn about higher prices as result of new costs, and the risks of the Employment Rights Bill and Business Rates reform making the situation worse. There was widespread coverage in the nationals, including:
• Telegraph - Reeves’s minimum wage rise and tax raid ‘to cost 85,000 jobs’
• The Times - Shop prices fall as retailers try to stoke demand
• Mail Online - Shop prices fall again but retailers warn hikes are on the way
29 March 2025 – Employment Rights Bill
Helen spoke to Delphine Strauss (Financial Times) to discuss how the Employment Rights Bill could impact entry-level and flexible jobs.
• Financial Times - Low-paid workers to bear the brunt of coming rise in UK labour costs
24 – 28 March 2025
26 March 2025 – Spring Statement Reaction
The BRC issued its response to the Chancellor’s Spring Statement. While very little in the statement was directly relevant to the retail industry, we used it as an opportunity to point out what the industry needs from Government to support the Chancellor’s goals around growth which she highlighted in her statement. Coverage included:
• The Sun - Business leaders complain Spring Statement fails to ease burden for companies bracing for ‘awful April’
• Daily Mail - Business is fed up with Labour's higher taxes and new workers' rights, says CBI chief
• City AM - Spring Statement 2025: ‘Missed opportunity’ to avoid hospitality cliff edge
• Drapers - Retail reacts to Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement
• Retail Week - Spring statement brings no new pain for retail – but no relief either
26 March 2025 – ONS Consumer Price Index Response
On Wednesday, the ONS published their monthly Consumer Price Index, which showed headline inflation fall to 2.8%. We used it as an opportunity to not only comment on the figures, but also push our ask that business rates reform does not result in any shop paying more in light of other costs coming this year. Coverage of our response included:
• The Independent, Why has inflation fallen and what does it mean for households?
• The Grocer, Food inflation steady at 3.3% as industry braces for spring budget
24 March 2025 – Pre-Spring Statement
BRC Chairman, Andy Higginson, appeared on The Today Programme to talk through the impact of Budget policies on retail, and what we would need to see from the Government in the Spring Statement on Wednesday.
• The Today Programme (1 hr 19 mins in) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00298gz
24 March 2025 - Five Years Since Covid Op-ed
BRC CEO Helen Dickinson and Usdaw General Secretary penned a joint op-ed looking back at the pandemic and celebrating the actions of the heroic people working in the retail industry.
• Retail Week - ‘On Covid’s five-year anniversary, remember the retail staff who worked day in, day out’
23 March 2025 – P6 quote in Print Sunday Express “Taxes will only make it harder to get people off benefits”
Helen Dickinson was quoted on P6 talking about the vital role of retail to flexible jobs and getting people back into work. Helen explained how the rises to employer NICs threatens this flexibility.
15– 21st March 2025
21st March 2025 – Payments op-ed
In light of the decision from the government to incorporate the Payments System Regulator (PSR) into the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), our Director of Business and Regulation, Tom Ironside, wrote an opinion piece in City A.M. outlining why it was vital that the FCA continued the work of the PSR, continuing to regulate card fees to ensure retailers get a fair deal in the payments market.
• City A.M. - https://www.cityam.com/the-fca-must-continue-work-on-cutting-card-fees/
20th March 2025 – Consumer Sentiment Monitor
Our BRC-Opinium Consumer Sentiment Monitor for March showed consumer confidence stabilising. We used the release to urge government to use the Spring Statement to inject some confidence back into the economy, especially in light of the wave of additional costs retailers are facing from next month. We got good pickup including:
• The Times - UK consumer confidence edges upwards, says BRC
• City A.M. - Gen Z spending plans lifts consumer confidence, BRC survey says
• Independent - Consumer confidence stabilises as Gen Z prepares to spend
• Daily Mail – Marginal improvement in consumer confidence in March
20th March 2025 – ONS Jobs stats
The Office for National Statistics published their quarterly jobs figures revealing that 250,000 retail jobs have been lost in the last five years, including 142,000 part time jobs. We used this as an opportunity to talk about both the new Growth and Skills Levy and the Employment Rights Bill, and the need for flexible part-time roles and effective retraining. Our coverage included:
• Drapers - 249,000 retail jobs lost in five years
• Retail Gazette - Data: Quarter of a million retail jobs lost in five years
8 – 14th March 2025
13th March 2025 – New crime statistics
New BRC-Opinium data revealed that one in four people have witnessed shoplifting, with a similar proportion witnessing violence and abuse. We used this to raise member concerns about retail crime and to urge the Government to protect delivery drivers under the new standalone offence. Coverage included:
• Guardian - Nearly one in four Britons have witnessed shoplifting, study shows
• Daily Express - Shoppers witnessing horrific levels of theft and violence on UK high streets
• Telegraph - One in four witnesses someone shoplifting in the past year
• Bloomberg - Theft Witnessed by Quarter of UK Residents Amid Store Crime Wave
11th March 2025 – Retail Sales Monitor
Our BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor for February showed retail sales growing modestly in February though certain categories, such as fashion, performed poorly. The BRC encouraged the government to ‘course correct’ on the Employment Rights Bill to ensure responsible businesses aren’t unnecessarily burdened. We saw widespread coverage, including:
• Financial Times - UK retail sales rise ‘modestly’ as consumers remain cautious
• The Times – Spending on food and online help push retail sales upwards
• City A.M. - UK high streets struggle as food sales jump
• Guardian – Valentine’s Day proves a gift for UK retailers
• Many more pieces of print and online coverage
9th March 2025 – Reaction to proposed amendments to the Employment Rights Bill
Our reaction to the tabled amendments to the Employment Rights Bill was picked up in The Daily Express. The BRC was featured at the top of the article and stressed that the bill should focus on unscrupulous employers and avoid punishing responsible businesses who provide employment.
• Daily Express - Labour's Employment Rights Bill slammed by think tanks for 'punishing businesses'
8th March 2025 – EPR Coverage
Andrew Opie sat down with Oliver Wright at The Times to provide the BRC’s perspective on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). The Times wrote a full-page piece covering the potential impact of the packaging tax on prices and the need to ringfence these funds if they are to improve recycling.
• The Times - Shoppers hit by £2bn packaging tax ‘to prop up failing councils’
1 – 7th March 2025
7th March 2025 – Job Losses and International Women’s Day
In anticipation of International Women’s Day, Helen spoke to Retail Gazette for to highlight the impact of the Budget and the Employment Rights Bill on women in retail.
• Retail Gazette - IWD 2025: How the part-time tax could risk women’s jobs in retail
6th March 2025 - Response to the PSR Final Report on scheme and processing fees
We responded to the Payment System Regulator’s final report into scheme and processing fees, calling for a longer term price cap to limit the cost burden on retailers. This was picked up by the FT.
• Financial Times - Visa and Mastercard face UK regulatory action over lack of competition
4th March 2025 – Shop Price Index
Our BRC-NielsenIQ Shop Price Index showed shop prices still in deflation however food prices rose on the month as retailers anticipate higher costs from the Budget. The BRC called on Government to ensure no shop paid more in its business rates reform, and for government to mitigate the swathe of new costs. We saw widespread coverage, including:
• Telegraph - Shop prices rise at fastest rate in a year
• Financial Times - UK food inflation hits five-month high, industry data shows
• Independent - Food prices rise at third fastest monthly rate in a year
• BBC Breakfast – TV interview with Kris Hamer
• Many more pieces of print and broadcast coverage
2nd March 2025 – EPR Coverage
Andrew Opie sat down with Szu Ping Chen to provide the BRC’s perspective on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). The Sunday Telegraph wrote an full-page piece covering the potential impact of the packaging tax on prices and the need to ringfence these funds if they are to improve recycling.
• Sunday Telegraph – The recycling tax about to push shopping costs higher (print only)
