Article

Member Value Statement 2026

11 May 20264 Minute Read

Our impact

See what we've done over the last year to influence a regulatory landscape that drives growth, investment and innovation, supports a thriving workforce and reduces the industry’s environmental impact.

Giving retail a Voice

pieces of press coverage advocating for retail and mitigating reputational risk

articles in national newspapers and broadcast media

media calls handled on members’ behalves

over

direct referrals from member press offices

Meeting the people that matter

Throughout 2025/26, BRC ensured members’ priorities were heard at the highest levels of government, with CEO Helen Dickinson OBE and the team holding regular meetings with key decision-makers, including:

Sir Keir Starmer MP – Prime Minister
Rachel Reeves MP – Chancellor
Peter Kyle MP – Business Secretary
Emma Reynolds MP – Environment Secretary
Baroness Jacqui Smith MP – Skills Minister
Sir Mel Stride MP – Shadow Chancellor
Andrew Griffith MP – Shadow Business Secretary

Influence in the corridors of power

Meetings with Ministers, advisors and officials

parliamentary debate mentions of BRC and industry priorities

Meetings with Backbench MPs

store visits with MPs in their constituencies

Helping members influence, prepare and cope

People

Promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, delivering skills requirements and supporting workforce evolution.

Led the industry’s initial analysis and engagement with Government’s flagship Employment Rights Act. Gave evidence to the Employment Rights Bill Committee, pressing retail priorities in detailed responses to a wide range of technical consultations, including on Guaranteed Hours, trade union issues and fire-and-rehire.
Working with other business representatives, secured positive concessions on unfair dismissal proposals, which were changed from a day-one right to a right gained following a six-month qualifying period, and a commitment to consult on the second trigger for collective redundancies, moving away from 20 consultations across the business.
Hosted numerous HR Technical and HR Directors meetings on the Employment Rights Act, allowing members to share views, engage with government, and hear from expert law firms.
In addition to member roundtables, we hosted over 30 individual member calls to discuss the Employment Rights Act consultations and have continued engagement with DBT and other government officials.
Delivered an extensive programme of expert advice, engagement and data/insight, through our Diversity and Inclusion Charter, including a number of online workshops and in person D&I Immersion Sessions.
Published our fifth D&I in UK Retail report and developed a Library of Resources for members to share approaches and learn from one another.
Supported members following the Supreme Court Ruling on the Equality Act, holding member calls and responding to the consultation on the EHRC guidance.
Developed and promoted retail priorities in relation to the Growth and Skills Levy following extensive engagement with members – culminating in a roundtable with members and DWP.
Supported the CMI petition calling for the protection of leadership and management apprenticeships.
Gave written and oral evidence to the Low Pay Commission setting out retail’s priorities in relation to National Living Wage increases.
Launched Leadership Essentials, our new online leadership programme, free for members.
Convened quarterly Learning Leaders Forums for member L&D teams, to advocate, network and share best practice.

Sustainability

Supporting emissions reduction, nature and biodiversity and the move towards a more circular economy.

Secured £20m from Government to cover shortfall in EPR charges.
Ensured alignment of Deposit Return Scheme across the UK through Wales agreeing to take bottles and cans.
Given all members best support to prepare for the DRS launch in 2027 and to secure a realistic handling fee payment.
Supported member preparations for EU deforestation regulations (EUDR) and pushed UK Government to align our regulations to reduce supply chain costs.
Ensured Government requires pragmatic and aligned corporate sustainability reporting ahead of implementation from 2027.
Launched our Nature Positive Plan, industry leading initiative to support members in their supply chains and lobby for aligned and improved reporting.
Provided practical guidance on the promotion of sustainable products to comply with CMA Green Claims Code.
Delivered revised, accurate assessment of the industry’s carbon emissions and set out a transition plan for submission to the Net Zero Council.
Delivered horizon scanning events with senior officials and experts in environment and climate to enable members to refine and deliver their own sustainability plans.
Addressed numerous media and stakeholder challenges on sourcing, ethical labour and environmental impact to protect reputation of member brands and the industry.

Growth

Enhancing competitiveness, accelerating digital transformation and driving investment in technology and communities.

Operations

Secured £7m in government funding to tackle organised retail crime and drove increased police prioritisation of shoplifting.
Maintained pressure to include delivery drivers in the standalone offence in the Crime and Policing Bill and secured the inclusion of a standalone offence of assaulting a public facing worker into the recently introduced Northern Ireland Sentencing Bill.
Won continued prioritisation and funding for tackling crime through the extension of Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce with 3-year funding from 2026-29.
Continued engagement with the Home Office on implementing Martyn’s Law, including through the Advisory Panel, helping ensure the guidance works in practice for retailers.
Maintained engagement in the Retail Crime Forum, sustaining pressure for stronger action on violence, abuse and theft.
Hosted a Home Office meetings on facial recognition policy, ensuring members’ views on retail use cases were reflected in the consultation.
Regular engagement with senior police representatives on key issues, including anti-social behaviour, retail theft and reporting.
Delivered a joint briefing with NBCC on potential protest activity, setting out risks and actions for the retail sector.
Hosted a senior roundtable on the resale of stolen goods via online marketplaces, bringing members together to share issues and next steps.

Property

Secured 5p lower Business Rates multipliers from April 2026 for retail properties with rateable values below £500k and limited the surtax for larger properties to 2.8p.
Secured from April 2026 dedicated Retail, Hospitality & Leisure sectors’ business rates relief in Scotland, and for small Welsh retailers and a lower increase in the business rate in Northern Ireland compared to the rates increase for domestic properties.
Secured a commitment from the Law Commission to retain Security of Tenure following the first phase of its review of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.
Commissioned research into the cost impact of policy changes introduced at recent Budgets on retail and other sectors.
Engaged with the Government’s review of the National Planning Policy Framework, supporting key proposals designed to improve the flexibility and predictability of the planning system.
Supported the Government’s plans to ban Upwards Only Rent Reviews, contained in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

Legal

Provided opportunities for member engagement with regulators including ASA, CMA, OPSS, NCSC, SBC and officials in key Departments including DBT, Home Office and DSIT – and pressed retailer priorities in response to consultations on regulatory reform.
Promoted the BRC regulatory reform agenda with in-person senior roundtables with the CEOs of the CMA and OPSS and Deputy Director of Government Regulatory Reform Unit.
Convened further Green Claims discussions for members with CMA and ASA to clarify continuing concerns over legal requirements – resulting in CMA issuing further guidance on key aspects.
Facilitated member engagement with officials in the early stages of development of plans under the Data (Use and Access) Act for Digital ID and Smart Data access in retail.
Highlighted changes for Data Protection and PECR under the Data (Use and Access) Act through meetings with ICO and DSIT on implementation and new Guidance.
Secured changes to the original prompt payment proposals to meet a number of key concerns raised by retailers.
With members, engaged with the CMA on the implementation of the DMCC Act and secured some revisions to the draft Guidance on Price Transparency/drip pricing to make it less prescriptive.
Worked in detail with DBT to secure the best possible outcome in the circumstances to the revised Price Marking Order, securing considerable changes to the original proposal to meet many of the problems raised by retailers.
Responded to consultations on Knife Sales Licensing (Home Office) and on Unfair Contract Terms Guidance (CMA) to shape the proposals at an early stage.
Provided regular insights into cyber security concerns with NCSC briefings and tailored information including an all-day in-person deep dive on issues such as ransomware, passkeys, and dealing with a breach – and urgent meetings with NCSC when retail seemed to be targeted.

Finance

Provided insight and evidence to press for action to tackle rising scheme and processing fees, resulting in proposed transparency, reporting, and governance remedies for scheme fees and a proposed price cap on cross-border interchange fees.
Influenced the regulation of Buy Now, Pay Later products and successfully advocated for retailers to be excluded from the majority of new regulations entering into force this year, including not being required to be FCA authorised.
Worked closely with the City of London Police to embed retailer needs into the Report Fraud reporting database, and collaborated with the Home Office to secure retail priority commitments in the recently published Fraud Strategy.
Actively participated in the National Payments Vision Engagement Group, ensuring retailer needs were reflected in the recently published Payments Forward Plan by HM Treasury, as well as in the Payments Vision workstreams on resilience, infrastructure, innovation, and competition.
Represented retailers in key forums and working groups, ensuring retail priorities were promoted in discussions on Open Banking, the Bank of England Central Bank Digital Currency Engagement Forum, and reform of SCOR.
Hosted a member-only event focused on tackling customer fraud and a webinar for CFOs/FDs on the finance implications from the Autumn Budget.
Published the Payments Survey and associated communications, securing media coverage on card payment fees and costs, highlighting the increasing financial pressures placed upon retailers.
Joined a coalition of trade associations to tackle rising energy costs, influencing the creation of an energy tariff transparency charter by Sarah Edwards MP and supporting its launch in Parliament. Worked closely with members to quantify the scale of energy cost increases to inform our advocacy work.

Food and trade

Provided extensive guidance to new advertising restrictions which came into force in January.
Led the challenge to the Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) which would add significant costs to new mandatory reporting and in store promotion controls.
Ensured members in the best place to implement extensive changes to food legislation to deliver the UK/EU SPS agreement.
Worked with members to help ease the burdens of the Windsor Framework moving food from GB to NI and to ensure a less restrictive system after the SPS agreement.
Ensured Government food strategy and farming strategy have priority objectives to deliver stronger, larger UK supply chain including focus on poultry and horticulture.
Provided support and co-ordination in a number of food incidents, and led hindsight analysis to improve future handling.
Delivered unique guidance, horizon scanning and insight from Government on detailed food safety controls and labelling through our technical groups.
Ensured alignment on obesity proposals across the UK through our work in Scotland and Wales.
Addressed huge numbers of media and stakeholder queries on sourcing, power of supermarkets, pricing, ethical labour and environmental impact to protect member brands and the industry reputation.

Trade & Logistics

Secured consultation on new regulations to end Low Value Imports and lobbying for its swift introduction.
Provided insight on new trade deals, particularly India and the changes to its preferential tariff rates.
Led lobbying for Government to incorporate mandatory due diligence for human rights and environment in its proposed Responsible Business Conduct as part of the UK trade strategy.
Regular updates on progress with the UK/EU SPS alignment highlighting the impact for supply chains.
Co-ordinated lobbying on low carbon logistics, including Government proposals for net zero HGVs.
Provided regular updates on trade disruption and impact on member supply chains.
Helped you prepare for the new Carbon Border Adjustment Model (CBAM), a new tax on imports from January 2027.

Product safety

Secured amendments in the new Product Safety Act to require consultations on technical changes and provided members with valuable insights on its implementation.
Influenced new product safety requirements for online market places.
Ensured pragmatic implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, including giving evidence to the Bill Committee on members’ behalf.
Avoided problems for electrical retailers in Northern Ireland by securing a UK regulation on energy efficiency labelling, part of our continuing campaign for alignment with EU regulations to reduce costs.
Prepared members for likely changes to furniture and furnishing fire regulations to help plan changes in future supply chains.
Engaged positively with the Government on the regulation of PFAS, recognising the reputational risk to member brands.
Provided insight to members on changes from the UK/EU SPS alignment deal, including biocides.
Amended industry leading and enforcement recognised guidelines on disposable BBQs and flammability of dress up clothing.

Underpinned by

Government and media relations

Ongoing regular dialogue and member engagement opportunities with government ministers, officials and opposition parties across the breadth of retail policy issues in Westminster and across the Devolved nations.
Briefed scores of MPs on retail priorities and delivered a programme of constituency visits to members. Secured over 50 mentions of BRC in parliamentary debates and parliamentary questions, and were name-checked 33 times in parliamentary questions alone in the Scottish Parliament.
Gave oral evidence to various parliamentary committees including Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Business and Trade on employment and cost pressures, and Welsh and NI committees on devolved Budgets and Windsor Framework.
Held receptions attended by Ministers and MPs to showcase the industry.
Were the fifth most active business representative group at lobbying Scottish Ministers and MSPs (source: Scottish Lobbying Registrar’s Annual Report).
Secured 60,000 pieces of press coverage advocating for retail and mitigating reputational risk, including 5,000+ articles in national newspapers and broadcast media.
Handled over 1,800 media calls on retail issues, as well as over 500 direct referrals from member press offices.
Helped deliver commitments in the Scottish and Welsh political parties’ manifestos, including: prioritising shoplifting (ReformUK and Conservative Scottish manifestos); further rates reductions for small and medium sized retailers (Scottish Tories); alignment on DRS across the UK (ReformUK and Conservatives’ Welsh manifestos), fundamental reform on business rates (Labour and ReformUK’s Welsh manifestos).

Looking ahead

Our forward focus will centre on navigating the consequences of the disruptive geopolitical environment and reducing the regulatory burden on your business. Our top priorities are:

Iran crisis – supporting the industry response from media messaging on inflation and risk of shortages to government support and regulatory easements.
Employment Rights Act –continuing to shape secondary legislation, particularly around guaranteed hours and union changes and support the industry as it prepares for implementation.
Energy costs – reducing non-commodity costs.
People and skills - A moderate increase in the NLW, taking full account of economic context and greater utilisation of the new Growth & Skills Levy.
Crime - Effective implementation and enforcement of new retail worker protections and ensuring retail crime a priority by police forces (especially given scrapping of PCCs).
Regulation – Avoiding new regulations that aren’t fit for purpose (eg original plans for late payments), implementing new regulations sensibly and cost effectively (eg accelerating scrapping de minimis limits on Low Value Imports) and reducing the burden of existing regulation.
Food - deferring changes to the Nutrient Profiling Model, transitioning SPS, and DRS implementation.

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