Budget Campaign
Outlining the impact of the Autumn Budget on the retail industry
The Autumn Budget has introduced a wave of changes with significant implications for the retail industry, our communities, and the wider economy. As the UK’s largest private-sector employer, retail plays a critical role in sustaining over 5.7 million jobs and contributing more than £100 billion annually to GDP.
However, the cumulative burden of rising costs threatens not only our ability to keep prices low for customers but also will impact jobs, investment and communities across the country.
Through our campaign, we aim to highlight the key challenges faced by retailers in the wake of the Budget, explain their economic consequences, and propose practical solutions to mitigate their impact.
Dive into the resources below to learn more.
In the Headlines
Britain’s high streets are on their last legs – and Labour will deliver the fatal blow | The Telegraph
Retailers offering discounts before Christmas is an ominous sign of things to come
Economy ‘likely to shrink’ as budget gloom spreads | The Times
A drop in confidence and a rise in redundancies have been attributed to Rachel Reeves’ tax increases, as analysts say the UK will end the year in contraction
We need business rates reform soon to save high street, say bosses | The Times
More than 80 business leaders have lobbied the Treasury to accelerate a rethink on the outdated system. What is at stake and what are the options?
Rachel Reeves’s Budget ‘will cost Britain 100,000 jobs’ | The Telegraph
Employers will pass along increased cost of NICs to workers with cuts, warns Deutsche Bank
NICs rise will force businesses to close, warn hospitality bosses | The Guardian
More than 200 leading restaurant, pub and hotel companies say tax rises will cause ‘unprecedented damage’
Rachel Reeves' £25 billion National Insurance raid could force two-thirds of major retailers to hike prices | Daily Mail
Two-thirds of major retailers will hike prices and more than half will cut working hours as a result of Labour’s £25 billion national insurance raid.
Most UK Retailers to Raise Prices Over Budget Costs, Poll Finds | Bloomberg
Most retailers plan to raise prices to cover higher taxes in the UK government's first budget, a lobby group's survey found.
Prmie Minsiter's Questions
Budget Campaign Content
BRC Corporate Affairs Community Meeting - November 2025
Sustainability Masterclass: Developing and delivering your strategy
BRC - Bank of England Directors' Round Table
BRC Corporate Affairs Community Meeting - September 2025
BRC Corporate Affairs Community Meeting - August 2025
BRC Corporate Affairs Community Meeting - July 2025
BRC Corporate Affairs Community Meeting - June 2025
BRC Summer School 2025
BRC Corporate Affairs Community Meeting - May 2025
Inclusion Masterclass: Maximising Performance through Belonging
May Property Community Call
Building Resilience: Cyber Business Continuity Management
BRC Corporate Affairs Community Meeting - April 2025
Developing our Welsh and Scottish retail manifestos - workshop – 24 April, London
April Property Community Call
Sustainability Masterclass: Developing and delivering your strategy
Product Safety Community Meeting
BRC Corporate Affairs Community Meeting - March 2025
Retail Reimagined: Insights, Innovation, and Customer Connection
