BRC

Retailers refrain from price rises in March

Retailers did not resort to price rises throughout March, according to the latest BRC-NIQ Shop Price Index, despite rising cost pressures. It comes as high street retailers are competing for reluctant shoppers, who are more likely to be pulled in with seasonal promotions. Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business…

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Harvest launches The Little Birdhouse brand

British wild bird food manufacturer Harvest has announced the launch of its new premium brand, The Little Birdhouse. Phase one, featuring nine crafted seed mix variations, has been unveiled at the Garden Press Event. Phase two, coming later this year, will expand the range to include straights and suet products.…

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Total footfall was down 2.2% in 2024

Total UK footfall in 2024 was down 2.2% compared with 2023 according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Footfall decreased year-on-year for all four nations, with Scotland falling by 1.5%, England by 2.1%, Wales by 2.6%, while Northern Ireland experienced the biggest decline at 5.8%. Alongside this, total…

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BRC warns of ‘spending squeeze’ in January

The British Retail Consortium has warned of a January spending squeeze, as BRC-Opinium data between 10 and 13 December showed that people’s spending intentions dropped 6pts. It comes as public confidence in the state of the economy “took a nosedive”, falling 8pts to -27, creating a widening gap between expectations…

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UK retail sales dip 3.3% in November

UK total retail sales decreased by 3.3% year on year in November, against a growth of 2.6% in November 2023, the British Retail Consortium showed. According to the new figures, this was below the 3-month average growth of -0.1% and the 12-month average growth of 0.5%. However, the BRC said…

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Retail industry is overtaxed, says BRC

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has claimed that the retail industry is overtaxed compared with other sectors of the economy after new research found retail pays 7.4% of all business taxes (£33bn), a share 1.5 times greater than its share of the overall economy (5% GDP). The BRC said this…

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Retail sales jump 0.5% in July

UK Total retail sales increased by 0.5% year on year in July, against a growth of 1.5% in July 2023, amid improved performance from clothing as shoppers enjoyed the summer weather, according to the latest figures from the KPMG-BRC retail sales monitor. This was above the three-month average growth of…

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Taylor Swift and Euros boost footfall amid damp June

Taylor Swift’s UK tour and the Euros helped strengthen footfall during a very wet June as total UK footfall decreased by 2.3% in June (YoY), up from -3.6% in May, according to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). On a segment basis, high street footfall decreased by…

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Shop price inflation returns to ‘normal levels’, BRC says

Shop price annual inflation eased from 0.8% in April to 0.6% in May, according to the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) latest shop price index. This has been confirmed to be below the three-month average rate of 0.9%, with the annual shop price growth being at its lowest since November 2021.…

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Retail sales slump 2.3% in April amid wet weather

Retail sales fell by 2.3% in volume over April, following a fall of 0.2% in March, as the retail sector was hampered by ongoing wet weather over the period. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), sales volumes were down across most sectors, with non-food stores particularly “doing badly”…

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