Apprenticeship Levy

Trade bodies urge Govt to reform ‘broken’ apprenticeship levy

Four trade bodies within UK retail and hospitality, including the BRC, have called on the government to reform the “broken” apprenticeship levy system, as so far, £3.5bn has reportedly expired before businesses could make use of it. This call on the government comes as businesses were also unable to meet…

Read More »

Retail industry responds to ‘underwhelming’ Spring Statement

Both Bira and CBI have expressed disappointment in the chancellor’s Spring Statement, with Bira having declared it is “underwhelmed with the offerings for independent businesses”. In his speech yesterday, Rishi Sunak outlined a series of measures to help combat the rising cost of living in his latest spring statement, including…

Read More »

85,000 retail jobs lost in the last year

Third-quarter retail employment fell by 2.8% year-on-year, the equivalent of around 85,000 jobs, marking the 15th consecutive quarter of decline in the retail workforce. According to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), full-time employment saw a decrease of 4.5% compared to the decrease in part-time employees of…

Read More »

Retailers ‘want more apprenticeships’ to develop future workforce

New data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has suggested that retailers want to commit to more apprenticeships in the coming years. In a survey of UK retailers, 86% indicated they would increase the number of apprenticeships they offer in the next two years. In England, retailers are committed to…

Read More »

BRC: Retail sales growth hits six-year low

UK retail sales have decreased 1% on a like-for-like basis, a report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has revealed.  The latest BRC – KPMG Retail Sales Monitor – covering the five weeks from 26 February to 1 April – found total retail sales fell by 0.2% in March, compounded…

Read More »

Apprentices ‘can earn 270% more’ than graduates, says Barclays

Apprentices can earn 270% more over their lifetime than university graduates, according to new research from Barclays and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). The report – Productivity and Lifetime Earnings of Apprentices and Graduates – says the average gap in lifetime earnings potential between apprentices and graduates…

Read More »

Retail footfall declines in February

Retail footfall has declined by 1.1% in February compared with the same period last year, according to the British Retail Consortium.  UK Summary Footfall in February was 1.1% down on a year ago, lower than the 1.2% rise seen in January and lower than the three-month average rate of -0.8%.…

Read More »

UK shop prices fall for 34th consecutive month

Shop prices fell 2% year-on-year in February, the 34th consecutive decline following January’s 1.8% fall. That’s according to British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen’s monthly Shop Price Index, which found non-food deflation, which includes jewellery, remained at 3% for the third consecutive month. On a 12-month average basis, the index…

Read More »

BRC welcomes extension of business rates review

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has welcomed the extension of the business rates review announced in Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement today.  A major overhaul of the business rates system was announced earlier this year, with uniform rates set to be abolished. Local councils will, by 2020, be able to…

Read More »

Shop price deflation continues into 30th-consecutive month

Shop prices reported deflation for the 30th consecutive month in October, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen’s latest Shop Price Index. Overall shop prices reported deflation of 1.8% in October compared with a 1.9% drop in September. On a 12-month average basis, the index reported deflation of…

Read More »