The British Retail Consortium has called on new UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ‘support the successful reinvention of retail locations and local communities’, at a time when retail conditions are ‘the toughest they have been for a decade’.
In a statement, Helen Dickinson said that the BRC congratulates Johnson on being appointed the new Prime Minister, adding, “There are many pressing issues in retail and the wider economy, such as rising costs and weakening consumer demand, and we look forward to engaging with Mr Johnson and his team to promote constructive solutions to these issues.“
She called on the government to “commit to a full review of the broken business rate system and to collaborate with the BRC on a strategy to bolster the retail industry during this time of rapid change”. Retail currently employs three million people across the UK, and is the country’s largest public sector employer. However, ‘The burden of business rates and other public policy costs put these jobs and our high streets at risk’ Dickinson added.
