Helen Dickinson news, features and comment
Helen Dickinson is CEO of the British Retail Consortium.
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NewsHelp public by helping retail, BRC urges Chancellor
A poll for the BRC found 89% of UK adults wanted John Healey to focus on the cost of living
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NewsRetailers ‘fighting costs with one hand tied’, warns BRC
BRC CEO Helen Dickinson urged Chancellor John Healey to help consumers by pulling back from increasing business rates in Budget on 28 October
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NewsRetail paying 72p per £1 in business taxes, finds BRC analysis
The BRC and UKHospitality called on Chancellor John Healey to remove high street retail and hospitality businesses from the business rates high-value multiplier in the budget
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KVI TrackerSupermarket competition keeps food inflation in check despite cost pressures
Retailers absorbed added energy costs through price cuts and promotions in September, according to the latest figures from the BRC-NIQ price monitor
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NewsConsumer confidence ‘stumbles’ in September as autumn budget looms
The worsening Middle East crisis caused consumer confidence to dip in September, according to the latest BRC-Opinium sentiment survey.
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NewsFootfall improves in August but high streets face ‘uphill battle’
Despite shoppers returning to stores in August, the BRC warned high streets faced an ‘uphill battle’ without more government support
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NewsBurnham ‘boost’ leaves consumer confidence at highest levels since February
A return to cooler ‘shopping-friendly’ temperatures over the next few weeks will see families return to the high street, according to the latest BRC-Opinium data
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NewsBRC calls on government to ‘back the Saturday job’ with reforms
A BRC-commissioned Opinium poll of 2,000 UK adults found four out of five believed part-time work, including the traditional Saturday job, was important in helping young people into employment
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NewsTrade bodies baulk at ‘eye-watering’ £3bn cost of zero-hour contract reforms
Government analysis has suggested the cost of the reforms to employers could range from £350m to £2.9bn a year
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NewsBurnham vows to make high streets ‘symbol of Britain’s renaissance’
Speaking in Manchester, the Makerfield MP said that if he became PM he would deliver ‘growth in every postcode’
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NewsFood inflation falls to lowest in a year but BRC warns it can’t last
Annual food inflation in the first week of May was 2.7%, having fallen from 3.1% in April
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NewsFood sales fall after earlier Easter but shopper confidence remains weak
The overall rate of the year-on-year decrease was distorted by a calendar change in 2026, where Easter fell in March, compared with April last year, the BRC warned
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NewsConsumer confidence ‘in the doldrums’ as economic volatility drags on
Optimism in the state of the UK economy is at its ‘lowest on record’ according to the BRC’s-Opinium sentiment tracker measures consumer confidence over the next three months
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NewsShop price inflation creeps up as Middle East conflict adds to costs
Easing inflation in food – from 3.5% in February to 3.4% in March – failed to offset upward pressure in other areas, according to the latest monthly BRC-NIQ Shop Price Monitor
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NewsWet weather hits retail sales in February
The BRC warned conflict in the Middle East would drag on consumer sentiment
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NewsShop price inflation eases amid fierce retailer competition
Ambient food inflation dropped to its lowest level for four years in February, according to the latest BRC-NIQ Shop Price Monitor
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NewsRetail crime drops by a fifth but ‘job far from done’, says BRC
In its latest crime report, published today, the BRC welcomed the fall, which it attributed to more than £5bn spent by retailers over five years on CCTV, security staff and data systems, as well as better collaboration with police and government
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NewsMore retail job losses looming amid fears over Employment Rights Act
The BRC’s latest survey of chief finance officers found employment costs were among their biggest fears
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NewsJanuary brings boost to UK retail sales
In food & drink, shopper confidence was ‘muted’ amid concerns about inflation
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NewsBRC and UKHospitality demand Reeves go further with rates reform
The Chancellor today granted pubs and music venues 15% business rates relief for 2026/27