The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has launched its Buy into Retail Manifesto, calling on the next British Prime Minister to partner with the industry and back vital reforms to employment costs, business rates, energy, and regulation.

Retail employs 2.8 million people across the UK—with millions more in its supply chains—and provides a crucial career entry point for nearly a quarter of 18-24 year olds.

While these jobs are essential to delivering Andy Burnham MP’s promise of “good growth in every postcode”, the sector is under immense pressure. Cumulative rising costs, including a £6.5 billion increase in employment and National Insurance costs over just two years, have put jobs at risk, contributing to the loss of 400,000 retail jobs over the last decade.

The BRC’s manifesto aligns closely with Mr Burnham’s goals to revive the high street and reform business rates.

The Buy into Retail 10-Point Plan

  1. The manifesto calls on the government to:
  2. Cut youth employment costs to spur job creation.
  3. Reform skills and employment rights without harming job numbers.
  4. Launch a government-retail taskforce to help young people into work.
  5. Enact zero tolerance on retail crime.
  6. Fix business rates to unlock high street investment.
  7. Secure competitive electricity costs to protect consumers from rising prices.
  8. Support investment in retail sites nationwide.
  9. Keep goods moving freely across borders with fair competition.
  10. Strip back overlapping regulations that inflate shelf prices.
  11. Coordinate policy decisions so new rules and costs do not land all at once.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retail is the everyday economy, touching every UK community.

“When retail thrives, investment flows and fierce competition drives prices down. But cumulative costs—including £6.5 billion in new employment costs since 2024, packaging taxes, and rising energy bills—are holding the industry back, resulting in fewer jobs and higher prices.

“Andy Burnham has made business collaboration central to his growth plans. With the right policies, retail is the perfect partner to deliver investment, support jobs in every postcode, and keep household essentials affordable.”