The retail industry must “double down” to make a meaningful difference on diversity and inclusion (D&I) as a new report shows that “there is still a long way to go until the industry truly reflects the communities it serves”, with women still underrepresented at most senior levels, a lack of ethnic diversity among boards and executive committees, and a lack of black leaders across the industry.
“Tracking progress on diversity and inclusion in UK Retail”, launched by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and The MBS Group, shows that over a third of retailers have all-white boards, or all-white executive committees, and that women account for less than 40% of boards and executive committees.
However, there has been improvement. More retailers are prioritising making their businesses more inclusive. 91% of retailers now have a co-ordinated D&I strategy in place, compared to 76% last year, and 74% of these are now led by CEOs, compared with just 50% 2021.
Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive of the BRC, said: “It is time to embed inclusion into the culture of every business. Nearly 80 leading retailers have come together to sign our D&I Charter promising every individual the opportunity to prosper. The will is clearly there but the industry must double down to drive the diversity outcomes we aspire to.”
