Retailers pledge to improve diversity and inclusion

Signatories pledge to appoint diversity and inclusion executives, improve recruitment practices to remove bias, support career opportunities and progression for all, collect and contribute data on diversity, create a respectful and inclusive work environment, and ensure all line managers are responsible for supporting equity in the workplace.

The charter coincides with the launch of a report by the BRC, The MBS Group, and PwC, which shows more work is needed to create a fully diverse and equitable retail industry.

The report’s findings include:

• 69% of retailers have an all-male chief executive, chief financial officer, and chair. Only 9.6% of the industry’s chief executives are women and only 4.3% of the sector’s chairs are women.
• Retail has very few black or ethnic minority leaders: 4.5% of boards, 5.8% of executive committees, 6.0% of direct reports to boards are from an ethnic minority background, compared to 12.5% of the UK population.
• 84% of retailers say that diversity and inclusion is a priority, but less than half (49%) of retail employees agree that it is sufficiently high up their employers’ agenda.
• 100% of diversity and inclusion strategies look at gender, 90% look at race and ethnicity, and 68% look at LGBTQ+. Only half look at disability, and less than a quarter cover social mobility (20%) or age (23%).

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retail revolves around the customer, and to serve the needs of a diverse country, we need a diversity of ideas, experiences, and backgrounds across our businesses. Five years ago, the BRC set out a vision for Better Jobs and aspired for retail to be a diversity and inclusion leader. The data collected by PwC and The MBS Group in our Diversity and Inclusion in Retail report shows there is so much more to be done if we are to reach this goal.

“Nonetheless, I am confident about the road ahead. The first step to achieving change is acknowledgment and understanding of where the challenges lie. Now, we must act. I am proud to see so many retailers pledge to better their businesses and create equal opportunities for all and I am excited to see what the future holds once greater diversity and inclusion is achieved.”

The Diversity and Inclusion Charter has been signed by Aldi, Asda Stores, Lidl GB, Ocado Retail, Sainsbury’s, The Co-operative Group, Waitrose, and WM Morrison Supermarkets.