Retail job numbers fall as employers face rising costs
The number of full-time jobs in retail fell by 3% year on year in the third quarter of 2016, as inflationary pressures increased following the Brexit vote in June. It comes as the number of retail stores fell 1.2% during the period. Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “This is the third consecutive quarter in which full-time equivalent employment among retailers has fallen, and the decline appears to be accelerating quarter-on-quarter as they seek productivity gains in a highly competitive market. “We would expect this trend to continue. While we have yet to detect any clear impact from the Brexit referendum on sales, footfall or employment in the industry, inflationary pressures are unquestionably building due to the impact of the weaker pound on import costs.
https://www.drapersonline.com/news/retail-job-numbers-fall-as-employers-face-rising-costs/7013331.article
“As retailers look to keep prices low for customers they are likely to re-examine staffing levels, particularly as competition intensifies and cost pressures imposed by government continue to take their toll. "However, retailers are also actively investing in existing staff to improve the quality of their jobs and productivity per employee.”
These include the invention of gabardin, the waterproof fabric which is still used in all of Burberry's trenchcoatsand sponsoring the record-breaking flight from London to Cape Town by real life pilot Betty Kirby Green played by Lily James. Christopher Bailey, Burberry chief creative office, said: “This Christmas, as we celebrate our 160th anniversary we wanted to tell the story of Thomas Burberry – pioneer,
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