UK: Rise in employment driven by food retailers
In the first quarter of 2013, the number of outlets rose by 1.4%, having fallen in the previous quarter. In March, there were 253 more stores compared with March last year, driven entirely by food retailers.
British Retail Consortium director general Helen Dickinson said: “It’s encouraging to see that store numbers have edged up a little and employment has also risen slightly, predominantly driven by part-time workers.
“But, looking behind the headlines reveals wide variations across the sector, as growth is coming almost entirely from food retailers while non-food has seen levels dip both for employment and store numbers. The retail administrations of recent months have also filtered through to the figures, pushing sector redundancy rates up to the highest level since the Monitor began at the height of the recession in October 2008.
Source: talkingretail.com
