British Retail Consortium
Abbreviation | BRC |
---|---|
Formation | 1992 |
Legal status | Not for profit company |
Purpose | Trade organisation for the British retail industry |
Location |
|
Region served | UK |
Director General | Helen Dickinson |
Website | British Retail Consortium |
The British Retail Consortium (or BRC) is one of the leading trade associations in the United Kingdom. They represent all forms of retailers from small, independently owned stores, to big chain stores and department stores. It represents 80% of retail trade in the UK by turnover.
History
The British Retail Consortium was formed in January 1992 when the British Retailers' Association and the Retail Consortium merged. In 1998 it produced the first edition of the BRC Food Technical Standard and Protocol for food suppliers. This has been widely adopted not just throughout the UK but around the world.
Functions
It campaigns for the retail industry and is the authoritative voice of retail, recognised for its powerful campaigning and influence within government and as a provider of in-depth retail information. In addition, the BRC produce standards that manufacturers have to comply with, in different product areas, such as food, packaging and consumer products. Companies exporting to the UK have to reach the BRC's standards to be certified via their own inspectors. Companies supplying supermarkets with own label food products often have to comply with the BRC standards: they are an industry-wide benchmark for quality and food safety.
BRC Global Standards
It is well known for its global standards in four areas, producing much literature on these topics:
- Food safety
- Consumer products
- Packaging and packaging materials
- Storage and distribution
.
Consumer and industry interests
It monitors the state of the retail industry on a regular schedule, but it has specific interests such as:
- UK Retail Sales
- Food price inflation
- Consumer confidence
- Value added tax
- EU legislation
See also
- BSI Group
- Food Safety Act 1990
- Weights and Measures Act
External links
News items
- Food sell-by dates in June 2009
- Attacks on shop workers in April 2008
- Stealth genetically-modified products in November 2007
- Shop-lifting in October 2007
- Trans-fats in January 2007
- Farmers v supermarkets in April 2005
- The British Aisles in December 2004
- Theft in May 1999
- The Euro in November 1998
- School truancy in July 1998