A recent study by the British Retail Consortium reveals ongoing challenges in achieving diversity at the board level in the retail industry.
- Over a third of retailers maintain an ‘all-white board,’ with little change from previous years.
- Executive committees in more than half of retailers display no ethnic diversity, despite some improvements.
- While female representation has increased, senior management roles are still dominated by men.
- Retailers are urged to enhance workplace culture to foster inclusion and diversity.
The British Retail Consortium’s latest research highlights continuing difficulties in diversifying retail leadership. Among the survey’s revelations, over one-third of companies still have an ‘all-white board’, indicating minimal progress since last year.
Executive committees across more than half of the surveyed retailers lack ethnic diversity. Although there has been a notable increase in ethnic minority leadership—up nearly threefold since 2021—the overall representation remains insufficient.
Gender diversity has seen improvement, with female board-level leadership rising from 32.6% in 2021 to 42.3% in 2024. However, men continue to dominate senior management, executive, and board positions, suggesting the need for further efforts to balance gender representation.
The research indicates a troubling trend for smaller companies potentially sidelining diversity and inclusion amid commercial pressures. These organisations, more often than not, are found lacking in ethnic diversity within their senior teams, according to the report.
Elliott Goldstein of The MBS Group notes the ‘great progress’ on diversity strategies. Yet, he acknowledges that such progress ‘is not always widespread,’ emphasising the ongoing necessity for diversity initiatives.
Furthermore, inclusion remains a significant concern, with feelings of being included reportedly low among retail workers. The lowest levels of inclusion are reported among employees identifying as black, African, Caribbean, or opting for ‘other’ or ‘prefer not to say’ for sexual orientation, aged between 24 and 34.
Achieving meaningful diversity and inclusion within retail leadership requires continual focus and commitment from all levels of the industry.
