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Retail

BERR Retail Unit

The Retail Unit helps the sector to raise its productivity and improve its competitiveness by facilitating better regulation, incentivising innovation and regional development, and encouraging good practice in areas such as skills, employment, international trade and environmental sustainability.

Retail Unit
BERR
1 Victoria Street
London SW1H 0ET
 
Email: retail@berr.gsi.gov.uk
BERR Public Enquiries: 020 7215 5000

Retail Policy Forum

The RPF enables a representative cross-section of retailers to talk to Government Departments and EU officials about regulations at an early stage in the process. It aims to help both retailers and policymakers by minimising the burdens on retail, looking for alternatives to regulations and making any regulations and enforcement as practical and sensible as possible. The RPF meets three times a year and, when required, has working groups to take an in-depth look at particular subjects.

There is also a Virtual RPF of UK retailers, retail trade associations and others with a professional interest in retailing who receive communications mainly by email and can join the RPF's working groups. To apply for membership of the Virtual RPF, please email the Retail Unit explaining your interest in the sector and supplying contact details, including job title, telephone number and postal address.

Climate Change

Following Sir Nicholas Stern's report on the economics of climate change and development, a retail sector working group — drawn from the RPF, Virtual RPF and Retail Environmental Sustainability Expert Group — wrote Stern - Initial comments from the Retail Sector. They presented it to Government at a meeting of the RPF, where there was a constructive discussion that clarified and progressed many of the issues.

The Government response, published in August 2007, reflects those discussions and responds to the retail sector's recommendations.