The British Retail Consortium will chair an emergency meeting with members this week as retailers brace for further damage caused by far-right rioters, Retail Week can reveal.
A source with understanding of the situation said the BRC has been reaching out with alerts to member organisations today, with a meeting provisionally scheduled for Wednesday.
Retail Week understands timelines are fluid and the meeting could be brought forward, particularly if further riots break out between now and then.
“If things get worse today, the BRC could well try and convene a meeting with members to discuss next steps by the end of [today] or first thing tomorrow,” the source said.
It comes after a week of disorder across the UK, sparked by the tragic murder of three children in Southport on July 29.
Spurred on by misinformation online about the ethnicity and immigration status of the attacker, far-right rioters took to the streets across the UK, with incidents in Bristol, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Blackpool, Hull, Belfast, Liverpool, Rotherham and Sunderland.
Several high street retailers were targeted and looted during the violence, including a Shoe Zone, a Greggs, a Lush and a Specsavers in Hull and a Sainsbury’s Local store in Manchester.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: “Many retail workers have been heading to work fearing their stores and their safety could be compromised by the looting and vandalism that has taken grip in various parts of the country. Some are already seeing the impact, as they spend their day cleaning up the damage caused by these selfish and criminal acts. Teams of retail colleagues across the industry work tirelessly side by side, to serve customers day in day out, performing a vital role across all local communities. This is only possible if colleagues and customers can safely visit their local stores. The full force of the law should be brought to bear on those individuals who are committing criminal damage and theft against retailers and the communities they are part of.
“At the BRC, we’re taking steps to support our members, providing a forum for retailers to discuss how to keep teams safe, protect businesses, and communicate with customers. We’re also engaging with the police in order to provide information and advice to retailers.”
Grocery Aid has set up an emotional, practical and financial support helpline for affected retail staff.
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has also said it is in discussion with the Home Office about how “the Riot Compensation Act’s provisions” can be used to help members affected by the violence.
The ACS said it would share “members’ experiences through the Home Office and other departments so they can be fed into Cobra and other government briefings in the ongoing response”.
Prime minister Keir Starmer condemned the riots as “far-right thuggery”, promised swift legal retribution for those involved and is this morning chairing an emergency Cobra meeting. However, Starmer and home secretary Yvette Cooper have yet to recall parliament despite calls to do so from some MPs.
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