The Retailer Winter 2018/19

NEWS FROM THE BRC Charity at Christmas

Ewan MacDonald-Russell- Head of Policy and External Affairs scotish Retail Consortium

It’s perhaps understandable retailers can be caught in the crosshairs of the debate over the commercialisation of Christmas. With an eighth of retail sales taking place in December the festive period is a crucial economic event which canmake or break the year’s trading figures. Away from the tinsel and decorations in store, ever-present in almost every store over the festive period is the presence of charities and good causes. From young people collecting for the Scouts, Guides, Cadets or sports team through to fundraising for national charities, supporting Giving Tuesday, or just making space for charities, every retailer will be using some of their vital store time and space at this time of year to help those causes. For those charities, the funding and support they get from the industry, and it’s ever-generous customers, can be a vital lifeline. Whether it’s a bag pack or some small items for a raffle, or a charity partnership which raises millions of pounds, working with the third sector is an intrinsic part of retail life. That’s why the SRC publishes an annual report into charitable giving and community work every Christmas. We wanted to take a closer look at the work done by our members, to understand what all those individual activities amounted to in the round.

The overall figures are incredible impressive. Since we started reporting on this in 2016, our Members have raised over £41million for good causes in Scotland. In the last twelve months twenty-six retailers, including department stores, coffee shops, food to go, and grocers, have provided us with the details of their community work, raised £14.7 million. The range of charities is just as immense. We tried to calculate how many groups had been supported, but it proved impossible to accurately estimate as somuch work was done locally by individual shops. In fact, our experience is most of the charitable work done by retailers is driven not by marketing teams but shop floor colleagues. It’s those people who live in the local community who are most invested in supporting good causes; because they see why they matter. It’s their parents, spouses, siblings, and children who benefit from fundraising or donations. Retailers are involved in a enormous number of projects to help support communities. Employing refugees, supporting schools in Scotland and across the world, providing crucial capital funding to charities, developing sustainable projects, and supporting Government campaigns. Retailers make financial donations, but just as importantly donate staff time, food, and other supplies, often helping people in desperate need.

10 | winter 2019 | the retailer