In a recent pwc (Price Waterhouse Cooper) Report it highlighted the challenges facing retailers in 2026. ‘Sticky inflation, ongoing cost headwinds and stubborn interest rates.’ That may appear familiar but although consumers remain cautious, savings are higher and real incomes have risen for two years in a row. What is holding consumers back, recognising tumultuous daily news and general uncertainty caused by ‘atmosfear’ and government U turns, there is a lack of confidence and therefore consumers are holding onto their cash or seeking the best possible value.
Despite this, retailers have faced the task of rebuilding consumer confidence against an uncertain economic backdrop. There are underlying cost pressures that put the sector under pressure; business rate increases, minimum wage increases and the threat of tariffs, key commodity prices remaining high, these factors are likely to sustain inflation and keep the focus of retailers on reducing costs to their business. Growth is going to be modest at best and therefore retailers will be looking at share gains to drive their growth. The instore experience and ease of shopping and a seamless link with the online offer will remain key. The battleground will be maintaining loyalty of their existing shoppers whilst trying to ‘poach’ new shoppers from their competitors. Price will continue to be the battleground. As a supplier are your account managers confident in the added value you can offer, either through category advice, marketing initiatives, great initiatives or driving up the experiential aspect that your brands can unlock?
Do your account managers have the necessary skills to move the conversation beyond price?
The British Brands Group, founded in 1994, is a non-profit-making membership organisation. Its role is to speak out authoritatively on behalf of brands and to represent them collectively when relevant commercial and regulatory issues arise. It provides a range of affordable functional training (both in person and virtual via MS Teams) to support suppliers increase their sales teams’ capabilities. The areas of focus are:
GSCOP: The Groceries Code of Practice (GSCOP), monitored and enforced by the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), ensures large supermarkets deal fairly and lawfully with their direct suppliers of groceries, whether fresh, branded or private label. Such suppliers need to understand the Code and how to use it constructively.
Competition Law and Compliance: Training in competition law is crucial for all suppliers, whether of branded or other products, to ensure they understand and comply with legal requirements and prevent anti-competitive practices. Confidence and knowledge in this area helps suppliers negotiate fair terms, avoid being exploited and resist trading practices that may harm their competitiveness.
NEW FOR 2026: Negotiating to Win – a foundation one day classroom event that will increase negotiation capability. This highly interactive course, which includes exploration of behaviours, tactics, language, and provides a toolkit and allows delegates to practice new skills via a case study and receive feedback.