Retailers in Wales are being given a louder voice with the launch of the BRC's sister body, the Welsh Retail Consortium (WRC).

The WRC plans to build on previous British Retail Consortium activity in Wales and will be dedicated to enhancing the reputation of the retail sector, and encouraging the Welsh Government and local authorities to work more closely with retailers to support investment and encourage growth.

Today also sees the launch of a new report, Welsh Retail: Serving Our Communities, which draws on research by Oxford Economics and the Oxford Institute of Retail Management to present key statistics about the country's retail sector.

According to the organisation, retail is the largest private sector employer in Wales, accounting for more than 11% of the total workforce. A large proportion of retail jobs are held by people who are 25 and under - an age group facing particular challenges finding work in the current economic climate.

Welsh Retail Consortium director Mark Ross said: "Retail is at the heart of communities across Wales, providing jobs for more than one in ten people who are in work. It's a sector, which is always innovating and which has great capacity to grow."

He added: "We've been working with the Welsh Government for years under the umbrella of the British Retail Consortium but I'm delighted we can now bring that relationship into greater focus. The Welsh Government has more power than ever before to shape the business environment and to influence the Welsh economy. There are already positive signs that ministers are looking to work with the retail sector for the benefit of all rather than treating it as a cash cow to be milked through higher taxation - a mistake being made by the administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland."

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