The retail sector needs to do more to drive up female and ethnic minority representation in the most senior positions. In this first-of-its-kind report, produced in partnership with British Retail Consortium and PwC UK, The MBS Group lifts the lid on diversity and inclusion in the retail sector and reveals how far the industry has to go to reflect its diverse customer base and workforce:
– Under 10% of CEOs in our sector are women; one in five retailers still has no women on their Board. 32.6% of Board Members, 32% of Executive Committee and 37.5% of Direct Reports into the ExCo are women
– Only 4.5% of Retail leaders are from Black or ethnic minority backgrounds. 81% of retailers have all white Boards, and 68% of retailers have all white executive committees
Our findings are based on data captured from 200 of the industry’s leading businesses, conversations with more than 100 retail Chairs, CEOs and HRDs, and a survey of 1,000 employees from PwC. We look at areas including gender, race, LGBTQ+, disability, social mobility and age – and provide recommendations for retailers looking to turn intention into action.
You can read the full report here.
