Well-known retailers have shown their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and it is time for UK businesses to take long-term action. 

We coordinated an open letter, which was a mandate for change signed by 29 UK business leaders including those from Sainsbury’s, Tesco, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer

All pledged publicly to put an end to the repeating cycle of inaction and address the racial inequality that exists for hundreds of thousands within the UK workforce and will report publicly on their progress.

It’s pleasing to see retailers making a stand. As the biggest private sector employer, such commitments to action can make a big impact on the longer-term progression of ethnic minority talent, from being stuck within the lower levels of the organisation to advancing all the way through to leadership and the boardroom.

In response to the upsurge of the Black Lives Matter movement, some retail brands have been caught in the headlights. Some have remained noticeably silent, some have stood in solidarity, but very few have been able to talk comfortably about race in their organisations and the initiatives they have in place to address the lack of diversity within their leadership. 

“Some retail brands have remained noticeably silent, some have stood in solidarity, but very few have been able to talk comfortably about race in their organisations and the initiatives they have in place to address the lack of diversity within their leadership”

This is why there is a need for real, tangible action and a roadmap for how change can start to happen.

That might include: setting targets for diverse candidate slates for every position; starting to track ethnicity data and conducting focus groups to properly understand the experiences of black and minority colleagues; educating ourselves on the experiences of black people in the workplace and in society at large. 

It might involve celebrating black leaders and talent in our organisations and the wider business community, and reporting on actions for black inclusion in an annual report

What has been clear from our previous experience with the retail industry is that simply bringing diversity directly into leadership teams isn’t enough – although it is important. You also have to look at the wider issue of inclusion, and driving the cultural change needed to ensure those individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds are listened to, supported and retained.

Understanding the obstacles

One key obstacle to action on race is that companies often don’t collect the necessary information. That is especially challenging for retail businesses because many have fluid workforces with large numbers of part-time and short-term staff. 

However, understanding the breakdown of the workforce is an essential step to understanding where the obstacles may lie for minority employees. Indeed, many businesses in various sectors are already starting to track the ethnicity pay gap within their organisations in anticipation reporting may become mandatory. 

Retailers will likely have a significant discrepancy between the average salary of ethnic minority workers and white workers because of the types of jobs each are hired for, but this is not sufficiently evidenced because the data simply doesn’t exist.

Putting the systems in place to track, acknowledge and implement meaningful change is essential. Simply ignoring the problem is no longer an option. 

“Putting the systems in place to track, acknowledge and implement meaningful change is essential. Simply ignoring the problem is no longer an option”

We all know that retail has been hard hit by the pandemic, but that is not an excuse to avoid driving change. In fact, all the evidence suggests that the most diverse and inclusive companies consistently financially outperform their competitors, so it should be part of the solution. 

Social activism and community voices will continue to call out companies that treat diversity as a branding exercise – there is no place to hide now. Retail brands can’t just stay silent on an issue so important to their customers and society at large.

We are at a landmark moment and businesses must respond with real and meaningful change. As our open letter states: “If nothing is done, black people will continue to be disadvantaged.” 

Progress for some is not progress for all. If we do nothing, we all suffer. If we don’t start now, or build on small beginnings, this same cycle of discrimination will continue and, let’s be honest, all the excuses will have now been exhausted.

The clarion call has sounded. We must act. If not now, when?