Getting the Right Change – retail strategy for Scotland

Chapter 6 - Delivery and Defining Success

6.1 The Industry Leadership Group

The Industry Leadership Group (ILG) will drive forward the strategy recommendations, be co-chaired between Scottish Ministers and the sector, and have an overarching purpose to:

• deliver a sustainable, forward looking retail sector that is responsive and able to adapt to changing consumer behaviours while contributing to Scotland’s ambitious climate change targets
• promote all aspects of Fair Work across the sector, in line with the Fair Work Convention’s Framework
• help to ensure those working in retail have access to the necessary skills and developmental opportunities to be successful

We expect the ILG to focus on delivering following priority objectives:

• the actions in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation that will directly support the retail sector
• a Fair Work Agreement, which encourages retail businesses to demonstrate their commitment to Fair Work principles
• a Skills Audit and Action Plan for the sector, in partnership with Skills Development Scotland
• a Just Transition Plan for retail to ensure a transition to an environmentally and sociably sustainable sector, working with industry to guide the path to net zero
• agree, within the first six months of its establishment, a Delivery Plan that sets out how it will deliver its identified priorities as well as a critical review process and timelines for measuring success

The work of this group will flex and take account of changing economic circumstances and build on good practice and transformation in the sector.

The ILG will provide the strategic overview and governance for delivery of the strategy, including monitoring delivery progress – but not all actions can be delivered by the ILG. Additional partners and government support will also be necessary.

6.2 Measuring Success

Our goal for this strategy is to help the retail sector in Scotland adapt, innovate and thrive and become an exemplar in sustainable and inclusive prosperity – supporting robust supply chains and offering people and communities the goods and services that they want.

Scotland’s National Performance Framework sets out the government’s vision for how we create a more successful Scotland. It does so by focusing on how the wellbeing of people living in Scotland can be increased across a range of economic, social and environmental factors.

To achieve that vision, we have identified National Outcomes that provide the overarching framework that we will use to measure progress needed to deliver the vision. These align with this retail strategy’s themes of Sector, People, Place and Just Transition, and with our priorities around an entrepreneurial, inclusive and sustainable economy, Fair Work, skills and reducing environmental impact.

Scotland’s National Performance Framework

Our Purpose

To focus on creating a more successful country with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish through increased wellbeing, and sustainable and inclusive economic growth

Our Values

We are a society which treats all our people with kindness, dignity and compassion, respects the rule of law, and acts in an open and transparent way

National Outcomes

• Children and Young People: We grow up loved, safe and respected so that we realise our full potential
• Communities: We live in communities that are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe
• Culture: We are creative and our vibrant and diverse cultures are expressed and enjoyed widely
• Economy: We have a globally competitive, entrepreneurial, inclusive and sustainable economy
• Education: We are well educated, skilled and able to contribute to society
• Environment: We value, enjoy, protect and enhance our environment
• Fair Work and Business:We have thriving and innovative businesses, with quality jobs and fair work for everyone
• Health: We are healthy and active
• Human Rights: We respect, protect and fulfil human rights and live free from discrimination
• International: We are open, connected and make a positive contribution internationally
• Poverty: We tackle poverty by sharing opportunities, wealth and power more equally

These outcomes do not sit in isolation, they are interdependent and they all have an important role to play in fulfilling our vision and, moving forward, they will be used as a guide for delivering the actions set out in this strategy.

Measuring progress is an important part of this strategy and we will work with the ILG to establish and oversee a working group to analyse data and trends and advise on our outcome metrics. This will develop the best-quality data and insights available at national, regional and local level to support prioritisation and monitoring our progress in delivering this strategy.

Our evidence base and level of understanding of what we are trying to achieve will continue to grow as we work together in partnership with the ILG and as we work through the outcomes from connected policy streams, particularly the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

Aligning with National Outcomes

Economy

• The retail sector supports a globally competitive, entrepreneurial, inclusive and sustainable economy

Communities

• Retail businesses support our communities to be inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe

Fair Work and Business

• We have thriving and innovative businesses, with quality jobs and Fair Work for everyone across the retail sector and through supply chains

Environment

• Consumers, staff and investors in retail value, enjoy, protect and enhance our environment

Through this work we will develop a more comprehensive approach to understanding the impacts of this strategy – within the context of our vision and our outcomes – and contribution to the National Performance Framework.

6.3 Draft Delivery Plan

Delivery

Strategy Aims

Ensure we successfully deliver the outcomes identified in this strategy

Timescale

Short term – within 3-6 months of strategy publication

Actions

Establish a sector-led Industry Leadership Group (ILG).

Develop a Delivery Plan that sets out how the ILG will deliver its identified priorities and a critical review process and timelines for measuring success.

Work with the ILG to establish and oversee a working group to analyse data and trends and advise on our outcome metrics. This will develop the best quality data and insights available at national, regional and local level to support prioritisation and monitoring our progress in delivering this strategy.

Sector

Strategy Aims

Supporting successful and profitable retail businesses

Timescale

Medium term – year 1-2

Actions

Through the ILG, focus on the delivery of the actions in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation that will directly support the retail sector.

Strategy Aims

Helping retail harness the opportunities of digital

Timescale

Medium term – year 1-2

Actions

Investigate ‘virtual high street’ online platforms, for example through Scotland Loves Local, enabling consumers to spend money in local shops without losing the convenience of online shopping.

Promote the DigitalBoost programme across the sector to provide Digital Support and advice.

Maximise opportunities for retail to benefit from the Scotland Loves Local Programme by collaborating on cross-sectoral marketing, platform support for local economies and the SLL fund.

Promote cyber security standards such as Cyber Essentials and resources such as the British Retail Consortium’s Cyber Resilience Toolkit for Retail so that retailers are more protected against the most common cyber-attacks and that consumers can be confident that their local online retail experience is safe and secure.

Strategy Aims

Promoting a successful Scottish retail sector

Timescale

Medium/long term

Actions

Maximise the promotion of Scottish goods and examine the potential for branding for Scottish retail and ensure alignment where possible with other sectors (i.e. Scottish produce).

People

Strategy Aims

To promote all aspects of fair work across the retail sector so that it offers secure and well-paid employment

Timescale

Short term – year 1

Actions

Through the ILG, deliver a Fair Work Agreement that retailers can sign up to, demonstrate their commitment to Fair Work principles. In developing the Agreement the ILG should consider:

• appropriate channels for effective worker voice, such as trade union recognition
• investment in workforce development
• no inappropriate use of zero hours contracts
• action to tackle the gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps, reduce child poverty by enhancing support for parents with children, and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace
• payment of the real Living Wage
• the offer of flexible and family-friendly working to all workers from day one of employment
• commitment not to use fire and rehire practices
• the need for retail employers to undertake Equal Pay Reviews
• offering support which helps disabled, ethnic or marginalised workers to have rewarding careers in retail

Strategy Aims

Ensure those working in retail have the skills necessary to be successful

Timescale

Medium term – year 1-2

Actions

Through the ILG, we will work with Skills Development Scotland and other partners to undertake a Skills Audit and corresponding Skills Action Plan. Development of the Plan should take into account:

• the need to support reskilling or upskilling as job roles change to meet the needs of business and the careers of those employed within it
• alignment with and connections to NSET including actions to:
  • adapt the education and skills system to make it more agile and responsive to our economic needs and ambitions
  • implement a lifetime upskilling and retraining offer
  • target more skills investment and support to working age people in poverty or at risk of moving into poverty
  • embed first rate entrepreneurial learning across the education and skills systems
  • upskill business leaders to drive productivity improvements

Consider the recommendations in the independent evaluation of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund which will report later this year. Those agreed for implementation will be taken forward as part of the work set out in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation to implement a lifetime upskilling and retraining offer that is more straightforward for people and business to access and benefit from.

Continue to invest in Scottish Union Learning in 2022/23, committing £2.262 million to support workforce development through projects that must be aligned with the Fair Work Framework.

Place

Strategy Aims

Strengthen retail’s positive contribution to local economies and communities

Timescale

Medium – long term year 2-5

Actions

Support the matching activity (such as the GoLocal programme) that enables local vendors and suppliers to connect more easily, saving transport and financial costs.

Support retailers to consider local sourcing and support for local businesses, including through the Scotland Loves Local programme, alongside Scotland Food and Drink and the Scottish Grocers’ Federation.

Encourage retail businesses through community planning partnerships to work with local communities and local authorities to develop and promote a retail offer appropriate to their needs, building on the wider identity, cultural heritage, skills base and anchor institutions within an area.

Work with retail stakeholders to support delivery of our joint response with Cosla to the Town Centre Action Plan Review.

Work with retail stakeholders to deliver work emerging from the City Centre Recovery Task Force, including promoting city centres as retail and cultural destinations, and repurposing vacant units.

Support and promote place-based and creative responses to repurposing vacant retail units, including showcasing demonstrators.

Ensure that retailers can participate in the consultation on whether new permitted development rights and/or changes to the use classes order could support the resilience and recovery of Scotland’s retail industry.

Consider how we can work with public and private enterprise to investigate the potential viability of the Clyde Future Fashion Park, minimising the environmental impact of production.

Just Transition

Strategy Aims

Supporting retail’s transition to an environmentally and socially sustainable sector

Timescale

Medium/ long term year 2-5

Actions

Through the ILG, develop a Just Transition Plan for Retail to ensure a transition to an environmentally and socially sustainable sector in the economy of the future. This will include:

• facilitating workshops and roundtable discussions to bring industry representatives together to develop methods of working more sustainably and meet net zero targets
• encouraging retailers to sign up to the UN’s Race to Zero commitments – including minimising waste in packaging, reducing carbon throughout supply chains and removing energy inefficiencies wherever possible
• promoting actions that retailers and their supply chain operators can take to reduce carbon consumption and environmental impacts
• working with retail businesses on projects to encourage repair, resale or refilling of goods in stores and throughout operations
• working with retailers to encourage customers and staff to use accessible and inclusive active travel and public transport for journeys to retail, which will support our commitment to a 20% reduction in car kms travelled by 2030
• supporting the retail sector as it shifts its vehicle fleet to zero emission vehicles
• ensuring that the Just Transition Plan for Retail takes into account relevant recommendations and commitments arising from Scotland’s Climate Assembly