Improving staff skills and working conditions are key parts of a newly published strategy to support retailers.

Getting the Right Change: A Retail Strategy for Scotland outlines how the Scottish Government, business leaders and trade unions can work together to unlock opportunities to grow businesses and the economy, improve wellbeing and address inequality, and support progress towards our ambitious climate change targets.

Actions outlined include:

• developing and promoting a Fair Work Agreement that retailers can voluntarily sign up to, to improve fair work conditions across the sector and contribute to the reduction of in-work poverty
• working with Skills Development Scotland and other partners on a Skills Audit and Action Plan, to support retail reskilling or upskilling as jobs change, for example, due to technology like self-scan checkouts and online ordering systems
• developing a Just Transition Plan for Retail to protect jobs and contribute to net zero emissions by 2045 through developing local supply chains, reuse of materials and sustainable travel choices by staff and customers
• promoting town and city centres and local businesses while supporting ways to repurpose vacant retail units
• harnessing opportunities in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation that will directly support the retail sector, like actions to grow businesses, boost productivity and support entrepreneurship

A new Industry Leadership Group will be established to drive delivery of the retail strategy, co-chaired by Public Finance Minister Tom Arthur.

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