New strategies for a better future
Over the past two years, we have relied on our fabulous retail sector to provide the foodstuffs and other essentials we needed.
Often the only face-to-face interaction we would have outside our own household was with the hard-working staff in the shops on our high streets.
I must give my sincere thanks to the amazing key workers for their efforts during successive lockdowns to keep the country running as smoothly as possible in challenging circumstances.
Throughout the pandemic, our Scottish Government has done all in its power to support these vital businesses and now that trading conditions are returning to normal, a more long-term plan is needed.
To this end, it was my pleasure to brief Parliament on our new Retail Strategy for Scotland last week.
We are now in a unique position to build our recovery, incorporating lasting change to the benefit of all society, including retail and business.
The Scottish Government’s Retail Strategy has four priority areas to achieve this – Sector, People, Place and Just Transition.
Ensuring we have a successful retail sector is at the core of this strategy.
To be successful, the sector must drive productivity and innovation and play a full part in making Scotland one of the best countries in the world to start, scale and change a business.
We can work towards this ambition by 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.
Of course, none of this would be possible without a retail sector staffed by people with the right skills.
This would enable retail workers to have rewarding and secure careers and grow businesses as we focus our economy towards well-being and fair work to significantly reduce in-work poverty.
One of the ways we can do this is by developing and promoting a Fair Work Agreement that retailers can voluntarily sign up to, to improve fair work conditions across the sector and encourage better pay.
The Scottish Government will lead by example, applying Fair Work First criteria to more than £2.4billion in public sector spending, including £619.8 million in procured contracts.
Given recent events with companies like P&O, it is also essential that we expand this criteria to oppose fire and rehire practices, while also supporting flexible and family-friendly working to further improve work-life balance.
The third area of focus, Place, spans so much wider than just our retail sector.
Here in Renfrewshire South, that would mean a promotion of our town centres in Barrhead, Neilston, Johnstone and Linwood, repurposing and regeneration of vacant units, as well as support for local businesses in areas like Uplawmoor, Kilbarchan, Howwood, Brookfield and Lochwinnoch. Thereby strengthening the vital contribution that retailers make to the economic and social success of our local communities.
To create places across the whole of Renfrewshire South where people, location and resources combine to create a sense of identity and purpose, is at the heart of addressing the needs and realising the full potential of communities.
The Scottish Government’s approach recognises that different locations have distinct needs and that retail, which is a key component of all local communities across Scotland, continues to adapt and evolve to take into account the physical, social and economic elements of places. Finally, we have Just Transition.
With climate change one of the biggest challenges facing us all, it is vital that we ensure a Just Transition for the retail sector.
We must ensure one that protects jobs and benefits the environment, our people and our economy while addressing the challenges around sustainable retail practices that contribute to reaching net zero emissions by 2045.
We can do this by developing local supply chains, being more proactive in the reuse of materials and providing sustainable travel choices for retail staff and customers alike.