Kasey Swithenbank, Head of UK&I Retail at Lush Cosmetics, has issued an open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves urging the newly elected Labour government to take bold action to support the UK’s struggling retail sector.
Acknowledging the financial and political challenges facing the government, Swithenbank nonetheless warned that without urgent and practical intervention the future of the British high-street hangs in the balance.
In the open letter, published on LinkedIn, Swithenbank reminds the government that retail is “the backbone of our communities” and the UK’s largest private employer.
"You inherited a broken system and repairing that system is going to take an awful lot of money,” said Swithenbank.
“Money we do not have and has to be generated from somewhere."
But with soaring operational costs and increasing pressure on wages, Swithenbank argues that even established retailers are being pushed to breaking point.
Among her seven key recommendations, she calls for fair pay aligned with the Real Living Wage Foundation, creative revitalisation of town centres, investment in child care and parental leave, a revamp of the apprenticeship levy and reforms to outdated Sunday trading law.
Swithenbank also draws attention to the role of tourism in retail footfall and proposes a more flexible school holiday system to spread demand and ease pressure on UK families and businesses.
"Retail is not just about transactions, it is about people, communities and experiences,” she said.
“If we want high streets to have a future, businesses need a government that truly backs them.
“We are ready to work with you to make this happen and I, like many retail leaders, would welcome the chance to discuss this further," the open letter finished.
Lush, which operates more than 100 shops across the UK and Ireland, has been vocal in the past about social, environmental and economic issues affecting retail.
The letter ends with a call for open dialogue and collaboration between the government and UK retail sector.
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