British retailers reveal Brexit concerns

57% have no plans in place, says new survey; 49% anticipate collapse in consumer confidence.

Over half of British retailers have no Brexit plans, despite the UK set to leave the EU on October 31, a new survey has found.

The survey of 200 British retail decision makers was carried out by Global-e in conjunction with Censuswide.

It found that, since the referendum in 2016, a third of retailers have experienced a fall in sales in the UK, reported Fashion United. The ongoing uncertainty has also left over half (54%) of retailers with a range of Brexit concerns.

49% anticipate a collapse in consumer confidence post-Brexit, 43% anticipate difficulty in sourcing products or goods and 34% may consider rationing in the event of stock shortages. Notably, 43% said they will have to raise prices post-Brexit.

In addition, 52% of retailers are concerned that their businesses will be impacted negatively by currency fluctuations post-Brexit. 39% also expected a decrease in sales to the European Economic Area after Brexit.

A major concern is that the Brexit date of October 31 will directly impact on Christmas trading online, with 38% saying the delay poses a ‘significant risk’ to retail performance over the fourth quarter and will affect online trading.

However, despite those stats, 57% of retailers overall are confident that their business can flourish internationally after Brexit, with some already having seen an increase in cross-border ecommerce sales.

“The government has set a formal date for Britain’s exit, which unfortunately falls right before peak trading – a vital time in the year for the sector, adding an additional layer of concern,” said Nir Debbi, co-founder of Global-e.

Want to read more news like this? Simply sign up to our daily digest by clicking here. You can also follow @LicensingSource on Twitter.

MORE NEWS
Horrible Histories
 
Rocket Licensing, the licensing agent in the UK and Eire for the popular award-winning children’s history brand Horrible Histories (published by Scholastic), has announced a new Horrible Histories experiential partnership with Leeds Castle in Kent....
Bellas_SaraMiller
 
Sara Miller of Sara Miller London explains why the brand supports the Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards....
Bluey
 
Maurizio Distefano Licensing, Italian agent for the BBC Studios’ property Bluey, has announced a busy start to 2025 for the popular animated hit as the Bluey licensing programme continues to grow and production gets under way on the first-ever Bluey feature film for cinemas....
Hello Kitty
 
Sanrio has announced the launch of dedicated Hello Kitty and Friends YouTube channels in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. Fans can now enjoy their favourite episodes and special content in their preferred language, making Sanrio’s popular characters more accessible to audiences across India and beyond....
Taiwan
 
This year, Taiwan is making its first-ever appearance at the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids (BLTF/K), presenting a selection of established and emerging IPs to the European market....
BolognaLicAwards_2025
 
The winners of the Bologna Licensing Awards have been crowned during the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids....
Get the latest news sent to your inbox
Subscribe to our daily newsletter

The list doesn't exist! Make sure you have imported the list on the 'Manage List Forms' page.