THE first member has joined a new Retail Industry Leadership Group established by the Scottish Government to help deliver a strong and prosperous industry.
A senior executive from the John Lewis Partnership, Andrew Murphy, will co-chair the Group.
Other members of the Group – which will also include retail businesses and organisations and workers’ representatives – will be confirmed in due course.
Public Finance Minister Tom Arthur said:
“I am delighted to announce that Andrew Murphy, Chief Operating Officer for the John Lewis Partnership, will join me to co-chair the Industry Leadership Group, which will drive future revitalisation and oversee the delivery of our Retail Strategy for Scotland.
“With 30 years working in the retail industry, including as former Chair of the Scottish Retail Consortium, Andrew brings a wealth of retail experience to this important co-chairing role. Andrew is the first to join the new Group at a crucial time as the industry continues to rapidly transform, and one of our first priorities will be to improve fair work practices across the sector.
“Together, we will work to unlock opportunities to grow businesses and the economy, improve wellbeing and address inequalities, and support progress towards our ambitious climate change targets. We want to support innovation and entrepreneurship and seize opportunities from new technology and markets, to boost productivity and grow businesses.
“The Retail Strategy builds on the strengths of the sector – so that it is successful, resilient, sustainable and profitable to the benefit of all of Scotland. Retailers have played and continue to play a vital role in creatively supporting our communities and the Scottish Government is committed to working with them to deliver a strong, prosperous and vibrant retail sector.”
Mr Murphy said:
“I’m delighted to have this opportunity to work with the Scottish Government and other key stakeholders to further the success of the Scottish retail industry and build on the momentum established during the development of a Retail Strategy for Scotland. I know that all 240,000 of Scotland’s retail workers will be behind the Industry Leadership Group as it seeks to deliver a sustainable, fair and prosperous future for the industry and all of those who rely on it.”
