FRP Invoice Retail Conference ’25: Building agile business models for a changing retail landscape

Join us to discuss new resilience-building strategies

In a volatile landscape, retailers’ agility is being put to the test.  

Factors like tariffs, inflation, supply chain disruption, shifting political winds and major changes to employer taxation are forcing UK retailers to re-think their operations. Some are making changes to global supply chains and operations, while others are using this as an opportunity to refocus locally – nearshoring or re-shoring parts of their businesses.

Meanwhile, the looming Autumn Budget is adding new uncertainty, with speculation already rife – more than two months out – that there could be further tax changes to come.

In these conditions, the ability to make changes proactively, before threats become problems, is a superpower.

And the brands that are in the strongest positions are those that are taking early steps, seeking early advice, and implementing processes that are change-friendly, enabling them to move quickly when they need to take action.

This includes stress testing their existing business model for resilience; reviewing their supply chains and customer base’ incrementally managing costs to avoid ‘cliff edge’ restructuring and integrating marking strategy with pricing – a critical, but often-overlooked, step to support what might be necessary product price rises. It also includes successfully taking a ‘big picture view’ – considering the knock-on implications of one change for another part of strategy. For example, brands that need to change their supply chain to manage tariff costs must also navigate what might be complex ESG considerations that are a key part of sourcing policies.

It’s against this background that we’ll be leading a workshop at FRP’s upcoming Retail Conference in Central London on the 1^st of October on the topic of building agile business models for a changing retail landscape.

Together with the insight and expertise of Anna Elliott, Partner at Osborne Clarke, we’ll be discussing the global and domestic headwinds affecting the sector, the implications for restructuring, valuations and capital readiness and how brands can build strategic flexibility in times of uncertainty.

In such shifting conditions, it pays to be prepared and proactive. Join us as we reveal how to be both.