2025-10-30
35 分钟This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.
Hello, welcome to Big Boss Interview.
I'm Fliss Hannah, but I'm here to talk to Sean Farrington because,
Sean, you've had another quite exciting chat.
Yeah, it was really good.
Just walked out of an interview with Joe Whitfield,
who's the new chair of the British Retail Consortium.
Now, that's a big role in itself because it represents...
all retailers across the UK and in all those big conversations that industries want to have with government and amongst each other when big issues come up.
Often things like the British Retail Consortium will have a major role in that.
But Jo Whitfield herself has held many, many very senior roles at the co-op.
She was in charge of co-op food there for many years.
She was Chief Executive of Matalan in recent years as well until last year held senior roles at ASDA as well.
So she's got a real insight on how retailers changed over the years and but also clearly what she thinks is needed right now for the sector whether it's from big supermarkets to independent retailers on smaller high streets what they need at the minute.
So she must have had loads to say, especially with the budget screaming towards us.
Well, definitely the budget screaming towards us.
But we also got onto some of those longer term issues as well.
You know, what is the high street really about?
The focus on big supermarkets, which will probably come up in the budget.
Where does that sit within our retail offer?