Retail has one of the lowest gender pay gaps – 9.9 per cent – of any industry according to research by Diversity in Retail (DiR) and PwC.

The report said this is partially because of large amount of people employed in junior roles in at retailers – including shop floor and distribution roles - where pay levels are often well balanced between men and women.

DiR’s research found that the pay gap fell from 11.4 per cent in 2019 to 9.9 per cent in the period between the start 2020 and May 2021, while the median pay gap was up slightly from 4.3 per cent to 5 per cent.

In addition, the median bonus gap in retail was down from 22.6 per cent to 18.7 per cent according to the report.

Over a third of retailers reported their gender pay gap – 36 per cent – well above the 25 per cent average seen across other industries.

“It is crucially important to continue to focus on transparency, reporting and meaningful action to address some of the inequalities that existed prior to the pandemic and have been exacerbated since,” said Tea Colaianni, founder and char at DiR. “Every step, however small, can contribute to making a significant difference in closing pay inequalities and advancing the broader diversity and inclusion agenda in retail.”

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