The next mayor of London must make sure they consider what impact their policy will have on retailers in the city, one industry body has claimed.
Richard Dodd, spokesperson for the British Retail Consortium (BRC), explained that retail is not only vital to London's economy, but for the economy as a whole.
He said: "When retail is doing well that's a good indicator that the economy overall is doing well, and if conversely when retailers are having a tough time that is actually a bad thing for all of London's economy [and] not just for people who are directly employed or owners and shareholders of those businesses."
Mr Dodd added that a thriving economy is vital for London and this is something that any future mayor must create.
By doing so, people will have disposable income which they will be able to spend in retailers, he concluded.
All three major mayoral candidates - Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson and Brian Paddick - claim they are the best person to manage the economy of London.
