UK government should back British food production to secure a home-grown supply of food or risk seeing more empty shelves in the nation’s supermarkets, a leading farming organisation warned recently amid acute shortages of eggs in the country.
The warning from National Farmers' Union (NFU) comes at a time when people are seeing empty egg shelves while fruit and veg growers are under massive pressure due to soaring energy costs and workforce shortages.
NFU president Minette Batters urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to honour commitments to support British farmers through the energy crisis.
“Shoppers up and down the country have for decades had a guaranteed supply of high-quality affordable food produced to some of the highest animal welfare, environmental and food safety standards in the world.
“That food is critical to our nation’s security and success. But British food is under threat.
“We have already seen the egg supply chain crippled under the pressure caused by these issues and I fear the country is sleepwalking into further food supply crises, with the future of British fruit and vegetable supplies in trouble," Batters said.
Other reports say the entire industry is facing a shortage of eggs for a number of reasons, including avian flu leading to a culling of flocks, producers cutting back on the amount they are producing and also leaving the industry due to increased costs.
To combat the egg shortage and to prevent empty shelves, supermarkets such as Asda and Morrisons have introduced a limit of two boxes of eggs per customer, Yahoo reported.
Confirming that the supermarket has introduced a temporary limit of two boxes per customer, a spokesperson for Asda said that the supermarket is working hard with suppliers to resolve the industry challenges.
“The past few years have shown the strength of our supply chains and we are adept at managing temporary shortages of products to ensure that there are options on our shelves for our customers," reports quoted the spokesperson as saying.
East of England Co-op on Thursday announced the appointment of Andy Rigby as acting chief executive for a minimum of 12 months.
Rigby joined the East of England Co-op in early 2022 as chief operations officer and has over 40 years’ leadership experience in senior executive roles across a range of formats in the UK, EU and international markets.
“Andy has proven himself to be a force for good in many ways for our Society in the time he has been with us; we welcome his appointment as we continue on our journey together to make a bigger difference in our communities and return to sustainable profit,” Joy Burnford, president of the East of England Co-op, said.
Rigby commented: “It is an honour to lead the East of England Co-op on our exciting journey which will continue at pace. Our focus remains on our customers, our colleagues, our members and our communities who we take great pride in supporting and serving, now and in the future.
“I’d like to thank our 3,000 incredible colleagues who continue to work so hard for our co-op and our Board too for their continued support, I’m excited and proud to continue to work closely with them to deliver our strategy. We’ve come a long way in a short-time and we have lots to be excited about.”
East of England Co-op Food store in Woolpit
Meanwhile, the regional retailer has also re-opened its Woolpit store after being refurbished as part of a wider £5 million investment by the retailer, including upgrades to the sustainability and food-to-go offering of its stores.
The refurbishments, which form part of the East of England Co-op’s portfolio reshape, improve the stores’ member and customer experience alongside their environmental impact with new eco-friendly refrigeration units.
The Woolpit store, on The Street, reopens with a larger store footprint, the East of England Co-op's much-loved serve behind in-store bakery, a larger chilled range and brand-new self-service checkouts.
This is the final refurbishment of 2024 and forms part of the retailer’s wider refurbishment of a total of 12 stores across the East of England which began in August.
“This investment in Woolpit has allowed us to enhance our member and customer offering through upgrades to store sustainability and improved shopping experience. This is part of our commitment to continue supporting the local communities these stores serve by providing quality products and exceptional customer service,” Rigby said.
“We want to do everything we can to minimise our environmental impact, which is why we’re placing a large emphasis on the stores’ sustainability throughout these refurbishments. These are crucial upgrades as we continue to invest in and reshape our wider portfolio.”
The East of England Co-op is the largest independent retailer in East Anglia with food stores, travel branches and local funeral service branches across Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.
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Tabrez Hussain, co-owner of LA Foods being presented with a trophy, in recognition of Henderson Technology’s 1,000th installation of EDGEPoS at the Uxbridge Road store
Henderson Technology has announced the 1,000th installation of its innovative EPOS system, EDGEPoS, at LA Foods on Uxbridge Road, London.
This milestone highlights the growing popularity and success of EDGEPoS, which was first piloted in 2011 and has since evolved into one of the most powerful and user friendly EPOS systems globally.
LA Foods, co-owned by Tabrez Hussain and his family, has a long retail history dating back to 1990 when his father established the business. Since the late 2000s, Tabrez and his brothers have expanded the company, which now operates 13 stores. The Uxbridge Road location, home to the 1,000th EDGEPoS installation, serves a diverse customer base and is dedicated to staying ahead of consumer trends.
The decision to implement EDGEPoS across all 13 stores was an easy decision for the business to make.
Tabrez Hussain said, “We chose EDGEPoS because we wanted a system that could make our store operations more streamlined and automated. The self-checkouts, suggested ordering, and electronic shelf labels (ESELs) were particularly appealing, and while we haven’t yet rolled out ESELs, we are excited about their potential.”
Since adopting EDGEPoS, LA Foods has witnessed significant improvements in operational efficiency. Automated ordering has freed up staff time for essential tasks like stock taking, ensuring accurate stock values and operational activities. “Features like automated ordering save time we can now spend on other tasks, such as regular stock takes,” Tabrez explained. “The reduction printers and digital handsets have also been invaluable additions.”
With a focus on convenience, EDGEPoS has transformed the shopping experience at LA Foods. From seamless transactions at reliable tills to maintaining consistent stock levels, the system has made shopping quicker and more satisfying for customers.
Tabrez added: “It’s reassuring to know that Henderson Technology has a strong foundation and that we are part of a large network of users. It gives us confidence in their long term support and future advancements.”
Darren Nickels, Retail Operations Director at Henderson Technology, said: “Reaching the 1,000th installation is a tremendous achievement, and we are thrilled that LA Foods is the business to mark this milestone. We are excited for their future and proud they chose EDGEPoS to drive their operations forward. It’s retailers like LA Foods that inspire us to continue innovating and delivering solutions tailored to their needs.”
For LA Foods, EDGEPoS aligns seamlessly with their business goals. “EDGEPoS has been transformative for our business, enabling us to streamline operations and improve efficiency while keeping up with modern retail trends,” Tabrez concluded. “It’s a robust system that aligns perfectly with our growth goals and gives us confidence in the future.”
Henderson Technology has established itself as a leader in the EPOS market, known for continuous innovation and partnerships. The EDGEPoS system, developed ‘by retailers for retailers’, is now one of the most feature rich and powerful systems globally. The company’s dedicated research and development team prioritises retailer feedback, ensuring the system evolves to meet the changing demands of the retail industry.
On average, each of the 5.5 million small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) in the UK lost almost £11,000 this year through fraud, claims a new research.
Commissioned by Mollie, the study found that over half (54 per cent) of UK SMBs were the victims of online fraud in 2024.
Specifically, more than half (58 per cent) dealt with phishing scams in the past 12 months, where scammers pretended to be trusted companies to steal their personal information through email. Additionally, 42 per cent dealt with refund fraud, where customers manipulated refund policies to obtain reimbursements for products or services they were not entitled to.
Similarly, three in ten (30 per cent) said they experienced attempts at account takeovers, where unauthorized parties tried to gain access to their online business accounts. Additionally, a quarter (26 per cent) experienced chargebacks on completely legitimate transactions, and over two in ten (23 per cent) faced carding attacks, where stolen cards were tested at checkout, leading to spikes in failed transactions.
In addition to the financial toll, online fraud is impacting the productivity of small businesses. Mollie’s research found that they spend an average of 15 days—or 120 hours—each year managing and mitigating fraud-related issues. This time commitment diverts resources from core business operations, further straining already limited budgets.
Richard Wivell, Marketing Manager at Nemesis Now, said, "Experiencing gateway attacks was a costly and stressful ordeal for our business. We dealt with fake orders, refunded fraudulent payments, and worked overtime with developers to manage thousands of malicious requests.
"Unfortunately, the lack of urgency from our previous provider forced us to take matters into our own hands working with our trusted web development agency to identify vulnerabilities and blocking attacks.”
Dave Smallwood, UK Managing Director of Mollie, said, “As the backbone of the UK economy, it’s crucial that UK SMBs –especially e-commerce ones– are equipped with practical solutions to manage their money and fight fraud effectively. Many small businesses lack the resources to cover a single fraudulent incident, and without support and action, we risk stifling business innovation and growth.
"Fighting fraudulent activity is taking resources away from day-to-day business operations, and we need this to change. We need to provide businesses large and small with access to the support needed to safeguard against increasingly sophisticated threats so they can focus on the job at hand."
Britain's economy shrank for the second consecutive month in October, official data showed Friday, dealing a blow to the Labour government that has made economic growth a priority.
Gross domestic product fell 0.1 per cent in October compared with September, when output declined by the same amount, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
The decline was unexpected by analysts, who had estimated that the economy would grow slightly.
"The figures this month are disappointing," said chancellor Rachel Reeves, whose first budget in October featured big tax increases on businesses.
"We have put in place policies to deliver long-term economic growth," she added.
Analysts have attributed part of the decline to uncertainty after the Labour government warned of "tough" measures in its budget at the end of October.
ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said that "oil and gas extraction, pubs and restaurants and retail all had weak months".
Despite this, "the economy still grew a little over the last three months as a whole", she said.
Alongside tax increases in the budget, prime minister Keir Starmer's government announced plans for higher borrowing that it said would be invested in infrastructure projects to help drive economic growth.
Against the backdrop of weak growth, the Bank of England is set to decide next week whether it will cut interest rates again.
In November, the central bank trimmed borrowing costs by 25 basis points to 4.75 percent.
C&C Group has announced the appointment of Roger White as its new chief executive. He will take charge at the premium branded drinks group on 20 January 2025.
White led the multi-beverage business AG Barr as chief executive from 2002 until May 2024. Prior to this, he held several senior management positions at Rank Hovis McDougall Group (RHM) from 1987 to 2002.
“An acknowledged high calibre leader, he will bring an exceptional combination of extensive branded drinks sector expertise, understanding of our markets and a proven track record of delivery,” Ralph Findlay, chair and chief executive of C&C Group, commented.
Findlay will return to the position of non-executive chair following a short period of transition after White joins the business, which is behind brands including Bulmers, Tennent’s and Magners.
“We look forward to working with Roger. His knowledge and insight will be of great relevance and invaluable to C&C as we continue the recent positive momentum underway within the business and progress our plans to deliver enhanced shareholder value,” he added.
White commented: “It is an exciting time to be joining the business. C&C has a unique business model, great brands and a committed team, with the potential to create significant long-term value. I look forward to working with the board and the wider team to lead C&C through the next phase of its development.”
White is currently non-executive director of Warburtons Ltd, and chair of Beatson Cancer Charity. He was previously senior independent director of Troy Income and Growth Trust plc (2014-2024), and non-executive director of William Jackson Food Group (2019-2024).