Bestway Wholesale, whose family roots are firmly embedded in Pakistan, has announced immediate fundraising support for the victims of the devastating floods that are continuing to batter communities - thought to be the worst natural disaster to hit the country in recent memory.
Working with the Bestway Foundation, the Wholesale arm is collecting funds through depot collections and JustGiving.com. The Foundation intends to work closely with world charities on the ground and deliver aid to those that need it the most through its support networks in Pakistan.
Bestway Group, the country’s leading foreign investor, has announced financial and material support to the people of Pakistan of US$1.0 Million. The Group currently owns the United Bank Limited (the 2nd largest private bank in Pakistan) and Bestway Cement (the 2nd largest cement manufacturer in Pakistan).
Speaking of the disaster, Dawood Pervez, Managing Director for Bestway Wholesale – whose father Sir Anwar Pervez (Founder and Chairman of the Bestway Group), was born in Pakistan, says, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life and destruction that has been caused by this terrible flooding across Pakistan.
“As a company which has retained its heritage and links to Pakistan to this day, we want to do all we can to support the recovery efforts and help those that need help the most. We know how desperate the situation is right now before disease and further suffering sets in.
“With the significant investment already been made by Bestway Group, allows us to actively provide immediate relief; and by working in partnership with local businesses and financial institutions we are putting in place long term sustainable measures so that we can rehabilitate the masses effected by this national tragedy”.
“We are now appealing to all our supply partners, friends, customers and colleagues to join with us and support this cause to help the people of Pakistan”.
It is estimated that the death toll in Pakistan has exceeded 1,000 since the monsoon rains began but hundreds of thousands more people have been left without homes or shelter, and many without food. The figures continue to rise daily.
“We know Pakistan is already reeling from economic and political crises and for months the country has been suffering from double-digit inflation, driven by soaring food and fuel prices," Pervez continues.
“Our Bestway Foundation is well-placed to support and help with this crisis – to date we have raised nearly £40m for charities across Pakistan and Europe and we are doing all we can, to ensure funds can be deployed swiftly to get aid to those who desperately need it”.
As part of its ongoing commitments, Bestway Group has to-date donated in excess of US$ 22.0 million to the health and education sectors in Pakistan. During the recent COVID pandemic the Group donated substantial sums to aid the relief activities.
Bestway Group has also announced that it is organising a fundraising dinner on the 23 September 2022 at a Central London venue with over 500 people expected to attend.
Millbrook Dairy, the fast-growing cheese and butter business founded in 2019 by David Evans and Kevin Beer, has been presented with the prestigious King’s Awards for Enterprise in International Trade, by David Fursdon, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Devon.
The Award recognises Devon-based Millbrook Dairy’s exceptional performance and growth in collaborating with partners around the world to buy and sell dairy products. The company specialises in procuring and selling bulk and packaged cheese and butter across international markets with its main source of dairy products stemming from the UK and Ireland.
At the heart of this recognition lies the fact that overseas sales have grown over three years by 109 per cent. The company now operates across Europe, The Middle East, North America, and Asia-Pacific. As a start-up that was established in 2019, all current markets were entered in over this period and Millbrook Dairy is now the UK’s fastest-growing trader and exporter of bulk cheese into world markets.
Additional to its bulk cheese and butter business, Millbrook Dairy has developed its own premium brand, 1057 Extra Mature Scottish Cheddar, which is sold in USA, Canada, and Australia.
During the occasion, David Fursdon, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Devon was full of praise for Millbrook Dairy for achieving its first Royal honour. He said, “We are delighted that Millbrook Dairy has been recognised with the UK’s highest business accolade.
"Against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty – due to inflation, international conflicts and various supply chain disruptions – Millbrook Dairy has shown that it remains possible to thrive globally and that demand for British exports is high.
"In this challenging period, it’s right that we celebrate Millbrook Dairy and showcase its achievements to the wider business community to encourage and inspire more firms – particularly SMEs – to look at trade again for growth.
"To present this award today to a Devon-based business has been a privilege.”
Co-founders Kevin Beer and David Evans, said that the extraordinary teamwork, deep-rooted relationships, and values that are shared across the whole team within the business have been a major contributor to its success.
“We are proud and humbled to have been presented with The King’s Awards for Enterprise: International Trade 2024 by David Fursdon, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Devon.
“When we started on our journey in 2019, we never thought the business would grow in the way it has and especially during the turbulent trading periods that have been in place. For us, winning a King’s Awards for Enterprise and being recognised by the highest business awards in the land is a remarkable achievement and a very big honour," Beer and Evans said.
The King’s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, were renamed last year to reflect His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s by recognising outstanding UK businesses.
The Awards celebrate the success of exciting and innovative businesses which are leading the way with pioneering products or services, delivering impressive social mobility programmes, or showing their commitment to excellent sustainable development practices.
The Awards programme, now in its 58th year, is the most prestigious business award in the country, with successful businesses able to use the esteemed King’s Awards for Enterprise’ Emblem for the next five years.
Nisa has confirmed Andrew Rutter has been promoted to the role of Head of Key Accounts within its Sales and Retail team.
With over 25 years of experience in the Independent Retail and Wholesale sector, Rutter brings a wealth of expertise to this pivotal position. He has been an integral part of Nisa since 2012, initially joining Nisa-Today’s as Head of Retail Development before taking on his most recent position of Regional Manager for the South.
Rutter led a team of Retail Development Managers, overseeing support for more than 700 independent Nisa stores across the South. His extensive background also includes a variety of roles at AF Blakemore & Son, further solidifying his strong foundation in the industry.
In his new position, Rutter will oversee the strategic management of key accounts within Nisa’s portfolio. His responsibilities will include fostering strong relationships with key partners, enhancing service delivery, and defining a five-year sales strategy aimed at driving profitable growth and deepening retailer loyalty.
Collaborating closely across the Wholesale and B2B divisions, Andrew’s role will ensure the full range of Nisa and Co-op propositions is effectively deployed within customers’ estates, delivering maximum benefit for both partners and Nisa.
Speaking about his new appointment, Rutter said, "I am thrilled to take on this exciting new role at Nisa and to work more closely with our key accounts to ensure we are delivering a best-in-class service.
"Over the years, I’ve seen first-hand how strong partnerships can drive success, and I’m eager to build on these relationships to achieve even greater results. Nisa has a fantastic team, and I’m looking forward to working collaboratively to deliver growth and innovation for our partners and Nisa."
Katie Secretan, Nisa’s Director of Sales & Retail, welcomed Andrew’s appointment, saying, "Andrew’s extensive experience, deep understanding of the independent retail sector, and passion for delivering excellence make him the ideal candidate for this critical role. His leadership will be instrumental in strengthening relationships with our key accounts, driving forward our sales strategy, and ensuring that our partners continue to thrive in an ever-challenging market.
"I have every confidence that Andrew will make a significant impact in this new position, and I look forward to working with him to deliver our ambitious plans."
This appointment further bolsters the Sales and Retail leadership team, which this year welcomed Taranjit Singh Dhillon as Head of Retail, Ian King as Head of Business Development, and saw the promotion of Joy McAleese to Head of Wholesale.
The Post Office is predicting that close to £1 billion worth of cash will be withdrawn over the counter at its branches in December.
Last December, Post Offices handled a then record £930 million worth of personal cash withdrawals at its branches.
New figures released today (10) reveal the impact ‘Storm Bert’ had on cash transactions at PostOffices in November. Just over £3.5 billion in cash deposits and withdrawals were handled by branches in November. This compared with £3.7 billion in October and PostOffice has attributed this month-on-month fall to ‘Storm Bert’ which impacted Wales, the South West of England, Central England and Scotland at the end of November.
Personal cash deposits totalled £1.45 billion which was down 4.5% month-on-month (£1.52 billion, October 2024) but was up 12.3 per cent year-on-year (£1.29 billion, November 2024). Business cash deposits in November totalled £1.12 billion which was down 7 per cent month-on-month (£1.21 billion, October 2024) but was up 1.5 per cent year-on-year (£1.11 billion, November 2024).
Personal cash withdrawals totalled £916 million in November which dipped 1.3 per cent month-on-month (£928 million, October 2024) but was up 4.3 per cent year-on-year (£879 million, November 2024).
Ross Borkett, Post Office Banking Director, said, “Following the large-scale disruption caused by Storm Bert last month, postmasters and their teams are on hand to support small businesses who desperately rely on cash takings in the run-up to Christmas. Our branches provide somewhere convenient and secure where they can deposit their cash.
“Many people rely on cash in order to budget in the run-up to Christmas Day and the trends we’re seeing indicate that personal cash withdrawals will be greater in December than the previous year.
"People can withdraw the cash they need, to the penny, at our branches with many open long hours and on the weekend.”
Post Office Cash tracker data – November 2024
Cash deposits value (business & personal)
MOM%
YOY%
Cash withdrawals value (business & personal)
MOM%
YOY%
Total cash deposits & withdrawal value for November 2024
As at 16 October, 88 hubs have been opened in partnership between Cash Access UK and the Post Office. 168 Banking Hubs have now been announced by LINK with further openings planned for later this year.
Premium food apart from clothing and technology purchases are expected to drive a 5 per cent jump in festive spending to £22.7 billion this year, according to figures that suggest UK consumers will outstrip the first post-pandemic Christmas in 2021.
The average spending on gifts and celebrations is expected to rise from £416 to £433 for each person, the survey of 2,000 adults by the accountancy firm PwC found.
The research suggested that spending will exceed the £21.6bn, or £426 for each person, recorded in late 2021, when consumers were able to return to more normal festive socialising after Covid-19.
Consumers named food and drink and Christmas dinner as the top spending priorities for 2024, suggesting that they might opt for more premium ranges, PwC said.
Clothing was the top spending priority for under-25s and third overall, according to PwC, giving hope to retailers that people will buy new outfits after several years of holding back.Strong spending on technology during the end-of-November Black Friday promotions is expected to continue through December.
PwC said British consumers have a “well-established habit of spending more than they initially plan during the festive season”.
Lisa Hooker, who leads PwC’s consumer markets work, said she was “cautiously optimistic about the outlook” after consumers showed “caution” during the autumn as they awaited tax increases from the government.
“After volume declines for most non-food categories in 2024, it is good to see a relatively strong end to the year with increased spending over Black Friday, which is expected to continue over the festive period,” she said.
“As usual the winning category is food and drink with growth in the premium ranges exceeding value ranges as customers want to selectively treat themselves and their family.”
PwC figures coincides with Kantar's report which states that grocery sales are expected to exceed £13 billion over the four weeks of December for the first time ever with Dec 23 expected to be the single busiest day.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said, "Sales of assorted sweet biscuits and biscuits for cheese both doubled in November compared with the month before, while 8 per cent of us bought a Christmas pudding."
McKevitt added, "Shoppers are grabbing the chance to spend that little bit more than usual on Christmas specials, and champagne, wine and spirits saw the biggest levels of buying on deal.”
Vape maker Chill Brands Group has announced a strategic pivot towards rechargeable, reusable vaping products and a new nicotine-free e-liquid range, positioning itself for growth ahead of the UK’s upcoming ban on single-use vapes.
Anticipating the ban's enforcement on 1 June 2025, Chill Brands has partnered with manufacturers to develop compliant, pod-based vape devices.
The company said “the appetite among retailers to stock single-use vape devices has diminished,” leading to a decline in its UK domestic sales. Meanwhile it is actively engaged in discussions with potential distribution partners to expand the global reach of its product range.
The company’s vaping portfolio will soon include a new line of nicotine-free e-liquids, set to launch in early 2025. These shortfill e-liquids come in 10 flavors and are designed for refillable vape devices, catering to both nicotine and non-nicotine users. The products' minimalist branding aligns with potential future marketing regulations.
Chill Brands has also established a new division to support third-party brands in entering the UK and European markets. The company has secured its first partnership agreement to represent an international brand offering oral nicotine pouches and natural energy drinks, with additional brand partnership discussions currently in progress.
“Having launched and grown our own brand in the UK within a nascent category we know what it takes to persist and prosper as a product-led business in this complex market,” Callum Sommerton, chief executive of Chill Brands, said.
“By partnering with emerging brands and utilising our established sales and marketing infrastructure, we are transforming our previous limitations into a unique opportunity. This model allows us to diversify our commercial interests, generate new revenue streams, and put our accumulated market knowledge and sales resources to productive use.”
The company’s trading suspension since June 2024 persists due to delays in finalising its 2024 audit, now expected in Q1 2025. Additionally, legal proceedings regarding the recovery of the chill.com domain are ongoing, with a key hearing scheduled for 19 December.