A number of illicit tobacco products were seized in Redditch on Tuesday (8) in a joint operation by officers from Abbey and Batchley policing teams and Worcestershire Trading Standards.
The search resulted in a number of boxes of tobacco products being seized which are believed to be illegal.
“Officers from Abbey and Batchley have supported Trading Standards this afternoon,” Redditch Police tweeted.
“This resulted in a number of tobacco products being seized which are believed to be illegal. Good work by all involved. GM.”
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Elsewhere in Slough, more than 1,000 illegal cigarettes were recovered by two Slough Borough Council sniffer dogs last week.
Trading standards officers visited seven shops in the town last week on the hunt for illegal tobacco, and were assisted by Cooper, a red labrador, and Yo-Yo, a cocker spaniel.
In total, four seizures were made – three from shops and one from the boot of an unlocked and abandoned car – with a street value of more than £10,000.
The operation was part of an ongoing campaign to eliminate the illegal tobacco trade in Slough.
Illegal tobacco, often sold for less than legal and taxed products, means shopkeepers can undercut the prices of other nearby premises, leading to unfair competition.
Councillor Balvinder S Bains, cabinet member for regulation and public protection at Slough Council, said: “Our aim is to rid Slough of people selling and buying illegal tobacco on the cheap.
“It may be residents don’t realise they are buying illegal tobacco, or they don’t care because it is cheap, however the shopkeepers certainly should know it is illegal and that they are breaking the law by selling it, however covertly.
“These retailers are not only cashing in selfishly in a way unfair to other shopkeepers but damaging the local economy in a way potentially dangerous to residents.
“We will not tolerate this in Slough, and we will not hesitate to take action against those we find flouting the law.”
Further action against the premises where illegal tobacco was found is now being considered, including prosecution for the offences.
Technology company Jisp has invested in new barcode scanning software to optimise its loyalty program and boost its international expansion.
The goal of this investment? Making shopping easier for consumers and retailers alike, while also saving money.
Customers have already completed more than five million scans as part of the Scan & Save program, unlocking discounts and rewards. For these exclusive offers, the company partners with renowned brands like Budweiser, Cadbury and Asahi. Yet for Scan & Save to enhance the shopping experience, rather than disrupt it, scanning has to be seamless. This makes an intuitive and reliable barcode reader an absolute necessity for Jisp.
The company’s previous scanning solution was priced per device, hampering its ability to scale. To accommodate its high-volume usage, Jisp sought a vendor with a flat pricing model. Moreover, it needed a solution that quickly and accurately reads a variety of retail barcode types. This is exactly what Jisp found in Scanbot’s Barcode Scanner SDK.
By choosing a provider with flat-fee pricing, Jisp can now confidently scale its loyalty solutions without being hobbled by device charges. The upgraded barcode scanner also proved more accurate and reliable, which has led to substantial time savings and zero support requests coming in.
Roll-out was fast, too. Jisp successfully implemented and tested the Scanbot SDK within a month, thanks to the dedicated support team.
“As we move Jisp into the next stage of its evolution with a focus on sustainable, scalable growth through our five business units, the ability to expand user reach efficiently and cost-effectively was essential,” added Alex Rimmer, director of marketing and communications at Jisp.
“ScanBot has enabled us to take that next step on our journey through fantastic support and an outstanding product.”
Local councils across the UK have been handed new powers to tackle the scourge of empty shops as High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs) took effect on Monday (2 December).
Local authorities will be able to auction off leases for commercial properties that have been empty for long periods, with the HSRAs creating a ‘right to rent’ for businesses and community groups, giving them access to city, town and village centre sites.
The changes will stop disengaged landlords sitting on empty lots for more than 365 days in a 24-month period, before councils can auction a one-to-five year lease.
The government has committed over £1m in funding to support the auction process, which is expected to create jobs for local people and boost trade by bringing local businesses back to the heart of the communities.
“Small businesses need our support and that’s why we are creating a ‘right to rent’ so that high street lots that have been left empty for far too long can be brought back to life,” local growth minister Alex Norris said.
“We want shops and shoppers back on the high street – and that’s what these changes will help to bring.”
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds added: “Empty shop premises that gather dust aren’t doing any good to high streets, jobs and the economy. This is why we said we’d lift the shutters, and today we are delivering on that promise.
“Paired with the wider small business strategy to tackle late payments, getting more SMEs exporting, and boosting access to finance, we are unashamedly backing small firms, to get more people into well paid jobs and help grow our economy.”
The government has announced that four local authorities will lead the way as Early Adopters of the new high streets powers. Bassetlaw, Darlington and Mansfield councils will set an example for other local authorities across England, while Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council will join the Early Adopters programme in an advisory role as critical friends.
Additional local authorities have been invited to join the programme at a later stage.
Originally introduced by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, the High Street Rental Auctions powers came into force after legislation was laid in November. Before putting a property to a rental auction, a local authority must first seek to resolve the vacancy by engaging with the landlord.
The changes come ahead of Small Business Saturday this week, and the business secretary kicked off a week of activity ahead of the event by visiting several small businesses in and around Walthamstow High Street in North-East London.
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Mollie King performs at independent homeware and giftware boutique Lark
Broadcaster and DJ Mollie King surprised shoppers and staff at independent homeware and giftware boutique, Lark in Southfields with an impromptu DJ set to launch American Express presents Small Business Saturday Sessions.
The star, whose partner is a small business owner, is the headline act for Small Business Saturday Sessions, which will see performances in London, Manchester and Birmingham on Small Business Saturday (7 December), an initiative of which American Express is founder and principal supporter.
Launched in 2013, the day takes place on the first Saturday in December each year.
The Sessions, created to celebrate small businesses and the important role they play in the communities, will include another DJ set from Mollie at Lark Southfields, as well as performances from Amex Unsigned artists, singer Kianja who will be performing at Unagi Manchester and singer songwriter Riya Gadher at café Kilo Ziro in Birmingham.
To book a complimentary ticket to attend Mollie King’s set at Lark Southfields, guests should head to https://small-business-saturday-sessions.eventbrite.com to secure a spot. Attendees to the Manchester and Birmingham performances can do so by booking a table directly with the host venue.
Mollie King at Lark
Small Business Saturday Sessions forms part of American Express Shop Small, a long-running campaign which aims to support small businesses by encouraging the nation to champion their local high street and enjoy the benefits of ‘shopping small’, whatever their budget.
“I know firsthand how much hard work and care goes into running a small business, so I am proud to be a part of the American Express presents Small Business Saturday Sessions this year,” Mollie King, Amex Shop Small Ambassador said.
“Local independent shops are often places that bring communities together and I can’t wait to perform again at Lark.”
Dan Edelman, VP & UK general manager, Merchant Services at American Express, said: “As founder and principal supporter of Small Business Saturday, we are delighted to add American Express presents Small Business Saturday Sessions to offer a new way to celebrate this important moment in the year. Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities and we hope these events, as part of our ongoing Shop Small campaign, shine a spotlight on independent businesses and inspire people to get out and show their support.”
With the Scottish budget looming, leaders across retail, hospitality and tourism are calling for targeted measures to alleviate financial pressures and support the sectors' recovery amid rising costs and regulatory demands.
Stuart McCallum, head of consumer markets in Scotland at RSM UK, highlighted the strain on businesses due to increasing costs from regulations, employers’ National Insurance hikes, and the persistent burden of business rates. He warned that without intervention, these challenges could force businesses to pass costs onto consumers or face unsustainable employment costs.
“A permanent lowering of the [business] rate would not only ease the burden on retailers and hospitality operators, but offer a competitive advantage against counterparts across the rest of the UK,” McCallum said.
He also urged the Scottish government to reconsider income tax policy, warning that higher tax rates could drive talent away and reduce consumer spending.
“They could even go a step further and increase income tax thresholds in line with inflation, particularly to relieve financial pressures on lower and middle income earners. With increased consumer confidence comes an increase in spending, which the industry would hugely welcome,” McCallum added.
David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said the budget should be “unambiguously pro-business” to ease burden on the retail sector which is in a precarious state.
“Economic growth is weak, retail sales are flatlining, and shopper footfall has fallen. This reinforces the need for an unambiguously pro-business Scottish Budget which injects much needed confidence into the economy, prioritises competitive taxes, and which avoids piling extra costs onto retailers who are still reeling from the chancellor’s increase to employers’ National Insurance contributions,” Lonsdale said.
Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, echoed the need for urgent financial relief.
“Tourism and hospitality businesses are telling us loud and clear they need to see measures that will immediately ease the financial burden on them and that will directly support the sector to grow and be more competitive,” Crothall added.
“The tourism and hospitality sector has felt overlooked in recent years as a key economic driver. We must see a budget that protects, restores and invests to have long-term success.”
The Scottish budget for 2025 to 2026 will be presented on 4 December.
A good majority of young shoppers prefer shopping at independent retailers, with many even willing to pay extra, states a recent report.
According to a survey of 2,000 adults, commissioned by global online wholesale marketplace and Bira partner Faire, a majority of people aged 18-27 prefer the "personal touch" of an independent store, with 40 per cent of the Gen Z age group also most inclined to avoid chain stores for indie retailers.
74 per cent of Gen Z shoppers prefer shopping at independent retailers, with 62 per cent willing to pay more at indie shops. Among the items most likely to be purchased from independent shops by Gen Z, according to the survey, were clothing (29 per cent), gifts (23 per cent), and home décor or homewares (17 per cent).
The survey also found that a large majority (82 per cent) of adults think their high street needs reviving, with 40 per cent believing more independent shops are key to bringing it back to life.
The survey, carried out through OnePoll, reports that over half of all adults surveyed (56 per cent) cite the cost of living as the main factor driving them to bigger chain stores, while over a quarter (27 per cent) state that they shop at independent retailers more frequently than they did two years ago.
Charlotte Broadbent, UK general manager at Faire, said, “The independent retailers we work with at Faire tell us that it’s often their youngest shoppers who most value the uniqueness and personal touch that independent stores offer over larger retailers.
"The fact they’re also prepared to pay extra for products sold by independent stores shows just how strongly they feel and how optimistic we should be for the growth of the independent retail sector in years to come.”
Charlotte added, “The number of people who want to see local high streets thriving again is huge, and we believe that supporting independent businesses is key to making this happen because they offer so many unique products and experiences that bigger retailers can’t.”