The British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) has said more needs to be done to protect shop owners, workers and shoppers following troubling statistics released by the ONS.
The association, which works with over 6,000 independent businesses of all sizes across the UK, said the figures show how serious the situation now is.
John Halliday, Marketing Director for Bira said, "The latest ONS crime figures paint a troubling picture for independent retailers and businesses across the UK. The 37 per cent increase in shoplifting highlights the significant challenges faced by our sector. Retail crime not only inflicts financial losses but also poses a grave threat to the safety and well-being of shop staff and customers."
Bira also recently ran its own survey which further exposes the harsh realities endured by those working in retail. The survey revealed that a staggering 35.5 per cent of individuals had experienced verbal abuse within their shops. Moreover, incidents of physical abuse remain alarmingly high, with an increase in shopkeepers facing violence, including threats with weapons such as needles, knives, and even instances of hammers being thrown at them. Shockingly, 70 per cent of those physically assaulted opted not to report the incidents to the police.
Halliday added, “It's imperative that urgent action is taken to address this concerning trend and ensure the security of both businesses and their employees and customers. Bira has been trying to tackle this issue for a long time and will continue to work with the Home Office and police forces to better protect businesses, their owners, and people who work in the shop.”
Bira urged authorities to take immediate and decisive action to combat retail crime, including increased police presence in retail areas, improved reporting mechanisms, and enhanced support for victims. The association remains committed to advocating for the safety and security of independent retailers across the country.
British American Tobacco reported a £6.2 billion hit from a long-running lawsuit in Canada on Thursday, and warned of "significant" headwinds in Bangladesh and Australia in 2025 after annual revenue missed forecast.
Health risks associated with tobacco and smoking alternatives have been under regulatory scrutiny for several years, and cigarette makers are facing several challenges globally from policy shifts to anti-tobacco activism.
BAT, the maker of Lucky Strike and Dunhill cigarettes, and some of its rivals were set to pay C$32.5 billion (£18.22bn) to settle a long-running case in Canada, but some parties, including Philip Morris International's Canadian affiliate, have since objected to the proposal.
In Australia and Bangladesh, meanwhile, BAT said tax increases would hurt its tobacco business.
Chief executive Tadeu Marroco said these represented “significant regulatory and fiscal headwinds” that would dent its performance this year, but their impact would recede into 2026.
BAT's investments would also start to pay off by the end of the year, helping bring the company back to its targeted revenue growth of between 3 and 5 per cent by 2026, he said.
The company expects 2025 revenue to grow about 1 per cent at constant currency rates, and performance is projected to be weighted towards the second half of the year.
Revenue for the 12 months ended December 31 was £25.87bn and adjusted profit stood at 362.5 pence per share, compared with expectations of £26.11bn and 362.2 pence, respectively, according to a company-compiled poll.
Revenue was down 5.2 per cent, primarily attributed to the sale of its businesses in Russia and Belarus in 2023, coupled with unfavorable foreign exchange rates. However, the tobacco giant highlighted a 1.3 per cent organic revenue growth at constant rates, fueled by an 8.9 per cent surge in its New Categories segment, which includes vapour, heated tobacco, and oral products.
BAT's combustibles business demonstrated resilience with a 0.1 per cent organic revenue increase, driven by pricing strategies that offset lower volumes.
The company also announced a significant turnaround in profitability, reporting a £2.73bn profit from operations, a stark contrast to the £15.75bn loss in 2023. This improvement, however, includes a £6.2 billion provision for a proposed settlement in Canada.
Reported profit from operations of £2,736m (2023: loss of £15,751m) with 2024 including the £6.2bn provision in respect of the proposed settlement in Canada, while 2023 was negatively impacted by one-off impairment charges largely in the US.
BAT's New Categories segment emerged as a key growth driver, with a £251 million increase in contribution, and the category's margin reaching 7.1 per cent, a substantial 7.1 percentage point rise from the previous year. The company's adjusted organic profit from operations also saw a modest 1.4 per cent increase.
Looking ahead, BAT plans to continue its focus on New Categories, aiming to accelerate growth and profitability in this segment. The company said it added 3.6 million adult consumers (to a total of 29.1 million) of its smokeless products, which now account for 17.5 per cent of group revenue, an increase of 1.0 ppts vs FY23.
Nestle posted on Thursday a drop in annual net profit for 2024 but the Swiss food giant's sales were better than expected by analysts.
The group, which makes Nespresso capsules, KitKat chocolate and Purina dog food, said sales fell 1.8 per cent to 91.3 billion Swiss francs (£80.3bn).
Analysts surveyed by Swiss financial news agency AWP had forecast sales of 91 billion francs.
Its profit after tax was down 2.9 per cent to 10.9 billion francs, lower than the 11 billion francs estimated by analysts.
Nestle said organic growth - a closely-watched sales metric that excludes currency fluctuations and acquisitions - reached 2.2 per cent, better than the two-percent forecast by the group.
Growth strengthened during the year, led by coffee, confectionery and PetCare; by geography, growth was driven by emerging markets and Europe.
Nestle's shares have slumped in the past year as the group raised prices to cope with high inflation across major markets.
"In a challenging macroeconomic context and soft consumer environment, we achieved a solid performance in 2024 in line with our latest guidance," chief executive Laurent Freixe said in a statement.
Freixe took over in September in a surprise change at the top of the Swiss group, whose products range from food to water to health care nutrition.
A company veteran who headed the Latin America division before his promotion, Freixe was given the task of reviving Nestle sales.
Unilever said on Thursday its ice cream business will be separated by way of demerger, through listing of the business in Amsterdam, London and New York.
"This decision follows a full review by the Board of separation options," the company said.
The owner of the popular Magnum and Wall's brands had announced plans last year to separate the ice cream division to win back investor confidence after years of underperformance.
Unilever reported underlying sales growth of 4 per cent for its 2024 financial year, led by 2.9 per cent volume growth.
Turnover increased 1.9 per cent to €60.8 billion (£50.7) with -0.7 per cent impact from currency and -1.5 per cent from net disposals. Underlying operating profit was €11.2bn, up 12.6 per cent versus the prior year.
However, the British consumer goods giant announced falling net profits for 2024, hit by exiting Russia and other restructuring costs. Profit after tax dropped 11 per cent to €5.7bn compared with 2023.
The company’s power brands, which accounts for over 75 per cent of turnover, saw underlying sales growth of 5.3 per cent and volumes rising by 3.8 per cent. with particularly strong performances from Dove, Comfort, Vaseline and Liquid I.V. Fewer.
Underlying earnings per share (EPS) increased 14.7 per cent, while diluted EPS decreased 10.6 per cent due to loss on disposals and accelerated productivity programme spend.
“Today’s results reflect a year of significant activity as we focused on transforming Unilever into a consistently higher performing business,” Hein Schumacher, chief executive, commented.
“Under the Growth Action Plan, we committed to doing fewer things, better and with greater impact. We executed the plan at pace and made progress in 2024.”
The fall in profits reflected the sale of assets and “higher restructuring costs as a result of accelerating the productivity programme,” the company said in its earnings statement.
Unilever at the end of last year sold its Russian subsidiary to Arnest Group, finally joining other multinationals in exiting the country following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The company expects underlying sales growth for full year 2025 to be within its multi-year range of 3 to 5 per cent. It hinted at price increases during the year on account of higher commodity costs, but said it expects a more balanced split between volume and price.
“Market growth, which slowed throughout 2024, is expected to remain soft in the first half of 2025. The steps we have taken in 2024, including the launch of our refreshed GAP2030 strategy, further reinvestment in our brands and strong innovation pipelines leave us better positioned to deliver on our ambitions in the years ahead,” Schumacher said.
Unilever has appointed Jean-Francois van Boxmeer, former boss of Heineken, as chair designate for the separated ice cream business. Currently serving as chair of Vodafone Group Plc and non-executive director of Heineken Holding, he has been the chief executive of Heineken for 15 years.
The separation of Ice Cream, expected to be completed by the end of 2025, will cost thousands of jobs as the group seeks to save €800m by 2026.
The closure of one of Britain's oldest department stores due to recent tax rises signals a "devastating new chapter" for Britain's high streets, the country's leading retail body has warned.
Beales, a 143-year-old retail institution that opened its doors in Bournemouth in 1881, has announced the closure of its final remaining store in Poole's Dolphin Centre by the end of May, blaming increased tax burdens introduced in last October's Budget for making the business unviable.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of Beales' closure. This is not just the loss of another shop – it represents the end of a retail institution that has served communities for nearly one and a half centuries," said Jeff Moody, Commercial Director of the British Independent Retailers Association(Bira). "This closure starkly illustrates the devastating impact that recent tax increases are having on our retail sector."
Beales' announcement follows the Chancellor Rachel Reeves's October 2024 Budget, which introduced significant increases in employers' National Insurance contributions from 13.5 per cent to 15 per cent, alongside a rise in the minimum wage to £12.21 per hour for workers aged 21 and over.
Tony Brown, Beales' chief executive, confirmed that these tax rises, combined with the uncertainty of future increases, have made the business "unviable". The closure will be managed to ensure no suppliers face financial losses, though it marks the end of an era for British retail.
Bira, which represents 6,000 independent traders across the UK, has warned that this closure could be the first of many as retailers struggle with mounting costs.
Recent Bira survey data shows that 46 per cent of retailers reported worse trading conditions in early 2024 compared to the previous year, with confidence levels remaining low for the second quarter.
Mr Moody added: "The closure of Beales is, tragically, unlikely to be an isolated incident. With the reduction in business rates relief from 75 per cent to 40 per cent set for April 2025, alongside these other tax increases, many of our members are facing impossible decisions about their future. This is a critical moment for British retail, and we urgently need policy makers to recognise the devastating impact their decisions are having on our high streets."
Bira is currently in discussions with government departments to address the impact of these changes and develop a fairer business rates structure.
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Distributor fined after failing to ensure essential safety checks on potentially toxic food items.
A food importer and distributor has been fined after failing to ensure essential safety checks on potentially toxic foods it brought into the country.
Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court heard that Southall-based Al Noor Ltd failed to notify port authorities in Suffolk about a shipment of spice mixes from Pakistan it received in May 2022. In the absence of a proper declaration, it did not undergo the necessary checks.
The court heard that Al Noor Ltd, in Johnson Street, had intentionally obstructed authorised officers carrying out compliance checks. The company and its director Ahmed Akhlaq, of Parlaunt Road, Slough, pleaded guilty to the unauthorised removal of goods, and failing to comply with an official notice.
Al Noor Ltd was ordered to pay a fine, victim surcharge, and costs totalling £9,424, while Akhlaq was ordered to pay a total of £3,285, for the two offences, at the court hearing on Jan 3.
The magistrates heard that the shipment contained various spice mixes from Pakistan, classified as high risk because of potential contamination with aflatoxins – carcinogens linked to liver cancer, which are commonly associated with such products. Ingesting aflatoxins can be poisonous and life threatening.
As a result, shipments containing these imported spices must be sampled, and importers are required to notify ports of any incoming shipments. Al Noor Ltd, which regularly imports similar goods, failed to do so.
After the shipment was removed from the port without checks taking place, it officially became an illegally imported consignment of food, and therefore should have been destroyed.
After being notified by Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority, Ealing Council’s food safety team ordered the business to destroy the products within 60 days.
According to the reports, during a compliance check in July 2022, officers discovered that more than half of the shipment was missing and unaccounted for. The business was given 24 hours to locate and present the entire shipment.
A follow-up inspection days later revealed that boxes had been relabelled and repacked in what was considered to be an attempt to disguise the contents.
While the products were eventually disposed of, the business only did so 8 days after the 60-day deadline had expired.
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said, “Obstructing food safety officers is a very serious offence and is not taken lightly by the council.
"The consequences for the business’ customers in this case could have been grave if council officers had not stepped in to enforce the law."