Standing on the bustling streets of Glasgow’s Baillieston suburb, Londis Solo Convenience is more than just a store. It's a symbol of resilience, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to the local community.
At the heart of it all is retailer Natalie Lightfoot who has transformed her 620-square-foot space into the epitome of convenience, drawing customers from miles away for its exclusive range and rapid and highly-efficient home delivery service.
Speaking with Asian Trader, Lightfoot traced her store’s journey from an unexpected refit win to pushing the boundaries of what a convenience store can achieve.
Lightfoot and her brother took over the site in December 2006, and opened it in May 2007, operating as a convenience store and off-license.
Over time, they added National Lottery and PayPoint as well, but the business truly changed in 2015 with an email that seemed almost too good to be true.
“I won a £50,000 refit competition and an invitation to join Londis. I entered the competition on a whim, and I won. Crazy, right?
“At first, I said no as I thought it was too good to be true. But after some convincing, it turns out it was the best decision I ever made,” Lightfoot said.
The refit in 2016 completely transformed the store, giving it a modern, professional look that sent sales soaring.
However, just as things were looking up, disaster struck.
“In April 2016, the store was broken into. I lost £35,000 in stock and damages. Within just 20 days, they came back and hit me again.
“It turned out we were targeted by an organised crime gang that broke into nine other stores the same night.”
The criminals were so determined to break into the second time that they dug into the concrete and peeled back the shutters like a tin of tuna to force their way in.
The culprits were never caught nor any of the stock was ever recovered. With no insurance payout, Lightfoot’s extended family came together to help her rebuild.
But the emotional toll proved heavier than the financial one.
Lightfoot shared, “I really struggled a lot mentally. I was actually pregnant at the time, I ended up having miscarriage due to stress. It was a really dark time for me.”
Despite the devastation and the setback, the retailer refused to let crime define herself.
"It made me stronger. It made me a better businesswoman. We knew we had to come back bigger and smarter,” she said.
Natalie Lightfoot
Rather than playing it safe, Londis Solo Convenience doubled down on innovation, adaptability and personalised customer service, the combination of the three eventually led to the store’s unique selling points.
She embraced new product developments (NPDs), turning the store’s limited space into a must-visit destination.She said, "I used to shy away from stocking new products, thinking we didn’t have the space. But I soon realized we needed to stand out.
“We created promotional bays and end bays to showcase the latest products, and soon, customers were driving across the city just to shop with us."
A strong social media strategy supercharged this effort, helping Londis Solo Convenience reach shoppers far beyond its immediate neighbourhood.
"We put our whole personality online, and suddenly, people from all over the East End of Glasgow were driving to our store.”
“I always wanted to do home deliveries. I knew the growth would happen through deliveries and I was right.
"Delivery sales now make up 40 per cent of our business. When people see us online, whether through social media or through Snappy Shopper, they actually look forward to visiting the store.”
Lightfoot feels that speed and flexibility are c-store's biggest assets.
“Like big supermarkets, we are not bound by any systems, red tape or process. We are literally the process,” she says.
Londis Solo Convenience was always deeply entwined with the local community as it's the sort of place where everybody knows everyone.
“As far as the community goes, we have always felt that we had a big responsibility. Now that we are on social media, it feels like an even bigger responsibility.”
The store supports a local cancer charity and recently organised a festival outside the store, complete with a barbecue, live music, and supplier-backed giveaways. The event raised £3,600.
Lightfoot was recently crowned as Local Retail Champions by Allwyn, something that she considers her proudest achievement so far.
“What overwhelmed me was that the award was based on nominations from the public; I couldn't stop crying.
“During COVID, we were literally the last one left open here. We worked really hard delivering to all the vulnerable people.
“I was scared that the business might close. I had to keep doing it even despite the risk of catching infections.
“Nearly five years later, when people still remember and say things like ‘we will never forget what you did for the community’, that’s what keeps me going."
Beyond running her store, Lightfoot is also an advocate for independent retailers.
Along with three other leading convenience retailers, she has co-founded Retailers for Retailers, a peer-support group addressing the mental health struggles of convenience store owners, whether due to crime, financial stress, or work-life balance challenges.
With an ever-growing customer base, a sharp eye for innovation, and a rock-solid community connection, Londis Solo Convenience isn’t just surviving; it is setting new benchmarks.
As she likes to put it, “Size doesn’t matter. If you’ve got drive and a big heart, you can make anything happen."
Retail crime is on the rise and the impact on staff, businesses and communities can be overwhelming, shows a Scottish retail industry's report released today (13), prompting calls from retailers for urgent support.
Figures published in the SGF Crime Report & Safer Business Guide 2024/25, reveal the appalling escalation in retail crime in recent years is only getting worse, while the sector continues to call for urgent action from government.
Findings gathered from convenience retailers all over Scotland by the trade association show that almost two thirds of stores (62.5 per cent) now have at least one member of staff who has experienced mental health and wellbeing issues as a result retail crime.
While 83.5 per cent of those surveyed report an increase in violence toward shop workers.
Adding to that, the average cost of retail crime skyrocketed to £19,673 per store in 2024-25 (up 38 per cent from the previous year).
Scaling up the sample to represent all 5,220 convenience stores in Scotland, this accounts for an annual cost of approximately £102.7 million which is crippling the sector.
Information gathered for the report and published during the SGF annual Crime Seminar, being held at Doubletree by Hilton, Edinburgh, shows that almost all (99.8 per cent) convenience retailers agree that shoplifting has increased in the past year, while 99.5 per cent say that shoplifting is now a daily occurrence.
More than eight out of every ten stores report that Hate Crime occurs once a month, while almost all say that violence against staff occurs at least once a month (83.3 per cent and 99.6 per cent respectively).
Likewise, almost all (98.8 per cent) of respondents also report experiencing weekly incidents of abuse when refusing a sale or when asking for proof of age.
SGF Chief Executive, Dr Pete Cheema OBE, said, “The reality for many shop workers across Scotland is that each time they go to work, they risk being assaulted, stabbed, spat on, threatened, or abused.
"Our latest Crime Report which has been published at the SGF Crime Seminar in Edinburgh today, shows the true extent of crime devastating the Scottish convenience sector.
“Across every metric, retail crime is on the rise and the impact on staff, businesses and communities can be overwhelming. That is why we have named our event today ‘Retail Crime - A Threat We Can’t Ignore!’, and our question to the government is, what will it take for decision makers to act?
“Retailers desperately need urgent support, now. The police and courts can’t cope, and many crimes are going unreported because retailers don’t believe the authorities will respond.
"Offenders know they’re unlikely to face any consequences for their crimes and even if they are arrested, many will spend years awaiting conviction.
“Finally, I want to thank everyone who helped make today’s event a reality, we have some wonderful speakers from the likes of Police Scotland, Facewatch and Holyrood. Without their support and the support of our members and sponsors, SGF would not have the impact we do.”
Analysis of the data also reveals a fall in confidence in the Scottish Justice System to tackle the growing problem of retail crime. With, for example, almost half (48.2 per cent) of respondents saying they are either unlikely or very unlikely to report shoplifting incidents to the police.
One in fours Brits have seen shop theft in stores while the same ratio has also witnessed abuse of a store staff, shows latest BRC-Opinium survey data released today (13), highlighting the scale of epidemic of retail crime and how massively it affects the larger population in the UK.
Stating that criminals are becoming bolder and more aggressive, retail leaders are calling on the government to cover delivery drivers too in the Crime and Policing Bill.
According to statistics, nearly a quarter of the UK population (24 per cent) have witnessed shoplifting taking place while at a shop in the last 12 months. That is equivalent to over 16 million people witnessing these events.
The data also shows 23 per cent of customers have witnessed the physical or verbal abuse of shop staff. This can include racial or sexual abuse, physical assault or threats with weapons.
The research comes as the UK experiences record levels of retail crime with 20 million incidents of theft last year, and incidents of violence and abuse climbing to over 2,000 per day.
Separately, Usdaw – the shopworkers’ union – have produced their own survey showing 77 per cent of retail staff experiencing abuse, 53 per cent threats, and 10 per cent assault.
These incidents are not restricted to those working in stores: delivery drivers are often subjected to abuse, physical violence, and threats with weapons.
As a result, many are being equipped with protective measures, such as personal safety devices to alert the police of their whereabouts, and DNA spit testing kits.
Crime cost retailers an eye-watering £4.2bn last year. This includes £2.2bn from shoplifting, and another £1.8bn spent on crime prevention measures such as CCTV, more security personnel, anti-theft devices and body worn cameras.
These costs add to the wider cost pressures retailers already face, further limiting investment and pushing up prices for customers everywhere.
There are stark differences between cities in the UK. Customers in Nottingham saw the most shoplifting, with just under a third (32 per cent) of people witnessing an incident. London followed close behind at 29 per cent, followed by Southampton (28 per cent) and Leeds (26 per cent).
Meanwhile, Plymouth and Belfast saw the least at 12 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.
A similar pattern also existed for abuse of colleagues. Customers in London witnessed the most incidents of physical or verbal abuse at 30 per cent. Nottingham and Liverpool were close second at 29 per cent, with Manchester at 27 per cent of customers.
The government is taking action to address retail crime through the new Crime and Policing Bill. Retailers hope this will play a vital role in protecting retail workers from harm and tackling the surge in theft.
The Bill includes a standalone offence which will improve the visibility of violence so that police can allocate appropriate resources to the challenge.
It also seeks to remove the £200 threshold of ‘low level’ theft, which will send a clear signal that all shoplifting is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. But, this Bill needs to go further and protect all retail staff working in customer facing roles, including delivery drivers, just as the Workers Protection Act does in Scotland.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said, "Seeing incidents of theft or abuse has become an all-too-common part of the shopping experience for many people.
"While an incident can be over in a matter of seconds, it can have life-long consequences on those who experience it, making them think twice about visiting their local high streets.
"Criminals are becoming bolder and more aggressive, and decisive action is needed to put an end to it. The Crime and Policing Bill is a crucial step in providing additional protections to retail workers.
"However, in its current proposed form, it does not afford all retail workers the same protections as those working in Scotland, where delivery drivers are also protected. The Bill must protect everyone in customer facing roles in the industry.”
Percentage of people who have witnessed shoplifting in past 12 months:
RANKING
CITY
% witness to shoplifting
1
Nottingham
32%
2
London
29%
3
Southampton
28%
4
Leeds
26%
5
Manchester
25%
6
Birmingham
23%
7
Newcastle
23%
8
Sheffield
22%
9
Brighton
21%
10
Liverpool
20%
Percentage of people who have witnessed physical or verbal abuse of shop staff in past 12 months:
RANKING
CITY
% witness to violence/abuse
1
London
30%
2
Nottingham
29%
3
Liverpool
29%
4
Manchester
27%
5
Southampton
22%
6
Leeds
20%
7
Birmingham
20%
8
Brighton
19%
9
Newcastle
18%
10
Norwich
18%
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Usdaw report highlights rising retail crime and violence
Shocking details of racial and sexual abuse have emerged in retail trade union Usdaw's annual crime survey, which also reports increasing number of shop thefts. The report also shows that violence continues to remain at "double the pre-pandemic levels".
Based on the survey of nearly 10,000 retail staff, Usdaw's report released today (5) shows that shoplifting has nearly doubled since the pandemic and rose by 23 per cent last year.
The survey also found that while the situation has improved since the exceptionally high levels during the pandemic, abuse, threats and assaults remain higher than pre-Covid levels in 2019.
Usdaw’s survey of 9,481 retail staff found that in the last twelve months, most retail workers (77 per cent) experienced verbal abuse, while half (53 per cent) reported to have been threatened by a customer. About one in ten were assaulted.
Some of the incident mentioned in the report highlights the kind of abuse that retail workers have to face at their workplace.
The report notes that the leading cause of customer frustration is short-staffing.
Shoplifting increased significantly during 2024, with the police and employers both recording higher levels of incidents, and this is reflected in it being a major flashpoint for abuse of retail staff.
Enforcement of the law remains a considerable issue for retail staff, particularly alcohol sales and other age-restricted products. A key argument for a protection of retail workers law is that legislators passing laws should offer suitable protection for those who are enforcing them, states the report.
Harassment is relatively low among the whole sample, but the survey found that racial harassment among all non-white workers is 48 per cent and is slightly higher at 52 per cent for non-white women. One-third of women under 27 suffered sexism.
The report mentions some of the comments shop workers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey.
"Homophobic comments, threats to hurt me because I refused a sale, mocking me when asked for ID. I was once held up at knifepoint. Often told to f**k off," stated one worker.
“Sworn at regularly, particularly by young customers when asked for ID for cigarettes and energy drinks. Had bottles of medicine thrown at me.”
"Daily personal insults. Swearing because I can’t sell them alcohol because they’re drunk. One squared up to me and threatened me with physical violence," states the report citing a statement from a retail staff.
Commenting on the survey's findings, Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary, says that no-one should feel afraid to go to work, but our evidence shows that too many retail workers are.
"It is shocking that over three-quarters of our members working in retail are being abused, threatened and assaulted for simply doing their job and serving the community. They provide an essential service and deserve our respect and the protection of the law.
"Our members have reported that they are often faced with hardened career criminals and we know that retail workers are much more likely to be abused by those who are stealing to sell goods on.
"Theft from shops and armed robbery were triggers for 66 per cent of these incidents. Violence and abuse are not an acceptable part of the job and much more needs to be done to protect shop workers. So, we are delighted that the Government has listened and last week introduced the Crime and Policing Bill into the House of Commons, with measures to address these significant issues.
“We now look forward to a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law; ending the indefensible £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters, which has effectively become an open invitation to retail criminals; and funding for more uniformed officer patrols in shopping areas, along with Respect Orders for offenders.
"We will review the details for the provisions and look forward to engaging with the Government as the Bill goes through Parliament, with the first debate and vote due to take place on Monday.
“Scotland has had a protection of shop workers law in place since 2021, after Labour’s Daniel Johnson MSP promoted the legislation, and it has already been used in around 10,000 incidents. The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed to introduce similar measures in due course.
"After many years of campaigning alongside retail employers, it really now feels like governments are listening and taking action to give all retail workers across the UK the protections and respect they deserve.”
These findings follow similar trends to recent reports from British Retail Consortium, which found significant increases in violence and abuse against shop workers alongside much higher levels of shoplifting, which are costing the industry £4 billion in lost stock and security measures.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, stated that Usdaw’s findings are another appalling reminder of what so many people working in our industry can face.
"No one should go to work fearing for their safety, and yet our most recent crime survey showed incidents of violence and abuse soaring to record levels. A confrontation may be over in minutes, but for many victims, their families and colleagues, the physical and emotional impact can last a lifetime.
"We owe it to the three million hardworking people working in retail to bring the epidemic of crime to heel, and we look forward to seeing the crucial legislation to protect retail workers enacted as soon as possible.”
All British workers, including nearly a million agency workers, will be entitled to a contract which reflects the hours they regularly work, according to amendments tabled by the government to its flagship employment legislation.
The Employment Rights Bill, which the government says is the biggest upgrade to UK workers' rights in a generation, was set out in October.
Having consulted with business groups and unions, who traditionally fund the Labour Party, the government on Tuesday published amendments to the bill ahead of the next stage of the parliamentary process.
It said one of these will ensure that agency work does not become a loophole in its plans to end exploitative zero hours contracts, which do not give workers' guaranteed hours.
Some business groups oppose guaranteed hours, arguing it will make part-time jobs less viable and businesses less competitive as they pay for hours they don't need.
Government said the amendments will offer increased security for working people to receive reasonable notice of shifts and proportionate pay when shifts are cancelled, curtailed or moved at short notice – whilst retaining the necessary flexibility for employers in how they manage their workforces.
Other amendments to the legislation will make statutory sick pay a legal right for all workers, strengthen remedies against employer abuse of rules on redundancies and create a modern industrial relations framework.
“For too long millions of workers have been forced to face insecure, low paid and irregular work, while our economy is blighted by low growth and low productivity,” deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said.
“We are turning the tide – with the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, boosting living standards and bringing with it an upgrade to our growth prospects and the reforms our economy so desperately needs.”
The substance of the reforms proposed in October remains intact, including plans to end fire-and-rehire practices and granting new rights on parental leave.
The legislation will be one of prime minister Keir Starmer's biggest reforms since Labour's election victory in July. The government has framed the plans as the best way to avoid the industrial action that has disrupted services over recent years.
Business lobby group, the Confederation of British Industry, welcomed the government's engagement but said it remained concerned.
"There is a real risk that this legislation imposes a thicket of regulation across all businesses which prevents them from creating the high-quality, secure jobs which we all want to achieve," CBI chief executive Rain Newton-Smith said.
The government will increase the maximum period of the protective award from 90 days to 180 days and issue further guidance for employers on consultation processes for collective redundancies.
Increasing the maximum value of the award means an employment tribunal will be able to grant larger awards to employees for an employer’s failure to meet consultation requirements.
Up to 1.3 million employees on low wages who find themselves unable to work due to sickness will either receive 80 per cent of their average weekly earnings or the current rate of Statutory Sick Pay – whichever is lower.
The government will act to ensure that workers can access comparable rights and protections when working through a so-called umbrella company as they would when taken on directly by a recruitment agency. Enforcement action can be taken against any umbrella companies that do not comply.
Simpler eating habits, lesser shopping trips, use of fewer ingredients and less snacking are some of the consumers habits highlighted by Kantar as it released its UK's grocery market share data for February 2025.
Take-home sales at the grocers rose by 3.6 per cent over the four weeks to 23 February compared with one year ago, according to the latest data from Kantar.
As the five-year anniversary of the first Covid-19 lockdown approaches, Kantar has been looking into how consumers’ grocery habits have evolved – from lifestyle to loyalty.
Sally Ball, head of retail at Kantar, comments: “Back in 2020, we didn’t know just how big an impact the Covid-19 pandemic would have on our lives, but five years on we can get a picture of its lingering effects on consumers.
"We haven’t gone back to old patterns and shopping trips remain below pre-pandemic times. Households made one less visit to the supermarket in February 2025 than in 2020, while online shopping appears to have stuck, taking a 12.3 per cent market share this month versus 8.6 per cent in February 2020.
“One of the most interesting changes has been a move to simpler eating habits as we look for convenient shortcuts to make our lives easier. People are taking less time to prepare meals, and prep time in the evening, for example, has declined from almost 34 minutes in 2020 to 31 minutes in 2024.”
Kantar consumption data also shows that people are now using fewer different ingredients when making food, both at lunch and in the evening. Consumers are snacking less often too, dropping more than 330 million occasions in 2024 versus 2020.
Ball continues, “Of course, it’s hard to untangle the cost-of-living crisis from any post-Covid analysis, and the other big headline of the past few years has been consumers’ hunt for value.
"You might think that people would shop around more to find the best deals but in fact, that’s not the case. Households visited just under five different grocers this month, the lowest level in February since 2021.
"The growth of supermarket loyalty schemes is partly behind this as shoppers use them to unlock exclusive discounts.”
Since Clubcard first hit the scene in 1995, Tesco has risen to become Britain’s largest grocer – up from second place 30 years ago. It now holds 28.3 per cent of the market in the 12 weeks to 23 February 2025, while its sales growth is at its highest since March 2024 at 5.8 per cent.
Retailer promotions helped to hold grocery price inflation steady at 3.3 per cent in February 2025, as spending on deals rose again. Items bought on offer now account for 27.6 per cent of sales, a rise of 0.3 percentage points on last year. Premium own label lines also continue to be popular, growing at 13.3 per cent this month, as people seek cost-effective ways to treat themselves.
Turning to the discounters, Aldi accelerated its growth by attracting 377,000 more shoppers through its doors. The retailer achieved a market share of 10.3 per cent following a 4.9 per cent rise in sales – its highest rate since January 2024. Lidl has also seen its portion of the market rise by 0.3 percentage points to 7.3 per cent compared with February 2024.
Sainsbury's made gains in the 12 weeks to 23 February, increasing its share of the market from 15.5 per cent to 15.7 per cent compared to this time last year. Morrisons now holds 8.6 per cent of the market while Asda has 12.6 per cent.
Convenience retailer Co-op remained in growth, giving it a market share of 5.1 per cent while share of symbols and independents slipped further by one per cent.