Over eight in ten retailers have experienced crime in the last six months, states a new research published today (3), adding that shopkeepers across the UK are being forced to take desperate measures to protect their livelihoods.
According to a new study by commercial insurer NFU Mutual into the impact of crime on UK retailers, carried out in September by commercial insurer NFU Mutual, 83 per cent have experienced crime and more than a quarter experienced violence against themselves, their staff and even their customers.
The new research published reveals over two thirds of retailers say crime has worsened in 2023, with 19 per cent considering leaving physical retail due to the crime epidemic and 15 per cent contemplating leaving the retail sector altogether.
This year alone, 82 per cent of retailers have had to take security measures to protect their business from crime. The high street is now commonly seeing the use of bodycams (17 per cent) and panic alarms (21 per cent), with a quarter of shopkeepers security tagging expensive products or more products than before. As attacks on staff also become a concern, 17 per cent of retailers have trained employees in self-defence and personal safety and 18 per cent are displaying signs to warn customers against aggressive behaviour.
One in ten shopkeepers have also had to keep doors locked to control crime, states the report.
Over a quarter of respondents (27 per cent) said the impact on their own and their staff’s mental health is their most pressing concern and almost one in five (19 per cent) live in fear of organised gangs targeting their shops, as seen recently in attacks on stores across the country.
Over a quarter of respondents (27 per cent) said the impact on their own and their staff’s mental health is their most pressing concern and almost one in five (19 per cent) live in fear of organised gangs targeting their shops, as seen recently in attacks on stores across the country.
James Jordan, Commercial Specialist at NFU Mutual, said, "Our study shows that retailers of all sizes are unfortunately struggling as incidences of theft and violence rocket in our shops, but it is also clear that retailers are making huge efforts to protect their stock, staff, and premises.
“Our retailers are at the heart of our communities and local economies so it’s crucial they feel protected and supported should the worst happen.”
NFU Mutual Risk Management Services’ advice for retailers:
Use customer service as a tool to deter thieves – greeting them lets them know they have been acknowledged and will deter them as they have been identified
Make sure store layouts are organised and tidy, placing high-value or items which are more desirable for thieves in monitorable areas
Train staff to recognise shoplifting tactics – for example, concealing items under coats or distracting shopkeepers – and ensure they know how to keep themselves safe
If possible, limit the number of high value items on display and secure remaining stock within a robust, lockable store
Consider signage in-store notifying thieves that they will be prosecuted
Regular stocktaking helps identify which items are being targeted
Consider adding mirrors to the store to reduce blind spots
If investing in surveillance (CCTV) ensure it provides good quality images, is recorded to the cloud and meets requirements of GDPR
Be aware of Cyber threats and make sure you have cyber insurance in place should the worst happen
Consider hiring data protection specialists to provide ongoing security of your data.
Food and drink wholesale distribution sector generated £33.6 billion of turnover in 2023-24 with £17.5 billion coming from sales to mainly independent retailers, reveals an industry report released today (5).
The report was launched in the Houses of Parliament in the presence of Daniel Zeichner, Minster for Food Security and Rural Affairs.
Zeichner said, " “This report highlights just how important the wholesale sector is. These are really significant numbers. Economic growth is absolutely central to wholesale businesses, as is breaking down the barriers to opportunity.
"Our pledge to you is to work with you as we begin to develop our policies. Our stated goal is to try and help change the way the supply chain operates to make sure there is a fair distribution of resources through the supply chain, and I really look forward to working with the wholesale sector on this.”
Retail businesses account for 52 per cent of food and drink wholesalers' revenue, while foodservice and caterers account for 29 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.
Delivery remains the most common route to customers with 58 per cent of sales value fulfilled through deliveries. 40 per cent of sales value fulfilled through cash and carry and 1.3 per cent of sales are made through click and collect.
In total, wholesalers spent £27 billion on stock to be sold to retailers and foodservice providers. The largest product categories were tobacco, vaping and alcohol, followed by soft drinks, frozen food, confectionery, crisps, snacks and biscuits.
The report states that food and drink wholesale distributors directly contributed £3.5bn to national output in terms of gross value, employing 77,000 people. The overall value chain that it supports employs a total of 1.5 million people, about 4.8 per cent of the UK workforce.
The sector faces a series of challenges going ahead, highlighted the report through a recent survey of FWD's members. Some of the main concerns among the wholesalers are inflation, increase in transportation costs, labour and skill shortage and regulations.
Wholesale warehouse
iStock image
AI and automation hold significant potential to positively impact the sector like in identifying the wallet share gaps and predicting reorder needs . However, the report states that companies are yet not fully embracing these technologies, saying "no distributor has integrated AI into its operation to a great extent".
60 per cent of the respondents indicated they have incorporated AI into supply chain management.
FWD reiterates in the report to reach net zero Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2040, which will require 90 per cent reduction in emissions and coordinated actions across value chains.
Furthermore, the sector is facing labour shortage stemming from ageing workforce, Brexit, images issues and competition.
"The sector's image poses a challenge in attracting new recruits as over 90 per cent of people never consider a career in logistics", states the report, mentioning terms like "demanding" and "boring" associated with warehouse work.
Speaking at the launch, FWD head of external affairs Lyndsey Cambridge said, “Wholesalers are the lifeblood of the nation – from supporting high street restaurants to supplying hospitals, schools and local retailers with food, the FWD membership is delivering for people across the length and breadth of the UK.
"This groundbreaking research provides a comprehensive economic impact of food and drink wholesale, demonstrating the value and importance of the sector in improving consumer choice through its support for retailers and caterers.
“Given its reach and contribution, our sector has and will play a pivotal role in driving economic growth in the coming years. We look forward to partnering with policymakers across the UK to grow our industry further while meeting the everyday challenges our members face in areas such as increased transport costs and labour shortages.”
Retailers have four months left to sell through any remaining stock and prepare for the disposable vape ban coming into force on June 1 this year, an industry body reminded retailers today (5).
After the ban comes into place, all vaping products that are available for sale legally in the UK must be both refillable and rechargeable, meaning that they must be intended for multiple uses.
To help retailers prepare for the ban, Association of Convenience Stores has created a guide backed by Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards which explains in detail how to source and sell vapes responsibly.
The guide is part of ACS' Assured Advice, which means that ACS members can rely on the guide to comply with the new regulations.
Key areas covered by the guide include:
How to prepare for the disposable vape ban on June 1st
Enforcement and record keeping
Communicating to customers about the ban
How to recognise illegitimate products and underage sales
Vape recycling
ACS tells retailers, "If you have any remaining stock of disposable vapes, these must be stored away from the shopfloor and clearly separated from other goods, clearly labelled as not for sale."
Click here to download the Selling Vapes Responsibly guide.
ACS has also produced a poster for retailers to display in their store, communicating the ban to customers. The poster is available here.
More information about the upcoming vaping regulations will be covered in ACS' Safe & Responsible Retailing Conference, taking place next month on March 12 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) has already published more detail on the definitions of single-use or disposable vapes, the penalties for selling them after the introduction of the ban on 1 June this year, and what to do if a retailer has stock of single use vapes.
DEFRA's guidance released last month is for importers, retail outlets, vaping product manufacturers and wholesalers.
This includes any shop or business that sells single-use vapes, such as a convenience store, market stall, petrol station, specialist vape shop and supermarket.
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Dursley high street looking towards Stinchcombe Hill, Gloucestershire. The Countryside Alliance has issued a briefing note to the MPs on the impact of high street closures on rural communities.
As MPs discuss the closure of high street services in rural areas in a Westminster Hall debate today (5 February), the Countryside Alliance has issued a statement emphasising the profound challenges these closures pose to rural communities.
The organisation noted that the shutdown of essential services is both a consequence and a catalyst of the “rural premium” - the additional costs incurred by individuals simply due to residing in rural locales.
“This is a key challenge to rural Britain and reflects the reality of our members’ and supporters’ daily lives,” the campaign group said in a statement ahead of the debate, as it shared a briefing note to the MPs on the topic.
Recent surges in inflation have disproportionately affected village shops and rural enterprises, it said, warning that small local shops, farm shops, and craft producers, already grappling with elevated production costs, face heightened risks. As consumers' disposable incomes dwindle, there's a tendency to opt for more affordable, mass-produced items from larger discount retailers, further straining local businesses, it said.
“Having long campaigned for reform of business rates the Countryside Alliance welcomed (the_ UK government plans to support businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sector and to consult with businesses in designing reforms. We are, however, concerned about the impact of the increase in employer National Insurance Contributions,” it added.
The organisation also drew attention to the intertwined challenges of post office viability and limited access to banking services, arguing for the provision of banking services at post office counters.
“The Countryside Alliance has long made the point that post offices must remain relevant in modern times through supporting growth in activities like online shopping through parcel collection and delivery, and to continue to pick up slack as banks and shops close in rural areas,” the statement said.
Sales of low and no-alcohol beer were 20 per cent higher in December than January, shows recent data, suggesting that traditionally the month of abstinence has been overtaken by December in terms of alcohol consumption.
According to a recent report in The Times, supermarket Tesco experienced record demand for alcohol-free beverages in the four weeks running up to Christmas with sales up by more than 15 per cent on the previous year. The demand was largely driven by young Brits.
According to David Albon, a beer and cider buyer at Tesco, quite contrary to five years ago when the main demand for no and low drinks came in ‘dry January’, it is now a trend, especially in young people, to moderate drinking at these key occasions of the year as well.
“It’s a very different picture to what we were seeing, even just five years ago, when the main demand for no and low drinks came in ‘dry January’.”
Tesco confirmed that interest in dry January is still growing, with demand for no and low-alcohol wine particularly strong during the month and sales up 15 per cent. Sales of alcohol-free beer were up 10 per cent and alcohol-free spirits up 5 per cent.
Among the most popular choices from the chain in January were 12-packs of Corona 0.0%, with demand up by more than 250 per cent ,and 10-packs of Guinness 0.0, up by more than 100 per cent.
Tesco says the nation’s changing relationship with booze is seeing sales of alcohol-free drinks increase across every month of the year. It added that the increasing quality of low and no-alcohol alternatives was encouraging consumers to buy in multi-pack sizes rather than single bottles or cans.
Another trend giving momentum to alcohol-free range is "zebra stripping", when people alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks on a celebratory night in order not to get too drunk.
In the words of Sarah Holland, a buyer at Waitrose, 2024 has certainly been the year of zebra striping, driven by the wonderful variety of delicious no and low which are available on the market now.
This comes weeks after IWSR data reported similar picture.
The firm stated that the total UK no and low market is expected to have more than doubled in 2024 versus 2023. Preliminary data shows no-alcohol beer grew 20 per cent in 2024 vs 2023 while alcohol-free beer now accounts for more than 2 per cent of total beverage alcohol market sales in the UK, highlighting just how big a part the subcategory is beginning to play in the overall drinks sector.
IWSR added that growth of no-alcohol spirits has slowed, but is expected to have grown +7 per cent in 2024 vs 2023 while sales of low-alcohol wine fell -5 per cent in 2024 vs 2023, no-alcohol wine grew by +8 per cent.
Buying group Unitas has announced year on year growth in both retail and on-trade in its recently organised supplier event.
The announcement came during the Unitas Wholesale Senior Supplier Briefing, where the group revealed impressive growth figures despite a challenging year for the wholesale sector.
The buying group stated that it achieved a 2 per cent growth in retail and a 5.1 per cent year-on-year increase in on-trade sales, both surpassing overall market performance.
Managing Director John Kinney shared that the group delivered a 17 per cent revenue increase for its members in 2024, with a staggering 35 per cent growth since its formation in 2018.
“While there is no doubt 2025 is going to be a tough year with rising costs, these examples prove how this channel remains an efficient and excellent route-to-market for our suppliers’ products, and those suppliers who work with us to drive awareness and distribution really do reap the rewards,” said Kinney.
To further reward member engagement, Kinney announced an additional £2 million bonus fund, aimed at incentivising participation in group-wide promotions, materials, and events.
Among the standout partnerships were PepsiCo Walkers’ Flamin’ Hot activation which delivered £300000 of sales at the Unitas trade show, and Suntory’s Blucozade which saw Unitas members exceeding all expectations and selling out in the first six weeks of launch to deliver an additional £1.7m in sales.
Trading Director Cheryl Hope praised Swizzels for its fabulous digital execution across depots and members’ digital platforms and Premier Foods’ summer BBQ activations which delivered a huge 92 per cent value and 106 per cent volume growth.
Data from TWC showed that Unitas had outperformed the convenience market in Biscuits (+ 82 per cent), Confectionery (9.1 per cent) Crisps, Snacks and Nuts (+2.2 per cent) and Soft Drinks (+6.8 per cent). Vape and reduced risk were up 32.5 per cent and RTDs up 9.2 per cent.
Interim Chairman Dr Jason Wouhra OBE added, “Our size and scale means that from corner shops to hospitality, our wholesaling members are at the forefront of the food and drink industry – and the UK economy as a whole.”
The event was received positively by suppliers who were quick to praise the group’s collaborative approach.