“Little drops of water, Make the mighty ocean”, Julia Carney’s immortal lines speak to the significance of small things in life, and for Nithy and Sue Nityanandan, who run the Costcutter store in Epsom, Surrey, it also signifies an approach to success in convenience retailing.
“To us, the qualities that we feel important are an amalgamation of many different aspects of community/customer service, product range, sustainability, tech application and customer contact that all come together to form a cohesive service,” they say.
It’s this amalgamation of many small things that makes their store so special, and that won them the Symbol Convenience Retailer of the Year Award at the 2022 Asian Trader Awards.
Nithy and Sue are totally embedded in the local community, putting customers at the very forefront of everything they do. The store itself is stunning with a floor to ceiling glass front, bright, clean fixtures and immaculate merchandising.
Costcutter Epsom
The husband and wife team started with a petrol station in Coulsdon, Surrey in 1984, and since then they have been working to a philosophy of striving for continuous improvement.
“Every time we find a way to add further value – we welcome the opportunity,” they say. The Coulsdon site was one of the earliest petrol stations to feature a supermarket on the premises, and they were the first petrol station in London Borough of Croydon to get an alcohol license.
They ran the Coulsdon store for almost three decades, divesting it in 2013. They have been running the Epsom store since 2010, and they work with their partner Costcutter to leverage every means at their disposal to achieve the aim of “continuous improvement”, and this partnership spans across “service excellence, ongoing launch of new features to respond to the complex market conditions, the product range we offer, (and maintaining product availability), and increasingly in our sustainability approach,” they say.
“We opened up the first Costcutter store in the petrol station in the year 1999. So we have been dealing with them for over two decades actually. They have been really good to us. We learned a lot of retail through them, especially all different categories,” they add.
In fact, it was the symbol group that asked them whether they would like to take the premises of their present store, which was a completely new development, and turn it into a Costcutter. And they believe Costcutter offers the best support package for indie retailers.
“We always keep an eye on what other symbols offer and it consistently brings us back to Costcutter,” they say. “They have the right ideas and they have all the tools for a very successful retail if you learn how to use it. As a retailer you have to make a big effort to learn their methods, like their promotions and their categories, etc. They are very much supportive for a successful business.”
They say the support from the Costcutter team throughout the challenges of recent times has been tremendous.
“With Costcutter now part of the Bestway Retail family we are already seeing the benefits of being part of the Bestway Group, that champions independent retailers. This, along with Costcutter’s wholesale supply deal with the Co-op and the availability and quality of Co-op Own Brand has been fundamental to our success. They're very good value for money, especially at present, with the cost of living crisis,” they explain.
“The ability to serve our shoppers’ needs for a full shop, especially with fresh products, has proved vital in maintaining shopper loyalty among old and new shoppers alike,” they add.
The tech advancements that they have mobilised with the help of Costcutter also helps the business greatly. “We have adopted the new stock management and automatic updates, ordering and pricing. It has returned time back into the business which means we can spend more time with customers at the front end and supports our efficiencies within the business,” they say.
Tackling energy bills
As the ever-increasing input costs put a strain on the business, they have cut back in different ways, and their new refrigeration has proven quite a success.
“We have put completely new equipment. All our chillers are with automatic doors, we did it a year ago, and that has reduced our energy consumption by about 15 to 20 per cent,” they reveal.
“Plus the visibility was very good and we had lots of extra space as well. So the sales went up about 10 per cent on fresh and chilled, and then contributed to other things because people don't only come for the chilled: I mean the basket spend went up.”
They have been working to improve their general emissions as a store, and making the move to reduce the energy costs has become a big decision-maker in what they do next, knowing it will impact both on their costs and their aim to reduce emissions.
“Our big first step is the new refrigeration we have had put in which are all more effective in consumption of electricity as well as opting for automatic doors and closure on the chillers to help reduce the amount of electric being used,” they explain further.
“Additionally, we have looked at what the latest lighting solutions can offer us. As a result, we have implemented better options throughout the store including timers on electrical units that don’t need to run 24/7.”
Nithy and Sue say these types of efficiencies are going to become increasingly important to retailers generally to counter some of the market turbulence the retailers are experiencing. But they are also worried about the level of investment that it may demand – costs that impact on already tight margins. Still they assert the importance of investing in the shop.
“Because after some time, the shops will get tired. Especially refrigeration, and lighting, the electricity is very important, that takes the most chunk of the cost. You must put aside a certain amount of funds for this development, if you're going to do the business in foreseeable future,” they affirm.
A community store
The Nityanandans describe theirs as a “forward-thinking, well-rounded store” that serves the community in the best way possible.
“The personal engagement and connection with our customers underpins everything that we do. This is helped by having one of the best teams in the business,” the couple says.
They are in a residential area and near to five schools, and the store is a strong pillar of support to them.
“We get most of the parents and the people come from the five schools. We support all five schools, we do fund them up to a certain extent. Whatever they want to do like Christmas or they want to do a project or anything like that we are always in the front to support them, and we have a couple of churches that come and ask for our help, mental health issues and everything. We help them. So we are mostly like a community shop rather than a supermarket,” they explain.
Nithy and Sue Nityanandan
Nithy and Sue believe firmly in the duty of care, and complied with the HFSS regulations even though they were advised that they would be exempt from its scope.
“We are very particular that we keep up to certain amount of HFSS rules in the shop and the duty of care,” they say.
“Overall, we have reviewed our range and looked at healthier options for both general snacking and meal solutions. It’s not just about the range, it’s also about the location of products to comply with the legislation. This has meant removing popular counter lines and looking into what new impulse products can be promoted on the promotional end bays as well as our counter and queuing sections to influence and shift the normal buying patterns.”
Also, they did not limit this progressive approach to the new legislation to the store. As part of their adoption of the HFSS rules, they worked closely with local schools, helping educate children in areas of nutrition and healthy eating. “We go into schools to talk – we welcome children into our store and talk to them around nutrition and we provide healthy food to schools,” they add.
Lifelong shoppers
So, the community stands behind them solidly, forming a loyal customer base. As with many local convenience stores across the country, they attracted new shoppers and increased sales during the pandemic. But, bucking the trend post-pandemic, their sales have now further increased.
“We never closed our shop even one day during the pandemic. We shortened the hours and we operated every day. People do remember that. And if you have a good shop with all the availabilities, because we do have everything, availability is excellent, over 94-95 per cent, those customers came back to us,” they say.
“So we are doing even sort of better situation than the pandemic time on the sales wise. Actually our sales have gone up after the pandemic. Because they say this shop got everything, and the prices are good, services are good.So, they are all coming back to us.”
Turning the new lifeline shoppers of the pandemic into lifelong shoppers has been the stated mission for Costcutter, and Nithy and Sue indeed demonstrate the kind of retailing needed to achieve that mission, and that too from a challenging trading area, with a Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Lidl and Co-op nearby.
And the veteran retailers say it has been an adventure all the way, and they would suggest any upcoming retailers to treat it as an adventure. “And if you do it right, it will give you lots of rewards,” they sum up.
Chewing gum releases hundreds of tiny plastic pieces straight into people's mouths, researchers said on Tuesday, also warning of the pollution created by the rubber-based sweet.
The small study comes as researchers have increasingly been finding small shards of plastic called microplastics throughout the world, from the tops of mountains to the bottom of the ocean - and even in the air we breathe.
They have also discovered microplastics riddled throughout human bodies - including inside our lungs, blood and brains - sparking fears about the potential effect this could be having on health.
"I don't want to alarm people," Sanjay Mohanty, the lead researcher behind the new study which has not yet been peer-reviewed, told AFP.
There is no evidence directly showing that microplastics are harmful to human health, said Mohanty of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The pilot study instead sought to illustrate yet another little-researched way that these mostly invisible plastic pieces enter our bodies - chewing gum.
Lisa Lowe, a PhD student at UCLA, chewed seven pieces each of 10 brands of gum, before the researchers then ran a chemical analysis on her saliva.
They found that a gram (0.04 ounces) of gum released an average of 100 microplastic fragments, though some shed more than 600. The average weight of a stick of gum is around 1.5 grams.
People who chew around 180 pieces of gum a year could be ingesting roughly 30,000 microplastics, the researchers said.
This pales in comparison to the many other ways that humans ingest microplastics, Mohanty emphasised.
For example, other researchers estimated last year that a litre (34 fluid ounces) of water in a plastic bottle contained an average of 240,000 microplastics.
'Tyres, plastic bags and bottles'
The most common chewing gum sold in supermarkets is called synthetic gum, which contains petroleum-based polymers to get that chewy effect, the researchers said.
However packaging does not list any plastics in the ingredients, simply using the words "gum-based".
"Nobody will tell you the ingredients," Mohanty said.
The researchers tested five brands of synthetic gum and five of natural gum, which use plant-based polymers such as tree sap.
"It was surprising that we found microplastics were abundant in both," Lowe told AFP.
David Jones, a researcher at the UK's University of Portsmouth not involved in the study, said he was surprised the researchers found certain plastics not known to be in gum, suggesting they could have come from another source in the lab.
But the overall findings were "not at all surprising", he told AFP.
People tend to "freak out a little bit" when told that the building blocks of chewing gum were similar to what is found "in car tyres, plastic bags and bottles", Jones said.
Oliver Jones, a chemistry professor at Australia's RMIT University, said that if the relatively small number of microplastics were swallowed, they "would likely pass straight through you with no impact".
"I don't think you have to stop chewing gum just yet."
Lowe also warned about the plastic pollution from chewing gum - particularly when people "spit it out onto the sidewalk".
The National Confectioners Association, which represents chewing gum manufacturers in the United States, said in a statement that the study's authors had admitted "there is no cause for alarm".
"Gum is safe to enjoy as it has been for more than 100 years," it said, adding that the ingredients were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The study, which has been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal, was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego.
A.G. Barr, the company behind popular UK beverage brands like IRN-BRU and Rubicon, has on Tuesday announced its decision to discontinue its Strathmore brand.
This announcement comes as the company reported its results for the year ended 25 January 2025, showcasing strong revenue growth and increased profitability.
The discontinuation of Strathmore could lead to the closure of the manufacturing site in Forfar, Scotland, subject to employee consultation.
Despite this, the company's overall performance has been robust. Revenue increased by 5.1 per cent to £420.4 million, driven largely by a 6.4 per cent growth in soft drinks. Rubicon and IRN-BRU were particular highlights, with distribution gains and successful new product launches contributing significantly to this growth.
Adjusted profit before tax saw a substantial increase of 15.8 per cent, reaching £58.5 million. The company's strategic programme to improve operating margin is reportedly ahead of schedule, with adjusted operating margin up by 130 basis points to 13.6 per cent.
A.G. Barr also reported a strong financial foundation, with net cash at bank of £63.9 million. Shareholders are set to benefit, with adjusted return on capital employed improving to 20.1 per cent and adjusted EPS up by 17.4 per cent. The company has also recommended a final dividend of 13.76p.
A.G. Barr said current trading aligns with expectations, and the outlook for the 2025/26 financial year anticipates continued revenue growth and margin improvement. This positive forecast takes into account the 53-week year, the proposed Strathmore discontinuation, and additional regulatory compliance costs.
“2024/25 was a successful year for the company,” Euan Sutherland, chief executive, said. “Looking forward, we have a refreshed strategy centred on growth and are committed to our long-term financial targets. I am confident that successful execution of our plans will see another year of positive progress towards our long-term goals.”
In February 2025, A.G. Barr announced an organisational simplification, integrating Barr Soft Drinks and FUNKIN into a unified operation.
Keep ReadingShow less
Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group relaunches to combat counterfeiting
The Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group (SAITG) has relaunched this month, with the aim of combating counterfeiting and intellectual property crime in Scotland.
Supported by the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the group brings together law enforcement, government and businesses to strengthen Scotland’s fight against this illicit trade.
According to IPO research, almost one in three of those asked (29%) across the UK have purchased counterfeit goods in the past. Almost one in five (19%) said they purchase them often, sometimes or on an occasional basis.
For 2021, the overall estimated value of imported counterfeit goods into the UK was over £7 billion.
The group will focus on developing best practice and enhancing collective strategies to tackle the supply of counterfeit goods across Scotland. They will form a coordinated response to protect Scottish products, businesses and consumers from the threat of IP crime.
“The Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group has an important role to play in disrupting the production and distribution of counterfeit and illicit goods," Scottish justice secretary Angela Constance said.
"As well as harming legitimate businesses, the profits of such activities fund other criminal activity. The Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, which I chair, will continue to work with the SAITG to do everything we can to tackle this illegal activity.”
Panel discussion at the relaunch of the SAITG on 3 March 2025
SAITG brings together members including the Scotch Whisky Association, Police Scotland, Trading Standards, The Wine & Spirit Trade Association and The Anti-Counterfeiting Group. Together, they will create a forum for distinct industry areas to share insight, intelligence and provide training and support for law enforcement agencies.
The group’s work will also help build a greater understanding among the wider public of the harms this trade causes, emphasising that counterfeiting is anything but a victimless crime.
“We are pleased to support the re-launch of the Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group, which marks an important moment in tackling this significant threat to businesses and consumers in Scotland,” Miles Rees, the IPO’s deputy director of enforcement, said.
“Counterfeit goods not only harm those using them, but also cause wider harms to society, our economy and communities. Government, industry and law enforcement all have a crucial role to play in working together to combat counterfeiting and piracy, and the group represents a vital forum, helping drive action together.”
Rachel Jones, newly appointed chair of the Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group and founder of Snapdragon, said: “Counterfeiting is not a victimless crime. It is the second largest source of criminal income in the world, after drugs. I’m very honoured to chair this group as we bring together key partners to protect Scotland’s heritage brands and consumers.”
Alan Park, director of legal affairs at the Scotch Whisky Association, highlighted the importance of protecting Scotland’s premium products.
“Food and drink products strongly associated with their origin, like Scotch Whisky, carry a significant reputation based on their quality, authenticity and generations of investment,” Park said.
“Those who attempt to take fraudulent advantage of that reputation will always face strong action, and the formation of this group is a significant step to help serve a strong message that this illegal activity won’t be tolerated.”
Members of the public can report suspected counterfeit goods to Police Scotland by calling 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers.
Keep ReadingShow less
UK Easter spending shifts amid cost concerns - Vypr research
Chocolate purchasing intent for Easter is expected to slide due to factors like the ongoing cost of living crisis and growing concerns over sustainability while Easter-themed wrapping paper is expected to be in demand this year, states a recent report.
According to a UK consumer survey by product intelligence platform Vypr, 39 per cent of people are cutting back on chocolate eggs this year, while 24 per cent plan to spend less than £5 on Easter gifts.
While health concerns have led 29 per cent of consumers to scale back their Easter egg purchases, sustainability is a factor for many shoppers.
The desire for more eco-friendly options is evident for some, as 17 per cent of people are looking to choose gifts with less packaging, and another 17 per cent are prioritising items wrapped in less plastic.
Additionally, 15 per cent are opting to skip Easter altogether this year to avoid contributing to waste.
Despite these preferences, many shoppers are still planning to spend this Easter, although most say it’s going to be very low-key, with the majority (53 per cent) expecting to spend less than £10 in total, covering gifts, decorations, and entertaining.
Encouragingly for retailers, over a third (35 per cent) of consumers plan to spend between £10 and £50.
Chocolate eggs will still play a key part in these purchases, but for some, alternatives are gaining popularity. Cash gifts (10 per cent) and toys (9 per cent) are among the most popular choices.
Additionally, 10 per cent are looking for chocolate that isn’t egg-shaped, while 8 per cent will be buying Easter decorations.
Vypr noted that many supermarkets, convenience stores and wider retailers have expanded their range of Easter decorations this year, with 21 per cent of shoppers saying they have noticed the increased variety.
However, only 8 per cent report that this is likely to persuade them to purchase. Overall, 54 per cent of people do not decorate for Easter, and of those who do, 14 per cent plan to reuse last year’s decorations, while only 10 per cent will buy new ones.
Ben Davies, founder of Vypr, commented, “Retailers have plenty to consider when planning their 2025 Easter ranges.
"A quarter of shoppers are looking to gift-wrap Easter presents this year, making Easter-themed wrapping paper a clear opportunity to drive sales.
"Meanwhile, one in ten plan to buy Easter-themed clothing for children – which is something supermarkets could tap into to boost seasonal sales.
“Sustainability is also becoming a bigger priority for consumers, and demand for eco-friendly alternatives will only grow. This is a key area for NPD teams to explore, ensuring their ranges appeal to increasingly eco-conscious shoppers.”
Keep ReadingShow less
UK consumers cut spending as economic worries grow - KPMG
Majority of Brits feel that the economy is heading in the wrong direction, and this feeling is leading many to cut everyday spend, defer big ticket buying, and save more, a recent report has stated.
According to the latest quarterly Consumer Pulse survey from KPMG in the UK, three in five people say that the UK economy is worsening, leading even consumers feeling financially secure to cut back on spending.
The number of people feeling that the UK economy is worsening grew by fifteen percentage points in the last three months to 58 per cent.
But despite the perception of a downbeat economic picture, the majority (55 per cent) of people currently feel financially secure (which is just 2 percentage points lower than the previous quarter).
The research gauged the confidence of 3000 UK consumers and assessed their buying behaviour over the last quarter.
Those feeling insecure about their finances grew from 21 per cent to 24 per cent over the last three months, but within that only 15 per cent of people reported that their finances are such that they are having to actively cut discretionary spend to pay for essentials – with a further 2 per cent saying they are incurring debt to pay bills.
The growing negative economic perception is leading more consumers to take spending action than those who say their financial situation means they need to, with:
43 per cent saying they are reducing spend on everyday items.
36 per cent saying they are saving more as a contingency.
29 per cent saying they are deferring big ticket purchases.
19 per cent feeling less inclined to leave their current employment.
Reflecting upon the findings, Linda Ellett, head of consumer, retail and leisure for KPMG UK, said, “Our research continues to show that while only a minority of consumers feel financially insecure, the majority feel that the economy is heading in the wrong direction.
"And this nervousness about the economy is leading many, including some of those who are secure in their current personal financial circumstances, to cut everyday spend, defer big ticket buying, and save more.
“Some may be taking this action as they prepare for higher costs, such as a new mortgage deal or the higher cost of travel.
"But other cautious consumers are certainly preparing for the potential impact on them from what they believe to be a worsening economy. This week’s Spring Statement needs to give people the confidence in the longer-term UK economic outlook.”
Comparing consumer spending in the first quarter of 2025 to the results from the final quarter of 2024:
Eating out remains the most common target (38 per cent) for those cutting spend. Takeaway was second, with 34 per cent of consumers reporting less spend over the last three months. The number of people saying they are cutting back was 2 percentage points higher than the last survey.
The number of consumers reporting they cut clothing and footwear spend in the last three months rose 3 percentage points from the last survey to 32 per cent.
Cost cutting behaviour when shopping was once again evident, with:
Nearly a quarter of consumers (23 per cent) saying they shopped for promotional or discount goods more in the last three months.
Just over a fifth (22 per cent) of consumers saying they bought more own brand or value goods in the last three months.
A fifth (21 per cent) of consumers saying they used loyalty schemes more this quarter.
70 per cent of consumers said that price was a top purchasing driver for everyday items – rising 3 percentage points from the last survey.
Holiday spend was again the most common ‘big ticket’ quarterly spend, with 21 per cent of consumers reporting related spend in the last three months. 30 per cent of consumers say they will spend on a holiday in next three months.
45 per cent of consumers said they bought no ‘big ticket’ items in December, January and February. And 38 per cent said they won’t make any larger purchases in the coming three months.