A SPAR shop in Whitby is seeking permission to vary its licence with Scarborough Council.
The store at Stakesby Garage on Castle Road, Whitby has applied to Scarborough Council for permission to vary its current licence and introduce alterations to the layout of the shop.
If approved, the shop could introduce a larger offering of deli products as well as introducing “butcher’s offerings”.
The store has said that the “incorporation of butcher’s offerings” would be made possible by creating an extension to the top right of the building.
The application, which was submitted by James Hall and Company Ltd, is currently open to public consultations on the proposed changes.
The Lancashire-based family business is the primary wholesaler to SPAR retailers throughout the North of England.
Other changes that are also being proposed include new fixtures and fittings for the shop while the off licence located on the premises is set to remain in its current location.
The application states: “Extension to the top right of building to allow for incorporation of butcher’s offering, all new fixtures and fittings, off licence still in the same place with the walk-in beer chiller to back of the store, and larger serve of deli offering”.
It also adds that “all back areas to remain as per current layout”.
Farmers have slammed supermarkets over their practice of slashing the cost of vegetables to lure Christmas shoppers, saying that heavy discounting can impact consumer expectations about the real value of British produce.
Around Christmas, most supermarket giants, even upmarket chains Waitrose and Marks & Spencer, cut the price of festive basics by at least half at their busiest time of year.
The deep discounts come as the cost of producing homegrown vegetables has been pushed up with growers “already under the cosh” according to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU). Workforce availability, extreme weather and rising employment costs – compounded by recent national insurance and minimum wage increases – have taken their toll on the sector.
A spokesperson for the NFU told The Guardian, “While promotional activity can have positive impacts for growers to help drive sales volumes and attract new shoppers, growers have long held concerns about the impact heavy discounting can have on consumer expectations about the real value of British produce. Growers must also be reassured that this pricing strategy is not funded by unsustainable farmgate prices.”
Jack Ward, the chief executive of the British Growers Association, said: “Is that really a cause for celebration? We are giving people a false impression of what’s involved in improving food.
“People ask ‘if I can buy it for 15p at Christmas why is it 65p the rest of the year?’ It completely devalues what are superfoods compared to a lot of other things consumed in Christmas week. There’s no denying that consumers like this kind of deep discounting but they have got to understand it comes at a cost.”
While Ward admits that retailers take the profit hit on discounting the vegetables over the festive season, he says the growers will ultimately pay in lower prices throughout the year.
“Let’s not delude ourselves, the [cost of the] promotions are factored in somewhere along the way over the 12 months.”
Some retailers agreed the discounting was not good for the industry.
One supermarket insider told The Guardian that the discount frenzy devalued the image of vegetables and that it is a "race to the bottom and no one is really benefiting. Anyone selling a bag of carrots for 17p is making a thumping loss.”
Post Office has signed a one-year contract extension with Japanese tech giant Fujitsu to run Horizon until March 2026, dumping its replacement after setbacks caused costs to skyrocket to as much as £2 billion.
The in-house New Branch IT system (NBIT) was supposed to be finished by March 2024 at an initial cost of £200m over three years. However, difficulties in its development led to expensive delays.
According to recent reports, staff has been told that the government has refused to fund the system’s £1million-a-week running costs.
Meanwhile, oldest victim of Post Office Horizon has slammed the government, stating that she has been offered less than a third of what she had claimed in compensation.
Brown’s lawyers, with the help of forensic accountants, spent nearly three years preparing her claim for compensation. When her offer came through, it was for 29 per cent of what she had claimed
“We’re just treated like dung,” Brown told the BBC. “I’m totally disgusted. It simply adds insult to injury. You talk about the Christmas and goodwill. Where’s the goodwill towards the sub-postmasters here."
She said with the help of her government-paid advisors, multiple reports were prepared to back up her detailed claim. More information was then requested by lawyers acting on behalf of the government which oversees the GLO scheme.
In her compensation offer letter, she wasn’t awarded anything for loss of future earnings and was offered only a third of the amount she claimed for past loss of earnings. She was also not awarded the full amount she claimed for harassment, even though the Department for Business and Trade acknowledged she had suffered harassment linked to issues with Horizon.
Rejecting the offer, Brown has declared that she will take her case to an independent panel for assessment.
91-year-old former sub-postmistress Betty Brown and her husband spent more than £50,000 of their savings to cover the unexpected losses which started as soon as the Horizon computer system was installed in her branch. She was hounded out of her job and forced to sell her post office at a knockdown price in 2003.
Brown was one of the original 555 victims who took part in the landmark group legal action led by Alan Bates against the Post Office. They won their battle five years ago this month but never received proper compensation because the money they received was largely swallowed up by the huge costs to fund their case.
Marks & Spencer has finally been given the green light to knock down its the 1920s art deco Oxford Street store.
After a three-year legal battle, housing secretary, Angela Rayner, ruled on Thursday (5) that the plans of demolition could go ahead.
The retailer wants to rebuild the store as a nine-storey building housing a retail space, cafe, gym and office.
Stuart Machin, Marks & Spencer’s chief executive, wrote on X, “I am delighted that, after three unnecessary years of delays, obfuscation and political posturing at its worst under the previous Government, our plans for Marble Arch – the only retail-led regeneration proposal on Oxford Street – have finally been approved.
"We can now get on with the job of helping to rejuvenate the UK’s premier shopping street through a flagship M&S store and office space which will support 2,000 jobs and act as a global standard-bearer for sustainability.
"At M&S, we share the Government’s ambition to breathe life back into our cities and towns and are pleased to see they are serious about getting Britain building and growing. We will now move as fast as we can."
M&S won planning permission to demolish the 1920s art deco store , named Orchard House, from Westminster City Council in 2021. But it ran into opposition — on grounds of both sustainability and heritage — from the conservation group Save Britain’s Heritage, architects, engineers and celebrities.
Former minister Michael Gove maintained that the building, which sits in the heart of central London’s shopping district, should be retained and refurbished rather than bulldozed.
M&S repeatedly contended that it had explored 16 refurbishment schemes that would have avoided demolition but found none to be suitable for its aims. The retailer described the building as "not fit for purpose", citing low ceilings, blocked lavatories, uneven flooring, disconnected escalators, temperamental heating and thick pillars.
Earlier this year, a high court judge ruled that the government made a series of flawed decisions while trying to block the plans.
Go Local retailers from across the UK gathered in Manchester to celebrate the best in convenience retail at the wholesaler’s annual Retailer Awards.
The event highlights retailers that go above and beyond and their commitment to community involvement, digital innovation, and outstanding customer service. Award judges commended the exceptional quality and high number of entries.
The regional winners on the night included Sathiyarekha Sabaratnam of Go Local Extra in Crewe (North West winner), Aimee and Raf Kaldani of Go Local Extra in Redcar (North East), Andy Robinson of Go Local Extra Summer Lane in Barnsley (Yorkshire and Humber), Rizwan Rafiq of Go Local Extra Sandyford Stores in Stoke (Midlands and South), and Mike Fletcher, Go Local Extra in Oxton, Merseyside (North Wales and Wirral).
Andy Campbell of Go Local Extra in Cheadle won the Retail Execution of the Year, and Anil Velji of The Local in Walmersley, Bury, was crowned Digital Retailer of the Year.
Best Newcomer was announced as Jeevan Chatha of Go Local Extra in Southowram, Halifax. The Most Improved Store accolade was awarded to Ellis and Max Bashir of The Local Saltersgill in Middlesbrough.
Guy Swindell, joint managing director of Parfetts, commented: “Now, as an annual highlight in the retail calendar, our awards get bigger every year and provide an excellent opportunity to bring together retailers from around the country and celebrate the industry. The standards for retailers and suppliers continue to increase, and we take pride in contributing to their success and helping them reach their objectives.
“We’ve had an outstanding past 12 months, which has seen the business go from strength to strength, surpassing last year’s record turnover and welcoming more retailers to Go Local than ever before. Together, we have much to be proud of, and the awards provide the perfect platform to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our team members, retailers, and suppliers.”
The awards also recognised innovative and retailer-focused suppliers. Heineken won Go Local NPD of the Year – licenced for Cruzcampo. The Go Local NPD of the Year – Non-Licenced went to PepsiCo Walkers for its Extra Flamin' Hot snack range.
Diageo was named Retail Store and Digital Activation of the Year – Licenced for the Guinness campaign, and Kellanova won Retail Store and Digital Activation of the Year—Non-Licenced for Cheez-It.
Own Label Supplier of the Year Licenced was awarded to Westons for the Darwins Fox wine range. Aston Manor won Own Label Supplier of the Year Non-Licenced for Zenergy Power, while George Marriott from Asahi UK was named Most Engaged Account Manager Licenced. The Most Engaged Account Manager Non-Licenced was awarded jointly to Brian Penkethman of AG Barr and Lucy Dickinson of Suntory.
Budweiser Brewing Group was awarded Go Local Supplier of the Year Licenced for the second successive year, while Nestle Confectionery was awarded Go Local Supplier of the Year Non-Licenced.
Depot Takeover of the Year – Licenced was awarded to Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company for Kronenbourg 1664 Biere, while Depot Takeover of the Year—Non-Licenced was presented to joint winners PepsiCo Walkers for Doritos and Britvic for Pepsi.
Parfetts operates the fast-growing Go Local symbol group and retail club with over 1,300 stores and one of the largest retail clubs with over 5,000 members. It operates across the North, Midlands, South East and Wales through a national logistics network, digital channels and eight wholesale depots.
Parfetts is an employee-owned business, and its employees play a significant role in the company's and its retailers' success.
The public is being urged to show support for small businesses this weekend as Small Business Saturday returns with a mission to deliver a vital boost for firms heading into another challenging winter.
Amid reports of falling small business confidence, research from the campaign found the festive season could deliver a lifeline for small businesses, with over £20 billion estimated to be spent by UK households over the "Golden Quarter" – the peak season from October to post-Christmas sales.
And with the public expected to direct up to a fifth (22 per cent) of its Christmas spend towards independent firms – the small business economy could tap into approximately £4.4 billion.
Encouragingly public support is already riding high as Brits overwhelmingly recognise the incredible value small businesses bring to local communities. Currently two thirds (66 per cent) of people spend on goods or services with independent firms multiple times a month.
And research in partnership with Small Business Saturday’s principal supporter American Express also found four in five people (86 per cent) believe it is important to support small businesses, with 62 per cent believing they boost their local area.
Convenience, customer experience and help for local charities and vulnerable people are some of the top benefits small businesses are seen to bring, according to Small Business Saturday’s survey of 2,000 members of the public.
Taking place on 7 December Small Business Saturday is an annual campaign with a mission to support and celebrate the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses, encouraging people to 'shop local' and support small firms in their communities on the day and beyond.
“Small businesses deliver an immeasurable value that goes beyond their economic contribution – they are the heart and soul of our communities, bringing joy and vibrancy to our lives and local areas, as well as delivering essential local services,” says Michelle Ovens CBE, Director of Small Business Saturday UK.
The team at Billingtons in Oldham
“Public support is absolutely vital for boosting small businesses across the UK on Small Business Saturday and beyond. Many are facing extended economic challenges, and need greater support and confidence to recover and keep going.”
Small Business Saturday’s research also found UK households will spend an estimated £757 on seasonal celebrations on average with over a quarter (26 per cent) expecting to spend more. Women are predominately found to be controlling the festive purse-strings, with 60 per cent in charge of their household budget.
"The festive season is a peak time for our business and we are doing all we can to attract customers by offering them something really special and unique,” says Simon Henry of York Gin, an independent craft distillery in the historic shambles.
“We’ve introduced a new signature mulled gin that is going down very well, and also creates a warm and inviting atmosphere in our 16th-century gin shop for locals and visitors to the city. We have also innovated by joining forces with other small businesses to offer fast-turnaround personalised engraving, as well as opening up the distillery for special Christmas tastings. Small businesses can create a lot of magic for people and the support we get back from the public makes all the difference to our business at this time of year.”
Small Business Saturday was originally founded by American Express in the U.S. in 2010, and it remains the principal supporter of the campaign in the UK. Over the decade the campaign has been running in the UK it has engaged millions and seen billions of pounds spent with small firms on Small Business Saturday.
On Small Business Saturday, customers across the UK go out and support all types of small businesses, both online and in bricks-and-mortar stores; from independent shops and restaurants to small service and b2b-based businesses like accountants and plumbers. Many small businesses celebrate the day by hosting events, offering promotions, and collaborating with other local businesses.
Semper Hopkins Upholstery and Interiors
“With the festive period fast approaching, it’s heartening that public support for small businesses remains strong," said Dan Edelman, General Manager, UK Merchant Services at American Express. "Small Business Saturday is a campaign which remains as important now as when it first began. That’s why American Express is proud to champion the nation’s much-loved independent businesses as principal supporter, encouraging the nation to shop small.”
As well as encouraging the public to shop small, organisers are also urging people to support their favourite independents in other ways, whether it be leaving positive reviews or spreading the word amongst friends and family.
Go here to learn more about Small Business Saturday.