Andy was born in London just in time to see England win the World Cup, and much later began his career in academia, gaining a PhD in American Literature and lecturing at several universities, including Maryland and Gothenburg in Sweden, and pursuing a sideline in sheep-farming before moving back to London and becoming a literary agent and TV documentary-maker (working for various broadcasters and making series such as the BBC’s Monsoon Railway, set in Bengal).
He has written several biographies, including the Second World War story American Pimpernel, and became the official biographer of India’s Prime Minister (then Chief Minister of Gujarat) publishing Narendra Modi, a Political Biography (Harper Collins).
Andy joined Asian Media Group in 2018, his first “proper” job, and has been there ever since, believing that, while trade journalism might not save the world, it might just save journalism.
b2b.store’s open banking solution is growing from strength-to-strength as it hits more than 3,000 monthly transactions.
B2B Open Banking’s continuing success is driven by the number of ways the cost-cutting payment method can be implemented at different points within a wholesaler’s business – making it easier for customers to pay using the technology.
Thanks to ongoing development, wholesalers can now offer B2B Open Banking payment options in-depot, on delivery or in the field via a sales rep, and by telesales staff when talking to customers on the phone.
These points of payments further enhance the initial suite of online locations B2B Open Banking can be used, including on an email template, at the point of online payment, and as part of credit control functions such as invoices.
Each method triggers a pre-populated mobile banking transaction between wholesaler and customer, with a customer able to send instant payment with only a couple of taps – making it an incredibly convenient way to settle a transaction.
“We’re constantly adding new features to our B2B Open Banking solution to make sure our service is tailored to a wide variety of wholesalers’ needs,” said b2b.store CEO Rob Mannion.
“We know that businesses all work in different ways, so we work closely with wholesalers to figure out the most effective places for open banking to be used, and provide additional support to help with implementation and encourage their customers to regularly pay with open banking.
“That means we have to be constantly innovating and listening to customer feedback, which is reflected in the development of our product – and it’s clearly working because the number of transactions keep going up.”
As a result, the value of monthly transactions going through B2B Open Banking is increasing too, with b2b.store not far from celebrating £10 million for transactions in this financial year. That represents a significant saving for the wholesalers already offering the payment option, with each one typically saving at least one per cent by paying the lower open-banking transaction fees compared to more expensive costs associated with credit and debit card transactions.
As open banking has grown in exposure and popularity, more wholesalers have introduced it into their business and there’s no sign of that trend stopping.
“Open banking is only going to become more commonly used in all industries in the future, so the time is now for wholesalers to get in on the party,” Mannion added.
“The sooner wholesalers can have open banking up and running across their business, the sooner they’ll be making savings, and they’ll ensure they’re not caught behind the trend as open banking grows further.”
Illegal vapes are on the rise in the UK, with Trading Standards announcing a 59 per cent increase in seizures between 2023 and 2024. This resulted in 1.2 million unregulated vapes being taken off the streets, but this figure could be just the tip of the iceberg. The disposable vapes ban set to come into force on 1 June this year is predicted to cause a surge in demand for black market vapes.
Researchers from alternative nicotine product retailer Haypp set out to identify how many UK vape users may be willing to buy vapes on the black market. A survey of over 500 vape users across the UK found that almost a third (32 per cent) admitted they would be willing to purchase an illegal vape.
“These figures are quite alarming. It’s an unfortunate reality that the disposable vapes ban later this year will create a new black market for these products, and with almost a third of UK vapers saying they would be willing to buy illegal vapes, this represents a big challenge for enforcement authorities and a risk for consumers,” said Markus Lindblad, Head of External Affairs at Haypp.
“After June 1 this year, it will become illegal to sell or supply single-use or disposable vapes. Consumers should be careful if they are offered disposable vapes after this date. Any disposable vapes in circulation after this date may not have been regulated by any UK registered standards boards or agencies meaning there is no guarantee that the product is safe, there is no certainty about where it was made, or what’s actually in the vape. Retailers should talk to their customers about the risk illegal vapes pose to their health.”
Based on the survey data, men were much more likely than women to be open to buying on the black market. Twice as many men (38 per cent) as women (19 per cent) said they would consider buying an illegal vape. Older men were also more willing to use the black market, as men aged 35-54 were three times more likely to be willing to buy illegal vapes than those aged 18-34.
For British vapers, the top three advantages of vapes compared with cigarettes or other nicotine products are 1) the fact they are cheaper 2) they feel healthier and 3) they do not affect others. Price is very important to British vapers, this might help explain their willingness to buy black-market vapes which can often be cheaper than those sold through regular channels.
Only 64 per cent of British vapers believed that they could identify an illegal vape, which is a concern given how many illegal vapes may come into circulation once the ban comes into force.
“There are around 5.6 million vapers in the UK at the moment. If almost a third are willing to buy illegal vapes, this could represent a serious consumer health risk. Consumer education in the run-up to the ban will be critical to avoid large numbers of people exposing themselves to potentially dangerous products” concluded Lindblad.
Cost-cautious Britons are spending more on home-cooked meals, risking to bring inflation back to grocery stores, a recent report has stated.
According to research by Retail Economics and NatWest, UK consumers expect to be spending more money on in the next three months on groceries while less on eating and drinking out.
It reflects a social phenomenon stemming back to the pandemic when people got into the habit of attempting restaurant-quality meals at home. Supermarkets subsequently put more effort into their premium ranges and have profited from a boom in demand.
Richard Lim, chief executive officer at Retail Economics, also said that Britain’s grocers should be able to reap the rewards of strong demand for high quality, niche and premium ranges, while keeping a lid on the price of more basic products.
“Grocers really need to focus on being competitive across those core essentials and then they will try to protect margins in other parts of the basket,” Lim said. “There might be deflation in some areas, inflation in other areas.”
Last week, supermarket Asda , slashed prices on 1,500 products in an effort to win back droves of customers who have switched to its rivals.
However, Bloomberg analysts state that price wars are "not necessarily incompatible with rising inflation", when broader economic conditions lift cost pressures.
Charles Allen, a senior retail analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, said one of the fiercest price wars in the UK came during the high inflation of the late 1970s.
With the upcoming sharp increase in employment taxes and another steep hike in the minimum wage, retailers are expected to pass on some costs to customers, hence increase prices.
Supermarkets Sainsbury’s and Tesco together employ nearly half a million workers, and collectively the two supermarkets are facing an extra £390 million bill due to the budget measures, states the Bloomberg report.
“They’ve had many rounds of trying to operate as efficiently as possible in order to minimise prices for the consumer,” Jessica Moulton, senior partner at McKinsey, said. “The grocers are at their limits.”
Food inflation accelerated to 3.3 per cent in the year to January, and market surveys suggest it stayed high in recent weeks.
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Tradeshow saw 190 suppliers and 180 wholesalers unite for networking, deals, and industry growth.
UK's newest buying group The Wholesale Group held its first tradeshow since its launch in January 2025 which saw supplier partners and members come together to plan for future growth.
Held at Cheltenham Racecourse on Thursday (20), the event saw more than 190 supplier partners meet with more than 180 wholesale members.
“The tradeshow exceeded all our expectations and was a fantastic success with incredibly high levels of attendance,” said Jess Douglas, joint managing director.
“The new venue and the event itself really demonstrate the scale and diversity of The Wholesale Group.
“To see so many members and suppliers come together to discuss plans for the coming months, share the latest product innovation and take advantage of our on-the-day deals was wonderful.
"The energy throughout the day and evening was incredible and a great way to cement our plans for the group moving forwards.”
Coral Rose, The Wholesale Group co-chair, agreed: “We are delighted with the tremendous turnout of members for the show, all proudly representing independent family-owned businesses in foodservice and retail wholesale. The event successfully generated significant value to all these businesses demonstrating our collecting scale while creating valuable connections with our suppliers.”
“Events like this really are invaluable,” said Kate Robinson, regional account manager, Unilever Food Solutions UK.
“This industry thrives on face-to-face interaction and meeting with members in person to plan for the future and share our latest product development always provides critical insight.”
Dan Dunster, national account manager, CCEP, said, “What a fantastic event and an excellent venue. We were able to have several good business discussions with members and for me as account manager for The Wholesale Group, it is so effective to be face to face.
"This is such a valuable use of our time as both the day and the evening were great opportunities to build on relationships. It was amazing to see members and suppliers recognised for their work.”
Following the tradeshow, The Wholesale Group held a formal black-tie dinner where it presented awards to suppliers and members in recognition of engagement and performance with Confex during 2024.
Thompson Foodservice Ltd achieved double success as it was named Foodservice Member of the Year as well as Green Wholesaler of the Year.
“The Wholesale Group Awards showcased the best of independent wholesale,” said Tom Gittins, joint managing director.
“Across the board we saw outstanding achievements from both our members and suppliers with awards spanning retail and foodservice across all product categories, with winners represented across delivered, cash and carry, export, direct to consumer, residual and events.
:These awards remind me how lucky we are to have such a strong group with best-in-class partners, the perfect recipe for future growth.”
Later in the year, The Wholesale Group will be holding a foodservice fair in Stratford upon Avon on 11 September and an annual conference in Tenerife, from 9-12 October.
The Wholesale Group now has 257 members and a group turnover in excess of £4.5bn, representing more than 13.7 per cent of UK wholesale.
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RH Amar Expands with New 94,756 Sq Ft HQ in High Wycombe
RH Amar has signed a deal which will see it move to a new 94,756 sq ft state-of the-art facility in High Wycombe at the end of the year.
The move follows a period of significant growth and expansion for the UK food distributor and growth partner which has seen it achieve double-digit growth in each of the past five years, with new business wins including Weetabix, Dr. Oetker and Divine Chocolate.
The new home for the third-generation family business will provide a high-specification facility with increased warehouse capacity and more office space, while continuing to provide the excellent transport links of its current HQ less than a mile from M40 Junction 4 on the outskirts of High Wycombe.
“We are excited to be a step forward to a new headquarters which will enable us to further build on the success we’ve achieved with our brand partners and customers," said MD Rob Amar. "The premises are being purpose-built to support our expanding operations and will provide the foundation we need to realise our long-term growth ambitions and those of our brand partners.
He added, “As we celebrate 80 years in business, this move is a significant milestone in the history of our family business, and we look forward to calling this new building our home at the end of the year.”
The sustainable headquarters have been designed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating, EPC A+ scores, and will be net zero carbon in construction – all underpinning RH Amar’s commitment to being a sustainable business.
RH Amar works with some of the UK’s best-loved food names, including Del Monte, Mutti and Weetabix, alongside smaller specialist brands - working in partnership to successfully grow brands across the UK market with distribution, sales, marketing and technical support and expertise.
RH Amar’s new premises are owned by Railpen, manager of the £34bn railways pension scheme in the UK. The state-of-the-art facility is being rebranded to High Wycombe X, joining Railpen’s growing portfolio of X-branded industrial parks. RH Amar will be the anchor occupier for the new development, situated on High Wycombe’s wider Cressex Estate.
Banks, hotels, ATMs and pubs are facing a cash shortage as more than 1,000 G4S workers vote to strike over a real terms pay cut.
GMB members deliver money to companies such as NatWest, Lloyds Santander, Tesco, Asda, Wetherspoons, McDonalds and Travelodge.
Workers have voted to strike with a majority of 91 per cent, on a 59 per cent turnout.
The industrial action comes after workers were offered a deal as low as 1.4 per cent in some cases, while G4S’s directed competitor Loomis offered workers 4.6 per cent earlier this year.
Strikes could take place as early as the Easter bank holiday, with business and ATMs potentially left without cash, while airports may run out of foreign currency.
“These workers do a difficult and dangerous job – yet the company is only offering them a real terms pay cut," said Eamon O’Hearn, GMB National Officer, said:
"It’s no wonder they are willing to strike.
“Now thanks to G4S penny pinching, the public faces an Easter break where businesses and banks run out of cash, potentially causing major disruption.”