In April 2020 we did a Me and My Store feature with Pontefract retailer Bobby Singh, whose Holmfield Lane Superstore and Post Office, even at that early stage of the Covid pandemic, was becoming an important community venue for supplies, support, delivery and all the many other above-and beyond-the-call-of-duty elements that the UK’s c-store owners provided during that testing time.
I’d bumped into Bobby since, at an industry conference in London in 2022, and we had promised to catch up again.
Top 100!
"To start off, I saw this thing on your LinkedIn page, where you say, 'Always a pleasure and honour to be in the top 100 attending the Independent Achievers Academy learning and development festival,’” I say in greeting.
“This has been our third year of involvement,” explained Bobby. “They have constructed benchmarks across all different areas of the retail sector, so you're talking about, your mapping, merchandising, effective ranging, and all processes, which was really good for me, because sometimes amongst everything you do, with your store, and throughout retail, you sometimes don't prioritise the basic structures or benchmarks that that should be standard.”
Bobby was impressed with how the academy had constructed benchmarks for guidance for across different to make sure a retailer can meet good standards (or higher), in each sector of the store.
“I think for me, as a retailer who has been retailing for quite a while, it was a good refresher. For somebody new coming into retail, it can be a good guide to make sure you implement all these benchmarks across your store and if you do it with each you’ll have a good standard store, so you set standards, really.”
It always amazes that that storeowners manage to take a whole day away from the shop and find coverage with staff, deliveries and all what else.
“Usually it’s two days out,” Bobby corrects me. “It’s worthwhile because the problem for me normally is networking and meeting different brand leaders. Hence, we make that effort and travel all the way there because it’s set up.”
Onwards, upwards
This is the nub of what we are really talking about: the job is not only about serving in a shop but also being an entrepreneur and expanding your business – which is a neat segue into talking about Bobby’s new BB Featherstone Post Office and Superstore branch of the Singh operation.
“We’d had Featherstone for four or five years and it was in a small town high street but with a lot of residential around it. It’s always been the main post office in Featherstone, delivering passports and renewal of driving licences, road tax, a currency bureau, the full package.”
Bobby has now expanded the retail side of it, “because the footfall was already there, people were already coming in and it just seemed like a no-brainer.”
He says that the store remained open during COVID, but that plans for it were delayed, as they were for so many during that time.
“Eventually we did it, gave it a full new facelift on the outside and on the inside. Then we had a launch with the mayoress, local dignitaries came, people from the community, just a few weeks ago.”
So, Bobby now has two stores in neighbouring locations about three miles apart. Is he planning to open more?
“I'm always looking for opportunities, to be honest. I say I'm not, but I am!” he laughs. “If there is a potential opportunity there, I don't think I could say no to it. You think, ‘Okay, you want to have a bit more work-life balance, not expand as much. But if there's an opportunity there …’”
This is perhaps the definition f the entrepreneurial itch. And Bobby is in property as well.
“I am. That’s another thing. We’ve built a portfolio and I think, going forward, that's going to be our pensions, really, our retirement.” – As if he would retire.
“Yes, well, retail is not just business, it's my passion. And it's hard to adapt to doing it less hands-on, as my role has evolved more and become more behind the scenes.”
I ask if it is difficult to become more executive and delegate , and Bobby almost groans as he answers: “It’s the positive feedback and the interaction with the community that I really miss. Sometimes I’ll just go into the store and talk to the customers! Because I love that, that's my favourite part.”
I say that I remember him mentioning that back in our original interview.
“Going on from when we last spoke,” he says, “we went above and beyond during COVID, and I like to think we supported our community very well. But first and foremost we were lucky to be in a position to do that. And then from that we won many awards and got many recognitions from our community, which was very nice. We were in our local papers on the front pages. When I relaunched Featherstone post office, one of the proudest moments for me was that I was able to get the Mayoress to present an award to my mum, which means the world to me because we lost my dad at a very young age.
That was when you were 14, wasn't it?
“That’s right, so that was the proudest moment for me was when the mayoress awarded my mum – a wonderful moment of recognition. Because without her, I wouldn't be talking to you.
And what’s the locale of the new store, the social scene, compared to Pontefract (which, incidentally, is Roman and means “broken bridge” in Latin)?
“You'll see there's a lot of activity around it on the high street there – the Featherstone Rovers rugby ground, a train station, it’s all very compact, with a lot of residential all around.”
It really does look as if it has everything you love to find in those little self-contained Yorkshire communities with the green hills beyond. It seems timeless in a way, but have things changed on the ground since the pandemic?
“I think first and foremost a lot of people’s mindset has changed,” Bobby answers. “I'm speaking for myself, but what I'm seeing around me, is people are more caring, because the pandemic brought out the best side of people and people cared for each other, and we're looking out for each other. I think that has stuck from the pandemic – we learned anything can happen at any time and that's what happened. Nobody thought that the world could come to a stop, but that’s what happened, and I think that changed the mindset of a lot of people.”
For the better, though?
“That’s the most positive thing that I think happened: that people became more caring and understanding of others. I think that's the best thing”.
What about now it's over? What's the biggest challenge – thinking about the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, for example? How's that affecting you and your customers?
“Obviously we're going through quite a bit of a storm with cost-of-living, inflation, electric bills. It's hard for a lot of people out there, and even for us retailers, the electric bills and so on have been very challenging.
“Again, we've had to step up to the mark of trying to try sustain and get more efficient, put in measurables for our fridges and freezers, and try and be as efficient as possible, really. And on the other side, with our customers and our community, we've seen a lot of people that have gone into desperate measures as well. Last time we met at the ACS Heart of the Community conference, I mentioned that there's people who have been desperate to put food on the table.”
The retail life
Talking about retail for a minute, how would you say that your sales profile has changed? Which categories are up and which down? What different sorts of things are customers buying? What trends are you seeing in terms of what people buy in, choose to eat? Have tastes changed?
“ People are looking for more value for money,” says Bobby. “We've found multipacks and such doing very well, whereas single impulse-buy items have gone down.
“Where people would have come for their Friday night treat, you are seeing compromises in that respect. Price marked packs are very, very popular and offers and promotions, that kind of thing, are increasingly important for our demographic.”
Bobby is keen to stress that means wholesalers and top brands support retailers on prices and PMPs and make sure they get a decent margin. Has his relationship with suppliers changed over the past few years as well? How does he act towards them?
“ I'm pretty proactive and if I do see something biting into my margins, I do bring it up. I'm also proactive in looking and shopping around. I think most of us learned over COVID that, whereas before we probably all had one supplier and we were in that comfort zone and didn’t have to think twice, after COVID we knew you can't have all your eggs in one basket. One thing that I learned was that it makes a lot of difference just to shop around and see the price differences from one wholesaler to another.”
I ask if he remembers the big trend going into the 2020s when everybody was talking about the shift from cash and carry and visiting the depot, to delivery instead – which made sense economically, when you were getting all the deliveries from one or two major wholesalers, and you get the deal with probably just one.
“ You’ve hit the nail on the head,” says Bobby. “We were one of those retailers who were in that comfort zone. That was it: our deliveries came, one major supplier and then maybe a few odd suppliers, for this and that. But to be honest, we had to look at other suppliers during COVID, because first and foremost we couldn't fill our shelves – we couldn’t get the products in.
To be honest with you, that wasn't something that I was proactive in doing: I was made to do it by circumstances. But what I found was that it's worth doing. And when wholesalers see what retailers are doing that, you do see a change in wholesalers and they up their game.”
And the name of the game now is retailer activism!
“For us retailers, we must do what we need to sustain our business,” he agrees. “Across the board now with all wholesalers there is a fair strategy of making sure margins are there for retailers – because of there’s no retailers there’s no wholesalers, and that's the pure fact of it.”
Bobby thinks wholesalers have raised their game and that another net benefit coming out of Covid is that the relationships retailers have with brands have become richer and more communicative, mutually supportive.
“Yes, one other thing I would like to say is that I've developed good relationships with top brands, having all these different get-togethers, and retailers combining and joining and talking to brands, it gives you a voice.
“I think that's very powerful. When retailers combine, the volume of voices can be heard, and that's when top brands have actually stepped in and supported us. So now it’s about working together and going forward.
“I’ve done a load of collab work with a lot of them, and I've worked with a PR company [No names, but Cirkle] and they’re brilliant.”
We’ll see Bobby again soon at the ACS Heart of the Community event in October – come and join us!
Local Vape Action (LVA) is a partnership approach to tackling vaping issues at a local level. It brings together local authority partners as well as the vape sector via the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA), to identify and target specific areas.
LVA began with a pilot in Tunbridge Wells as identified by local authority partners in Kent. As part of the project retailers received visits from trading standards to check that they are meeting their statutory obligations, utilising targeted LVA guidance, including age-verification policies, in-store signage and retailer awareness of compliant vape products and vape takeback for used vapes. This builds on the positive work that Kent County Council has undertaken in tackling illegal vapes. A summary of activities between September and December 2024 included:
Trading Standards visits to more than 40 retailers of vapes across Tunbridge Wells.
Trading Standards recorded the proportion of vape retailers that offered some form of vape takeback for used vapes. Only 26% were meeting their statutory requirement. Many of the retailers said they needed clearer guidance on requirements to recycle used vapes.
Community safety week in late October a store takeover (pop-up) in Tunbridge Wells provided the opportunity to directly engage the local community utilising LVA branded materials and highlighting illegal vapes. Several stores were visited and illegal vapes seized.
Trading Standards conducted a test purchasing exercise in December 2024, with a pass rate of 20% amongst the 20 shops that were visited. No offence was committed as the young person was of age, but this highlights the issues around not asking for ID appropriately and the further work required around the sale of vapes to younger people.
Trading Standards seized non-compliant products from several independent shops across the pilot period leading to a reduction in the reported levels of illegal vapes sold.
Community Safety Team and Trading Standards attendance at a safeguarding event at a local Tunbridge Wells school in December.
LVA commissioned consumer research of 200 adults in the Tunbridge Wells area in December 2024
“This unique pilot has successfully brought together experts from the vape manufacturers, local councils and partner agencies to address specific issues in Tunbridge Wells, demonstrating effective collaboration and use of shared resources to ensure a trading environment which protects consumers, particularly children and young people, from harm and is fair to business," said Mark Rolfe, Head of Community Protection at Kent County Council. "Kent Trading Standards' involvement is crucial, particularly among smaller independent stores, by providing the necessary resources, time, expertise and engagement to ensure that the law is both understood and complied with in a way which supports legitimate businesses to trade and grow with confidence.
Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott added: “This has been an excellent and productive partnership, which has protected people, particularly young people, from illegal and often harmful vapes. By working together, the team has proved they can help protect places and businesses from unfair and unlawful practises. I’d like to thank everyone involved for their commitment to this innovative project."
Smoking rates in parts of England have increased for the first time in nearly two decades, shows a new research published on Tuesday (18). Industry experts suspect misinformation around vapes and impending regulation on flavours are pushing vape users back to smoking cigarettes.
While smoking rates have decreased since 2006, the rate of decline has flatlined from 2020, and in some areas of the UK smoking rates are increasing again.
New research, by Haypp, looks into vape user’s perception of harm across a range of nicotine products, highlighting a serious lack of awareness when it comes to which products are more harmful than others, potentially contributing to this rise in cigarette use.
The survey, to which all respondents were current vape users, showed that consumers did not see a significant difference in harm levels between cigarettes, vapes, and nicotine pouches.
In fact, respondents believed that the three products were similarly harmful, rating all three as being between 4.5 to 6 out of 10, on a scale from not harmful to very harmful.
This is a shocking statistic given that there is a substantial body of evidence, including NHS research, that proves that cigarettes are much more harmful than vapes and nicotine pouches.
This research coincides with the latest data from University College London, highlighting a rising issue with smoking cigarettes, and the understanding of their harm to public health.
Haypp’s latest vape report also highlights that significant number of vapes users could return to smoking cigarettes, depending on how UK laws on vaping may change:
20 per cent of current vape users would return to smoking cigarettes if vapes were no longer available to them while ·37 per cent admitted they would return to smoking cigarettes if vape flavours were to be banned in the UK.
10 per cent of vape users say they may return to smoking cigarettes following the disposable vape ban in June.
Markus Lindblad, Nicotine Expert and Head of External Affairs at Haypp, said, “For many years, the UK government has had great success in reducing smoking rates.
"However, this new research, combined with Haypp’s statistics paint a very worrying picture, one that industry experts have been concerned about for some time now.
"There is a great deal of confusion amongst UK consumers as to how harmful cigarettes are compared with alternative nicotine products and most smokers wrongly believe that vaping is as harmful as cigarettes.
"UK consumers are exposed to a great deal of misinformation about vapes and nicotine pouches, and this needs to be addressed to enable people to make informed choices about less harmful nicotine products.
"Public information campaigns about the true harm levels of cigarettes compared with vapes should be facilitated by health authorities.
“As a responsible retailer, we hope to help inform nicotine users about the dangers of smoking cigarettes, and highlight the benefits of switching to alternative products, such as nicotine pouches.
"Thanks to snus and nicotine pouches, Sweden is set to become Europe’s first smoke-free country and we have further research to show that if the UK adopted similar laws, up to 28,410 lives could be saved every year.
"The importance of this type of education cannot be understated and we hope more is done to deter potentially millions of people from smoking cigarettes.”
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Lee Castleton speaking about his legal battle against the Post Office and Fujitsu
Former sub-postmaster Lee Castleton has launched legal action against the Post Office and Fujitsu, becoming the first individual Horizon IT scandal victim to sue the two organisations.
According to recent reports, Castleton has instructed his solicitors, Simons Muirhead Burton, to issue proceedings at the High Court against the Post Office and Fujitsu on his behalf.
Castleton is seeking compensation, alleging the civil judgement against him was obtained by fraud.
"I want justice and to be publicly vindicated," Castleton told the BBC.
Castleton is one of the victims of Post Office Horizon scandal in which hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongfully convicted after faulty software said money was missing from their branch accounts.
While other victims have seen their convictions overturned, Castleton's civil judgement against him still stands. His legal action is to set aside, or overturn, the judgement.
"I'd like to effectively have my day in court as well," said Castleton who is due to receive his OBE next month.
In 2007, Castleton lost a two-year legal battle against the Post Office after it sued him to recover £25,000 of cash it alleged was missing from his branch in Bridlington in East Yorkshire.
When his legal insurance ran out, Castleton had to represent himself in court and was landed with a bill of £321,000 in legal costs which he couldn't pay and declared bankruptcy.
"We now know from the Post Office Inquiry that they wanted to make an example of me," he said.
His lawyer Simon Goldberg stated that Lee had faced a "David versus Goliath battle" against the Post Office and is now fully ready to take this all the way to trial.
Last year during the inquiry, Stephen Dilley, who represented the Post Office in the civil claim against Castleton, admitted that in Castleton's case, Post Office wanted to “show the world” how it would defend the Horizon system.
A witness from Fujitsu also gave evidence in his case.
"What we're effectively going to be saying is that the claim against his was an abuse of process. It was never about recovery of the sum of money - it was to make an example of Mr Castleton" said Goldberg.
"We also believe the judgement was obtained by fraud in that the Post Office and Fujitsu knew perfectly well that the Horizon system wasn't working properly," he added.
Last year during public inquiry, former Post Office boss Paula Vennells extended an apology to Castleton, saying the business’ treatment of Castleton was “unforgivable”.
She also claimed that she was not being given the information and documents she needed to find out the truth about the Horizon IT system.
Speaking to Asian Trader at the time, Castleton slammed her and dismissed her apology.
“Do I believe that Paula Vennells really feels now that what happened to me was ‘unforgivable’? I don't know. That’s her own personal opinion on what she feels is the right or wrong thing to do," said Castleton.
“Paula Vennells has lived her life and did whatever she had to do. I just want to get on with my life and move on forward. The lack of truth, the lack of openness and the lack of candidness is slowing everything down.
"I think the judiciary needs to make up their minds and decide whether there's anything that they need to take further. Accountability is something that we all are hoping for,” he told Asian Trader.
European-style fruit-led or fruity beer is increasingly gaining popularity in the UK, emerging as the Britain’s fastest growing beer trend.
According to Tesco, demand for these lighter thirst-quenching beers, which have a typical strength of around 4% ABV, is rocketing so much that the supermarket has seen sales volume grow by 250 per cent in the last year.
These fruity beer styles have long been popular in western European countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Spain and Italy, and are associated with ‘after sport’ refreshment, particularly skiing and cycling.
Over the last 15 years, various European beers with fruity profiles have gradually become more popular over here such as Belgian strawberry brews Fruli and Bacchus Kriek, and more recently Radler, a shandy style beer from Germany and Damm Lemon from Spain.
Seven years ago, dedicated UK fruit lager brand Jubel was launched and quickly established themselves as one of the hippest beers for drinkers in the 21-35 age group.
The company now has five different varieties – peach, mango, blood orange, lemon and grapefruit - of its 4 per cent strength lager and has seen volume grow in Tesco by more than 300 per cent.
Tesco beer buyer Ben Cole said, “The soaring demand for fruit-led brews, particularly lager, has taken the UK drinks market by storm and is the biggest trend to hit the beer scene since the craft boom started more than 15 years ago.
“The trend actually has its roots in the craft beer movement because it introduced beers with tropical fruit profiles to more drinkers than ever before.
“For many people the craft movement changed the perception of what a beer could taste like and opened many drinkers’ palates to a wider range of styles.”
The trend is also similar to the fruit-led cider boom which began 20 years ago with the introduction of pear varieties.
That movement came after Magners reinvented cider as a refreshing drink to be enjoyed ‘over ice’ and within a few years other cider manufacturers such as Kopparberg were marketing fruit-led variants.
Jubel were the first UK company to exclusively take note of the fruit-led side of the beer market and formed in April 2018.
Founder Jesse Wilson got the idea for the company during a skiing trip to France where his group of friends found that the Bière Pêche being served – which included a shot of peach syrup – was light and refreshing.
Wilson said, “We were a mixed group of men and women, some of whom liked beer and some who didn’t, but we all loved the Bière Pêche being served – a pint of lager with a peach top – and it gave me the idea to start the brand.
“I thought that style of lager could be the perfectly refreshing pint in pubs and that’s where our business grew, with word of mouth spreading rapidly, to the point where it seems our flagship peach lager is now the fifth biggest craft beer in the on-trade based on CGA reported volumes.
“We are incredibly excited that retailers like Tesco see this as the biggest trend to hit beer since the craft beer movement, and we’re pumped to be pioneering it.”
Trust and Gander are unveiling a strategic partnership set to transform inventory management and markdown processes in grocery and convenience retail.
Presented at the Retail Technology Show 2025, this collaboration integrates Gander’s advanced markdown solution with Trust’s industry-leading inventory management and ePOS systems.
The new partnership between Trust and Gander aims to empower retailers by reducing food waste, optimising markdown strategies, and increasing revenue from previously under utilised stock.
Through seamless integration, Trust’s inventory management tool will log price reductions in real time, syncing directly with the Trust ePOS system and Gander’s markdown platform.
Once a reduced item is sold via the ePOS, it will be automatically removed from the inventory list and Gander’s marketing channels, ensuring accurate stock visibility.
Retailers will benefit from a significant reduction in food waste, as greater visibility of reduced-to-clear items ensures they reach consumers before expiration.
By turning markdowns into revenue opportunities, retail businesses can transform potential losses into sales, improving their overall profitability.
Seamless inventory control will allow for real-time updates that enhance forecasting and operational efficiency.
Additionally, shoppers will experience improved product availability and competitive pricing, contributing to a better overall customer experience.
Mike Dotson, Managing Director at Trust Retail, commented: “We are thrilled to showcase this strategic partnership at the Retail Technology Show, demonstrating how collaborative innovation in fintech and retail technology can deliver meaningful efficiencies for grocery and convenience retailers.
"By integrating cutting-edge payment, inventory, and markdown solutions, we continue to drive transformation in the retail space.”
Stacey Williams, Business Development Director at Gander, added: “Our partnership with Trust at RTS 2025 exemplifies how technology can optimise markdown management while driving sustainability.
"By leveraging digital platforms, we ensure retailers maximise their margins while reducing food waste, enhancing customer engagement, and streamlining store operations.”
Trust’s inventory management system integrates directly with Gander’s markdown platform, enabling real-time data updates that ensure accurate stock tracking and price reductions.
As soon as an item is marked down, it appears instantly on Gander’s marketing platform, retailer loyalty platforms, and online grocery sales channels.
Once a reduced item is purchased through the ePOS system, it is automatically removed from inventory and consumer-facing listings, ensuring precise stock control and eliminating discrepancies between in-store availability and digital promotions.