The New Nicotine Alliance (NNA), which represents consumers of low-risk alternatives to cigarettes such as vaping products, nicotine pouches, smokeless and heated tobacco products, has welcomed some of the proposals regarding the sale of nicotine pouches.
Health campaigners have recently urged to tighten a loophole that permits the over-the-counter and internet sale of nicotine products to minors in the UK. While the sale of cigarettes and e-cigarettes is forbidden to under-18s, pouches are not regulated in the same way.
The NNA noted that the lack of an age limit for pouch sales is ‘not technically’ a loophole, but “it is merely that one has not been set as pouches have been regulated under General Product Safety Regulations and do not have their own regulatory framework.”
It reiterated its earlier call for a “proportionate regulatory regime for nicotine pouches and other non-tobacco oral nicotine products based on consumer welfare and protection.”
The consumer body added that it has written to the health secretary in February and August, 2020, and again to public health minister in January 2021 on the subject of nicotine pouches regulation.
“Our letters emphasised the significant potential benefits of nicotine pouches but observed that there was a need to install regulations in order to clamp down on ‘unscrupulous sellers in the UK who are acting recklessly’. We also noted that although ‘there is no evidence that currently these nicotine pouches are in the hands of under 18s’, it is necessary to put in place a minimum age of sale to pre-empt any difficulties that could arise in the absence of clarity that the products are intended for adults who wish to use a safer nicotine product,” the statement read.
The organisation also called for a stated limit on the strength of nicotine pouches, and a standard measure for consumers to understand what strength of product they are purchasing, as currently different manufacturers convey the product strength in different ways.
“We understand that nicotine strength is not the only factor in how consumers can safely ingest nicotine from snus and non-tobacco nicotine pouches, and that quality of manufacture and ingredients also play a part, but until a more sophisticated regulatory assessment of all these factors can be put in place, a set limit can act as a sensible barrier to help remove unregulated and irresponsible online sellers from the market,” the NNA said in a statement.
The organisation highlighted a precedent in Europe, as the Slovak Parliament last month unanimously approved a bill regulating nicotine pouches. The bill introduced a definition for nicotine pouches, regulated their composition, assigned health warnings and determined a nicotine limit of 20 mg/pouch, amongst other measures.
However, the NNA disagreed with the calls to ban samples and marketing of the products, saying they can be a very useful way of attracting, especially, smokers towards pouches.
“Action on Smoking and Health’s latest report on e-cigarette use in Great Britain found that only 3.9 per cent of the public have ever tried a nicotine pouch. If we are to genuinely move towards Smokefree 2030, it is important that all reduced risk options of nicotine delivery are known to the public and it serves no good purpose to ban advertising for them while over 14 per cent of the adult population still smokes,” it said in the statement.
“It is good to see some of our long-held suggestions on nicotine pouches regulation being taken up by health groups, but it is important that the government does not go too far and over-regulate to the point that potential benefits of the products are lost.”
As industry leaders is cash handling, Volumatic has long supported the use of cash and the importance of maintaining access to cash for both consumers and businesses. The company recognises the importance of the new set of rules created by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) two months ago, to safeguard access to cash for businesses and consumers across the UK.
Since introduction, the new rules are intended to ensure that individuals and businesses who rely on cash can continue to access it and the outcome has already sparked the creation of 15 new banking hubs across the UK, including one in Scotland, with many more to follow.
These hubs provide shared spaces for consumers to access basic services, such as depositing and withdrawing cash, and are being embraced by businesses keen to support the use of cash, who have been struggling in recent years due to the flurry of bank closures across the UK.
With this in mind, Volumatic welcomes the increase in banking hubs and other facilities but recommends businesses go one step further to make things even easier.
“We have known for some time that more and more people are using cash again on a daily basis and so it’s great that access to cash is being protected by the FCA, something that we and others in the industry have been campaigning for, for a long time,” said Volumatic’s Sales & Marketing Director Mike Severs. “Both businesses and consumers need to have easy and local access to cash, and these new rules ensure cash usage continues to rise and will encourage more businesses to realise that cash is still an important and valid payment method.”
With time being of the essence for most businesses, making a journey to the nearest bank, banking hub or Post Office isn’t always possible on a daily basis, plus there is the obvious security risk to both the money and the individual taking it to consider.
Volumatic offers integration with the G4S CASH360 integration
Volumatic’s partnership with G4S, announced back in April 2024, means every business dealing in cash anywhere in the UK can have access to a fully managed solution. This will be especially relevant to those who currently have to walk or travel a distance to a bank or PO to deposit their cash.
Severs adds: “Although having more banking facilities is fantastic news, Volumatic can help businesses even more by bringing the bank to them through an investment in technology like the CCi that can offer integration with the G4S CASH360 solution. Together, we make daily cash processing faster, safer, and more secure and the combination of solutions will save businesses time and money for years to come, making it a truly worthwhile investment.“
Volumatic offers a range of cash handling solutions, with their most advanced device being the CounterCache intelligent (CCi). This all-in-one solution validates, counts and stores cash securely at POS, with UK banks currently processing over 2.5 million CCi pouches each year. When coupled with the upgraded CashView Enterprise cash management software and its suite of intelligent apps, the Volumatic CCi can offer a full end-to-end cash management solution – and now goes one step further.
It does this by providing web service integration with other third-party applications such as the CASH360 cash management system, provided by the foremost UK provider of cash security, G4S Cash Solutions (UK).
“Ultimately, only time will tell how successful the FCA’s new rules will prove. In the short amount of time the new legislation has been in place, the signs are already looking good, and coupled with the new technology we offer, it is a good thing for businesses and consumers alike in the ongoing fight for access to cash and more efficient cash processing,” concludes Severs.
Retail technology company Jisp has launched an NPD service as part of its new Direct to Retailer business unit.
The new NPD service will allow brands to launch or trial new products in a guaranteed number of convenience store locations, with on the ground review of execution by Jisp’s retail growth manager team, and performance data and insights deliverable through its scanning technology and back-office systems.
Brands will also be able to draw on retailer and consumer feedback on the product and its performance thanks to Jisp’s significant resource in user communication, with over 1,000 retailers and more than 100,000 registered shoppers.
Brands can set the parameters of the NPD activity delivered through Jisp’s new service, selecting the duration of the campaign, the number of stores to launch into and even the geographic spread or demographic make-up of the stores included.
Product merchandising and promotional execution in store is monitored by the Jisp RGM team and full reporting is available to help brands better understand the success of their new product and shape future promotional strategy.
This robust data and insight set means that Jisp can not only provide a reliable view of what is selling in stores, but through its scanning technology can also indicate who is buying the product, when, where and why.
Alex Rimmer
“As part of our recent strategic review and restructure, we identified five key pillars of growth, or business units through which to drive new business,” said Alex Rimmer, director of marketing & communication at Jisp.
“Our existing core business already provided us the means to develop new services efficiently and through discussions with major brands, retailers, wholesalers and industry authorities, we identified a need for guaranteed implementation and execution of NPD in the convenience sector.”
Compliance is further assured using Jisp’s Scan & Save scanning technology along with a retailer reward scheme which pays stores for their participation and commitment to the process.
With 1,000 stores already registered with Jisp, the company is in talks with other businesses about opening the new NPD service to their stores given the benefits of securing NPD and reward for execution.
“This is a Win-Win for the sector,” added Alex Rimmer. “Brands can create a bespoke NPD launch campaign with a guarantee that their product will be instore, on shelf and correctly merchandised and promoted, receiving actionable data and insight to shape future strategy. Retailers secure access to NPD, support in merchandising it and reward for taking part, while customers find more local touch points where NPD from their favourite brands are available.”
With this new service promising to be such a valuable asset to the market, retailers and brands are encouraged to contact Jisp to capitalise on the opportunities.
Tesco is slashing the price of more than 222 own-brand and branded products in its Express convenience stores.
Essentials including milk, bread, pasta and coffee are included in the lines which have been reduced in price by an average of more than 10 per cent at Tesco Express stores. The retail giant has made more than 2,800 price cuts across stores in recent months. With 2,048 of convenience stores at the end of the 2023-24 financial year, Tesco aims to benefit hundreds of thousands of customers from the cheaper deals.
The firm said the move comes in the wake of more than 2,800 price cuts made by the chain across its stores in recent months. From Wednesday, customers will pay £1.45 for a four-pint bottle of milk at their local Tesco Express store (down from £1.55) and a Tesco Toastie White Thick White Loaf is also 10p cheaper at 75p.
There are even bigger savings on Tesco Chicken Breast Portions (300g), which have dropped in price by 25p to just £2.25 and a 200g jar of Tesco Gold Instant Coffee now also costs 25p less at just £2.25. Among the branded products with price cuts are Warburtons White Sliced Sandwich Rolls, with the price of a six-pack cut by 10p to just £1.20 and Domestos Original Bleach 750ml, which is now just £1.19 in Express stores after an 11p price cut.
Tesco CEO Ken Murphy said, “Today’s round of price cuts on more than 200 lines in our Express stores underlines our commitment to offering great value to Tesco customers.
"Whether you are picking up coffee and milk for the office or a loaf of bread and a tin of soup on the way home, our Express stores offer both convenience and great value.”
This comes a week after One Stop, the convenience store chain owned by Tesco, has reported a surge in sales to nearly £1.3bn during its latest financial year. The Walsall-based company posted a revenue of £1.29bn for the 12 months to 24 February, 2024, an increase from the previous year's £1.17bn. Over the course of the year, the number of stores directly operated by One Stop increased from 712 to 733, while its franchised locations also grew from 291 to 317.
Independent retailers association Bira has held a meeting with members of the Treasury team to discuss concerns following its robust response to the Government’s recent Budget announcement.
The Budget, labelled by Bira as "devastating" for independent retailers, was met with widespread indignation from Bira members.
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said: “Thank you to all the members who have shared their thoughts on the impact of the budget. Based on this feedback, Bira has been robust in its response and judgement of the budget, especially where it is hurting the medium sized independents by as much as an extra cost of £200K per annum.
“We have also held a meeting with members of the Treasury team to discuss our concerns. Whilst there were no indications that any changes would be made, our concerns were listened to.
“We also discussed the proposed reform to business rates which is due to be in place for April 2026. It was clear from the meeting that Bira will be fully involved with this reform.”
Bira, representing over 6,000 independent retailers across the UK, earlier stated that the reduction in business rates relief from 75 per cent to 40 per cent (capped at £110k) from April 2025 will more than double costs for many retailers.
As a post-budget reaction, Goodacre said on Oct 30, "This is without doubt the worst Budget for independent retailers I have seen in my time representing the sector. The government's actions today show complete disregard for the thousands of hard-working shop owners who form the backbone of our high streets.
"Small retailers, who have already endured years of challenging trading conditions, now face a perfect storm of crippling cost increases. Their business rates will more than double as relief drops from 75 per cent to 40 per cent, while they're hit simultaneously with employer National Insurance rising to 15 per cent and a lower threshold of £5,000, down from £9,100. Add to this the minimum wage increase to £12.21, and many of our members are telling us they simply cannot survive this onslaught."
East of England Co-op said it has improved labour productivity whilst improving customer service delivery in-store with an Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) solution from Pricer, the leading in-store automation and communication solutions provider.
Established in 1861, East of England Co-op is now the largest independent retailer operating in the East of England. In addition to the 120 food stores it operates in the region, the regional cooperative also offers customers specialist services, such as funerals, security, travel agents and petrol filling stations across Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.
Having announced the roll-out of Pricer’s ESLs to its entire store estate in March, East of England Co-op now uses Pricer’s solution, powered by its cloud-based Plaza platform, to centrally manage and control pricing, product information and promotions across all its ESLs.
Eliminating the need for manual updates, the ESLs deliver real-time price and promotions updates, reducing the risk of pricing errors and ensuring accuracy and efficiency in shelf-edge operations.
The solution also drives overall store efficiency by enabling store colleagues to focus their efforts on customer-focused and value-adding tasks that deliver store performance.
With the new ESL solution now deployed in around 40 per cent of its retail estate, East of England Co-op has already seen significant boosts to labour productivity, drastically reducing the manual effort of store colleagues in maintaining shelf-edge processes, including printing and tearing label strips as well as replacing paper labels.
Before it was spending tens of thousands of labour hours each year completing manual shelf-edge processes, now it estimates labour time that would have been spent on maintaining traditional paper labels has been reduced by 70 per cent.
This also allows store associates to focus time on customer-facing, service-oriented tasks to improved customer experience in-store. Additionally, the move to ESLs has also helped East of England Co-op reduced store printing costs by 50 per cent as well as saving paper use and waste from traditional physical labels.
“The standout aspect of our ESLs Programme is the collaborative spirit Pricer has fostered within the delivery team,” Stephen Lamb, head of program delivery, East of England Co-op, commented.
“This partnership has navigated the challenges of an intensive change programme, demonstrating resilience and adaptability while exceeding the original scope of price and promotion for tangible benefits. Built on a foundation of trust, the feedback from our Co-op technical teams, business units, store colleagues and Pricer highlights how we’ve worked together to seize opportunities.”
Peter Ward, UK country manager at Pricer, said: “We know driving labour productivity in-store is a key focus for retailers, who want to be able to leverage one of their most important and valuable assets – their store staff – to those tasks that drive the most value to customers. Through ESLs, East of England Co-op has freed store associates to serve, deliver efficiency gains and customer experience enhancement, whilst still achieving all the automated operational requirements to effectively merchandise and maintain the shelf-edge.”