Fed welcomes police crackdown on shoplifters – Bira warns: actions speak louder than words
Butcher Kugan Poopalsingam stands at the entrance to Freshfields Market food and convenience store, where he also helps with security to combat rising levels of shoplifting, in Croydon, south London, Britain, October 10, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville
Independent retailers have welcomed the new Retail Crime Action Plan, which sets out tougher new measures to tackle ever-increasing levels of shop theft.
Policing minister Chris Philp unveiled details of the plan during a meeting with senior police leaders and 13 of the UK’s biggest retailers at 10 Downing Street on Monday 23 October.
Following the announcement, the National President of the Federation of Independent Retailers, Muntazir Dipoti, said: “The Retail Crime Action Plan sets a clear precedent that the police are going to take any criminal action against businesses more seriously. Small businesses have a lot to look forward to with this announcement.
“Retail crime is not a victimless crime, and we have campaigned for years for the police to take tougher action. We are pleased to hear that this is now going to happen.”
As a result of the Action Plan, police must urgently attend any shoplifting incident where a shop worker faces violence, a suspect is detained, or attendance is needed to collect evidence. This is followed by the police reaffirming their pledge to follow up on any reasonable lead.
The plan also sets out guidelines for retailers on how to provide the best possible evidence to police, reinforcing the importance of clear CCTV images. These images will be run through the Police National Database, using facial recognition technology to better identify and prosecute offenders.
A new specialist police team will also be established to better tackle the organised crime gangs who are responsible for many of the shop crime incidents.
Unveiling the action plan, Mr Philp said: “While it is encouraging to see a 29 per cent increase in charges for shoplifting in the past year, the rise in offending is unacceptable and there is much more to do to stop it happening in the first place.
“That’s why we’re taking action and bringing together government, policing and business to commit to smarter, more joined up working when it comes to retail crime, which will help to drive down criminal behaviour and rebuild public confidence in the police response when it does occur.”
“Dealing with retail crime requires a multi-faceted approach and through the launch of Pegasus, plus the Retail Crime Action Plan, we have bolstered the policing response to tackling offenders and supporting retailers in reducing shoplifting and attacks on retail staff,” said Lead for Acquisitive Crime at the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Amanda Blakeman.
“We welcome the collaboration between retailers, police and crime commissioners and policing through Project Pegasus which centralises intelligence and enhances our ability to identify and tackle the groups involved.”
Actions, not words needed
Meanwhile , the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA), which works with over 6,000 independent businesses of all sizes across the UK, said they hoped to see the further measures set out by the government and police in the Retail Action Crime to protect smaller retailers who may now become a target.
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira said they welcome to the plan, and highlighted the critical need for robust and immediate responses from police forces across the country for which they had been campaigning previously.
But he added: "Actions will speak louder than words, particularly as we gear up for the busy holiday season which we call the Golden Quarter. Retailers are eager for shoppers to enjoy a safe and secure high street experience, and the strengthened partnership between retailers and law enforcement will undoubtedly bolster this objective.
"However, it's of critical importance that there is a maintained strong police presence on the high street, while people are out buying presents. The festive season represents a significant opportunity for larger retailers, but we are concerned that smaller retailers may become easy targets for criminals. It is imperative that robust measures are in place to ensure the safety and security of all retailers, regardless of their size," he added.
Children at Ashton Primary School in Preston got into the spirit of Halloween with some spooktacular support from SPAR.
Thirty children in Reception class took part in a cookery session to concoct a healthy pumpkin and carrot soup with ingredients supplied by James Hall & Co. Ltd. SPAR recipe cards were also provided to children to take home alongside additional pumpkins, carrots, and onions, enabling them to recreate their bubbling broth together with their parents.
The cookery sessions were set up to promote healthier eating options and came to fruition with support from Preston City Council and the University of Central Lancashire’s Dietetics department. As part of the Halloween event, children in Reception were also joined by pupils from Years 1 and 2 to allow their imaginations to run wild by decorating a pumpkin in a carving competition.
Reception winner was Almirah with her clever upside-down bat design, while Wiktor won the Year 1 competition with his ‘Happy Halloween’ pumpkin.
Ella-Rose was named the winner of Year 2 competition with her larger ghost pumpkin eating a smaller orange pumpkin, with the design also illuminating through the inclusion of tea lights.
Bryony Readey, Reception teacher and Assistant Headteacher at Ashton Primary School, said: “We are so grateful to SPAR for supplying us with ingredients to promote our healthy eating agenda within school and the children had so much fun in the cookery session.
“We know that they also enjoyed some valuable parent and child time in creating their pumpkins for the competition, and we hope they will replicate that with the recipe cards and ingredients they are taking home.”
Aishah Ibrahim, Junior Fresh Trading Manager at James Hall & Co. Ltd, said: “This has been a fantastic piece of partnership work supporting Ashton Primary School. We were delighted to hear the children loved the cookery sessions and we were very impressed with the creativity that had gone into the pumpkin carving competition.
“It isn’t often in my role we get to support the community like our retail teams at SPAR stores do every day, but this project has enabled that, and we look forward to working with Ashton Primary School on other initiatives this academic year.”
James Hall & Co. Ltd is a fifth-generation family business which serves a network of independent SPAR retailers and company-owned SPAR stores across Northern England six days a week from its base at Bowland View in Preston.
Kepak Group has announced the acquisition of Summit Foods, a UK-based company specialising in chilled and frozen convenience foods. With annual revenues of £24 million and a team of 200 employees, Summit Foods is an established player in the UK’s convenience food sector. The acquisition, is part of Kepak’s strategic plan to further grow its food business organically and via acquisition.
“We are pleased to welcome Summit Foods to the Kepak Group," said Brian Farrell, CEO of Kepak Foods. "This acquisition aligns with our growth strategy, developing our presence in the UK convenience and out-of-home food channels. Summit's portfolio of fresher for longer sandwiches, chilled and frozen meals & snacks complements our existing micro snacking offerings and allows us to deepen our presence across these markets”.
Summit Foods will continue to operate from its current base in Preston, with no immediate changes to its operations, branding, or customer offerings. The leadership team from Summit will remain in place for a six-month transition period to facilitate a smooth transition.
Kepak plans to leverage its existing distribution network and market expertise to support future growth for Summit Foods. This acquisition strengthens Kepak’s position in the UK’s growing Food To Go and micro-snacking market, valued at £6.8 billion.
Kepak remains focused on delivering business as usual for Summit’s customers and employees, the acquisition provides opportunities for long-term growth. For the immediate future, the two companies will work closely to align operations and explore potential synergies, particularly in the areas of product development and distribution.
Managing Director of Mangrove Global and outspoken industry commentator, Nick Gillett, has provided his reaction to the Labour Government’s Autumn Budget. With doom and gloom forecast by the media well in advance of the Budget’s publication – the new fiscal regime was never expected to be "good for business". That said, there will be many in the hospitality and spirits industries wondering exactly how they’ll manage when the bulk of changes take effect in April next year. Nick says it’s an age-old tale of the government introducing more costs and offering no assistance:
“Prior to the Budget being announced, I said the best we could hope for as an industry was to be left well alone. But sadly, that was a pipe dream.
“And whilst the unprofessional trailing of details hinted it was going to be a lot worse than it was – it’s still nothing to shout about. A vast increase in employment costs, rises to alcohol duty for spirits, and a lessening of the rates relief currently available to the hospitality sector, means that more businesses are bound go under.
“Since Covid and Brexit, many companies have never fully recovered, continuing to operate on the slightest of margins – and these added costs and lessening of support will be the final nail in the coffin for many.”
Since Covid, the Hospitality, Retail, and Leisure sectors have received significant business rates relief to help bolster the struggling sector – in the last few years the relief has remained at 75 per cent. This was hard fought for by industry lobbyists such as UKHospitality, in an attempt to protect businesses and employees alike. In the last Autumn Statement the Conservative Government extended the relief by another year, and still 50 venue closures a month were reported in the first six months of 2024. The latest Budget marks the end of the current relief, with a reduction to 40 per cent confirmed for April 2025.
He added: “To fully understand how damaging this is for hospitality, you need to go way back. The sector was first struck by Covid and the lockdowns. It was hit by increasing costs in alcohol, thanks to increased duty and bureaucracy. Cost of living continues to reduce disposable income and custom. And Brexit has forced out swathes of the workforce that was the lifeblood of the industry.
“Now, the Government continues to pile on costs – and we’ll need to wait and see if any of this actually increases the public’s spending power by putting more money in their pockets. One thing that is for sure – the only way businesses will survive is by increasing prices. And that will have an added effect on inflation.”
The Autumn Budget also detailed a mixed bag of changes that will affect spirits producers - including alcohol duty. Whilst duty on alcoholic drinks served on "draught" will reduce by 1.7 per cent, wine, spirits, bottled beers, and cider will see duty rise by retail price inflation. Both the lower and higher rates of the soft drink levy will also increase to £1.94 and £2.59 per ten litres respectively. Not only will this push up the price of tipple for great British drinkers, but it will also stifle growth.
“Previous, recent rises in alcohol duty have shown that the rise is passed onto consumers, leading to fewer sales, and less money raised for the treasury. So, to confirm another rise seems illogical," Nick continued.
“But let’s get this straight. The hospitality and spirits industries are bursting with talented, creative, and entrepreneurial people. Where these businesses thrive, local economies succeed.
“As much as the Government’s Budget hasn’t gifted us any giveaways, I have no doubt the industry will pull together, weather the storm, and come out the other side. All off the back of the exceptional people behind it.
“And when that happens – the UK economy will once again reap the benefits our success, as it always does.”
The retail technology company Jisp is set to launch its “Jispmas” seasonal campaign to drive additional sales for its brand and retailer partners, and special savings on a range of products for its shoppers.
Jisp introduced its Jispmas campaign two years ago and it proved a huge success for retailers, creating added opportunities for engagement and incremental sales. The campaign has grown in success each year since launch.
Redemptions of the Jispmas promotions through the Scan & Save app jumped by 877 per cent in 2023 versus its inaugural year (2022), with retail sales for the campaign also jumping a massive 807 per cent year-on-year.
The Jispmas campaign in 2023 performed 95 per cent better than a standard promotional period* in terms of retail sales value, demonstrating the impact the campaign has in driving sales for brands and retailers.
The Jispmas campaign provides two opportunities to promote a different special deal daily for a period of 12 days in both November and December** and this year features brands such as Brewdog, Asahi, KP Snacks, Pladis and Hovis.
KP Snacks, Asahi and Hovis all ranked in the top five most popular brand deals in 2023’s promotion, and their return in 2024 is further recognition of the power of Jispmas as a sales driver.
Alex Rimmer
“Jispmas has performed extremely well for us over the last two years providing added theatre and increasing the opportunities for brands to get their products in front of customers with a tantalising discount to aid purchase,” said Jisp’s marketing and communications director, Alex Rimmer.
“The campaign has delivered improved results each year and has been proven to secure an uplift in sales across the promoted products for both brands and retailers, with retailers enjoying the added benefit of increased incremental sales in store.”
The deals are communicated through Jisp’s omni-channel retail media platform, comprising targeted emails, push notifications, in-app pushes, digital advertising, social media and more.
Jisp’s Scan & Save still runs promotions through the entirety of these three-week promotional periods (20/11/24 - 10/12/24 & 11/12/24 - 31/12/24), ensuring no one misses out, but the special Jispmas deals receive additional daily promotion providing added value for brands.
*Comparison is between the two three-week promotional periods prior to the two three-week promotional periods of Jispmas.
**Jispmas campaign runs from 20/11/24 to 01/12/24 and then from 11/12/24 to 22/12/24
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Volumatic employees ‘Wear It Pink’ to support Breast Cancer Now, with Mandy House positioned second from right
Employees from cash handling experts Volumatic have taken part in a special "Wear It Pink" day to raise money for cancer charity, Breast Cancer Now.
Around 40 staff members based at Volumatic’s Head Office in Coventry donned something pink – from socks, scarves and wigs to full head-to-toe outfits in pink, to raise funds for a charity very close to their hearts.
Having been affected by breast cancer both within her own family and team at work, Volumatic Customer Service Representative Mandy House organised the charity day, which took place on 18 October to help raise money for the 600,000 people currently living with breast cancer in the UK.
Not only did Mandy encourage her colleagues to wear something pink for the day and decorate the staff canteen in pink, but she also arranged a pink bake sale, held games and sweepstakes for everyone to take part in throughout the day, all themed around the charity.
Mandy also made an impassioned speech at the start of the day, encouraging everyone to check themselves regularly for signs of cancer and to seek medical help for even the slightest concern – highlighting that prompt action really can make a difference and save lives.
Thanks to the generosity of everyone throughout the day, the Volumatic team raised £656, a sum that was then doubled by the Volumatic Board, to make a fantastic final total of £1,312.
Breast Cancer Now is the UK’s largest breast cancer charity with the aim of changing the lives of anyone affected by breast cancer with both research and support. As well as funding world-class researchers to develop better treatments, preventable measures and earlier diagnoses, they also provide a helpline, health information and support services for those affected and their loved ones.
Mandy, who has worked for Volumatic for over 25 years, was thrilled with the amount of money raised and praised her colleagues for their fundraising efforts. “A huge thanks to everyone at Volumatic for taking part in ‘Wear It Pink’ day. It was so amazing to see so many in pink – especially our Sales Manager Tom, who wore pink shorts for the day! I personally laughed a lot on Friday and the spirit of Volumatic and the coming together was fantastic!”
James Harris, Managing Director at Volumatic, said: “We always choose a different charity to support every year, and when Mandy suggested raising money for Breast Cancer Now, we all wanted to get behind the ‘Wear It Pink’ day for this extremely worthy cause.
“Cancer is a terrible disease in all its forms and several members of the Volumatic team are dealing with it right now, either personally or through their immediate family. I would like to thank Mandy for leading this fundraiser to help treatment continue to get better for all concerned,” he added.