Specialist pan-Asian food importer and distributor JK Foods has been awarded BRC Grade AA certification for its warehouse and national distribution hub in Nottingham.
The prestigious accreditation recognises that the business, which supplies the retail, foodservice and hospitality sectors, applies the highest standards for storage and distribution of its ambient, chilled and frozen foods (own and supplier brands), and associated packaging materials.
“This is a huge achievement for the whole company and thanks go to everyone involved in the day operations and of course the audit process,” said Marcus Singh, Managing Director. “We’re proud to always work to, and deliver, the highest standards and are delighted that this has been officially recognised.
“For our customers, BRC Grade AA is the reassurance that our entire range of foods, as well as the associated packaging materials, are stored and distributed in a safe, quality-minded environment that complies with all relevant legislation.”
With more than 45 years’ experience in sourcing pan-Asian products direct, and now offering more than 1,600 products and ingredients, JK Foods (owner of the Tiger Tiger brand) is a complete "one-stop shop" supplier partner for customers including supermarkets, wholesalers, independent stores and restaurants.
Post Office’s new Consultative Council has met for the first time last week on Jan 27 to inform the strategic direction of the organisation. Its remit is to provide a representative postmaster perspective on strategy, culture, funding and governance.
Going forward, the Council agenda could include topics such as banking hubs, the Government’s Green Paper on the future of Post Office, technology strategy or new product development.
The ’New Deal for Postmasters’, announced in November 2024, sets out an ambition to deliver a quarter of a billion pounds boost to postmaster and strategic partner income by 2030.
These improvements to remuneration are subject to funding discussions with government which are positive and ongoing. Postmasters and strategic partners benefited from the first of these increased payments with a £20 million boost to their pay packets in December.
The Council, chaired by Postmaster Non-Executive Director Brian Smith, will meet regularly ahead of Post Office board meetings and a summary of discussions will be published for postmasters to access in a new regular newsletter from the postmaster non-executive directors.
It is comprised of groups representing postmasters, including the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters, Communication Workers Union, Voice of the Postmaster, alongside Post Office's postmaster non-executive directors and Post Office leadership.
Brian Smith is the postmaster for Freefield Post Office on the Shetland Islands and has run the branch for 19 years. Brian was appointed to the Post Office board as a non-executive director in December 2024 and chairs the Consultative Council. Brian Smith said:
“The Consultative Council is an example of the changes which are being implemented at Post Office following evidence heard at the Public Inquiry about the need to embed the postmaster voice throughout the organisation – from the board to the frontline. I am looking forward to bringing almost two decades of experience running a post office to the Council.”
It is one of several changes made or in development at Post Office to ensure the postmaster voice is clearly heard, considered and responded to at every level:
A panel of postmasters will be convened to review operational policies and practice on complex issues and provides feedback and challenge on how they can be improved.
A new wellbeing initiative launched in October 2024 is the result of a collaborative project with the National Federation of Postmasters, Voice of the Postmaster and Post Office colleagues, focused on providing urgent professional care and subject matter expertise on topics ranging from branch security to customer behaviours.
Since August 2024, thirteen regional listening forums have taken place across the UK, with 318 postmasters in attendance, covering a broad range of topics.
The Postmaster Conference, taking place in March, is being co-designed and hosted by postmasters for the first time.
AU Vodka saw a whopping 111 per cent YoY value growth in 2024 on the convenience channel e-commerce service platform Snappy Shopper while Unilever’s ice cream category also saw a growth.
According to "Snappy Media Insights" released by Snappy Shopper, AU Vodka’s continued success was underpinned by a strategic, multi-format festive activation, maximum presence and conversion during the peak trading period.
"RTD cans were promoted to capture impulse purchases and on-the-go consumption. 35cl bottles provided a convenient gifting and trial-size option, widening audience appeal. 70cl bottles maintained strong performance as a key basket driver for night-in and celebratory occasions," states the report.
By leveraging a combination of targeted in-app placements and well-timed promotions, AU Vodka successfully strengthened its position as a leading brand on Snappy Shopper.
Another category that saw a huge growth in 2024 was Unilever’s ice cream category.
2024 has been a standout year for Unilever’s ice cream category on Snappy Shopper, delivering 25 per cent volume growth and 28 per cent value growth year-on-year.
The e-commerce played attributed Unilever's success to seasonal activations, optimised in-app positioning and consumer preference for impulse and treat-led categories within Q-commerce.
With average order values nearly 4x higher than in-store transactions, Snappy Shopper is proving to be a game-changer for independent retailers, helping them expand their reach and boost revenues in a highly competitive market, states the report.
The past year has been transformative for Snappy Shopper, solidifying its position as a leader in the UK’s q-commerce market.
According to a report released on Jan 24, Snappy Shopper closed out 2024 with a record-breaking December, achieving rapid growth and outperforming the market, which saw an 8 per cent increase in Q4 2024.
Unprecedented weekly trading, record revenues, and soaring customer adoption have cemented Snappy Shopper as the go-to partner for independent retailers, retail groups, and brands.
Snappy’s technology enables independent and group retailers alike to operate quick commerce profitably, with retailers throughout the UK leveraging Snappy’s enablement technology to deliver remarkable trading results.
During December, Hayat’s Premier Store, based in Dundee, hit the milestone of more than £200,000 worth of grocery deliveries in a single month from a convenience store, at times doing more deliveries per hour than a nearby supermarket.
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Fujitsu created the Horizon IT system that resulted in some 700 local Post Office managers being wrongly convicted for theft and false accounting between 1999 and 2005. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
A former sub post master, who was forced to remortgage his house as he lost thousands of pounds in the Post Office Horizon scandal, said more should be done to compensate the families of the sub-postmasters who also suffered.
Alun Lloyd Jones, 78, from Llanfarian, Ceredigion, has reached a settlement with the company.
Jones, who faced an 18 year battle before receiving compensation, said it was important to consider the impact the scandal has had on the families of sub-postmasters.
"Some have died, some have suffered so that their health has broken and some have had divorces because of the hellish pressure," he said.
"You can never get enough money to compensate… some have lost their businesses, their houses and so on and the experience has destroyed families. I feel very strongly that these families should also be considered," he said.
Jones' troubles began in 1998 when he decided to take over his local post office in Llanfarian, near Aberystwyth.
A year later, the Horizon computer system was introduced in all British post offices, to monitor stock and accounts digitally.
Like many other sub-postmasters, Jones started having trouble with the new system in the office in Llanfarian and another he was responsible for in Blaenplwyf.
After the Horizon system showed that nearly £20,000 had disappeared from his accounts, in 2007 he called the police and the Post Office.
Jones told BBC, "I said I need to be audited now. And they were shocked. 'It's not you who calls auditors,' they said to me, 'it's for us to come and audit you'.
"They came down, two bullies - you've never seen people like them. They came in and they immediately made up their minds that I was guilty... the boy immediately said to the woman 'suspend him'."
To avoid being prosecuted, and in accordance with the agreement with the Post Office, he had to pay back the money, borrowing from his father-in-law, remortgaging his house, before later closing the post office and shop.
"I had to use credit cards to go from day-to-day, because we didn't have any money - everything had gone back to the post office," he said, adding that he also faced reputational pressures as a county councillor for 31 years.
Jones said he watched ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office from a hospital bed in Llanelli, having suffered a heart attack while on his way to see his accountant to discuss his compensation claim before the deadline passed.
A year later, in mid-January 2025, Jones reached a settlement with the Post Office under the Horizon Deficit Scheme.
However, two of Jones' children, who saw him struggle with Post Office, passed away not knowing he had received compensation for what they went through.
He said his daughter had witnessed all the anxiety, having lived at home with her parents.
"She was forty years old, and died without knowing that her father had finally received some sort of settlement," he said.
More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted for stealing because of incorrect information from the Horizon computer system, in what has been described as the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice.
The UK government said they were considering whether action was needed to recognise the suffering of families, while the Post Office said they were "working with the government to pay compensation to victims as soon as possible".
Tens of thousands of women Asda workers are on the cusp of equal pay justice after a landmark ruling – but thousand more face taking their case to appeal.
The Employment Tribunal has found in favour of 12 out of 14 “lead claimant” Asda workers in the biggest private sector equal pay claim in history – paving the way for a potential £1.2 billion pound pay out.
The case, brought by GMB and Leigh Day, centres on the fact the predominantly female retail workforce is paid up to £3.74 per hour less than the predominantly male warehouse workforce.
In its ruling, the Employment Tribunal said the following jobs are of equal value to the distribution centre jobs they are comparing themselves to:
Checkout operator, Shop Floor Assistant (Chilled, Bakery, Produce, Process, Home & Leisure, George, Counters, Service Host, Customer Service Desk and Warehouse) and Section Leader.
Two roles were not found to be of equal value – Personal Shopper and Shop Floor Assistant – Edible Grocery. GMB and lawyers are considering all available options including the possibility of an appeal.
The women, who launched their claim 2014, now face just one final hurdle; stage three of the claim, which requires Asda to provide a reason, not related to sex, for the difference in pay.
“This is a historic step towards securing equal pay justice for tens of thousands of Asda workers, but it is tainted with bitter disappointment for those who now face and appeal,” said GMB National Officer Nadine Houghton.
“These women have been fighting for what they are owed for more than ten years and are close to ending the era of retailers systematically undervaluing women.
“It’s telling many of the roles judged to be of equal value are the traditional shop floor roles women have held in retail for so long.
“It’s a crushing blow that some roles were not considered of equal value and we will be discussing next steps, including the possibility of an appeal.
“GMB now calls on Asda to stop wasting time and money dragging this case through the courts and get round the table with us to agree a settlement.”
Lauren Lougheed, Partner at Leigh Day, said: “This is a significant step for the thousands of Asda store workers who have established equal value.
“Our clients have fought for over ten years to achieve recognition of the value of their work and I am so pleased for them.
“We hope that Asda will now focus on resolving their cases quickly, rather than prolonging the process.
“Today’s ruling will of course be bitterly disappointing for our clients who work in the job roles that were not found to be of equal value.
“We believe that a strong case was put forward for these roles, and we will be discussing our next steps with those affected.
“Equal pay is a fundamental right, and this decision takes us one step closer to ensuring that the hardworking colleagues in Asda’s stores are not undervalued and are paid what they are owed.
“Our clients’ demand is clear: they want to be treated fairly. This means being paid the same as their colleagues in other parts of the business, who do work of equal value.”
The year 2025 is set to be another difficult year for high street retail as rising costs continue to mount, shows the latest industry report, states that the UK is navigating a tough economic climate marked by sluggish growth, stubborn inflation, and weak consumer confidence, creating challenges for both businesses and households.
According to BDO’s latest High Street Sales tracker, total retail sales in discretionary spend categories grew by 7.1 per cent in January.
The growth however came off the back of a very weak set of results in January 2024 (-0.8 per cent) and was largely driven by growth in online sales, which jumped 15.5 per cent compared to the same period the previous year.
Meanwhile, sales in bricks and mortar stores grew by only 3.2 per cent, from a poor base of a 4.2 per cent decline, serving as a stark reminder that high street retail is struggling to recover from the trends experienced in 2024.
BDO noted that results indicate a large drop in volumes over the past two years.
Fashion and homewares retailers faced particularly challenging conditions in January, with sales in-store growing by 3.3 per cent and 3.4 per cent respectively against poor performances last year when sales fell 6.7 per cent and 10.1 per cent.
The report suggested that January’s poor weather may have contributed to mixed footfall on the high street and driven a better result for online sales, but this is also a continuation of the sector’s overall poor performance in 2024 and a disappointing final "Golden Quarter".
Consumer confidence has also taken a knock, dropping to -22 in January 2025, highlighting a general sense of pessimism about the economic outlook.
In summary, the UK is navigating a tough economic climate marked by sluggish growth, stubborn inflation, and weak consumer confidence, creating challenges for both businesses and households, states the report.
“These results may seem positive on the surface, but the underlying numbers show that the weak growth in the run-up to Christmas has continued into the new year,” said Sophie Michael, Head of Retail and Wholesale at BDO.
“While many retailers may have seen a rise in sales through the release of some of the pent-up consumer spending that didn’t come through before Christmas, January trading for discretionary spend requires heavy encouragement through discounting; this delayed spending will no doubt have a significant impact on already thin margins.
“The sector has been challenged for some time by the impact of significant cost increases, which will continue to mount throughout the year, particularly post the implementation of the changes in the budget this April.
"Raising the thresholds for National Insurance contributions will disproportionately affect retailers, who tend to have large workforces with lower average earnings. Add in increases to the National Living Wage, business rates and the Plastic Packaging Tax all coming together and at fast pace, their thin margins will be under even more pressure.
“Retailers need to find a way to balance the increased cost of doing business while investing in product development, customer service and underlying technology, like AI, that will maintain their competitiveness. They need clear visibility on how their costs will increase to identify effective actions to mitigate the impact.
"This includes clarity over how their supply chain costs will rise, with many of the businesses they rely on being subject to some of the same pressures as themselves.
"The sector already saw a high number of job losses in 2024 and retail store closures; with the oncoming cost increases, these numbers are unlikely to ease in 2025.”