LA Foods, a leading convenience chain in London, has donated over £10,000 to support warm hubs over winter through Nisa's Making a Difference Locally (MADL) charity.
The donation will be used to support 11 warm hubs, spaces that communities can utilise to keep warm during the winter months, across London. Beneficiaries of the donation include The Magpie Project, North London Action for the Homeless, Spring Community Hub and Hendon Salvation Army.
“We are delighted to be able to support these warm hubs over the winter months,” said Tabrez Hussain of LA Foods. “Warm hubs play a vital role in our communities, providing a safe and warm space for people to go during the cold weather. We hope that our donation will help to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.”
Charitable donations are part of LA Food's ongoing commitment to supporting the communities in which it operates. Through MADL, LA Foods have donated over £70,000 to local charities and organisations.
MADL raises funds in Nisa partner stores from sales of all Co-op and Heritage own-label products, with a percentage going into a virtual fund for retailers to donate. Additional funds can also be raised via in-store collecting tins and clothing banks.
“Our retailers are always looking to give back to their communities and I’m delighted to see that LA Foods will be supporting people who are struggling over the cold winter months,” Kate Carroll, head of charity at Nisa, said.
“Warm hubs offer a safe shelter for thousands of people across the UK so to be able to provide additional funding to these community assets is fantastic.”
A leading retailers' body has called on to introduce interim pricing remedies to reduce card fees after a recent report showed that leading credit cards have been consistently increasing their processing fees, squeezing businesses' ability to invest and grow.
British Retail Consortium (BRC) today (6) raised a demand to introduce interim pricing remedies to reduce fees which have been an unjust burden on merchants, and working towards the introduction of a price cap in the longer term.
According to a report by Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), Mastercard and Visa increased their core scheme and processing fees to acquirers by at least 25 per cent since 2017, costing businesses at least £170 million extra per year.
This increased cost of doing business in the UK impacts on UK businesses’ ability to invest and grow, and could lead to direct economic constraints, particularly for small merchant, states the report.
In addition, a lack of easy-to-understand fee information has led to costs for acquirers and merchants, including small retailers.
The report also notes that existing alternative payment methods to cards do not exert effective competitive constraints on the fees charged by Mastercard and Visa for scheme and processing services.
Cards are the most popular way for consumers to pay for goods and services in the UK. In 2023, 61 per cent of all payments in the UK were made using cards, making up almost 86 per cent of the total value of retail transactions.
Data from BRC shows that in 2023 consumer credit and debit cards accounted for 85.7 per cent of the total value of retail transactions in the UK.
In 2012, cash was the most popular method of payment. However, since then, the use of cash has declined substantially, while cards have grown and are expected to grow even more.
Mastercard and Visa are central to this; over 95 per cent of transactions using UK issued cards are made on their rails.
However, merchants have been raising concerns about the cost of accepting cards and their limited ability to understand or negotiate fees.
Chris Owen, Payments Policy Advisor at BRC, said, "This report confirms the harms arising from the lack of competition in the card schemes market, with fees being introduced without justification or sufficient explanation.
"There has been a 25% increase in scheme fees since 2017 costing businesses an extra £170 million per year. It’s now time for meaningful action. Following the PSR’s findings, it is clear it must go further than the proposed remedies in its interim report.
"This means introducing interim pricing remedies to reduce fees which have been an unjust burden on merchants, and working towards the introduction of a price cap in the longer term."
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has on Thursday cleared the anticipated acquisition by William Grant & Sons Group of The Famous Grouse, Naked Malt and affiliated brands from Edrington.
The competition watchdog has launched an investigation into the deal in January. William Grant & Sons will buy the brands from The 1887 Company, a subsidiary of Edrington.
Welcoming the CMA approval, Søren Hagh, chief executive of William Grant & Sons, said: “This is an important moment for William Grant & Sons. The acquisition of The Famous Grouse, when completed, will further demonstrate our significant commitment to building category momentum in Scotch Whisky in the UK and in our markets globally.”
Edrington and William Grant & Sons reached an agreement for the sale of the brands in September last year.
Founded in 1896 in Perthshire, Scotland, The Famous Grouse is a much-loved blended whisky brand that would add to William Grant & Sons’ portfolio of renowned whiskies and spirits, that includes Glenfiddich, Grant's, The Balvenie, and Hendrick's Gin, among others.
Completion of the acquisition remains subject to customary regulatory approval in certain other countries.
With just three months left in the complete ban on sale of disposable vapes, the Association of Convenience Stores, Chartered Trading Standards Institute and the Local Government Association are calling on retailers who sell vape products to prepare, be aware and ensure that they comply with the ban.
The ban on disposable vaping products is coming into force on June 1.
The ban will affect all products that are intended for one use, typically providing around 600-650 puffs in a single device. The only products that will be legal for sale from June 1st must be both rechargeable and refillable, with a maximum tank size of 10ml.
ACS has produced comprehensive guidance for retailers, backed by Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards, which outlines the steps that retailers need to take to comply with the ban, as well as their responsibilities when it comes to the rest of the vaping category, including on age related sales, recycling, and advertising.
In the guide, ACS advises retailers to sell through any existing stock of single use vapes before June 1st to avoid possible commercial losses and enforcement action.
Any retailers that have stock left over from June 1 must remove it from the shop floor and store it away from customers, clearly labelled as not for sale.
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said, “The introduction of the disposable vape ban is one of the biggest regulatory changes for retailers in recent memory, with businesses needing to think carefully about how they manage their range of vaping products in the coming months to ensure that they’re ready for June 1.
"We urge all retailers to utilise our guide and get in touch if there are products that they’re not sure about.”
Kate Pike, Lead Officer for Vaping and Tobacco at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), said, "We welcome the introduction of the Single Use Vape ban as a positive step toward reducing environmental harm and addressing the growing appeal of vaping among young people.
"We encourage businesses to take proactive steps now to prepare for the 1st of June. We expect full compliance from that date and look forward to working together with retailers to ensure a smooth transition.
"Our priority is supporting responsible businesses, but we will take necessary action against non-compliance where required."
Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said, “The ban on disposable vapes is an important step in reducing waste and protecting young people. With over five million thrown away each week, they have become a major challenge for councils to manage.
“With the ban coming into force on June 1st, we encourage retailers to prepare now to ensure a smooth transition. Councils and Trading Standards teams will work with businesses to support compliance, but retailers must take responsibility for reviewing their stock and only selling legal products after the deadline.”
Wholesalers have begun communicating the dates from which they will stop selling disposable vaping products to retailers, with major wholesalers committed to compliance for all of their customers.
Federation of Wholesale Distributors chief executive James Bielby said, “Wholesalers are working with their retail customers to help sell through disposable vapes ahead of the ban coming into force on June 1.
"Retailers won’t be able to purchase non-compliant stock from wholesalers in good time ahead of the ban, to ensure they won’t be left with products they can’t sell in June. ACS’s guidance is invaluable for any retailers concerned about what they need to do in order to be compliant.”
In response to recent reports that rolling tobacco is now more valuable per gram than some precious metals such as silver, Imperial Brands is encouraging retailers to ask their local MP to rethink excessive levels of excise applied to tobacco products to avoid an upsurge in crime and abuse against retailers.
Last November’s budget applied a Recommended Price Index (RPI) + 12 per cent excise rate on hand rolling tobacco products in the UK.
The UK now has the highest excise duty in Europe – six times higher than in Spain, and five times higher than in Germany.
Andrew Malm, UK Market Manager for Imperial Brands, said, “We now have a situation whereby hand rolling tobacco is more valuable per gram than silver, making local retailers and convenience store owners in the UK as much of a target to thieves as jewellery stores.
“Not only does this taxation drive UK consumer spending elsewhere – as, for example, a 30g pouch of rolling tobacco is now four times more expensive in the UK compared to Spain – but it also contributes to the issue of retail crime and illicit trade.
“This excessive excise duty will further incentivise organised criminal gangs to produce hand rolling tobacco illegally and sell the product through illicit channels here in the UK. Illicit trade is already a significant issue, and one which ultimately impacts on retailers and their revenue.
“As a responsible manufacturer, we will continue to engage with the Government to re-assess the current excise duty on these products as it poses a significant threat to retailers’ livelihoods and contributes to an already growing illicit market.
"We would also encourage retailers to reach out to their local MPs and councillors, ensuring that the issues their businesses are facing are highlighted and heard by relevant public officials.”
Malm's plea comes weeks after a report stated that the cost of tobacco has turned convenience stores into targets for organised crime, as it is now worth more than silver per gram.
Successive tax hikes on rolling tobacco means that a 50g pouch of Amber Leaf now costs 87p a gram – compared to 83p for silver.
It has encouraged gangs to target not only stores but also delivery vans, adding to the wave of crime hitting the retail sector.
Experts say that criminals regard tobacco theft as a low-risk, high-reward crime because the products are ‘concealable, removable and available’.
As part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s plan to boost the public finances, the Treasury is considering doubling the tax on tobacco – which the industry argues would further fan the black market.
The Treasury is estimated to have lost more than £50 billion in tax revenue on tobacco to the black market since 2000.
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Post Office and DPD expand partnership with international delivery services
The Post Office and DPD have on Thursday announced an expansion of their partnership with international delivery services.
Following a successful trial at 300 post offices, customers wanting to send parcels abroad can now choose from ‘DPD Classic’, ‘DPD Direct Lite’ and ‘DPD Air Classic & Air Express’ services. The international delivery services are now available at 4,100 post offices across the UK.
The Post Office and DPD partnership began in 2021 and already includes ‘Click and Collect’ and Next Day delivery services within the UK.
This announcement follows a virtual Postmaster Conference which took place on 4 March, organised and hosted by postmasters. The Post Office outlined it remained focused on expanding Mails and Parcels services to more branches, ensuring customers have access to the best-in-market, safe, and convenient options for shipping, pickup, and drop-off—both online and in-branch.
“As part of delivering our ‘New Deal for Postmasters’ it’s vital that we strengthen postmasters’ offer to customers. Expanding our already successful partnership with DPD is a demonstration of this,” Neil Brocklehurst, Post Office acting chief executive, said.
“In today’s fast-paced world, customers and businesses expect international parcels to reach their destination in a matter of days and having DPD international delivery services available provides them with the options to meet their needs.”
Elaine Kerr, DPD UK chief executive, commented: “We really value our relationship with the Post Office and introducing international services is the logical next step, with online and buy-in-branch now well established. We have the largest delivery network in Europe and deliver to over 200 destinations worldwide.
“Our approach is designed to make it easy and affordable to find the right international service with free tracking included and duty and customs made as straightforward as possible.”
A four-week trial has been running since February to get postmasters feedback on guides and other self-help tools to support them in selling and promoting DPD international services in branch.
“It’s already been a great experience,” Phil Ballantyne, peer support postmaster from Appleby, and who was part of the trial said.
“I’ve been able to save customers £3, they are getting a better service, and the branch is receiving even better remuneration compared to alternative services.”