Pub tycoon Tim Martin has been given a knighthood in the King's New Year Honours List 2024 for services to hospitality and to culture.
Founded by Martin in 1979, JD Wetherspoon now operates over 800 pubs and hotels across the UK, employing over 43,000 people.
One of the most high-profile supporters of Brexit, the 68-year-old has also been a vocal critic of the shutdown of businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. The pub chain has bounced back to profits in its 2023 fiscal year after three years in the red, with sales touching almost £2 billion in the year to July 2023, an increase of 10.6 per cent year on year.
Commenting, Sir Tim said he would like to think the knighthood is not for his “rarely disclosed” political views but for “what it says on the tin”.
“I always think that, in the pub world, it is a team effort - even if you've just got one pub there are many people involved,” he told the PA news agency.
“I think it's the Wetherspoon colleagues and customers who are getting the award really, that's the way I look at it. I'm just the lucky recipient.”
Martin is known for repurposing high street buildings, such as banks and theatres, while retaining the unique architectural identity and culture of high streets.
OBEs
Martin McTague, national chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), has been made an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for services to small businesses.
As national chair, McTague works closely with government and opposition leaders, attending ministerial meetings and representing FSB and its members at the most senior levels. He also works to ensure that members’ views are represented in international institutions.
Martin McTague
He was appointed as national chair of FSB in March 2022. Prior to this, he was FSB national vice chair, policy and advocacy (from 2021) and FSB policy and advocacy chair, a role he was elected to in March 2016.
McTague started his own business over three and a half decades ago and now currently owns and manage three businesses, offering public policy, engineering and IT consultancy services. He has served on the government’s Low Pay Commission since 2018.
Andrew Murphy
Andrew Murphy, former group chief operating officer of John Lewis Partnership, which runs John Lewis department stores and Waitrose supermarkets, has also won an OBE for services to the British retail industry.
He has been with John Lewis Partnership for over 30 years before leaving the company in summer 2023. Murphy joined toy retailer The Entertainer as its chief executive in October.
Paul Heygate, joint managing director of Northampton-based Heygate Group, has won an OBE for services to the food industry and to charity.
The Heygate Group spans farming, flour and feed milling and baking, with ten flour mills on four sites, a feed mill, two modern bakeries and 7500 acres of mainly arable land in England.
Paul Heygate
The family business has farmed in Northamptonshire since 1562 and moved into milling in the 19th century, when Paul’s grandfather Arthur Robert Heygate Senior took over the family mill at Bugbrooke.
Employing over 900 staff, the group produces more than 80 grades of flour for breads, cakes, pizzas, burger buns, chapattis, biscuits and more, besides supplying large manufacturing plants, in-store supermarket bakeries and craft bakers.
Paul Heygate has served as chairman of the Farmers Club, director of agriculture research institute NIAB, president of the industry association nabim, chair of the Flour Advisory Bureau and Master of the Worshipful Company of Bakers, making huge contributions to the UK milling and baking industries.
Salim Janmohamed at the 2021 Asian Business Awards
Salim Janmohamed, the chairman and founder of Karali Group, a family-owned business with a four-decade plus track record in the quick-service restaurant and hospitality sectors, has made an MBE for charitable and voluntary services to faith communities.
Karali has been the largest independent UK Burger King franchisee until they divested the 74-store portfolio to Burger King’s UK arm in 2022. The group also has a host of own-brand concepts, and since expanded into the US market via the acquisition of a portfolio of Burger King restaurants across Ohio and Pennsylvania.
A keen philanthropist, Janmohamed is a senior volunteer in his Ismaili community and plays an active part in the local communities where his businesses operate.
MBEs
Kathy Caton, founder and managing director of Brighton Gin, has been made a Member of British Empire (MBE) for services to trade and to the community in Brighton.
Kathy Caton
Founded in 2012, Brighton Gin is the first distillery on the South Coast, with a focus on ethical and sustainable production. Besides gluten-free, they are also the first craft gin to be certified 100% vegan, including the wax bottle tops and the gum they use to stick the labels.
Martyn Hillier, founder of Micropub Association, has won an MBE for services to business and to hospitality.
Martyn Hillier (Photo by Anthony Seminara/Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)
Hillier opened the very first micropub in Herne, Kent - The Butchers Arms - way back in 2005, and has since been leading the micropub movement. He gives advice tirelessly to other would-be micropub owners and has formed a small but like-minded group, the Micropub Association where people can ask questions and get free advice on opening their own micropub.
Phil Haughton
Phil Haughton, founder of Better Food, the Bristol-based organic retailer, has been awarded an MBE for services to sustainable food initiatives and to the community in Bristol.
Fighting for food justice, supporting the hard-working hands of organic farmers and producers, and advocating for the balance of food and nature have all been part of Haughton’s mission and his passion for almost five decades.
He founded Better Food, an independent retailer and café, specialising in organic, local and ethical food and products, in 1992. From humble beginnings packing veg boxes in a kitchen in Bristol’s St. Werburghs, they have now expanded to four locations across the city, employing over 100 people.
Nick Johnson and Jenny Thompson, co-founders of Market Operations, which develops food markets, have been made MBEs for services to business and to the food sector.
Enthusiasts of independent food and drink retail, they have developed three celebrated food markets in the greater Manchester area: Altrincham Market, Mackie Mayor and Picturedrome. Their reinvention of Altrincham Market into a thriving food hub has been credited with revitalising the town, and kickstarting the food hall trend.
Dr Julia Fentem, executive vice president - safety, environmental and regulatory science at Unilever, has won an MBE for services to human health and animal welfare.
Julia Fentem
A champion of non-animal testing, she has been Unilever’s work to develop non-animal safety science for more than 20 years, propelled by her deep commitment to helping to bring an end to animal testing for all consumer products anywhere in the world.
Mohammed Gulam Moula Miah, chairman of Rajnagar Business Group and Moula Foundation, has been honoured with an MBE for services to the Bangladeshi community and to charity.
MG Moula
Moving to the UK in 1980, Moula’s began his career at his family clothing manufacturing business on a part-time basis, whilst gaining experience in the hospitality sector in a family restaurant. He redirected his expertise fully towards the hospitality sector since 1987, launching his first multi-award-winning restaurant, Rajnagar International, which was followed by a successful chain of restaurants. This expanded into the hotel, land and property development sector in UK and Bangladesh.
A prominent British Bangladeshi community activist, he has shown consistent effort to promote the Midlands’ Bangladeshi community to the rest of the UK and supports many charities across the UK and Bangladesh.
Three leading chefs, Paul Hollywood, Jeremy Lee and Simon Rogan, have also been made MBEs.
The UK retail sector is bracing for a challenging but opportunity-filled 2025, according to Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK. While the industry grapples with rising costs and heightened crime, advancements in artificial intelligence and a revival of the high street offer potential pathways to growth, she said.
The latest Budget delivered a tough blow to the retail sector, exacerbating existing financial pressures. Retailers, who already shoulder a significant portion of business rates and rely heavily on a large workforce, face increased costs from rising employers’ National Insurance Contributions.
“Higher costs will also eat into available funds for future pay rises, benefits or pension contributions – hitting retailers’ cashflow in the short term and employees’ remuneration in the longer term,” Baker said.
“Retailers must get creative to manage their margins and attract footfall and spend, plus think outside the box to incentivise employees if they’re to hold onto talented staff.”
On the brighter side, falling inflation and lower interest rates could ease operational costs and restore consumer confidence, potentially driving retail spending upward.
High street resurgence
Consumers’ shopping habits are evolving, with a hybrid approach blending online and in-store purchases. According to RSM UK’s Consumer Outlook, 46 per cent of consumers prefer in-store shopping for weekly purchases, compared to 29 per cent for online, but the preference shifts to 47 per cent for online shopping for monthly buys and to 29 per cent for in-store. The most important in-store aspect for consumers was ease of finding products (59%), versus convenience (37%) for online.
“Tactile shopping experiences remain an integral part of the purchase journey for shoppers, so retailers need to prioritise convenience and the opportunity for discovery to bring consumers back to the high street,” Baker noted.
The government’s initiative to auction empty shops is expected to make brick-and-mortar stores more accessible to smaller, independent retailers, further boosting high street revival, she added.
A security guard stands in the doorway of a store in the Oxford Street retail area on December 13, 2024 in London, EnglandPhoto by Leon Neal/Getty Images
Meanwhile, retail crime, exacerbated by cost-of-living pressures, remains a significant concern, with shoplifting incidents reaching record highs. From organised social media-driven thefts to fraudulent delivery claims, the methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
“Crime has a knock-on effect on both margins and staff morale, so while the government is cracking down on retail crime, retailers also have a part to play by investing in data to prevent and detect theft,” Baker said.
“Data is extremely powerful in minimising losses and improving the overall operational efficiency of the business.”
AI as a game-changer
Artificial intelligence is emerging as a transformative force for the retail sector. From personalised product recommendations and inventory optimisation to immersive augmented reality experiences, AI is reshaping the shopping landscape.
“AI will undoubtedly become even more sophisticated over time, creating immersive and interactive experiences that bridge the gap between online and in-store. Emerging trends include hyper-personalisation throughout the entire shopping journey, autonomous stores and checkouts, and enhanced augmented reality experiences to “try” products before buying,” she said, adding that AI will be a “transformative investment” that determines the long-term viability of retail businesses.
The Amazon Fresh store in Ealing, LondonPhoto: Amazon
As financial pressures ease, sustainability is climbing up the consumer agenda. RSM’s Consumer Outlook found 46 per cent would pay more for products that are sustainably sourced, up from 28 per cent last year; while 44 per cent would pay more for products with environmentally friendly packaging, compared to 36 per cent last year.
“However, ESG concerns vary depending on age and income, holding greater importance among high earners and millennials. With financial pressures expected to continue easing next year, we anticipate a renewal of sustainability and environmentally conscious spending habits,” Baker noted.
“Retailers ought to tap into this by understanding the preferences of different demographics and most importantly, their target market.”
Southend-on-Sea City Council officials have secured food condemnation orders from Chelmsford Magistrates Court, resulting in the seizure and destruction of 1,100 unauthorised soft drinks.
The condemned drinks, including Mountain Dew, 7-UP, Mirinda, and G Fuel energy drinks, were found during routine inspections of food businesses across Southend by the council’s environmental health officers.
Council said these products contained either banned additives like Calcium Disodium EDTA or unauthorised novel ingredients such as Potassium Beta-hydroxybutyrate.
Calcium Disodium EDTA has been linked to potential reproductive and developmental effects and may contribute to colon cancer, according to some studies. Potassium Beta-hydroxybutyrate has not undergone safety assessments, making its inclusion in food products unlawful.
Independent analysis certified that the drinks failed to meet UK food safety standards. Magistrates ordered their destruction and ruled that the council's costs, expected to total close to £2,000, be recovered from the businesses involved.
“These products, clearly marketed towards children, contain banned or unauthorised ingredients. Southend-on-Sea City Council will always take action to protect the public, using enforcement powers to ensure unsafe products are removed from sale,” Cllr Kevin Robinson, cabinet member for regeneration, major projects, and regulatory services, said.
“As Christmas approaches, we hope this sends a strong message to businesses importing or selling such products: they risk significant costs and possible prosecution.”
The council urged residents to check labels when purchasing imported sweets and drinks, ensuring they include English-language details and a UK importer's address.
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A customer browses clothes inside Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London on, December 17, 2024
Bursting with customers one afternoon the week before Christmas, a second-hand charity shop in London's Marylebone High Street looked even busier than the upscale retailers surrounding it.
One man grabbed two puzzle sets and a giant plush toy as a present for friends, another picked out a notebook for his wife.
“Since the end of September, we've seen a huge uplift in people coming to our shops and shopping pre-loved,” said Ollie Mead, who oversees the shop displays - currently glittering with Christmas decorations - for Oxfam charity stores around London.
At the chain of second-hand stores run by the British charity, shoppers can find used, or "pre-loved", toys, books, bric-a-brac and clothes for a fraction of the price of new items.
Popular for personal shopping, charity stores and online second-hand retailers are seeing an unlikely surge in interest for Christmas gifts, a time of year often criticised for promoting consumerism and generating waste.
A report last month by second-hand retail platform Vinted and consultants RetailEconomics found UK customers were set to spend £2 billion on second-hand Christmas gifts this year, around 10 per cent of the £20 billion Christmas gift market.
A woman browses some of the Christmas gift ideas in a store on December 13, 2024 in London, England. Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images
In an Oxfam survey last year, 33 per cent were going to buy second-hand gifts for Christmas, up from 25 percent in 2021.
“This shift is evident on Vinted,” Adam Jay, Vinted's marketplace CEO, told AFP.
“We've observed an increase in UK members searching for 'gift' between October and December compared to the same period last year.”
According to Mead, who has gifted second-hand items for the last three Christmas seasons, sustainability concerns and cost-of-living pressures are “huge factors”.
Skimming the racks at the central London store, doctor Ed Burdett found a keychain and notebook for his wife.
“We're saving up at the moment, and she likes to give things another life. So it'll be the perfect thing for her,” Burdett, 50, told AFP.
“It's nice to spend less, and to know that it goes to a good place rather than to a high street shop.”
'Quirky, weird
Wayne Hemingway, designer and co-founder of Charity Super.Mkt, a brand which aims to put charity shops in empty shopping centres and high street spaces, has himself given second-hand Christmas gifts for “many, many years”.
“When I first started doing it, it was classed as quirky and weird,” he said, adding it was now going more “mainstream”.
Similarly, when he first started selling second-hand clothes over 40 years ago, “at Christmas your sales always nosedive(d) because everybody wanted new”.
Now, however, “we are seeing an increase at Christmas sales just like a new shop would”, Hemingway told AFP.
“Last weekend sales were crazy, the shop was mobbed,” he said, adding all his stores had seen a 20-percent higher than expected rise in sales in the weeks before Christmas.
“Things are changing for the better... It's gone from second-hand not being what you do at Christmas, to part of what you do.”
Young people are driving the trend by making more conscious fashion choices, and with a commitment to a “circular economy” and to “the idea of giving back (in) a society that is being more generous and fair,” he said.
At the store till, 56-year-old Jennifer Odibo was unconvinced.
Buying herself a striking orange jacket, she said she “loves vintage”.
But for most people, she confessed she would not get a used gift. “Christmas is special, it needs to be something they would cherish, something new,” said Odibo.
“For Christmas, I'll go and buy something nice, either at Selfridges or Fenwick,” she added, listing two iconic British department stores.
Hemingway conceded some shoppers “feel that people expect something new” at Christmas.
“We're on a journey. The world is on a journey, but it's got a long way to go,” he added.
According to Tetyana Solovey, a sociology researcher at the University of Manchester, “for some people, it could be a bit weird to celebrate it (Christmas) with reusing.”
“But it could be a shift in consciousness if we might be able to celebrate the new year by giving a second life to something,” Solovey told AFP.
“That could be a very sustainable approach to Christmas, which I think is quite wonderful.”
Lancashire Mind’s 11th Mental Elf fun run was its biggest and best yet – a sell-out event with more than 400 people running and walking in aid of the mental charity, plus dozens more volunteering to make the day a huge success.
The winter sun shone on Worden Park in Leyland as families gathered for either a 5K course, a 2K run, or a Challenge Yours’Elf distance which saw many people running 10K with the usual running gear replaced with jazzy elf leggings, tinsel and Christmas hats.
And now the pennies have been counted, Lancashire Mind has announced that the event raised a fantastic £17,000.
This amount of money allows Lancashire Mind to deliver, for example, its 10-week Bounce Forward resilience programme in eight schools, reaching more than 240 children with skills and strategies that they can carry with them throughout their lives, making them more likely to ‘bounce forward’ through tough times.
The event was headline sponsored by SPAR for a third year through its association with James Hall & Co. Ltd, SPAR UK’s primary retailer, wholesaler, and distributor for the North of England.
“On behalf of the entire team at Lancashire Mind, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the 400+ incredible participants who joined us for Mental Elf 2024!” said Organiser Nicola Tomkins, Community and Events Fundraiser at Lancashire Mind.
“Your support, energy and commitment to raising awareness for mental health makes all the difference. Together, we've taken another important step towards breaking the stigma around mental health and promoting wellbeing for all in our community. We couldn't have done it without you!”
Worden Hall became the hub of the event where people could enjoy music from the Worldwise Samba Drummers and BBC stars Jasmine and Gabriella T, plus lots of family friendly activities and a chance to meet Father Christmas. Pets also got in on the act in the best dressed dog competition.
Lancashire Mind CEO David Dunwell said: “It was heart-warming day, full of community spirit and festive cheer, but with a serious aim to raise funds for mental health.
“We are so grateful to everyone who bought a ticket and fundraised or donated to help us smash our target. The money raised goes directly to supporting Lancashire Mind’s life-changing mental health services. These funds help provide wellbeing coaching, support groups, and educational programmes to individuals and families in need of mental health support in our community.”
The concept of Mental Elf was created by Lancashire Mind and news of the event has spread right across the country in recent years, with around 40 other local Mind charities hosting a similar event in 2024.
Lancashire schools were also encouraged to host their own Mental Elf-themed event this year, whether that was a run, bake sale or dress up day, and raised more than £1,000 in total.
Philippa Harrington, Marketing Manager at James Hall & Co. Ltd, said: “There was a lovely festive feel in the air at Mental Elf and we were delighted to see even more individuals, families, and canine companions taking part in its new home of Worden Park.
“We are also very pleased to see the uptake that Mental Elf has had in schools, and congratulations go to the Lancashire Mind team for taking it to new participants and for raising a fantastic amount of money for an important cause.”
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A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.
UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.
Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.
The updates follow news this week of higher inflation in Britain - an outcome that caused the Bank of England on Thursday to leave interest rates unchanged.
Retail sales by volume grew 0.2 per cent in November after a drop of 0.7 per cent in October, the Office for National Statistics said Friday.
That was less than analysts' consensus for a 0.5-percent gain.
"It is critical delayed spending materialises this Christmas to mitigate the poor start to retail's all-important festive season," noted Nicholas Found, senior consultant at Retail Economics.
"However, cautiousness lingers, slowing momentum in the economy. Households continue to adjust to higher prices (and) elevated interest rates."
He added that consumers were focused on buying "carefully timed promotions and essentials, while deferring bigger purchases".
The ONS reported that supermarkets benefited from higher food sales.
"Clothing stores sales dipped sharply once again, as retailers reported tough trading conditions," said Hannah Finselbach, senior statistician at the ONS.
Retail sales rose 0.2% in November 2024, following a fall of 0.7% in October 2024.
Growth in supermarkets and other non-food stores was partly offset by a fall in clothing retailers.
The Labour government's net borrowing meanwhile dropped to £11.2 billion last month, the lowest November figure in three years on higher tax receipts and lower debt-interest, the ONS added.
The figure had been £18.2 billion in October.
"Borrowing remains subject to upside risks... due to sticky interest rates, driven by markets repricing for fewer cuts in 2025," forecast Elliott Jordan-Doak, senior UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.
Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK and chair of ICAEW’s Retail Group, commented that the later than usual Black Friday weekend meant November’s retail sales figures saw only a slight uptick as cost-conscious consumers held off to bag a bargain.
“Despite many retailers launching Black Friday offers early, November trade got off to a slow start which dragged on for most of the month. This was driven by clothing which fell to its lowest level since January 2022. The only saving grace was half-term and Halloween spending helped to slightly offset disappointing sales throughout November,” Baker said.
“As consumer confidence continues to build and shoppers return to the high street, this should translate into more retail spending next year. However, there are big challenges coming down the track for the sector, so retailers will be banking on a consumer-led recovery to come to fruition so they can combat a surge in costs.”
Thomas Pugh, economist at RSM UK, added: “The tick up in retail sales volumes in November suggests that the stagnation which has gripped the UK economy since the summer continued into the final months of the year.
“While the recent strong pay growth numbers may make the Bank of England uncomfortable, it means that real incomes are growing at just under 3 per cent, which suggests consumer spending should gradually rise next year. However, consumers remain extremely cautious. The very sharp drop in clothing sales in particular could suggest that consumers are cutting back on non-essential purchases.
“We still expect a rise in consumer spending next year, due to strong wage growth and a gradual decline in the saving rate, to help drive an acceleration in GDP growth. But the risks are clearly building that cautious consumers choose to save rather than spend increases in income, raising the risk of weaker growth continuing through the first half of next year.”