Retail trade union Usdaw has urged the public to respect staff in petrol stations as drivers queued again for fuel after days of shortages, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying the situation was improving.
“It is deeply disturbing to see panic buying back and it reminds us of the dark days of the first lockdown,” Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, said.
“During that period retail staff suffered a doubling of abuse from customers and we do not want to see that repeated. Abuse should never be just a part of the job and there is no excuse for customers to take their frustrations out on staff.”
The union placed the blame for the petrol crisis at the door of the government, demanding the prime minister to takes responsibility for a crisis that continues to sweep the nation.
“The empty shelves and empty petrol pumps that we’ve seen this week are entirely the fault of the government and their complete failure to get a grip on supply issues. Yet who takes the brunt of people’s frustrations? It’s not Boris Johnson,” he said.
“It’s over-stretched, underpaid, exhausted workers who are doing their best in extremely difficult circumstances. The government must take responsibility for this crisis.”
Meanwhile, the fuel supply crisis appeared to be easing with more forecourts reporting deliveries, Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), said on Wednesday.
The industry group, which represents independent retailers who account for about two-thirds of all the 8,380 UK filling stations, said only 27 per cent of members reported being out of fuel and it expected the situation to further improve in the next 24 hours.
"However, we are extremely disappointed to hear many forecourt staff are experiencing a high level of both verbal and physical abuse which is completely unacceptable," said Gordon Balmer, PRA executive director.
"Forecourts are trying their best to manage queues and ensure there is plenty of fuel to go around."
Britain has been gripped by a rush of panic buying for almost a week that has left pumps dry across major cities, after oil companies warned they did not have enough tanker drivers to move petrol and diesel from refineries to filling stations.
"The last few days have been difficult, we've seen large queues. But I think the situation is stabilising, we're getting petrol into the forecourts. I think we're going to see our way through this," Kwarteng said.
He said the government's reserve tanker fleet, which numbers 80 vehicles according to a 2019 assessment, would be operating by later in the day, driven by civilians, to help deliver fuel across the country.
Johnson has sought to quell concerns, saying supplies were returning to normal while also urging people not to panic buy.
A shortage of around 100,000 drivers has sown chaos through supply chains and raised the spectre of empty shelves and price increases at Christmas.
Asked if he could guarantee that there would not be problems in the run-up to the busy retail period, Kwarteng said: "I'm not guaranteeing anything. All I'm saying is that, I think the situation is stabilising."
An aerial view of people queuing for petrol and diesel at a Tesco's Supermarket on September 24, 2021 in Northwich, United Kingdom. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
By the early morning rush hour there were already long queues of cars in and around London and on the busy M25 orbital motorway circling the capital. Signs were up at some sites announcing no fuel was available.
The gridlock has sparked calls for doctors, nurses and other essential workers to be given priority access to fuel, a move Johnson has resisted.
Industry groups said the worst of the shortages seemed to be in London, the southeast and other English cities. Fights have broken out as drivers jostled.
The shortages have added to an air of chaos in the world's fifth-largest economy, leaving gaps on supermarket shelves. A spike in European wholesale natural gas prices has also tipped energy companies into bankruptcy.
Britain left the EU single market at the start of this year, preventing hauliers from recruiting drivers in the bloc. To tackle the shortage, the government has said it will issue temporary visas to 5,000 foreign drivers, a measure it had previously ruled out.
"What we want to do is make sure that we have all the preparations necessary to get through until Christmas and beyond, not just in supplying the petrol stations but all parts of our supply chain," Johnson said.
Hauliers, petrol stations and retailers say there are no quick fixes as the shortfall of drivers is so acute, and transporting fuel demands training and licensing. European drivers may also be reluctant to take up the visa offer, which only lasts until Dec. 24.
Unitas Wholesale retail director and executive board member Victoria Lockie is to leave the business in April as she looks to take on a new challenge, the buying group confirmed to Asian Trader today (27).
Lockie joined the business in September 2024.
In a span of six months, she has played a pivotal role in strategically reviewing the Unitas retail proposition and the overall service provided to Unitas members.
Heading up the retail and commercial functions, she has made a significant impact by identifying strategic opportunities, developing her team and revitalising Unitas’ DE&I agenda.
Managing Director John Kinney said, “I would like to thank Victoria for her hard work and commitment in the time that she has worked at Unitas. We all wish her the best of luck with her next opportunity.”
Lockie also oversaw Unitas' Plan for Profit scheme, which is a subscription service offering independent retailers business updates, rewards, and resources to help them succeed in the convenience market, including core range guides and promotional packages.
Prior to Unitas, Lockie spent more than 12 years at NISA.
Joining in 2012 as a sales support manager, Lockie served in positions such as head of retail operations and head of key accounts. Her time at Nisa was transformative, both for herself and the company.
She also led the symbol group’s retail team through significant transitions, including Nisa’s shift from a mutual-style ownership structure to a corporate governance model.
Lockie also became a trustee for MADL (Making A Difference Locally), where she worked to help independent retailers support their local communities.
She is an ambassador for Diversity in Wholesale, Women in Wholesale, GroceryAid, and WiHTL ‘Women to Watch 2024. or many years has heavily supported the Association of Convenience Stores including the more recent Shopkind campaign.
ShopMate has introduced ShopMate 360, a “streamlined and affordable” EPoS system designed for convenience retailers.
ShopMate said the new solution ihas been developed with small retailers in mind, offering an easy-to-use till interface that requires minimal training. With an intuitive design, even those new to retail technology can quickly get up to speed, ensuring smooth daily operations.
“One thing we often hear is that many EPoS systems come with complex features that small retailers just don’t need. Their tech needs to be smart, but that doesn’t mean loading it up with all the bells and whistles – it actually means the opposite,” Brian Eagle Brown, managing director at ShopMate, told Asian Trader.
The system separates store operations from business management, allowing retailers to focus on till functionality while still having access to key back-office tools like:
Product and category management
Hotkeys and SELs
Wholesaler promotions
User management and reporting
Retailers will benefit from automatic wholesaler pricing and promotions, removing the hassle of manual price updates and ensuring accurate pricing.
Helen and Andrew Wood of Edith Weston Village Store in Edith Weston, Rutland
Additionally, integrated payments with ShopMate Pay simplify payment workflows and reduce overhead costs, offering retailers a single, streamlined solution.
“We understand that convenience retailers need a reliable, easy-to-use solution that helps them run their stores efficiently,” Eagle Brown said. “ShopMate 360 delivers just that – essential functionality without distractions.”
Helen Wood, owner of Edith Weston Village Store, has been among the first to trial ShopMate 360 alongside ShopMate Pay. She praises its intuitive interface: “We’ve found the till interface intuitive and easy to use; everything is precisely where you think it should be. And ShopMate Pay works seamlessly, exactly as you hope it would – it’s just really easy.”
Among the last few tea drinkers, Brits still have profound loyalty for their cup of tea, with Yorkshire Tea standing out as a true favourite, shows a recent survey, also highlighting fall in the popularity of tea among younger generations.
According to a national survey of 6,000 adults by Tracksuit, brand tracking expert for more than 650 consumer labels, those who drink tea, Yorkshire Tea was crowned the favourite brew, surpassing its long-standing rivals PG Tips and Tetley.
Some 24 per cent of tea drinkers said that Yorkshire Tea was their favourite, ahead of PG Tips at 17 per cent and Tetley’s at 15 per cent. Twinings came fourth with 11 per cent, well ahead of Typhoo with 3 per cent.
The survey also found a striking level of loyalty among British tea drinkers, with 39 per cent refusing to switch from their preferred tea brand, which was far higher than the typical 13 per cent loyalty rate across food and drink brands generally.
However, the survey also shows lays bare the rapidly decreasing popularity of tea among younger generations.
Some 37 per cent of people aged under 35 said that they would choose coffee as their favourite hot drink, according to a national survey of 6,000 adults by Tracksuit, brand tracking expert for more than 650 consumer labels.
Tea came third with 25 per cent of those under 35 choosing it as their favourite drink, after hot chocolate in second with 31 per cent.
Analysts said that the figures “suggest [tea’s] popularity could continue to fall in future generations”, raising concerns that beloved cuppa could face extinction as Millennials and Gen Z prefer coffee and hot chocolate to the traditional brew.
Matt Herbert, the author of the report and co-founder of Tracksuit, said, “Our research uncovers the profound loyalty Brits have for their tea, with Yorkshire Tea standing out as a true favourite.
“The data reveals that brand preference goes far beyond taste; it’s an emotional connection. British tea drinkers are weirdly loyal, which speaks to how brands have successfully woven themselves into the fabric of daily life and national identity.”
Prices of some chocolate products have risen by 50 per cent in a year while many have also shrunk in size, states a recent report, raising the concern of shrinkflation among shoppers ahead of Easter celebrations.
The latest report by Which?, the price of eggs made by big names including Cadbury, Mars and Terry’s have risen by as much as 50 per cent in some cases while some have also shrunk in size, according to research by consumer champion Which?.
While official figures published on Wednesday showed inflation slowing to 2.8 per cent in February, a breakdown of the headline figure shows food prices rose 3.3 per cent with the cost of chocolate raced higher, up by a massive 16.5 per cent.
Chocolate has been getting more expensive for several years due to poor harvests in west Africa, in particular Ghana and Ivory Coast, where more than half of the world’s cocoa beans are harvested.
The recent analysis by Which? shows that in one of the discounters, the cost of Terry’s Chocolate Orange mini eggs has risen from 99p to £1.35, while its packet is now reduced from 80g to 70g.
At a supermarket, the price of a Cadbury Creme Egg 5 Pack Mixed Chocolate Box 200g has risen from £2.62 in the run-up to Easter 2024 to £4 this year, equating to 53 per cent price increase per 100g year on year.
On the other hand, Nestlé’s KitKat Chunky milk chocolate Easter egg stayed at the same price in the run-up to Easter year on year at £1.50 but reduced in size from 129g to 110g, making it 17 per cent more expensive per 100g.
Addressing the claims, Mars Wrigley said that, due to rising manufacturing costs, it had adjusted some of its product sizes to minimise changes to its list price.
Nestlé said significant increases in the cost of cocoa had made it much more expensive to manufacture its products and it has “sometimes been necessary to make adjustments to the price or weight of some of the products”.
SPAR North of England has launched Fyffes’ new ethical trade brand Trudi’s in a UK exclusive for bananas.
The large premium bananas are free of plastic packaging and are available in a paper banded pack of five or loose, including as part of SPAR Meal Deals. This is meeting shifting customer demands and is driving sales in store.
'Good Fruit, Doing Good’ is Trudi’s consumer claim and brand DNA which is giving back directly to communities that grow them.
This is supporting the building of school facilities, empowering women in their careers, and providing nutritious meals to communities where Fyffes own farms and supplier farms are located.
Fyffes has brought a choice of tropical produce to millions around the world in its 130-year history, and SPAR customers in Northern England have gained a taste for the new Trudi’s brand with encouraging boosts in volume into stores and sales through the tills.
Wilf Whittle, Trading Controller at James Hall & Co. Ltd, said: “We have been working with Fyffes for years now. We enjoy an excellent relationship with them, and we are delighted to be making the first move in the UK market with their new Trudi’s brand. The quality of fruit is excellent, and we are offering an improved sized and specification with Trudi’s.
“Modern day consumers like to know where their fruit is coming from, and we were cautiously optimistic that customers would take to the brand. When customers think of quality ethical and sustainable bananas, we want them to think of SPAR.
“The purple branding really stands out in store, and it has triggered a purple patch for our sales of bananas in the large, banded packs of five, and with the loose single fruit.
"We pride ourselves on availability, and while the market across retail has been short recently following shipping delays, we maintained full availability which is a credit to all involved within this supply chain.”
Toni Direito, Sales Manager at Fyffes Group Ltd, said: “Trudi’s is founded on consumers’ desire to not only eat healthy, fresh, and nutritious produce but to ensure that the fruit we eat is also doing good in the communities and with the people who cultivate our fresh produce.
“We are on a mission to show the world that nothing tastes better than knowing your fruit is doing good and our Trudi’s brand is deeply rooted in creating the best for both worlds – our growers in Central America and our consumers in Europe.
“A huge thank you to SPAR and James Hall & Co. Ltd for embracing the vision and taking the lead in ensuring communities benefit while providing a choice to consumers who wish to give back and do good by buying a purpose driven brand.”
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.