Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Royal Mail situation ‘very worrying’ to retailers, BIRA says

Royal Mail situation ‘very worrying’ to retailers, BIRA says
A group of striking postal workers stand around a fire as they picket outside a Royal Mail sorting office on December 14, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Getty Images

The British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) said thousands of independent businesses and hundred of high streets will suffer if the Royal Mail goes into administration.

Earlier this week, Royal Mail bosses threatened to declare insolvency as talks over pay were revealed to be near collapse.


The announcement for its future is expected to be released within the next few days, but BIRA has urged Royal Mail's board and unions to consider the 'bigger picture'.

BIRA said they had been approached by a number of smaller businesses who said the Royal Mail were a lifeline to them.

“Should Royal Mail collapse the knock-on effect will be devastating for thousands of retailers who are struggling already and rely on the service to either bring in footfall through their doors, or to send out goods,” Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of BIRA, said.

“The situation at Royal Mail is very worrying to us all. Previous strikes caused severe disruption to retailers who have shops and also sell on-line. The possibility of administration for Royal Mail is an even greater concern as it may have even more negative impact than the strikes. We urge Royal Mail management and the unions to resolve the issues before other smaller companies suffer the consequences,” he added.

More for you

A woman enters the Selfridges department store

A woman enters the Selfridges department store on December 13, 2024 in London, England

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail faces mixed fortunes in 2025 amid cost pressures, AI opportunities, and high street revival


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.

Keep ReadingShow less
unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Photo: Southend-on-Sea City Council

1,100 unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend safety crackdown

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London

A customer browses clothes inside Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London on, December 17, 2024

Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Brits kindle Christmas spirit with second-hand gifts

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

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.

Keep ReadingShow less