Home delivery platform Snappy Shopper has registered record numbers in July. New customer numbers were up +44 per cent vs June and total transactions and frequent customer numbers both increased by 16 per cent month on month.
“Snappy Shopper has grown in importance for both convenience business owners and their customers as more and more people order groceries from local stores," said Mike Callachan, Chief Executive Officer of The Snappy Group. "The digital world has disrupted the way consumers view and interact with retailers for goods. Local retailers are able to keep up with shopper expectations by offering them a digital ordering solution with Snappy Shopper."
One independent retailer who is benefitting from the success of the Snappy Shopper home delivery app is Imran Akhtar of Best One Hurlford, Kilmarnock in Scotland. Located in the rural village of Hurlford in East Ayrshire with a population of approximately 5,000 people, Akhtar started offering the Snappy Shopper app to his customer base in January this year and sales via the platform have since soared. It has been such a success that Akhtar has started to offer Snappy Shopper to customers at Premier Cairnhill, his second store.
“We run a local convenience store in the village of Hurlford and provide a round the clock service to the local community," said Akhtar. "We work really hard to support the community and since we took the decision to start a home delivery service by partnering with Snappy Shopper in January this year, we haven’t looked back! In eight months we have taken over £200,000 in additional sales via the platform.”
With the emergence of online ordering technology and stores offering a dedicated home delivery service via the Snappy Shopper platform, the convenience market has entered a new era. “Home deliveries ordered online or via our app have been increasing dramatically and we will continue to help local convenience stores by empowering them to make the most of the opportunity,” added Callachan.
Avens Retail, an independent retailer operating as part of the Nisa network, recently celebrated the grand reopening of two stores in Ballingry and Overton Road.
The exciting launch events, attended by members of the community and local figures, highlighted Avens’ commitment to supporting local suppliers and enhancing its neighbourhood presence.
The two openings featured ribbon-cutting ceremonies with notable local icons, including MSP David Torrance and retired Scottish footballer Ally Mitchell, along with family-friendly activities, charity raffles, and giveaways for the first visitors.
The celebrations marked a major step in Avens’ mission to create stores that blend community focus with a quality, local product range.Operating under the Avens fascia—a name inspired by a flower native to Scotland and northern England—the stores reflected Avens’ emphasis on locally sourced products and regional partnerships.
Partnering with over 95 suppliers, including award-winning butcher Tom Course and a local fresh fish provider, Avens expanded its product selection to over 4,000 items, focusing on fresh produce, quality meats, and bakery options. The stores feature a broad array of Co-op own-brand products, which have become a trusted option among customers for their quality and value.
These offerings are part of Avens’ collaboration with Nisa, allowing the retailer to maintain a unique, independent identity while benefiting from their partnership with Nisa. In addition, Avens introduced a year-round free fruit programme for primary school children, following its success as a summer initiative.
This programme, along with other community-centred efforts, reflects Avens’ dedication to supporting the health and well-being of its local residents.Avens’ new stores in Ballingry and Overton Road represent the brand’s distinctive model, combining Nisa’s support with a strong local ethos. Through these new openings, Avens continues to prioritise community values and customer-first service, reinforcing its role as a trusted, independent retailer in the region.
Zahid Mukhtar, Owner of Avens Retail said: "The launch of our new stores in Ballingry and Overton Road is an exciting milestone for Avens Retail and a testament to our commitment to the communities we serve. These vibrant openings are more than just ribbon-cutting ceremonies; they mark the beginning of a new chapter where we’re bringing a carefully curated selection of local products, trusted Co-op own-brand items, and unique community programmes to our customers.
"Partnering with Nisa allows us to deliver on quality and value while staying deeply rooted in local traditions and priorities."
Michael Love, Key Account Manager at Nisa, said: “We’re thrilled to see the successful launch of Avens Retail’s new stores in Ballingry and Overton Road. This marks an exciting milestone in their journey, and we’re proud to continue supporting Avens in their mission to provide high-quality, locally sourced products to the community.
"Their commitment to local suppliers, alongside the trusted Co-op own-brand offerings, reflects the strong partnership between Nisa and independent retailers. These new stores are a testament to Avens’ dedication to serving their communities and reinforcing the importance of independent retail within the regions they operate.”
More than 1.5 million illegal vapes were seized by local trading standards officers and polices so far this year, data obtained through Freedom of Information requests have revealed.
Separately, National Trading Standards (NTS) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on Monday said over a million illegal vapes were seized by trading standards in 2023/24.
A joint initiative named Operation Joseph has tracked over 1.19 million illegal vapes removed from sale across England, a 59 per cent increase in the number seized compared to the previous year. The products seized failed to meet basic UK safety standards, with most containing excess nicotine levels.
New NTS data also shine a spotlight on sales of vapes to children. In Q4 2023-24, almost a quarter (24%) of the 775 test purchases conducted in-person by trading standards resulted in illegal sales to under 18s.
“Trading Standards officers recognise that it is really important that adult smokers are able to switch to legal compliant vaping products which carry a fraction of the risk of their lethal tobacco habit,” Kate Pike, lead officer for tobacco and vaping for the Chartered Trading Standards Institute said:
“These figures show we are working incredibly hard to remove illegal vapes from our communities and to support businesses not to sell to children. We encourage anyone with information about businesses ignoring the law to report to us so we can continue to target our enforcement resources most effectively.”
Meanwhile, vape firm Totally Wicked submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to over200 local councils and authorities across the UK, gathering data on the number of illegal vapes seized by trading standards officers between 2022 and 2024.
Data Highlights by Region
Region
SUM of 2022
SUM of 2023
SUM of 2024*
East Midlands
42,706
368,824
53,965
East of England
27,290
84,939
421,446
London
71,497
122,683
71,254
North East England
564
17,213
23,112
North West England
258,916
519,292
310,079
Northern Ireland
0
671
0
Scotland
4,922
16,999
20,290
South East England
52,402
461,767
164,133
South West England
11,633
36,951
39,704
Wales
17,750
712,069
247,208
West Midlands
46,182
122,201
117,927
Yorkshire and the Humber
3,494
93,243
43,236
Grand Total
537,356
2,556,852
1,512,354
*2024 figures accurate up until October 2024.
The FOI responses from 154 councils indicate a significant decrease in illegal vape seizures from the market's peak in 2023, when 2.5 million units were confiscated down to 1.5 million units so far in 2024. Areas like Greater London witnessed a decrease in seizures from their peak levels in 2023, but remains a focal point for enforcement due to population density and market size.
While Northern Ireland reported zero seizures in 2024, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council did disclose that a shop voluntarily surrendered their supplies of illicit vaping products once they were made aware that their products were non-compliant and potentially unsafe, Totally Wicked said.
The East of England saw the largest increase of illegal vape seizures in 2024, with 336,507 more vapes seized by authorities than the previous year. A large portion of the growth came from Essex County Council which recorded the highest volume of illegal vape seizures in the country, this was due to 329,000 non-compliant units being refused entry at seaports and subsequently returned to their country of origin.
While not as pronounced, Scotland, the North East and South West of England also experienced an increasing number of illegal vape seizures.
Commenting on the findings, Marcus Saxton, Group CEO of Totally Wicked and chairman of the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA), said: “It's important to highlight that this is a regulated industry and at Totally Wicked, we take a strict approach to compliance. All of our products meet UK and EU standards, are rigorously tested, and are notified to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
“However, some distributors and retailers are either unaware or choose not to follow the rules. We welcome any crackdown on illegal and unsafe vaping products, as it helps protect consumers and ensures that only compliant products are available on the market.
“We strongly urge retailers to only source vapes from trusted and regulated distributors to guarantee that they are selling safe, compliant products.”
Shoppers’ ability to afford Christmas treats has been put under threat as retailers warned November could mark a turning point for inflation, with the recent fall in prices slowing amid increased fresh produce costs and fewer discounts on the shelves.
According to figures released by British Retail Consortium (BRC) today (26), shop price deflation was at 0.6 per cent in November, up from deflation of 0.8 per cent in the previous month. This is slightly above the 3-month average rate of -0.7 per cent. Shop price annual growth remained its lowest rate since September 2021.
Food inflation slowed to 1.8 per cent in November, down from 1.9 per cent in October. This is below the 3-month average rate of 2.0 per cent. The annual rate continues to ease in this category and inflation remained at its lowest rate since November 2021.
Fresh Food inflation accelerated in November, to 1.2 per cent, up from 1.0 per cent in October. This is in line with the 3-month average rate of 1.2 per cent. Inflation was its lowest since November 2021.
Ambient Food inflation decelerated to 2.7 per cent in November, down from 3.1 per cent in October. This is below the 3-month average rate of 3.0 per cent and remained at its lowest since February 2022.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, said, “November was the first time in 17 months that shop price inflation has been higher than the previous month, albeit remaining overall in negative territory. Food prices increased for fresh products such as seafood, which is more vulnerable to high import and processing costs, especially during winter.
"Tea prices also remained high as poor harvests in key producing regions continued to impact supply. While coffee prices experienced a momentary dip, price rises are imminent as global coffee prices approach record highs. In non-food, while many retailers unwound some of their discounting, there are still many bargains across fashion and furniture.
"Customers looking to upgrade their electricals were able to pick up some great deals in early Black Friday sales. With significant price pressures on the horizon, November’s figures may signal the end of falling inflation.
"The industry faces £7 billion of additional costs in 2025 because of changes to Employers’ National Insurance Contributions, business rates, an increase to the minimum wage and a new packaging levy.
"Retail already operates on slim margins, so these new costs will inevitably lead to higher prices. If the government wants to prevent this, it must reconsider the existing timelines for the new packaging levy, while ensuring any changes to business rates offer a meaningful reduction for all retailers as early as possible.”
Mike Watkins, Head of Retailer and Business Insight, NielsenIQ, said: “Shoppers are still being cautious by shopping savvy for the essentials and holding back their discretionary spend, so the lower level of inflation should help sentiment ahead of Black Friday promotions. And with lower inflation than this time last year, many food retailers are extending offers and discounts to help sales momentum in December.”
The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), which produces the tracker for the supermarket, predicted that households will face “dampened spending power over the festive period”. It said the rising cost of essentials would be particularly concerning for households on lower incomes.
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A BP petrol station in Tonbridge, south east of London on April 30, 2022
Global oil and gas company and forecourt retailer BP has renewed its partnership with Retail Insight, the leading provider of in-store execution software, for an additional three years in the UK, as it continues to reduce food waste across its store estate while enhancing operational efficiencies.
BP, which operates over 300 convenience stores as part of its partnership with M&S Food, has expressed ambition to grow its convenience business, aiming to become the first choice for customers on the roadside.
Since partnering with Retail Insight in 2019, BP has used Retail Insight’s AI-powered solution, WasteInsight, to deliver value and customer satisfaction by offering dynamic markdowns on goods nearing expiry, providing reduced prices to customers.
A cloud-based software solution, WasteInsight provides data-led, actionable insights that support businesses’ entire waste journeys. Analysing foundational retail data, the solution applies a Machine Learning (ML) model to provide dynamic markdown prices that encourage sell-through and reduce waste.
As well as enabling dynamic discounts, WasteInsight also addresses expiration management, offers more efficient donations to charities and drives improved forecasting accuracy, allowing retailers to sell more while wasting less.
“The WasteInsight solution has delivered impressive results across our estate,” Hannah Munns, UK trading director at BP, commented.
“The implementation of dynamic markdowns has not only reduced waste but also significantly improved our sell-through. We are looking forward to seeing continued improvements over the coming years.”
Kieran O’Brien, VP customer success EMEA at Retail Insight, added: “We are delighted to be able to extend our relationship with BP for a further three years. It’s always rewarding to see the benefits that our dynamic markdown solution can bring, and we look forward to continuing to improve the outputs from WasteInsight for BP over the next three years. Together, we will continue to set new benchmarks in waste reduction and operational efficiency.”
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This illustration picture shows a plastic bag drifting in the Bothnia Gulf on May 3, 2023 near Pietarsaari in western Finland, during the late spring as the sea-ice is slowly melting.
A final round of talks on a treaty to curb plastic pollution opened on Monday, with deep differences between nations emerging almost immediately.
The meeting started just hours after a chaotic end to the COP29 climate talks in Baku, where delegates agreed to a boost in climate funding that developing countries slammed as insufficient.
Opening the plastics meeting, the Ecuadorian diplomat chairing the talks warned nations that the conference was about "far more than drafting an international treaty".
"It is about humanity rising to meet an existential challenge," Luis Vayas Valdivieso told a plenary in South Korea's Busan.
Plastic pollution is so ubiquitous that it has been found in clouds, the deepest ocean trenches and even human breastmilk.
And while almost everyone agrees it is a problem, there is less consensus on how to solve it.
Among the most contentious issues are whether the treaty should cap plastic production, a possible ban on chemicals feared toxic to human health and how to pay for implementation.
The deep differences have dogged four previous rounds of talks over the last two years, resulting in a lengthy and contradictory draft treaty running over 70 pages.
Valdivieso has produced an alternative document intended to synthesise the views of delegations and move negotiations forward.
But several countries, including Russia and India, immediately objected to it.
"The reality is that many countries do not see themselves represented in this paper," warned Saudi Arabia's Abdelrahman Al Gwaiz, speaking on behalf of the Arab group.
In 2019, the world produced around 460 million tonnes of plastic, a figure that has doubled since 2000, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Plastic production is expected to triple by 2060.
'Not going to wait'
Some countries, including the so-called High Ambition Coalition (HAC), which groups many African, Asian and European nations, want the treaty to address the entire "lifecycle" of plastics.
That means limiting production, redesigning products for reuse and recycling, and addressing waste.
More than 90 percent of plastic is not recycled, with over 20 million tonnes leaking into the environment, often after just a few minutes of use.
On the other side are countries, largely oil producers like Saudi Arabia and Russia, who want a downstream focus on waste alone.
Plastic accounts for around three percent of global emissions, mostly linked to its production from fossil fuels.
The HAC wants binding global targets on reducing production and warned ahead of the Busan talks that "vested interests" should not be allowed to hamper a deal.
Some observers believe the talks are likely to falter and be extended - especially after the difficult negotiations at UN climate and biodiversity conferences in recent weeks.
But by Monday afternoon, Valdivieso won agreement for negotiations to begin on the basis of his slimmed-down document.
"I thank you very much for your flexibility," he told the room.
The short time frame has some environmental groups worried an agreement will be watered down to ensure something is signed.
"The majority is there" for a strong treaty, said Eirik Lindebjerg, WWF global plastics policy lead.
"The big question the rest of the week is whether they will move ahead with the necessary ambition or hide behind the few spoilers to water down language and make weak compromises."
Key to any accord will be the US and China, neither of which have openly sided with either bloc.
Earlier this year, Washington raised hopes among environmentalists by signalling support for some limits on production, a position that is reportedly now being rowed back.
The election of Donald Trump has also raised questions about how ambitious the US delegation will be, and whether negotiators should seek their support if a treaty is unlikely to be ratified by Washington.
Despite the challenging start, the UN Environment Programme chief counselled patience.
"We are only in the first few hours," said Inger Andersen, noting the Paris climate agreement had taken over two decades to reach clear targets for global warming.
"We have to get something with targets and we're not going to wait 21 years for it."