Sunak hunts for votes among the Ocado robots, at 4:50am
Prime minister Rishi Sunak picks up groceries during a visit to Ocado distribution centre on the day of a Conservative general election campaign event, near Luton, Britain July 2, 2024. REUTERS/Phil Noble/Pool
Badly lagging in the race to win Britain's election, prime minister Rishi Sunak went hunting for votes among whirling robots in a retail distribution centre on Tuesday, kicking off his first campaign stop of the day before 5am.
Sunak, who has often looked exhausted as he crisscrossed the country during a six-week campaign, started the penultimate day before Thursday's vote in a vast Ocado warehouse in Luton, north of London, watching robots pick items for delivery.
He then donned a neon yellow, high-vis jacket to help staff pick avocados and other salad items at Ocado, one of Britain's most successful technology businesses. He also met with staff over a cup of tea.
The prime minister later surprised people at a motorway service station when he joined a queue in McDonald's to buy breakfast for journalists following his campaign.
Sunak shocked many in his party and the country when he called an election several months earlier than expected.
His campaign then got off to an inauspicious start when he announced the election date under a downpour in Downing Street, competing to be heard over Labour supporters blaring a pop song associated with their party's crushing 1997 election victory.
Sunak, a former investment banker, has since travelled across the country, giving speeches and attending several hustings a day. He spoke at a rally late on Monday evening and is scheduled to attend events through Tuesday and into the evening.
Despite the effort the polls have hardly budged, with Keir Starmer's opposition Labour Party holding an around 20 point lead and many voters saying they want change 14 years in power for Sunak's Conservatives.
Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has launched an extended version of its ‘Selling Vapes Responsibly’ guide to support retailers with the transition away from disposable vapes ahead of a ban on the products on June 1st 2025.
The guide is produced with Bucks and Surrey Trading Standards as assured advice, which means that ACS members can rely on this advice and the interpretations of how to comply with the new regulations.
The new guidance outlines the features that vapes need to have to be legal for sale from June 1st, as well as what to do with any disposable vapes that are unsold when the ban comes into force. Vapes that are legal to sell from June 1st must be chargeable and refillable, as opposed to disposable vapes which are intended for a single use and are limited to 2ml of vape liquid.
Anyone selling disposable vapes from June 1st 2025 could be subject to a £200 fixed penalty notice, followed by further enforcement action if illicit activity continues.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “The introduction of a ban on disposable vapes next year will mark a major change for thousands of retailers that currently stock these products. We have produced this guide to help retailers with the transition and ensure that nobody falls on the wrong side of the law on June 1st. It is important that any retailer selling vapes not only prepares themselves for the change, but also communicates with customers on the implications of the ban to avoid any potential confrontations or flashpoints in store.
“By having this advice assured as part of our award-winning scheme with Bucks and Surrey Trading Standards, retailers can have confidence that following this guidance will see them operating legally and without fear of prosecution.”
Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said: “Single-use vapes are a major source of litter and waste precious resources, which is why we are banning them from June 2025.We are working with local authorities, trading standards, and industry organisations to help businesses prepare for the ban, and we welcome this guidance to support the transition.”
The Government is introducing the ban to deal with the millions of disposable vapes that are thrown away every week. These products contain lithium batteries which are important to recycle, not just because they are a limited resource but because they are a potential fire risk if sent to landfill.
Since the start of 2024, retailers who sell vapes have been required to provide a takeback service for customers on a minimum of a ‘one for one’ basis (a customer can return a vape when they purchase a new one). ACS’ guide sets out all of the requirements on retailers when taking back used vapes, storing them in their business and arranging for regular collection so that they can be recycled.
The Selling Vapes Responsibly guide also includes advice for retailers on how to spot an illicit product, with information on all of the things to look out for on the packaging and where to check the list of legitimate products, as well as advice on preventing underage sales and the use of Challenge25 to support colleagues.
The full guide, as well as posters for retailers to display in their store to communicate the ban to customers, are available here: https://www.acs.org.uk/advice/selling-vapes
Earlestown Athletic Junior Football Club have a brand-new training kit thanks to the support of SPAR Newton-le-Willows.
The club’s Under-17s Celtic team have SPAR sponsored yellow and black shirts and black shorts helping the players look and feel more professional at training sessions and on matchdays.
SPAR advertising boards have also been put up at the club’s ground, The Hive, and the sponsorship came about after Club Manager Carl Hollingsworth made a beeline for the SPAR Newton-le-Willows store when seeking a kit sponsor for the 2024-25 season.
Carly Ashurst, Store Manager at SPAR Newton-le-Willows, said: “I am very pleased we have been able to help out Earlestown on this occasion and are proud to be a sponsor of the club.
“SPAR is a community retailer, and I was delighted to visit the ground with my Area Manager Gill Leech to meet the team and give them our support for the rest of the season.”
Dave Edwards, Club Secretary at Earlestown Athletic JFC, said: “Huge thanks to SPAR for supporting our club with the training kit and advertising boards at our ground.
“The training kits look fantastic and are a much-valued resource for our players who train in them twice a week and also wear them to warm up before kick-off on Sundays.”
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.
Farmers have warned they have "nothing to lose", campaigners have warned, amid fears grow that parts of the farming industry may disrupt food supplies in protest against the Government's inheritance tax policy while ministers are reportedly preparing contingency plans to ensure stores shelves remain stocked.
Industry officials are closely monitoring the escalating tensions and are expected to meet with government representatives this week to assess the potential impact of any action, The Telegraph reported on Sunday (17). This comes ahead of a planned rally on Tuesday (19), where as many as 20,000 farmers are set to converge outside Parliament to protest a 20 per cent tax on inherited agricultural land valued at over £1 million.
Campaign groups cautioned on Sunday that failure to negotiate a resolution could see more radical factions resort to drastic measures, such as blockading ports, airports, and railway lines.
The threat has raised concerns about empty supermarket shelves this winter and risks bringing back memories of disruption last seen at the start of the Covid pandemic, when people stockpiled food at home.
However, Environment Secretary Steve Reed has dismissed the possibility of a policy reversal. Writing in The Telegraph, he urged farmers to “check the facts” and defended the Government’s stance.
In a further attempt to defuse tensions, one minister called for calm, while a Labour MP suggested dissenting farmers had been misled by powerful landowners. With the protest looming and supply chains under threat, the Government faces mounting pressure to address the growing unrest within the farming community.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, who is currently attending the G20 summit in Brazil, defended the Government’s Budget, highlighting a record £5 billion investment in farming. Speaking to reporters aboard a flight to Rio de Janeiro, he acknowledged concerns over the controversial inheritance tax but sought to reassure farmers.
“Obviously, there’s an issue around inheritance tax, and I do understand the concern,” Starmer said. “But for a typical case—parents with a farm they want to pass on to one of their children—by the time you account for exemptions on the farm property, spouse-to-spouse transfers, and parent-to-child allowances, there’s £3 million before any inheritance tax applies. That’s why I am absolutely confident the vast majority of farms and farmers will not be affected by this.”
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has publicly urged its members not to strike, but some farmers are threatening action. Clive Bailye, one of the organisers of Tuesday’s protest, said he would not condone direct action but warned some farmers could take matters into their own hands.
“If they really got their act together, they could block entire train tracks and ports. English farmers are a bit more Queensberry Rules than the French, they don’t want to punish the public. I could see things like ports or airports being disrupted if the Government really does dig in, that is what we are going to see over the winter.”
Meanwhile, Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said, “Retailers are closely monitoring the impact of the potential interventions, including strikes, but are adept at dealing with disruption and are working hard to ensure customers aren’t impacted.”
Essex Police has urged the stores selling knives and blades to sign up to its Responsible Retailer scheme.
The initiative is a partnership with Essex Trading Standards and the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to help prevent knife crime.
Responsible Retailers pledge to
Store and display knives safely and securely
Operate a strict ‘Challenge 25’ age verification policy
Prominently display ‘Challenge 25’ posters explaining age verification to customers
Provide full and robust training for retail staff
Understand they could refuse sale to anyone if there is a concern a knife will be misused, or if the buyer appears drunk, agitated or aggressive
Share relevant knife crime intelligence with appropriate agencies.
“Stores must not sell knives or blades to anyone who is drunk or who appears agitated or aggressive. Staff should also consider the sale carefully if the customer is presenting any signs of being in crisis or other such vulnerability,” PC Glen Foote said.
“In fact, they can refuse entry, refuse to serve or remove people from their premises for a variety of reasons.
“We want staff to feel confident to refuse a sale, particularly if they are concerned a knife or blade will be misused, even if the person is legally old enough to buy one.
“The law states you must be 18 or over to buy a knife but we ask scheme members to agree to Challenge 25, which means asking for ID from anyone who appears to be under 25 if they seek to buy one.”
Foote also pointed out that anyone buying a knife or bladed article online should also be asked to verify they are 18 when they buy it and should be asked for ID when it is delivered or they collect it.
Across Essex, police recorded 1,498 incidents of knife-enabled crime in the 12 months to 31 October 2024.
This is a slight decrease when compared with the same period last year and an approximately 8 per cent decrease on pre-Covid levels.
If you are a store owner or manager and wish to find out more about the Responsible Retailer scheme or contact Essex Police business crime officers, visit the webpage.
Diageo needs its leading stout beer Guinness to keep growing fast and is pushing a zero alcohol alternative. But price hikes are turning off some UK customers and opening the door to rivals such as Heineken's Murphy's.
Guinness has been a much-needed bright spot in earnings for the world's top spirits maker, under pressure after a downturn in sales of other key brands like Johnnie Walker whiskey in some markets helped force a profit warning last year.
Diageo has made continued momentum for Guinness a key part of its growth strategy. Future drivers include a potential roll-out of Guinness 0.0, the zero-alcohol version, on draught in pubs beyond Ireland. It is currently testing the move at The Devonshire pub in London.
But years of double-digit growth for Guinness have caught the eye of rivals, including the world's top beer maker Anheuser-Busch InBev, which hope to become more serious competitors to Guinness, a dark beer with a rich malty taste.
Meanwhile, a series of price hikes has irked Guinness customers like Shane Ranasinghe, who with co-directors runs seven pubs across south London, including The Montpelier in Peckham and The Railway in Streatham.
He and two other UK publicans Reuters spoke to said they had started pushing rival brands, in particular Heineken stout Murphy's, to express their frustration and dent Guinness' hold on the market.
Ranasinghe and his co-directors put Murphy's next to Guinness on tap at their pubs, and later added signs advertising that Murphy's is around one pound cheaper at between £5.60 and £5.90 per pint.
"We said, 'let's give them (Diageo) some competition'," he told Reuters. "It was a struggle at first. Now, one in four pints of stout are Murphy's."
A Guinness and a Guinness 0.0 zero alcohol beer taps are seen at The Devonshire pub in Soho, London, Britain, October 10, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams
Complaints like Ranasinghe's are growing across London pubs, he and the two other publicans said, adding that as well as hiking prices Diageo had become restrictive in providing Guinness glassware and reduced the technical support on offer.
To be sure, Guinness remains by far the most popular stout. Previous efforts, including by Heineken, to break into the market have had little success.
But such frustrations offer an opportunity for rivals to capture more of stout's growth in Britain as drinkers and pubs look to "rebel against Guinness' dominance", said Lee Williams, beer category manager at UK alcohol distributor LWC Drinks.
Stout sales grew 12 per cent in Britain in 2023, and have risen every month since November 2021, driven by Guinness, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. The UK is the world's largest market for stout, worth $971 million (£769m) in 2023, according to drinks market research firm IWSR.
Diageo made $4.1 billion in beer sales in its 2023-24 financial year. It does not publish separate sales for Guinness, but the stout is its largest beer brand.
"We are proud that Guinness is enjoyed in over 60,000 pubs and restaurants across the UK," a Diageo spokesperson said, adding a team visited those outlets weekly to ensure quality standards as part of a major investment in the brand.
Growth, margins
Diageo is looking to Guinness to help offset faltering spirits sales. Guinness sales have grown double digits every year since 2021. Sales of Guinness 0.0 have also surged, more than doubling in Europe last year.
It wants to drive further growth including via sponsorship of English Premier League soccer and the potential expansion of Guinness 0.0 on draught, already available across 1,700 pubs in Ireland.
In Britain, where Guinness 0.0 is widely available in cans, Diageo said the label had reached an 8 per cent share of overall Guinness sales at end-June.
Diageo charges more for Guinness 0.0 than standard Guinness, because the company says it is more expensive to produce, two Irish publicans told Reuters. That is despite it avoiding hefty alcohol duties, which the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) estimates average €0.55 per pint.
General view of the exterior of St. James's Gate Guinness Brewery, in Dublin, Ireland October 9, 2024. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Diageo recently doubled capacity for non-alcoholic stout at its Guinness brewery in Dublin to 176 million pints per year. If all of those were sold in Ireland, it would mean €97m in duty savings for Diageo based on DIGI's estimates.
The Hope Fitzrovia in central London makes a 52 per cent margin on Guinness, versus 75 per cent for Murphy's, said owner Philip O'Sullivan.
Simon Clarke, who owns The Railway in south London's Tulse Hill, added Murphy's on tap after Diageo hiked his Guinness prices around 25 per cent since 2020 and, at one stage, three times in a year.
He used to sell 10 kegs of Guinness a week; now around a third of that is Murphy's.
Competition
Heineken told Reuters that its distribution of Murphy's in Britain remained small and it had not increased marketing support to the brand. However, it added: "We are seeing more licensees looking for an alternative to the market leader."
AB InBev, meanwhile, said growth in the stout market prompted it to launch its Camden Stout in May last year, adding it was now the second-largest brand in British pubs, restaurants and other venues. Britain's BrewDog also launched a stout, Black Heart, last year.
Murphy's, Camden Stout and Black Heart don't have zero-alcohol versions. Guinness 0.0, meanwhile, became the eighth top-selling non-alcoholic beer in British pubs or other venues in 2023, after launching cans in venues in 2022, according to food and drink research company CGA using Nielsen data.
Guinness is likely to remain dominant, but other brands can also succeed as more drinkers, including young people and women, get a taste for stout, LWC's Williams said.
"We believe they will look for alternatives," he said. "Instead of just one player, there could be three or four brands of scale."