A special category born out of the pandemic, Shop Safety Best Practice Award at the 31st Asian Trader Awards has got deserving winner in Pete Patel, whose efforts represented the epitome of the hard work and persistence that independent retailers have shown in upholding the rules of hygiene and social distancing.
And, it has indeed been a rare honour as this was the second consecutive win for Pete at Asian Trader Awards, after bagging the Bakery Retailer of the Year award in 2019.
While the new category has seen strong contenders, reflecting the serious commitment of independent retailers in fighting the pandemic, Pete’s safety practices have been simply outstanding, whether it’s the ‘bouncer’ on the door counting customers in and out and sanitising all baskets or the regular use of a safe-for-food fogging machine.
Costcutter Heanor
“As soon as the Covid situation started to happen, we put Perspex screens up straightaway for our staff at the tills and we've got hand sanitiser units all around the store for the customers,” Pete explains.
They put a one way system in, allowing only 15 shoppers in store at a time, and also a queue management system as well, which has attracted praise from his new and old customers alike. “We actually had a member of staff standing on the door all day, not only to limit the number of people coming in, but to sanitise the baskets and trolleys and stuff,” he says.
With hygiene a main priority, they have also invested heavily in a fogging machine to regularly disinfect the store. “We got a fogging machine which is a machine that kills 99% of bacteria and viruses and once a week we would walk around the shop to spray the whole shop with this fogging machine,” he adds.
They had lots of display stands all over the floors which were all removed to give people more space to walk around, making aisles wider for social distancing. They also switched deliveries as late as possible so the shops were being filled over night time rather than the day, thus avoiding staff and customers mixing all the time. Deliveries went directly to a warehouse, which again meant wider aisles for people to social distance.
Costcutter Heanor
“We increased obviously our cleaning, which we're still doing now, so all the touch points would be washed every two to three hours: the fridge door handles, baskets, key pads (of card machines), and anywhere people were touching quite a lot. We were making sure they were all wiped all the time, trying to stop this question of contamination,” he says.
He also ensured that customers could get everything they need for a full shop. At the height of the pandemic, they even hired vans to collect stock from suppliers who were no longer able to deliver. Key items were restricted to three per customer – “no prices were ever inflated,” he adds - including masks. When hand sanitizer was hard to find, he worked with their supplier to offer customers a refill station where they could bring empty bottles and refill them in-store.
“We offered free home deliveries to vulnerable and elderly customers. NHS workers offered 10 per cent discount in-store,” he adds.
Safety, still in place
Pate has five convenience stores, all under Costcutter fascia, and a Bargain Booze outlet. He has ensured that staff at his stores were taken care of, when it comes to their safety.
“Our staff have gone above and beyond, coming in every day even at the height of the pandemic. We ensure all staff are provided with all PPE equipment including masks, visors and gloves. Any staff that had to travel on public transport we were paying for them to travel by Uber so that they didn't have to use public transport during the pandemic,” he explains.
Pete also ensured that they have been rewarded throughout the pandemic for their hard work with regular bonuses.
He has taken these measures at all of his stores, and many of these are still in place even after the pandemic restrictions are ended. “The cleaning schedule is continuing. The screens are still in place, hand sanitisers are still in place. We're still supplying all the PPE for the staff. We're asking the staff to still wear masks. We've still got posters up asking the customers if they can to wear a mask but we're not enforcing it,” he explains.
Costcutter Southborough store
The mask rules were often a source of contention in many a store, especially when the government made them mandatory, sometimes leading to abuse, and even violence, against shop staff. Pete, however, says their customers have been very respectful of the staff and other shoppers.
“The way we approached the customers, obviously customers that were not wearing masks, we just asked them politely and said’ look if you can, wear a mask, or if you've forgotten a mask, we have a mask’, and we offered them a disposable mask for free,” he explains, adding that they never actually had an issue where people, saving the one or two, are not happy or wouldn't wear it.
“Most of the time what we found it wasn't people didn't want to wear it. People were not used to bring it on with them at the beginning. So we used to just have a box of masks available to customers and then we offered a mask and if they said ‘oh no I can't wear it’ then obviously we let them carry on,” he adds.
Pete believes that shoppers now expect better hygiene standards at stores. “I think it's important that they feel confident when they come into the store: they can see the standards are high, they can see the baskets are being wiped every time, and it's not overcrowded,” he says.
In fact, at some of the smaller stores, he has still kept the one way system in place.
Sustainable steps
Pete is also a pioneer in sustainability and zero waste who makes sure to move away from pre-packed fruit and vegetables and introduce packaging refill stations for store cupboard essentials whenever he does a refit to his stores.
At his Brockley, Lewisham store, they now use recycled paper bags for loose produce, that are much in demand as many of the customers live in shared housing or flats and don’t prefer big bags of produce. They have also introduced specialist bags for organic cooking ingredients, nuts and pulses and all are sold in biodegradable packaging.
The Southborough, Tunbridge Wells store, opened in September last year, has a refill station, which is now dutifully supported by the shoppers. “During the pandemic, it wasn't too fast because obviously people weren't happy with open, they weren’t open, there’s a seal, but people were handling stuff. They were a bit concerned. But since the turn of the year, it's picking up nicely,” he notes.
His latest store at Meopham, Gravesham , which is scheduled for a full refit and expansion in December before re-launching in January next year, will also have the refill station.
Refill station at Costcutter Southborough store
Pete takes a meticulous, data-driven approach to store refurbishments, and thoroughly researches the area and demographic. When he did the refit of his Brockley store in 2018, he carried out a couple of surveys, one inside the store and one of customers that were not visiting the store, in addition to the data on their customer persona from Costcutter’s Shopper First programme.
The independent survey revealed that they weren’t offering enough promotions, pricing was too high and there was a demand for a more extensive vegan offering. They did the refit based on the feedback, creating designated vegan spaces throughout the store, in chilled, ambient and frozen categories. Vegan sales would double after the refit, with the store becoming the destination for vegan foods in the area.
At Southborough, he worked with Costcutter’s store development team to convert the site into a modern convenience store offering shoppers a wide range of fresh food and the option of doing a ‘full shop’ closer to home. The 1600 sq ft store achieved 200 per cent of its sales target in the first week itself.
Costcutter Southborough
And he hopes to do an encore at Meopham. “Its complete refurbishment, we're doubling the size of the shop (currently 900 sq ft) and then it's going to be a total rewire. Everything is going to be brand new.”
Ready meals will be a focus of the store, as the Shopper First programme has pinpointed Younger Tonighters - looking for fresh easy meals to go - representing a fair share of all shopper personas.
Pete notes that, generally, more people are eating at home now, and their visits to restaurants have slowed down. Alcohol sales are also on the rise as people are staying away from crowded pubs. Across his stores, he is taking steps to tap into these opportunities.
“We're just making sure that we cover more of those requirements. We notice more people are going into premium wines than the basic ones. We've just increased our premium range. Where we can, we try to get the COOK frozen meals in,” he says. “Because what we're noticing [is that] the customers are quite happy to come in for a COOK meal and a bottle of wine.”
Finding chinks in multiple's armor
Alongside looking at what the requirements are in the area, Pete also makes sure that he looks at what the competition is doing. And if it's a multiple competition - Tesco is just four doors away from the Meopham store – he will be looking more at what they're not doing good at.
“We will concentrate on that because we know we can compete on what they're not good at,” he says. “We're not going to affect their business. We're not going to close a Tesco down. But I feel there's enough market share for all of us to have enough trade.”
Costcutter Brockley
This is a tried and tested formula for him, something he did splendidly at this Brockley store, which has two Sainsbury’s, a Co-op and independently owned convenience stores all within walking distance. Each of the small sections they introduced as a point of difference, be it the vegan range or the craft beers, they had to later increase as departments. The store’s vegan range has become so extensive and successful, it prompted the local Sainsbury’s store to reduce their vegan offering and direct shoppers to them instead.
He is planning to do more food to go at Meopham, with a deli counter and all. “It's not just standard food to go. We're going to push cheeses and stuff like that. Again, it's something that the Tesco doesn't do. It's different to what they're doing,” he notes.
Pete also picks a lot of ideas from across the pond. “I do a lot of research online and a lot what's going on in the US and Canada. Especially the food to go areas like the milkshakes and stuff, I just see what's coming there,” he says.
Costcutter Southborough store
While food to go sales generally went down last year as a result of the pandemic restrictions, Pete observes that the sales are now back to pre-pandemic levels. On the other hand, overall sales are down on last year when compared to the peaks of last year (their weekly sales at Brockley rose from £40,000 to £120,000 at the height of the pandemic!), but still on average 20 per cent up on the pre-pandemic levels.
They are also resuming their community engagement activities this month, with a barbecue event at the Southborough store. “A local butcher is going to get involved and all the money we raise, will go to the chosen charity (Macmillan Cancer Support).
He believes home delivery, which picked up pace during the pandemic, is going to be an important part of the business going forward. They only have it in one store presently, but his aim is to create their own platform once they expand the service to one or two more stores.
Follow the trends
Pete’s parents bought their first shop in 1980, in Orpington, Kent, when he was just five. They still own their second shop in Brentwood, where he also has the Bargain Booze store. His other store is in Heanor, Derbyshire, bought in 2016 alongside the Brockley site.
He has been brought up around shops all his life, joining the trade filling shelves by colour. He believes one need to focus on trends to stay on top in the ever-evolving convenience retail landscape, and he would also tell his fellow retailers to focus on their shops. “Don't worry about what next door is doing or, or the shop across the road. Focus on your own shop.”
Costcutter Southborough store
He also thinks it's important to delegate. “As a retailer, you can't do everything yourself. If you've got a good team or staff around, you then delegate stuff to them, because they'll probably do it just as good as what you can. And it just frees your time up,” he notes.
Running six stores, he explains how store managers and staff play a crucial role in his business. “I get the start, and make sure they feel part of the store. They're always in the front line. So if you've got an event, I make sure they're always involved in that. And I keep the store managers up to date with any decisions I'm making in the background which affect the store.”
And, at the end of the day, a positive feedback from the customer is what makes him feel good. “Because everyone's really quick to give negative feedback,” he notes. “But when we get positive, which happens quite often, you know, we will get an email sent to the store saying how happy they were with the service, or great the store looks. And that's what makes me happy.”
“When someone takes the time out to just say, ‘I'm happy with what you've done’, it makes you feel good.”
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.”