The number of shoppers on Britain's high streets fell by 2.6 per cent over the weekend as the highly contagious Omicron variant of coronavirus kept people at home, market research company Springboard said on Monday.
Shopper numbers plunged 8.5 per cent in central London on 18-19 December, compared with the number of people out a week earlier, Springboard said. Footfall dropped 6.4 per cent in cities outside of the capital.
The outcome was better in smaller market towns, shopping centres and retail parks, with footfall up 3.4 per cent, 0.5 per cent and 4.7 per cent respectively.
Separate figures from trade body UKHospitality showed a 40 per cent fall in takings over the weekend and deep gloom about the prospects for New Year's Eve.
Officials first voiced concern about the Omicron variant on 25 November. Two weeks later Prime Minister Boris Johnson stepped up Covid-19 restrictions in England, asking people to work from home, wear masks in public places and use certificates of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test to slow the spread.
Springboard said total shopper numbers over the week to 18 December, traditionally one of the biggest shopping weeks of the year, were up 5.5 per cent versus the previous week.
The gap in footfall from the 2019 level was 19.1 per cent last week, but footfall was 22.5 per cent above 2020 when many shops were closed during a general lockdown.
"The growing nervousness of consumers meant that (footfall) increases dwindled with each day that passed," said Springboard director Diane Wehrle. "This provided a forewarning for subdued performance of bricks and mortar stores and destinations over the weekend, which ... is exactly what occurred."
Omicron has heightened fears of a muted end to the year. Last week electricals retailer Currys said its market had softened and online fashion retailer Boohoo warned on profit.
But while Britain's economy looks set to take another hit from the latest wave of the pandemic, analysts believe it is unlikely to be anything like as severe as the plunge when the country went into its first lockdown last year.
Pantheon Macroeconomics estimated the economy was currently on course to shrink by 1 per cent between November and January.
That would grow to a 2 per cent contraction if the government reverts to controls it introduced last spring - which included limiting pubs and restaurants to outdoor table service - or a 6 per cent slump in the event of a full lockdown, Pantheon said.
By comparison, Britain's economy shrank by 19 per cent in the April-June period of last year.
Manufacturers remained upbeat in a survey from the Confederation of British Industry on Monday.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been discussing possible new support measures for the hospitality industry, which has borne the brunt of the Omicron impact.
"The industry urgently needs grants for short-term business survival and an extension to business rates relief and the lower VAT (value-added tax) rate to secure longer term survival," Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said.
A survey from the Tourism Alliance showed a third of pubs, bars and restaurants had no cash reserves left, with 10 per cent of pubs and 14 per cent of restaurants very likely to fail, UKHospitality said.
Snappy Shopper, the UK’s leading quick-commerce platform, has entered into a ground breaking strategic partnership with Foodhub, one of the country’s fastest-growing online food ordering platforms.
Through this collaboration, customers will now gain convenient access to Snappy’s wide selection of grocery items alongside Foodhub’s popular range of local restaurant offerings.
This innovative partnership, building on recent partnerships with Allwyn UK, Booker Wholesale and One Stop Retail, combines Snappy Shopper’s market-leading in-store grocery technology with Foodhub’s established takeaway platform, creating an “all-in-one” experience for customers. Through this integration, customers can now order groceries from Snappy Shopper’s UK wide network of convenience stores, directly with the Foodhub app.
The collaboration aims to enhance convenience for shoppers at the same time as maximising the audience reach for Snappy’s retail partners, at no additional cost.
Mike Callachan, CEO of Snappy Shopper, said, "Our mission at Snappy Shopper is to fuel growth for retailers and bring unmatched convenience to communities. “With partnerships like those we’ve recently established with Allwyn UK, Booker Wholesale, One Stop Retail and now with Foodhub, we’re expanding access for both small and large retailers to reach more customers - by taking the best that local convenience stores have to offer, directly to digital customers. We will continue to innovate and create new opportunities for our retailers to grow their sales during a period when market conditions are tough.”
Snappy Shopper’s market leading in-store tech can now be used to accept orders from multiple platforms. It's order aggregation feature ensures that orders are received seamlessly, arriving directly on the existing in-store devices for quick and efficient fulfilment using the already established in store process our retailers are familiar with.
This enhancement allows Snappy Shopper’s retailers to access online customers across multiple channels while managing in-store operations with one streamlined system. Launching with a phased rollout, select Snappy Shopper stores will initially join Foodhub’s marketplace, with plans to expand nationwide.
Ardian Mula, CEO of Foodhub, said: "Foodhub's partnership with Snappy makes life even easier for our loyal customers. They're now going to be able to order essential groceries from store to door in around just 30 minutes at the tap of a button through our app. And, as the UK's fastest growing takeaway marketplace platform, this partnership means we're going to offer even more people the chance to enjoy their food and drink at great value prices."
Snappy Shopper listed grocery, convenience and retail stores that are interested in availing of this opportunity are encouraged to reach out to their dedicated point-of-contact, or if new and keen to explore delivery fill in this form.
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.