A group of children are shoplifting from stores in Goring many times a day and leaving staff “terrified”, states a recent report.
The Co-op in Field Place Parade, Goring, has reported a spate of incidents in the last few months. Several shopkeepers in the area say problems have got worse since the beginning of this year, states a local report.
The customer claims to have witnessed at least eight different incidents involving children at the Co-op and has taken pictures on two occasions.
Incidents have also happened at McColl's convenience store, 100 meters away from Co-op in Field Place Parade, which is alleged to have been targeted for alcohol and vapes in the past.
Most recently he has seen youngsters "throwing shopping baskets", alcohol allegedly being stolen and several other items being taken on what is claimed to be a daily basis.
Most stolen items being shoplifted are alcohol, vapes, a plasterboard saw and spray paint. There are concerns from shopkeepers and residents that justice is not being done.The Co-op customer, who lives in the Worthing area but asked not to be named, said the “rampant and crazy” behaviour is not being punished.
It was also reported earlier that a Budgens shop worker fought off a 14-year-old with a knife.
This week we revealed how a wave of youth criminality in Worthing led transport police to create a 'wanted' style poster of 30 children to watch out for - dubbed the "West Coast Nominals".
Earlier this month, Sussex police arrested three boys after they went into the Co-op and allegedly assaulted staff by "throwing shopping baskets". The customer claims a shopworker had to take time off work as a result.
Sussex Police said they continue to respond to “concerns regarding antisocial behaviour from a small group of young people in and around the Worthing locality”.
A Co-op spokesman said: “Retail crime, violence, abuse and antisocial behaviour affects all retailers, and should not be part of the job when shop workers are working hard to serve their communities.Co-op has successfully campaigned for stricter sentences for attacks against shopworkers.”
The record low consumer confidence, as revealed in the latest industry data, will create significant challenges for independent retailers in the coming months, leading retailers' body has warned.
The latest BRC Consumer Sentiment Monitor for February 2025 shows a concerning decline in consumer outlook, with pessimism in the economy continuing to increase and rising to a record high.
UK confidence has dropped nearly 40 points since July 2024 while consumer outlook towards the UK economy over the next three months has reached its lowest level (-4pp), continuing its decline since October.
Independent retailers body Bira warns that these figures represent a concerning trend for high street retailers.
Commenting on the BRC figures, Jeff Moody, Commercial Director for Bira, said, "The latest BRC Consumer Sentiment Monitor paints a worrying picture for independent retailers.
"These figures align with what our members are telling us - over 57 per cent of independent retailers surveyed by Bira reported feeling somewhat or highly unconfident about business prospects for the remainder of Q1 2025, with 56% expressing the same lack of confidence for the rest of the year.
"With consumers actively looking to reduce spending and seeking out cheaper alternatives, independent retailers face significant headwinds.
"This situation is exacerbated by the upcoming cost increases set to take effect from April, including higher National Insurance contributions, National Minimum Wage rises, and Business Rates increases.
"We're particularly concerned about the shift in consumer spending towards essentials only, with many planning to purchase fewer items from both physical and online stores.
"The slight uptick in those expecting to use foodbanks is a troubling indicator of the financial pressure many households are facing.
"Independent retailers will need to focus on their unique value proposition during these challenging times while we continue to advocate for policy measures that support both consumers and the independent retail sector."
Bira has been at the forefront of championing the cause of independent traders and shopkeepers across Britain.
Its campaigns cover a wide spectrum of issues such as rising tide of retail crime, advocating for changes in legislation that promote fairness and flexibility, fairer business rates, regulatory burden and £1 billion damages claim against Amazon by UK retailers.
A first-of-its-kind, Government-funded hydrogen demonstration has been completed at a Kellogg’s factory in the UK, making it the first food manufacturer in the country to produce cereal using this method.
The three-week demonstration, part of the HyNet Industrial Fuel Switching programme, replaced fossil fuel gas with hydrogen to power the toasting oven at the factory. The hydrogen fuelled process successfully produced Corn Flakes, Bran Flakes, Special K and Rice Krispies.
This comes after Kellanova UK was selected to receive £3 million funding by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in 2023.
The HyNet Industrial Fuel Switching Two programme is funded through the UK Government’s £55m Industrial Fuel Switching Competition, as part of the £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP).
The demonstration showcased the role that hydrogen can play to support industry decarbonisation, and forms an important part of the manufacturer’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as part of its Better Days promise.
As of the end of 2024, Kellanova has achieved a reduction of 54 per cent in Europe for its scope one and two greenhouse gas emissions, putting it well on track towards its commitment of a 63 per cent reduction in scope one and two emissions across its European operations by the end of 2030.
As well as showcasing the potential of hydrogen in food manufacturing, the demonstration also provided key learning and upskilling opportunities to employees.
“The production of our cereal using hydrogen is an exciting first for us," said Sam Bistiaux, Vice President of Manufacturing at Kellogg manufacturer Kellanova. "It’s a significant moment for our people, our operations, and the industry as a whole as it demonstrates the potential of investing in low carbon fuels to drive decarbonisation. We are excited to be at the pioneering edge of this process, with the technology still in its infancy, and the long-term potential truly transformative.
“As we look to continue reducing our carbon footprint, we hope that sharing examples of best practice and learnings from the demonstration can equip other businesses with the confidence and know-how to do the same, so that we can take urgent and collective action towards a greener future.”
David Parkin, Chair of the HyNet Alliance, added: “It’s been fantastic to see the results of this demonstration, as part of HyNet’s Industrial Fuel Switching 2 programme, and to see the positive impact investment in hydrogen could have for industry, society, and the planet. ”
InPost Group, a leading provider of logistics solutions for the European e-commerce industry, announces the launch of Send, a ground-breaking delivery service that allows anyone to send a label-less parcel directly from the InPost app. This new end-to-end delivery solution leverages InPost’s market-leading footprint in the UK and is destined to transform the UK postal and delivery market.
Launching today (24) February, Send will enable consumers to post parcels from one InPost Locker to another, an out-of-home (OOH) point such as a PickUp and Drop Off (PUDO) location, or directly to their chosen home address. Accessible through the InPost app, this service offers a convenient and seamless way to send parcels without needing a label, giving both customers and receivers complete visibility and assurance through real-time tracking. In addition, pricing is simple and transparent - parcels up to 15kg can be sent based on size: small, medium, and large.
The launch of Send marks a key milestone in InPost’s strategic growth journey in the UK, its fastest-growing market, and is a game-changing alternative to traditional postal services. As the postal market faces increasing demands for modernisation and efficiency, InPost’s model offers a more convenient, flexible, and clearer approach to parcel delivery.
This launch follows InPost’s commitment to invest £600m in its UK operations by 2029, following its exponential growth in the UK where it delivered 93.2 million parcels in 2024, double the volume from 2023. As part of its strategic growth, InPost has firmly positioned itself as a full-service logistics provider in the UK, expanding beyond locker solutions to out-of-home (OOH) and direct-to-door options.
The strategic acquisition of Menzies Distribution in October 2024 gave InPost full control over its entire logistics process – covering first mile, middle mile, and last mile - seamlessly connecting to its network of OOH points across the UK. This move built on InPost’s investment in 2023 to leverage Menzies’ logistics expertise. In addition, the partnership with Yodel in October 2024 - for to-door deliveries from lockers, where Yodel handles parcels through the InPost ‘locker-to-door ’ service - enhances InPost’s offering to e-commerce retailers and further reinforces InPost’s leadership in the parcel delivery market.
The introduction of Send to the UK market represents another significant landmark in InPost’s mission to provide innovative market-leading parcel solutions and expand its operations in the UK.
Send comes at a critical time in the industry as traditional postal services face repeated criticism for poor service and delivery performance, leading to rising demands for modernisation and efficiency. InPost’s new innovative service provides a timely and forward-thinking alternative that offers customers a modern, reliable, and efficient solution to meet the evolving demands of customers.
“Send marks a pivotal moment for both InPost and the wider UK postal market, bringing the parcel experience up to date with consumers’ lifestyles," said Neil Kuschel, CEO of InPost UK. "We are proud to introduce this new service that directly meets those needs and drives increased competition in the industry. This new service, paired with our easy to use app, complements our leading UK service and continued investment, demonstrating InPost's commitment to continually modernising parcel delivery and driving innovation in the industry."
After the success of the James Hall & Co's revamped one-day event that debuted in 2024, SPAR Inspire is returning for 2025. This year, the focus of the event will be an insight driven programme on the future of convenience retail.
Returning to Harrogate Convention Centre, SPAR Inspire will bring together current and prospective SPAR independent retailers on Thursday 10th April with James Hall & Co. Ltd’s G&E Murgatroyd company-stores division to connect and share ideas and initiatives.
Keynote speakers include Andrew and Dominic Hall, Joint Managing Directors of James Hall & Co. Ltd, and recently appointed Managing Director of SPAR UK, Michael Fletcher, who will give oversight on SPAR’s focus areas in the UK market.
Scheduled topics to be covered off by other speakers on an action-packed morning agenda include:
Niels Dekkers, IT and Marketing Director – IT updates and customer campaigns
Fiona Drummond, Company Stores Director – Value and promotion strategies
Wilf Whittle, Trading Controller – Fresh produce developments
Peter Dewhurst, Food To Go and Fresh Food Sales Manager – Meal solutions and category project results
Peter Dodding, Sales Director – Coffee success stories and Food To Go development
SPAR independent retailer and Northern Guild member Bhavesh Parekh will also present to delegates, highlighting the progress of his business since joining SPAR through its association with James Hall & Co. Ltd in 2016.
Following the morning sessions, retailers will be able to engage with an expanded number of 58 big brand suppliers in the afternoon tradeshow.
James Hall & Co. Ltd’s brands will be showcased with Cheeky Coffee and Ann Forshaw’s, Fazilas, while the recently rebranded Clayton Park Bakery will have dedicated positions in the exhibition hall alongside an extended area for SPAR brand products.
There will be chilled out Inspiration Hub where retailers can catch up, and the day will close with a relaxed, informal social evening of food and drinks, with entertainment provided by Bingo Lingo.
Peter Dodding, Sales Director and Chairman of the SPAR Northern Guild said, “Last’s years retailer event set the bar high for 2025, but we feel we have risen to the challenge with SPAR Inspire to showcase our outstanding community retailing, wholesaling, and manufacturing.
“We have an insight rich agenda across a range of category areas for retailers to take inspiration from, with a tradeshow following on which is 30 per cent larger than last year and full of brands and products that thrive in the convenience sector.
“The tradeshow has been incentivised again this year giving one lucky retailer the opportunity to win up to £10,000 worth of stock, and this adds impetus to engage with our valued suppliers and take advantage of the superb deals they will bring with them for the occasion.
“We are really looking forward to welcoming all of our retail family at SPAR Inspire and to provide them with knowledge and learnings to take home and drive sales and profit through their SPAR stores.”
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.
Post Office Horizon scandal victim Seema Misra OBE has slammed the government for paying "£40 million" to extend its contract with Fujitsu to continue using the controversial Horizon IT software.
Speaking with Asian Trader, Misra questioned the government's real motive behind the contract renewal despite Horizon being in the centre of what is considered as Britain's biggest miscarriage of justice.
"The real question here is what does the government get this time to renew the contract with Fujitsu? They must have got something last time. They knew the system was flawed but they still brought the IT system into Post Office last time too.
"So what incentive or how much amount they are being offered this time that they have agreed to renew contract with Fujitsu to continue using Horizon in the Post Office branches?," asked the campaigner, who has recently been named OBE in the New Year honour's list for her unwavering commitment to justice.
At least 700 subpostmasters and subpostmistresses were wrongly prosecuted for apparent financial shortfalls which were actually caused by faults in the accounting software Horizon created by Fujitsu.
Accused of stealing £70,000 from her Post Office branch in West Byfleet, Surrey, Misra was sent to jail in 2010. She was eight weeks pregnant at the time. Her conviction was quashed in April 2021.
Last year during a hearing of Post Office Horizon scandal public enquiry, Misra rejected an apology from former Fujitsu engineer Gareth Jenkins, who was pivotal in helping the Post Office defend the faulty computer software system in criminal and civil cases.
At Misra's trial in 2010, he failed to tell the court about a bug in the software that could have undermined the case against her.
Despite the mountain of evidences that, inews revealed last week that the Post Office has renewed its contract with Fujitsu to continue using Horizon until March 2026 at a cost of £40.8 million.
The Post Office previously said it planned to replace Horizon with “new branch technology” but would maintain the old IT software until the new technology is developed.
Seema Misra (L-4) and Vijay Parekh (L-5) receive Ramniklal Solanki Editor’s Award at the 2024 Asian Trader Awards Asian Trader Awards
Responding to Fujitsu’s new contract, Horizon scandal campaigner Christopher Head OBE added, “We understand that in order to transition to a new system you have to maintain the old one until you get to the point that you are satisfied.
"In this circumstance, with the Post Office, you’d be more cautious given what’s happened with the previous system.”
Janet Skinner, aformer subpostmistress from Hull, was handed a nine-month sentence for theft in 2007 after £59,000 appeared to be missing from her Post Office branch.
She served three months of that sentence before being released with an electronic tag but was hospitalised in 2008 with a stress-related illness.
Commenting on the extension of Fujitsu’s contract, Skinner told inews, “It’s an insult. It’s like they are rewarding them for their bad behaviour.
“There needs to be accountability and accountability is not awarding contracts to a company that has been at the forefront of this scandal.
“It just infuriates me. Absolutely infuriates me. God knows what the other postmasters are feeling. It’s just like being kicked in the teeth.”