Premium e-liquid and vape juice brand Zeus Juice is all set to open their new retail store in Glasgow city centre.
This is the third store in Scotland for the company, following the store openings in both Perth and Inverness.
The new store located on Byres Road is scheduled to open at the beginning of September. It will offer a broad selection of premium quality juices and flavours from the gamut of Zeus brands alongside hardware and accessories.
Zeus will hold the opening celebrations on 9 September, with exclusive promotions and free samples.
“When I first established Zeus in my Birmingham kitchen, I never would have believed that ten years later we would be opening a third store in Scotland,” Paul Curtis, owner of Zeus Juice, commented.
“While we have a brilliant local community in our home region, we are thrilled that Zeus and its brands are being so well received here and that we are well on our way to supporting the local communities in quitting smoking for good.”
Founded almost a decade ago by Curtis, the Zeus Group has expanded from its humble beginnings to spanning across two operational units in Erdington, near Birmingham, and supplying over 700 vape stores across the UK.
The Brookfield Group, through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally Heart of the Community Awards, has donated £5,000 to the Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH) Charity.
The donation will support the ‘We Care into the Future’ event, an initiative designed to inspire Doncaster’s young people to consider careers in health and care sector.
The Brookfield Group, which operates locally through Brookfield Filling Station on Hampole Balk Lane in Doncaster, provides BP fuel and a convenience store that offers over 2,000 Co-op product lines.
Brookfield’s support highlights its commitment to the local community by aiding programmes that foster career ambitions for young people.
Launched as a joint initiative between DBTH NHS Foundation Trust and Hall Cross Academy, the ‘We Care into the Future’ event has grown significantly since its inception in 2019.The programme, initially attended by 600 students, welcomed over 2,000 Year 8 students from Doncaster in 2024.
This year’s event showcased 50 interactive stalls and presented students with hands-on exposure to over 350 different career pathways in healthcare.
The experience allows students to follow a simulated patient journey, introducing them to diverse roles, from clinical to technical and administrative fields. The impact of ‘We Care into the Future’ is profound in Doncaster, a region marked as an “educational cold spot” due to low levels of educational opportunity.
In 2022, 32.4 per cent of children in Doncaster lived in relative poverty, and financial barriers often limit access to experiences that expand career aspirations. This event seeks to bridge that gap by offering free, accessible opportunities for young people to envision a future in health and social care.
Ismail Patel, Director at The Brookfield Group, commented: “Supporting community projects is at the heart of what we do. We don’t just want to be a retailer; we want to inspire future generations in the communities we serve. The Doncaster & Bassetlaw initiative aligns perfectly with our ethos, and we are proud to support it through the Heart of the Community award.”
Kelly Turkhud, Head of Widening Participation at DBTH, added: “We’re over the moon to receive £5,000 in support our 'We Care into the Future' event. The event is a fantastic opportunity for local young people to explore a wide range of opportunities within the health and care sector, helping to spark conversations about their career aspirations.“
"By showcasing a variety of roles, we hope to inspire the young people in our communities to become the talented future workforce of the NHS.”
Through its contribution, The Brookfield Group ensures that Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals Charity can continue providing free access to this critical career-building event, keeping it inclusive for students across Doncaster.
Through its partnership with MADL, The Brookfield Group has now donated over £30,000 to the local communities it serves.
Wholesale giant Booker has launch its fourth colleague network Disability at Booker.
The network joins the Women@Booker, Race & Ethnicity, and LGBTQ+ networks already in operation at the cash and carry and wholesale business.
“Our networks are here to help us celebrate our differences, amplify the voices of our diverse colleagues and where allies can show their support. A huge thank you to everyone involved in bringing our new network to life,” said a Booker spokesperson.
Booker has also been accredited as a Disability Confident Committed employer. Disability Confident is a government scheme that encourages employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people.
The Booker spokesperson said that the accreditation is part of its work “to positively shift attitudes towards disability within the industry and our commitment to create a great place to work for everyone”.
Booker Group stated on social media, "Today, we’re marking International Day of Persons with Disabilities with the launch of our fourth colleague network – Disability at Booker.
"Our networks are here to help us celebrate our differences, amplify the voices of our diverse colleagues and where allies can show their support. A huge thank you to everyone involved in bringing our new network to life.
"We’re also delighted to announce that Booker is now a Disability Confident Committed employer, through the Disability Confident scheme – part of our work to positively shift attitudes towards disability within the industry and our commitment to create a great place to work for everyone."
A business selling a vape to a 13-year-old has been successfully prosecuted, and fined following interventions by Bedford Borough Council’s Trading Standards team in its ongoing efforts to protect young people from age-restricted products.
In April 2024, an intelligence led test purchase operation resulted in a 13-year-old test purchaser being sold a single-use vape at Bedford Fruit and Vegetables Ltd, located at 109 Midland Road, Bedford.
On Nov 26, Bedford Fruit and Vegetables Ltd was fined by Luton Magistrates Court and ordered to pay a total of £3,621, encompassing fines and costs. The Director, Farogh Sadeghi, did not attend the hearing, having previously entered a guilty plea by post.
This successful prosecution, follows previous interventions with the business in relation to the sale of tobacco related products including the provision of advice and guidance relating to underage sales, and marks the third such case brought forward by Bedford Borough Council's Trading Standards department in 2024.
Councillor Phillippa Martin-Moran-Bryant, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regulatory Services, expressed the Council's unwavering commitment to protecting children: “We take the protection of our young residents very seriously, the health risks associated to underage vaping are well documented.
"The prosecution of these traders demonstrates our resolve to uphold the law and ensure that businesses operate responsibly, especially when it comes to age-restricted products.”
Bedford Borough Council urges all retailers to prioritise staff training and implement robust procedures to prevent the sale of age-restricted products, such as vapes, to minors. Failure to comply will result in strict enforcement action.
Stoke Convenience Store in Aylesbury has been served with a one-month closure order for selling counterfeit and illegal vapes, cigarette and tobacco products.
Demonstrating its zero-tolerance towards illegal trade, Buckinghamshire Council has issued closure orders against three businesses.
In November, Smokey World, in Castle Street, High Wycombe, was issued with a closure order by Wycombe Magistrates to run for three months and later the same month Red Power in Aylesbury was also served with a closure order for a period of three months.
Most recently, Stoke Convenience Store in Stoke Road, Aylesbury, was served with a one-month closure order at a hearing at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on Dec 3.
All three premises had been subject to investigations by officers from Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards, having been caught selling a variety of illicit products including illegal vapes, counterfeit cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco in test purchasing exercises carried out by undercover officers.
A number of operations involving tobacco detection dogs were also carried out at the locations. These specialist canines are trained to sniff out cigarettes and tobacco that is hidden from sight. At Smokey World the dogs were able to locate counterfeit good concealed behind sophisticated false wall panels. Stoke Convenience Store was also caught selling both regular vapes and alcohol to underage shoppers.
The closure orders were sought under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, and mean neither of the premises is allowed to open for trade during the three month/one month period respectively. If the orders are breached, those involved are liable for arrest and could receive up to 51 weeks in prison, or a fine, or both.
Mark Winn, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Homelessness and Regulatory Services said: “These are brilliant result for the council and for the residents of Buckinghamshire. Counterfeit goods like these are a menace to our society and undermine the interests of law-abiding retailers who do not compete on a level playing field.
"They have no regard for the impact their illegal activity has on legitimate local businesses trying to make an honest living. Equally, selling alcohol and even legal vapes to those who are underage is against the law and we will crack down on those who seek to ignore the law in this respect.”
Mark added: “Let this be a warning, such criminality will not be tolerated in Buckinghamshire. Our Trading Standards officers proactively assess compliance and will use all appropriate sanctions available to them to stop unscrupulous retailers from flouting the law.”
Select & Save, Select & Save, claimed to be the UK’s sole independent symbol group, is launching an Aldi Price Match next year as it looks to ramp up its proposition to independent retailers.
The symbol group will be comparing prices on up to three branded lines stocked at Aldi per four-week promotional period.
The group stated on social media, "We also provide price comparisons for each promotional period with ALDI starting in 2025.
"The consumers we serve need to know we’re competitive, and retailers must have an edge with a retail-focused approach—not just wholesaler-driven promotions that serve their own interests."
Additionally, Select & Save is offering a 5 per cent wastage allowance on retailers' weekly chilled spend.
The group stated, "Select & Save is offering a 5 per cent wastage allowance on your weekly chilled spend, for example, if you spend £1,000, we will contribute £50 towards your wastage for 16 weeks to help grow your chilled business.
"This is in addition to our tiered rebates, which offer up to 5.5 per cent on purchases (excluding tobacco)."
It comes a month after it was reported that Select & Save has initiated the rollout of its new identity across its UK estate. Over the past year, the group has invested in its brand to distinguish itself in "an increasingly bland and static market".
Boasting the youngest management team among the UK convenience symbol groups, Select & Save has collaborated with industry experts to redefine its offerings for both retailers and shoppers.
Notably, Select & Save offers a Relief Manager service at no cost, allowing retailers to take well-deserved breaks — a first in the industry.
As a part of its wider strategy to differentiate, store designs have been revamped to enhance inclusivity and visual appeal. The new concept features a distinctive layout with an upgraded colour system, assigning specific colours to each section for an improved shopping experience.
The first rebranded Select & Save store is now open at Calder Drive, Walmley, Birmingham.