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Trade association welcomes Home Office ‘back-to-basics’ retail crime promise

13 Sep 2023

The recent pledge by police forces across England and Wales to pursue every lead that holds a reasonable chance of apprehending criminals and solving crimes has been welcomed by Bira, which... Read more…

Hidden basement bar in Liverpool named 'best vegan restaurant' in Britain

12 Sep 2023

A family-run Liverpool restaurant hidden inside a basement is officially Britain's best vegan venue.
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Shoplifters working in organised groups targeting shops with co-ordinated raids

11 Sep 2023

A warning has been issued that shoplifters in the UK are becoming increasingly “emboldened” and appear to be often orchestrated by organised criminal groups, which steal to order,... Read more…

Shops urged to prepare for single-use plastics ban coming into force on 1 October

11 Sep 2023

It has been suggested that some shop owners may be unaware or unprepared for the upcoming change to regulations on single-use plastics on plates, bowls, trays, containers, cutlery and balloon... Read more…

National Lottery retailers urged to transfer retail agreement to new operator.

30 Aug 2023

Allwyn, incoming operator of The National Lottery, has urged independent National Lottery retailers to log on to its new online retailer portal via Read more…

Retailers sceptical about Home Secretary’s call for ‘every theft’ to be investigated.

30 Aug 2023

Shop owners have expressed scepticism that the Home Secretary's recent call for every theft to be investigated by the police will come to fruition, suggesting that police resources are already... Read more…

Consumer confidence shows ‘renewed optimism’ against falling core inflation

29 Aug 2023

Consumer confidence is showing “renewed optimism” against a backdrop of falling core inflation, new figures suggest.
 
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Coventry shop owners launch street market to bring more people into the area

29 Aug 2023

Shop owners in a part of Coventry have rallied together to launch a street market, with hopes of boosting the number of people that visit the area.
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Indies drinks retailers short-changed in government duty consultation

16 Aug 2023

Independent quality drinks retailers were woefully underrepresented among those consulted by government over the duty changes now hitting businesses, it has been claimed, after industry magazine... Read more…

Online bookshop hits £3 million for independent sellers

16 Aug 2023

Online bookshop Bookshop.org has reached its target of raising £3 million in profit for independent booksellers in its fight for them to “thrive in the world of ecommerce”.
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Cost of living crisis forcing Britons to shun local for big brands

Posted on in Business News, Cycles News, Creative News, Outdoor News

National media has reported that most Britons say that the cost-of-living crisis is forcing them to shun local shops in favour of big brands to get the cheapest prices.

In research commissioned by Santander UK, eight in ten claim the rising cost of living is forcing them to shop with big brands and national retailers to get the cheapest possible prices, even though many would prefer to shop local.

Shopping

Just 21% of those surveyed said they like to support small, local shops due to better customer service, distinctive products and a sense of community.

Meanwhile, a disturbing 80% of SMEs said they were struggling to compete with lower prices offered by national brands, while 72% said they were losing customers over it.

As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, 73 % felt that the current economic climate makes it harder for them to compete. More than two thirds of small shops admitted that spiralling inflation had forced them to raise prices.

This has also hurt their customer base, with 42% of individuals saying that soaring bills and mortgage rates have already forced them to look for the cheapest available options.

This comes after a relative boom for local shop owners, which saw 67% of SMEs receive an influx of customers during the pandemic, dissipated.

More than half of consumers said that they had tried harder to support smaller retailers between March 2020 and 2022. Those numbers have fallen this year as a quarter of shoppers have scaled back their local spending due to rising costs, despite 47% enjoying the friendliness of local outlets.

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