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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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Federation of Independent Retailers says more needed to be done to support smaller businesses in Wales

Posted on in Business News

Whilst it has welcomed some elements of the Welsh Retail Action plan, the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) said more is needed to be done to support smaller businesses.

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The Fed claimed that the extension of business rate relief through 2023 and 2024; the creation of a new scheme to support those facing an increase in rate liability; and provision of non-domestic rate relief of up to 75%, were positive steps.

However, it stated that the intended increased support for retail workers seemed to benefit bigger businesses, such as the supermarket chains, and raised the question of how the government would help smaller independents with staff development.

The Fed’s National President Jason Birks said: “While it is good to see that the retail action plan recognises the important contribution that smaller retailers make to the economy and local communities, we feel it doesn’t offer much in the way of assurances to those businesses.

“We believe our organisation should have a seat on the Wales Retail Forum so that the issues affecting our members, many of whom are newsagents and local convenience stores, are taken into serious consideration.

“Retail crime continues to be an area of major concern for our members, with shoplifting, physical and verbal abuse faced by many on a daily basis.

“While we fully support initiatives such as the ‘Be Kind’ campaign and appreciate the government looking out for retail workers, it needs to look at the root causes of this rise of abuse and how to reduce it through the establishment of business crime partnerships and initiatives.

“The retail action plan forms a good basis of ideas, but more communication is needed on the timescale of the rollout and details of the plan, and how the Welsh government and the Wales Retail Forum intend to meet their goals.”

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