বিভাগসমূহ: প্রেস বিজ্ঞপ্তি

Give us the tools to help fight retail crime, say independent shop owners

The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has repeated calls for government grants to improve security in smaller stores, following the announcement of investment in facial recognition technology for police forces.

The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel said: “Ever since the number of incidents of shoplifting and other retail crime began to soar, we have lobbied politicians and the government to provide a targeted £6,500 grant scheme to improve security in smaller stores through CCTV and facial recognition.

“Following this latest initiative to give police forces hi-tech tools to tackle crime, now is the perfect time to help independent retailers boost their in-store security and dovetail with the police to deter criminals and catch repeat offenders.”

The Fed has also welcomed the Home Office’s announcement of the Police Reform White Paper and action to make police presence more visible as part of the Neighbourhood Police Guarantee.

Under the reforms, response officers will be expected to reach the scene of the most serious incidents within 15 minutes in cities and 20 minutes in rural areas, and forces will be expected to answer 999 phone calls within 10 seconds.

Mr Patel said: “For far too long we have raised the issue of a lack of police presence in local neighbourhoods and poor response times. As a result, many of our members have been reluctant to report every incident of shoplifting and abuse”

“Retail crime has reached epidemic proportions in recent years and is up 72 per cent compared to 2010 levels according to the Government’s own data.

“However, this does not paint the true picture. More than 70 per cent of Fed members reported direct experience of retail crime in the previous year, when last surveyed.

“The reforms announced by the government this week are to be applauded. Our members’ stores are more than just shops; they are hubs of local communities and must be protected.”

স্বাধীন খুচরা বিক্রেতারা স্কটিশ বাজেটে খুচরা অপরাধ বিষয়ক টাস্কফোর্সের জন্য তহবিলকে স্বাগত জানিয়েছেন

পুলিশ স্কটল্যান্ডের রিটেইল ক্রাইম টাস্কফোর্সের জন্য £3 মিলিয়ন তহবিল বজায় রাখার খবর স্বাধীন খুচরা বিক্রেতারা স্বাগত জানিয়েছেন।.

স্কটল্যান্ডে ফেডারেশন অফ ইন্ডিপেন্ডেন্ট রিটেলার্স (দ্য ফেড)-এর সদস্যরাও গতকালের (মঙ্গলবার, ১৩ জানুয়ারি) স্কটিশ বাজেটে ঘোষিত স্মল বিজনেস স্কিমের মাধ্যমে নন-ডমেস্টিক রেটসের উপর ছোট খুচরা ব্যবসায় কিছু সহায়তার ব্যাপারে সতর্কতার সাথে স্বাগত জানিয়েছেন।.

হুসাইন লাল, ফেডারেশনের Scottish President, বলেছেন: “আমরা Scottish Budget-এর বিস্তারিত তথ্য মূল্যায়ন করছি এবং কিছু আশাব্যঞ্জক খবর রয়েছে। Budget-এর আগে Shona Robison এবং SNP সরকারের সাথে আলোচনা করার পর, আমরা বিশেষ করে আনন্দিত যে Retail Crime Taskforce-কে বজায় রাখা হচ্ছে। এটি এমন একটি বিষয় যার জন্য আমরা তদবির করে আসছি, কারণ আমরা অল্প কিছু মাসের মধ্যেই Force-এর প্রভাব দেখে উৎসাহিত হয়েছি।".

“তবে, স্কটল্যান্ডের খুচরা বিক্রেতাদের জন্য এটি একটি চ্যালেঞ্জিং সময় রয়ে গেছে কারণ খুচরা অপরাধ বৃদ্ধি, উচ্চ খরচ এবং নতুন নিয়মকানুন, সেইসাথে মে মাসের পরে স্কটিশ সরকার এবং স্কটিশ পার্লামেন্টের কাছ থেকে কী আসবে সে সম্পর্কে অনিশ্চয়তা। উপরন্তু, আমরা স্কটল্যান্ডে ওয়েস্টমিনস্টারের রাজনৈতিক ভূমিকা পর্যবেক্ষণ করতে থাকব।.

“ফেড স্কটিশ সরকারকে ছোট স্বাধীন খুচরা বিক্রেতাদের, যেমন ফেডের সদস্যদের, খুচরা অপরাধ কমাতে পদক্ষেপের মাধ্যমে – যেমন লক্ষ্যযুক্ত নিরাপত্তা অনুদান এবং ব্যবসায়িক হার বিল নিয়ন্ত্রণ ও হ্রাস করে – এবং নির্বাচনের পরে ছোট দোকানগুলি রক্ষার জন্য আরও কাজের মাধ্যমে সমর্থন করার জন্য আহ্বান জানাবে।”

Fed Monitors the Development of DRS

The Fed has been busy working to assist the development of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for recycling scheme – which is due to launch in October 2027 with the aim of boosting recycling rates of bottles made of Steel, Aluminium and Plastic (PET) and the Fed will be sharing more information in the New Year about how they might start preparing for the scheme’s launch.

There is plenty still to be decided about how the scheme will be administered, but these are the main points to be aware of at the moment:

• Many of the logistical details of DRS still need to be finalised but customers looks set to be charged an additional 20p for buying a bottle which can then be reclaimed as an incentive for customers to return their bottles for recycling.
• Similar schemes are in place in a range of countries including Norway, Germany,  The Netherlands and Denmark.
• Some Fed already have first-hand experience of DRS given that it is already in place in the Republic of Ireland – and a delegation of the Fed’s senior leadership visited the Republic of Ireland in March 2025 to find out how the scheme was being administered in practice. According to some estimates, DRS in Ireland has led to an increase in recycling from 49% to over 90%.
• In the UK, The Fed currently serves on the advisory board of the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) which will administer the scheme – the DMO is a partnership involving Government officials and a range of business representatives, as well as other stakeholders.
• Bottles can be returned to businesses at a return receptacle like a manual box or in what is called a Reverse-Vending Machine (RVM) which compresses larger bottles and retailers will receive a small fee of a few pennies which could add up to a large value (in the Republic of Ireland it is  2.6 cents a container) or Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) collection (around 2.2 cents a container). The fee for the UK is set to be decided in 2026 and the Fed will be calling for the introduction of a high rate which is fair to our members.
• Not all Fed members will necessarily need to participate as they can apply for an exemption if their property has 100 square metres in size.
• However, retailers in the Republic of Ireland have commented that they have opted to instal a return location or RVM – even if they qualify for an exemption – because many customers value the convenience of returning bottles to small shops, rather than big supermarkets, and were losing out on footfall.
• Fed members will be aware that Scotland had planned to roll-out DRS in 2024 – but this was put on hold and now plans to join England and Northern Ireland (though Wales looks likely to introduce its own DRS scheme).
• Last year’s National President – Mo Razzaq – has been very supportive of DRS and conducted a trial showing how it could work, last winter (2024-2025).
• The Fed will be sharing more information about DRS in the New Year, but if you have any questions at this stage, please get in touch at douglas.oliver@nfrn.org.uk

Crime and policing minister meets senior Fed officials to discuss retail crime in small shops

Crime and policing minister Sarah Jones met with senior officials from the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) on Monday (December 15) to discuss the challenge of retail crime and the government’s response to it.

The meeting, which was attended by the Fed’s National President Hetal Patel and national vice president Hemanshu Patel, took place as the government was rolling out its Winter of Action initiative aimed at boosting neighbourhood police presence in order to tackle retail crime over the busy festive period. This follows the Safer Summer Streets initiative which the Fed has supported in the past.

During the meeting, the Fed discussed the government’s work to tackle retail crime including the Police and Crime Bill which will lead to the introduction of measures like the standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker. The extra resourcing announced in the government’s November Budget for trading standards was praised, although the Fed representatives called for a streamlined approach across government to ensure that rogue traders were the ones who were targeted rather than responsible retailers such as Fed members.

The Fed delegation mentioned that its membership of around 9,000 small independent retail business served as the lifeblood of communities around the country, but the direct and indirect costs of theft undermined their ability to create employment and serve their customers.

Hetal Patel said: “It was great to have the chance to meet with the minister face to face and to explain the heavy toll that retail crime has mentally, physically and financially on shop owners, their families and their employees. The minister listened carefully and responded well to our concerns. We look forward to working with the Home Office, police and other elements of law enforcement across national and local government in the coming months.”

Sarah Jones said: “Everybody deserves to feel safe going to work. That’s why we are introducing the new offence of assaulting a retail worker, which businesses have long campaigned for. We are also restoring neighbourhood policing with 3,000 extra officers by spring next year, and we have recently launched a dedicated Winter of Action to crack down on town centre crime over the festive period.

“But we know there’s more to be done, so I would like to thank the Fed team for speaking with me and I look forward to working with them in the new year.”

This was the first meeting with Sarah Jones since she took on the role in September. It follows appearances by Dame Diana Johnson MP, her predecessor, at the Fed’s Annual Conference in June 2025, and Alex Norris MP at the 2024 Annual Conference.

The Fed welcomes the 13th annual Small Business Saturday

The Fed is welcoming the 13th annual Small Business Saturday this weekend on Saturday 6th December. Small Business Saturday is the focal point of a year-round campaign to spotlight small businesses across the UK and the services and economic boon they provide to the British economy and wider society.

The campaign backs the 5.45 million small businesses across all sectors – including independent retailers like Fed members – and encourages Britain’s shoppers to spend with them.

Recent data from the campaign indicates 84% of people think it is important to support small businesses and 95% believing they add value to the local economy, according to the campaign which is backed by American Express. In 2024, 10 million Brits shopped small on Small Business Saturday, with £634m spent on the day itself according to American Express.

The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel said, “Small Businesses like independent retailers play a vital role supporting jobs and the economy – but also as focal points of the communities in the towns and villages they serve. I am very glad this campaign is drawing attention to this.”

“It is promising to see positive economic signs ahead of this year’s critical festive season. This bigger seasonal spending pot offers an incredible opportunity to boost the UK’s amazing businesses,” says Michelle Ovens CBE, director of Small Business Saturday UK.

“Winter of Action” Retail Crime Campaign

The Fed has welcomed the Government’s “Winter of Action” campaign to target retail crime with a stronger Neighbourhood Police response over the Christmas and New Year period.

Commenting, the Home Office said: “To keep communities safe over the busy Christmas period, police will use hotspot patrols, quick visible enforcement, and locally tailored approaches, working closely with businesses and community groups to clamp down on shop theft and street crime across hundreds of town centres.”  

The Government initiative follows the Safer Summer Streets Initiative which the Fed fully backed following growing concern about retail crime. That campaign resulted in focused action in 650 town centres and over 16,000 arrests and fines, with a 20% increase in targeted visible Police patrols, according to Home Office data.

Commenting at the start of the Safer Summer Streets initiative, National President Hetal Patel said, “Shop theft is often seen as a victimless crime, but that is not the case. It takes a heavy toll mentally, physically and financially on shop owners… A recent Fed survey found that 72 per cent of respondents had experience of retail crime in the past year.”

The Fed’s Political Engagement Coordinator, Doug Oliver, said: “The Fed was at the launch of the Safer Summer Streets initiative and it was good to discuss concerns about Retail Crime there with the Home Secretary directly because it has such an impact on our members and their ability to provide important goods and services for their customers.

“We are also in constant contact with Government Ministers as well as Police and Crime Commissioners and hope to speak with the Police Minister, Sarah Jones MP, soon. Whilst we back this initiative to target retail crime, we are also calling on the Police to do all they can to tackle this problem throughout the year and throughout the country.”

Tote box thief caught thanks to Fed members

A prolific thief has been sentenced in court following collaboration between the Fed and retailers in the South East of England.

The man, who appeared in court on October 1, was responsible for stealing thousands of magazines, collectables, and other items from tote boxes outside shops in Surrey and East Sussex.

He was given a custodial sentence of 10 months, suspended for two years, as well as a three-month curfew monitored by electronic tag, and has been banned from driving for 12 months. In addition, he was ordered to pay a fine of £300 and court costs of £158.

Chetan Patel, owner of Felbridge Village Stores, in Surrey, who was instrumental in bringing the thief to justice, said: “In February 2024, I noticed one of my deliveries didn’t match up with my invoice from Smiths News. For some reason, I checked the CCTV and I saw someone come to the car park but helped themselves to one of the boxes.

“I then remembered that some of our bread had gone missing the week before. My instinct made me look at that date on the CCTV and I saw the same guy help himself to some bread and milk.”

After contacting other shops in the area, Mr Patel discovered that more retailers had suffered the same fate. When a neighbouring retailer checked his CCTV, he confirmed it was the same person in the same car stealing items from his tote boxes.

Mr Patel added: “I set up a WhatsApp group and other retailers reported they were having the same problem. I told everyone in the group to make their own individual police reports.”

Another Fed member, Manhar Patel, got involved and suggested they contact all the affected shops. He liaised with the police and the Fed to help make sure that all these retailers received a response.

The police eventually tracked the thief down using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) before raiding his home, where they discovered thousands of stolen items.

Mr Patel thanked Manhar Patel and the Fed’s news and operations director Brian Murphy for all their help.

He said: “Manhar and Brian made a big difference. Brian got involved through Manhar and was the link between Fed members. He was in constant contact for updates and was very helpful.”

Steve Pinder, risk and loss prevention manager at Smiths News, said: “Smiths News is proud to work in partnership with the Fed and its members to tackle crime and support those affected.

“While incidents involving doorstep deliveries are, thankfully, rare, it’s reassuring to know that there is collaboration between retailers, trade bodies, and the police.”

Fed expresses concern over Morrisons’ decision to end newspaper delivery jobs and urges protection of vital community service

The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has expressed deep concern following Morrisons’ decision to close its home news delivery (HND) service and make around 1,700 young deliverers redundant after selling its newspaper rounds to News Team Group.

HND remains a lifeline for thousands of households across the UK, particularly elderly and vulnerable residents who rely on the daily delivery of their newspapers. The Fed is proud that thousands of its members continue to provide a personalised, reliable and cost-effective delivery service within their local communities, a service that is more important now than ever.

Brian Murphy, head of news at the Fed, said: “We are disappointed to hear that longstanding HND customers are being lost during this transition. Our priority now is to work with all parties to ensure orders are reinstated wherever possible, especially for elderly or infirm customers who depend on a daily newspaper for companionship, routine and connection.”

The Fed also raised serious concerns about the treatment of delivery boys and girls, many of whom were undertaking their first ever job and were reportedly given little notice or unclear information about redundancy.

“We are concerned that the young deliverers who carried out these important roles are losing what may well be their first job,” added Mr Murphy. “We call on both Morrisons and News Team Group to consider the wider impact this decision has on young people, families and the communities they serve.”

The Fed will continue to work to ensure that the value of trusted, local HND services is recognised and protected across the supply chain.

For further information, please contact: brian.murphy@nfrn.org.uk

Support available for flood victims

The Fed is aware of the devastation caused by the recent heavy rainfall associated with Storm Claudia. There is help available if your store has been damaged by flood water.

The Fed has funds in place to assist members in times of need. Please call 0207 017 8880 or email contactus@nfrn.org.uk to find out about the help available to you.

Our sympathies are with any member affected by the recent flooding.

Tricks not treats for Scottish Retailers this Halloween

The Federation of Independent Retailers today strongly condemn the move by Newsquest to cut the % margin paid to retailers as part of a price increase on the National and Herald in Scotland, in what can only be described as a Halloween trick and kick in the teeth for retailers in Scotland.

Despite previous discussions with the Publishing fraternity on the importance of maintaining at least an 18% margin to ensure retailers would at least break even earlier this year, Newsquest’s American owned parent company, Gannett Media, have decided to ignore this and cut margins to as low as 16.7% on some titles.

Responding to the move, the Fed’s National President Hetal Patel was particularly angered, stating: “The Federation has stated a policy of pursuing margin increases to protect the viability of News for members, this move directly flies in the face of this aim and is unwelcome.

“This move now means hard working retailers are expected to devote space and time to loss-making titles. I strongly encourage Newsquest to review this decision and get around the table for discussions on a way forward, and perhaps best avoid demonstrations taking place.”

News Category Manager, Andrew Williamson, added: “Gannett, the American company which ultimately owns Newsquest, have made this decision from their ivory tower and this move is a further step on a slippery slope for them and their titles. 

Further commenting on the short notice given to retail, Mr Williamson added: “It is clear Newsquest understand that this move will generate severe frustration and a reaction from retail. Giving retailers less than 48 hours’ notice of a cut to their terms is underhanded and not the behaviour we nor our members expect in a professional trading relationship. Newsquest need to look closely at themselves and their behaviour in this matter.

Brian Murphy, Director of News & Operations, added: “We will be seeking an urgent meeting with Newsquest to discuss this situation, while we fully appreciate that it has largely been made in offices in New York, we feel it is important that circulation and financial managers at Newsquest are given the opportunity to hear first hand the financial impact this will have on some of their key retailer partners – without whom they would not survive – so that they can relay this feedback to their overlords in America.”

Craig Etchells, Chair of the Federation’s News Operations Committee, was keen to stress the importance of representation for our Scottish members. “This frankly disgraceful terms cut will have a huge impact on our members in Scotland,” he said. “It is important that they know that the full weight of Federation support is behind them in opposing this cut in the strongest possible terms.”