The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) says that, despite a small reduction in the number of recorded shoplifting offences in England and Wales, the figures are still shocking.
Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today (April 23) shows that the number of offences recorded by police decreased by 1% to 509,566 in the year ending December 2025, compared with the previous year’s 516,611.
The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel said: “There is continued evidence that incidents of shoplifting are levelling off, but it clearly remains unacceptably high.
“The drop in the number of recorded offences is obviously a step in the right direction but follows a 20 per cent increase in offences last year, so there clearly is no room for complacency.
“We are glad the government has acted on our lobbying to remove the £200 threshold and introduced the standalone offence of assaulting a shop worker.
“What is perhaps especially heartening is that there has been an increase in the overall charge volumes for shoplifting by 17 per cent and also an increase in charge rates proportionately.
“It is also positive that there has been an apparent shift in resources, with 3,000 officers now being reported as serving in neighbourhood roles.
“We want to work with the government to ensure they are serving on the frontline, not always focused on paperwork, and providing rapid, meaningful support when theft and violence impacts our members.”
Mr Patel said he recognised that retail crime has complex causes – often linked to drugs and deprivation – but the establishment of a new National Police Service to challenge organised crime could be useful.
He added: “We raised these concerns in a meeting with the Police and Crime Minister in December 2025 and we continue our call for the government and opposition parties to pledge support for targeted retail security grants, so our members can deter thieves.
“We look forward to working with the Home Office on this in the months ahead.”
The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has met with Kent police and crime commissioner (PCC) Matthew Scott to discuss the work that Kent Police is undertaking to tackle the ongoing challenge of rogue trade, particularly the illicit black market in tobacco which continues to cause concern for retailers and law enforcement alike, and ongoing theft and harassment of Kent shopkeepers.
Representing the Fed were its national vice president Hemanshu Patel, who owns Saltwood General Store in Hythe in the county, and the Fed’s political engagement coordinator Douglas Oliver.
Mr Patel spoke about a Kent Police operation back in February which led to the seizure of 100kg of illegal tobacco products in Hythe. While this was welcome, he said that more needed to be done to ensure that rogue operators were closed down permanently. Mr Scott acknowledged that the local police knew that illicit tobacco remained a challenging topic but were keen to work more closely with retailers, members of the public and local authority trading standards teams to tackle this. He added that Kent Police had a particularly close relationship with the national charity Crime Stoppers. He urged retailers to engage with them.
The Fed team congratulated Mr Scott on the recent news that three persistent shoplifters had recently been the subject of police action, including an offender in the Gillingham and Rochester area who was subject to a custodial sentence after breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order. However, the Fed representatives stressed the ongoing perception of high crime levels and their sense of vulnerability to crime.
Mr Scott spoke of his team’s work on the Retail Crime Board and encouraged Fed members in Kent to participate. He also spoke about the use of new technologies, such as Disc, through Business Crime Reduction Partnerships in certain parts of the county, but also said he hoped there could be wider application of reporting tools like it.
After the meeting, which took place on Tuesday, March 24, Mr Scott said: “It was a very useful discussion. We encourage retailers impacted by retail crime to always report using 999 or 101, and also to use Crimestoppers to report suspicions of illicit tobacco anonymously on 0800 555 111 or the www.crimestoppers-uk.org website. I look forward to meeting with Hemanshu and Kent Fed members again in the future.”
Mr Patel said: “As a Kent retailer and Fed member, I felt this was a very positive meeting and I would like to thank Matthew and his team for their time. The Fed looks forward to participating in the Retail Crime Boards in the future and I look forward to speaking with him and his team later in the year in person.”
Senior Fed members in Scotland met with Jeremy Balfour, the former MSP for Lothian Region and a candidate for Edinburgh & Lothians East in the forthcoming May Scottish election, at Levenhall Village Store, Musselburgh, in East Lothian, on Thursday April 9.
The meeting, which focused on the challenges facing small shops and the Fed’s manifesto for the election, which was released in January, took place at the business of Fed national trustee Ferhan Ashiq with the Fed’s new Scottish president Uthay Soundararajan, who is a retailer in Edinburgh, also in attendance.
Mr Ashiq met with Mr Balfour just hours after speaking live on BBC Radio Scotland about the scourge of retail crime and its impact on small shops. Mr Ashiq highlighted the concern of Fed members for action to be taken on theft – including a more robust response from Police Scotland and targeted grants for small shops so that they can take measures to protect their shops from theft.
Mr Balfour has served in the Scottish Parliament for the past decade, first as a Conservative before deciding to leave the party last year and serve as an Independent. He is well known for his support for small businesses in the Holyrood Parliament.
Mr Ashiq also spoke about the challenges caused by rising taxation and called for extra protection from rising government and commercial costs, such as business rates and the spectre of rising energy bills following the war in Iran.
Mr Balfour said: “It was great to speak with Ferhan and Uthay about the challenges faced by small shops across Scotland. If elected again, I look forward to working with the Fed to ensure the valuable role small businesses like these play in the Scottish economy and in the social fabric of Scotland is properly valued.”
Mr Ashiq said: “It was an extremely positive meeting and want to thank Jeremy for coming along and showing his support. We look forward to working with Jeremy and all parties in the devolved Scottish Parliament, after the May election.”
Once-in-a-generation changes will strengthen Lotto’s position as the nation’s ‘millionaire maker’, while a UK-specific version of the world’s biggest jackpot game, Powerball, comes to the UK.
Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, today announces two new major game formats coming this summer: the biggest-ever change to Lotto, and the launch of a UK-specific version of Powerball, the first time the game will be available outside of the USA.
From 7 June*, every £2 Lotto line will give players two chances to win – all for the same price and with the same number of balls to choose from, with a new two-round format every draw. The change improves players’ chances of winning any prize from 1-in-9.3 to 1-in-4.9 and is expected to more than double the number of Lotto millionaires from around 140 a year to around 345.
As the nation’s ‘millionaire maker’, the new Lotto format will be the perfect complement to the UK’s first £1bn+ mega-jackpot game, which is coming this summer with the launch of a UK-specific version of Powerball. This will see UK players playing alongside their US counterparts for a chance to win the mega, shared jackpot – which will be paid out over 30 years to UK jackpot winners. The game is expected to deliver around £1bn more to UK Good Causes over the first five years, with over 30% of the ticket price returned to UK Good Causes.
Allwyn CEO, Andria Vidler, said, “We are delivering on our promise to bring more games, more entertainment and more innovation to The National Lottery. With extensive upgrades to our digital and retail channels now complete, we have a fantastic summer lined up, as we are now able to bring these exciting new games to our players.
“Lotto has always been the best game to play if you want to become a millionaire. Our new Lotto gives players two chances of winning £1m-plus for the same £2 they spend on each Lotto line today, creating hundreds more millionaires every year. And with its transformative jackpots, which will be paid to UK winners over time, we’re certain that our UK-specific version of the iconic Powerball game will really capture the UK public’s imagination.
Allwyn UK CEO Andria Vidler marks a transformative moment for The National Lottery, revealing Lotto ball 20 and Powerball 26 – symbolising 2026 and the launch of two huge new National Lottery games this summer.
“By offering a wide range of complementary games, we’re ensuring there is something for everyone – returning the magic, building our player base and making sure The National Lottery remains part of the national conversation. In turn, this will raise more money for Good Causes, helping us reach our goal of doubling weekly returns to Good Causes from £30m to £60m by 2034, with £33m a week currently raised.”
What’s changing with Lotto?
Every £2 Lotto line will now give players two chances to win – all for the same price and with the same number of balls to choose from – with a new two-round format in every Wednesday and Saturday draw. The change will also generate millions of pounds more in sales of the game in a typical week, and even more when Allwyn holds special event draws, generating even more money for Good Causes across the UK.
When will new Lotto tickets go on sale and draws take place?
Tickets for new Lotto will go on sale from Sunday 7 June*, with the first draw taking place on Wednesday 10 June. The Lotto draws will continue to take place at around 8pm every Saturday and Wednesday. The new two-round structure will see two sets of six main balls and a Bonus Ball drawn using two separate draw machines. This means a player could win in Round 1, Round 2, or both rounds, all from a single Lotto line.
What about the Lotto jackpots and prizes?
As with the current format, Lotto jackpots will begin at £2m and can roll over up to five times before a must-be-won event on the sixth consecutive draw. Players will still win a prize when they match two or more main numbers. And there are two ways to become a millionaire on the game – through a guaranteed £1m-plus jackpot for matching six main numbers, and a £1m fixed prize for anyone matching five main numbers plus the Bonus Ball.
Allwyn UK CEO Andria Vidler marks a transformative moment for The National Lottery, revealing Powerball 26 – ahead of the launch of the UK’s first £1bn+ mega-jackpot game later this summer.
The jackpot will be shared across both rounds, while all other prize tiers will continue to offer fixed cash prizes, paid per round. In addition, the Lotto HotPicks add-on game will also move to the new two-round format, and will continue to be priced at £1.
What is Powerball?
Founded in 1992, Powerball is the world’s biggest rolling jackpot game, with an uncapped jackpot starting at £12m and transformational prizes on offer. In addition to making its biggest-ever winner of over $2.04bn in 2022, over the past 34 years, Powerball has generated an estimated $38bn for good causes, including education and scholarships, veteran services, parks and recreation, and more.
How will Powerball work in the UK?
Powerball is launching in the UK in partnership with the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) – a non-profit association owned and operated by its member lotteries. With 48 US-based lotteries already participating in Powerball, Allwyn will be launching a tailored version of the game for UK players. Priced at £4 per line, this will see them playing for a chance to win the shared jackpot, paid out over 30 years for UK winners, by matching five main numbers plus the Powerball.
The UK game features an extra ‘Match 2 main numbers’ prize tier, which is only available to UK players and offers a fixed prize of £8. The ‘Match 5 main numbers’ tier also offers a fixed prize of £1m, while all other UK prize tiers offer generous estimated prizes – which vary depending on the balls drawn and the number of winners in each tier.
When will Powerball tickets go on sale and draws take place?
Powerball tickets will go on sale to UK players later this summer*, with the exact date to be confirmed nearer the time. UK Powerball players will pick five main numbers ranging from numbers from 1 to 69, and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. Or they can choose a Lucky Dip. Tickets will be available to buy online or in store by 11.55pm the night before the draws (on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays), with the draws then happening around 4am the next morning – on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday – from the Powerball studio in Florida.
*Game launches are subject to final regulatory approval
Ahead of the Welsh election on May 7, 2026, the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has met with Welsh First Minister, Baroness Eluned Morgan, to highlight the importance of small shops to the Welsh economy and to the villages, towns and cities of Wales.
The Fed was represented by senior member Vince and Fiona Malone at their business in Tenby in Pembrokeshire, which has just had completed a refit and now trades under a Morrison’s Daily fascia.
Since launching its manifesto for the Welsh elections in January, the Fed has been inviting Senedd candidates to visit its members’ businesses in Wales to discuss the opportunities and challenges that they face.
Its manifesto calls for retail grants to be provided for small independent businesses, as well as action to control costs, particularly business rates which are controlled by the Welsh parliament. The Fed also wants a cost neutral deposit return scheme (DRS) that works for small shops.
Mr Malone described the meeting as “very positive.” He added: In particular, I highlighted the value of our Post Office and the vast range of government services it provides to people in the town and the many visitors who stay in Tenby, especially in the coming summer months.”
Ms Morgan said: “I would like to thank Vince and the Fed for once again highlighting their important work representing the vital small independent shops that serve the people of Wales. I was particularly interested to hear about the work of the Post Office, especially at a time the Westminster government is looking to engage retail stakeholders on modernisation of the Post Office network so businesses like Vince’s can continue to thrive in the years ahead, whilst serving local people.”
Fiona and Vince Malone, owners of Tenby Stores, in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, and members of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed), met with Marc Tierney, Welsh Labour candidate for Ceredigion Penfro and Pembrokeshire County Councillor in the upcoming Senedd elections on May 7.
The meeting on Saturday, February 28, focused on the critical challenges facing independent retailers and followed the publication of the Fed’s manifesto for the Welsh election.
Key issues addressed during the meeting included the impact of rising business rates bills on small shops, as well as the significant social and economic value that post offices and convenience stores offer to their neighbourhoods. The Malones highlighted the rising costs resulting from above-inflation increases in the national minimum wage and higher National Insurance Contributions (NICs) that have placed further financial strain on independent businesses such as theirs, and others across Wales and the rest of the UK.
The importance of post offices in providing essential banking facilities was emphasised, underscoring their role in sustaining local economies through their range of services including postal and banking as well as government services such as vehicle tax renewal and passport applications.
Additionally, the conversation touched on the pressing issue of retail crime. The Malones showed how they had taken steps to reduce this problem, including the implementation of extensive CCTV coverage and the utilisation of AI technology, but that the threat remained.
With the introduction of the deposit return scheme (DRS) in Wales on the horizon, the Malones expressed their support for initiatives aimed at improving recycling rates. However, they raised concerns regarding the inclusion of glass in the scheme in Wales, highlighting that it would be difficult for small shops to implement because of the dangers associated with broken glass and weight involved in moving it.
Vince Malone said: “I want to thank Marc again for his visit and discussing these important issues and for his clear interest. Fiona and I remain committed to advocating for the interests of small shops – as members of the Federation of Independent Retailers – working with all parties at the Senedd ahead of May’s election and beyond.”
Marc Tierney said: “Vince and Fiona are active retailers, who go the extra mile for their community and are well known for their advocacy for the independent retail sector, not just in Wales but across the UK. My visit highlighted the importance of their postal service, banking hub and convenience shop. Providing these services under one roof is exactly the type of model that can sustain services in our rural, coastal communities. I look forward to working with them in the run-up to the election and beyond.”
The Federation of Independent Retailers has met with Fine Gael TD Mr. Brian Brennan in Bunclody in County Wexford on Monday 23rd March to discuss some of the challenges impacting independent retailers throughout Ireland.
Mr. Brennan met at the business of the Fed’s Vice President in Ireland, Peter Steemers, which operated in the town for the past century, but is currently impacting by a range of economic and regulatory headwinds. Mr Steemers was also accompanies by the Fed’s Membership Development Executive for Ireland, David McKeown.
Topics discussed included the year’s further increase in the National Minimum wage which went up by €0.65 (4.8%) to €14.15 per hour to sit as the second highest in the EU behind only Luxembourg. Mr. Steemers also highlighted Government taxation and associated regulatory costs like the €1,800 combined Tobacco and Vape Licence.
The Fed team also spoke about the rising spectre of retail crime with shop theft causing direct financial costs in terms of lost stock, but also in terms of expensive security measures small retailers need to take in order to better defend their premises.
Mr. Brennan said: “I was delighted to see Peter’s business and to discuss the vast range of product and services it provides. It is so important shops like this continue to both survive and thrive and I look forward to working with them – along with Fine Gael colleagues – in the months ahead.”
Mr. Steemers said: “I would like to thank Mr. Brennan for visiting the business and listening to the concerns of Fed members. He seemed genuinely keen to work with us locally and in Dublin and we hope to meet with him again at the Dáil Éireann.”
The meeting follows a recent discussion with Sinn Féin TD Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin, earlier in the month at the same business which was part of the Fed’s ongoing initiative to ensure retailers are heard across the political spectrum.
Maidenhead Liberal Democrat MP Joshua Reynolds has again met with the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) to discuss the challenges facing small independent shops.
Following a visit to Fed National President Hetal Patel’s shop in Furze Platt, in Maidenhead last October, Mr Reynolds visited Holyport Post Office which is run by Fed members Sanjay and Jaya Patel on Friday, March 27.
Hetal Patel and the Fed’s Political Engagement Coordinator Douglas Oliver were also in attendance.
As well as serving as the local MP in the Berkshire constituency, Mr Reynolds is spokesperson for Investment & Trade for the Lib Dems in Parliament. Just recently, he backed the Fed’s call for dedicated retail security grants to help small shops tackle retail crime.
Friday’s meeting came as the new financial year looms in early April, which will see a series of costs impacting small independent retailers including increases to business rates, an above-inflation increase in the National Living wage and the first measures in the Employment Rights Act, including an extension of the obligation for employers to provide staff sick pay from the first day of illness.
The discussion also touched on the growing challenge of illicit trade in tobacco and the unfair competition to responsible retailers provided by this trade which is widely linked to organised crime. The Fed representatives discussed their calls for the government to provide better resourcing for local authority trading standards teams as well as urging them to have better strategic focus so as to support legitimate retailers.
Commenting after the meeting, Joshua Reynolds MP said: “”It was great to speak to Sanjay and Jaya Patel and the team from the Fed about the continuing challenges facing the sector. Having worked in retail myself managing branches of the Co-Op and helping run branches of the Post Office, before entering politics, I know the challenges businesses like this face.
“In particular, we discussed the impact of rising costs like higher business rates taking effect in April, as well as retail crime and illicit traders which undermine responsible retailers.
“I look forward to continuing to work with the Fed and making the concerns of the Patels and their team heard in Parliament.”
Sanjay Patel said: “It was a very positive meeting and I was pleased by Joshua’s interest in the topics we discussed. However, we want to encourage him to continue his support for Fed members and independent retailers in Parliament.”
The Fed is encouraging members to engage with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC’s) new “Tax Confident” website which helps explain the basics of tax management for people across the country, including those running small businesses.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said: “We know that tax can feel confusing at times, especially when you are not sure where to start. HMRC’s Tax Confident website is here to help people get to grips with the basics, covering everything from the tax essentials for new businesses to the need-to-knows for retirement. Tax Confident is designed to help you feel informed, capable and in control when it comes to managing your tax”
The Fed’s Political Engagement Coordinator Doug Oliver said: “The Fed always tells Government that our members work extremely hard to deal with the day-day management of their shops and that they do not often have the time or resource bigger businesses have for undertaking certain back office tasks. Consequently, we hope this tool could be a useful way of sharing certain useful basic information about tax for our members; the site was only launched this March, so we look forward to seeing how it develops and hopefully expands in the coming months.”
The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has today (Monday, March 23) strongly condemned the decision by Irish news wholesaler Newspread to add an additional 4.5 per cent fuel surcharge to its existing carriage charge in response to cost pressures caused by current events in the Middle East.
The Fed is now demanding an urgent meeting with senior management at Newspread to share members’ concerns about these additional costs at a time when they can ill afford them as well as the lack of consultation.
National President Hetal Patel said: “This surcharge is unwelcome and has been announced without any consultation with the Fed or our members. At our meeting with Newspread we will be expressing our disappointment. Newspread has rushed through these additional charges without giving their retail customers fair notice. Six weeks’ notice of any changes to carriage charge templates is customary.”
National vice president Hemanshu Patel added: “While clearly there has been a recent increase in fuel prices, data from the RAC Foundation shows that pump prices were significantly higher during 2022-2023 than they are currently and despite reducing from those peaks no corresponding reduction was ever reflected in carriage charges.
“We are simply asking for a consistent approach to be taken, preferably alongside constructive discussions with colleagues across the supply chain, as opposed to the kind of unilateral decision-making on display here.
“I would question why a surcharge appears to have been applied without a mechanism to reduce the overall carriage charge at times of lower-than-expected fuel prices and how the figure of 4.5 per cent has been calculated, including if it has been decided in the context of longer-term price trends rather than short term market volatility.”
Craig Etchells, national deputy vice president and chair of the Fed’s news operations committee continued: “As well as speaking with Newspread, we will be discussing our concerns with publishers, reminding them of the role they are obliged to play in ensuring that carriage charges remain both transparent and fair. This is particularly important in a marketplace that lacks competition for sales and choice of wholesaler.
“Unlike other products, news continues to have printed cover prices limiting retailer options to pass on costs to customers. Additional surcharges such as this do little to motivate retailers to remain in or to look to stock the category in store.”
