Categories: Press Releases

The Fed meets with Shadow Cabinet Member Richard Holden MP in Essex

Difficult trading conditions and concerns about rising costs, especially higher business rates, were shared by Essex retailer Mayur Patel when he met with Richard Holden,  Conservative MP for Billericay and Basildon, at Rina News in Billericay on Friday, February 6.

During the meeting, Mr Patel, a member of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed), said that he was now employing one less part-time staff member than a few years ago and that he was hit by higher taxes – particularly following the disappointing government Budget for small retailers which has seen many shops facing higher business rates bills – as well as rising bills from the high energy use he requires to keep his refrigeration units running 24 hours a day.

Mr Holden, a former Cabinet minister and current shadow transport secretary, said: “It was good to discuss the many positive things Mayur provides to the local community, from a staggering range of convenience products to parcels, home newspaper delivery services, and the role his shop provided for local people during the lockdown.

“It is right that we need to see tougher action on rogue traders – something that was raised and that I’ll mention when I meet with Trading Standards soon. I was also concerned to hear about the impact of rising costs – especially national insurance tax and business rates – which are making it more difficult for Mr Patel to enhance his business and ultimately to employ more staff. This is something that many small businesses have raised with me recently. I look forward to meeting with Mayur and using his shops again in the future!”

Mr Patel said: “I was very grateful for Richard’s visit and I was impressed by his knowledge of the challenges I face as a small business owner. I look forward to meeting him again and he is welcome to visit me at this business or at my second shop, Anna’s News near Billericay Station, any time in the future.”

The Fed meets Sir Gavin Williamson MP in Staffordshire

Former Government Minister and Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge MP Sir Gavin Williamson met with Narinder Randhawa at his business in Great Haywood in Staffordshire on Friday 30th January, where they discussed concerns about theft, business rates and other rising costs.

Mr Randhawa spoke about his decades of experience in retail, including 40-years as a Fed member, including serving as National President between 2021-2022 and continued service at a national level for the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed).

However, he was frank about the challenges caused by rising costs, including the recent budget which the Government failed to support small retailers with relief from rising business rate bills.

Sir Gavin had recently raised the matter of rising Business rate bills in Parliament, brought about by the three-yearly valuation rise, loss in Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief and also a disappointing cut of the multiplier paid by small retailers. He said: “It was a really useful and wide-ranging discussion with Narinder and Ajay Singh who runs the business with him. We discussed the pressure caused by rising rate bills, as well as other pressures like the National Insurance Contribution rise which took effect last year as well as new regulations coming down the line from the Employment Rights Bill”.

“Clearly the shop is at the heart of the community in Great Haywood and offers a range of vital services from its Post Office, to a fully range of convenience products – but it is clear that for shops like this to survive in the future the Government has more to do. I will continue to work with the Fed as an opposition MP to ensure the concerns of their members like Narinder and Ajay are heard in Parliament.”

Mr Randhawa said: “I was pleased to meet Sir Gavin Williamson and discuss very frankly how worrying the business environment is. My business has been hit by rising costs and occasional incidents of retail crime, causing thousands of pounds of damage. I am glad Sir Gavin listened – I look forward to his support in the future.”

Independent retailers react as MUP to increase in Wales from October

The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has reacted to the news of a 30 per cent lift in the minimum unit price for alcohol that has just been confirmed by the Welsh government. This means the cost of alcohol will rise from 50p to 65p per unit from October 2026. A can of beer currently available for £1 will have a price of £1.30 or more.

Clive Birkby, Fed President in Wales, said: “The Fed has raised no objection to this change which mirrors that in Scotland. In the past, supermarkets have sold alcohol as super cheap loss leading products – something which is damaging to small shops and also to those advocating responsible consumption.

“We have highlighted concerns, though, for how this policy will impact our members who are close to the border with England, given that England does not have MUP. We will continue to monitor the impact of this policy change and what it might do to reduce problem drinking and the health and social impact of that – though we will repeat our call for the Welsh and Westminster governments to provide more information about responsible drinking through better education.”

MUP was introduced in Wales back in 2020. In September 2025, the Fed contributed to the government consultation on this increase, asking for clear communication of the measures for retailers, particularly as MUP does not apply in England.

Announcing the increase, the minister for mental health and wellbeing Sarah Murphy said: “Cheap, high-strength alcohol disproportionately affects hazardous and harmful drinkers. The evidence is clear – minimum unit pricing works. We have taken a decision which will save lives and help protect many people from the harms caused by drinking too much alcohol.”

The Welsh Conservatives have criticised the move because of its impact on consumers through higher prices.

Fed celebrates successful return of Scottish trade show after a decade

The Federation of Independent Retailers (The Fed) has hailed the successful return of a Scottish trade show for the first time in more than 10 years, following a well-attended event in Edinburgh at the end of January.

Held on Thursday, January 29 at Patina in Edinburgh Park, the trade show brought together close to 100 independent retailers from across Scotland, alongside a strong mix of national and local suppliers. The event marked a significant milestone for the Scotland district and demonstrated renewed appetite for face-to-face engagement and district-led activity.

Organised by Scotland district vice president Uthay Soundarajan, the trade show was open to both Fed members and non-members, offering retailers the chance to meet suppliers, discuss trading challenges, and access exclusive deals and incentives.

A wide range of suppliers supported the event, reflecting the diversity of the convenience sector. Those in attendance included Philip Morris, World of Sweets, Swizzels, Red Bull, Grenade and Au Vodka, alongside specialist and service providers such as PayPoint, Worldpay, PU Tech, InPost and Trovr, with the latter giving retailers the opportunity to discuss Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) solutions. A number of local suppliers also took part, helping to reinforce the event’s strong Scottish focus.

National President Hetal Patel and national vice president Hemanshu Patel were both in attendance, spending time speaking directly with retailers and suppliers throughout the day.

Scotland district president Hussan Lal described the event as a major step forward for the district.
“It’s a significant moment to see a Fed trade show back in Scotland after such a long gap,” he said. “The turnout showed there is real demand for this kind of event, and it was encouraging to see so many retailers and suppliers under one roof.”

Vice president Uthay Soundarajan said the success of the day had exceeded expectations: “For our first event in 10 years it was very successful,” he said. “Of course, we want to build on this in the future, host events in different locations each year and bring even more eyes to what the Fed is doing in Scotland. Both the National President and Vice President had a great day meeting members and suppliers, which really added to the atmosphere.”

For further information, please contact: ben.storey@nfrn.org.uk

Fed welcomes work of National Trading Standards

The Fed has welcomed the work of National Trading Standards to tackle illicit tobacco in direct partnership with HMRC – and is continuing its call for central government to provide greater priority and resourcing for trading standards across the UK.

It was recently announced that the new enforcement approach which had taken effect since July 2023 as part of Operation CeCe between National Trading Standards (NTS), local authority Trading Standards, Scottish Trading Standards Services and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) had led to £1.4million in civil penalties being issued against rogue traders and individuals selling illegal tobacco products.

National Trading Standards had notified that retailers who sell illicit tobacco risk being removed from the Tobacco Track and Trace (TT&T) system which is required to be part of the legitimate UK tobacco market as well as being fined up to £10,000.

The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel said: “The Fed knows how much damage rogue trade and illicit tobacco sales do to undermine the work of legitimate independent retailers – and we agree with National Trading Standards that Illicit tobacco undermines legitimate businesses by undercutting the vast majority of retailers who do the right thing, whilst reducing the government’s tax base and fuelling other crimes.

“Ahead of the last Budget, and ahead of the upcoming Scottish and Welsh elections, we have called on the government to give greater resources to trading standards and will follow the work of Operation CeCe with interest.”

Lord Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said: “Illegal tobacco harms communities, undermines legitimate retailers and fuels wider criminal activity. The vast majority of retailers play by the rules. These sanctions demonstrate that we are taking decisive action against those who don’t.”

Action needed now to curb shoplifting, say independent retailers

The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has welcomed the government’s announcement of measures to crack down on retail crime but says more needs to be done – and quickly.

While the latest crime figures show that the increase in shoplifting has slowed compared to last year, the worrying aspect for independent retailers is the fact that it is still going up.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed this week that the number of reported incidents of shoplifting between September 2024 and September 2025 increased by 5 per cent to 519,381, compared with the previous year’s 492,660 offences, which was an increase of 20 per cent.

The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel said: “While it would seem from these latest statistics that shoplifting is levelling off a bit, the fact remains that is still increasing.

“In any case, the ONS is talking about reported crime, which everyone knows is only part of the true picture. We know many of our members don’t always report every incident.”

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

The federation also repeated calls for a targeted £6,500 grant scheme to improve security in smaller stores through CCTV and facial recognition.

Mr Patel added: “Which ever way you look at it, shoplifting and other retail crime continues to blight the lives of honest, law abiding shopkeepers and their staff.

“The government’s intentions are to be applauded, and we sincerely hope that the reforms being proposed by the Home Office will have a positive effect on reducing retail crime.”

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.”

Independent retailers welcome funding for retail crime taskforce in Scottish budget

News that the £3 million funding for Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce is being maintained has been welcomed by independent retailers.

Members of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) in Scotland have also cautiously welcomed some support for small retail businesses on Non-Domestic Rates through the Small Business Scheme, which was also announced in yesterday’s Scottish budget (Tuesday, January 13).

Hussan Lal, the Fed’s Scottish President, said: “We are currently assessing the details of the Scottish Budget and there is some encouraging news. Having engaged with Shona Robison and the SNP government ahead of the Budget, we are especially pleased the Retail Crime Taskforce is being retained.  This is something that we have been lobbying for as we have been encouraged by the impact the Force has made in just a few months.

“However, this remains a challenging time for retailers in Scotland because of rising retail crime, high costs and new regulations, along with uncertainty about what will follow from the Scottish government and the Scottish Parliament after May. In addition, we continue to monitor Westminster’s political role in Scotland.

“The Fed will continue to call for the Scottish government to back small independent retailers like Fed members through action to reduce retail crime – such as through targeted security grants and to control and reduce business rates bills – and further work to protect small shops after the election.”

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.