Categories: Press Releases

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.”

National President expresses concerns about proposed tobacco and vape licence

The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel has expressed concerns about the proposed tobacco and vape licence which could be introduced as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently being considered by the House of Lords.

Unlike the alcohol licencing regime which has been in place for two decades and which it could broadly imitate, the tobacco and vape licence regime would likely not incorporate grandfathering rights, potentially creating great uncertainty as local authorities would have the right to limit sales based on an uncertain framework, impacting responsible retailers.

The Fed has backed other measures to restrict access to tobacco, which has seen a sharp drop in use in recent years, with ONS data indicating a fall from about 45 per cent in adult smoking in 1974, to about 11.9 per cent in 2023. This is partly caused by the switch to vapes which would also be affected by the licensing regime.

Writing in RN Magazine this week, Mr Patel said: “As an organisation, the Fed is strongly opposed to the licensing element of the bill. Our members are already subject to stringent regulations and operate safeguarding policies such as Challenge 25.”

The Fed will be contributing to the ongoing government consultation on the Bill, calling for a rethink of the licensing measure.

Independent retailers call for more action as shoplifting continues to soar

The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has repeated calls for government grants to boost security measures for smaller stores, following the news that incidents of shoplifting have increased yet again.

According to the latest figures released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the police in England and Wales recorded a total of 529,994 cases of shoplifting in the year ending June 2025, an increase of 13 per cent.

The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel said: “While the numbers are shocking, they come as no surprise to independent retailers.

“We welcomed the government’s summer blitz on town centre crime and the fact that it has pledged to put 3,000 new neighbourhood officers on the beat as part of its Plan for Change, but these numbers show more must be done.

“The introduction of a standalone offence for attacking shopworkers, which is currently making its way through parliament, is also a step in the right direction, as is the scrapping of the so called £200 threshold.

“However, for years we have called on the government to provide grants for small retail business to help increase their security through improved CCTV. This would act as a deterrent to potential thieves and give store owners the ability to provide solid evidence to catch and punish the perpetrators.

“We also want the courts and law enforcement to work more effectively together to provide a robust judicial response to those who are charged and subsequently convicted.

“We hope that the latest disturbing statistics on shoplifting encourage the government to provide the financial help that is urgently needed to tackle the surge in retail crime.”

Self Assessment deadline is 100 days away

The countdown begins: Self Assessment deadline is 100 days away

• Self Assessment customers have 100 days to file their tax return and pay any tax owed before the 31 January deadline.
• 3.5 million people have already submitted their tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year.
• Customers are urged to file their tax return early, so they know how much tax needs paying by 31 January

More than 3.5 million people have already filed their Self Assessment tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year and with 100 days to the 31 January 2026 deadline, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding those yet to file to do it early.

Those who start their return early can go back to it as many times as they need to before submitting it. Filing early means they also know how much tax is owed sooner and can prepare to pay their bill by the deadline.

Last year, more than 97% of tax returns were filed online. People can complete their tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year on GOV.UK where there is also access to a range of guidance to help them prepare and file their return.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said:

“With 100 days to the Self Assessment deadline, now is the time to get started. Completing your return now means you know you how much tax you need to pay ahead of the deadline. We are here to help with lots of help and advice, just search ‘file a tax return’ on GOV.UK to find out more.”

Anyone unsure if they need to fill in a tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year, can use the Self Assessment checker tool on GOV.UK where they can also register and notify HMRC if they no longer need to complete one.

People who have sold assets such as shares after 30 October 2024 need to be aware of changed rates of Capital Gains Tax for the disposal of assets when completing their Self Assessment tax return as it won’t automatically calculate the correct amount of Capital Gains Tax due. Instead, they may need to work out an adjustment to the tax automatically calculated using the adjustment calculator on GOV.UK.

The new High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) PAYE digital service means thousands of Child Benefit claimants who are only in Self Assessment to pay HICBC can now opt out and can choose to pay the charge back through their tax code.

Eligible customers can call HMRC to de-register from Self Assessment before the filing deadline in a tax year. Where a tax return has already been sent, customers can choose to de-register from the following tax year. HMRC will then amend their tax code and they will be registered to pay HICBC through PAYE.

Customers do not need to include their 2025 Winter Fuel Payment, or Pension Age Winter Heating payment in Scotland, on their tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year as payments received in Autumn 2025 will be recovered in the 2025 to 2026 tax return, due by 31 January 2027.

Customers need to be aware of the risk of falling victim to scams and should never share their HMRC login details with anyone, including a tax agent, if they have one. HMRC scams advice is available on GOV.UK.

Notes

1. More information about Self Assessment.
2. The deadline for paper tax returns for the 2024 to 2025 tax year is 31 October 2025. Online filers have until 31 January 2026. More than 11.5 million people filed their tax return for the 2023 to 2024 tax year by the deadline.
3. Sole traders and landlords with a turnover above £50,000 will be required to use Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax from 6 April 2026 and be required to submit quarterly summaries of their income and expenses to HMRC. HMRC is urging eligible customers to sign up to a testing programme on GOV.UK to familiarise themselves with the new service and start preparing now. Agents can also register their clients via GOV.UK.
4. Capital Gains Tax rates for disposals of assets on or after 30 October 2024 have changed and the Self Assessment tax return will not automatically calculate at the new main rates for the 2024 to 2025 tax year. Taxpayers may need to work out an adjustment to the tax automatically calculated and can use the adjustment calculator on GOV.UK.
5. Customers can also use the HMRC app to find out how to register for Self Assessment, check their Unique Taxpayer Reference, get their National Insurance number and employment income and history and pay their tax bill.

Issued by HM Revenue & Customs Press Office

HND Month 2025 is underway!

Home News Delivery Month is a dedicated industry focus to celebrate and promote home newspaper delivery (HND) with newspaper publishers, wholesalers and trade bodies working in collaboration across the month.

HND is a vital service enjoyed and depended upon by thousands of readers nationwide, reliant on fantastic delivery partners to ensure that they receive their newspapers on a daily basis.

October, as the clocks change and the nights get darker, has long been recognised as the start of the HND season. We want to make this October one to remember and kick off the HND season in style!

Throughout October, registered members have the opportunity to win £200 each day through a random number draw. Your unique draw number will be revealed every morning, and must be claimed by 10am the following day. Keep an eye on Fed socials to find out which members are winning!

Registered members can also participate in competitions to win items such as an E-Bike, iPads and a Facebook photo competition, see them all here. 

Also, after speaking to several successful retailers and industry partners, HND Month put together these short guides and videos on how to get the most from this year’s HND Month. Check them out here.

Don’t forget to send your photos into the Fed’s Contact Centre here, for a chance to feature in Your Fed magazine and on Fed socials!

Here are some photos of members’ HND Month POS…