Press Releases - The Fed

The Fed’s Alpesh Patel discusses retailer concerns with Hertfordshire MP Victoria Collins

The Fed’s Alpesh Patel met with Liberal Democrat MP Victoria Collins at his business, Wheathampstead Post Office, in Hertfordshire, on Friday, May 29, where he discussed some of the opportunities and challenges facing small independent shops, particularly rising energy costs

Victoria Collins, Lib Dem MP for Berkhamsted and Harpenden, has represented her constituency as a Liberal Democrat since the last election in July 2024 and also serves as the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Science, Innovation and Technology in the House of Commons. Also attending the meeting was the Fed’s Political Engagement Coordinator Douglas Oliver.

Mr Patel, who currently serves on the Fed’s Executive Council, has operated the shop in the village since 2000. He spoke about the range of services the busy shop and post office provides, including payment and parcel services, as well as the greetings cards, hardware, textile and vast range of convenience products it sells.

The Fed team explained that energy costs are a particular concern for small independent shops at the moment, following the recent conflict in Iran and supply disruption affecting oil supplies in the Middle East, which are likely to filter through to bills in the near future. Mr Patel explained that many Fed members are reliant on energy-intensive refrigeration units which are kept running 24 hours a day and therefore consume significant amounts of electricity.

Mr Oliver spoke about its work supporting the Trust and Transparency Charter for energy – along with Labour backbencher Sarah Edwards MP and the Startup Coalition – which could help create more competition and hence drive down energy costs but said more needed to be done to help small shops face up to energy price inflation.

Whilst retail crime was less of a challenge at Mr Patel’s shop, compared to other Fed members elsewhere in the UK, the discussion also touched on the Fed’s engagement with Government on the passage of the recent Crime and Policing Act. Mr Patel also highlighted rising taxes like higher employer National Insurance Contributions introduced in April 2025, which made it more expensive to employ extra staff.

Victoria Collins MP said:

“Our local independent shops and post offices are at the heart of our communities. They are far more than just places to buy everyday essentials, they provide vital services, create local jobs and offer a lifeline for many residents, particularly older and more vulnerable people.

“It was lovely to meet Alpesh Patel and hear firsthand about both the opportunities and challenges facing small businesses. From rising energy bills to higher employment costs, many local retailers are being squeezed from all sides.

“If we want thriving high streets, the Government must back businesses, which means tackling soaring costs, supporting local enterprise and recognising the enormous contribution independent retailers make to our local economy and community life.”

Mr Patel said: “I would like to thank Victoria for visiting. It was good to discuss some of the challenges facing my shop and how that applies to other businesses elsewhere in the country. I look forward to welcoming her to visit the shop again in the future.”

The Fed gives a cautious welcome to handling fees for DRS

The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has responded to confirmation from Exchange for Change of the retail handling fees for those participating in DRS when it goes live in October 2027.

Exchange for Change announced today (June 2) that it intends to introduce a two-tier fee structure for those businesses taking part in the scheme.

Shops operating as manual return points will receive 3p per container, while those that have a reverse vending machine will be paid 5p per container for returns up to 225,000 per year and 1.3p for handling more than 225,000 annually.

The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel said: “The retail handling fee is a very important element of the whole scheme. While we would have preferred higher rates, the fees announced are not unexpected and we welcome certainty about what they will be.

“As a member of the advisory board for Exchange for Change, we have engaged closely with the consultation exercise and highlighted the importance of independent retailers like our members fully participating in DRS to drive up recycling rates.

“Throughout this process, we have stated that DRS must be cost-neutral for small shops and called for handling fees that help them cover their costs.”

He added: “We have some concerns about the direct and indirect costs associated with DRS – including things like capital, labour, maintenance and lost floor space.

“We await final details on key aspects like grants for those hosting reverse vending machines – which we have backed – as well as criteria around exemptions.

“There remains a lot to do for all stakeholders in retail and elsewhere to prepare ahead of the launch in Autumn next year, and we will continue to work closely with Exchange for Change to ensure DRS works for our members.”

Wes Streeting MP Meets Fed Member in East London

A senior official of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) met with the Rt Hon West Streeting MP in his Ilford North constituency in early May to discuss some of the opportunities and challenges facing small shops.

National Trustee, Nilesh Patel, spoke about his many years of experience serving Ilford residents and the range of goods and services he provides at his business, Nils Convenience, on New North Road, in Ilford.

However, he spoke about the challenge caused by occasional theft. The meeting happened just a few days after the Crime and Policing Bill became law. This is something which the Fed has strongly supported, particularly its measures to control retail crime including a new standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker and the removal of a previous legal clause which had meant thefts below £200 in value were treated as a summary only offence by the courts.

Mr Patel also spoke about the work the Fed has done to promote the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for recycling which will start in October 2027, with shoppers having to pay a returnable 20p deposit per plastic or metal bottle or can in order to encourage them to recycle.

Mr Patel said: “I would like to thank Wes Streeting for his time visiting my business and talking about the various issues facing small retailers at this time – particularly given his busy schedule as my local MP and his high profile nationally. It was good to discuss some of the occasional issues with theft as well as feedback on business rates. I also explained how important DRS will be after it is launched next year and what the Fed is doing to boost awareness of it.”

Senior Fed members, Vince and Fiona Malone, discuss DRS with Paul Davies MS in Wales

Senior members of the Federation of Independent Retailers, the Fed, Vince and Fiona Malone, met with Paul Davies, newly re-elected Conservative Senedd member for Ceredigion Penfro on Friday 22nd May at their shop in Tenby in the West Wales constituency, where they discussed how small shops and post offices like theirs are central to local communities.

Mr and Mrs Malone discussed the continuing challenges facing small shops and to discuss the retail agenda following the recent election on May 7th, including the points highlighted in the Fed’s manifesto ahead of the election, which focused on controlling costs, the need to affectively tackle retail crime and a clearer path to the adoption of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for recycling cans and bottles in Wales.

The visit came at a time of great uncertainty about DRS in Wales which is looking to implement its own scheme but is yet to adopt a Deposit Management organisation (DMO) and potentially will have a scheme involving glass, in contrast to the rest of the UK.

The Malones also emphasised the need for a discussion about business rates which needs to factor in the social benefit provided by small shops like their own, as well as action to tackle retail crime through intervention from Neighbourhood Police.

Vince Malone said: “Independent retailers are the lifeblood of our communities and The Fed has been very vocal in speaking up for the needs of small shops ahead of the May election – including hosting the then First Minister – but we want to carry on with that engagement with all parties in the months ahead as well as the new Senedd and new Government gets as they get their feet under the table.

Mr. Malone said. “We want to ensure a Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) is appointed promptly to establish a roadmap for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Wales. This approach should align with the rest of the UK for cohesion and sustainability and the system must at least be cost-neutral for retailers – this is in everyone’s interests as we can only get a good rate of return for recycling when small shops are fully participating.”

Mr. Davies said: “It was great to speak with Vince and Fiona and discuss the work done in their shop and how it supports local residents. I look forward to representing them in the new Senedd and working with them and their colleagues in the Fed in the next four years.”

Fed backs government crackdown to support high street

The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has welcomed the Government’s establishment of a New High Street Organised Crime Unit and £30m funding across law enforcement to tackle organised crime on the High Street. These steps followed repeated Fed lobbying for more resourcing for trading standards and better coordination across government agencies to tackle illicit trade, which undermines legitimate retail businesses including Fed members.

In a statement Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said: “Criminal gangs have exploited our high streets to launder their dirty money and undercut honest businesses.

“We are hitting back with a nationwide crackdown to shut these fronts down, seize dirty cash and drive organised crime off our high streets and put bosses behind bars.”

Fed National President, Hetal Patel, said: “Our members are responsible retailers and contribute an incalculable amount to local economies and the communities they serve- however, their good name and business model is undermined by rogue trade in illicit goods like black market tobacco and more – it is dismaying that the National Crime Agency (NCA) have recently said that £1 billion is laundered each year through high street businesses like mini-marts, barber shops, vape stores and sweet shops.”

“I raised these concerns in a meeting with the Crime and Policing Minister at the Home Office last year and we are therefore very pleased the Government is taking active steps to take this forward. We have been told that £20 million of funding will go towards the creation of a new multi-agency coordination team led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) as well as £6m extra to local authority trading standards – something we have called for – so this is very positive news.

“However, given the vast and growing scale of the problem, we feel even more pressure from Police and Government agencies will need to be focused on the problem in the months and years ahead. We will therefore continue to monitor this situation and work with Government to ensure there is greater focus and resourcing.”

Put small independent retailers at the heart of your agenda, Scottish election candidates told

Ahead of next week’s elections, the Fed in Scotland has again called on all parties to put small shops at the heart of the agenda, whoever forms the resulting government.

The Fed’s Scottish president Uthayakumar Soundararajan reaffirmed the importance of its manifesto for small shops, which was launched in January and highlighted the action required to tackle retail crime, measures to control business rates and the swift adoption of DRS for recycling when it is launched in October next year.

Mr Soundararajan, who is a retailer in Edinburgh, said: “We shared our manifesto with political parties earlier this year and continue to urge them to engage with us in the need to defend small shops through measures which limit commercial and government costs, reduce retail crime and help us prepare for big changes like DRS.

“In recent months, we have highlighted the need for retail crime in Scotland to be tackled by better police responses, including an enhanced role for the Police Scotland Retail Crime Taskforce and greater resourcing for trading standards teams across the country.”

In recent weeks, retail has come to the centre of the debate in Scotland, following the SNP’s announcement it would place price caps on certain goods stocked at large Scottish supermarkets.

Mr Soundararajan said: “Whilst this is not likely to affect our members directly, we are concerned this will distort trade and do nothing to help shops or their customers. Across the sector, retail is a very competitive market and small shops play an important part in it.

“The devil will be in the detail on this, but questions remain about how it will have an impact on different retailers – big and small, online and the High Street, and those across the border in England – and it could cause unnecessary complexity and uncertainty.

“The Fed’s prime concern in terms of new price inflation is the impact of the Iran War which will be challenging for shops and shoppers alike. We want to work with the Scottish government and other stakeholders on realistic policies to limit its impact.”

The Fed welcomes new law to tackle retail crime

After years of campaigning and lobbying the government to make a serious commitment to tackling retail crime, the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) is pleased to see that the Crime and Policing Bill has finally received Royal Assent and is now established in law.

As a trade organisation representing more than 8,000 smaller retailers, the Fed has relayed to politicians and police and crime commissioners time and time again that retail crime, including violence, theft and harassment, are of deep concern its members – more so now than ever.

Despite a small reduction in the number of recorded shoplifting offences, the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on April 23 remain shocking, with 509,566 recorded offences in the year ending December 2025.

The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel said: “Theft is traumatic for shopkeepers and their staff, and a social blight. But it also imposes a series of direct and indirect economic costs for shops in terms of lost stock and expensive security measures, which undermine their financial viability.

“For these reasons, the measures contained within the Act, particularly the removal of the ridiculous £200 threshold for theft and the introduction of a standalone offence of assaulting a shopworker – with a possible prison sentence of six months – are welcome and long overdue.

“More broadly, we will continue to call for more active intervention from Community Policing teams, so that these issues are taken more seriously and that shoplifting is no longer widely regarded as a victimless crime.”

He added: “For too long, there has been a lack of police presence in communities, giving thieves and those who indulge in anti-social behaviour carte blanche to carry on unpunished.

“Therefore, the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to deliver an additional 13,000 neighbourhood officers by the end of this parliament is another positive step.”

The Home Office says the new powers for police and the wider criminal justice system will help realise this government’s mission to restore confidence in policing.

Mr Patel said: “What independent retailers want to see now is effective, direct action to curb the scourge of retail crime, and the police and courts to carry out the measures in the Crime and Policing Act to prosecute and deter criminals.

“We will continue to work closely with the government on the application of measures in the Act and push for targeted retail security grants to be introduced, so that small retailers can afford expensive security enhancements like next generation CCTV and other measures to keep their shops secure.”

The Fed Continues call for Faster Application of DRS in Wales

The Fed’s President in Wales, Mark Dudden, has added his voice to calls for faster action implementing a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for recycling in Wales and for the adoption of a Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) which can administer it.

With the Welsh Senedd election due next week, the Fed has written to the current Government Minister responsible, Huw Irranca-Davies and his officials urging the appointment of a DMO which can administer the scheme and deal with the various technical questions involved in implementing DRS. The sole applicant for the DMO, Exchange for Change, was rejected in its application earlier in April and the new application process will carry on until June.

Mark Dudden commented: “The Fed has actively engaged in the implementation of DRS, serving on the Advisory Board of the DMO covering the rest of the UK, but we feel for it to work it must have full interoperability with the rest of Britain and Northern Ireland.

“As we have also made clear in our manifesto for the election, launched in January, the Fed also has concerns that adding glass to the mix will make it hard for small shops – and ultimately make the best the enemy of the good, undermining the Welsh scheme as a whole. Whoever takes on responsibility for running it, we hope a new DMO can be put in place as soon as possible to ensure clear communication and support for Welsh retailers when DRS is launched in just less than 18 months.”

Leicester East MP vows to back Fed members

Leicester East MP Shivani Raja has pledged to support independent retailers who are suffering from rising business rates, illicit tobacco, and surging crime following a meeting this month (Thursday, April 16) with a delegation of members from the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed).

Ms Raja, who has represented the constituency since the last General Election almost two years ago, offered to deliver a letter from Leicester retailers highlighting these concerns to the Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Fed members attending the meeting at her constituency offices were included East of England district president Jital Patel, Sunil Patel, Parth Patel, Rinku Patel and Hetal Patel. All have shops in Leicester. Fed members development executive Kully Kumar and political engagement coordinator Douglas Oliver were also in attendance.

During the meeting, Hetal Patel spoke about the new measures being introduced in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and the rising cost of tobacco and the lack of resourcing provided by central government to help support legitimate retailers. The Fed team had said that they had raised these concerns in conversation with the Home Office and in correspondence with the Leicester PCC, but that challenges remained.

Parth Patel highlighted the impact of rising business rates bills which had controversially increased in April as the revaluation of properties – which sets the bills – had taken effect. Mr Patel added: “After operating for the last 35 years in the city, providing vital services, we might not survive another five years.”

Sunil Patel said: “Speaking as someone who first began as a retailer in Leicester more than 40 years ago, this is one of the toughest times I can remember and every retailer I know is reporting challenges because the cost of living squeeze is hitting our customers and because energy costs and taxes going up mean that our own costs are rising.”

Commenting on her Facebook page about the meeting, Ms Raja said: “These retailers are small businesses that make all the difference in our day-to-day lives, strengthening our local economy and playing a vital role in keeping our communities connected, supported, and thriving.”

Jital Patel said: “I look forward to working with Shivani in support of the Fed future. We were very pleased to explain the commercial benefits of Fed membership and we look forward to inviting her to visit some of our local businesses, as well as our Leicester trade show in October.”

Fed Members Featured in Newsnight Discussion on Retail Crime

Fed Members Vince and Fiona Malone have again been interviewed on BBC Newsnight the continuing problems with retail crime on the same day that Government data again highlighted high levels of theft in shops. The interview came as BBC reporting highlighted problems with illegal drug use on the High Street and problems with rogue trade on the High Street.

Thursday’s interview with Mr and Mrs Malone came 18 months after they were previously interviewed by Newsnight in 2024 when they reported theft was causing their business in Tenby in West Wales “about £26k annually, roughly £500 every week”.

Whilst they say theft rates had fallen significantly since the installation of a CCTV and AI tool which cost them about £13,000. Mr Malone said: “We are under no illusion that theft has stopped… there is a problem of social acceptance”.

Mrs Malone also spoke about the challenges of confronting shoplifters and the need to challenge shoplifters “as they need to know it is wrong – last year Vince was punched in the face and the shoplifter asked why it was wrong as shoplifting was a victimless crime.”

Despite the marginal fall in shoplifting reported in ONS Government data yesterday, the Fed’s National President has called for further action to be taken to control it further.

Meanwhile, the Fed has continued to call for more action on shoplifting and for society to better recognise the human nature of theft because of the emotional toll it plays on retailers, whilst undermining their economic viability, leading to wider inflation in shopping costs for small businesses.

Categories: Press Releases