ਸ਼੍ਰੇਣੀਆਂ: ਫੈਡਰਲ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੀਆਂ ਆਮ ਖਬਰਾਂ

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 highlight illicit tobacco concerns on National Television

Two Fed members have spoken out on national television about the growing impact of illicit tobacco, as new data highlights a sharp decline in legal sales across the UK.

Official figures show legal tobacco sales have more than halved since 2021, with the rise of the illegal market cited as a key factor. The issue was explored in reports by ITV News, which featured independent retailers from across the Meridian and Anglia regions.

Dimpee Sood, owner of Falcon News, Portsmouth, said the shift towards cheaper, illegal alternatives is having a direct impact on legitimate businesses.

“The decline has been significant year on year,” she said. “Our sales have declined, our purchases for tobacco have declined. It is the cost.

“We’re challenged by the rising costs of tobacco compared to the illicit trade being sold at a much lower price. We can’t compete and neither do we want to.”

Similar concerns were raised in the East Anglia region, where Avda Kucchadia, who manages Neil’s Premier, Peterborough, owned by Fed member Neil Godhania, highlighted the pressure retailers face at the till.

“We regularly have customers coming in complaining about tobacco prices,” he said. “We understand from their point of view it is expensive nowadays, but if we sell a pack for £30, they might go elsewhere and get it for £10.”

Mr Kucchadia added that some customers are willing to take the risk on cheaper products, he added: “When we sell tobacco, you are getting what you pay for — it is legitimate. Customers buying cheaper tobacco elsewhere are taking a higher risk that it could be counterfeit.”

The ITV reports also highlighted enforcement activity, with Trading Standards teams uncovering illegal cigarettes, tobacco and related products during recent raids. Concerns were raised about the wider links between illicit trade and organised crime.

The Fed has continued to raise concerns about the impact of illegal tobacco on members, warning that it creates unfair competition for responsible retailers who follow the rules.

Shoplifting is still unacceptably high, say independent retailers

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 Fed meets with Kent police and crime commissioner

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.”

The Fed meets with Scottish election candidate Jeremy Balfour

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.”

ਫੈਡ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਘਰ-ਘਰ ਖ਼ਬਰਾਂ ਪਹੁੰਚਾਉਣ ਮਹੀਨਾ 2026 ਦਾ ਆਯੋਜਨ

The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has confirmed it will organise Home News Delivery Month (HND Month) 2026, marking the fourth year of the industry-wide campaign.

The campaign will once again run throughout October, a key trading period for home news delivery as darker mornings and seasonal habits drive increased demand. HND Month celebrates the essential role independent retailers play in delivering newspapers and magazines directly into homes and supporting local communities across the UK.

HND Month was first organised by the Daily Mail for its initial two years, followed by Reach last year. The Fed, which has played a major role in the campaign since its inception, will now take the lead in delivering the 2026 programme.

Paul Jenkins, Regional Head of Circulation, Home Delivery and Subscriptions at Reach plc, said: “Reach was delighted to manage and lead HND Month 2025. As we pass the baton to the Fed for HND Month 2026, we believe it is a great opportunity for the Fed to further develop this exciting industry-wide initiative and we look forward to supporting their team in 2026.”

Registration for HND Month 2026 will open in April 2026, with the Fed aiming to increase participation across the industry. For the first time, magazine publishers will also be invited to get involved, broadening the campaign’s reach and strengthening support for home delivery services.

The popular Daily Prize Draw will return throughout October 2026, alongside a range of additional prizes and retailer incentives, with full details to be announced in due course.

Brian Murphy, news and operations director, said: “The Federation has played a major role in HND Month since its inception and we are extremely pleased and excited to take our turn in organising it.

“HND has been available since printing began, and throughout October we will be making sure it is both celebrated and embraced. Consumers know how special it is to have their regular read delivered straight to their homes and, through publisher offers and striking in-store theatre, we urge all retailers and print operators to commit to making HND Month grow.”

The day-to-day organisation of HND Month 2026 will be led by Andrew Williamson, news category manager at the Fed, who will work closely with publishers, wholesalers and retail partners to deliver the campaign and grow participation across the industry.

For more information about HND Month 2026, including partnership opportunities, please contact Andrew Williamson at andrew.williamson@nfrn.org.uk or 07788585043.