Press Releases - The Fed

Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey meets with senior Fed member in Salford

Rebecca Long-Bailey and Priyesh Vekaria

Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey met with a senior member of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) in her Salford constituency on Friday, February 27 to discuss the challenges his business faces and the steps the government can take to support him.

Ms Long-Bailey has represented the Salford area of Manchester since 2015 and was pleased to meet with Mr Vekaria again after having had contact with him and his family on previous occasions over her years representing the area.

Mr Vekaria is a senior member of the Fed, currently serving as vice president of its North West district, and he has spoken to the national media in the past about the challenges faced by small shops, particularly rising retail crime.

Mr Vekaria highlighted some of the measures he has taken recently at his One Stop store to partially control the challenge of rising theft and was able to show his MP age verification and AI features linked to his CCTV to better identify potential threats.

However, he also emphasised the vital role his shop plays in providing essential products to the heart of his community and the trust factor which enables him to work with people in the local community when anti-social behaviour might occur.

During the meeting, Mr Vekaria also spoke about the challenge of rising business rates bills and Ms Long-Bailey said she was open to new perspectives that might help businesses reduce their costs.

He shared ideas for reform, which would level the playing field between online retailers and brick and mortar shops, which would benefit many of the latter who are shortly likely to face escalating bills after the November 2025 Budget and the forthcoming Business Rates Bill Revaluation in April 2026.

Mr Vekaria also identified oncoming regulatory challenges – particularly those linked to Tobacco and Vape licences. While he said that the Fed was not necessarily opposed to all these measures, it was important that the independent retail sector was supported by clear guidance from government, and genuine support from local authority trading standards.

Ms Long-Bailey said: “I have met with Mr Vekaria’s family over the years, so it was invaluable for me to catch-up with Priyesh and discuss the valuable services he provides his customers and the people in his part of Salford. I look forward to working with him further in the future regarding the issues we discussed – as well as with the Federation of Independent Retailers in Parliament.”

Mr Vekaria added: “It was a very positive meeting indeed and I would like to thank Rebecca for her clear interest. The Fed and I will continue to work with her to raise the challenges we face in terms of rising commercial and government costs – as well as the ongoing retail crime challenge and more. I look forward to seeing her in the shop again soon!”

PayPoint fee increase expected but disappointing, says the Fed

The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) says it is disappointed by PayPoint’s decision to increase monthly fees, while recognising that the rise was expected in the current economic climate.

From 1 April, retailers using PayPoint will see their monthly fees rise by 3.8%, in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI).

The Fed says it remains concerned about the cumulative impact of rising costs on independent retailers and has made those concerns clear on behalf of its members.

However, it is also encouraging retailers to make the most of the income generating opportunities available through PayPoint to help offset the increase.

Fed National President Hetal Patel said: “Any increase in costs is disappointing, particularly at a time when independent retailers continue to face intense pressure from rising overheads, and we have raised these concerns on behalf of our members.

“At the same time, we strongly encourage retailers to ensure they are fully maximising the opportunities that PayPoint can bring to their businesses. The Health Check we launched with PayPoint a few years ago to help members to find the right opportunities to earn more in their stores saw thousands of retailers increase their revenue.”

Any member who has yet to take advantage of an instore Health Check with PayPoint’s retail relationship managers to learn more about its initiatives and services and the profit opportunities they offer should email healthcheck@paypoint.com.

In a letter to retailers announcing the fee increase, PayPoint’s customer experience director Ben Ford said: “It’s clear to us that our retailer partners are critical to our success, and we remain committed to supporting you, your business and your customers.”

The Fed in Parliament to Back Calls for Greater Transparency to Help Control High Energy Costs for Business

The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has backed the campaign led by Sarah Edwards, Labour MP for Tamworth, to boost competitiveness in the business energy market at the launch of the “Trust and Transparency Energy Charter” in Parliament on Wednesday 25th February.

During the event, Fed member and South East London Independent Retailer Kaual Patel spoke to an audience of MPs, retail and hospitality representatives and figures from the energy industry about the negative impact of high costs for small shops like his.

Sarah Edwards MP said that “Trust in the business energy market depends on customers being able to see who is committed to doing the right thing. This charter creates an important signpost for businesses seeking transparent, customer-focused brokers and suppliers.”

The Fed collaborated in the event with a range of stakeholders across retail, hospitality, the energy sector and more – with the Charter being signed by figures from the Startup Coalition, BRC, ACS, BIRA, FSB, UK Hospitality, and more. After speaking on behalf of retailers, Mr. Patel signed the Charter on behalf of the Fed and thousands of members across the country.

In his speech, Mr. Patel said that: “Our convenience stores play an important economic and social role as visible retailers at the heart of their communities, but rising energy bills are a growing concern, because they are energy intensive, often requiring 24-hour refrigeration… the way energy companies impose bills means that things are often skewed against small business, particularly shops. Ultimately, high energy costs impact the sustainability of thousands of businesses like mine and our ability to employ the many staff that the economy relies on”

More specifically, the Charter calls for:

Standardised, upfront disclosure of the full cost of electricity
Clear, enforceable rules on sales and pricing
Simple switching and genuine supplier choice
Stronger protections for SMEs
Secure access to energy data to drive innovation

As well as Sarah Edwards, the Fed met with other MPs including Jim Shannon who the Fed recently met at Comber in Northern Ireland, Joshua Reynolds MP who recently met with the Fed’s National President Hetal Patel and Liberal Democrat Business Spokesperson, Sarah Olney MP who the Liberal Democrats recently discussed retail crime with.

The Fed to Organise Home News Delivery Month 2026

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.

Shoplifting continues to rise in Scotland

Independent retailers in Scotland are calling for more action from the government and police to tackle the continuing surge in the number of cases of shoplifting.

Recorded crime figures released this week by the Scottish government revealed that shoplifting increased by 15% compared to the previous year (from 43,556 to 50,300 crimes) and increased by 137% from the year ending December 2021 (from 21,234).

However, the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) maintains that the actual numbers are much higher, as many incidents go unreported due the level of response from the police and failure by the courts to take tougher action against offenders.

The Fed is calling on politicians, police, and the courts to take retail crime seriously and ensure independent retailers receive the protection they urgently need.

National President Hetal Patel said: “These figures are shocking but sadly not surprising to our members, who see stock vanish from their shelves on a daily basis.

“Shop theft is not a victimless crime, it pushes up prices for honest customers, undermines small businesses, and places staff in danger.

“A 137 per cent rise over just four years threatens the very survival of many independent shops, and it’s no wonder so many are closing.”

The Fed’s Scottish president Hussan Lal said: “While we are pleased that the Police Scotland scheme to tackle retail crime has been extended, we will continue to call for the Scottish government to back small independent retailers through targeted grants to improve security in our stores.

“I would urge all parties to include this and other measures to combat retail crime in their manifestoes ahead of the elections in May.”

Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz hears of the challenges facing independent retailers

The multitude of challenges facing small shops were discussed when senior members of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) met with their local Senedd Member on Friday, February 20.

Pembrokeshire retailers Vince and Fiona Malone had invited Conservative Samuel Kurtz to visit their Tenby store ahead of the Welsh Parliament’s May elections.

Samuel Kurtz MS has represented the Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire seat since 2021 and will be contesting the new Ceredigion Penfro constituency in May’s election, which will see the Senedd dramatically increase in size from 60 to 96 members and be fully elected by a proportional representation system.

During the meeting, the couple explained how they had expanded their retail and Post Office business to employ 14 people compared to three when they started in 2014. However, this has been threatened by rising business costs, particularly rising business rates bills which are set to take effect in April, as well as higher employer National Insurance Contributions and an above-inflation increase in the national living wage.

The pair discussed the Fed’s manifesto for the Welsh election which focuses on these rising costs as well as calling for action to tackle retail crime and ensuring that DRS for recycling is cost-neutral and does not scope in glass, so that it fully aligned with the rest of the UK and is not overly complex.

During the meeting, Mr Malone spoke about the Fed’s support for DRS – which could cut litter and significantly improve recycling rates if done correctly – but was jeopardised by uncertainty on this from the current Welsh government.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Kurtz said: “I really valued the opportunity to catch-up with Vince as his experience and knowledge of retail and how it intersects with the political world is second to none. I look forward to working with Vince in the run up to the election and sharing the key messages outlined in the Fed’s manifesto after it.”

Mr Malone said: “The Fed and I have written to every candidate standing in the new constituency my business is located in, and I look forward to welcoming the representatives of the other political parties soon.”

The Fed’s National President Writes to Treasury About Business Rate Bill Increases

The Fed’s National President has once again shared concern about forthcoming Business Rate Bill increases likely to hit small independent shops from April, in correspondence to the Treasury.

The letter to Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Dan Tomlinson MP, raised concern again about rising business rates bills set to take effect from April, with a big business rates revaluation combining with loss of Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief and a disappointing cut in the multiplier for small businesses rates multiplier, ultimately set to push up bills.

As has been previously reported, the Fed has expressed concern before and after the budget about the possible impact of the bill increases which look to hit small business investment and employment. Whilst some of the changes have been abandoned for pubs, they are still in place for small retailers and other parts of hospitality, causing great concern across the independent retail sector.

The Fed’s National President, Hetal Patel said: “Our members play a crucial economic and social role with our many thousand members serving people in cities, towns and villages, all across the country. However, as we have previously stated, we have concerns that these increases will hit small business investment, limit the number of staff our businesses can employ and ultimately undermine the financial viability of many. We are seeking to engage with the Government further to see what further they can do to help ensure our members survive and thrive.”

Scottish Members of the Fed Discuss Trading and Retail Crime with MSP Maurice Golden

Senior members of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) in Scotland discussed retail crime and new year trading in a video call with Conservative MSP Maurice Golden on Thursday 12th February, following the recent launch of their manifesto for this May’s Holyrood election.

Included on the call was Scottish District President and Paisley Retailer Hussan Lal, as well as one of his predecessors in the role Ferhan Ashiq who runs businesses in Musselburgh and Prestonpans in East Lothian, along with the Fed’s Political Engagement Coordinator, Douglas Oliver.

Mr Golden – who has engaged with the Fed in the past, including visiting businesses and meeting with retailers in the past, and attending the 2025 Burns Dinner organised by the Fed in Glasgow – represents the North East Scotland region for the Conservative party and has served as an MSP since 2016.

During the call, Mr Lal and Mr Ashiq identified concerns about weak Christmas trade and the impact of rising bills including higher taxes from recent Westminster Budgets and also the direct and indirect costs of store theft as well as recent experiences of counterfeit currency, which he said remains a worry for retailers.

The Fed participants re-emphasised some of the key elements in the Fed’s manifesto for the 2026 election, including a request for real action to tackle retail crime – in particular, targeted retail security grants, so small shops can afford high quality security tools including advanced CCTV – and action to control costs, especially limits to business rate bills and the swift and efficient roll out of the new Deposit Return Scheme for recycling.

Maurice Golden said: “It was very good to catch-up with the Fed – who I have worked closely with for a number of years in my time in the Holyrood and I thanked them for sharing their experiences as well as their manifesto ideas which I will feed in with Scottish Conservative colleagues. I hope to meet with the Fed very soon.”

Hussan Lal said: “We really appreciated Mr. Golden’s time and continued interest in the work of independent retailers across Scotland. We focused especially on the Fed’s call for dedicated retail security grants to help small independent shops enhance their security with things like better CCTV and body cameras and we look forward to working with him and his Scottish Parliament colleagues in the future.”

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

Fed Responds to Newsprinters Holdings Limited Securing Major 10-Year Print and Distribution Agreement

The Fed has responded to the news of Newsprinters Holdings Limited securing a major 10-year print and distribution agreement with Reach Printing Services.

The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel said: “While previous changes, including News UK and the Daily Mail’s move to combine its printing and primary distribution operations, have, on the whole, been very successful, we want to ensure that this latest development does not impact negatively in any way on our members’ businesses.

“For example, one vehicle delivering into a wholesale depot is of concern as is the knock-on effect on the news supply chain if a title is late.

“We will continue to press national newspaper editors to continue with their efforts to get off stone quicker and will ask that contingencies are robust and transparent to ensure all readers get their regular reads and that the importance of home news delivery is never undermined or put at risk. Come June, the Fed will be closely monitoring developments at Newsprinters.”

The full Newsprinters press release is reproduced below for reference:

Newsprinters Holdings Limited Secures Major 10-Year Print and Distribution Agreement with Reach Printing Services
LONDON, UK, 10 February 2026

Newsprinters Holdings Limited today announced the signing of a major long-term agreement with Reach Printing Services to provide print and distribution solutions for titles currently produced at their Watford print facility.

The 10-year contract marks a significant milestone for Newsprinters and will help ensure the continued sustainability of printed newspapers in the UK

Under the terms of the agreement, production will transition from the Watford site to Newsprinters’ facility in Broxbourne. This transition is scheduled to commence in June, with full implementation expected by late July 2026.

Darren Barker, CEO of Newsprinters Holdings Limited, commented:
“This agreement represents another major milestone for Newsprinters and will help to ensure the long-term sustainability of UK print media in a challenging market.”

Newsprinters is committed to managing this transition with the utmost professionalism.

The provision of these services aligns with Newsprinters’ aim to offer long term certainty of print and distribution solutions to the UK print media industry.

News wholesaler’s carriage charge move shows it is aware of the plight of independent retailers

InPost Newstrade’s decision to freeze the carriage charge for around half of its customers in the UK and to apply a below-inflation rise to larger news stores shows it is listening to its retail customers and the Fed, the organisation’s National President has said.

Around 1,300 Fed members with lower newspaper and magazine sales will benefit when the new carriage charge template takes effect from April 4, 2026.

Stores with larger news bills will see their charge rise by £1.99 a week. The total increase is capped at £4.49.

In a letter to its retail customers today (February 12), InPost Newtrade managing director Claire McErlean said: “InPost Newstrade is committed to delivering a consistently high‑quality service for all our newstrade partners. We continue to invest in strengthening our network, technology and improving delivery performance to support your business with reliable, efficient service every day.

“Our goal is to protect value for our retailers and that is why, in the face of rising costs and wider economic pressures, we have taken the decision this year to invest significantly in our CSC template.

“The approach has been designed to support value for retailers whilst prioritising service quality and the long-term resilience of the newstrade supply chain.”

The news wholesaler added that around 42 per cent of its customers in Great Britain and around half of those in Northern Ireland will either see their charge reduce or no change. In the Republic of Ireland, this increases to around 90 per cent of InPost Newstrade’s customer base.

Fed National President Hetal Patel said: “The Fed meets regularly with InPost Newtrade executives and we take every opportunity to remind them not only of the key role that independent retailers play in the news supply chain but also of the challenges that members face from rising costs and shop theft.

“From its actions, it is clear that InPost Newstrade is not just listening but taking on board the Fed’s concerns about the importance of small stores in their communities and their profitability, especially when it comes to selling news.

He continued: “While we welcome any developments that ensure the sustainability of the printed word, we still believe that an alternative to carriage charges must be explored.”

زمرے: پریس ریلیز