زمرے: پریس ریلیز

فیڈ DRS کی ترقی کی نگرانی کرتا ہے۔

فیڈ ری سائیکلنگ اسکیم کے لیے ڈپازٹ ریٹرن اسکیم (DRS) کی ترقی میں مدد کرنے کے لیے کام میں مصروف ہے – جو اکتوبر 2027 میں شروع ہونے والی ہے جس کا مقصد اسٹیل، ایلومینیم اور پلاسٹک (PET) سے بنی بوتلوں کی ری سائیکلنگ کی شرحوں کو بڑھانا ہے اور فیڈ نئے سال میں اس بارے میں مزید معلومات کا اشتراک کرے گا کہ وہ اسکیم کے آغاز سے پہلے کیسے شروع کرسکتے ہیں۔.

اس سکیم کو کیسے چلایا جائے گا اس کے بارے میں ابھی بہت کچھ طے ہونا باقی ہے، لیکن اس وقت یہ اہم نکات ہیں جن سے آگاہ ہونا ضروری ہے:

• DRS کی بہت ساری لاجسٹک تفصیلات کو ابھی حتمی شکل دینے کی ضرورت ہے لیکن لگتا ہے کہ صارفین سے بوتل خریدنے کے لیے اضافی 20p وصول کیے جائیں گے جس کے بعد صارفین کو ان کی بوتلیں ری سائیکلنگ کے لیے واپس کرنے کی ترغیب کے طور پر دوبارہ دعوی کیا جا سکتا ہے۔.
• اسی طرح کی اسکیمیں ناروے، جرمنی، نیدرلینڈز اور ڈنمارک سمیت متعدد ممالک میں موجود ہیں۔.
• کچھ Fed کے پاس DRS کا پہلے سے ہی تجربہ ہے کیونکہ یہ جمہوریہ آئرلینڈ میں پہلے سے موجود ہے - اور Fed کی سینئر قیادت کے ایک وفد نے مارچ 2025 میں جمہوریہ آئرلینڈ کا دورہ کیا تاکہ یہ معلوم کیا جا سکے کہ اس سکیم کو عملی طور پر کیسے چلایا جا رہا ہے۔ کچھ تخمینوں کے مطابق، آئرلینڈ میں DRS کی وجہ سے ری سائیکلنگ میں 49% سے 90% تک اضافہ ہوا ہے۔.
• UK میں، Fed فی الحال ڈپازٹ مینجمنٹ آرگنائزیشن (DMO) کے ایڈوائزری بورڈ پر کام کرتا ہے جو اسکیم کا انتظام کرے گا - DMO ایک شراکت داری ہے جس میں سرکاری حکام اور کاروباری نمائندوں کی ایک رینج کے ساتھ ساتھ دیگر اسٹیک ہولڈرز بھی شامل ہیں۔.
• بوتلیں کاروباری اداروں کو واپسی کی جگہ پر واپس کی جا سکتی ہیں جیسے کہ مینوئل باکس میں یا جسے ریورس-وینڈنگ مشین (RVM) کہا جاتا ہے جو بڑی بوتلوں کو کمپریس کرتی ہے اور خوردہ فروشوں کو چند پیسوں کی ایک چھوٹی سی فیس ملے گی جس سے ایک بڑی قیمت میں اضافہ ہو سکتا ہے (جمہوریہ آئرلینڈ میں یہ 2.6 سینٹس ایک VMVR2 کنٹینر کے گرد جمع ہوتا ہے) سینٹ ایک کنٹینر)۔ UK کے لیے فیس کا فیصلہ 2026 میں ہونا طے ہے اور Fed ایک اعلیٰ شرح متعارف کرانے کا مطالبہ کرے گا جو ہمارے اراکین کے لیے مناسب ہے۔.
• تمام Fed اراکین کو لازمی طور پر شرکت کرنے کی ضرورت نہیں ہوگی کیونکہ اگر ان کی جائیداد 100 مربع میٹر ہے تو وہ استثنیٰ کے لیے درخواست دے سکتے ہیں۔.
• تاہم، جمہوریہ آئرلینڈ میں خوردہ فروشوں نے تبصرہ کیا ہے کہ انہوں نے واپسی کی جگہ یا RVM کو انسٹال کرنے کا انتخاب کیا ہے - چاہے وہ استثنیٰ کے اہل بھی ہوں - کیونکہ بہت سے صارفین بڑی سپر مارکیٹوں کے بجائے چھوٹی دکانوں پر بوتلیں واپس کرنے کی سہولت کو اہمیت دیتے ہیں، اور ان کی آمد سے محروم ہو رہے ہیں۔.
• Fed ممبران کو اس بات کا علم ہوگا کہ سکاٹ لینڈ نے 2024 میں DRS کو رول آؤٹ کرنے کا منصوبہ بنایا تھا - لیکن اسے روک دیا گیا اور اب وہ انگلینڈ اور شمالی آئرلینڈ میں شامل ہونے کا ارادہ رکھتا ہے (حالانکہ ویلز کی اپنی DRS اسکیم متعارف کرانے کا امکان ہے)۔.
• پچھلے سال کے قومی صدر – مو رزاق – نے DRS کی بہت حمایت کی اور ایک ٹرائل کیا جس میں دکھایا گیا کہ یہ کیسے کام کر سکتا ہے، گزشتہ موسم سرما (2024-2025)۔.
• Fed نئے سال میں DRS کے بارے میں مزید معلومات کا اشتراک کرے گا، لیکن اگر اس مرحلے پر آپ کا کوئی سوال ہے، تو براہ کرم اس پر رابطہ کریں۔ douglas.oliver@nfrn.org.uk

جرائم اور پولیسنگ کے وزیر نے چھوٹی دکانوں میں خوردہ جرائم پر تبادلہ خیال کرنے کے لیے فیڈ کے سینئر حکام سے ملاقات کی۔

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.

فیڈ 13ویں سالانہ چھوٹے کاروبار ہفتہ کو خوش آمدید کہتا ہے۔

فیڈ اس ہفتے اختتام پر 13ویں سالانہ سمال بزنس سیچرڈے کا خیرمقدم کر رہا ہے جو 6 دسمبر بروز ہفتہ کو ہے۔ سمال بزنس سیچرڈے پورے سال کی مہم کا مرکزی نکتہ ہے جس کا مقصد برطانیہ بھر میں چھوٹے کاروباروں اور ان کی طرف سے برطانوی معیشت اور وسیع تر معاشرے کو فراہم کی جانے والی خدمات اور اقتصادی فروغ کو اجاگر کرنا ہے۔.

یہ مہم تمام شعبوں میں 5.45 ملین چھوٹے کاروباروں – بشمول فیڈ کے ممبران جیسے آزاد خوردہ فروش – کی حمایت کرتی ہے اور برطانوی خریداروں کو ان کے ساتھ زیادہ خرچ کرنے کی ترغیب دیتی ہے۔.

حالیہ مہم کے اعداد و شمار سے پتہ چلتا ہے کہ 84% لوگ چھوٹے کاروباروں کی حمایت کو اہم سمجھتے ہیں اور 95% یہ یقین رکھتے ہیں کہ وہ مقامی معیشت میں قدر کا اضافہ کرتے ہیں، یہ مہم کے مطابق ہے جسے امریکن ایکسپریس کی حمایت حاصل ہے۔ 2024 میں، 10 ملین برطانویوں نے سمال بزنس سیٹرڈے پر چھوٹے کاروباروں سے خریداری کی، جس دن امریکن ایکسپریس کے مطابق £634 ملین خرچ ہوئے۔.

فیڈ کے قومی صدر ہیٹل پٹیل نے کہا، “آزاد خوردہ فروشوں جیسے چھوٹے کاروبار ملازمتوں اور معیشت کی حمایت میں اہم کردار ادا کرتے ہیں – بلکہ ان کمیونٹیز کے مرکز کے طور پر بھی جن شہروں اور دیہاتوں کی وہ خدمت کرتے ہیں۔ مجھے بہت خوشی ہے کہ یہ مہم اس پر توجہ مبذول کر رہی ہے۔”

“فيسٹیول سیزن کے آغاز سے قبل مثبت معاشی اشارے دیکھنا حوصلہ افزا ہے۔ یہ بڑا موسمی خرچ برطانیہ کے عظیم کاروباروں کو فروغ دینے کا ایک ناقابل یقین موقع فراہم کرتا ہے،” مائیکل اوونز سی بی ای، ڈائریکٹر سمال بزنس سیٹرڈے یوکے نے کہا۔.

“ونٹر آف ایکشن” ریٹیل کرائم مہم

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.”

فیڈ ممبران کی بدولت ٹاٹ باکس چور پکڑا گیا

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.”

موریسنز کے اخبار کی ترسیل کی نوکریاں ختم کرنے کے فیصلے پر فیڈ نے تشویش کا اظہار کیا اور اہم کمیونٹی سروس کے تحفظ پر زور دیا

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

سیلاب سے متاثرہ افراد کے لیے امداد دستیاب ہے

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 یا ای میل contactus@nfrn.org.uk to find out about the help available to you.

Our sympathies are with any member affected by the recent flooding.

اسکاٹش خوردہ فروشوں کے لیے ہالووین پر ٹریٹ نہیں 'ٹرکس'

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.”

قومی صدر نے تمباکو اور ویپ لائسنس کے مجوزہ بل پر تشویش کا اظہار کیا

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.

آزاد خوردہ فروشوں کا مطالبہ ہے کہ دکانداری کی چوری میں اضافے کے پیش نظر مزید اقدامات کیے جائیں

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.”