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The Voice of Independent Retailers
Lord Bilimoria
King Cobra
Data Rules
Tom Fender
Diwali
Lighting the way
Big Interview
Parfetts’ Guy Swindell
3rd November to 16th November 2023
Volume 35 No. 933
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to al the
Asian Trader Reades!
Hay Diwali
41
Business rate in
England to ‘quadruple’
Asian Trader Awards 2023
Pasta, Rice and
Noddles
Pasta, Rice and
Noddles
77
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5 NEWS
Leader: Lighting up the darkness
Business rate in England to ‘quadruple’
Retail union questions recent changes to
sentencing policy
Guest column: Consumer Behaviour
The Met trials facial recognition to tackle
shoplifting
SGF report underlines essential role of c-stores
Nestlé to close Ireland facilities – 542 job losses
Amazon expands drone delivery to UK
Aldi to open 12 new stores before Christmas
17 FEATURE: DIWALI
A little thought, some creativity and a
wholesome festive range can boost sales
this Diwali, as the festival of lights continues to
increase in popularity
26 NEWS FEATURE:
DELIVERY OPPORTUNITY
The collapse of online delivery apps can be a
boon for local store ops
30 WORLD OF WHOLESALE
A regular round-up of news and views in the
wholesale sector
33 BIG INTERVIEW:
PARFETTS
Joint MD Guy Swindell says that the nuts and
bolts of wholesale are always interesting, and
never more so than now, against the backdrop
of economic crisis and international conflict
41 ASIAN TRADER
AWARDS 2023
The Asian Trader Awards approach – we look at
what is on the menu of events for the big night
and hear from our sponsors
48 ME AND MY BRAND:
COBRA BEER
Lord Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, talks
about the brew – now also in a zero alcohol
version – that goes perfectly with Indian cuisine
50 “NOT” TWITTER
The best observations and comments from
retailers (and friends) on the ground
51 VAPE BUSINESS SECTION
59 MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Keeping up with the latest industry moves and
promotions
61 BIG INTERVIEW:
PHILIP MORRIS LTD
A Diwali get-together with MD Christian
Woolfenden and External Affairs Director
Duncan Cunningham, to talk about heated
tobacco and their latest IQOS device, ILUMA
67 PROFILE: JASON WOUHRA
Ready to roar: armed with brand new vision and
renewed energy, Lioncroft Wholesale’s Jason
Wouhra is going strong
68 SPECIAL REPORT:
PROJECT PEGASUS
Government and police have (potentially)
answered retailers’ pleas with the new Retail
Crime Action Plan, Project Pegasus, published
last week
71 BIG INTERVIEW:
TOM FENDER
Both grocery wholesale and convenience retail
are on the right track and tech can give them a
further leap, says TWC’s data wizard, Tom Fender
77 FEATURE: PASTA, RICE
AND NOODLES
These delicious staples can save money on
cooking and energise your body, so make the
most of it as they enjoy a surge in popularity as
consumers watch their budgets
87 MUST STOCK
The latest product news
93 FEATURE: WHOLESALE
With similar concerns and solutions, and an
unbreakable bond, wholesale and retail are
two sides of the same coin
105 GUJARATI
Free From & Healthy Alternatives and Artisan,
Craft and Local
3rd November to 16th November 2023
THE VOICE OF INDEPENDENT RETAILERS
VOLUME 35 NUMBER 933
Thank you to all our Franchisees
for all your hard work, we
would like to wish you all a
Happy Diwali from everyone
at One Stop
Happy
Diwali
from One Stop
Franchise
3 NOVEMBER 2023 ASIAN TRADER 5
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Newly published retail sales
data has added to economic
gloom and offered no respite
for the government, which has
suffered fresh vote setbacks.
Retail sales slid 0.9% in
September, the Office for
National Statistics said in a
statement.
“Retail sales fell notably in
September, with retailers
telling us that cost-of-living
pressures are influencing
consumers, particularly for
non-essential goods,” added
ONS chief economist Grant
Fitzner.
“It was a poor month for
clothing stores as the warm
autumnal conditions reduced
sales of colder weather gear,”
he added.
The often-volatile retail
sales had grown 0.4% in August.
Looking at the quarterly
picture, sales volumes fell by
0.8% in the three months to
September 2023 when
compared with the previous
three months.
Foodstore sales volumes
rose 0.2% in September,
following a rise of 1.4% in
August. However, volumes fell
by 1.3% in the three months to
September from the previous
three, and, when compared
with their pre-pandemic
February 2020 levels, they
were down 3.7%.
Retail sales slide as
cost-of-living bites – ONS
Lighting up the darkness
iwali is here again, that most important
Indian holiday, which increasingly feels so
natural and welcome a part of the UK’s festive
calendar. Like Bonfire Night, it arrives at exactly the
right time to spread light and comfort – not in the
depths of winter, when we have adjusted to cold and
darkness, but rather at its onset, when we are still
apprehensive and need reassurance that the light and
warmth of a new spring and summer will return.
It’s redolent of what the economic outlook appears
to be at the moment: an oncoming darkness, but with
a flame of hope flickering in it and guiding us through
the gloomy times and hopefully out the other side.
First, the darkness. Although recent economic data
has inflation slowing (but persisting) and some
grocery prices easing an even in certain cases falling,
at the same time we are informed that consumer
confidence is waning, and that the population is
planning to spend much less on Christmas this year,
for example.
There is no contradiction here, because budgets are
squeezed, and despite good news on prices, the pound
has fallen 8% against the dollar in just over a month
– a dramatic move suggesting a lack of confidence in
UK fundamentals and higher prices again on the way.
Add to that the fact that very many fixed-term mort-
gages – hurriedly contracted a few years ago out when
interest rates were still low – are now coming to an
end and need to be refinanced at twice or three times
the earlier rate at least. This will push up repayments
for many thousands of families by anything from 40%
to 100%. Many people might not then be able to afford
to buy anything else except essentials for a long time.
Forget Christmas, forget eating out, forget a new
car – the economy will reflect the increased budget-
ary tightness experienced by households as their
funds are diverted into keeping a roof over their heads
– and housing, currently accounting for more than
20% of inflationary pressure in the UK, will soon be
accounting for much more.
On the other hand, while the times of low interest
rates and easy credit have probably gone for many
years, it is easy to forget that unemployment remains
at historic lows and that standards of living remain
the highest in history for the masses. UK economic
performance has recently been shown to be among
the best in Europe and nowhere near the basket-case
level that many reports would have us believe. There
is much debt, but Britain is increasingly a safe haven
for global monetary flows and national borrowing at
decent rates is easier here than almost anywhere else.
For the convenience channel, the combination of
being at the centre of hard-pressed communities and
seen as a support by local people, together with the
fact that food and drink are the essentials that people
will continue to buy, makes the sector a real flame of
comfort and light in the surrounding gloom, for both
shoppers and indie retailers thinking about the
future.
NEWS/COMMENT
High street shops in England
could see their business rates
bill quadrupling, collective-
ly increasing by up to £1.95
billion next year, following
new inflation data, claim mul-
tiple reports, with industry
chiefs warning it will “un-
doubtedly be the final nail in
the coffin for many” firms.
The ONS revealed
inflation in September was 6.7%.
The multiplier, which is applied
to the rateable value of proper-
ties, typically rises each April in
line with the previous Septem-
ber’s inflation rate.
Estimates compiled by
advisory group Altus showed that
retail stores will be struck by a
£15,300 business rates bill for an
average site from next April. This
is compared to £3,600 for the
current year, subject to caps on
tax reliefs.
“The current business rates re-
gime is already crippling retailers,
so the prospect of a £1.95bn jump
in rates next April will be
impossible for some retailers to
find,” said Jacqui Baker, head of re-
tail at RSM consultants. “The
Chancellor needs to extend the
current relief measures for
another year whilst delivering
real reform that is fit for purpose
to allow the high street to not
only survive, but to thrive.”
Helen Dickinson, head of the
British Retail Consortium, said
the rise would “inevitably put
renewed pressure on consumer
prices” and called on the govern-
ment to take steps to ease the
expected increase.
“As a result, retailers are
publicly calling on the Chancellor
to freeze the business rates
multiplier, allowing them to keep
driving down prices, and invest in
new shops and jobs.”
New calls from retailers to end multiplier madness
Business rate in
Business rate in
England to ‘quadruple’
England to ‘quadruple’
NEWS
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COLUMN/NEWS
Retail trade union Usdaw has
raised questions on the recent
announcement on sentencing
policy by the Justice Secretary,
asking if the move will add to
the impression that theft from
shops has effectively been de-
criminalised.
The government an-
nounced that fewer “low-lev-
el offenders” will be sent to
prison. They will legislate for a
presumption that custodial
sentences of less than 12
months in prison will be
suspended and offenders will
be punished in the communi-
ty instead.
Reacting to the announce-
ment, Paddy Lillis – Usdaw
General Secretary – pointed
out that there is an epidemic
of shoplifting sweeping
through retail.
“While we accept that
jailtime isn’t always the best
way to rehabilitate criminals,
there does need to be justice
for victims and community
punishment must be effec-
tive in preventing reoffend-
ing.
“Much of our concerns
around growing retail crime is
about underfunding of the
police and getting the
offenders to court in the first
place. There are too few
officers patrolling the streets
and our members tell me they
very rarely see the police in
their stores. The policy of
issuing fixed penalty notices
for thefts under £200 leads to
too few of these crimes being
investigated and prosecuted.
“There has been a 24 per
cent increase in police
recorded shoplifting and
much of that increase is
driven by criminal gangs with
links to the illegal drugs trade.
Our members would be
distressed if violent shoplift-
ers are not appropriately
punished for the terror they
reign in stores. We are
concerned that today’s
announcement could add to
the impression that shoplift-
ing has effectively been
decriminalised.”
Worry over lenient moves as crime-wave runs out of control
Retail union questions recent
Retail union questions recent
changes to sentencing policy
changes to sentencing policy
The UK’s love for spice is
growing, with over a third
of Brits wanting to add
more punch to their
everyday dishes, a recent
report has shown,
highlighting London and
West Midlands as top “hot
spots” of the country.
New research by
Dolmio shows 32% of Brits
love fiery flavours so much,
they add spice even to
traditional meals such as
spaghetti Bolognese or
lasagne.
While London is the
nation’s spice capital, with
79% partial to grub that
truly gets tastebuds
tingling, Yorkshire folk are
Britain’s biggest softies,
with just 56% able to
tolerate it.
Some regions are less
prone to the spicy life than
others, over 40% of Brits
are ready to dial up their
heat tolerance overall,
states the report.
Sian Gavin, Senior
Marketing Manager at
Mars Food said, “The
nation’s love for hotter
foods is a testament to its
appetite for adventure and
flavour, and this dining
experience will not disap-
point. There’s much fun to
be had and we’re excited to
inspire people with bold
dishes that they can
recreate at home – whether
that’s brunch or beyond.”
‘London, West Midlands
love spicy flavours’
Consumer Behaviour
Consumer Behaviour
Nick Gillett is Co-founder and
Managing Director of success-
ful spirits distributor Mangrove
Global, as well as
an industry
expert and
commentator.
Nick advocates
for bold and
daring inde-
pendent
producers and here he explains
the opportunity independent
brands present to alcohol
wholesalers.
People are feeling the pinch. With
cost-of-living as high as it is, we
need to work harder to influence
consumers when instore, and
ultimately – encourage them to
buy. Before we can do this, it’s
important to understand what’s at
play and what’s important to the
customers stepping through your
door.
Research carried out by Simply
Business, last year, shows that 88%
of UK shoppers prefer to shop at
small, local, independent busi-
nesses, compared to larger chains.
One of the reasons cited for this, is
that the service is better.1 And I
think this signals that you need to
think about what you can offer
that differs from the large
supermarkets.
It’s unlikely you’ll be able to
compete on price when it comes
to spirits – the economies of scale
at play in the superstores will
nearly always make them the
choice for a cheap bottle. But
what you can do is be flexible with
your range, stock more interesting
items, and mix it up in line with the
various seasons and trends. But
beyond this, you can also become
the place that can always be
trusted to have a first-rate bottle
in stock. Don’t underestimate the
power of education – talk to your
customers, find out what they like,
understand your range, and know
enough about each product to
make a great recommendation.
Yes, it takes a bit of extra effort,
but do this and your repeat
custom will undoubtedly go
through the roof.
Happy
and a prosperous
New Year from all the
Directors, Management
and Colleagues.
Diwali
NEWS
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London’s Metropolitan Police
has revealed officers are piloting
facial recognition technology to
catch prolific shoplifters, as
stores suffer increased thefts
and violence by criminal gangs,
addicts and others.
It said the trial of the
emerging tech had shown it
could revolutionise how they
tackle an array of offences.
It follows police forces in
Britain and beyond increasingly
deploying facial recognition
software, which civil rights
campaigners argue is open to
racial, gender and other biases.
The Met’s use of the tech to
target shoplifters comes as UK
businesses appeal for govern-
ment and other help to tackle
the fallout from a surge in theft
and violence towards staff.
It has been blamed on the
impact of the pandemic and
Britain’s worst cost-of-living
crisis in decades.
Shoplifting offences
recorded by police in England
and Wales have risen by a
quarter in the past year, Office
for National Statistics (ONS)
data released Thursday showed.
“We’re working with shops
across the capital to target and
track down criminals in a way
we never have before,” Met
commissioner Mark Rowley
said in a statement announcing
the facial recognition trial.
The Met asked a dozen
retailers to provide images of 30
of the worst shoplifting
offenders for the pilot, which
were compared against the
force’s own custody shots. Of
302 images submitted, 149 were
positive matches.
The software uses biometric
measures and works even if part
of an individual’s face is covered,
taking around a minute to find a
match.
Officers are now investigat-
ing further in the hope of build-
ing criminal cases against some
of the suspects.
Desperate times demand technical measures
The Met trials facial
The Met trials facial
recognition to tackle shoplifting
recognition to tackle shoplifting
A shake-up in the
distribution of the Sun,
Times and Sunday Times
has been welcomed by
independent retailers.
News UK has an-
nounced that its Direct
to Retail service, which
supplies nearly 6,000
news retailers within
the M25, is ceasing.
From Nov 13, supplies of the
Sun, Times and Sunday
Times will be handled by
Smiths News and Menzies
Distribution.
News UK said the move
was aimed at “further
bolstering the retail sector,
while ensuring the wide-
spread availability of
newspapers in various
outlets.”
The publisher added that
eliminating the delivery
charge associated with DTR
would result in a £3 million
saving to the retail catego-
ry.
“Retailers were unhap-
py when News UK
introduced its DTR
operation in 2008 as it
was deemed unnecessary
and an additional cost
burden,” said the Fed’s
National President
Muntazir Dipoti.
“Fifteen years later,
against a backdrop of
consistent declines in both
sales and retailers’ profitabil-
ity, it is costing members
£2.34 per day to receive their
supplies of News UK titles.
“Having pushed for such
a change in News UK’s
distribution arrangements
for years, we welcome this
move.”
Indie retailers welcome
News UK distribution plan
Burts £6m new
Burts £6m new
investment in Leicester site
investment in Leicester site
Snacks maker Burts has invested £6
million into its Leicester factory this
year, doubling the site’s capacity to
produce more hand-cooked chips
and compression popped snacks to
keep up with demand.
As part of the investment,
installations include two new
state-of-the-art fryers, one new
bagging system and 14 compres-
sion poppers to create the brand’s
popular Lentil Chips, along with
doubling the potato storage
capacity and updating handling
operations. These improvements to
the factory have created 16 new jobs
at the Leicester location for frying
and popping operatives.
CJ Lang acquires
CJ Lang acquires
ScotFresh c-chain
ScotFresh c-chain
CJ Lang & Son Ltd, the wholesaler
for SPAR in Scotland, has announced
the acquisition of convenience chain
ScotFresh Group Ltd.
Founded by chairman Shaun
Marwaha’s parents in the east end of
Glasgow in 1983, the business is a
nine-store independent retail
operation based in Glasgow and the
Scottish central belt and has stores
in Glasgow, Riddrie, Cardonald,
Scotstoun and Denny as well as
Irvine, Carluke and Dumfries. The
stores had been trading with
Booker.
130 colleagues will now be
supported by CJ Lang & Son.
£80,000 illegal vapes
£80,000 illegal vapes
seized in Stockport
seized in Stockport
Trading Standards officers from
Stockport Council seized £80,000
of illegal single use vapes during a
joint operation with Greater
Manchester Police.
Six people were arrested as part
of Operation Rimini, a response to
tackling reports of offences in
Stockport town centre including
theft, shoplifting and anti-social
behaviour.
Council officers visited a number
of premises in Stockport town
centre and Edgeley, seizing vapes
which contained more than the
legal limit of liquid in the chamber,
and some also showing incorrect
health warnings.
www.bestwaywholesale.co.uk
We wish
you a very
happy
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The Scottish Grocers’ Federa-
tion’s Scottish Local Shop
Report 2023 put the spotlight
on the retail market in Scotland,
showing the substantial
contribution of the conveni-
ence retail sector to the Scottish
Economy and the lifeline
services many local shops
provide for their communities
across Scotland, all in the midst
of a very challenging time for
many homes and businesses.
The latest figures show a
welcome increase in the
number of convenience stores
over the past year, up 73, to 5171
in 2023, accounting for over
49,000 jobs across Scotland.
“Despite very difficult and
challenging circumstances for
many in convenience retail, the
contribution of convenience
stores and retail over the past
few years cannot be overstated,”
said SGF chief executive Pete
Cheema OBE. “Staff and local
shop owners across Scotland
have continued to play an
essential role in both the
Scottish Economy and for
people in their communities.
“Once again, the informa-
tion gathered in the report
clearly makes the case for
targeted support from govern-
ment for our industry. So that
we can continue to deliver for
our local economies and
communities.”
Compiled in collaboration
with the Association of
Convenience Stores, the Local
Shop Report has revealed the
enormous contribution that
convenience stores in Scotland
make to people’s lives, not just
as essential grocery businesses,
but as job creators, community
hubs and beacons of entrepre-
neurship.
Across the UK, the conveni-
ence sector contributed more
than £10.6 billion in Gross Value
Added and over £9.1 billion in
taxes, in 2022/23, with 70% of
stores run by independent
retailers, either entirely
unaffiliated or as part of a
symbol group.
Praise from report released at Glagow conference
SGF report underlines
SGF report underlines
essential role of c-stores
essential role of c-stores
Swiss giant Nestlé plans to
close a baby food factory,
and an adjacent research
and development (R&D)
facility in southwest
Ireland with the expected
loss of around 542 jobs.
The Swiss group plans to
shutter the plant in
Askeaton by early 2026,
and the co-located R&D
centre by early 2025, said a
Nestle spokesperson in a
statement sent to AFP.
“Regrettably, today’s
announcement means
approximately 542 col-
leagues will be placed at risk
of redundancy,” said the
statement.
The Askeaton facilities,
which are 222 kilometres
southwest of Dublin, were
part of Nestle’s acquisition of
Pfizer Nutrition in 2012, and
operate as Wyeth Nutrition-
als Ireland Ltd.
The factory, whose
products are exclusively
exported to China and
wider Asia, currently
employs 491, with 51
employed at R&D centre.
“External trends have
significantly impacted
demand for infant nutri-
tion products in the
Greater China region,”
according to the statement.
“The number of new-born
babies in China has declined
sharply from 18 million per
year in 2016 to fewer than 9
million projected in 2023.”
Production will be shifted
to existing plants in Switzer-
land and China.
Nestlé to close Ireland
facilities – 542 job losses
Retailer social media
Retailer social media
from Booker
from Booker
Booker has introduced an innova-
tive solution to assist retailers in
effectively managing their social
media presence.
SocioConnect is designed as a
user-friendly app that enables
retailers to handle their social media
content across various popular
platforms from a single platform.
Store managers can easily register
and download the app to their
phones or desktops, free of charge.
With the app, retailers can track the
performance of every post,
enabling them to determine the
most successful content and
optimize future posts for maximum
reach and engagement.
Rat-infested cash & carry
Rat-infested cash & carry
fined £66k
fined £66k
Krishna Cash & Carry was fined at
Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court after
breaching hygiene conditions
following a rat infestation.
According to Hillingon Council,
company director, Santhirasegaram
Ketheeswaran, had admitted five
breaches of food hygiene regulations.
The council team discovered dirt,
food debris, flies and rat droppings,
and the structure was in such a state of
disrepair that multiple holes allowed
rats to freely enter the business.
A dead rat was found under a
pallet of rice bags and electrical
sockets behind freezers were hanging
off the wall.
Premier Exports London
Premier Exports London
joins Unitas
joins Unitas
Formerly a Sugro member, Premier
Exports London is a delivered
wholesaler supplying over 550
international customers (95%
retailers) with grocery, confection-
ery and ambient products. The
business operates from a 23,000 sq
ft depot with a turnover of £47
million in the past financial year.
“We are delighted that Premier
Exports London has decided that
Unitas is the place to now grow their
business and take it to the next
level,” said Unitas Wholesale MD
John Kinney.
The new recruit takes Unitas
Wholesale’s total membership to
155 businesses.