NEWS
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6 ASIAN TRADER 3 NOVEMBER 2023
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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.