NEWS SPECIAL
COVID-19 UPDATE FOR ALL THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/
New research by the Gift Card
NFRN PAYS OUT £125K TO MEMBERS IN NEED
& Voucher Association has
THE NFRN HAS NOW PAID OUT NEARLY £125,000 TO CASH-
found that demand for gift
STRAPPED MEMBERS FROM ITS COVID-19 HARDSHIP FUND.
GIFT CARDS GROW
cards has grown significantly under lockdown. One in four Brits (25.2%) purchased gift cards for others in December with over a third of these (34.1%) directly highlighting lockdown restrictions as their reason for doing so.
‘BE KIND’ PLEA Central England Co-op has launched a campaign urging shoppers to ‘be kind’ to shop colleagues after new statistics showed a rise in shocking incidents including knife attacks, verbal abuse,
Created last April, the Hardship Fund helps alleviate some of the financial pressures that independent retailers are facing due to the coronavirus pandemic. It offers financial assistance in the form of a grant to members suffering cash flow and other financial challenges. NFRN National President Stuart Reddish said: “Covid-19 has impacted the livelihoods and businesses of independent retailers across the UK and Ireland, and the NFRN will continue to help members that are in dire need of financial assistance. “While some members have seen a dramatic increase in their sales and profits during the coronavirus pandemic, others have had their footfall completely decimated due to their location or personal circumstances. I would like to thank our districts, branches and retail partners for their generous donations, which have enabled us to help 101 members and pay out £124,650 so far. “If your store has to close or is struggling to survive due to Covid-19, apply for a grant today via the NFRN’s website, TheFedOnline.”
criminal damage, and staff being hospitalised. The retailer revealed that 312 crimes
GET YOUR BILLS PAID BY WALKERS!
related directly to the Covid-19 pandemic have been recorded in stores since the start of the pandemic.
FARE PLAY Bristol firm Stix Drinks, which supplies NHS hospitals and the government with immunityboosting vitamin drinks, has pledged to give 10p of every £1 spent on Stix for free school meals to Fare Share.
Following last year’s YAYcation campaign, Walkers has once again teamed up with Bestway for a competition that will see one lucky retailer’s utility bills paid for a year. The competition runs until 25 March 2021. Retailers can enter as many times as the like by purchasing any qualifying case of Walkers crisps from Bestway either in-depot or online. One winner will receive £8,970.55 cash to put towards their utility
8 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 40 / WEDNESDAY 27TH JANUARY 2021
bills. Three runners-up will receive £1,495.09 each and 10 retailers will receive x 1 case of each Promotional Product.
