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THIS WEEK'S NEWS
CENTURY UP FOR D&G STORE
A FAMILY-RUN STORE IN DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY ISCELEBRATING A CENTURY OF TRADING, PUTTING SHOPPERS ATTHE HEART OF ALL THEY DO TO ENSURE THEIR SUCCESS.
James Kinnaird, owner of the 1,500sq ft Nisa Local store in Dalbeattie, is celebrating the store’s 100th year in business and put his success down to being an integral part of the community. James first started working in the store as a schoolboy selling fruit and vegetables outside the front of the shop at just eight years old.
He said: “We are truly a local business having been here for 100 years and being a part of the community is really important to us. One of the best parts of the job is the people. I know most of our customers by name and we also employ local people with most of our 25 staff coming from the village. It all goes towards making it more personal for our shoppers.”
The store has a strong focus on local suppliers for products ranging from eggs and fresh produce to gin and craft ales.
PRIORITISE RETAILERS FOR VACCINE, SAYS USDAW
RETAIL TRADE UNION USDAW IS ENCOURAGING THE UKGOVERNMENT TO PRIORITISE RETAILERS AND DELIVERY DRIVERSWHEN A NEW VACCINE IS AVAILABLE.
Retail trade union Usdaw is pushing the government to put shopworkers and delivery drivers at the top of the priority list for coronavirus vaccines and testing. It is widely reported that the government hopes to begin vaccinating the most at-risk groups ahead of Christmas and Usdaw believes retailers and delivery drivers should be among the first to benefit.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, said: “Retail staff are working with the public every day and are not only at risk of abuse but also contracting Covid-19. That needs to be taken into consideration when assessing their risk level and priority lists for vaccines and testing.
“It is clear that it is going to take some time to deliver vaccines and it is right that the most vulnerable will be prioritised in the first phase. However, we do call on the government to ensure that retail workers and delivery drivers are given priority before the vaccine is rolled out to the general population.”
JTI TARGETS CARBON NEUTRAL
JTI UK has announced its commitment to achieving net zero emissions within the next decade – 20 years ahead of the government’s current 2050 deadline.
The tobacco manufacturer’s new Environmental Plan focuses on five key areas: emissions, energy, waste, water and stakeholder engagement, and forms part of JTI’s global sustainability strategy.
JTI UK has committed to reducing emissions by 80% and becoming carbon net zero, all by 2030. It will achieve this through various initiatives, including transitioning its fleet of vehicles to electric by the start of the next decade. The company also aims to be using 100% renewable energy by 2025 and plans to reduce energy consumption by 20% by 2030.
HFSS AD BAN TIMING QUERIED
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF), along with UK Hospitality and the Advertising Association, has written an open letter to the Prime Minister highlighting its concerns regarding the Government’s public consultation on a total ban of online advertising for High Fat, Salt and Sugar (HFSS) foods.
An FDF spokesperson said: “While we support the Government’s public health objectives we’re very concerned by the timing of the consultation, in that it is only open until the end of the year, and frankly couldn’t come at a worse time for our industry, given we’re coming up to the busiest time of the year, we’re keeping the nation fed during lockdown and are obviously bracing for a potential no-deal Brexit, which is still on the table. It leaves the industry with little time to collate an effective response.”
LOTTERY BOOM
Camelot has reported itssecond-best National Lotteryticket sales ever for the halfyear to 26 September –despite an 18% hit to salesat the start of the coronaviruspandemic. Over the period,in-store sales decreased by£522.4m to £2.2bn althoughsales from July to Septembersaw a 15.2% quarter-onquarterincrease.
TETLEY PLEDGE
Tetley has pledged £650,000to Unicef UK to implement anearly childhood developmentprogramme in the Thyolo andMulanje districts of Malawi,regions identified to havethe greatest need for earlychildhood support services.As part of the programme, twoEarly Childhood DevelopmentCentres will be built onselected tea estates.
DOLGELLAU REFRESH
Co-op will relaunch itsDolgellau store in north-westWales on Friday after a major£875,000 refresh. The storewill also now benefit from beinginvolved in Co-op’s online shopoffering home delivery andclick-and-collect service.
4M FAGS FOUND
Three men have been charged after customs officers discovered 4.2 million suspected illicit cigarettes in a Glasgow warehouse. The goods found are believed to be worth an estimated £1.6m in lost duty and taxes. Further enquiries uncovered a tobacco factory in nearby Hamilton.
ALDI TRIAL
Aldi has extended its current trial with Deliveroo to Scotland for the first time with eight stores now offering a rapid delivery service. The eight stores include stores in Dundee, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dunfermline, St Andrews, Musselburgh, Perth and Glasgow. Around 400 products are available to order.
RECORD RISE
Independent retailers have welcomed the Daily Record’s decision to increase its prices and maintain retail terms at 20%. On Monday, the Monday- Friday edition increased by 5p to 90p and the retail profit per copy sold rose to 18p. This weekend, the Saturday edition will increase by 10p to £1.40 and the retail profit per copy sold increase to 28p.
