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THIS WEEK'S NEWS
MASKED KNIFEMAN ROBS STORE ON FIRST DAY OF MANDATORY FACE COVERINGS
A RETAILER IN ENGLAND WAS SUBJECTED TO A HORRIFIC KNIFEATTACK ON THE VERY FIRST MORNING THAT FACE COVERINGSBECAME COMPULSORY.
Retailer Rikki Patel of RNP News in Hatfield, Hertfordshire was held up at knifepoint at 6.30am on the very first day that face coverings became mandatory in stores in England. A masked and gloved thug ransacked the till before making off with £100.
A passer-by saw the bandit hurrying out of the store and rushed to help Rikki, who had already pushed a panic button. Police officers were on the scene 15 minutes later, however the offender was not located.
The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN)’s National President Stuart Reddish said: “It is unfortunate that the steps being taken to protect the local community during the coronavirus pandemic have also helped this criminal protect their identity.”
OVER 40% NOW ‘CARE MORE’ ABOUT THEIR COMMUNTIES
A NEW SURVEY HAS FOUND THAT OVER 40% OF CONSUMERS NOWCARE MORE ABOUT THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
New research conducted amongst 2,000 UK consumers by parcel locker firm InPost, has uncovered a growing sense of care and community spirit during Covi-19. Overall, 41% of consumers agree that they now care more about their local area and have embraced community spirit and the same number agree that they now think about the impact that environmental issues have on their local community and not just globally. This figure is notably higher for those in Edinburgh (47%).
Jason Tavaria, CEO of InPost UK, said:“It’s really encouraging to see an increased sense of community spirit and a nod towards more environmentally friendly behaviour. It appears that lockdown has changed more than we think. It has presented us all with an opportunity to really consider how we want to live and work and support others.
VPZ OPENS FIRST NEW STORE SINCE LOCKDOWN BEGAN
VPZ, the UK’s .leading vaping specialist, opened opens its first new store since lockdown in Edinburgh last week. The firm, which is headquartered in Newbridge, Edinburgh has had to adapt to the new way of life following the huge change in the retail landscape
Doug Mutter, Director, said: “Despite the economic turmoil we are continuing to create jobs in Edinburgh and we are delighted to open our new store at Bruntsfield. We are seeing the biggest change in the retail economy in living memory and we as a company have had to be adapt in what we can offer.
“We understand that not all of our customers are able to travel to our stores which is why we have opened this new store within a more residential area to ensure we can still serve our customers, without requiring them to take excessive travel.”
EDGEPOS SELF-CHECKOUTS NOW FULLY INTEGRATED WITH BP
Henderson Technology has announced the launch of the first EDGEPoS selfcheckout integrated with BP systems in a Henderson Retail EUROSPAR store in Northern Ireland.
Darren Nickels, Retail Technology Operations Director, said: “We are excited to launch our successful interface with BP to offer the first hybrid self-serve option in all BP sites using the award winning EDGEPoS retail system.“ Our product gives retailers more choice to utilise space throughout the store, enhancing the customer shopping experience as the self-checkout is much smaller and more streamlined than other products on the market.”
Mark McCammond, Retail Director at Henderson Retail, said: “The launch of the self-checkout with BP has been a great success; customers are really reacting to the newest addition to the store. We have had lots of customers trying out the new service daily and are returning to use the express tills confidentially.”
SUGRO ADDS KHOSLA
Member-owned buying and marketing group Sugro UK has welcomed Hayes-based Khosla Wines as its latest member, adding £15m to Sugro’s turnover.
COCA-COLA GETS HARD
The Coca-Cola Company is launching an alcoholic hard seltzer in the US under its Topo Chico sparkling water brand this year. Topo Chico hard seltzer will launch in a Tangy Lemon Lime vAriana. According to Nielsen, annual sales of hard seltzers are due to hit $3 bn in the US this year.
SPAR SAFETY AWARD
Spar Scotland wholesaler and retailer CJ Lang and Son has been awarded the RoSPA President’s Award for health and safety achievements for its commitment to the highest standards and in recognition of their efforts to ensure its staff get home safely to their families at the end of every working day. The President’s Award was presented to the company after being awarded 10 consecutive Gold Awards.
DIAGEO SALES FALL 4%
Diageo’s GB net sales declined by 4% for their last financial year with solid first half results offset by the impact of on-trade closures from March, despite an increase in off-trade sales. The impact was further amplified by the cancellation of sporting and cultural events.
BOOTS GOES VIRTUAL
Boots is now offering virtual physiotherapy appointments via teleconferencing call as part of its extension of virtual customer services under lockdown. Boots is partnering with PhysioFast Online to implement the service and believes around 80% of a normal physio appointment can be conducted remotely.
M&S GROWS SCAN AND GO
M&S has more than tripled the number of stores featuring its mobile Pay Go technology. Some 310 stores will now offer the contact-free solution enabling shoppers to buy up to £30 worth of groceries by scanning them with the M&S app on their smartphone and paying with their card.
