COVID-19 UPDATE

LAST CHANCE FOR RETAILTRUST GRANTS

TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO APPLY FOR GRANTS FROM RETAILTRUST TO SUPPORT THOSE AFFECTED BY COVID-19, WITH APPLICATIONS CLOSING AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.

Those in the retail industry have only a few days left to apply for non-repayable grants from retailTRUST to support those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The application portal closes at the end of this month.

Non-repayable crisis grants are available to support you in a variety of situations including outstanding rent or mortgage payments, risk of homelessness, priority bills, and boiler or heating repairs.

The grants are available to those working in the retail or supporting service industries across the spectrum, including retail, wholesale, supply chain, food distribution, warehousing and manufacturing. All applications will be assessed on an individual basis.

If you know of anyone who would be helped by this financial assistance, please ask them to click on the link below which takes them to the qualifying criteria and the application forms: grantportal.retailtrust.org.uk.

When completing your application select ‘Covid-19’ as the particular appeal.

NFRN ISSUES RETAILER’S GUIDE TO FACE MASK

IN TIME FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF MANDATORY FACE COVERINGSIN STORES IN ENGLAND ON FRIDAY, NFRN HAS PRODUCED A GUIDETO MANAGING THE PROCESS IN-STORE.

With Friday set to see the implementation of new rules enforcing mandatory wearing of face coverings in stores in England, NFRN has created a comprehensive guide for retailers.

With mandatory face coverings already in place in Scotland, the guidance covers all aspects of the new rules including enforcement, exemptions, staff and employers’ responsibilities as well as a best practice guide.

The advice is broken down to accommodate the different rules in England and Scotland.

£1.3M SUPPORT FOR RENFREWSHIRE BUSINESSES

Renfrewshire Council has unveiled plans for a £1.3m package of support designed to help local businesses get back on their feet after the coronavirus lockdown. The proposals include crisis loans, grants and advice services and were based on the results of a detailed survey of more than 500 local firms run by the council and Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce.

The council’s Emergencies Board will be asked on Friday to approve proposals for several new funds targeting short-term support to the local economy. These include:

£500k for zero-interest business restart loans of up to £5,000 to help small-and-medium-sized business with short-term cashflow

£400k for grants of up to £10,000 to help sustain businesses and plan for growth in the medium term

£250k for grants of up to £2,500 to help businesses adapt their premises to allow for physical distancing

£150k to help fund expert advice to businesses in crisis and selfemployed people over training and access to funding.

SMALL BUSINESS CONFIDENCE RETURNS

The proportion of UK small businesses predicting growth has almost doubled in just three months – from 14% to 27% – giving one of the first tangible indications that the Government’s easing of lockdown is having a positive impact on a key area of the UK economy.

The quarterly tracking study by Hitachi Capital Business Finance examines the percentage of small businesses that actually predict growth in the next three months. Following last quarter’s report, which saw the percentage of small business owners predicting growth plummeting from 39% to just 14%, the new findings show the highest quarter-on-quarter rise in five years.

With 27% predicting growth overall, there were significant rises in the percentage of small businesses predicting moderate expansion the next three months (up from 10% to 23%) or no change (26% to 43%). This meant there has been a huge reduction in the percentage of businesses that fear contraction (down from 31% to 19%) or collapse in the next three months (down by almost two thirds from 29% to 11%).

POUNDLAND DELIVERS

Poundland is to trial anonline shopping and deliveryservice at the start of 2021,closing one of its stores inStaffordshire to convert it intoan online fulfilment centre. Thecompany is also making wi-fiavailable in its stores.

ALDI PAYS UP

Aldi has written to its smallsuppliers to let them know thatit will extend its immediatepayment terms agreement forsmall suppliers until the end ofthe year.

SGF EVENTS PULLED

Scottish Grocers’ Federation has cancelled all its remaining events scheduled to beheld in 2020. These include September’s mini summit in Falkirk and the Federation’s annual conference, which was due to take place in Glasgow in October. The mini summit had already been postponed from April. Those who had booked a place at one of the upcoming events will be contacted in the next week or so to confirm future arrangements. SGF is currently making arrangements for all events in 2021.

MAIL-A-MASK TO YOUR SHOPPERS

With face masks already mandatory in stores in Scotland, and England following suit on Friday, a new solution allows retailers to encourage shoppers to return to their stores safely by mailing a single-use mask to their home.

Produced by a company called Go Inspire, the masks are designed to help drive footfall to stores and strengthen customer relationships. Prices start at 99p per mail piece, including mask and postage on volumes of 1k-10k, with economies of scale available on volumes of 10k-10mil.

The customer pack includes a fully personalised A4 letter in a C5 outer envelope with an “intelligently enclosed” mask.