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THIS WEEK'S NEWS
ACS CALLS FOR CARD PAYMENTS MARKET OVERHAUL
THE ASSOCIATION OF CONVENIENCE STORES HAS SAID URGENTACTION IS NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE CARD PAYMENTS MARKET.
The call came in response to a Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) consultation on the interim report for its market review into the supply of card acquiring services.
The interim report made several proposals: requiring retailer contracts with acquirers to have an end date to prompt comparisons within the market; changing POS terminal hardware contracts to have a limited length, not auto-renew and be able to exit without excessive fees; making it easier for retailers to research prices via price comparison platforms.
In its submission to the consultation, the ACS supported these measures but went further to recommend the overall merchant service charge seen by retailers includes all fees associated with accepting card payments, due to a proliferation of new fees making it harder to compare and switch.
LOCAL SPENDING UP 40.5% IN JANUARY
Spending at physical food and drink specialist stores – which includes local retailers – grew 40.5% in January, as Brits continued to support nearby independent businesses, according to the latest data from Barclaycard which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions.
Some 45% say they plan to continue shopping more locally, even after lockdown ends, to support their community.
Consumer spending in total fell 16.3% in January, the sharpest decline since May 2020, as lockdown measures took effect, yet online growth surged for many categories.
Spending on essential items grew 3.9% YOY, with high demand for home deliveries driving a surge of 126.8% in online supermarket spend.
Ordering takeaways reached a record high, up 32.6%, and online retail recorded a 73.2% rise.
KINNEY SUCCEEDS GOLDNEY AT UNITAS
UNITAS MD DARREN GOLDNEY IS TO LEAVE UNITASWHOLESALE IN APRIL AND WILL BE SUCCEEDEDBY JOHN KINNEY
Darren Goldney, MD of Unitas Wholesale, is to leave the business in April. He will be succeeded by the current Sales and Marketing Director, John Kinney.
Goldney will leave the group after three and a half years following his appointment as Managing Director of Today’s Group in November 2017.
Kinney was Retail Director prior to his appointment to the role of Sales and Marketing Director giving him broad experience of both the Unitas Wholesale business and wider wholesale industry.
ALDI GOES CLICK & COLLECT
Aldi is launching Click & Collect services in Scotland for the first time after extending its trial to its Basin View store in Montrose.
From Monday, customers have been able to order from a full range of groceries online then collect them in pre-booked one-hour collection slots. Customers can also choose to have their shopping loaded into their boot by an Aldi colleague, so they can collect their shopping without having to leave their car.
More than 200 stores across the UK are now trialling the discounter’s Click & Collect service. Later in the month, Aldi’s store in Whitburn will become the next in Scotland to roll out the service.
IGD TARGETS YOUNG
More than 500 young,unemployed people joinedIGD’s virtual work experienceprogramme last week toreceive employability skillstraining. IGD is working withthe DWP and some of thebiggest companies in the foodand consumer goods industryto scale up its work experienceprogramme, running fourvirtual events in 2021.
ONLINE TAX CALLS
Sales or excess profit taxeson online retailers will notbring back the British HighStreet, are unfair and shouldbe replaced by increasingcorporation tax, says tax andadvisory firm Blick Rothenberg.
DEPOSITS COLLAPSE
Business cash deposits weredown over 40% YOY to £582min January, according to thelatest data from the PostOffice’s Cash Tracker. Thedata indicates businesseswere better prepared for theDecember lockdown comparedwith the first UK-wide lockdownlast spring when businessdeposits fell to £313m in April.
EDGING AHEAD
Ayr Road Service Station,a Booker-supplied andJET-branded forecourt inDalmellington, East Ayrshire,has installed HendersonTechnology’s EDGEPoSsystem.
NISA INDUCTIONS
Nisa has created a newdedicated induction teamto support retailers joiningthe group to ensure anefficient, effective on-boardingexperience. The team willsupport new Nisa retailers through the first three monthsof their Nisa membership.
DIGITAL EXCELLENCE
Unitas Wholesale hashosted its first webinar eventas part of its new DigitalExcellence Academy initiativein partnership with LuminaIntelligence. Over 80 delegatesattended the webinar whichtook place on 2 February, withrepresentatives from 24 Unitasmember wholesalers involved.
