THIS WEEK'S NEWS

MENZIES UNDER PRESSURE ON CARRIAGE CHARGES

PRESSURE IS MOUNTING ON MENZIES DISTRIBUTION TO FOLLOWTHE LEAD OF TWO NEWS WHOLESALERS SOUTH OF THE BORDERIN FREEZING CARRIAGE CHARGES.

Scotland’s local retailers are waiting to see if Menzies Distribution will follow the example set by News UK DTR (Direct to Retail) in suspending any review of carriage charges.

Smiths News was first to act, announcing a suspension of any review of carriage charges until September 2022, prompting the NFRN to call on Menzies to follow suit.

Then, less than 24 hours after the Smiths announcement, News UK increased the pressure on Menzies by saying It would postpone any review until May 2021.

Branding carriage charges as “unfair and illogical,” NFRN National President Stuart Reddish warned that any further increases “could push yet more newsagents out of business”.

LET UNDER-18s KEEP SELLING LOTTERY

Independent retailers are calling for sales assistants under the age of 18 to be allowed to continue to sell national lottery tickets and scratchcards to customers when new age to play restrictions take effect later in the year.

The NFRN has written to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden explaining the difficulties that retailers will face if sales assistants must be 18 or over to sell these products.

The letter said: “It would assist independent retailers managing their businesses with a minimum level of staff in the store, if, in line with sales of tobacco and other age restricted products, staff members in the 16 to 17-year-old age range could continue to sell lottery products.

“Staff in this age group provide an important part of the staffing of convenience stores at key times, including the weekend staff who are selling lottery tickets in the hours before the Saturday lottery draws.”

‘WHATEVER IT TAKES’

CHANCELLOR RISHI SUNAK SAYS HE WILL DO ‘WHATEVER IT TAKES’TO FIX THE UK ECONOMY.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak set out his plans for how he intends to lead the country to economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic in his Budget statement today. Sunak predicted that it would take “a long time to recover” but he will do “whatever it takes”.

Among the measures announced are an extension of the furlough scheme which pays 80% of employees’ wages until the end of September with employers asked to contribute 10% in July and 20% in August and September.

The 5% reduced rate of VAT for tourism and hospitality will be extended for six months to the end of September and the 100% business rates holiday in England will continue from April until June.

On income tax, the threshold for paying the basic rate will rise to £12,570 next year while, for higher-rate payers, the threshold will be £50,270. Both rates will stay the same until 2026.

Corporation tax will rise to 25% in 2023 but only for businesses with profits of £250k or over.

Sunak accepted that government borrowing levels are comparable only with that during the two world wars and it will be the work of many governments, over many decades, to pay it back.

REFIT DRIVES 15% SALES BOOST

A full refurbishment of a Cornish Nisa Local convenience store has resulted in an initial sales uplift of 15%.

The Nisa Local store in St Stephen underwent the re-fit in January with the entire interior of the store ripped out to enable a complete overhaul of the property which now boasts a contemporary design with new fixtures and fittings, refrigeration and freezers, lighting, flooring and new services including the installation of a f ’real machine. The counter area has been halved with a till taken out and a self-service checkout relocated into the food-to-go area.

Owner Gary Batten said: “I was actually thinking about getting rid of the shop last year when Covid came along and then it just went whoosh.”

AIRDRIE SPAR BOOST

Independent retailer JigneshChauhan has moved his storein Airdrie in Lanarkshire intoSpar after more than fouryears with Day Today. The695sq ft store has undergone a substantial conversion,improving both its range and itsappearance.

SAINSBURY’S FLAK

Retail trade union Usdawhas hammered Sainsbury’sfor its pay offer for 2021 forSainsbury’s and Argos staffas it fails to meet the £10 perhour aim of the union’s NewDeal for Workers campaign.The company has offeredan increase to £9.50 perhour, which falls short of thedeal Usdaw negotiated withMorrisons to pay staff £10 anhour from April.

NISA RETAILERS HIT £100K

Nisa retailers have raiseda milestone amount of over£100,000 for local causes todate with Making a DifferenceLocally collecting tins sitedin their stores. Funds wereraised via more than 1,000 tinsin stores across the UK andIreland, for retailers to donateto a local good cause of theirchoice through Nisa’s charity.

ACS SUMMIT21

The Association ofConvenience Stores hasconfirmed the date of itsbiggest annual conference,taking place virtually as animmersive event on 13 April.Summit21 will cover threekey themes in relation to theconvenience sector: recover,retain and reimagine. Thesessions will be co-chaired byACS chief executive JamesLowman and Central EnglandCo-operative chief executiveDebbie Robinson. To registeryour interest, please contactviki.neaves@acs.org.uk.