BOTTLE RETURN ‘SHAMBLES’

• Political point-scoring threatens to throw Scotland’s deposit return scheme off course five months ahead of rollout

• Local shops to face 30-day cashflow crunch

• One in four retailers denied exemption from scheme P3

SPRING BUDGET

Local shops miss out on further energy support to tackle rising bills in latest plans

MILKSHAKE SUPPLIER ERROR

F’real admits outdated hardware led to incorrect withdrawal warnings to stores

CUTTING COSTS

Three retailers reveal how they are continuing to slash bills and stay afloat

Megan Humphrey, editor

THE supply of illegal vapes got so bad last year that there were two being sold every minute in London.

Although less than one million were seized during the same period, the figures reinforce how opportunistic criminals are in their ability to adapt to popular markets.

Whenever I ask how retailers can help tackle the sale of illicit goods, I’m always told – ‘report, report, report’. Well, what about if they’ve got no one to report to? I was told last week by a Scottish retailer that they’ve had no trading standards officer in their local area for more than four years.

This is where I’m stumped. I understand organisations are under pressure, but retailers aren’t exactly being given another option, or being reassured that their concerns are being heard.

The ones who are often described as giving the “best intelligence” due to being the eyes and ears are being deprived of the tools to help them identify the criminals continuing to take advantage of the law, and their legitimate sales.