NEWS
21 FEBRUARY 2025 ASIAN TRADER 7
NEWS
The latest episode of our High
Street Matters podcast has
uncovered disturbing insights
into shop theft, moving far
beyond what many wrongly
dismiss as a victimless crime.
Through conversations with
Professor Emmeline Taylor,
one of Britain’s leading retail
crime experts from City, St
George’s University of
London, we’ve gained crucial
understanding of why
criminals target independent
retailers.
What emerges is a picture
far more complex than many
might imagine. We’re no
longer dealing with simple
opportunistic theft. Professor
Taylor’s research reveals three
distinct groups at work.
opportunists, drug-afected
persistent ofenders, and
organised criminal gangs who
have identified retail as a
high-reward, low-risk target.
The scale of the problem is
staggering. One former
ofender interviewed by
Professor Taylor needed to
steal £1,500 worth of stock
daily just to fund their
addiction. When you multiply
this across the country, the
impact on retail businesses
becomes clear.
What’s particularly
concerning is how criminal
behaviour has evolved. These
aren’t opportunistic thieves
taking a few items. The targets
have expanded beyond
traditional high-value goods
like groceries, alcohol and
cigarettes. Everything is now
at risk, and the perpetrators
are increasingly calculated in
their approach.
For independent retailers,
the impact goes far beyond
lost stock. These are often
family businesses, built
through years of hard work
and personal investment.
When theft occurs, it’s not
just merchandise being
stolen - it’s someone’s
savings, their security, their
peace of mind.
The mental toll on our
shopkeepers is overwhelming.
Many report feeling vulnera-
ble and unsupported, facing
daily threats and aggression.
This isn’t just about financial
loss - it’s about the human cost
to people who are the back-
bone of our high streets.
Through the podcast series,
we’re bringing these issues to
light, providing crucial
insights into criminal psychol-
ogy and behaviour. Under-
standing why these crimes
occur is the first step toward
developing efective preven-
tion strategies and securing
better support for our mem-
bers.
The High Street Matters
podcast continues to explore
these and other crucial
subjects impacting independ-
ent retailers. New episodes
will be released throughout
the year, covering various
topics relevant to today’s retail
landscape. What’s clear from
this episode is that retail crime
requires a coordinated
response - this has become
nothing less than a national
crisis. You can find all of our
podcasts on major platforms
by searching for “High Street
Matters”. Please do give it a
listen!
In his regular column, Bira CEO Andrew Goodacre discusses
revelations from the latest High Street Matters podcast about the
psychology of retail crime.
Shop theft podcast
Shop theft podcast
reveals disturbing trends
reveals disturbing trends
Strong revenue forecast
Strong revenue forecast
for A.G. Barr
for A.G. Barr
The company behind brands like
IRN-BRU, Rubicon, Boost, and
FUNKIN, has announced a
sparkling trading update for the full
year ending January 25, 2025,
anticipating sustained revenue
growth and double-digit profit
growth.
A.G. Barr expects revenue of ap-
proximately £420 million for the
2024/25 fiscal year, up 5% from the
2024’s £400 million.
The company’s core soft drinks
brands all delivered strong
performances. Rubicon stood out
with another year of double-digit
revenue growth, while IRN-BRU
solidified its position as one of the
top five carbonates in the UK.
Brits cash out £80bn
Brits cash out £80bn
from ATMs in 2024
from ATMs in 2024
New data published this week by
LINK, the UK’s cash access and ATM
network, showed that consumers
withdrew £79.5 billion from cash
machines in 2024.
In total, adults over the age of 16
made 915 million cash withdrawals
last year. This equates to approxi-
mately 16 trips to the ATM per
person, with an average withdrawal
of £86 each time, totalling £1,424
over the year.
ATMs account for 93% of all cash
withdrawals in the UK, ahead of
cashback and counter transactions
at bank branches, post ofces, and
banking hubs.
Wrexham gets its first
Wrexham gets its first
Go Local Extra
Go Local Extra
A Wrexham convenience retailer
has opened a new Go Local Extra
fascia store, the first of its kind in the
city.
With over 26 years of experi-
ence and two other successful
convenience stores in Wrexham,
Subash Subakaran was operating
under the Premier fascia for most of
that time, but he wanted a change
with his latest retail venture.
The 2,000-square-foot store on
Prince Charles Road received over
£200k in investment and was
transformed into a Go Local Extra
store from an empty unit previously
used as a Co-op.
By Andrew
Goodacre, CEO
of Bira (British
Independent
Retailers
Association)