NEWS
7 MARCH 2025 ASIAN TRADER 5
Warwickshire County
Council’s Trading Standards
Service has issued an
advisory for retailers to act in
advance of the ban on
disposable vapes that soon
comes into force on 1 June.
Retailers should consider
stopping buying new stocks
of single use vapes and selling
of any existing stocks now.
Warwickshire County
Councillor Andy Crump,
Portfolio Holder for Commu-
nity Safety said, “Disposable
vapes, also known as
single-use vapes, are a
wasteful use of resources.
“Many single-use vapes
end up in landfill or are
incinerated, which can cause
fires. I strongly urge War-
wickshire retailers to read
our guidance and act now.”
The council stated that
from June 1, retailers must
stop selling or ofering for
sale single-use vapes
(whether or not they contain
nicotine), remove them from
their store (including online
stores) and arrange for them
to be collected by a registered
vape recycling service.
Retailers who fail to
follow the law and continue
to sell disposable vapes after
the ban face having these
products seized and receiv-
ing a £200 fine. Repeat
ofenders could be prosecut-
ed.
Retailers can continue to
sell reusable vapes.
Council urges retailers to ‘act now’
as disposable vape ban looms
Trends in gin – how to
Trends in gin – how to
build your range
build your range
Nick Gillett is
Co-founder and
Managing
Director of
successful spirits
distributor
Mangrove
Global, as well as an industry
expert and commentator. In his
column for this issue, Nick
discusses the best ways to
capitalise on Britain’s afection
for gin
The British love afair with gin is
well-known, but after a decade-long
“gin boom”, the last few years have
seen a substantial slowing of sales as
hundreds of smaller brands shut up
shop and drinkers experimented with
diferent categories. Even the bigger
brands were afected – with the UK’s
favourite, Gordon’s, reporting a
£72.8m loss in April 2023. Neverthe-
less, gin is still a staple for your shelf:
you just need to be smart with your
choices.
British history is punctuated with
gin booms, and in the consequent lulls
between it still remains a top pick for
millions of adoring UK customers. The
last boom of the 2010s saw thousands
of sweet, synthetic flavoured varieties
flood the market. Unless you have
compelling sales data to suggest
otherwise – ditch those and instead try
more sophisticated flavours such as
Glendalough, or Nordes Gin with its
refreshingly sweet flavour that comes
purely from the botanicals. If ready to
drink options sell well, East London
Liquor Company have some great
cans, like Grapefruit Gin and Tonic
which are as well branded as they are
delicious.
Make sure you also have a classic
London Dry but be sure to mix up your
mixers and provide multiple options.
There are some great brands experi-
menting with tonics and sodas,
FeverTree and London Essence Co.
have so many options that can be
bundled up to make an appealing ofer.
In short, the UK loves gin. And by
stocking the brands that are innovat-
ing to drive the category forward, you
might just remind your customers how
much they love a good old-fashioned
Gin and Tonic.
Specialty wholesaler Cotswold
Fayre has been paying a hefty
amount to combat rising crime
and theft on its depots by
installing CCTVs and extra staf
on the shop floor.
Paul Castle, managing
director of Cotswold Fayre, a
specialty wholesaler based in
Reading, said it “paid a fortune”
to have CCTV cameras installed
in its two sites while employing
extra staf to reduce theft loss.
Castle said, “I think the
independent sector is always
going to get hit harder than the
multiples, because we don’t have
as many security guards and all of
the barriers.”
Castle said that to prevent
theft, Cotswold Fayre has had to
hire extra staf to be on the shop
floor.
He explained that while this
has stopped some of the stock
loss, it has also increased the
company’s overheads.
“You either sufer the loss of
the product or you pay extra
wages to prevent it going in the
first place. The reality is, we’ve
got no other protection or
backing or support from
anybody or anything. It’s your
wits against that of the thief.”
The cost to businesses is
about more than just the value of
the lost stock.
Castle said, “If somebody
comes in and pinches three
bottles of vodka and they’re the
only three bottles of vodka I’ve
got and I’ve got to wait another
week [for more], I lose the sales
as well as the product.”
In the year to last August,
customer theft rose by more
than 20% to £2.2 billion, taking
the total cost of retail crime to
nearly £4.2 billion.
Huge sum spent on security is a tax on retailers, consumers
Specialty wholesaler spending
Specialty wholesaler spending
‘fortune’ to combat rising crime
‘fortune’ to combat rising crime
NEWS/COMMENT