NEWS
8 ASIAN TRADER 16 MAY 2025
The Fed (Federation of
Independent Retailers) has
reiterated calls for government
grants to boost security
measures for smaller stores,
following the news that
incidents of shoplifting have
topped more than half a million
for the first time ever.
According to the latest
statistics, the police in England
and Wales recorded a total of
516,971 cases of shoplifting in
2024, up 20% from 429,873 in
2023.
The Ofce for National
Statistics (ONS) confirmed this
is the highest since current
recording practices began more
than 20 years ago.
In a recent survey of its
members, the Fed found that
72% of those who responded
had experienced shoplifting,
break-ins and damage to
property, while they and their
staf had been physically or
verbally threatened.
The Fed’s National Presi-
dent Mo Razzaq said, “The
numbers are shocking but
come as no surprise to inde-
pendent retailers, as we face
these incidents on a daily basis.
“In realty, this is just the tip
of the iceberg, as many
incidents go unreported due to
lack of confidence in the police
and the justice system to take
appropriate action to tackle
this growing problem.”
Last year, the Fed launched
its Safe, Secure, Supported
campaign, aimed at police as
well as politicians, to back its
call for grants for installing
equipment such as high-quali-
ty CCTV systems.
Association of Convenience
Stores (ACS) has also expressed
concern over record high figures.
Commenting on the record
crime levels, ACS chief
executive James Lowman said,
“It is encouraging that more
theft is being reported, even if
it is still only the tip of the
iceberg.”
Light �ngers lifted one-�fth more goods last year
Indies call for action as
Indies call for action as
theft reaches record high
theft reaches record high
Retailer trade association
Bira “strongly” welcomed
the chancellor’s an-
nouncement of plans to
create a level playing field
for British businesses
against unfair interna-
tional trade practices.
The British Independ-
ent Retailers Association
said Rachel Reeves’s state-
ment represents a “signifi-
cant step forward” in
addressing the concerns it
has consistently raised on
behalf of its members.
The government an-
nounced immediate action
by the Trade Remedies
Authority (TRA), the body
responsible for defending the
UK, against certain unfair
international trade practices.
The chancellor also
announced her intention to
review the customs treat-
ment of Low Value Imports,
which allows goods valued at
£135 or less to be imported
without paying customs duty.
Some of Britain’s
best-known retailers such
as Next and Sainsburys
have called to amend the
treatment, arguing that it
disadvantages them by
allowing international
companies to undercut
them.
Speaking in Washing-
ton D.C. at the annual IMF
Springs meetings, Reeves
said free and open trade is
good for the UK, but fairness
needs to be injected into the
global economic system.
“This government is meet-
ing the moment to protect
fair and open trade,” Reeves
said.
Retailers welcome plans to tackle
‘dumping’ of cheap goods
PayPoint publishes extra
PayPoint publishes extra
translated guides
translated guides
PayPoint has launched an additional
3 training guides in Hindi, Tamil, and
Gujarati to boost accessibility for
retailers, following demand for a
broader range of languages.
Positive feedback received from
retailers after the initial launch, with
guides in Sinhalese, Urdu, and Indian
to improve accessibility and usability
for its diverse user base, PayPoint
decided to compile the three
additional translated guide docu-
ments. The translated guides are now
available to download online for the
PayPoint Mini and Connect here.
Retailers will also be sent emails with
the resources on launch.
Tenzing taps investment
Tenzing taps investment
from Heineken UK
from Heineken UK
TENZING has secured investment
from HEINEKEN UK which will
support the ongoing growth of the
natural energy drink and create a
working relationship that will
leverage insights across both
companies. The energy drinks
category is worth £2.2bn in the UK,
growing six per cent year on year, in
which TENZING has quickly become
the fourth-largest functional energy
drink in UK grocery.
The agreement will see HEINEK-
EN UK invest with a minority stake in
TENZING which will continue to
operate independently, with both
businesses able to gain valuable
insights from each other.
NewstrAid releases
NewstrAid releases
Mindful May calendar
Mindful May calendar
Industry charity NewstrAid has
unveiled its Mindful May calendar, a
simple yet powerful tool designed to
support positive mental health and
wellbeing across the newstrade
community. Packed with easy-to-fol-
low daily activities that encourage
emotional self-care, the calendar has
been sent to everyone currently
receiving financial support from the
charity and is also freely available to
download via the NewstrAid website.
As part of its ongoing commit-
ment to mental health, NewstrAid
also provides access to a dedicated
wellbeing website in partnership with
mental health specialists Spectrum.
Life.