NEWS
4 ASIAN TRADER 27 JUNE 2025
Advertising restrictions
which were previously set to
accompany the HFSS (high fat,
salt, sugar) regulations will be
delayed until January 5, 2026,
to account for changes to the
way that brands are classified
in adverts.
The Government con
firmed that the legal require
ment for brands to stop
advertising HFSS products
online at any time and on
television before 9pm will be
introduced in January, but
that there is a commitment
from the industry to start
complying from October this
year.
The delay is due to a change
in the rules which will allow
brands that are typically
associated with HFSS prod
ucts to advertise other
products and commitments
like healthy eating initiatives.
Government intends to make
and lay a Statutory Instru
ment (SI) to explicitly exempt
“brand advertising” from the
restrictions.
Examples of volume
promotions and multibuys are
“50 per cent extra free”, “buy
one get one free” and “three
for £10”. This follows the
location restrictions which
were introduced in 2022.
Government to delay HFSS
advertising restrictions
Keep it wholesome
he buzz in the national media lately has been that
“Whole milk, full-fat yoghurt and blocks of butter
are in demand as shoppers go back to basics to avoid
processed food”. Is it true? Or is a wave of sympathy
accompanying the recent return of Clarkson’s Farm? The
Netflix series highlighted how the farming sector is under
siege from a cash-strapped government with little
understanding of rural life and what it provides for the
country – to the extent that (also in the national media)
there are now warnings that “the threat to our food
supply is real”.
There was a fashion for low-fat, processed foods that
began decades ago, when heart disease was high among
middle-aged men. Dietary fats got the blame (although it
was ore probably cigarettes), and we were all told to eat
fewer and less fatty foods – a bit like we were told to buy
diesel-engine motor cars to help stop pollution. The era of
low-fat meant that foods had to be more highly processed
– to get rid of naturally-occurring fats, which were
replaced with starch – which spells sugar as far as the liver
is concerned. Instead of a heart attack the world put on a
lot of weight and developed Type 2 diabetes (but still
suffered heart attacks).
The low-fat fashion went hand in hand with pro-vege
tarian and, later, anti-meat messaging. Eventually a wave
of UPF vegan products such as bacon rashers and sausages
filled up the chillers. There was even lab-grown meat for
those who just couldn’t handle the vape-equivalent of
beef and chicken. It all seemed to peak around the time
lockdown began, if memory serves. Certainly, the tsuna
mi of press releases for new vegan products hit around
that time – but has since receded.
What is really sending us back to old-fashioned food is
partly economics, with the cost-of-living crisis starting to
look permanent. So, importantly, how should independ
ent retailers prepare for this to get the maximum benefit?
The good news is that processed foods, while carrying good
margins, are not necessarily more profitable than the kinds
of locally produced, simple, wholesome items the public
seems increasingly to crave. In fact, the “back to basics”
trend comes with a “let’s go premio!” tendency, too.
Furthermore, being less processed, these whole foods are
more versatile, because they can be combined together in
healthy recipes that are becoming more popular with the
rise (or return) of scratch-cooking – partly due to people
not being able to afford eating out so often.
This recent phenomenon might turn into a virtuous
circle – promoting local sales, premium quality, and better
health, while diverting entertainment spending into
home cooking, BNI and BBQ spend – speaking of which.
The sun is out, summer is here (...) and Asian Trader this
month turns its attention to the fun part of the year, as we
fire up the barbie and have friends and family round for a
bonzer cook-out. And don’t miss our Big Interview with
Imperial Brands’ UK MD, Patrick Ganguly.
High street businesses can
expect a major overhaul of the
business rates system from April
2026, with the government
pledging to introduce perma
nently lower tax rates for retail,
hospitality, and leisure (RHL)
properties under £500,000 in
rateable value.
Responding to a Westmin
ster Hall debate secured by Sir
Gavin Williamson MP on 4 June,
Exchequer Secretary to the
Treasury James Murray said the
Government is “protecting the
high street by transforming the
business rates system so that it
supports investment and is fit for
the 21st century.”
Under the new system,
businesses with rateable values
below £500,000 will benefit from
two new RHL multipliers,
mirroring the existing small
business and standard multipliers,
without a cash cap.
The new small business RHL
multiplier will apply to proper
ties with rateable values below
£51,000, and the new standard
RHL multiplier will apply to
properties with rateable values
of £51,000 and above, and
below £500,000.
Murray told MPs that the
government intend to introduce
permanently lower tax rates from
2026-27, as announced at last
year’s autumn Budget, adding,
“That will give much needed
certainty and support to the high
street, improving investment and
growth in places across England.”
The lower multipliers will be
paid for by introducing a higher
rate for properties with rateable
values of £500,000 and above,
many of which are large online
distribution centres. “Those
properties represent less than 1
per cent of all properties, but
include the majority of large
distribution warehouses,
including those used by the online
giants,” Murray noted.
Promise for high street businesses in rates overhaul
Treasury pledges permanently
lower taxes for retail