NEWS
27 JUNE 2025 ASIAN TRADER 7
NEWS
Tilda launches
Tilda launches
new sales app
new sales app
Software business, Adventoris, has
successfully launched a B2B sales app
for household food brand, Tilda Rice
– the first UK rice company to be B
Corp certified – which one of its trade
partners called “revolutionary”.
The app, on the SwiftCloud
platform, allows Tilda’s wholesale and
independent trade partners to place
orders 24/7, browse products,
contact the company and access
technical information whenever it is
convenient for them on a fully
branded and customised platform.
This system replaces Tilda’s previous
manual order capturing process with
the aim to drive efficiencies.
Greencore agrees
Greencore agrees
‘£1.2bn takeover’
‘£1.2bn takeover’
of rival Bakkavor
of rival Bakkavor
Food-to-go giant Greencore
announced that it agreed the terms of
a recommended £1.2 billion takeover
deal for rival Bakkavor in a move that
will create a food-to-go giant with
around 30,500 staff. Greencore will
pay £2 a share for Bakkavor, which it
said is a 3% premium on Bakkavor’s
closing share price on March 13.
The tie-up – structured as a reverse
takeover – will form a combined food
group with annual sales of about £4 bil
lion which supplies many of the UK’s
biggest supermarkets and retailers.
Leverhulme Trust
Leverhulme Trust
bursaries for retail
bursaries for retail
workers
workers
The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust
(LTCT), which provides financial aid for
the families of those working in
convenience, has announced
postgraduate bursary applications
open for 2025/2026 - running until 1
September.
The scheme is open to students on
postgraduate courses, whose parent,
carer, spouse is employed in an eligible
profession, such as convenience
retailer, supermarket store worker, or
pharmacy technician. Students can
apply to receive up to £5,000.
The opportunity is also open to
anyone already working in these
industries who wants to fund their own
study.
When employment lawyers
start using phrases like
“tectonic shift” and “genera
tional changes,” it’s time for
independent retailers to sit up
and take notice. We’re facing
the most significant transfor
mation of employment law in
decades.
John Jones, who runs Philip
Morris & Son in Hereford, put it
bluntly: “It ultimately comes
down to the viability of
businesses.”
When you’re already
grappling with increased
business rates, rising national
minimum wage, and the
everyday pressures of running
an independent shop, the last
thing you need is a maze of new
employment regulations to
trip you up.
Consider the practical
reality. Day one dismissal rights
mean that hiring mistake you
made – and we’ve all made
them – becomes exponentially
more difficult to rectify. The
probationary period that once
gave you breathing space to
assess whether someone fits
your team? That safety net is
being fundamentally altered.
Then there’s the sick pay
changes. From day one,
employees will be entitled to
statutory sick pay, with those
on lower earnings receiving
80% of their wages.
But here’s what concerns
me most – the sheer volume of
changes hitting simultaneous
ly. It’s not just dismissal rights
and sick pay but enhanced
harassment prevention duties,
parental leave modifications,
zero hours contract reforms,
and flexible working adjust
ments. For small businesses
without HR departments, this
represents hundreds of hours
of work just to ensure compli
ance.
The timing couldn’t be
worse. Independent retailers
are already stretched thin, and
now they’re being asked to
become employment law
experts overnight.
However, the government
has recognised the scale of
these changes and is imple
menting them in phases, with
most taking effect in 2026,
which gives us a window.
Bira has been actively
engaging with the Department
for Business throughout the
consultation process. We’re
not alone in raising concerns;
virtually every sector is
highlighting the potential
unintended consequences. But
we need your voices too.
This is where every
independent retailer can make
a difference. Contact your local
MP. Explain how these changes
will affect your business, your
ability to employ people, and
your contribution to the local
community. We’ve already
seen the government reconsid
er policies based on feedback
from constituents - the winter
fuel payment debate proved
that local pressure matters.
Start reviewing your
current employment practices
now. Strengthen your recruit
ment processes – choosing the
right person becomes crucial
when dismissal becomes more
complex. Document
everything carefully, especial
ly during probationary
periods. Consider how you’ll
handle the new sick pay
requirements.
If you’re a Bira member, our
legal helpline with Worknest
(0345 4500937) can provide
specific guidance tailored to
your situation.
In his regular column, Bira CEO Andrew Goodacre Looks at the
impact of ‘seismic’ changes upcoming in employment laws
Rights, risks, and the
Rights, risks, and the
reality check independent
reality check independent
retailers need
retailers need
By Andrew
Goodacre, CEO
of Bira (British
Independent
Retailers
Association)