NEWS
8 ASIAN TRADER 27 JUNE 2025
Over 350,000 retail jobs
have been lost over the last
nine years, reveals a recent
report, laying bare the
threats to retail employ
ment allegedly due to
soaring employment costs,
regulatory burden, and
lack of government
support compared to other
industries.
The British Retail
Consortium said that retail
employment since 2015 has
fallen nearly ten times more
than the total number of jobs in
the steel industry, where
Government has made
repeated interventions to
prevent closures and save jobs.
While the Government has
gone out of its way to support
fishing, steel and the automo
tive industry, retail has instead
been managing an ever-in
creasing tax, cost and regulato
ry burden.
The changes to employer NI
are costing the industry £2.4
billion, while increases to the
National Living Wage in April
added a further £2.7 billion.
Since April, the cost of employ
ing an entry level full-time
worker rose by 10.3%, while the
cost of employing someone
part-time rose by 13.5%.
Retail is a source of flexible
and local jobs. Flexible,
because it offers over 1.5
million part-time
positions.
They provide
essential entry-level
jobs for those taking on
their first role and
provide vital flexibility
for those returning to
the workforce. Local,
because retail is a major
employer in almost every
parliamentary constituency,
offering jobs not just in the
major cities, but in every town
and village across the country.
A recent survey of retail HR
directors showed that 61%
believed the Bill would reduce
flexibility in job offerings (vs
23% “unchanged” and 7%
“increased”), while over half
believed it would reduce staff
numbers.
Soaring costs, policy pressures add to industry woes
Retail loses ‘350,000
Retail loses ‘350,000
jobs since 2015’
jobs since 2015’
Supermarkets have been
accused of exploiting a tax
loophole to sell cheap cider
that harms health and causes
social problems.
According to research by
Alcohol Change UK, ciders –
sometimes containing up to
7.5% alcohol – have become
cheaper or barely risen in
price, despite the cost of beer,
wine and spirits soaring.
Supermarkets such as
Tesco, Aldi and Lidl are able to
sell high-strength ciders at
“pocket money prices” by
taking advantage of a subsidy
intended to boost apple
production.
The cheapest cider Tesco
sells – Compton Orchard,
which is 4% alcohol by
volume (ABV) – now costs the
same as the supermarket’s
own-brand apple juice, at just
£1 a litre. While the apple
juice has risen 70% 2020, the
cheapest cider costs 2.4% less
now than then.
Similarly, the cost of 2l of
own-brand cider in both Lidl
and Aldi is still £1.99, even
though Lidl’s own-brand
vodka has gone up 25% more.
Ash Singleton, Alcohol
Change UK’s director of
research and public affairs,
said, “Big producers knock up
a deadly product with just
enough concentrated apple
to legally call it cider.”
Mults selling super-strength
cider at ‘pocket-money prices’
Post Office and Western
Post Office and Western
Union expand services
Union expand services
Post Office and Western Union have
announced a long-term exclusive
deal for cross-border money transfer
services at Post Office branches.
This means WU will be the sole
provider of international money
transfer services at PO branches and
will expand beyond the current
4,000 Post Office locations which
offer its services.
Post Office said the deal will
strengthen the commercial offer for
postmasters, who will also benefit
from enhanced financial incentives
for every money transfer transaction
handled in branch, building on the
uplift introduced in October 2024.
Retailer jailed for illegal
Retailer jailed for illegal
vapes, underage sales
vapes, underage sales
A Lincolnshire retailer has been
sentenced to six months in prison and
ordered to pay £11,700 in costs after a
Trading Standards investigation.
Lincolnshire Police officers seized
thousands of illegal vapes and
cigarettes in raids at Karwan Dewari
Khatab’s store in Sleaford.
In total, some 5,405 illicit
cigarettes and vapes were seized,
along with 3.45kg of hand rolling
tobacco. Some of the items were even
stashed in jigsaw boxes.
On May 29, Khatab was sentenced
for the offences at his Sleaford and
Cheltenham shops at Lincoln Crown
Court.