DISTRICT BULLETINEAST MIDLANDS DISTRICT

LOCAL NEWS AND VIEWS FOR NFRN MEMBERS

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July to December 2018

We have also just held a very well attended open day at Smiths News Nottingham where the first 20 members to sign in were rewarded with a box of Cadbury Twirls. Can I take this occasion to thank Smiths News for allowing us to use its facilities and also the NFRN’s national events manager Nigel Smith and our own membership services manager Ron Kendal for their involvement in organising this event. There is a report and some photos from the open day on pages 2 and 3.

As from July 1 this year the East Midlands district is made up of five branches. They are Derby and Burton, which is merging with Erewash Valley branch; Hinckley, which is merging with Leicester; Nottingham, which is joining forces with East Notts and Lincs; Peterborough and Northampton.

In September we will be welcoming national councillors to their September meeting in Leicester. This meeting is being held here to mark the first conference of the NFRN which took place in Leicester 100 years ago.

We are also in the planning stage for the National President’s visit to the East Midlands on November 15. All being well this should see us at the National Brewery Museum at Burton on Trent where we had a memorable time last year. If our new National President Mike Mitchelson could make the time, we may be able to take him to the National Arboretum in Alrewas.

As I write this column we are not long back from Torquay after the NFRN’s 99th Annual Conference. This gave members an opportunity to decide what direction the Federation should take during the next 12 months. Our new National President, vice president, deputy vice president and trustees were all elected and it was also the occasion when the new national councillors voted in the new national executive committee (NEC) members and those who will sit on the finance committee (NFC). Congratulations to our own Sunil Patel for being elected as one of our three trustees.

If you would like to attend any of our district meetings do please get in touch with me (my details are on the back page), your branch officials or our MSM. During the recent open day, one member had explained how she would love to see the district council in action and having heard this we were delighted to welcome her to our very next meeting.

Alan SmithDistrict President

EAST MIDLANDS DISTRICT BULLETIN2018

On Thursday April 26 Smiths News’ Nottingham depot opened its doors to members from all corners of the East Midlands after the NFRN and the news wholesaler came together for an open day.

Once there, retailers could speak to senior depot management and representatives from the news wholesaler’s head office on any matters of concern as well as grabbing a bargain or two from the trade partners present.

These included PepsiCo and Walkers; Mondelez; Imperial Tobacco; 365 Greetings; Jacks Beans and national lottery operator Camelot.

As our East Midlands president revealed in his welcome, for the first 20 retailers registering at the NFRN stand there was a free case of Cadbury’s Twirl, courtesy of the district. Every retailer attending had the chance to win one of three DAB radios and to help them score extra sales during the World Cup, there were free Panini sticker books on offer. These albums were organised by the NFRN news operations department and Panini and were much appreciated.

A VERY SUCCESSFUL NOTTINGHAM TRADE SHOWFinding out about news sales opportunities

Among highlights from the day were the ever popular depot tours, giving Smiths News customers the chance to see all aspects of the news wholesaling operation. At the end of each tour retailers said they now had a better understanding and appreciation of how the Smiths News operation fitted in with their own individual businesses.

The NFRN’s news department was in attendance, with news operations manager Peter Williamson answering questions concerning the Federation’s call to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate the news supply chain.

Commenting after the event, East Midlands president Alan Smith said that he was extremely pleased to see so many retailers turn up. He thanked the NFRN, the team at Smiths News Nottingham and his East Midlands district colleagues for their support and for making it so successful.

The best comments came from all the members who asked: “When’s the next one?”

LOCAL NEWS AND VIEWS FOR NFRN MEMBERS 2018

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Our trade partners were also fulsome in their praise. Here’s what some of them said:

These events are a great way to meet and engage with a number of forward thinking retailers away from their usual trading environment.

This event allowed me to share and discuss a number of key category initiatives and connect with key local traders.

Paul Smith, Area Business ManagerImperial Tobacco UK&I

I’ve been to a couple of the evening

events in Nottingham before and I thought this was far better.

It gave retailers the opportunity to talk to Smiths News and suppliers in person. We had time to give advice, resolve issues and increase the profile of our products. A good mix of companies suited both convenience and CTN retailers.

It was a really good atmosphere with retailers and reps all chatting together, sharing views and ideas.

I had a productive day not only sales wise but also with requests for a visit or equipment.I have recommended that we do this again.

Jenny Toner, Pepsico

EAST MIDLANDS DISTRICT BULLETIN2018

Like the NFRN, retail crime is a big concern for the Retail Mutual. Its chairman Peter Wagg explains why.

When the NFRN’s then National President Linda Sood launched the Federation’s 2018 Independent Retail Report recently its focus on retail crime resonated strongly with us here at The Retail Mutual. Over the course of the past year, we have dealt with an increasing volume of claims involving violence against our members and this trend shows no sign of slowing down.

The NFRN’s report highlighted interim results from the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers’ (USDAW) ‘Freedom From Fear’ survey, which found that almost two-thirds of shop workers were verbally abused, 40 per cent were threatened and approximately 250 retail staff were victims of violent assaults every day in 2017, up considerably on figures for the previous year.

Sadly, it is invariably smaller retailers who are on the receiving end of violent crime, and yet it is those same retailers who stand to lose the most as a result of such attacks. Not only do they have a financial cost to bear that they can ill afford, there can also be significant physical and emotional repercussions that last long after the incident has occurred.

In the news and convenience sector, shop owners have seen a sharp rise in verbal and physical abuse in response to requests for ID when purchasing age-restricted products. Such opportunistic attacks are highly concerning, and so too are the increasing numbers of premeditated violent robberies.

At The Retail Mutual we have dealt with a number of claims for violent crime against our members, involving screwdrivers, hammers and knives, as well as verbal abuse and threats. A number of our members have also suffered expensive damage to cash tills and EPOS systems as a result of thieves targeting their cash. Tobacco products remain a prime target as they are valuable and easy to sell on the black market.

ALWAYS REPORT RETAIL CRIME AND DON’T BE TEMPTED TO FIGHT BACK

The perpetrators often hunt in pairs or packs, with little or no regard for alarms, CCTV or police. Indications show that they will have spent time watching the shop and noting staff working hours, numbers and routines, and it is perhaps of little surprise that violent attacks are more likely to happen as the evening draws in.

Unfortunately, such robberies stretch far beyond the loss of valuable stock. They can result in significant damage to fixtures and fittings, not to mention injury to shop workers themselves. Recent cases that we have dealt with here at the Mutual have involved members being physically beaten despite the thieves accessing their stock and cash, while many have been victims of violent masked intruders. The fear of not knowing the identity of your attacker is palpable, and the prospect of such an incident being repeated very real. Incidents of this type cause significant stress and some of our members have, sadly, even taken the decision to close their business as a result.

Police resources are stretched and responses vary from region to region, but it is important that retailers continue to report violent crime so that forces can endeavour to investigate and seek prosecutions where possible. And if you are in the unfortunate position of suffering a violent attack, do consider putting safety first and resist the urge to fight back.

The Retail Mutual specialises in providing business cover for newsagents and convenience store owners across the UK. To find out more about how we can help to protect your business, or to request a quotation, please call our friendly team on 0333 2727 263 or visit www.TheRetailMutual.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

LOCAL NEWS AND VIEWS FOR NFRN MEMBERS 2018

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The NFRN has joined forces with the Derby Telegraph, Nottingham Post and Leicester Mercury for a new awards scheme which seeks to reward retailers who go that extra mile for their customers and their communities.

Our new Community Champion awards are exclusive to NFRN members and each month a trophy will be awarded to independent retailers in five regions – Scotland and Northern Ireland, the North, Wales, the Midlands and the South.

From all of the monthly winners, an overall Community Champion of the Year will be crowned at the glittering 2019 NFRN Awards at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel on February 12 next year.

If you believe that you go above and beyond for your local community and that you qualify for an award or you know of a colleague who is equally deserving, simply visit NFRNOnline.com, the NFRN’s website and fill out an application form.

Advertisements and articles will be appearing in the Derby Telegraph, Nottingham Post and Leicester Mercury, with readers invited to put forward the local retailers that they believe are so special in their communities.

Merchandisers working for Reach – the publisher of the three East Midlands titles – will be handing out posters and flyers for members to display in-store or to hand out to customers to drive nominations. The pos can also be requested from NFRN Connect on 0800 121 6376.

Launching these awards, NFRN National President Mike Mitchelson said: “We are looking for members who care about where they live and work and who work tirelessly – and often quietly – in their community, but whose initiatives and fund raising activities have made a real and positive difference to their local environment.

“We know there are hundreds of great retailers out there who are truly committed and enthusiastic about making their communities better places to live. We want to salute and reward them.”

COULD YOU BE A COMMUNITY CHAMPION?

Andrew Crosthwaite of Reach added: “Through these new Community Champion awards we want to highlight and recognise community values and the hard work that local retailers do. We are very honoured to help sponsor these awards and work closely in partnership with the NFRN. Many newsagents go above and beyond in their communities and we should recognise this by rewarding them.”

Nominate your local independent retailer

www.nfrnonline.com/cca

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT RETAILERS

We are looking for somebody special to win the

NFRN Reach Community Champion of the month Award

Nominate your local independent retailer

www.nfrnonline.com/cca

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT RETAILERS

We are looking for somebody special to win the

NFRN Reach Community Champion of the month Award

Andrew Crosthwaite of Reach

EAST MIDLANDS DISTRICT BULLETIN2018

An entrepreneurial nine-year-old girl from Northampton has started a campaign calling on local businesses to reduce their single-use plastics, after David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II series left her heartbroken over the state of the Earth’s marine life.

Jessica Bainbridge used a school project to create the Bertie Bottle initiative after watching the award-winning TV show, which laid bare the extent to which human activity and the use of plastic is impacting on the planet’s oceans and the species that live within them.

The Northampton schoolgirl is using her project to connect with businesses in her local area by asking them to reduce their use of single-use plastics and demonstrate what long-term plans they have to help the environment.

Jessica, whose school has since introduced plastic recycling bins off the back of her idea, said: “I created Bertie Bottle because of my concern about plastics that end up in the oceans and the problem litter causes to wildlife.”

NINE-YEAR-OLD GIRL STARTS CAMPAIGN FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES TO REDUCE PLASTIC

Each business who joins the Bertie Bottle campaign will receive a personalised poster to be displayed in their business to highlight their pledge.

For more information visit the Bertie Bottle Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Bertie-Bottle-Campaign-1825132867537601/

Members are being urged to be alert to bogus tobacco vouchers after one was found to be circulating in Nottingham.

These lead consumers to believe they can claim up to £5 off any B&H products in stores. However, manufacturer JTI UK says the vouchers are not affiliated in any way with the company.

Mark Yexley, head of communications at JTI, said: “If retailers are presented with the voucher they should refuse it and immediately report the incident to trading standards on 03454 04 05 06.”

BE ALERT TO VOUCHER SCAM

LOCAL NEWS AND VIEWS FOR NFRN MEMBERS 2018

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To launch its centenary celebrations, the NFRN has decided to go back to its roots and here in the East Midlands we are delighted that this means holding the September national council meeting in Leicester.

The venue for this two day meeting on September 3 and 4 will be The Grand Hotel in Granby Street. Why not come along to help the NFRN celebrate this inauspicious occasion?

Although some retail groups had existed before, it was on July 9 and 10 1919 at a Conference in Leicester that the National Joint Board of Retailers laid out its plans to federate all existing newsagents’ organisations into one national body.

This was to be known as the National Federation of Retail Newsagents, Booksellers and Stationers, and rules and a constitution were drawn up. This divided the country into a number of district councils which were further sub divided into branches covering local areas. Branches would send representatives to their district councils and each district council would

NFRN’S 100TH CELEBRATIONSBEGIN IN LEICESTER

select representatives to a national council to be the governing body of the Federation, answerable only to an Annual Conference held in June each year. Here national officers would be elected and policy laid down for the coming year.

It was further agreed that a head office would open in London with a full time salaried General Secretary. So the NFRN was born!

As well as the meeting in Leicester, there are other events to celebrate the NFRN’s centenary, including a prestigious dinner and NFRN Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel on February 12 and a dinner in the north of England later in the year.

All East Midlands members are welcome at the September national council meeting. Simply contact district president Alan Smith or our membership services manager Ron Kendal – ron.kendal@nfrn.org.uk - for more details.

Contact: Alan Smith, District President T: 01332 513204 | E: eastmidlands@nfrnonline.comwww.nfrnonline.com

EAST MIDLANDS DISTRICT BULLETIN2018

Our national councillor John Green was in Westminster earlier this year to call on MPs and ministers to help champion the cause of independent retailers.

Mr Green, who has a shop in Sawtry, Cambs, was one of a delegation of senior NFRN officials attending the Federation’s annual parliamentary reception in the House of Commons on the afternoon of Tuesday February 20.

This reception was kindly hosted by MP Martin Vickers and gave the NFRN an opportunity to hand out copies of the NFRN’s Independent Retail Report for 2018 which was launched at the event. This documents the current challenges facing the safety, trading environment and future of smaller retailers and the assistance that politicians can provide.

Mr Green was also able to explain the devastating impact that retail crime has upon independent retailers, their families and staff; the burgeoning illicit market in tobacco and

EAST MIDLANDS NATIONAL COUNCILLOR TAKES YOUR CONCERNS TO WESTMINSTER

alcohol; the duopoly in the news wholesaling market and the need for an investigation into the whole supply chain; and the financial burdens from the Living Wage, the national minimum wage and pension auto enrolment.

Speaking at the reception, NFRN National President Linda Sood said: “Independent retailers are the backbone of society. We are the engines of the economy and the contributions we make to our local communities are immense. But as our 2018 Independent Retail Report shows we are facing a multitude of threats.”

Urging the politicians present to throw their support behind the UK’s independent retailers, she said: “You know our challenges. Please help us overcome them.”

Mr Green is pictured with one of our industry guests, Mark Webb from Peterborough based magazine distributor Frontline.