district bulletin · why the sme loan and associated support is designed with busy scottish smes in...

DISTRICT BULLETINSCOTLAND DISTRICT

LOCAL NEWS AND VIEWS FOR NFRN MEMBERS

@NFRN_online facebook.com/nfrnonline www.nfrnonline.com

April to June 2018

I am born and bred in Glasgow and moved back to the city from various jobs in distribution across England, to start my first newsagents here, and start my family. My first job after graduation was managing milk deliveries in Torquay, using electric vehicles to deliver milk to customers’ homes. Twenty five years later, it’s newspaper through their letterboxes! I introduced newspaper deliveries to my first shop and expanded my delivery service when I moved on to my next shop too, a large award-winning convenience store with fine wines, in store bakery, EPOS and all the toys. In 2008, financial and personal problems combined to force me out of the shop, but I kept delivering newspapers. Last year, I was delighted to be awarded “Britain’s Best Newspaper Delivery Service”.

I know and understand retailing, particularly newspapers, but most of all I have first-hand experience of the difficulties we all face in this business. You are not alone. This year, I want the NFRN in Scotland to focus on you - our members. I will focus on how to work with and help all of our members. The benefits of being a member are massive, from commercial insurance to our legal helpline and particularly NFRN Connect which will always assist you, whether it’s credits on your newsbill to help and support with VAT enquiries. There’s a vast wealth of experience in Scotland with many active and retired newsagents who are more than happy to help, even if it’s just for a chat over a cup of coffee and a soundboard for your ideas. There are some great ideas and fabulous businesses out there and I want to share these ideas to help you improve your business.

Our Federation’s elected representatives have gained respect in the Scottish Parliament, by working for us all to shape the legislation that

Welcome to my first Bulletin as your newly elected president for the NFRN’s Scottish District. This is my 25th year as a newsagent and almost as long as a member of the Federation.

affects our businesses every day. We have been very pro-active to ensure that the deposit recycle scheme will benefit our members. At our Conference in Inverness last month, we adopted a voluntary ban on the sale of energy drinks to under 16s and have got great publicity for our responsible approach to retailing.

I look forward to serving you this year and hope you will join me at our Scottish parliamentary reception on April 24 where we will be sharing our concerns and aspirations with your MSPs.

Rory O’BrienDistrict President

SCOTLAND DISTRICT BULLETIN2018

CONFERENCE VOTES TO BAN THE SALE OF ENERGY DRINKS TO YOUNGSTERS One of the most important issues to be debated at this year’s Scottish Conference was the subject of energy drinks and a lively discussion ended with delegates agreeing that members should be encouraged to adopt a policy of refusing to sell these to youngsters under the age of 16.

Now posters are to be produced for members to display in store to advise customers they will no longer sell caffeine packed drinks to under 16s.

Announcing the rationale for the decision after conference, Scottish president Rory O’Brien said: “Our members in Scotland pride themselves on retailing responsibly so banning the sale of energy drinks to under 16s is a logical next step.”

The NFRN has now advised Angus South MSP Graeme Dey of its Scottish members’ decision. Mr Dey has been encouraging retailers to adopt a voluntary ban and he welcomed the news.

The voluntary ban came into effect at the end of conference on the afternoon of Monday March 19.

The conference motion had been put forward by the NFRN’s Aberdeen branch executive and it said: “Conference supports the principle of a voluntary ban on sales of high energy drinks labelled as being “unsuitable for children” to under 16s and recommends all members be made aware of the dangers of such products to young people.”

Proposing the motion, Aberdeen branch member Jim Maitland said: “Independent retail organisations are the only sector of the retail trade not seen to be supporting a voluntary ban on sales of these products.

“We hope that through the adoption of a voluntary ban by NFRN members in Scotland, the need for the introduction of yet another piece of legislation for small retailers to worry about will be avoided.

“As responsible retailers the NFRN should be leading the way in the independent sector by giving clear guidance to its members.”

The conference decision received huge press coverage with articles in most Scottish newspapers, The Times and Daily Mail.

Other highlights from this year’s Conference which was taking place for the first time in Inverness, were presentations on deposit return schemes from Zero Waste and from Have You Got the Bottle.

Guest speaker at the gala dinner on the Sunday night was Viscount Thurso, a Scottish businessman, Liberal Democrat politician and hereditary peer. A customer of outgoing Scottish president Gail Winfield, Viscount Thurso is also chairman of Visit Scotland and he gave an informative and highly entertaining speech.

During the district elections on Monday Rory O’Brien (Glasgow branch) was elected Scottish president with Hussan Lal (Paisley branch) as vice president.

Jim Maitland

LOCAL NEWS AND VIEWS FOR NFRN MEMBERS 2018

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Shahid (Mo) Razzaq from Lanarkshire branch was selected as one of our four national councillors who take up their positions after this summer’s Annual Conference. He will join Hussan Lal, Gail Winfield (Inverness) and David Woodrow (Paisley) who were all re-elected.

The district executive comprises Arshad Ahmed, Ferham Ashiq, Aleem Farooqi and Abdul Qadar (all Edinburgh branch); Annette Hammerton (Falkirk); Antonio Rea (Lanarkshire); and Tahir Malik (Glasgow).Jim Maitland was elected the district

Zero Waste Scotland presents on DRS Girl power: Gwen Patterson from North Ireland and Gail Winfield

All rise: dinner guests on their feet for grace

Gifford member Wilda Crook made an eggstra effort to spice up Easter with a special seasonal window and in store display.

This was snapped by RDM Owen Bogue when he visited Mrs Crook at AM Hogg in Main Street.

Well done Wilda – let’s hope you enjoyed some eggscellent sales!

EGGSCELLENTDISPLAY


voluntary fund treasurer, while Des Donnelly, John Currie and Ronald Ramsey are the fund’s trustees.

Rory O’Brien will be the district’s delegate to this summer’s Annual Conference.

Running from Sunday March 18 to Monday March 19, this year’s Conference took place at the MacDonald Drumossie Hotel in Inverness. Gail receiving immediate past president’s medal

Rory installing new DVP Hussan Lal

Cheers: At the drinks reception


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Small businesses could save up to £8,000 on average each year simply by making energy efficiency improvements – and cut their annual energy consumption by a quarter.

That’s what Zero Waste Scotland and the Scottish government promised at the launch of a ‘cashback’ scheme to help businesses in Scotland tackle rising energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint.

The comments came as Scottish minister for business, innovation and energy Paul Wheelhouse and Zero Waste Scotland chief executive Iain Gulland visited Edinbugh branch president Aleen Farooqi’s shop, Goldenacre Mini Market, earlier this year.

For a limited time only, eligible small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) applying for an interest-free, unsecured Scottish government loan can receive 30 per cent cashback on the value - up to £10,000 in cashback on completion of their energy efficiency improvements.

Mr Farooqi’s convenience store on Edinburgh’s Inverleith Row is among more than 300 businesses in Scotland to have benefited from

SCOTLAND’S SMALL BUSINESSES TO CAPITALISE ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY WITH LAUNCH OF NEW ‘CASHBACK’ SCHEME

an SME Loan in the past five years. Under the SME Loan scheme nearly £10 million has been invested in the Scottish small business community since 2013.

Mr Wheelhouse said: “Improving energy efficiency is one of the smartest ways that businesses in Scotland can hold onto their hard-earned profits and make a real difference to the bottom line.

“In addition to benefits for individual businesses, reducing the environmental impact of Scotland’s energy needs will bring us closer to the low carbon energy future set out in Scotland’s Energy Strategy – generating benefits for Scotland’s economy as well as the environment.”

Mr Gulland added: “Our work with small businesses in Scotland tells us that companies want to do their bit for the environment – indeed, our advisors have already supported organisations in Scotland to identify over £42 million worth of savings.

“We understand that with small businesses, the need to see fast return on investment and the time needed to complete lengthy application processes can preclude positive action. That’s


In memory of our dear colleague Tommy O’Connor, Des Donnelley has penned the following tribute.

There are so many tributes that can be paid to Tommy that it’s difficult to know where to begin, but it is certain that he was a man of few words, who would rather listen than comment. Often when asked a question, he would refer it to someone else, saying “you’re better asking so & so; they know more about it than me!” This was not a case of passing the buck, but more out of genuine respect for others.

As a man of few words, it goes without saying that especially, he was never heard to utter foul or abusive language to anyone and yet his whole life was built around “F” words: “Family; Faith; Friends; Federation (in that order).

Many of his Federation colleagues are maybe surprised at this order of things, but then we were only aware of a small piece of the real Tommy, and that was our real loss.

When it was suggested to him that he should become involved in Federation matters beyond Lanarkshire, he was not easily persuaded. His first concerns were not about what he might

TOMMY (TANGO) O’CONNOR March 1 1941 - January 23 2018

why the SME Loan and associated support is designed with busy Scottish SMEs in mind – and with up to £10,000 cashback now available there’s even more reason to act and secure a more sustainable, cost-effective future for your business.”

Mr Farooqi’s successful application for the SME Loan in 2016, to upgrade the store’s lighting and refrigeration, has generated annual electricity savings worth almost £1,800.

He said: “As a small business, keeping my energy bills to a minimum while also ensuring an excellent customer experience is paramount. Having operated Goldenacre Mini Market in Edinburgh for 15 years, I was delighted to have the chance to upgrade some of my older lighting and refrigeration equipment to more energy efficient models that are now saving me about 30 per cent on my electricity bills. That’s money that I can put back into my business and continue to serve the community.”

The SME Loan 30% Cashback incentive is open to applications from SMEs with energy efficiency projects that demonstrate cost and carbon savings. These include, but are not limited to:

• investing in LED lighting, • installing more efficient heating systems, • improving the insulation of a building or investing in more energy efficient equipment, such as a state of the art oven or a more efficient refrigeration unit.

Eligible applicants will receive a dedicated expert advisor from Zero Waste Scotland’s Resource Efficient Scotland service, which is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), to guide them through the process at no cost, helping them identify efficiency improvements with the greatest benefit to the bottom line.

To find out more, and to apply, call Zero Waste Scotland’s Resource Efficient Scotland service on 0808 808 2268, or visit www.resourceefficientscotland.com/SMEloan


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gain from the experience, or that he might not have anything to offer, they were that Mary could accompany him if it was a day-long event, and if it was longer, for such as Annual Conference, would there be Sunday travel and would he be able to get to church? This does not mean that he was reluctant to become involved with a wider Federation commitment. Anyone who has travelled with him to meetings or spent “social” hours with him will soon have learnt to anticipate a grilling from Tommy on the “why’s” and “wherefores” of all sorts of thorny issues, and he certainly could not be easily fobbed off.

These discussions were often the source of heated debate at ensuing meetings. Tommy would sit, smile...and not say a word.

As his family grew older with another generation evolving, his commitment to them grew too, and he looked forward to weekends in Dumfries with those family members who had moved there. Equally, if not at Dumfries, as many of the extended family as possible would gather after church at a local restaurant for lunch, and not surprisingly put the world to rights.

As Tommy became more familiar with the machinations of the Federation, he was soon elected to the Scottish Executive and then as treasurer for the Scottish Voluntary Fund.

If he had a fault, it was perhaps that he was not assertive enough, and he would often be challenged on his accounts. He would modestly but rightly reply that he could only work with what he received and that frequently it was short on essential detail, for Tommy was a stickler for detail.

Fittingly, with his last Federation meeting, he came full circle back to his roots, attending the Lanarkshire Branch AGM on January 10 and there at his side was Mary, as she had been when he first took part. It was obvious that he was not well, and an urgent hospital appointment was imminent, but he still wished to be nominated and involved as much as ever. It was not to be.

He died after a short time in hospital on January 28 aged 76.His funeral took place from St. Mary’s R.C. Church, Whifflet, in close proximity to the Candy Store on Saturday February 3.

The large church was full to capacity long before the Mass was due to begin at 10am.and in spite of the miserable weather a large crowd assembled outside. The service will be remembered by all those who attended, and not just for the vast numbers there. The music was meaningful and the church resonated to sounds of hope.

The priest who officiated spoke as someone who had known Tommy as a lifelong friend and not only the eulogy, but also the whole service was peppered with amusing anecdotes about different periods of Tommy’s life which could only come from someone who appreciated what Tommy had done for his family, parish, friends, and colleagues.

Rarely, if ever, have so many in the congregation at a funeral left the church with a broad smile on their face.

In the Federation, we may only have had access to a small part of the legend that was TOMMY TANGO, but that in itself was a privilege.With Shahid Razzaq at our Christmas lunch


SCOTTISH OFFICIALS TAKE CONCERNS TO WESTMINSTER Senior Scottish officials called on MPs and ministers to help champion the cause of independent retailers when they attended the NFRN’s annual parliamentary reception in the House of Commons on the afternoon of Tuesday February 20.

Representing our district at the reception, which was kindly hosted by MP Martin Vickers, were our district president Gail Winfield and her fellow national councillors Hassan Lal, Abdul Qadar and David Woodrow and Glasgow roundsman Rory O’Brien.

Among the 26 politicians who showed support for independent retailers by attending were two Scottish ones. They were Gavin Newlands, the SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North and Liberal Democrat Jamie Stone from Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.

Both men were given a copy 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. We were also able to explain to them the devastating impact that retail crime has upon independent retailers, their families and staff; the burgeoning illicit market in tobacco and 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 MSP Gavin Newlands with Mr and Mrs Lal


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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.”

Now it’s our turn to host a parliamentary reception!

As we advised in our January bulletin, our Scottish parliamentary reception is taking place in Holyrood on April 24 and preparations are well underway for what promises to be a great night.

This year’s event is kindly sponsored by Angus South MSP Graeme Dey and will take place between 6pm and 8pm.

Once again, this reception will give members the chance to bring to the attention of our MSPs the many challenges facing independent retailers today. At the same time we will be handing out copies of our Independent Retail Report

for Scotland which documents the state of independent retailing in 2018.

Like the report we launched at Westminster, this will bring into the spotlight issues such as retail crime, rising labour costs and the need for a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles, and explain how each of these could be addressed.

Scottish Parliament

Jamie Stone MSP with Scottish retailers and National President Linda Sood

local wholesale management about any service-related issues you have.

Members will also have a perfect opportunity to meet suppliers, learn about their new products, promotions and services and pick up some special on the day offers.

Meanwhile, roundtable discussions on a host of topical subjects will run throughout the day and district officials and NFRN staff will be on hand to offer assistance and advice, or just for a chat.

NFRN national events manager Nigel Smith said: “During 2017 we were delighted to team up with Menzies for a trade day in Wakefield and this year we are delighted to be taking our events north with two shows in Newbridge and Linwood. I look forward to welcoming members along to them.”

Keep an eye out for flyers advertising the events. More information can also be found on the Scottish page of the NFRN website www.nfrnonline.com.

Members can sign up for early morning texts that warn of delivery delays thanks to a new service from Menzies Distribution.

Registering for these notifications is very straightforward.

• Tell Menzies contact centre your Menzies customer number and advise that you

WANT AN EARLY WARNING OF DELIVERY DELAYS? would like to register for text alerts.

• You will then be asked to provide a mobile telephone number that the alerts will be sent to.

• Once the contact centre has this information it will inform your supplying depot and you will be added to the list of recipients.


SEE YOUR NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES PACKED AT MENZIES TRADE SHOWSEver wondered how your newspapers and magazines are packed before arriving at your store? Well, you will shortly have the chance to find out as the NFRN will be running trade days at Menzies Distribution depots in Newbridge and Linwood.

These events follow a host of similar trade days held with Menzies last year and form part of the NFRN’s strategy to bring more members together in a way to help you boost sales and profits.

One of the main attractions at both events will be a depot tour to see first hand the magazine packing, returns and voucher processing operations, along with the opportunity to talk to

See for yourself the newspapers and magazines packing operation


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Scottish members continue to enjoy success in the Newsagent of the Month competition run by the NFRN and Daily Mail.

Ernest Kopp of Aviemore News was the December winner for the Scotland and Ireland region, while Shahid (Mo) Razzaq, pictured above, of Family Shopper, Blantyre was victorious in January.

And we can now show you an image of our November winner - Mohammed Shakoor of Weaver Row Newsagents in Stirling - receiving his award from local NFRN retail development manager Owen Bogue.

MORE SCOTTISH MEMBERS MAKE HEADLINES!

All three members were chosen for their commitment to the news category, innovation, determination and foresight.

According to Andy Law, Mail Newspapers independent retail sales manager: “The standard of entry every month has been high and it makes it extremely tough for us to select winners.”

As well as receiving trophies, all winners are nominated for the national Newsagent of the Year award which is due to be announced later this year.

After winning the regional awards, many Scottish members have found their success recorded in their local newspapers so they are making headlines as well as selling them!

The Newsagent of the Month initiative recognises the UK’s most dedicated and innovative independent news retailers with monthly winners picked from four regions - Scotland and Northern Ireland, Northern, Midlands and Wales, and Southern

It is exclusive to NFRN members so why not enter? Visit www.nfrnonline.com, fill in the entry form and upload photos of yourself, the outside of your shop, your news and magazine displays and any shots showing how you have engaged with a news initiative. You can enter as many times as you like.

Good luck and remember, it could be you that we are featuring in a future bulletin!

Mr Shakoor receiving his award, November 2017 Ernest Kopp and his wife with his award, December 2017

We would like to introduce you to Kashain Arshad who joined the NFRN on January 3 2018 as retail development manager (RDM) for the west of Scotland

Kashain comes to us from Palmer and Harvey where he gained a wealth of experience in helping independent retailers develop their businesses and increase profit margins.

He can also call upon his experience of managing retail premises, both independent and multiple, which will help him understand the challenges our members face on a daily basis.

Kashain has undergone his NFRN training and is looking forward to visiting the members in his area in the coming months.

MEET OUR NEW RDM

Contact: Rory O’Brien, District President T: 0141 339 3013 | E: [email protected]


The NFRN has been continuing its successful programme of engagement with politicians and stakeholders by meeting with Rosanna Cunningham, cabinet secretary for environment, climate change and land

reform and the minister responsible for DRS; Conservative spokesman Donald Cameron; and Mark Ruskell of the Green Party.

The meeting with Ms Cunningham (pictured above) is the second the NFRN has enjoyed at cabinet secretary level this year, and reflects the higher profile that our organisation has achieved in recent months.

This is further demonstrated by the fact that we have been contacted by the Scottish government for help in informing retailers about the forthcoming introduction of minimum unit pricing of alcohol.

Equally positive is the fact that the NFRN has found that those we have engaged with are broadly in line with our policy of support subject to the detail.

Members who attended the Scottish Conference saw a second strand of our engagement as presentations were given by David Barnes of Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS), which has been tasked by the Scottish government with reviewing the options and making proposals on the form that the DRS should take, and from Jenni Hume and James Mackenzie of the campaign group Have You Got the Bottle, long time campaigners on the issue.

Our engagement with ZWS allows the Federation to directly input into the policy making process and to be seen as an important

NOW THEY ARE LISTENING…. SUCCESSFULLY ENGAGING WITH POLITICIANS AND STAKEHOLDERS

part of that process, particularly as we are the only retail trade body that is approaching DRS in a positive way, and we represent over 1,500 independent retailers in Scotland. In working with Have You Got the Bottle, we are part of a coalition of support that is building momentum behind the idea of DRS.

The government is expected to unveil its proposals and a consultation in the late summer. Until then, the NFRN will continue to engage with MSPs at Holyrood and other interested parties.

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