By: Ed Barnes, Local Democracy Reporter Wirral Council has granted a licence for a new convenience store despite concerns being raised about a past court case. Hastyar Husseni had applied for a premises licence for a new convenience store at 351 Woodchurch Road in Prenton to be open and selling alcohol from 8am until midnight. The application had received no opposition from authorities like Merseyside Police but a number of neighbours said antisocial behaviour, underage drinkers, and drugs were an issue in the area. The local authority ultimately decided to grant the licence at a licensing com ..read more

By: Ed Barnes, Local Democracy Reporter A Birkenhead newsagents has been slapped with a hefty fine after illegally selling a vape to a teenager. Grange News on St Werburgh’s Square in Birkenhead was taken to court by Wirral Council with a hearing at Wirral Magistrates Court on May 16. Wirral Council said Magd Al-Mardai, who manages the shop, did not attend the hearing but the case was heard in his absence. Wirral Council said the court accepted the council’s prosecution, who were working on behalf of Wirral Trading Standards, and proven the facts of the case. The local authority said the prose ..read more

In this cut-throat retail competition, convenience stores can also flourish and thrive by arming up with technology while nurturing their local flavour and personal touch, thus beating multiples in their own game. And that is what exactly this suburban Glasgow store has been excelling at. Girish’s Premier at Barmulloch in Glasgow, Scotland is a prime example of a futuristic convenience store, one that embraces technology at each step to not only streamline the business, but also to offer a breezy shopping experience at par with nearest multiple. Armed with extensive refits and jazzy interiors ..read more

Tobacco and Vape Bill is “highly confusing, unenforceable and unfair”, feel independent retailers who are calling on the government to take better and uncomplicated ways forward like simply raising the legal buying age and licensing of tobacco-selling shops. Most independent retailers feel Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if it comes into effect, will have profound consequences and long-term deep impact on businesses as the stores will be exposed to confusing legal hassles as well as public anger. Under current law, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to buy tobacco products, but under the new ..read more

After months of lobbying and consultation, wholesale workers have been included under the definition of retail worker in the amended Criminal Justice Bill. This amendment comes after wholesale body Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) gave evidence before the Home Affairs Select Committee on violence against retail workers on April 17, saying that as a critical link in the food and drink supply chain, the wholesale sector is uniquely vulnerable to crime, from depots to distribution. “This is a great win for the sector and we are proud to representing wholesale and its workers”, stated FW ..read more

Public health minister Andrea Leadsom committed to tightening regulations on the advertisement and sponsorship of nicotine vaping products. The pledge came in response to an amendment proposed by SNP MP Kirsten Oswald, aimed at banning vape sponsorships in sports, to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently passing through the parliament. Oswald’s amendment proposed making it an offence for any business to enter a sponsorship agreement promoting nicotine-containing vape products. Drawing parallels to historical cigarette advertising in sports, Oswald highlighted the growing concern over ..read more

Appleby Westward Ltd, SPAR’s primary distributor in the South West, has introduced its newest advertising campaign, SPAR-Tacular Summer. The summer inspired in-store advertising campaign has been designed by SPAR South West to get everyone ready for the holiday season. As well as great online giveaways aimed at enhancing the summer shopping experience in SPAR stores, the campaign showcases promotions and discounts available to customers. Splitting into four areas; SPAR-Tacular Wine Festival, Summer Drinks, Picnics & BBQs and Summer of Sports, each theme is tailored to providing great deals ..read more

Leading vitamin company Vitabiotics has announced its new two-year charity partnership with food redistribution charity FareShare. As part of this new initiative, Vitabiotics Wellkid is funding the equivalent of 110,000 meals to FareShare, who redistribute good to eat surplus food, which might go to waste, to a network of 8,500 charities nationwide. Vitabiotics said this key partnership represents a continuation of its commitment to corporate social responsibility and extends the number of good causes it supports in the field of health. “At Vitabiotics, we believe in the power of collaboration ..read more

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have caught the attention of creators, collectors and even investors. These are digital possessions that provide new avenues for owning and trading art, collectibles, or even virtual properties. Despite this progress in development of best NFTs platform, it’s still not easy to choose a marketplace. User Interface The user interface is the first thing you see when entering an NFT site. It should be clean, intuitive and simple to use so that people can go through collections, upload their works of art as well as transactions. Some examples in this case would be OpenSea ..read more

​The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has written to the prime minister, demanding an apology from public health minister Andrea Leadsom over her “false and completely inappropriate” comments on the proposed industry licensing scheme. During the evidence session by the Tobacco & Vapes Bill Committee, Leadsom said that she will not consider a licensing scheme for vape retailers, while responding to the idea of a licensing scheme being considered as part of the amendments to the bill. She said: “I am grateful to the hon. Lady (Mary Glindon MP) for giving me the chance to give my person ..read more