In this issue - Summer 2022

What can we learn from the pandemic?

Three things shaping the future of retail in 2022

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Keeping the faith

As the consumer purse is squeezed, will they continue to shop sustainably?

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Talk openly with your suppliers

Don't suffer in silence while larger retailers get better deals, says Catherine Erdly

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Sink or swim

Just when we thought it was safe to go back into the waters of buoyant retailing, inflation soars, the supply chain worsens and consumer confidence falls to its lowest level in nearly 50 years.

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How to survive and thrive as a small independent

Q&A with retailer Keren Brynes MacLean, owner of Health Food and More in Kirkcaldy

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Viewpoint: Legislation

HFSS multibuy and advertising restrictions get delayed, but location restrictions go ahead without needed clarity

Andrea Solana, Account Director at Whitehouse Communications

On 14th May, the Government announced a delay in the implementation of restrictions on advertising and multibuy deals for foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS). Originally set to apply in January 2023 and October 2022 respectively, the restrictions have now been delayed by a year to January 2024 and October 2023. Although welcomed by industry, this delay only defers the challenges brought by these restrictions which were designed without much needed clarity about products in scope.

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What can independent retailers do in the face of rising costs?

Q&A with Andrew Goodacre, CEO of the British Independent Retailers Association

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Online bugbears that turn off consumers

Ed Whitehead unlocks a consistent path to purchase in the wake of SCA

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Secret Shopper Reports

Continuing the New Natural Business ‘must see’ Secret Shopper exercise in which we find the best online shopping experience among independent retailers. Our number one rule in our eagle-eyed search is that the online shops we visit must be backed by a physical store. The pandemic has changed shopping patterns for many customers so we’ve been focusing on stores that have stepped up and welcome them online...

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The UK will soon be Europe’s fattest nation

In a league table of Europe’s fattest nations, Britain is currently third with 28% of the adult population who are obese, after Turkey and Malta.

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Yes, we are all individuals

As a service to our members, we carry out occasional sectoral surveys. In the midst of yet another big brand U-turn, we tried to measure the ability of store owners and their staff to switch their customers to alternative brands.

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Leading the greening of the high street

With Environmental Reporting set to become a mandatory requirement for all UK businesses in 2025, the incentive to run a greener business – and be able to demonstrate it – has never been stronger.

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Insight is everything

If the Natural and Organic Products Show demonstrated one thing to us, it’s that the HFMA is both trusted and valued for the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to keep others in the know.

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Read articles from the Spring 2022 issue here