Speciality Food Magazine May 2024

6 @specialityfood E aster parades still happen in the USA and used to be very big things. Many towns and communities had one, although they are declining in frequency it appears from recent evidence. New York City’s parade, often regarded as the grandest, still goes ahead, although attendance levels have dropped from an estimated 1 million people in 1947 to just 30,000 in 2008. Their popularity originally grew spontaneously to celebrate not only an important religious festival and the end of the period of Lent, but also the arrival of spring. Their decline has been put down to the fall in religious observance and the increasing rise of alternative commercial activities. Often the blame for this falls on the shoulders of food retailers. However, from an independent shopkeeper’s perspective, despite its history as a major national event, in terms of retail sales, Easter often seems to be something of a damp squib – and particularly damp this year. I read somewhere that it has been the wettest 18 months since records started. But it is not only down to the weather. Easter eggs and chocolate displays were novelties in the 1970s when I first started out, but now festoon shelves everywhere, and it is not easy to gain any point of difference. Similarly, the Easter school holidays confuse any attempt at trying to predict JOHN SHEPHERD PARTRIDGES ‘Weatherwon’t rainonour parade’ customer numbers. I used to think that an early Easter was better than a late Easter in terms of sales, but this does not stand up to the performance of recent Easters. And finally, although it is not just about my old friend the weather, it is at its most capricious at this time of year. So, looking at our performance in 2024 so far, after an OK-ish January and a decidedly dodgy February, any hopes that Easter would gallop over the hill to the rescue have not been realised. Our Easter 2024 Good Friday to Easter Monday sales were slightly up on 2023 at 2.7%, but slightly down on 2022 by 1.4%. Nothing much to celebrate bearing in mind the increasing cost of supplies. Incidentally, sales were up in 2021 by 7.7% and in 2020 by 29% compared to 2024 but they were in Covid times and sales generally were all over the place. In short it all makes interpreting the Easter period very difficult. And then the week after Easter historically shows a dramatic fall in sales as the effect of school holidays and absent regular customers kicks in. In 2021, the week after Easter there was a decline in sales of 29% on the previous week, in 2022 it was 38%, in 2023 20% and in 2024 also 20%. Thank goodness we managed to sell most of our stock this year. But spring is here - perhaps our favourite time of the year on Planet Partridges. More customers, busier markets, better weather and our second best quarter for sales. Time to exchange the glass half empty for the glass half full and the Easter tirade to the summer parade. Fingers crossed.. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the new law aims to send a clear message to criminals at a time when retail theft and abuse of shop workers are both on the rise. Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said the sector has been crying out for greater protections for retail staff. “For some time Bira, along with the wider retail sector, has been calling for more protection for people who work in shops. We are delighted with this announcement, especially as we are dealing with a significant increase in retail crime.” He added, “While we’re encouraged by the government’s commitment to tackle this unacceptable abuse, these figures underscore the need for real reform and resources to ensure shopkeepers feel protected. Bira and the entire retail community appreciate this vital first step.” Under the new law, the offence of assaulting a shop worker will carry a maximum sentence of six months and perpetrators could also receive an unlimited fine, and ban from the premises where the offence was committed. Repeat offenders may be forced to wear tags to track their movements, and £50million is to be spent on facial recognition technology, with New research, conducted by Made in Britain, has identified that nearly 60% of UK consumers want to see more products made on home soil in retail. Of those surveyed, 50% said they prefer to buy UK-manufactured goods over imported alternatives, with the main driver being a desire to support the economy and British jobs. The annual survey revealed that, despite ongoing financial pressures dedicated units placed on high streets to catch criminals, and prevent shoplifting. Inmore serious cases, those found guilty of GBH (grievous bodily harm) will face jail sentences. However anyone convicted of the new offence would not routinely go to prison. The Sentencing Bill, would mean sentences of 12 months or less would be suspended and served in the community, although a prison sentence could be imposed in exceptional circumstances. The desperate need for action has due to the cost-of-living crisis, 65% of those asked said they continue to buy the same amount of British goods, with a clear preference to buy British food. UK-grown fruit and vegetables were favoured by 72%, while 69% are keen to support Britishmeat, and 57% fish. Supporting native workers was the most significant driver, followed by a keenness to be more sustainable, consumers putting more trust in been underscored by Bira’s own 2024 retail crime survey which revealed 35.5% respondents experienced verbal abuse from individuals in their shops (down 7.5% from the prior six months), with 66% of those affected choosing not to report the incident. For those incidents reported to police, 29% said authorities did not attend the scene, and where police did respond, around 57% of cases did not lead to prosecution. Physical attacks and threats remain prevalent too, as nearly 8% of shopkeepers said in the report they experienced violence, including being threatened with needles, knives and hammers. Around 70% did not report these incidents to police. British-made goods and ethical production standards, and lastly (43%) the perception that British food and drink is better quality. Made in Britain CEO, John Pearce, said, “As consumer activism pushes up demand for British products on UK supermarket shelves, the widely-recognised Made in Britain trademark helps shoppers instantly identify UK-made products on the high street and online, while providing Britishmanufacturers with an instantly recognisable and trusted marketing symbol that helps them capitalise on public demand for goods produced on home shores. “Our ever-growing community of manufacturers tell us they proudly display the trademark for three key reasons – it is the most effective way to communicate what type of company they are; it helps them sell more of what they make; and it bolsters trust and recognition for their brands.” Spring is here - perhaps our favourite time of the year onPlanet Partridges.More customers, busier markets, betterweather and our secondbest quarter for sales. Time to exchange the glass half empty for the glass half full and theEaster tirade to the summer parade New law set to protect shop workers Bira, the British Independent Retailers Association, has welcomed the government’s decision to make assaulting a shop worker a separate criminal offence in both England and Wales. Brits want to see more UK-made products on shelves