Store owners slam Westminster over Tobacco & Vapes Bill
ONE in 10 convenience store owners have said they would consider closing their store if the Government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill becomes law.
This is according to a new poll, commissioned by retailer platform C-Talk, found that stores are on the brink and could be pushed over the edge by further restrictions on their business.
Of the 500 stores that were surveyed, 79% of retailers said the Bill was an unprecedented threat to their business, more than a third (35%) said they would need to lay off employees or reduce hours, while over a quarter (26%) said they would need to raise prices across the store to compensate
The findings represent a growing frustration among convenience retailers nationwide who are concerned about the detrimental impact the Bill could have on their stores and threaten jobs across the UK.
In response to this, Paul Cheema, founder of C-Talk, hand-delivered a total of 1,435 signed letters from shop owners across the country directly to Peter Kyle, businesses secretary, at Westminster.
Cheema said: “Retailers are in a world of pain right now with higher NICs, higher business rates and higher wage costs all in the last year. On top of that, the government now wants to slap more regulations on us with their Tobacco and Vapes Bill – bringing in an unworkable generational ban and reducing access to information for those wanting to make better choices, all while failing to prevent the illicit trade.
“We’ve written, we’ve called, we’ve tried every way we can to be heard – but the Government still isn’t listening. So, I’m taking things into my own hands and bringing all 1,435 letters straight to their doorstep. Retailers deserve to be heard, and this delivery makes that impossible to ignore.”
