SF-June-20

9 specialityfoodmagazine.com Support for major supermarkets has declined back towards normal levels as the national mood shifts and consumers become disillusioned with lockdown exit plans, according to a recent poll from research consultancy Populus Group. Populus Group’s weekly Covid- 19 tracker, which was carried out online 7th-10th May, found that Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda, Iceland, Ocado and Marks & Spencer all fell in public approval ratings. This could potentially open the door to small, independent retailers to gain support. Sainsbury’s, Iceland, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons all saw significant 7%declines in their respective approval ratings this week, while Tesco fell from its all-time high rating of 71% approval last week to 64%, its second-lowest rating. Despite these figures, food retailers maintained their place at the top of the poll for their performance in response to the coronavirus pandemic compared with other sectors including the government, airlines, energy firms, telecommunications groups and non-food retailers. “We are moving into a new phase of the Coronavirus crisis, and with this comes increased uncertainty and a spike in public anxiety,” said Manfred Abraham, CEO of BrandCap, part of the Populus Group. “Whilst lockdown is far from enjoyable it had become the status quo, and moving away from this pseudo- security will be hard. “As shown by our tracker, supermarkets need to once again consider their position and be led by their values to continue to successfully navigate the shifting sands,” Manfred adds. According to the poll, the public was losing its appetite for updates from organisations on how they are handling the crisis. “Only 55% agree that they want brands to tell them how they have helped, down from a high of 65% in week three.” As the UK’s lockdown measures are relaxed, supermarkets are returning to their normal place in consumers’ lives. But with shoppers growing ambivalent, farm shops and independent stores that can offer something different to the major chains may stand to benefit. By using this moment to reassess and to leverage their unique positions in their communities, speciality retailers can make the most of this opportunity. Opportunity arises for independent shops as public support for major supermarkets declines In an effort to help companies that are struggling during lockdown, the UK Government recently announced that the proposed business rate revaluation in England won’t take place next year. Legislation had previously been introduced in the House of Lords that moved the revaluation forward by a year from 2022 to 2021, however the decision was made to postpone the reevaluation in order to help reduce uncertainty for businesses that have been impacted by Coronavirus. The postponement comes after calls from businesses that said the revaluation would be “disastrous”, as it would have been based on pre-Coronavirus rates. It’s not clear when the revaluation will now take place, however it’s likely to resume in 2022 as originally planned. The Government has said it will continue to review the business rate regime with a plan to publish evidence for the review in the coming months. In its support for local businesses, the UK Government has already pledged £10bn in business rates relief, and has granted one- year business rates holiday to businesses in the hospitality and leisure industries. However, the industry is still seeking further support, with retailers and landlords warning that businesses are at risk of collapse. The British Retail Consortium and British Property Federation have renewed their appeal for the government to pay some of the rent due during lockdown. The call for help comes at a time when businesses fear they won’t be able to continue employing furloughed staff, and existing bailout loan schemes will leave businesses with unsustainable debts. Business rates revaluation for 2021 postponed Industry pushes for 'Green Brexit' The Soil Association continues to push for amendments on agroecology and trade in the Agriculture Bill. “A truly ‘Green Brexit’ will be one with agroecology and organic at its heart, where trade policy ensures high environmental and animal welfare standards, and where food and farming policy enhance public health,” the group said. Two amendments laid before Parliament would have strengthened the bill by supporting farmers to adopt agroecological and organic farming. Speaking to the House, Kerry McCarthy MP said, “Agroecology is a cause whose time has come. This pandemic has brought home to many people how dysfunctional our relationship with the natural world has become, with overconsumption, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, a food system that is broken, and birds and wildlife disappearing from our countryside and gardens.” Caroline Lucas MP echoed these sentiments, highlighting that if the UK Government is to deliver on its promise of a ‘Green Brexit’, then the UKmust go beyond best practice in Europe. The Soil Association was signatory of a letter to George Eustice, Secretary of State, saying, “The Bill should ensure that agri-food imports are produced to at least equivalent environmental, animal welfare, and food safety standards as those required of producers in the UK.” Government shares updated guidance for retailers Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s televised speech regarding the steps to be taken as the UK eases out of lockdown, shadow cabinet minister Michael Gove and business secretary Alok Sharma have shared seven documents detailing how different types of workplaces can resume business. A number of measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of both staff and customers within retail establishments. These are: Limit the number of customers at any one time - having defined the number of people (following two- metre distancing regulations) that would fit within available floorspace Encourage customers to shop alone Suspend any services which do not comply with social distancing guidelines Update customer traffic and queue management plans, using outside areas for queuing where necessary Make clear to customers accompanied by children that they are responsible for supervising them throughout their time in the store Keep cafes/restaurants closed unless selling hot or cold food to-go Restock outside of store opening hours Provide guidance to customers when they arrive on the premises