“We’re actually selling more gro­cery than we ever did. Bread is now at the front, and we’re selling about £100 a day," Focusing on the latest trends, investing in alcohol, frozen and grocery and paying attention to the community's needs have seen Paul and Pinder Cheema boost basket spend at Malcolm's Store. hubs.li/Q04zg8wL0

"I’ve actually decreased my hours from 80 a week to 60, but excessive hours have always been a part of being a retailer." Eight percent of store owners are working more than 60 hours a week as they battle to offset rising staff costs and recruitment challenges hubs.li/Q04yHKcV0

Retailers and drinks producers can now register their interest to be return points for October 2027’s deposit return scheme hubs.li/Q04yC6sK0

Retailers can get an estimate on the commercial and operational impact the deposit return scheme will have on their store using a DRS calculator just launched by Unitas hubs.li/Q04ydKjQ0

'I hate seeing customers walk out. I tell my staff, ask them what they want, get feedback and get what they’re after.' SimplyFresh Stourbridge has taken an innovative approach to ranging, bolstering its convenience offer with an extensive dedicated hardware section to meet the community's needs and drive sales. hubs.li/Q04yckqc0

"It costs us less than £2 to make and we are selling them for £10...” Three retailers share the small changes which are bringing their stores big profits hubs.li/Q04y6CSx0)

Snappy Group has announced a new AI-powered assistant designed to help retailers save time and get more from their store data hubs.li/Q04xMXn_0

"...the truth is the coffee quality from the big chains is really bad. If you put the care into your buying and training, you can beat them on price.” Mowgli Coffee & Convenience in south London is pulling in customers by adding a convenience store offering to a coffee shop hubs.li/Q04xK3vW0

The new compact reverse vending machine from Tomra occupies less than half a square metre of floor space and has been launched for UK convenience stores ahead of DRS hubs.li/Q04xK24B0

"We’ve brought our wastage down from £400 a week to £300..." Three retailers explain the steps they've taken to successfully cut food waste in their stores hubs.li/Q04xGhXF0

Spending in symbol groups and independent convenience stores has returned to growth following months of year-on-year declines, but they are still underperforming compared to the wider grocery market hubs.li/Q04xyVDc0

IRN-BRU expanded its ZERO range earlier this year with IRN-BRU Cherry, available to stock for independent retailers and symbol groups. IRN-BRU advises retailers to prominently display Cherry in their chiller next to core IRN-BRU and use the brand’s PoS suite to boost impulse sales and drive trial hubs.li/Q04wKCpY0 #ad

"When I go into stores, if they’ve got a fragrance, it makes the ambi­ence better and you feel like you want to shop in the store." From access to aroma, Ali's Nisa Royston is seeing the benefits of paying close attention to shopper experience hubs.li/Q04wv4Hs0

⏰ There's still a few slots available - but there's only a few hours left to register! Join us in Birmingham on 14 September for a day of ideas, advice and connections, followed by an evening celebrating the best of independent retail. Attendance is FREE to independent convenience retailers, along with a guest. Register now before time runs out: tinyurl.com/BRfest2026 #BRFestival26 #BRAwards26

'This brand alone is worth £4,000-£4,500 a week to us...' Three retailers share the highly profitable points of difference setting their stores apart from the competition hubs.li/Q04wwfKX0

Time's running out to secure your place at this years event, taking place in Birmingham on 14 Sep. Get inspired, find profitable new ideas, & build your business network. Plus, celebrate the very best of independent retail at the Awards. Register today: tinyurl.com/BRfest2026

"I tried to find local, boutique suppliers who make products you would find in places such as Ocado." Sonny Saini explains how he's built a unique identity at Teddington Pantry by balancing on-the-go convenience with local and premium products hubs.li/Q04vztyb0

'The amount of SKUs stores will carry is fundamentally going to change...' Industry experts explain how upcoming Vaping Products Duty rules will affect businesses, as well as how and why retailers should start preparing now hubs.li/Q04vw78Z0

“People talk about their store’s turnover, but I focus on turnover per square foot." Coldean Convenience 02 is a local shop in Brighton competing with the supermarkets by focusing on value, availability and volume. hubs.li/Q04tJHJN0

An operator for Wales' deposit return scheme has been appointed hubs.li/Q04tJRjN0