Kwame Boakye, Pulse Ghana Journalist Profile

Articles

South Lanarkshire retailer raises nearly £7,000 in DRS trial

1 week ago | betterretailing.com | Kwame Boakye

A South Lanarkshire retailer has raised £6,908 in a self-funded Deposit Return Scheme trial, donating over £4,600 to local groups and over £2,000 redeemed in-store. Mo Razzaq, owner of Premier Mo’s in Blantyre, launched the initiative in November to demonstrate the potential benefits of the scheme, ahead of its rollout across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland in October 2027.
Village shop owner wins Ardingly Community Award

1 week ago | betterretailing.com | Kwame Boakye

Sussex-based retailer Kim Patel said he was “totally and utterly shocked” to win the inaugural Community Award from Ardingly Parish Council. Patel, of the Ardingly News Shop, has operated the store for the past five years and received the award for supporting disabled and elderly villagers, as well as for anticipating community needs during the pandemic.
Allwyn to host National Lottery player protection conference

1 week ago | betterretailing.com | Kwame Boakye

Allwyn UK, operator of The National Lottery, will host its first Participant Protection Conference on 23 September in London. The invite-only event, taking place at Kings Place, will focus on issues including artificial intelligence, lived experience, responsible play, and youth protection through digital ID. Attendees will include academics, practitioners, and stakeholders from the lottery industry.
NewstrAid's nationwide scavenger hunt to return in September

1 week ago | betterretailing.com | Kwame Boakye

NewstrAid has announced the return of its nationwide scavenger hunt, an interactive, team-based event set to take place across the UK on Thursday 11 September. The event is designed to foster team cohesion and industry engagement, while also raising funds to support individuals in the newspaper and magazine trade who are experiencing hardship. Retailers, along with publishers, wholesalers and distributors, are all expected to take part.
Entrepreneurs open second St Helens store under Parfetts

1 week ago | betterretailing.com | Kwame Boakye

Two local entrepreneurs have opened a second off-licence in St Helens, expanding their retail presence with a new store in Rainford. Bisi and Olumayowa Osundeko, who opened a Go Local store in Sutton in 2021, have partnered again with Parfetts to launch their latest branch under The Local, the wholesaler’s off-licence format. The Rainford site, formerly a Bargain Booze, has been refurbished with new chiller units and increased shelving, doubling the stock range.
Vape ban costs convenience stores over £5m in first week

2 weeks ago | betterretailing.com | Kwame Boakye

Convenience stores lost more than £5m in vape sales during the first full week of the government’s disposable vapes ban, according to new data from Talysis. Figures from the retail data firm, which tracks sales across thousands of convenience stores using EPoS data, also revealed that more than £1m worth of illegal disposable vape sales took place during the same period, highlighting the challenges of enforcement.
Neighbourhood officers to respond within 72 hours by July

2 weeks ago | betterretailing.com | Kwame Boakye

By July, every neighbourhood in England and Wales will have named officers responding to public and business queries within 72 hours, the government has pledged. Speaking during a recent House of Commons debate on police presence on high streets, minister for policing and crime prevention Dame Diana Johnson outlined plans to boost neighbourhood policing and tackle rising retail crime. She said: “By July, every neighbourhood throughout England and Wales will have named contactable officers.
UK Illicit cigarette use hits 26% costing billions in tax

2 weeks ago | betterretailing.com | Kwame Boakye

One in four cigarettes smoked in the UK is illicit, according to a 2024 report on illegal tobacco consumption in Europe by KPMG. The report, commissioned by Philip Morris International, also reveals that the UK’s illicit cigarette market remains the third largest in Europe by both volume and share of consumption, despite the country ranking in the bottom fifth for the number of people who smoke.
The Fed: spending review offers little support for small businesses

2 weeks ago | betterretailing.com | Kwame Boakye

The government’s spending review, unveiled on 11 June, offers little support for small businesses, according to the Fed. While the review pledged an extra £2bn for policing and an increase in neighbourhood officers, the Fed said it failed to address concerns over security for retailers.
Booker sales rise to £2.3bn as retail growth hits 5.4%

2 weeks ago | betterretailing.com | Kwame Boakye

Booker has reported £2.3bn in sales for Q1 2025/26, with like-for-like growth of 2%, including core retail growth of 5.4%, driven by strong performance from its symbol brands. However, overall growth was impacted by a 9% decline in tobacco sales and a slight drop of 0.8% in its Best Food Logistics food service arm. Responding during an analyst call about the Q1 results, Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy said: “Booker delivered like-for-like growth of 2%.