Senior members of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed), Vince and Fiona Malone, met with Paul Davies MS, newly re-elected Conservative Senedd member for Ceredigion Penfro.
At the meeting on 22 May at their shop in Tenby in West Wales, the retailing pair discussed how small shops and Post Offices like theirs are central to local communities.
The Malones discussed the continuing challenges facing small shops and the retail agenda following the recent election on 7 May, including the points highlighted in the Fed’s manifesto ahead of the election, which focused on controlling costs, the need to affectively tackle retail crime and a clearer path to the adoption of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for recycling cans and bottles in Wales.
The visit came at a time of great uncertainty about DRS in Wales, which is looking to implement its own scheme but is yet to adopt a Deposit Management organisation (DMO) and potentially will have a scheme involving glass - in contrast to the rest of the UK.
The pair also emphasised the need for a discussion about business rates which need to factor in the social benefit provided by small shops like their own, as well as action to tackle retail crime through intervention from neighbourhood police.
Vince said: “Independent retailers are the lifeblood of our communities and we want to carry on with engagement with all parties in the months ahead as well as the new Senedd and new Government gets as they get their feet under the table.
“We want to ensure a DMO is appointed promptly to establish a roadmap for the DRS in Wales. This approach should align with the rest of the UK for cohesion and sustainability and the system must at least be cost-neutral for retailers - this is in everyone’s interests as we can only get a good rate of return for recycling when small shops are fully participating.”
Davies added: “It was great to speak with Vince and Fiona and discuss the work done in their shop and how it supports local residents. I look forward to representing them in the new Senedd and working with them and their colleagues in the Fed in the next four years.”
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