Peter Batt, managing director of Nisa, has written an open letter to address the ‘plight of retail crime’ and call on the new government to make assaulting a retailer a standalone offence. The letter was penned to mark Independents’ Day, which falls on the weekend of 6-7 July and spotlights the role of independent retailers and convenience stores.

Batt uses the letter to call on tougher sanctions on criminals found guilty, and point out the severity of retail crime – “losses from theft almost doubled to £1.8bn in 2023, equalling to 45,000 incidents a day, according to the British Retail Consortium.”

Batt also marks 15 years of the Making a Difference Locally (MADL) charity, noting that independent retailers have donated £17 million back into their local communities throughout that period.

“Last year, MADL helped retailers donate £925,000 and reach over 180,000 people –demonstrating the impact an independent retailer can have on the community.”

He continued: “From energy costs to business rates, from rents to cost of living and consumer confidence, I’d argue that being an independent retailer has rarely been tougher, which is why I’m so committed to supporting our retail partners.”

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