Co-Op: Criminal Cigarette Trade ‘Accelerating High Street Decline'

Co-op: Criminal cigarette trade ‘accelerating high street decline'

Criminal gangs selling illicit cigarettes in shops across the UK are “accelerating” the decline of Britain’s high streets and must be stopped, the Co-op has warned Andy Burnham. The black market trade of tobacco is undermining the Prime Minister’s push to rejuvenate UK high streets, eroding public safety and weakening community cohesion, the cigarettes-to-funerals seller [...]

Co-op Urges Action as Illicit Trade Threatens UK High Streets

Britain’s high streets are being undermined by a growing “shadow economy” driven by illicit tobacco, stolen goods and counterfeit products, according to a new report commissioned by Co-op.The retailer has called for greater investment in enforcement, more raids on premises suspected of selling illicit goods and wider use of the Tobacco Track and Trace (TT&T) system.The Legitimate High Street Framework, written by criminologist Professor Emmeline…

Criminals are shaping UK High Streets, putting Prime Minister’s ambition for high street regeneration at risk, Co-op warns

Discover what's happening in retail today, Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and much more. Today (9th September) a new White Paper, joined by a YouGov survey and the Government’s own data on ineffective enforcement and public polling, lays bare how Britain’s high streets are being driven by criminality not honest competition. Illicit tobacco sales, the braze…

Co-op finds 36% of UK smokers have bought illicit cigarettes, calls for government action

The scale of Britain’s illegal cigarette market is putting legitimate convenience retailers under increasing pressure, according to a new white paper commissioned by Co-op. The Legitimate High Street Framework, written…

Co-op calls for more enforcement and Tobacco Track and Trace use to combat criminals

Co-op is warning that criminals operating on high streets are putting the prime minister’s ambition for high street regeneration at risk. The retailer said shocking level of enforcement activity has allowed illicit markets to thrive, undermining legitimate businesses and is concerned about “the extremely limited”… This story continues at Co-op calls for more enforcement and Tobacco Track and Trace use to combat criminals Or just read more covera…

Co-op report calls for crackdown on illicit tobacco sales

A new white paper commissioned by Co-op has revealed the scale of illicit tobacco sales and organised crime on UK high streets, with three in ten smokers admitting to buying illegal cigarettes