The convenience sector has never been more central to community life – nor has it faced a more complex web of responsibilities. From championing public health initiatives to combating retail crime and navigating an increasingly demanding regulatory landscape, independent retailers are proving their worth as the beating heart of British neighbourhoods.

This year’s Responsible Retailer of the Year award winners at Asian Trader Awards, Paul and Pinda Cheema of Malcolm's Stores Costcutter in Coventry, exemplify this commitment, taking their duty of care to unprecedented levels.

Fighting for the sector

The Cheema brothers' approach to responsible retailing extends far beyond their own premises. Recognising that the illicit trade in tobacco and vapes poses an existential threat to legitimate retailers, they took extraordinary action – hiring a fraud team to conduct mystery shopping exercises at 32 local stores. The results were stark: every single store was found to be selling illegal products.

“Protecting our staff and customers has never been more important,” Paul Cheema explains in his award entry. “As a responsible retailer, we know our duty goes far beyond the shop floor – it's about standing up for the welfare of our people and our community at large.”

This discovery galvanised the brothers into wider action. Now working closely with their local council and MP, they're pushing for enforcement on a broader scale, demonstrating how individual retailers can catalyse systemic change. Their work highlights a crucial truth: responsible retailing isn't just about compliance within your own four walls but also protecting the integrity of the entire sector.

Paul CheemaPhoto: Handout

The brothers' activism extends to the legislative arena. Paul has become a prominent campaigner against the proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill, warning of unintended consequences that could harm both retailers and the communities they serve. His open letter to the business secretary articulated concerns shared by thousands of convenience store operators across the UK.

“Right now, the government's proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill is one of the biggest challenges we face,” Paul states. “While we understand the ambition to create a smoke-free generation, the reality is this legislation risks driving many customers straight to the illicit trade. That doesn't just hurt legitimate businesses like ours – it puts our staff directly in the firing line of frustration and abuse.”

The human cost

The Cheemas' concerns about staff safety are far from theoretical. Abuse of convenience store workers has reached crisis levels, and the brothers fear that asking staff to challenge customers for ID “well into their adult years” as a consequence of the proposed generational ban will only exacerbate the problem.

“My team members aren't just employees – they're family,” Paul emphasises. “They shouldn't have to face anger and intimidation just for doing their job.”

This recognition of the human dimension of responsible retailing runs throughout the Cheemas' operation. In their store, practical safety measures combine with a culture of support and empowerment. CCTV coverage provides a visible deterrent to antisocial behaviour, while panic buttons at every till ensure that help is always within reach should team members feel threatened.

The Cheemas' activism helped spark a nationwide movement. The “Protect Your Store, Have Your Say” campaign spearheaded by Paul has seen more than 1,000 letters sent to the business secretary, calling out the dangers of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill for the convenience sector.

“Retailers are stepping up because this Bill poses a real threat to our livelihoods and the communities we serve,” Paul said when the campaign broke the 1,000-letter milestone in July. “This isn't just bad policy, it's dangerous. We all want to help reduce smoking, but not at the expense of our staff safety or livelihoods.”

The campaign's impact grew more significant in October, when polling of 500 corner shops revealed that one in 10 owners would consider closing down if the Bill becomes law. Armed with 1,435 signed letters, Paul hand-delivered the correspondence to Business Secretary Peter Kyle at Westminster.

The survey, commissioned by C-Talk and carried out by Merlin Strategies, painted a sobering picture. Four in five retailers view the Bill as an unprecedented threat to their business, whilst more than a third said they would need to lay off employees or reduce hours. Over a quarter warned they would have to raise prices across the board to compensate.

“Retailers are in a world of pain right now with higher NICs, higher business rates and higher wage costs all in the last year,” Paul commented. “On top of that, the government now wants to slap more regulations on us with their Tobacco and Vapes Bill – bringing in an unworkable generational ban and reducing access to information for those wanting to make better choices, all while failing to prevent the illicit trade.”

The polling also highlighted the vital role corner shops play in their communities. Almost two thirds employ mothers, whilst a similar proportion provide jobs for young people. Nearly all retailers report that their shops are regularly used by older customers, and four in five say vulnerable members of the community rely on them.

Age verification headache

Whilst the Cheemas’ campaign against aspects of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, they remain utterly committed to preventing underage sales. This commitment is shared across the responsible retailing sector, but it presents increasingly complex challenges as both regulation and technology evolve.

Kate Rand, Chief Executive of Serve Legal, which conducts over 200,000 independent audits every year across all age-restricted products in the UK and Ireland, offers crucial insights into the current state of compliance. Her company was founded after the team experienced the pain of licence loss first-hand – when the founders lost their pub licence due to an underage sale and found no service existed to help prove due diligence.

“Responsible retailing has clearly moved beyond simply following regulations,” Rand observes. “This year alone has brought on-the-spot fines, a ban on disposables, and now Digital ID is entering the scene as a valid form of age verification for alcohol.”

Serve Legal's alcohol compliance audits reveal persistent weak points. Weekends and evenings remain the most vulnerable times across the industry, with pass rates dropping by around eight per cent. Staff age also plays a role – in categories such as energy drinks, a 20-year-old is far more likely to miss an ID check than a 40-year-old.

“These numbers show that responsible retailing is as much about people as it is about policy,” Rand notes.

Serve Legal's alcohol compliance audits reveal persistent weak points in age verificationPhoto: iStock

The introduction of Digital ID for age verification represents both an opportunity and a challenge for retailers. Under government proposals, every UK citizen and legal resident will hold a smartphone-based Digital ID by 2029, which will carry personal details including name, date of birth, and photo, and is expected to become a valid proof of age for alcohol sales by the end of next year.

However, as Rand points out in a November 2025 analysis, the transition could be messy. The conversation has largely ignored those on the retail frontline – the very people who'll have to verify these IDs in busy stores.

“Retailers are already contending with multiple private Digital ID providers, each offering different systems, technology and verification methods,” Rand explains. “The government's announcement adds yet another layer of uncertainty.”

The fundamental questions facing retailers are practical and pressing: Should businesses invest in current systems now, or wait for the official version due in four years? Can existing tills and scanners even support these new forms of ID? How much training – and money – will it take to get every member of staff ready?

Smaller independent retailers face particularly difficult choices. If they have to install and maintain several different Digital ID systems to accept multiple formats, that could mean significant cost and confusion.

Serve Legal's nationwide audits show that even with physical ID, compliance can slip under pressure. Pass rates for alcohol sales have fluctuated between 74 per cent and 7...

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