2026 may be only a few weeks old, but already the mood feels cautious - even negative in places.
Upcoming changes to legislation, increased running costs, staffing challenges, crime and the ever-changing world of what retailers can and can’t do with vapes are all adding to a sense of unease in the industry.
However, one retailer in Northamptonshire says there are still places retailers can make changes to get the most from 2026 - although he admits it’s not easy.
Vidur Pandya (above), who runs Kislingbury Village Store in Northamptonshire, obviously acknowledges the big news stories on the horizon. “We’ve got the Employment Rights Bill kicking in in April, added to the new parental leave changes. While that doesn’t affect me directly at the moment, you never know. Obviously the new duty is coming in in October too.
Vidur says he’s also sceptical about the impact of the upcoming changes to vapes will have on the nation. “With the new rules, that pushes the price up a big chunk, and it doesn’t solve the problem, it’s just another way of taxing products.
“Also, it wouldn’t eliminate the illicit trade - in fact, you’ll probably make it worse. Every day we see in the news reports of the number of illicit cigarettes that have been seized and this will just add more to it in a sense.”
“We’re a village store in a good community with a good community spirit…”
But Vidur says his store hasn’t been affected by illicit products - thanks largely to its location. “We’re a village store in a good community, with a good community spirit, and no one’s asked us for those sort of products.”
Vidur says his store’s trading is on target too, thanks to continued tweaking and despite the predictions of some retailers. “Obviously it’s got its challenges with footfall and with the prices of everything going up. The customers are looking to see where they can maximise value without compromising on the taste.
“So we constantly monitor the range of the offer in store through our EPOS system. Anything that’s not working well for us, it’s instantly replaced with another brand or different product. Again, it’s about listening to the shoppers.”
“I’m also monitoring the basket spend and the products within those baskets. If you can offer a complete meal solution, then you’ll get that customer loyalty and instead of them spending £2, you automatically go to £9 or £10.”
In 2024, Convenience Store reported on Vidur and his team’s appeal for funds to help a local children’s playground reach reality, which he happily managed to achieve. “Our appeal has gone well and we’ve managed to raise the funding we needed to get the ball rolling.
“We aimed to raise £75k - a huge amount - and that was only half what we needed to put in the application for National Lottery funding and also from other organisations such as Barclay’s. But really I’m just a small part of the wider range of people involved.
“We got involved raising awareness through social media in store, to see what we could do from our end. Obviously there are other people with businesses who got involved too.”
For 2026, Vidur believes working hand-in-hand with suppliers will be another element of his success. “I’m looking forward to new partnerships with brands and suppliers and to see what new activations we can do in our stores.
“It’s good for the community. I did the Doritos Dinamita activation and also one with Premier Foods, and they do work well. It brings people something different than the usual everyday shopping and you become a talking point.
“We’ve also found that while the more traditional side of grocery is in decline, which we see from the EPOS reports as well, growth is still there in terms of offering a good chilled solution.
“There’s a lot of negativity around, but what I’m looking forward to is the opportunity the convenience market still holds.”
You can now secure your tickets to the Convenience Awards 2026!
Join us on 11 March in Liverpool to celebrate the entire convenience community.
See this year’s finalists and book your seat here.
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