Business
Hagley butcher calls for more support as business folds
Kate JusticeHagley and
Tanya GuptaWest Midlands
BBCA small business owner has had to close her shop and go into liquidation because of rising costs and a fall in customer spending.
Rachel Edmonds, who started The Butcheress in Hagley, Worcestershire, in 2017, and is known for her bright pink vans and logos, said the price of meat had doubled in the past six months, and at the same time, the average spend per customer had dropped dramatically.
She said increased energy and National Insurance costs meant she had been making a loss for months and she called on the government for more support for small businesses.
A Treasury spokesman said the government was pro-business and trying to create a fairer business rates system.
Ms Edmonds said: “Buying trends have changed. The expensive products like beef, lamb, fillet steak – we used to sell a lot of those. They’re now buying sausages, bacon, chicken fillets, chicken thigh meat and gammon steaks.
“They are lower cost products that obviously feed more of a family and fill them up.”
She said the average basket spend had gone from £28.30 per customer to £5 or £6 per customer and the number of customers had also dropped.
‘Rising costs’
People were going to supermarkets because they had cheaper products, she added.
Ms Edmonds said the cost of beef had “more than doubled in the last six months”, adding: “I just think there’s a massive effect on the meat industry at the moment with the rising costs of meat that’s rising every week.”
She said the industry was suffering because of a number of factors, including supply shortages involving British farmers and British meat, abattoirs operating for fewer days, high costs of abattoir licences, staffing costs, transport costs, packaging costs and feed costs for animals.
“Everything is going up and it’s getting out of control,” she said.
She said she had paid out wages that were more than half her weekly turnover, and electricity was £3,000 a month for a small shop.
“How is anyone going to survive going forward? We need help from the government,” she said.
“I’m not going to be the first person to shut and I certainly won’t be the last.”
A Treasury spokesman said: “We are a pro-business government that is creating a fairer business rates system to protect the high street, support investment, and level the playing field.”
He said the government intended to permanently introduce lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties from next year.
He added that last year’s tax decisions had delivered on “priorities of the British people, from investing in the NHS to cutting waiting lists and putting more money in their pockets”.
2025 Mahindra Bolero Neo Facelift: The Mahindra Bolero Neo was first launched in July 2021 as a rebadged version of the Mahindra TUV300. Since then, it has not received any major updates. However, a test mule of the updated Bolero Neo has been spotted in India with some fresh design elements. The launch is likely to happen before 2025 ends. Here is what you can expect from the updated 2025 Mahindra Bolero Neo.
Design Changes
The spotted test model was heavily camouflaged, but a few design updates were visible. The biggest change is the grille. The new grille gets horizontal slats that connect both headlights. In comparison, the current Bolero Neo comes with a honeycomb mesh grille with vertical slats.
The bumper also seems revised. The lower air intake now features horizontal elements instead of the honeycomb pattern. Apart from this, the SUV continues with the same halogen headlights and fog lamps as the current model.
The spotted test model had the same 15-inch silver alloy wheels, but the production version might get new rims for a fresher look. The rear profile looks unchanged with wraparound halogen tail lamps and a boot-mounted spare wheel with cover.
Cabin Updates
The interiors have not been revealed yet. But Mahindra is expected to make small updates to keep it modern. Likely additions include a larger touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, automatic AC with rear vents, and a rear armrest.
Current features like an analogue instrument cluster with MID, all power windows, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, cruise control, and a 6-speaker sound system are expected to continue.
Safety Updates
The updated model is likely to come with 6 airbags as standard. Other safety features like ABS with EBD, ISOFIX mounts, and a rear camera with sensors are expected to be retained.
Engine And Price
The SUV may continue with the same 1.5-litre diesel engine, producing 100 PS and 260 Nm, mated with a 5-speed manual transmission. Prices are expected to be slightly higher than the current model, which costs between Rs 9.97 lakh and Rs 12.18 lakh (post-GST cut).
Share prices consolidated their gains at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday, with the benchmark index soaring to a new all-time high. Trading activity reflected renewed investor confidence, driven by economic stability and strategic diplomatic developments.
During intraday trading, the PSX’s KSE-100 Index climbed 652.76 points, or 0.41 percent, to reach 158,606 points, marking another record for the national bourse.
Out of 439 companies that transacted shares, 256 posted gains, 166 incurred losses, and 17 remained unchanged.
Analysts attributed the rally to Pakistan’s recently signed Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) with Saudi Arabia during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Riyadh.
The pact ensures that any aggression against either country will be treated as an attack on both, sending a positive signal of stability to the market.
The previous day, the KSE-100 Index had surged 1,775.65 points, a 1.14 percent rise, closing at 157,953.47 points.
Market activity remained robust, with 1,959,100,058 shares traded, valued at Rs56.93 billion, up from 1,499,302,473 shares worth Rs48.85 billion the day before.
Top trading volumes were led by Cnergyico PK with 213,091,825 shares at Rs8.41 each, followed by WorldCall Telecom with 141,834,094 shares at Rs1.78, and Fauji Foods Ltd with 101,805,720 shares at Rs21.51.
Supernet Technologies Limited recorded the highest increase, rising by Rs.89.54 to close at Rs984.93, followed by Nestle Pakistan Limited, which gained Rs75.78 to close at Rs8,425.78.
On the downside, Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited lost Rs.160.72, closing at Rs.32,439.26, while Rafhan Maize Products Company Limited declined by Rs115.57 to close at Rs9,583.98.
In the futures market, 358,784,000 shares were traded, valued at Rs.12.71 billion, compared to 270,465,500 shares worth Rs.12.44 billion the previous day.
Among 319 companies, 246 advanced, 71 declined, and 2 remained unchanged.
Leading futures turnover included KOSM-SEP with 44,666,500 shares at Rs.8.01, CNERGY-SEP with 29,877,500 shares at Rs.8.45, and FFL-SEP with 29,203,500 shares at Rs.21.63.
GHNI-OCT recorded the highest gain, rising by Rs.15.44 to Rs.868.00, while GAL-OCT declined by Rs.14.00 to Rs.585.00.
Business
Adani Power, Adani Green: Adani Stocks Soar Up To 9% As SEBI Dismisses Hindenburg Allegations
Last Updated:
News18
Adani Group stocks, including Adani Enterprises, Adani Green Energy, Adani Power, and Adani Ports & SEZ, rallied as much as 9% in Friday’s session after the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) dismissed allegations by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research. The regulator said that while related-party transactions through entities such as Adicorp, Milestone, and Rehvar did take place, they were fully disclosed and complied with existing regulations.
September 19, 2025, 09:53 IST
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