Shops have been asked to close early in areas where far-right gatherings are planned following vandalism, arson and looting in parts of the country.
The Association of Convenience Stores, which represents around 50,000 small retailers in the UK, said it was advising its members to “err on the side of caution” following the riots in recent days.
Chief executive James Lowman told Sky News shopkeepers were “very, very concerned” about further disorder, amid reports of up to 30 more meetings are planned for Wednesday night.
Companies – including stores and hotels offering accommodation to asylum seekers – were attacked by rioters during the riots.
Several stores were also hit by looting, including branches of Greggs and Lush in Cascoit is a Sainsbury’s Local Supermarket In Manchester.
It came as another trade body, the British Retail Consortium, held emergency talks over Wednesday’s riots.
Police and government representatives also attended the meeting, which focused mainly on security measures. Further negotiations are planned if the unrest continues.
Lowman said retailers face a dilemma about closing early, as not all planned gatherings would necessarily take place and some past disturbances have happened randomly.
He added: “In addition to police information, there is also online misinformation, rumors and so on.
“So it’s really difficult for retailers to make that decision. resellers err on the side of caution to ensure they and their colleagues are safe.”
He added that “mercifully” his association had not received many reports of attacks on individuals or arson at convenience stores, but described it as “pure luck of the draw.”
Read more on Sky News:
House prices rise more than expected
Airline environmental ad banned
X sues companies for stopping advertising
People clean up debris outside a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham. Photo: PA
Keep up with the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The association estimates that just under half of convenience store owners in the UK define themselves as being of Asian or Asian British ethnicity.
Lowman said: “For these people in particular, the undercurrent of racism that they’ve probably had to live with throughout their lives, this really brings that to the surface.”
He added: “It’s fundamentally about people being more important than property and making sure you’re erring on the side of caution to ensure that the people who work in the business and indeed the customers who may enter the store, be safe and have not been caught in any of these incidents.”
Communities come together to clean up after riots
Earlier this week, InterContinental Hotels Group, which owns brands including Holiday Inn, appealed for “calm to be restored as quickly as possible” following attacks on its businesses in Rotherham and Tamworth over the weekend.
A spokesperson added: “The safety of our colleagues and anyone staying in our hotels is always our priority. We continue to work closely with the authorities on a small number of properties.”
Damage to a Holiday Inn in Rotherham
Analysts have also expressed concerns that the disorder will impact consumer confidence and traffic levels at retailers and hospitality locations during the summer period.
Danni Hewson of investment platform AJ Bell said earlier this week that the riots were “extremely undesirable“At a time when UK Economy was “struggling to find growth.”
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25572450/080124_HP_OmniBook_X_ADiBenedetto_0002.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1 "HP OmniBook X 14 review: A business laptop by any other name")
