Retail & Consumer Goods

Wholesale distributor product-safety duties

As a distributor — rather than the manufacturer — your product-safety duties are lighter but real: act with due care so the goods you supply are safe, verify conformity marking and documentation, keep records to trace supply, and act on unsafe products. Specific product categories (chemicals, electrical goods, machinery, construction products, textiles, furniture, precious metals) add their own checks.

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Run a petrol station or forecourt

Storing and dispensing petrol is one of the most tightly regulated retail activities. You need a petroleum storage certificate before you store petrol, strict forecourt safety procedures under health and safety law, and — only for very large storage sites — COMAH major-hazard duties. Most forecourts also sell age-restricted products, so the shop side carries its own rules.

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Sell firearms, shotguns and air weapons

Dealing in firearms, shotguns or ammunition by way of trade requires registration as a firearms dealer with the police, a transaction register, secure premises, and certificate checks on every sale. Air weapons need a certificate check for Scottish buyers, and realistic imitation firearms carry their own restrictions.

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Wholesale compliance checklist

A confirmation checklist for wholesale businesses. Work through the cross-cutting duties every wholesaler shares, then the section for what you trade — controlled and excise goods, general merchandise, food and agricultural goods, or waste, scrap and fuel. You may need more than one section.

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Avoid selling counterfeit goods

Protect your business from counterfeit goods liability. Covers supplier due diligence, trade mark verification, Trading Standards seizure powers, penalties, and online marketplace duties.

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Retail sector market overview

UK retail market statistics, ecommerce growth trends, and investment opportunities for retailers operating in Great Britain.

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Sunday Trading Rules

Understand Sunday trading hours restrictions and exemptions in England and Wales.

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Toy safety compliance in Great Britain

How to comply with the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 when placing toys on the Great Britain market. Covers essential safety requirements, age grading and warnings, chemical limits, conformity assessment routes, UKCA and CE marking, documentation obligations, and economic operator duties.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

Buy Now Pay Later regulation: what businesses need to know

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and other Deferred Payment Credit products come under FCA regulation from 15 July 2026. This guide explains what is changing, who needs to act, how the temporary permissions regime works, and the key compliance requirements for providers and merchants.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

Electrical product safety compliance

How to comply with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 when placing electrical products on the Great Britain market. Covers safety objectives, voltage scope, conformity assessment, technical documentation, UKCA and CE marking, EMC Regulations overlap, and RoHS requirements for electrical and electronic equipment.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

Which farming rules apply to your business

Farming is regulated by what you produce and where you farm. Livestock keepers register land and animals before anything moves; arable and horticultural growers face seed, spraying and water rules; every farm in England now answers to the rules that replaced cross-compliance. Work out which farm type fits your business below, then follow the matching guidance.

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Which motor trade rules apply to your business

"Motor trade" covers very different businesses — selling cars and motorcycles as a dealer, repairing and MOT-testing vehicles in a garage, selling parts and accessories, or dismantling and scrapping end-of-life vehicles. Each has its own regulators and rules, on top of the duties they all share. Work out which description fits you and follow the right guide.

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Motor trade compliance checklist

A confirmation checklist for motor trade businesses. Work through the cross-cutting duties every motor business shares, then the section for what you do — selling vehicles, repair and MOT, parts, or dismantling and salvage. Several duties differ by nation, so check the rule for where you operate.

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Alcohol licensing in Northern Ireland: court-granted licences

How Northern Ireland's court-based alcohol licensing system works, including the 13 licence categories, 5-year renewal requirement, the role of the PSNI, the surrender principle, permitted hours, and how the system differs from England, Wales, and Scotland.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

Food traceability, withdrawal, and recall

Maintain food traceability records using the one step back, one step forward principle, and follow the correct procedures if you need to withdraw or recall unsafe food.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

Minimum unit pricing compliance for alcohol retailers

How to calculate and apply minimum unit pricing for alcohol sales in Scotland, including enforcement and penalties.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.

Get approved and pay duty as an alcohol producer: beer, spirits, wine and cider

If you brew beer, distil spirits, make wine or cider, ferment other products or malt grain, you must hold an HMRC Alcoholic Products Producer Approval (APPA) before you start producing. This guide walks you through getting approved, submitting duty returns, registering as a wholesaler, claiming Small Producer Relief, protecting a geographical indication, licensing a taproom and controlling grain dust in malting.

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Alcohol licensing in Northern Ireland

How alcohol licensing works in Northern Ireland — court-granted licences, 5-year renewal, 13 licence categories, permitted hours, and the role of PSNI.

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Alcohol licensing in Scotland

How alcohol licensing works in Scotland under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 — five licensing objectives, Licensing Boards, premises and personal licences, occasional licences, overprovision, and minimum unit pricing.

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Premises licence (alcohol)

Apply for a premises licence to sell or supply alcohol from your business in England and Wales. Covers the application process, fees, the four licensing objectives, mandatory conditions, and what happens after you receive your licence.

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Comply with credit advertising rules

How to advertise consumer credit products compliantly under FCA rules. Covers representative APR requirements, triggered information, social media advertising, risk warnings for high-cost credit, and the FCA financial promotions approval process.

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Set up and run a compliant farm shop

How to register, comply with food safety, and handle VAT when selling produce directly from your farm. Covers food business registration, HACCP requirements, and VAT treatment of different products.

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Which health and care rules apply to your business

Health and care businesses are regulated twice over: the service registers with a care regulator (CQC in England, with separate regulators in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — and Ofsted for children's social care), and the professionals who deliver it register with their own statutory regulator (GMC, NMC, GDC, GPhC, GOC or HCPC). Find your provider type below, then follow the route that matches.

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Biocides and Pesticides Authorisation

Get HSE CRD authorisation for biocidal and pesticidal products.

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Selling food online: labelling and safety requirements

Comply with distance selling rules when selling food online, including providing mandatory food information before purchase, allergen labelling at two points, and maintaining safe delivery temperatures.

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MHRA authorisation for medicines and medical devices

How to obtain MHRA authorisation for medicines and medical devices in the UK. Covers Marketing Authorisations, wholesale dealer licences, manufacturer licences, and medical device registration including UKCA vs CE marking.

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MHRA licensing for medicines and medical devices

MHRA licensing requirements for manufacturing, distributing, and importing medicines and medical devices in the UK.

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UK REACH Chemical Compliance

Understand and comply with UK REACH chemical registration requirements for manufacturers and importers.

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Food and drink business licensing and compliance

Navigate the complete range of licences, registrations, certifications, and consents required for food and drink businesses across production, sales, export, and environmental compliance.

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Food business registration

Register your food business with your local authority before starting operations.

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Late night refreshment licence

Understand when you need authorisation to supply hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am. Covers what counts as late night refreshment, exemptions, local authority deregulation powers, the application process, and devolved nation differences.

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Allergen control systems and Natasha's Law

Implement comprehensive allergen management systems and comply with Natasha's Law PPDS labelling requirements.

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CLP Chemical Classification and Labelling

Classify, label and package hazardous chemicals under GB CLP.

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Food and drink regulations and traceability

Comply with HFSS labelling, traceability requirements, alcohol duty obligations, packaging regulations, waste disposal, and animal by-products rules.

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Get a personal licence to sell alcohol in Scotland

How to obtain a Scottish personal licence under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, including the SCPLH qualification, Disclosure Scotland check, application process, fees, renewal, and refresher training requirements.

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Alcohol licensing requirements

How to obtain a premises licence to sell alcohol in England and Wales, including application process, fees, designated premises supervisor requirements, and licensing objectives.

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Register as an alcohol wholesaler (AWRS)

If you sell alcohol to other businesses, you must register under the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme (AWRS) with HMRC. Learn who needs to register, how to apply, and due diligence obligations.

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Register and run a food business

How to register your food business with your local authority, meet food hygiene requirements, and achieve a good food hygiene rating. Essential compliance for all food businesses including home-based and mobile.

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Register a food business in Wales

How to register a food business with one of the 22 Welsh local authorities. Covers the Welsh-specific registration process, bilingual forms, what happens after registration, and key differences from the England registration system.

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EV Charging Infrastructure

Install EV chargepoints and access government grants.

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Product standards and CE marking for the Northern Ireland market

How product standards and marking requirements differ for the Northern Ireland market under the Windsor Framework. Covers CE marking requirements, why UKCA marking is not valid in NI, the EU General Product Safety Regulation applying in NI from December 2024, and dual compliance obligations for businesses selling across the whole UK.

Relevant across several parts of this sector.