Sainsbury, Greggs and Other UK Shops Damaged by Rioters

J Sainsbury Plc, Greggs Plc and Iceland Foods are among the businesses hurt in the past week by Britain’s worst outbreak of rioting in more than a decade.

Greggs confirmed in a statement Monday that “small numbers” of shops had been damaged as mobs vandalized and looted. A spokesperson for Sainsbury said the UK supermarket had closed its Mosley Street store early Saturday and no staff or customers had been harmed during the unrest. Beauty retailer Lush Cosmetics also saw products stolen and damage to its shop in Hull.

“It’s devastating at a time when footfall is falling and we’re trying to get investment into high streets,” Martin McTague, National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, told BBC Radio 4 Today on Monday. “It’s far from clear exactly how they’re going to be able to fund the cleanup.”

Almost 400 have been arrested in almost a week of rioting across England, fueled by online misinformation after three young girls in Southport, northwest England, were stabbed to death. The disorder has morphed into anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim riots, with mobs surrounding two hotels serving as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers Sunday.

With more protests planned this week, it’s an early challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s month-old government. Starmer held a so-called Cobra meeting of senior ministers, police and prisons chiefs Monday to co-ordinate the response.

“Many retail workers have been heading to work fearing their stores and their safety could be compromised,” Helen Dickinson, chief executive officer of the British Retail Consortium, said in a statement. “Some are already seeing the impact, as they spend their day cleaning up the damage caused by these selfish and criminal acts.”

With assistance from Sabah Meddings and Bashirat Oladele.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.