Business & Technology
Disabled shoppers face widespread barriers, study finds
Nexer Digital has published research showing that disabled consumers face widespread barriers across retail, financial services and travel, with many abandoning transactions or switching brands when they encounter access problems.
The report found that 87% of disabled consumers cannot complete a typical retail journey independently, while only 13% could complete the full journey without difficulty. Across the three sectors studied, respondents described barriers at the browsing, selection, checkout and post-purchase support stages.
Problems were especially pronounced online. Some 62% of respondents encountered inaccessible website content, while 55% cited confusing navigation and intrusive pop-ups during browsing. Nearly four in five found browsing difficult, and 81% said selecting an item was difficult or impossible.
Checkout emerged as a key point of failure. The findings showed that 81% of disabled consumers struggled to complete transactions, often because of inaccessible CAPTCHA systems or complex verification steps. As a result, 38% abandoned purchases at checkout.
Many respondents said they had to rely on other people to complete ordinary tasks. During browsing, 45% asked someone they knew for help, while 26% switched to a competitor. At the payment stage, 43% relied on others to complete a transaction.
The study suggested many of these issues go unseen by businesses. Only 9% of respondents said they contacted customer support when they faced a problem, and just 4% formally reported an accessibility issue.
Retail impact
Retail was identified as the sector with the highest level of difficulty, with 65% of disabled people reporting barriers over the past year, compared with 33% in financial services. Travel also stood out: 56% of respondents said they were unhappy with their journeys and made far fewer trips than the national average.
In travel, obstacles ranged from booking tools to later stages such as tickets, boarding and wayfinding. Early friction often led people to switch providers, while later problems caused journeys to be abandoned or left passengers dependent on staff.
Nexer Digital said the effects extended beyond convenience or lost sales. Respondents linked accessibility barriers to a loss of independence, dignity and privacy, particularly when they had to share personal or financial information with others to complete a task.
The emotional impact was also significant. The findings showed that 88% of respondents felt frustrated when they encountered accessibility barriers, 69% felt excluded, 54% felt angry and 37% felt anxious.
Hilary Stephenson, Managing Director at Nexer Digital, said: “Too many disabled customers are still being forced to work harder than everyone else just to do ordinary things such as browse, compare, buy, pay and get support afterwards.
“This is not a marginal issue. It is a design failure with real human and commercial consequences. What this research shows clearly is that when accessibility is overlooked, customers do not complain, they leave. And when they leave, they often do not come back.
“Many of the issues we see, from missing alternative text and inaccessible forms to poor colour contrast and keyboard traps, are not new. The issue is not a lack of solutions. It is a lack of prioritisation. Accessibility is still too often treated as an afterthought, when it should be built in from the start.”
Brand risk
The report also pointed to a broader effect on trust and customer retention. It found that 87% of participants said they avoid, or would avoid, a brand after experiencing accessibility issues, while 74% said they have told, or would tell, others to avoid a business.
By contrast, accessible experiences encouraged repeat business. Nexer Digital found that 98% of customers were more likely to buy again from brands that met their access needs, 81% would recommend them to others, and 57% said they would spend more.
Mike Adams, Founder of Purple Tuesday, said: “This report speaks to the lived experience of so many disabled customers. I can see and hear my voice around the unnecessary barriers put in place by businesses who don’t understand the power of the Purple Pound and the straightforward solutions that can be put in place to unlock the disability market.
“It is exactly the reason I set up Purple Tuesday: to support businesses to better understand both digital and physical accessibility and provide disabled people with a good customer experience, which is the key to brand loyalty.
“The report sets out the issues and clear recommendations for businesses wanting to go on their own inclusive journey. As a disabled customer, I am asking you to read and adopt the recommendations. It makes commercial and social common sense.”
The research highlighted examples of businesses making progress on accessibility, including M&S, Primark, Tesco, IKEA, Co-op and Auto Trader. It concluded that disabled consumers continue to face barriers that are predictable, avoidable and widespread across everyday services.
Business & Technology
Rosa’s Thai is giving away 4000 free Pad Thais to students
Celebrating both GCSE and A-Level Results Days, the chain will offer the popular dish to students who buy one of its bubble teas.
The free offer is available at all 42 Rosa’s Thai restaurants across England and Wales.
To avail of the free noodles, students need to register on Rosa’s Thai website for a unique code, which they should present at the restaurant together with a copy of their results.
Rosa’s Thai has a new range of bubble tea flavours, including Ube-Taro, Matcha-Coconut, Mango Sticky Rice, and Milo Chocolate Milk, as well as favourites like Home-brewed Thai Tea with Tapioca, and Lychee Mango with mango boba.
Students can sign up for their free Pad Thai at rosasthai.com/result-day-free-pad-thai and find their nearest restaurant at rosasthai.com/locations.
Business & Technology
Historic coin company enters administration after 20 years
The London Mint Office, which distributes commemorative coins and medals, appointed administrators on July 31 after 20 years in business.
The company’s website now displays a message confirming the appointment of Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP as joint administrators.
A spokesman for Alvarez and Marsal said: “On July 31 2026, Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP were appointed as Joint Administrators of The London Mint Office Limited in administration (the “Company”).
“Regrettably, the Company’s liquidity challenges have led to a number of immediate redundancies. We are supporting the affected employees through the redundancy process.
What Happens When a Company Goes Into Administration?
“The affairs, business and property of the Company are being managed by the Joint Administrators who act as agents of the Company and without personal liability.”
The announcement confirms that it is no longer possible to purchase coins or medals through the company’s website.
The London Mint Office operates a distribution centre in Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, where it employs a significant number of people.
Administration is a formal insolvency process triggered when a business cannot meet its financial obligations.
An insolvency practitioner is appointed to manage the company’s affairs and may attempt to restructure the business or sell off assets to repay creditors.
What happens when a company goes into Liquidation?
Founded in 2006, The London Mint Office describes itself as “one of the UK’s most trusted suppliers of historic, commemorative, and collector coins.”
It is part of Samlerhuset AS, a Norwegian company based near Oslo and one of Europe’s largest distributors of commemorative coins and medals.
Samlerhuset’s website states that it offers “provide a wide range of coins from ancient to modern, originating from virtually every country in the world.”
The London Mint Office has advised anyone with an interest in the company’s assets to contact the administrators at INS_THLMOL@alvarezandmarsal.com.
Business & Technology
Warning of new rules for Aldi and Lidl after watchdog review
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally decided that both discounters should be added to the Groceries Market Investigation (Controlled Land) Order 2010, which currently applies to Asda, Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose.
This order is designed to prevent large grocery retailers from using land agreements to block competitors from opening nearby stores, often through restrictive covenants or exclusivity terms.
Juliette Enser, executive director of competition enforcement and markets at the CMA, said: “We want everyone to have the best choice of supermarket and range of prices when buying their groceries.
“To ensure this happens, we put rules in place to prevent big supermarket chains blocking rival stores from opening nearby – and now we propose applying those rules to Aldi and Lidl too.
“This is about allowing shoppers to choose where they spend their money and levelling the playing field for all major supermarkets.
“Today’s proposals are provisional and we welcome views before deciding the best way forward.”
The CMA’s review found that Aldi, Lidl GB, and Lidl NI now meet the criteria of ‘Large Grocery Retailers’ (LGRs) due to their store footprint, nationwide presence, procurement model, and the breadth of their grocery range.
Aldi and Lidl were originally excluded from the 2010 order as ‘limited assortment discounters’, offering a smaller selection of products compared to traditional supermarkets.
However, the CMA’s provisional findings indicate that this is no longer the case.
All three now operate large grocery stores, each with more than 1,000 square metres of shop floor space, and offer a full range of products, though with less category choice than some competitors.
They also purchase goods directly from suppliers through integrated wholesaling.
With the UK grocery market estimated to be worth £215 billion, Aldi and Lidl are now ranked among the top five retailers by market share.
The CMA is seeking feedback from stakeholders before reaching a final decision.
Aldi and Lidl could join the other supermarket chains later this year.
The CMA is inviting views until 5pm on Monday, September 7, 2026, and will issue its final decision in the autumn after reviewing responses.
If the discounters are included under the order, they will be prevented from using land agreements to limit competition from other supermarket chains.
The CMA aims to ensure competition across the grocery sector to give shoppers more choice and competitive pricing by removing obstacles to new store openings.
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