Budgens and Londis stores have been getting into the Christmas spirit by creating their own hampers for the festive season.

Former Forecourt Trader of the Year winner Susie Hawkins has really been inventive by making her own pet hampers for the Budgens store at her Barnwood site in Gloucester. These contain treats and toys. Susie even got her puppy Tia Maria to help publicise the new service.

Elsewhere Michelle Gravelle and her team, from Budgens of Sawston near Cambridge, celebrated an early Christmas at a local old people’s home and took a special hamper full of tea, coffee, biscuits and seasonal goodies.

And store manager Dee Mullholland of Niddrie near Edinburgh took Father Christmas with him to help with the presentation of a hamper filled with Scottish food to a local school.

Alan Fincham donated a hamper of goods from his new store in Banham in Norfolk to Banham Primary School while Vic Grewal of Budgens in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire did something similar - donating a hamper of local lines to his town’s school.

Edible presents are big business so Budgens and Londis retailers have been encouraging their customers to make their own hampers this Christmas using the wide range of products available in their stores.

? Musgrave Retail Partners has launched a competitive waste management collection service for its Londis retailers. It includes general waste collection, cardboard collection and free Environmental Protection Agency compliance.