Small shops have shed over 50,000 staff A survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) reveals that Britain's independent retailers have been forced to lay-off more than 53,000 staff since the pandemic began. Mike Cherry, national chairman of the FSB said: “Thousands of small retail businesses were left with some very tough decisions to make last quarter following months of little or no revenue coming in. As high streets reopen, it's critical that all of us shop local and support our favourite small businesses wherever possible.”