The Week In Retail Issue 24

RETAIL

THE WEEK IN

STORE PROFILE

WORKER PROTECTION

FUELLING GROWTH

PROTECTION BILL GETS THE NOD

REFIT DRIVES 15% GROWTH IN BELLSHILL

MSPs VOTE NEW BILL THROUGH STAGE 1

SECOND WAVE

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k here to ay pl

video

9PM ALCOHOL CURFEW CALL DRS PREP UNDERWAY FROZEN HEATS UP

‘DON’T SHORT INDIES’

+

PERVEZ ISSUES SUPPLIER WARNING

ROBOT DELIVERY WARS Commercial Partner:

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Issue 24 Wednesday 30th September 2020

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THE WEEK IN RETAIL

EDITOR’S COMMENT SHARE YOUR NEWS AND VIEWS WITH ME AT ABEGLEY@55NORTH.COM

SECOND WAVE WILL SHOW WHETHER SUPPLIERS’ ATTITUDES HAVE CHANGED With a second wave of Covid now looking like a racing certainty, it will be fascinating to see how the major suppliers react if the much anticipated second wave of panic buying materialises.

The supermarkets are already putting buying restrictions in place on bog roll and pasta, so it’s probably fair to say they’re expecting a repeat of the mad dash to grab everything in the store.

What will be really interesting to watch is how the suppliers react if and when the supply chain comes under that sort of pressure again.

Hopefully the entire supply chain has learned a thing or two over the past six or seven months but there’s still a fighting chance that the wheels could come off again – so what will the suppliers do? How many of them will prioritise supplies to the big boys?

Dawood Pervez’s opinion piece in this issue discusses exactly this topic and urges supplies

not to ‘short’ independents and points out, quite rightly, that it was independents who got most UK communities through lockdown. Dawood’s piece reminds me of another opinion piece we carried a while back from NFRN COO Greg Deacon who bluntly challenged suppliers to recognise what was going on around them, recognise the huge growth in the convenience channel and recognise the heroic role that local retailers have played under lockdown.

He also mused in that piece about whether most suppliers would just go back to their old ‘supermarkets first’ ways in future, but expressed hope that at least some would shift more of their focus and energy into the vital independent channel. The way things are going at the moment, it looks like we might start to find out the answers to some of these critically important questions if a second wave piles pressure back onto suppliers.

ANTONYBEGLEY ANTONYBEGLEY ANTONYBEGLEY

ANTONY BEGLEY, EDITOR

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 24 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 3

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CONTENTS

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 24 WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK

6

12 THIS WEEK’S NEWS IN BRIEF

HOW’S YOUR WEEK BEEN... BAIJU JOSE?

OPINION: DAWOOD PERVEZ

Aldi heralds a £1.3bn UK investment and a shopworker protection law moves a step closer in Scotland.

The Bellshill retailer sees a 15% sales uplift after converting his MFG forecourt store to Londis.

The Bestway boss calls on suppliers to ensure ‘fair distribution of stock to all’ as the pandemic grows in severity.

8 COVID-19 UPDATE

18

A ROUND-UP OF THE LATEST

19 OUT THE BOX

25 CATEGORY SNAPSHOT: FROZEN

CORONAVIRUS-RELATED NEWS.

RESTAURANT CURRIES, FROZEN FOR RETAIL, ARE FLYING OFF SHELVES.

THE CATEGORY HAS RISEN BY MORE THAN £221M IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS.

11 DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME

21 PICKS OF THE WEEK

26 RESEARCH: HEALTH UNDER LOCKDOWN

THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT APPOINTS

22 RETAIL TECH: ROBOT DELIVERIES

BINGE-DRINKING HAS GROWN

ITS INDUSTRY ADVISORY GROUP AHEAD OF

THE DRS LAUNCHING IN JULY 2022.

TWITTER.COM/SLRMAG

A FINNISH C-STORE TRIALS THE LATEST AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY ROBOT.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SLRMAG

SIGNIFICANTLY DURING THE PANDEMIC. 27 BEFORE YOU GO...

WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 24 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 5

NEWS DIGEST

THIS WEEK’S NEWS FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/

MCCURRACH REBRAND

DISCOUNTERS

old sales and marketing

ALDI COMMITS TO RECORD £1.3BN UK INVESTMENT

agency McCurrach Group has

ALDI HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IS INVESTING A RECORD £1.3BN IN ITS

undertaken a major rebrand

UK BUSINESS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS AND HAS JUST OPENED

to help it communicate the

A NEW £22M FACILITY IN BATHGATE.

Glasgow-based 120-year-

breadth and depth of its capabilities spanning sales and marketing, field marketing, consultancy, experiential, digital and data.

NEW JAMES HALL STORE North of England Spar wholesaler James Hall & Co. has announced the acquisition and complete refurbishment of Spar Lancaster University, the company’s 145th companyowned store. The store was previously independently

Aldi’s commitment to the UK has been ramped up with the news that the discounter will invest a record £1.3bn in its UK business over the next two years.

This will include around 100 new stores, upgrading of 100 stores, the launch of new and expanded distribution centres and the roll out

of new programmes like its ‘click and collect’ service which was launched recently.

The retailer expects to recruit a further 4,000 staff next year to add to the 3,000 roles already created in 2020.

Most recently, the company opened a new £22m freezer and chill facility in Bathgate on Friday, providing an extra 17,000sqm of space and allowing Aldi to expand its range of locally-sourced products.

The discounter is committed to increasing the number of Scottish products available in its stores to 500 over the next two years.

owned since 1995.

BREWDOG BOOST Eco tech business Pawprint has launched a countrywide search for the most climateconscious businesses to join its Pawprint Pioneers Program and take the lead on tackling climate change. The very first business to take up the fight is long-time environmental champion, multinational brewery and pub chain BrewDog.

MORRISONS BOXES CLEVER Morrisons has launched a food box subscription service allowing shoppers to choose a weekly, fortnightly or monthly food box delivery with subscribers receiving a 5% discount.

Customers switching to the box service will be offered a further 20% discount on their first shop. The boxes are ordered online for next day delivery.

The retailer first launched a food box service in March and has seen demand for the boxes increase by 56% in the last week.

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The range includes boxes for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans, fruit, meat and fish boxes, and gluten-free and lean meat boxes.

NEWS DIGEST

THIS WEEK’S NEWS FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/

RETAIL CRIME

SHOPWORKER PROTECTION LAW PASSES KEY HOLYROOD VOTE

MCCOLL’S £500K McColl’s has raised £500k for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity,

DANIEL JOHNSON’S PROPOSED PROTECTION OF WORKERS BILL

less than a year since the

CLEARED A CRUCIAL HURDLE IN THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT LAST

national partnership launched

WEEK.

in October 2019. The money raised will help fund the

MSPs have voted the proposed Protection of Workers Bill through Stage 1 of the legislative process at Holyrood, thereby accepting its general principles. The Bill now faces a further two more legislative stages before it can be made law.

Daniel Johnson, the MSP who proposed the Bill, said “it was encouraging to see all parties get behind this important issue”.

He added: “With further Covid restrictions just announced for the country, we will see more pressure on our retail staff, especially with an uncertain Christmas on the horizon.

“I look forward to working with other political parties and key stakeholders to ensure it passes the remaining parliamentary stages and becomes law, in order to afford retail workers the protection they deserve under the law.”

The Scottish Grocers’ Federation has been a long-time supporter of the proposed new law. CEO Pete Cheema said: “This is a significant step in the right direction and it is crucial that we continue to get the message across to our politicians that abuse and threatening behaviour towards shop staff is unacceptable.”

refurbishment of family accommodation just across the road from Great Ormond Street Hospital.

GROCERYAID TRUSTEES Bestway MD Dawood Pervez has joined the Board of GroceryAid as a Trustee.

Mark McKenzie, Group Sales Director, Nestle UK & Ireland and Rhian Bartlett, Sainsbury’s Director of Fresh Foods, also join as Trustees. The industry charity is overseen by 16 Trustees, responsible for its development, and for legal and statutory compliance.

UNITAS HAILS SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL TRADE SHOW

JISP EXPANDS

Unitas Wholesale has hailed its first ever virtual trade show as a huge success, held on 14 to 18 September 2020. The event was hosted on the Unitas Wholesale website and saw a 180% increase in page views and a 66% uplift in average user duration on the website.

Unitas Wholesale members were able to take advantage of a range of upweighted deals from over 100 leading brands, negotiated exclusively for the show, and benefitted from NPD and business insights from over 30 key brands.

Jisp has teamed up with the the Middle East and North Africa’s biggest retail solutions provider, The Albex Group, to grow its presence in the the region and empower businesses with technologies including digital shelf edges, NFC and QR scanning.

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 24 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 7

NEWS SPECIAL

COVID-19 UPDATE FOR ALL THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/

the UK has edged up in

UK GOVERNMENT OBJECT TO NORRIS BILL

September despite the rise

IN THE LATEST BLOW FOR RETAILERS, THE UK GOVERNMENT HAS

in Covid-19 restrictions,

OBJECTED TO A NEW LAW TO PROTECT SHOP WORKERS FROM

according to the latest data

ASSAULT.

CONFIDENCE UP Consumer confidence in

from GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index.

UK TALKS Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for urgent four nation talks to continue to drive coronavirus transmission to the lowest possible level.

DON’T PANIC Major supermarkets including

The local retailing industry has received another blow in its campaign to secure more support for shop workers as the UK Government objected to a Bill to protect shop workers from violent attacks.

Promoted by Alex Norris MP (Labour/Co-op, Nottingham North), the Assaults on Retail Workers (Offences) Bill was timetabled for its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday, but the Government objected to it progressing and it is now delayed until Friday 30 October.

Last week 23 British retailers and the sector’s leading industry bodies wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to provide effective legal protection for shop workers in the face of rising levels of abuse and violence and in support of Alex Norris’ Private Members Bill.

Tesco and Morrisons have begun introducing buying limits per person on basic products like flour, dried pasta, toilet roll, baby wipes and anti-bacterial wipes in an attempt to prevent bulk panic buying.

LOCKDOWN THREAT An October ‘circuit breaker’ second lockdown will turn the lights out permanently on an extra 5,000 stores, warns home delivery ParcelHero.

20,000 stores are already expected to fail this year.

WAITROSE FORECASTS ANOTHER BAKING BOOM Waitrose is predicting its biggest ever surge in baking ingredient sales, thanks to the lockdown and the latest series of the Great British Bake Off. The retailer experienced strong sales growth during lockdown and is now preparing for another baking boom this autumn.

The company expects breads, cookies and brownies to be amongst the most popular bakes of 2020 with bread mix sales already up 103% compared to last year, while sales of cooking chocolate and Waitrose Dark Chocolate Chips have risen by 55% and 274% respectively.

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NEWS SPECIAL

COVID-19 UPDATE FOR ALL THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/

MAYOR CALLS FOR 9PM ALCOHOL SALES CURFEW

FULLELECTRIC TRUCKS

THE MAYOR OF GREATER MANCHESTER HAS CALLED FOR A 9PM CURFEW ON ALCOHOL SALES IN THE OFF-TRADE TO PREVENT SALES

G

SPIKES AFTER PUBS CLOSE AND TO MINIMISE SOCIAL DISTANCING

reater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has issued a call for a 9pm curfew on sales of alcohol in retail as a way of preventing spikes in sales in stores after pubs and restaurants close at 10pm under the latest lockdown rules. The move would also prevent a “flood of people” to city centres rushing to off-licences.

Burnham is calling for an urgent review of the 10pm hospitality curfew on pubs, bars and restaurants. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I received reports that the supermarkets were absolutely packed out to the rafters with people gathering. I think there needs to be an urgent review of

the emerging evidence from police forces across the country.

“My gut feeling is that this curfew is doing more harm than good. It creates an incentive for people to gather in the street or more probably to gather in the home. That is the opposite of what our local restrictions here are trying to do. I don’t think this has been fully thought through.”

£3.8BN COVID BOOST FOR CONVENIENCE The latest UK Convenience Market Report from Lumina Intelligence claims that the convenience retail market will grow by £3.8bn in 2020 due to the impact of coronavirus, representing a hike of 9.2%.

The Report predicts that all convenience channels will grow in 2020 but cooperatives, symbol groups and unaffiliated independents are set to outperform the total market, with forecasted growth rates of 11%, 10.9% and 9.9%, respectively.

It also forecasts that the UK convenience retail market will reach a value of £46bn by 2023.

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WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 24 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 9

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SUSTAINABILITY

DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME INDUSTRY ADVISORY GROUP

DRS PREPARATIONS STEP UP A GEAR WITH SCOTLAND’S DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME SET TO GO LIVE IN JULY 2022, PREPARATIONS ARE

T

BEGINNING TO MOVE UP A GEAR AS THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT APPOINTS MEMBERS OF ITS INDUSTRY ADVISORY GROUP.

“DRS will simply not be workable for many retailers and they must have the option of taking an exemption.”

he implementation of Scotland’s new Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) on 1 July 2022 may seem like a long way away but there is still a huge amount of work to be done to get the industry and shoppers ready for what will be a huge challenge.

The coronavirus pandemic has unsurprisingly thrown a spanner in the works of the preparations, leading to a postponement of the go-live date, which was originally scheduled for April 2021.

The Scottish Government has, however, now begun inviting industry bodies and organisations to become members of its Industry Advisory Group which will help develop the crucial retailers exemption framework. Among those invited to join is the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF).

Dr John Lee, SGF Head of Public Affairs, said: “We are very glad to accept the invitation to be a key member of the advisory group. The real impact of Deposit Return for retailers in Scotland is beginning to move closer. The DRS regulations, approved earlier this year by the Scottish Parliament, state that the exemptions process will go live in January 2021.”

There are two main criteria for exemptions.

These will be: Q Proximity to another return point Q If a retailer can show there is no reasonable way to operate a return point on their premises without being in breach of legal obligations such as food safety.

The advisory group will provide expertise and advice from a range of backgrounds to support the Scottish Government in developing an assessment policy that will ensure fair and consistent assessment of exemption applications in line with the DRS Regulations.

“DRS will simply not be workable for many retailers and they must have the option of taking an exemption,” says Lee. “The process has to be fair, consistent and transparent. The application process goes live in January and we have to get ready for it now.”

The group will be chaired by the Scottish Government and secretariat support will be provided by the Scottish Government’s Circular Economy Unit. Representatives of Zero Waste Scotland and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency will attend as observers.

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 24 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 11

RETAILER PROFILE

BAIJU JOSE MFG LONDIS BELLSHILL

HOW’S YOUR WEEK BEEN...

BAIJU JOSE? BELLSHILL RETAILER BAIJU JOSE’S FORECOURT REOPENED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AFTER A FULL REFIT AND REFRESH TO CONVERT THE MFG FORECOURT INTO A LONDIS – AND IT’S BEEN A GREAT COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH IMMEDIATE SALES HIKES.

HOW’S YOUR WEEK BEEN BAIJU? It’s been extremely busy but it’s been busy good. The store reopened two weeks ago after converting to Londis and it’s been an instant success. We’ve seen immediate sales increases of 15% on the week before, which is great as the store had already been performing to a very high level during the pandemic.

IT’S AN MFG STORE? Yes, I’m technically self-employed. MFG sites work on a ‘commission’ model. This store used to be an MRH site under the Hurst’s brand but when MFG bought MRH in December 2018 we became part of the bigger group and since then they have been working to convert all 900 or so UK sites to Londis.

WAS IT A MAJOR REFIT? Huge! It took four weeks in total and for a week of that we had to close the site altogether to allow for re-pumping and so on, which we couldn’t do with customers around. On the forecourt, we re-

12 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 24 / WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020

pumped every island and we also added Super Unleaded for the first time which meant bringing in a brand new storage tank, but it lets us broaden our offer to shoppers. We get a lot of HGV custom too, being so close to the M8 and various business parks, so we also decided to modernise the HGV pumps which lets HGVs fill up twice as quickly as before. Plus, we’ve added an Adblue option on every pump. We’ve also replaced all the signage and furniture and the car wash, so our overall forecourt offer is much stronger.

WHAT ABOUT THE STORE? To help us grow our retail offer, we increased the sales space by taking some space from what was the back store. It was bigger than we needed anyway, but that allowed us to add about a quarter more space to the shopfloor. Making that change means we now sit somewhere around the 2,000sq ft mark for retail space. That allowed us to bring in new products and services, and also let us grow some categories that are doing well and needed more space.

RETAILER PROFILE

BAIJU JOSE MFG LONDIS BELLSHILL

k here to ay pl

ic Cl

video WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 24 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 13

RETAILER PROFILE

BAIJU JOSE MFG LONDIS BELLSHILL

WHAT IS YOUR CORE TARGET AUDIENCE? HGV drivers are important to us, as are the school kids from the nearby high school, but we also see a lot of non-fuel footfall from the residential area around us.

WHAT WAS THE THINKING BEHIND THE NEW RETAIL STRATEGY? For the HGV audience, the new faster pumps are a big draw, but we wanted to get the lorry drivers

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to spend more in the shop too. We already had a Subway, which we’ve retained, but we’ve increased our food-to-go offer with a new chiller for chilled food-to-go alongside a new set of meal deals.

We’ve also added a F’Real machine and Tango Ice Blast to the Costa machine we already had. We’ve essentially created a dedicated food-to-go area in the store for the first time and that’s proven really popular. Plus we’ve doubled the range of snacks, bars and protein lines we have and we’ve got a much wider range of electrical accessories from

RETAILER PROFILE

BAIJU JOSE MFG LONDIS BELLSHILL

Fifo. We’ve created a new area for accessories and equipment that HGV drivers are looking for – everything from plug-in kettles to air freshener and bug cleaner. We want the drivers to know we’ve thought about what they need and that they’ll get a fast, efficient, enjoyable experience when they visit us.

AND THE SCHOOL KIDS? It’s obviously a little trickier than normal under the pandemic, but we get a lot of footfall from the local school early in the morning and at lunchtime, so we’ve re-worked our offer to make the store even more attractive to that demographic. The Subway is a massive draw but the F’Real and Tango Ice Blast are already proving big hits. A new US candy gondola end has also been popular and we have a comprehensive range of crisps, snacks, confectionery and soft drinks too.

FINALLY, THE LOCAL MARKET? The local residents have always used the store regularly and we also see a lot of footfall from the customers visiting the McDonald’s next door and the Premier Inn across the road. They love the new look store and our improved range, but we’ve also upweighted our offer for the local market.

We’ve brought in a new range of meal solutions, things like ready meals that offer a quick, tasty and convenient solution for lunches or evening meals and we have a solid core grocery range.

THE STRATEGY SEEMS TO BE WORKING. It is. We were obviously hoping for an uplift in sales after the changes but we probably didn’t expect increases as big as 15% on top of what has already been a fairly strong six months. Coronavirus has turned the world upside down for us, as it has for all retailers, but MFG has been working very

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 24 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 15

RETAILER PROFILE

BAIJU JOSE MFG LONDIS BELLSHILL

hard to support us and, as a group, it’s proving very resilient. Fuel sales were down obviously, but we’re beginning to get back to something approaching normal.

Currently, MFG sites are only down somewhere in the region of 15% year-on-year in terms of fuel sales, which is pretty remarkable. But you just never know what’s coming next. The recent 10pm closing time in hospitality has probably helped, as we’re a 24 hour shop. This means that we’re seeing some decent footfall after the pubs and restaurants close, but you can never tell what’s coming next. We just need to be as prepared as we can and as flexible as we can so that we are in a position to cope with all this flux.

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ANYTHING ELSE IN THE PIPELINE, THEN? Yes, we’re just about to add a home deliveries service with Uber Eats in the next week or so and we expect to see some more growth through that.

We’re just working hard at giving our shoppers what they want and helping them out however we can in these very unusual times.

Feeling lost & confused We can shed with your some light. business? Access free 1:1 business adviser support and online resources for a brighter future.

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OPINION

DAWOOD PERVEZ FAIR DISTRIBUTION DEAL

DON’T ‘SHORT’ INDEPENDENT RETAILERS, PERVEZ URGES SUPPLIERS

I

BESTWAY WHOLESALE MD DAWOOD PERVEZ HAS CALLED ON SUPPLIERS TO ENSURE ‘FAIR DISTRIBUTION OF STOCK TO ALL’ AS THE PANDEMIC CONTINUES TO GROW IN SEVERITY.

n the wake of the latest government measures designed to tackle the spread of coronavirus infections alongside a return to full lockdown in certain regions, Bestway Wholesale MD Dawood Pervez has issued a forthright demand to suppliers to work with wholesalers and retailers to ensure “fair distribution of stock to all” and to avoid stock ‘shorting’ into independent retail.

He says: “We’re constantly monitoring changes in the economy and in consumer shopping behaviours. The early indicators show that consumers may be looking to purchase more of key product lines and there are growing concerns that we will see a return to the panic shopping we saw earlier in the year.

“While we do not expect consumer demand to reach the same levels that peaked in April and May of this year, it’s important that none of us forget the crucial role that local community stores have played throughout the Covid pandemic. Many of the UK’s local independent retailers are a literal lifeline for consumers who are vulnerable, cannot get home delivery slots or simply need more help. ”Recent research showed a significant uplift of 45% in shoppers using their local independent retailer and what none of us want to see is a return to panic buying across retail in general. In particular, we want to avoid stock ‘shorting’ into independent retailers, which will simply exacerbate the challenges seen across grocery.

“Here at Bestway, we are planning ahead and working with suppliers, and listening to DEFRA for advice and to

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“In particular, we want to avoid stock ‘shorting’ into independent retailers which will simply exacerbate the challenges seen across grocery.” voice any concerns. We have put contingency plans in place alongside weekly, and sometimes daily, forward forecasting to ensure our customers’ needs can be met.

“In order to give a voice and champion independent retailers, I would urge suppliers to remain diligent and aware of the importance of maintaining supplies into this vital sector, should grocery demand hit a spike in the days, or weeks, ahead”.

NOW THAT’S A GOOD IDEA…

OUT THE BOX FROZEN CURRIES

RESTAURANT CURRIES, FROZEN FOR RETAIL PERTHSHIRE-BASED RESTAURATEUR PRAVEEN KUMAR HAS SEEN SALES OF HIS FROZEN AUTHENTIC RECIPE CURRIES DOUBLE UNDER LOCKDOWN WITH A GROWING NUMBER OF LOCAL RETAILERS STOCKING HIS PRODUCTS.

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? Frozen curries, made to authentic recipes by a team headed

by Perthshire-based restaurateur Praveen Kumar. The curries are made to exactly the same recipes as those that Praveen and his team have been selling in his award-winning Indian restaurant Tabla in Perth for over a decade. The curries are also served in his Indian Cook School in Perth.

AND THEY’RE FLYING? Praveen first launched his Authentic Indian Cuisine range in April last year and has seen strong growth, but since lockdown began he has seen monthly sales double. Sales figures show that 56% of sales are from repeat business, suggesting customers approve. To cope with this increased level of business, Praveen has expanded his team and made a significant investment in two units at the specially designated Food and Drink Park in Perth.

The business delivers the frozen curries in a sustainable manner direct to locations all across the UK but consumers are also able to buy the curries from an ever-growing network of independent stores, farm shops and delis.

WHAT’S PRAVEEN SAYING? “We’re obviously absolutely delighted with the success of the business to date, which really seems to have taken off during the pandemic as consumers look to recreate that authentic Indian dining experience, but in the comfort of their own home. As 56% of our sales are from repeat business, we are currently trialling a subscriptions service which allows customers to receive their box of curries from us as regularly as they choose, either monthly or bimonthly.“

HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE? Visit Praveen’s website.

IS IT CHEFS THAT MAKE THE CURRIES? The meals are all hand made by a team of skilled chefs using the finest fresh ingredients in the UK coupled with spices imported from Praveen’s home village in southern India. The meals are then immediately frozen to seal in the freshness and taste.

ARE THEY AVAILABLE TO INDEPENDENT RETAILERS?

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 24 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 19

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MILKING DIGITAL

JTI is transitioning its Sterling

Doritos is offering consumers

Delamere Dairy has launched

Rolling Tobacco 3-in-1 Box to a

the chance to win a new

its first website specifically

more convenient pouch format.

PlayStation5 consoles with an

dedicated to its Flavoured

The pouch includes 30g

on-pack promo. The promo

Cows’ Milk range. The new

tobacco, 100 papers and 77

also offers the chance to win

site includes a chance for

filter tips, and is easy to carry

one of thousands of other

consumers to win a year’s

for a fuss-free experience.

PlayStation prizes and features

supply by signing up to the

RSP: £12.30

in-store displays and unique

monthly newsletter. The range

digital content.

saw sales grow 66% in 2019.

STAY POSITIVE

FESTIVE FRAGRANCES

VEGAN READY

Bonds of London

Comfort, Domestos and Surf

Swift Fine Foods has launched

Confectionery has launched a

are adding limited-edition

four premium vegan ready

‘Stay Positive’ sweets range to

festive fragrances to their

meals under the new brand

support The Mix charity which

portfolios for Christmas: Surf

Cook Republic: Tofu, Garlic &

provides support to vulnerable

Frosted Pine & Apple Liquid

Bok Choy Noodles; Black &

under-25s. The range of

Detergent, Frosted Pine Power

Red Lentil Casserole; Roast

sweets shares four positive

5 Rim Block and Comfort

Aubergine & Couscous; and

messages, with 5p from every

Creations Frosted Pine &

Cauliflower & Chickpea Tagine.

pack sold donated to The Mix.

Apple Fabric Conditioner.

RSP: £4.49

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 24 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 21

RETAIL TECH

ROBOT DELIVERIES LMAD

THE ROBOTS ARE TAKING OVER, BUT WILL THEY DELIVER? WITH TECHNOLOGY RATTLING ALONG AT A TERRIFYING PACE AND HOME DELIVERY THE NEXT MAJOR BATTLEFIELD, MORE AND MORE ‘LAST MILE’ SOLUTIONS ARE NOW MAKING IT TO MARKET. THIS WEEK WE VISIT FINLAND – VIRTUALLY – TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE LATEST NEW SOLUTION.

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

R

obots and drones delivering groceries is hardly a new concept. We’re all aware of the trials being run by global giants like Amazon, as reported in the last issue of The Week In Retail, but the global behemoths aren’t the only ones developing complex new ‘last mile’ tech solutions to cash in on the recent dovetailing booms in retail tech and home delivery.

22 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 24 / WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020

Startups like Starship Technologies (founded by Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis) have been using robots to deliver food on a limited scale in the US since earlier this year. The global battle of the robots was ramped up another notch over the last month with the launch of a new autonomous delivery platform.

Startup company LMAD (Last Mile Automated Delivery)

RETAIL TECH

ROBOT DELIVERIES LMAD

has developed a platform that allows customers to order their groceries online and have them delivered by LMAD’s autonomous delivery robot.

The solution was trialled in Finland at Aalto University Campus, a parkland-style area in the city of Espoo and home to several high-tech companies, the university’s buildings and a student village with more than 4,000 residents.

The local K-Market grocery store participated in the trial, viewing it as a safe and convenient way to meet the needs of consumers in a pandemic.

“I believe that the more options the customers have, the better,” says store owner Alexi Tapani. “With the robot, we have been giving customers one additional option to receive the goods for themselves, with less human interaction than with a traditional delivery.”

Tapani believes home deliveries are set to grow, as more and more people become aware of how time-consuming going to a physical store can be, and how much easier it is to order some goods online and wait for them at home. Meeting customers’ expectations with home delivery, however, comes at the cost of margin as part of the cost of the delivery is absorbed by merchants.

“The question is how to make last-mile delivery profitable,” he says. “Automatisation and robotics can be part of the solution which is why I was keen on getting in this pilot and seeing what it would bring.”

The experiment was a success however, so much so that Tapani will take part in the next LMAD operation next month.

In addition, LMAD will be deploying a full delivery service at Nokia’s campus in the outskirts of Paris by the end of the year and conducting another test drive of the platform in Finland in November.

Furthermore, as LMAD’s software can operate multiple types of autonomous delivery robot, additional pilots are planned for elsewhere, to test the platform with devices made by other manufacturers.

Once a futuristic concept, autonomous deliveries are now very much a real part of the modern convenience retailing environment and their use and influence is only set to grow.

“With the robot, we have been giving customers one additional option to receive the goods for themselves, with less human interaction than with a traditional delivery.” [ Alexi Tapani, K-Market Otaniemi ]

AMAZON SCOUT As reported in the last issue of The Week In Retail, Amazon has confirmed that its Amazon Scout robot delivery vehicles are being developed for use in the UK to capitalise on the boom in online shopping.

The company is developing software at its centre in Cambridge to help Scout delivery devices “safely and autonomously navigate around pedestrians, pets and obstacles found in residential neighbourhoods such as recycling bins and sign posts”.

The six-wheeled delivery robot was unveiled last year and has been undergoing field tests in the US. The devices are delivering in several US cities Monday to Friday during daylight hours. In the UK, the devices will autonomously follow their delivery route, initially accompanied by an Amazon Scout Ambassador.

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 24 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 23

ADVERTISING FEATURE

PAYPOINT ONE PAYPOINT

RETAILER Q&A: PAYPOINT ONE MET VEKARIA, WHO RUNS THE LEVER EDGE STORE IN BOLTON, DISCUSSES THE BENEFITS THE PAYPOINT ONE EPOS SYSTEM DELIVERS FOR HIS BUSINESS.

1. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF PAYPOINT ONE EPOS? Definitely the free mobile app. It helps me track anything and everything in my store, wherever I am. Shop sales, reports and stock management all from my mobile – it’s great!

2. WHAT DIFFERENCE HAS PAYPOINT ONE EPOS MADE TO YOUR BUSINESS? Using PayPoint One EPoS Pro has helped me work more efficiently. It has made dayto-day processes much easier and saves me time, especially with stock management and reporting. We can also serve customers more quickly with everything in one place, including card payments.

3.IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO SAY TO OTHER RETAILERS CONSIDERING PAYPOINT ONE EPOS? Don’t just think of it as a PayPoint terminal, it is a whole new EPoS system that makes a real difference. It is the centre of my store and helps me manage my business much more efficiently. I’ve saved about 30% of my time since having it as it gives me much more control and insight on an easy-to-use system.

4. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT PAYPOINT ONE? The support from PayPoint has been excellent - number one! Lots of help and training to get started. It is a simple to use system too, so you soon get the hang of it.

PayPoint is offering existing PayPoint One retailers to trial a FREE EPoS upgrade for three months. Your existing service fee will continue during the trial period. If it’s not for you, simply switch back to your original package.

Visit www.paypoint.com/epos to find out more.

24 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 24 / WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020

RESEARCH

CATEGORY SNAPSHOT FROZEN

FROZEN OUTPERFORMS FRESH AND CHILLED NEW KANTAR DATA SHARED TODAY BY THE BRITISH FROZEN FOOD FEDERATION SHOWS THAT THE FROZEN CATEGORY HAS RISEN BY MORE THAN £221M IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS ALONE,

L

OUTPERFORMING FRESH AND CHILLED.

ike many categories, frozen has enjoyed something of renaissance during the pandemic. The category has been growing steadily in recent years but the latest Kantar data, shared today by the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), shows that sales of frozen food have increased by £221m in the last three months (w/e 6 September).

The growth in sales follows an increase of £285m in the previous 12-week period from the end of March to 14 June, indicating that the popularity of frozen food has continued to grow under lockdown.

The latest Kantar figures for frozen retail sales in the 52 weeks ending 6 September reveal: Q In the three months since 8 June, value rose by 13.6%, whilst volume was up by 9.9% Q The overall grocery market has grown 8.5% in value and 6.7% in volume over the 52 week period Q Frozen has outperformed total grocery growth in both value (9.7%) and volume (8.4%) Q Over the 52 week period the frozen category has added £617m in sales value and 175 tonnes in volume Q The frozen category has outperformed the fresh and chilled category in percentage growth terms.

BFFF Chief Executive Richard Harrow (pictured) comments: “The performance

of the frozen category remains very positive with continued growth ahead of total grocery. In all three sets of 12 week data supplied by Kantar this year, frozen value performance has been above both grocery and fresh and chilled in percentage terms.

“We know that since mid-March, more consumers than ever have been shopping in the frozen aisle. This is hardly surprising, given the long shelf-life, reduced food waste, value for money and variety of food on offer there. These latest figures indicate this may be a long-term trend.”

Data covering the 52 weeks from 9 September 2019 to 6 September 2020 shows sales of frozen food reached £6.9bn, an increase in value of 9.7%, and that volume grew to 8.4%. In comparison, sales of fresh and chilled food increased in value by 7%.

The Kantar figures show eight out of nine categories of frozen food are in value and volume growth with six – ice cream, fish, vegetables, pizza, savoury and potato products – in double digit value growth.

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 24 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 25

RESEARCH

HEALTH UNDER LOCKDOWN UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW

BINGE DRINKING UP UNDER LOCKDOWN, BUT SMOKING DECLINES RESEARCHERS HAVE CALLED FOR EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO MITIGATE THE ADVERSE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH IMPACTS OF LOCKDOWN, AS A NEW STUDY SUGGESTS BINGE-DRINKING HAS

A

GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER THE PANDEMIC.

major new study has found that binge drinking under lockdown increased to 16.2%, significantly higher than the 10.8% figure during the years 2017 to 2019. The UK Household Longitudinal Study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health and led by the University of Glasgow’s Institute of Health and Wellbeing, was based on data from over 27,000 individuals.

The findings also included a marked increase in “psychological distress” during the first month of lockdown, with women and younger people particularly adversely affected.

The study also found the proportion of people drinking four or more times per week increased from 13.7% to 22%.

Conversely, smoking levels declined over the same period, most apparently in the younger age groups and among men.

The results have led the researchers to suggest that effective measures are required to mitigate adverse impacts on health during lockdown.

Differences by age group and gender were apparent, with binge drinking remaining stable in the youngest age group

26 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 24 / WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020

but increasing in those aged 25 and over. It also increased more among women, white ethnic groups and those with degree-level education.

However, the proportion of people reporting drinking five or more drinks during a typical day when drinking decreased from 13.6% to 5.6% during the pandemic lockdown, most evidently seen in the youngest age group, which could reflect the change in what a ‘typical’ drinking day now means for people.

Dr Claire Niedzwiedz, from the University’s Institute of Health and Wellbeing, said: “Understanding the health impacts of lockdown is important, as further periods of physical distancing are likely to be necessary for some time, especially as the risk of further waves of infection remains.

These impacts may disproportionately affect specific population subgroups, with concerns that young people, women and disadvantaged groups may be at greater risk.

“The increases in psychological distress and alcohol use in the UK highlight the need to consider how the potential health harms associated with lockdown measures can be mitigated, especially for those who are most at risk.”

BEFORE YOU GO

RETAIL RANDOMS DIGITAL SELs / APPLE GLASSES

WE NEED TO TALK ABUT...

DIGITAL SELs DIGITAL SHELF EDGE LABELS HAVE BEEN THE ‘NEXT BIG THING’ FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS, BUT HAVE NEVER QUITE MANAGED TO FULFIL THEIR POTENTIAL, USUALLY TO DO WITH COST AND QUALITY. THEY’RE TOO EXPENSIVE AND THEY DON’T LOOK VERY GOOD OR WORK VERY WELL. STEP FORWARD HENDERSON TECHNOLOGY WHO HAVE A PRETTY NEAT SOLUTION THAT INTEGRATES SEAMLESSLY WITH THEIR EPOS SYSTEM.

APPLE GLASSES REMEMBER GOOGLE GLASS? THOUGHT NOT. ALL SET TO BE THE MUST-HAVE FASHION ACCESSORY ONE DAY, DISAPPEARED WITHOUT A TRACE THE NEXT. THAT HASN’T PUT APPLE OFF HAVING A GO AT THE CONCEPT THOUGH. WE GIVE YOU... APPLE GLASSES.

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 24 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 27

R o f Y ENERg F F U T S L A E E R H T th the i w k n i r d y g r e n e e n i u e r f b f a n r i f o high c e t s a t e l b a b i r indesc

FROM THE UK'S NO.1 FLAVOURED * CARBONATE BRAND