SLR April 2024 Edition

The stars of convenience retailing shine.

NEWS

04 Illicit Trade Trading Standards officers call for ‘significant additional resources’ to combat illegal tobacco and vapes.

05 Crime Local shops recorded 5.6 million incidents of theft over the past year, smashing the previous record.

06 National Lottery Lottery retailers take advantage of Allwyn’s training platform.

08 Sustainability The Scottish Wholesale Association assists in developing a suite of actions to help the haulage industry transition to net zero.

10 News Extra Tobacco The Generational Smoking Ban will apply in Scotland.

26 Product News Cadbury’s Big Win-Win gets even bigger and Rubicon Raw launches a new on-pack promotion.

28 Off-Trade News BrewDog’s Wingman takes off as Baileys unveils a new Mint Choc Shake flavour.

INSIDE BUSINESS

30 SGF Crime Seminar Crime remains as endemic as it has always been – so how do we find a way forward?

32 SLR Awards The shortlist is unveiled!

34 Retailer Profile Saleem Sadiq SLR chats to the awardwinning retailer as his Spar Refrew store celebrates its 30th birthday.

36 Store Profile Avens Retail Zahid Mukhtar has launched a brand-new fascia for his latest store in Kirkcaldy

40 Retail Tech Henderson Technology shares the learnings from the development of its EdgePOS platform with a panel of key convenience industry figures.

44 Hotlines The latest new products and media campaigns.

54 Under The Counter The Auld Boy is more than pleased to celebrate National Square Sausage Day.

FEATURES

46 Soft Drinks With warm weather beckoning, the soft drinks category is expected to supercharge sales once again.

48 Tobacco The tobacco category still offers bright opportunities despite the value storm.

52 Ice Cream A classic favourite, ice cream is something that retailers can continue to lean on in the summer months to drive sales – especially in Scotland.

Sharing fuel price data discussed

Bosses from fuel price comparison sites have met Energy Affordability Minister Amanda Solloway to help share new fuel price data and keep costs down for motorists. Price comparison sites and map apps will have access to this data as part of the government’s PumpWatch initiative. The scheme will look to make fuel prices, updated within 30 minutes of changes, available to the public by the end of this year.

PayPoint and Lloyds Bank expand partnership

PayPoint and Lloyds Bank are extending their partnership. The move will see Lloyds Bank Cardnet become the main card acquiring partner across PayPoint Group’s network of over 60,000 SME and retailer partners. PayPoint says the enhanced proposition will deliver better tools, support and experience for its retailer partners.

Illegal vapes seized

Hundreds of illegal and potentially dangerous vapes have been removed from shops across West Lothian. The council’s trading standards team were able to confiscate the vaping and tobacco products after tip-offs from members of the public. The unregistered products had not passed through quality control processes, which means they could contain harmful chemicals or high levels of nicotine.

News UK and DMG combine print operations

The UK Competition and Markets Authority has cleared the proposed combination of News UK and DMG’s printing operations, A newly created company will retain the three current Newsprinters sites in Hertfordshire, Merseyside and Glasgow. The combined plants are expected to print more than three million newspapers a night and almost 22 million a week.

Trading standards needs ‘significant additional resources’

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute manifesto calls for the UK government to commit significant additional resources to support the work of trading standards in communities across the UK.

The manifesto sets out three priority areas for the next government:

Q Build back trading standards services to better protect consumers and law-abiding businesses through additional investment of more than £100m over the course of the next four years.

Q Create more confident consumers by putting in place greater levels of protection, for example by appointing a consumer champion.

Q Develop a regulatory system that supports business innovation

and growth, which includes clearer legal duties for online businesses.

A recent survey of trading standards officers reveals 61% believe they don’t have the resources to tackle the illicit trade in tobacco and vaping.

John Herriman, Chief Executive of CTSI who launched the manifesto in Parliament, said: “The UK’s trading standards profession is at the heart of protecting consumers, and we provide a significant layer of defence, but this layer has been decimated in recent years, with the consequence that consumers are at an all-time high of being ripped off, and susceptible to buying products that may be substandard, counterfeit or dangerous.

“Now is the time that we must build back the trading standards workforce so that consumers can once again be confident, which is vital for the UK’s economic growth and prosperity.”

In response, ACS Chief Executive James Lowman, said: “Trading standards resources have been stretched to breaking point while the government commits inadequate funding to deal with major issues, such as the illicit tobacco and vaping markets.”

Lowman added: “We will continue to work closely with our trading standards partners and Surrey and Buckinghamshire though our industry leading Assured Advice scheme, and highlight the need for officers to have additional funding to be able to do their jobs effectively.”

Thurso Nisa undergoes £260k refurbishment

Retailer Douglas Fraser’s Nisa store in Thurso has undergone a £260,000 refurbishment.

Douglas, a Nisa retailer since 1983, provided the investment to rejuvenate the building and provide fresh propositions across the store for customers.

The 3,000sq ft store, which opened its doors again to the public in early March after a three-week shutdown, now boasts an improved foodto-go section including hot bake & bite food, Rollover hotdogs, an fwip ice-cream machine, a new Skwishee machine, and a patisserie counter.

Also popular is the newly-installed Smokin’ Bean coffee machine.

Douglas told SLR: “The refit was needed as the last one was in 2006 and existing chillers were not energy efficient and prone to breakdowns, and we felt we could introduce hot food etc.”

The store offers a range of freshly made bakery products, sandwiches, and pastries from 22 local suppliers.

A newly installed beer cave – the first one in the region – and new chillers have also proved popular with customers.

Snappy Shopper secures first national retail group

One Stop has selected Snappy Shopper as one of its home delivery partners after a successful trial last year.

The retailer will initially introduce Snappy Shopper’s services to 250 of its stores starting from June.

Mike Callachan, Chief Executive of Snappy Shopper, said: “We see One Stop as a retail partner that shares our values – its business model focuses on serving customers and their communities, providing convenience and accessibility.”

Tim Josephs, Head of Online at One Stop, added: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Snappy Shopper.”

STORE REFIT The Nisa store in Thurso now boasts an improved food-to-go section

Shop theft record smashed

The UK’s local shops recorded 5.6 million incidents of shop theft over the past year, smashing the previous record of 1.1m incidents recorded in the 2023 Crime Report, new research reveals.

The Association of Convenience Stores’ 2024 Crime Report outlines the scale of the retail crime crisis blighting communities across the UK. The report reveals that retailers have recorded more than 600 incidents of theft an hour over the past year.

The report also reveals that over the past year, there have been around 76,000 incidents of violence in shops compared to 41,000 in the 2023 Crime Report.

Retailers are doing what they can to fight back by investing in crime prevention and detection measures, with £339m spent over the past year in areas like CCTV, security staff, intruder alarms and internal communication systems.

Taken together, the cost of crime and the cost of investing in fighting crime results in a 10p ‘crime tax’ on every transaction that takes place in every store across the UK – a 67% rise from the 6p figure quoted in the 2023 Crime Report.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “Retailers are facing an onslaught of crime committed against their businesses on a daily basis, with some losing tens of thousands of pounds per year to theft alone.

“This extended crimewave cannot be allowed to continue. Thieves are known to the community and to the police but they simply do not care, and continue on regardless, filling baskets and trolleys and walking out without fear of reproach.”

ACS is calling on central government to deliver justice for shopworkers and effective sanctions for offenders, focus additional police resources on neighbourhood policing to keep communities safe, and support further investment in technology to deter and detect criminals.

PayPoint to offer travel money services at UK c-stores

PayPoint has formed a partnership with foreign currency specialists eurochange that will provide UK travellers convenience when purchasing foreign currency.

Eurochange foreign exchange services will initially roll-out across around 500 UK convenience stores across 2024. The service will be promoted in-store, where customers will be able to click and collect more than 50 types of foreign currency for next day collection.

David Warwick, Commercial Director at eurochange, said: “It will also be a very convenient service for stores. Retailers will receive pre-packed foreign currency rather than having to count it at the counter. Rates will be competitive, and the service will be supported by a dedicated eurochange customer prize draw, where people ordering travel money in store can ‘win back their travel money’ up to the value of £300.”

Anthony Sappor, Retail Propositions and Partnerships Director at PayPoint, added: “Joining forces with eurochange fits perfectly with our longstanding commitment to diversifying our service offering and creating new opportunities to earn for our retailer partners.

“There is an expanding range of vital community services being offered now via our platform and we look forward to expanding this further over the next 12 months.”

Hertfordshire-based eurochange operates more than 240 branches across the UK and also offers home delivery.

STORE REFITS

Spar Lawthorn relaunches after major refit

Spar Lawthorn, near Irvine, has recently reopened after being fully refurbished.

The 1,646sq ft store, is owned and operated by CJ Lang & Son, and now features energy efficient refrigeration, new shelving, flooring, ceiling, lighting, and internal and external graphics. The food-to-go offering has also been expanded to include an enhanced hot foods offer.

Frank McCarron, Companyowned Stores Director, said: “We are thrilled to reopen our doors and welcome back our valued local community to share our exciting new chapter.”

Retailers charged after selling vapes to minors

Two Perth and Kinross retailers have been charged by Police Scotland for the sale of vapes to minors. Instances of sales to 14-year-olds were reported to Perth and Kinross Council’s trading standards team and Police Scotland. Councillor Tom McEwan said: “Together with Police Scotland we are taking steps to clamp down on instances of underage sales and this joint work will continue.”

SWA funding tackles underage drinking

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) is partnering with Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAPs) in a targeted initiative aimed at tackling underage drinking in key areas across Scotland. The SWA will provide £300,000 over the next three years to help establish CAPs in areas of high harm that have been identified throughout Scotland.

Governments aim to make food labelling clearer

The UK and Scottish governments are jointly consulting on plans to give shoppers more information about how and where their food is produced. The proposals for fairer food labelling will ensure greater transparency around the origin of food and methods of production. The consultation closes on 7 May 2024.

Veganuary sees another massive uptake in 2024

Around 25 million people worldwide gave up animal products during Veganuary, which encourages people to try vegan in January and beyond, according to YouGov. Veganuary’s 2024 campaign review found that more than 115 businesses took part in the Workplace Challenge in the UK, and there were more than 10,000 international media mentions of Veganuary.

SERVICES

CRIME The ACS’ 2024 Crime Report outlines the scale of the retail crime crisis

Shoppers turn to Jisp in cost-of-living crisis

Jisp has revealed that the total number of registered users of its Scan & Save app increased by 8% month on month in February. The app saw year-on-year increases in its core metrics, with scans, taps and redemptions up 150%, 177% and 174%, respectively. Retail sales for February 2024 were up 27% on a year earlier, returning more than £500,000 in the month.

One Stop and Olio save over 155,000 meals

One Stop has helped save more than 155,000 meals through its partnership with food waste charity Olio in the year to 31 December 2023. The food fed 14,000 families, saved 50 million litres of water from being wasted, and stopped the equivalent of 282 tonnes CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Olio and One Stop have rolled out their Food Waste Heroes Programme across 732 One Stop stores.

Wholesale benefits

The Scottish Wholesale Association has been highlighting the benefits of its Delivering Growth Through Wholesale programme, which aims to educate and engage with producers on the opportunities provided by the wholesale sector. Three case studies were launched at the In-Drinks trade show at the SEC, Glasgow where John Forteith, chair of the DGTW programme, discussed the benefits for Scottish producers.

South Ayrshire forecourt wants to expand store

Glenhead Garage in Coylton, South Ayrshire, is seeking permission to nearly double the size of its existing shop. The extension would include a storage area and an accessible toilet, leaving more room for customers and stock. The petrol station has six pumps and other facilities, but only alterations to the store are proposed. A decision on the plans is expected in the coming months.

Lottery retailers take advantage of Allwyn’s training platform

National Lottery operator Allwyn has revealed that more than 7,000 of its independent retail partners are now using its new digital retailer training platform.

Allwyn launched the Retail Training Centre at the beginning of February to support independent store owners and their staff to be responsible National Lottery retailers.

The Retail Training Centre works by only having one user profile and login per store, with sub-folders containing all the necessary training that can be assigned to each member of staff.

Additionally, Allwyn’s digital-first approach to training has seen it embed the use of the platform in its onboarding process, making it mandatory for any new National Lottery retailer to activate their Retail Training Centre account and complete the digital training before their equipment is installed.

Allwyn reports that since February, the platform’s key assets, including documents like a ‘Healthy Play workbook,’ ‘Operational Excellence’ and ‘What is Challenge 25?’ have been downloaded more than 23,000 times, while the two training modules have been completed over 5,600 times.

Mohammed Rajak, from Buywell Day Today in Glasgow, said: “The new platform has really helped

Bestway extends Penny Petroleum partnership

me train my staff by being able to download useful information and print it for them to read. We can either access the Retail Training Centre on my mobile or use the printouts – which makes it easier.”

Alex Green, Allwyn’s Director of Channel Operations, added: “We’d encourage all independent National Lottery retailers who haven’t already done so to sign up and start benefiting from our fantastic new platform.”

National Lottery retailers who are eligible to use the Retail Training Centre will have received welcome emails to the same address they used to sign their Fourth Licence contract, and they should refer to these to sign up to the new platform.

Bestway Retail, part of Bestway Wholesale, has entered a new long-term partnership with Penny Petroleum.

Over the past three years the partnership has focused on optimising the offer to 11 forecourts and retail stores. The new agreement sees a further 57 stores joining the Costcutter operation to accelerate the customer offer.

Penny Petroleum will rebrand its sites to Penny on the Move and will join the Bestway Retail National Account division, benefitting from a dedicated business support team.

Penny Petroleum has 19 sites in Scotland in Alloa, Ayr, Bathgate, Berwick, Bonnybridge, Castle Douglas, Camelon, Carluke, Eyemouth, Fort Augustus, Fort William, Halbeath, Jedburgh, Lauder, Rumford, Stranraer, and Tranent.

Vicky Hennessy, Chief Operating Officer of Penny Petroleum, said: “It’s with good reason that we are broadening our relationship with the Bestway/Costcutter team, as together, we have formed an excellent understanding and shared commitment to delivering our mutual goals.

“Together, we are now concentrating on the branding and supply switch along with the roll out of our EPoS upgrade to CBE, so it is all systems go.”

Retail Director for Bestway Retail, Jamie Davison, added: “We are delighted to have successfully demonstrated that we are best placed to partner with them as they embark on the next phase of their development.”

Spar Halbeath adds Barista Bar coffee

Company-owned store Spar Halbeath, in Dunfermline, has introduced the premium coffee-to-go brand Barista Bar, with two new units installed in the store’s entrance.

The installation at Halbeath is a first in terms of Spar Scotland’s company-owned store estate. Another eight installs were due to take place in March, and each consecutive month thereafter. Spar Scotland plans to install Barista Bar in every company-owned store in Scotland by 2025.

To mark the launch the retailer offered giveaways, a special promotion, and customers and store staff were offered a free Barista Bar sample on the day.

Jedburgh banking hub

A planning bid has been submitted to Scottish Borders Council to carry out alterations and reopen the building at 40 High Street, Jedburgh, as a Post Office banking hub. This would consist of a counter service operated by Post Office employees, where customers and businesses can withdraw and deposit cash, make bill payments and carry out regular banking transactions.

New ATM set for Millport’s Premier after bank closure

Plans have been lodged to add an ATM outside Millport’s Premier Store on Cumbrae. The move comes after The Bank of Scotland closed its branch and ATM nearby in February. The closure left the islanders with only one option to withdraw and deposit cash without having to travel to the mainland – the Post Office facility inside the Premier store. If approved, the new plans would see an ATM sited outside the Guildford Street store.

Spar Scotland store opens in Gourock

A new Spar Scotland store has opened at 97 Shore Street in Gourock, Inverclyde. It features a Barista Bar coffee machine, iSqueeze fresh orange juice, alongside groceries. The store was previously a Co-op. Meanwhile, retailers Paul and Pam Dhother are set to close their Key Store-branded shop on Shore Street at the end of March after more than 20 years in business.

Plans for Garvock Filling Station pulled

Plans for a major upgrade of the Garvock Service Station, in Dunfermline, have been withdrawn. Penny Petroleum was seeking permission to overhaul the Shell garage on Halbeath Road with a number of major alterations and improvements. No reason was given for the withdrawal, although it’s expected the firm will come back with fresh proposals.

SWA on road to zero emissions

The Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) and other senior leaders from Scotland’s HGV industry have developed a suite of actions to help the sector transition to net zero.

The HGV Decarbonisation Pathway is the result of 18 months’ work by the Zero Emission Truck Taskforce. SWA has been a member of the taskforce, chaired by Transport Scotland, along with organisations from the haulage and logistics sector; energy sector (both hydrogen and electricity); truck manufacturing; government; unions; and commercial financiers.

The pathway sets out the four key challenges posed by a move

to zero emission trucks – energy infrastructure, financial models, confidence in technological and commercial change, and workforce skills – and how to address these.

The SWA plans to reach net zero by 2040, aligning with the UK target for the sector, and in time for Scotland’s net zero target of 2045.

Colin Smith, SWA Chief Executive, said: “It is clear to us that it is imperative to address logistics emissions to reach net zero, and that investment in infrastructure –plus confidence through help and advice to businesses – is needed to overcome the significant costs of installation of equipment and acquiring of zero-emission HGVs.”

Co-op teams-up with Uber Direct

Co-op has expanded access to its online shop through a new partnership with Uber Direct.

The trial with Uber Direct will initially enable an additional 50 Co-op stores to offer quick home delivery, as Co-op aims to grow the reach of its online shop to around 1,000 Co-op stores by the end of 2024.

Chris Conway, Co-op’s eCommerce Director, said: “Innovation and effective partnerships are a fundamental part of our approach as we grow the reach of both our own online shop, and our work with strategic partners –offering our member-owners and customers in more communities an extensive range of groceries on demand from Co-op’s stores locally.”

Margiotta powers ahead with HSBC funding

Independent convenience retailer Margiotta has installed solar panels at its Newbridge headquarters after securing £300,000 funding from HSBC Equipment Finance.

The family-owned business has installed 950 solar panels on the roof of its headquarters to power its office, warehouse, and produce refrigeration.

The solar panels will allow the retailer to run its larger number of refrigerators at a lower cost, while reducing its carbon footprint. During the longer days of spring and summer any surplus electricity will be sold to the national grid.

It means Margiotta will now be able to accommodate its growing partnership with Waitrose, as well as its network of local Scottish producers, farmers and breweries, while simultaneously increasing its own ranges for customers.

Iain Wells, Finance Director at Margiotta Group, said: “We have been working hard to reduce our carbon

KEEP

footprint while expanding the business. The solar panels at our new headquarters will make a significant difference in the long run as they will reduce our costings and make us more self-sufficient.”

Margiotta operates stores across Edinburgh and East Lothian. It opened its 11th store in December on Colinton Road and plans to open a new food hall in the Shandon area of Edinburgh in April.

Convenience Matters with the SGF

Retail crime is out of control. No reasonable person would expect their local convenience staff to face down dangerous criminals as part of their job. No matter how shocking and utterly unacceptable the situation is, this is now the norm in many stores across Scotland.

Figures published in our Crime Report & Safer Business Guide, in March, highlight the shocking escalation over the past year. The average cost of retail crime has skyrocketed to £12,164 per store, with shop theft now a daily occurrence for most. Meanwhile, more than nine out of every 10 stores report that abuse and violence against staff occurs at least once a week and hate crime once a month.

It is no wonder the whole retail sector is now calling for urgent action from government.

On the whole, offenders of retail crime are becoming bolder and more aggressive, and it is now common for these crimes to involve knives or even machetes. The number of cases of in-store abuse and assaults reported under the Protection of Workers Act, has also climbed sharply to over 10,000 since August 2021.

Moreover, our police and courts are severely overstretched. As a result, regrettably, reporting rates are also now declining while criminals think they can act with impunity. The fact is that until Ministers listen and implement a targeted plan to tackle retail crime, the situation will only get worse. Enough is enough.

The SGF Crime Report & Safer Business Guide 2023/24, available on our website, provides a range of resources and materials, including advice for retailers on conflict management, in-store security measures and cybercrime.

Generational smoking ban will apply to Scotland

Scotland will be granted the powers needed to enact the new legislation, but the Scottish Parliament will then need to give its consent via a vote in Holyrood.

Legislation to ban future generations of adults from ever legally being sold tobacco products will be introduced in Scotland as well as the rest of the UK, it has been confirmed.

The proposal by the UK government will gradually increase the age of sale for cigarettes, making it an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.

Health is a devolved matter, but agreement has been reached for a four-nation approach to tackling smoking.

The proposed legislation will grant Scotland the appropriate powers needed to enact the bill, but the Scottish Parliament will then need to give its consent via a vote in Holyrood.

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto has reiterated that the SNP is targeting a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034.

She said: “We will now consider how to use these powers, if passed by Westminster, with the consent of the Scottish Parliament, to benefit public health.”

The legislation also aims to bring in tougher measures in an attempt to crack down on children and teenagers using vapes.

In response, ACS Chief Executive James Lowman, said: “The introduction of a generational ban on tobacco products will have an impact on retailers long term, as it involves training staff on a separate agerestricted sales policy beyond the widely utilised Challenge25 procedures. We will work with our Primary Authority partners to provide clarity for retailers on exactly what they will be required to do in store.

“Despite the introduction of the Bill [in March], we are still awaiting detail on how the government aims to restrict the vaping market, which it is currently running a number of chaotic disconnected workstreams on. The timescale for the introduction of

the disposables ban has been set at April 2025, when retailers will have to restructure their vaping displays and gantries to switch solely to pod systems and rechargeable devices, but the timescale for further restrictions on those gantries is as yet unknown –meaning retailers will have to disrupt their businesses twice in quick succession.”

Research from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has revealed that 80% of its officers support the government’s plan to stamp out smoking in a generation.

CTSI Chief Executive, John Herriman, said: “Enforcing the new age restriction will present its own new challenges, but trading standards welcomes the increased protections it will provide.”

Meanwhile, the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association (TMA) has warned that the introduction of a phased generational ban will lead to an escalation in more threatening anti-social behaviour towards retailers, as the weight of responsibility for enforcement will fall entirely on the shoulders of shopkeepers and their staff.

The TMA added: “The New Zealand government has seen sense and repealed a ‘generational ban’ before it was implemented, and the UK government would be wise to adopt a similar approach, because the repercussions of introducing a ‘tobacco prohibition law’ will be long lasting and felt by communities across the UK for years to come.”

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

SUPERCHARGE

SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE

It was another chastening experience to attend the SGF Crime Seminar last month. For almost a quarter of a century we’ve been reporting on the local retailing sector in Scotland and while pretty much everything has changed beyond recognition in the intervening years, one thing certainly hasn’t budged an inch: retail crime.

The seminar kicked off with some frankly brutal CCTV footage of incidents that had the audience gasping in horror. Mindless violence committed against staff who were doing nothing more than turning up at their work. It would be bad enough if these were isolated, rare incidents – but we all know they’re not. Horror shows like this occur on a daily basis in Scottish stores. Retailers have been murdered in their stores.

It’s hard to imagine that, if this happened in any other industry, there would be anything but public uproar and a rapid response from everyone from Humza Yousaf down. The recent Horizon episode elicited instant responses from MPs and MSPs, including the Prime Minister and the First Minister, with mountains moved in record time to deliver justice.

So why does it seem to be that no-one cares about retail crime? It has apparently long been accepted that, if you work in a shop, you’ll just have to put up with abuse and violence. Retail crime was long touted as “the victimless crime,” although that defence seems to have lost favour in recent years, thankfully.

But with a 400%+ increase in shoplifting in the last year, according to ACS figures, and abuse and violence literally daily occurrences, why does society seem to be able to effectively turn a blind eye? It’s hard to get your head around.

Assistant Chief Superintendent Tim Mairs did make a very valid point at the seminar: “We can’t arrest our way out of this”. The issue is a societal one. There’s something wrong with our society where we seem to think it’s ok to abuse and assault people simply doing their job. Fixing that requires more than arresting the culprits. It requires root and branch education and I, for one, am all for the suggestion that Daniel Johnson MSP proposed at the seminar calling on the Scottish Government to fund and produce a media campaign to tell people this isn’t ok. It isn’t acceptable to treat store staff this way. It might take a long time to have an impact on behaviours, but we’ve got to start somewhere. Shall we start a campaign?

ANTONY BEGLEY, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

Digital Manager Richard Chaudhry rchaudhry@55north.com

EVENTS & OPERATIONS

Events & Circulation Manager Cara Begley cbegley@55north.com

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LEADING LIGHTS

SLR’s first-ever Above and Beyond Awards shone a light on local retailing’s many unsung heroes.

The vital role that local stores and their heroic employees play in their communities was well and truly celebrated at SLR’s inaugural Above and Beyond Awards held in Glasgow on 13 March.

From energetic 18-year-olds to inspiring 80-year-olds, the awards toasted the extraordinary efforts of employees of all ages – and from stores in all locations from remote coastal hamlets to bustling city centres.

From social media savants to life-saving managers, daring delivery drivers and caring community champions, 2024’s first crop of extraordinary winners demonstrated an incredibly diverse array of skills, with each and every one going well above and beyond the call of duty and showing exactly why this industry is so special.

INDEPENDENT STORE COLLEAGUE

TRACEY DORAN, SUPERVISOR, PINKIE FARM, MUSSELBURGH

Pinkie Farm’s longest-serving employee Tracey Doran blew the judges away with her first-class customer service and sales expertise, especially in the bakery category where she has helped to drive a significant sales increase by bringing in new products, spearheading sampling campaigns and engaging positively with customers.

From Halloween to Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter, Tracey also takes the lead on countless seasonal, charitable and community initiatives – often in her own time.

KIM HENDERSON, MANAGER, RACETRACK RUTHERGLEN (PREMIER)

Kim describes work as her “happy place” and despite her many managerial responsibilities, she always has time for her customers, many of whom she has built very close bonds with.

She regularly goes above and beyond, carrying heavy bags home for some and shopping personally for others. But it’s not just locals who get Kim’s support. Just a few months ago she came to the rescue of an elderly lady who suffered from a flat tyre while visiting the area. Kim sat her down, gave her a cup of tea and called a local garage to help fix the problem before sending her safely on her way.

SNEHAL MAGADUM, MANAGER, GIRISH’S PREMIER, BARMULLOCH

24-year-old Snehal’s rise in retail has been nothing short of meteoric! She joined the team as a sales assistant with no retail experience and within six months became a team leader and store manager just six months after that. In that short space of time, she has taken on responsibility for every aspect of the store and driven the implementation of numerous new systems that help it to operate more efficiently. Last year, before she went on holiday she completed a full store stock count and even set up an auto ordering system so that orders could be placed with ease in her absence.

ELAINE MCCANN, MANAGER, WATSON’S GROCERS, MONIAIVE

Engaging with the local community is critical for every store but especially for stores in remote villages like Moniaive – and that’s something that Elaine McCann knows all too well. Elaine has made a huge impact on the local community in the 10 years that she has managed Watson’s and forged incredibly close bonds with many customers in that time. Those close connections recently helped her spot that a local customer was unwell and led to him receiving medical attention. This January, Elaine also organised a free disco for local children. More than 70 kids attended, and all were treated to a meal and gift.

SOPHIE SKELTON, SUPERVISOR, ARAMARK LEUCHARS

Working in retail can be challenging at times – but the challenges that Sophie Skelton faces on a day-to-day basis are incredibly unique. Sophie’s store is on the Leuchars military base and, as a military spouse herself, she has a deep understanding of the challenges and issues that many of her customers face.

Over the last four years Sophie has worked to build meaningful relationships with many of these customers, never forgetting a birthday or a leave pass, and always on hand for a friendly chat or just to listen. Thanks to Sophie’s efforts, Aramark Leuchars is a truly welcoming and safe space for all.

CONGRATULATIONS TO SOPHIE SKELTON

WINNER OF THE INDEPENDENT STORE COLLEAGUE AWARD

COMPANY-OWNED STORE COLLEAGUE

CLAIRE FLEMING, MANAGER, SPAR PORTLAND STREET, TROON

Claire’s efforts to support her local shoppers are nothing short of exceptional. In the two years that she’s managed Spar Portland Street, she’s transformed it into a thriving community-hub that is treasured by local people. Her deep personal care for local shoppers sees her cook regular meals for some and even do the washing for others. She’s also helped to secure in-home care for vulnerable customers and attended hospital appointments with lonely and nervous shoppers.

Claire is also an inspiring team leader and with the help of a motivated and loyal team, Spar Portland Street also engages in a variety of fun seasonal events, national charity initiatives and local good causes. Thanks to Claire’s efforts loyalty, footfall and sales at Spar Portland Street have also never been higher – with sales up just under 10% year on year.

BRYAN GIBSON, MANAGER, SPAR BARNCHURCH ROAD, CULLODEN

There are not many managers who choose to spend hours working on the tills or mopping the floors, but Bryan is a manager who loves to lead by example. He’s transformed the fortunes of Spar Barnchurch Road since joining two years ago, with the store now one of the best performers in the region.

His approachable, hands-on style has created a happy and motivated in-store team, while in-store standards have hit new heights. He’s also built very strong personal relationships with many of his local customers and regularly carries out personal deliveries for elderly or sick customers. He’s also forged a valuable new link with the local school, helping to support numerous initiatives.

KERRY RITCHIE, MANAGER, SPAR BIGHTY AVENUE, GLENROTHES

Born and bred in Glenrothes, Kerry’s knowledge and understanding of her community is second to none and she stops at nothing to ensure that local needs are met. Her motivation and passion have seen Kerry secure head office funding towards numerous local initiatives over the years, including a large donation to the local Friendship Cabin earlier this year.

Kerry’s fun and engaging managerial style also makes the store a great place to work – especially at Christmas, with Spar Bighty Avenue having won four of the company’s ‘12 Days of Christmas’ store challenges in 2023.

TANYA WILSON, MANAGER, SPAR EASTRIGGS

How many store managers can say they’ve filled not one but two huge books with newspaper clipping of all their store’s incredible community work? Tanya Wilson can! Tanya has been the manager of Spar Eastriggs for more than 20 years and has worked tirelessly to organise successful community events, in-store activities and fundraising initiatives over that time.

Last Christmas she and the team organised a party for local nursery children, including games, food, prizes, presents from Santa and even the chance to meet exotic animals. It was so wonderful that the kids are still talking about it today.

We care about our local community.

You’re our neighbours,

not

just customers.

UP & COMING STAR

CHELSEA DUNLOP, SUPERVISOR, SPAR BOSWELL PARK

Despite only being 20, it’s clear that Chelsea is on track for a really successful career in retail.

She only joined the store 14 months ago but has already made a big impact on staff morale, customer relations and in-store operations in that time. Her kind and caring nature has made her a big hit with local shoppers and teammates alike.

However, don’t be fooled by her sweet exterior because it hides a steely core. Chelsea is also brilliant at defusing challenging situations that can arise in her latenight store.

She also makes it her business to understand back-office operations and recently impressed a group of visiting company directors with her knowledge when she stepped up to cover a meeting in her manager’s absence.

CHARLIE MACRAE, SALES ASSISTANT, SPAR SCOURIE

Customers and colleagues alike describe 18-year-old Charlie as a ‘human dynamo’ and it’s easy to see why!

From serving customers to ordering stock, managing the store’s social media and even manning the on-site bar, Charlie does it all, and always with a smile. He’s also the store’s best pizza maker and has a record of 91 in one night!

His drive, enthusiasm and caring spirit has seen him become totally invaluable, not only to his store but also to his local community for whom he regularly goes above and beyond – shovelling snow, making deliveries, sourcing logs and much more! He also had the initiative to introduce a new fishing range to the store, which is proving to be a good footfall and sales driver.

WASEEM SADIQ, RETAIL ACCOUNTS MANAGER, SPAR RENFREW

Waseem’s thirst for innovation and passion for processes are helping him to open up fresh opportunities for his family-owned business.

His work to develop the store’s vape category has already yielded extraordinary results, with sales now cresting £30,000 a month and growing.

He’s also achieved great success with the store’s online delivery service and is helping to drive significant efficiencies with the implementation of numerous new back-office systems.

SOPHIE WILLIAMS, ASSISTANT MANAGER, BROADWAY CONVENIENCE STORE, EDINBURGH

She’s only 24 but Sophie Williams is already making big waves in the convenience sector with her innovative approach to social media, and is well on the way to achieving her ambition of becoming the UK’s first retail influencer.

Sophie’s impact is also being felt on the shop floor where she’s universally loved by her customers, for whom she regularly goes above and beyond. In the last two years Sophie and the team at Broadway Convenience Store have raised a total of £18,000 for two local families who had lost loved ones to cancer.

She’s also been known to drive local shoppers to appointments and always has time for her elderly customers, many of whom come in specifically to talk with her.

LONG SERVICE AWARD

ALISON LENNON, MANAGER, DAY TODAY, SHOTTS

Colleagues and customers alike describe Alison as a “superstar” and it’s easy to see why.

Alison has worked in her store for more than 25 years and now has full managerial responsibility – a fact which gives the owners huge peace of mind.

With Alison at the helm, Day Today Shotts is always stocked, ranged and run at its best –helping to ensure that local needs are not just met but exceeded.

As a local lady Alison’s deep personal understanding of the needs and habits of her customers is also second to none. She knows everyone and counts many shoppers as friends – always on hand to help a shopper in need or provide a listening ear.

JOHNNY STEPHEN, DELIVERY DRIVER AND HANDYMAN, PREMIER WHITEHILLS, BANFF

The lengths that Johnny Stephen goes to when it comes to supporting local shoppers are extraordinary by any standards but when you consider that he is almost 80, they are nothing short of heroic.

From paper boy to delivery driver, store handyman and waste management, Johnny does it all at Premier Whitehills and he does it six days a week, never missing a shift.

His efforts to deliver essential goods and services to local homes, remote rural addresses and the many fishing boats along the coast are a literal lifeline. Whatever the weather, shoppers know that they can rely on Johnny and his famous yellow van to supply them with what they need.

Given his efforts, it’s hardly surprising that Johnny has become a real local legend – he’s even had poems written about him and portraits painted!

YVONNE WILSON, MANAGER, SPAR LOGAN DRIVE, TROON

Yvonne has worked in Spar stores for 31 years and “contributed hugely” to the success of numerous stores in that time, achieving sales increases of more than 40% in some stores.

Her superpower is her ability to build strong, happy and engaged teams – who are motivated to work together and drive success.

“I’m a big believer in giving staff responsibility, it’s really motivating for them, and all my staff are trained in supervisor duties and can do important tasks such as cashing up and locking the store,” she says.

She’s also incredibly approachable, a fact that prompts many of her team members to also seek her out for help and advice on personal issues. She’s managed Spar Logan Drive for just over five years now, helping the store to hit new heights in that time. Customers describe Spar Logan Drive as a warm and friendly store that makes them smile – just like Yvonne.

CONGRATULATIONS TO JOHNNY STEPHEN WINNER OF THE LONG SERVICE AWARD

ASTONISHING ACT

USMAN BASHIR, OWNER, DAY TODAY, SARACEN

Usman has had a transformative effect on this store and the local community since he took over four years ago – focusing a huge amount of time and energy into meeting the needs of his customers and in particular local children.

Usman went well and truly above and beyond last Christmas, when he organised a community celebration the likes of which had never been seen before.

Local children were treated to a free winter wonderland outside the store, complete with a visit from Father Christmas and free entertainment and refreshments. He even managed to get real reindeer and alpaca for children to pet. Many of these kids have never even left Glasgow let alone stroked an alpaca – and the magical event is still being talked about today.

CLAIRE FLEMING, MANAGER, SPAR PORTLAND STREET, TROON

Claire spearheaded an extraordinary effort to better support the needs of local elderly shoppers when she set about to make Spar Portland Street dementia friendly.

Thanks to Claire, the store has now forged strong links with all local care homes and a number of individual carers – allowing her to quickly access help for those shoppers who may need it.

All store staff have also received specific dementia-friendly training and know how best to support customers when shopping in-store.

Claire’s incredible efforts have also seen her secure additional head office funding for a refurbishment of Troon’s sunken garden – a nostalgia filled space that’s cherished by the whole community and especially its elderly customers and those with dementia.

ALISON LENNON, MANAGER, DAY TODAY, SHOTTS

Alison’s Astonishing Act epitomises exactly what it means to go above and beyond the call of duty. Thanks to her unrivalled local knowledge, Alison was quick to notice when one of her regular elderly customers didn’t show up at the store for his daily paper.

One hour later, when he had still failed to arrive, Alison took it upon herself to visit his home and check on him.

Her concern proved well-founded, because the gentleman had had an accident and was stuck in a cold bath, where he’d been for hours, unable to call for help.

Alison alerted the emergency services who then had to knock the door down to gain access. Alison’s quick thinking and close bond with her local customers led to the man being rescued – potentially saving his life in the process.

Arla gives 10 million meals to charity

Lurpak brand owner Arla has now donated the equivalent of 10 million meals to FareShare, since first partnering with the food poverty charity in 2017.

FareShare works with the food industry to take good-to-eat surplus food, which might otherwise go to waste, and redistributes it to a network of 8,500 charities and community groups to help feed and support those in need across the UK.

CLIF comes to UK

World of Sweets has been named as official UK distributor for American healthier snacking brand CLIF. Among the products being distributed are CLIF Bar, CLIF Nut Butter Bars and CLIF Bloks Energy Chews. The CLIF Bar was first launched in the US in 1992 and has gone on to become the country’s number one energy bar and a global brand worth $1.5bn. CLIF Bloks are an easy-to-chew source of quickly absorbed carbohydrates.

Fingers crossed for an instant win!

Cadbury Dairy Milk Fingers is giving shoppers the chance to win £20,000 through a brand-new on-pack promotion. The ‘Fingers Crossed’ promo, which is on participating packs now, gives shoppers the chance to win one of hundreds of cash prizes ranging from £50 right up to one of three top prizes of £20,000. It is supported by out-of-home advertising, digital promotion and in-store POS.

Rose Marketing adds to £1 Bags range

Rose Marketing has extended its £1 price-marked 90g Candy Castle Crew gummy bags line with the addition of six new lines: Rainbow Belts, Rainbow Pencils, Assorted Pencils, Fizzy Worms, Fizzy Blue Bears and Bubblegum Bottles. The launch comes after 82% of retailers cite pre-priced £1 bags an “essential stock item” as well as a primary growth driver in convenience.

Product News

Rubicon Raw launches Boardmasters promo

Rubicon Raw is celebrating its third year as the Exclusive Energy Partner of Boardmasters, with the launch of a new on-pack promotion and biggest-ever support plan.

From 1 April, shoppers will have the chance to win one of 30 pairs of general admission tickets to Boardmasters Festival (7 to 11 August 2024).

The promotion runs across Rubicon Raw’s entire 500ml £1 PMP range and will appear on 1.5 million cans throughout April, May and June. POS material is also available.

The activity will be further supported with an always-on digital marketing campaign reaching millions of consumers to continue building brand awareness and loyalty with

Delice de France unveils new range

Bread, bakery and food-to-go supplier Delice de France-has launched its spring/ summer 2024 range, with 55 new products available for retailers and foodservice businesses.

The new products include classic offerings such as sweet and savoury rolls, ciabattas, cakes, scones, doughnuts and butter pastries.

The business is also catering for world flavours with two Middle Eastern-inspired Khobez-style Flatbreads and a three-strong range of Taquitos, tapping into the rise in Mexican cuisine, which is tipped to be one of the main food trends of 2024.

Delice de France suggested that convenience retailers stock a core range of treats from the new range, such as Butter Pastries, Doughnuts, Pain Suisse au Chocolat, Taquitos and New York Style Cacao Croissant.

new and existing energy shoppers.

Rubicon Raw will have huge visibility across the whole festival, including the return of the brand’s popular slackline challenge, sampling across all of the festival campsites, branding on the main stage and involvement in all of the surfing competitions.

Jonathan Kemp, Commercial Director at Barr Soft Drinks, said, “We’re really excited to be the Exclusive Energy Partner of Boardmasters. The event attracts a huge audience and is packed with live music from global headline acts and worldclass surfers, creating an opportunity for us to build Rubicon Raw into the hearts and minds of core energy consumers.”

DCS

Group extends free category advice

DCS Group has added more advice and features to its CoreRange.com website to help retailers, wholesalers and cash and carry businesses grow their sales and profits.

Initially launched early last year, CoreRange.com is an impartial category advice website that is free to use and is designed specifically to help convenience retailers navigate their way through the personal care, baby care, healthcare and medicines, laundry and household, healthier snacking and pet care categories.

Key improvements for 2024 include larger ‘XL’ planograms for retailers with more shelf space, alongside new category advice pages and planograms for the healthier snacking and pet care categories.

Product range recommendations are impartial and are based on the latest market data and shopper insights. They will be stocked at supplying wholesalers, who can also use the recommendations to make sure they have all the bestselling products listed in depot and online.

The site strives to offer all the information a retailer needs to select a bestselling, efficient and profitable household, pet, health and beauty product range.

BAKERY

CATEGORY MANAGEMENT

KP unveils Tyrrells Lentil

Crisps single packs

Cadbury’s Big Win-Win just got bigger

Following a successful first year, Cadbury has brought back its Big Win-Win campaign, giving both retailers and their shoppers the chance to win huge cash prizes.

The on-and off-pack promotion runs to mid-June, inviting consumers to nominate their local shop to win a cash prize to match their own. There are 70 prizes of £1,000 and 60 prizes of £500 up for grabs for shoppers, meaning 130 lucky retailers will be quids in.

Consumers simply purchase a participating Cadbury product and enter their details online to see if they’ve won. If so, they will be asked to nominate a local store to win too.

The competition is signposted clearly on participating Cadbury packs, and is supported by striking POS materials. It will also be promoted via extensive PR, radio, digital, outdoor advertising, and social media activities.

The campaign will be further bolstered by proximity advertising close to independent stores, and retailers will also feature in the

Walkers celebrates new Ghostbusters movie

After their collaboration for Ghostbusters Afterlife in 2021, Walkers has once again teamed-up with Sony for an onpack promotion to mark the release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Live now and running until 5 May, the promotion gives shoppers a chance to win prizes every hour between 6am and midnight. These include cinema tickets, private VIP screenings of the new Ghostbusters movie, Sony store vouchers, and a trip for two to New York for a Ghostbust-ersthemed adventure holiday and movie location tour.

The competition runs across the Walkers Snacks portfolio of brands – including Monster Munch, Wotsits, Squares and Quavers – in a range of formats including PMPs, sharing, grab bags and multipacks.

It is supported by in-store, digital and social media activities.

Josephine Taylor, Senior Brand Marketing Manager at PepsiCo, commented: “Our previous on-pack promotion for Ghostbusters: Afterlife created a buzz for film fanatics and shoppers alike.

“We’re pleased to be in partnership with Sony again to build on this, in honour of its Ghost-busters: Frozen Empire launch. Together, we are bringing an element of fun to snacking occasions such as the Big Night In.”

digital materials to emphasise the importance of shopping locally.

Sarah Walker, Brand Manager for Cadbury at Mondelez International, said: “We know that the return of the Big WinWin campaign will once more encourage communities to come together and offer support to their local independent stores in these turbulent times.”

HOT DRINKS Bovril rolls out footballthemed collectable jar

Bovril has unveiled an exclusive limitededition 250g collectable jar (RSP £4.40), with a new label inspired by classic football shirts.

The design has been developed to draw maximum attention on-shelf and also features elements of gold to provide a premium feel.

Bovril is supporting the new-look jars with a £100,000 media spend that will primarily focus on e-commerce marketing but also includes in-store gondola ends. Additionally, Bovril’s brand ambassador and former footballer Peter Crouch will publish related content through his social media channels.

The new launch further aligns Bovril with football, after it assumed the role of Official Hydration Partner of Burton Albion FC in October 2023.

KP Snacks has launched its Tyrrells Lentil Crisps range in a new single format. Currently available in sharing packs, Tyrrells Lentil Crisps Sour Cream & Onion and Sweet Chilli & Red Pepper are now available in a new 24g single format with an RSP of £1. An new out-of-home and social media campaign has been designed to drive brand awareness to tempt shoppers and bolster sales for retailers.

Fruity and sparkling

Volvic has launched Touch of Fruit Sparkling Sugar Free, a combination of British spring water and natural fruity flavours. Three variants are available to convenience retailers in single 330ml slimline cans: Strawberry, Mango Passion, and Lemon & Lime. The brand has simultaneously relaunched its Volvic Touch of Fruit still range. Both will be supported by a new £5m integrated marketing campaign.

New look for Mary Berry

Mary Berry’s Dressings has been given a packaging refresh ahead of the summer salad season. New-look packs include illustrations of fresh salad ingredients in a colourful roundel, which is replicated across the different dressings in the range. A ‘dress, dip, marinade’ strapline has been added to the front of packs to emphasise the versatility of the premium salad dressing range.

Trailblazers recognised Häagen-Dazs has revealed the five winners of The Rose Project, Class of 2023. The Rose Project is a global initiative that recognises unsung trailblazing women, in honour of the brand’s female co-founder Rose Mattus. Each winner will receive $20,000 USD to help them continue their exceptional work, unleash their potential or give to a cause they’re passionate about. Visit iwd.haagen-dazs.global for more information on the winners.

DRIVE YOUR CRAFT BEER CATEGORY WITH WINGMAN

Baileys shakes up liqueur category

Diageo’s liqueur brand Baileys has unveiled a new Mint Choc Shake limited edition.

The new flavour blends Baileys Original Irish Cream (17% ABV) with fresh mint, dark chocolate and creamy vanilla flavours and is available to the off-trade now with a £17 RSP.

It follows – somewhat belatedly – 2013’s mint variant, which quickly became a fan favourite among drinkers at the time.

Baileys has also released two new serves to celebrate its new flavour: the Mint Choc Milkshake and the Mint Choc Sipper.

The Mint Choc Milkshake combines vanilla ice cream and the liqueur, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Alternatively, the Mint Choc Sipper sees the iconic green liquid topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Charlotte Gibbon, Director of Gins, Pimms, Baileys and Non-alc at Diageo, commented: “Treating should be an everyday occasion, but our latest limited-

Zest Strongbow ever

edition flavour offers a completely unique experience to shake things. Delicious on its own or enjoyed as the Mint Choc Shake and Mint Choc Sipper, our new flavour is perfect for mint lovers.”

Heineken has added a new citrus variant to its Strongbow cider range, Strongbow Zest (ABV 4%).

It is available from this month in single 500ml cans (RSP £1.50) and multipacks of 4 x 440ml (RSP £5.50). Multipacks of 10 x 330ml (RSP £10) are currently exclusive to Asda, with wider availability from June.

An apple cider blended with lime, lemon and orange flavours, Strongbow Zest contains no artificial flavours, sweeteners or colours. It is gluten free and vegan friendly.

The launch will be supported by a £10m marketing campaign from May.

Staropramen launches new multipack

Staropramen has unveiled a new plastic-free 4 x 440ml can multipack.

The launch comes with the 4 x 440ml format accounting for 10% of total World Beer category sales.

As part of the brand’s new connected packaging initiative, scannable QR codes appear on both the cans and recyclable cardboard sleeve. These give consumers quick and easy access to new and exclusive Staropramen content.

The launch is supported by both paid and organic social media activity and point of sale materials in-store.

BEER

CIDER

SCOOP

Wingman takes off in impulse channel

Following an initial launch into grocery at the end of last year, BrewDog has launched its new 4.3% ABV session IPA, Wingman, into the impulse channel.

Formats available include single 440ml can (RSP £2.50), 4 x 330ml can multipack (RSP £6.25) and 12 x 330ml can (RSP £16.50).

Taking inspiration from US craft beer brands, Wingman aims to cater to the modern drinker, while recruiting new ones through its casual light-hearted positioning. It also introduces a new Wingman Eagle character, which will take centre stage in a national £3m+ marketing campaign.

The campaign includes city centre sampling, out-of-home advertising and social media activities, with messaging including ‘Bring out the Wingman’ and ‘The eagle has landed’.

Lauren Carrol, Chief Marketing Officer at BrewDog, commented: “We’ve recognised a gap in our portfolio, with Session IPA identified as the most valuable draught craft beer in the on-trade and growing. With its leading position and the highest purchase intent of other craft beer brands, BrewDog is well placed to challenge the category in the off-trade and drive additional value growth.”

Funkin blows raspberry

Funkin Cocktails has added a new nitrogen-infused Blue Raspberry Martini flavour to its RTD range.

Available now in Tesco, Blue Raspberry Martini Can (5% ABV, 200ml, RSP £2.20) will roll out further over the coming weeks in £2.19 pricemarked packs.

Combining vodka with a sweet blue raspberry taste, the new canned cocktail aims to leverage the success of Funkin’s existing Nitro Can offering by tapping into emerging trends and the surging appeal of blue raspberry amongst Gen Z consumers.

It is backed by the brand’s biggest-ever new product launch campaign.

Glen’s urges fans to score a Golden Goal

Glen’s Vodka has launched ‘Golden Goal,’ a new on-pack promotion that gives shoppers the chance to win daily cash prizes ranging from £10 to £1,000, as well as exclusive merchandise.

A modern spin on classic ‘Spot the Ball’ competitions, the promo will see 115 instant wins awarded up until 6 May. Prizes will also be given based on skill. These include a vintage-style Glen’s football shirt, bucket hat, bumbag and water bottle.

61% OF TRYCONSUMERS CRAFT BEER FOR THE FIRST TIME POST WINGMAN PURCHASE

RTDs

VODKA

RETAIL CRIME: SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE

Last month’s SGF Crime Seminar made it crystal clear that nothing has really changed in the past couple of decades and crime remains as endemic as it has always been – so how do we find a way forward?

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

PROTECTION OF WORKERS BILL: THE IMPACT

Since the introduction of Daniel Johnson MSP’s Protection of Workers Bill, the latest figures show:

Q 3,000 cases referred to court

Q 1,199 convictions

Q 154 cases not pursued

Q 1,313 cases still ongoing

It may or may not have been Einstein who said the definition of insanity is repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting different results, but whoever said it could definitely have had retail crime in mind.

SLR has been reporting on local retailing for almost 25 years and while many things have changed in the industry over those years, crime isn’t one of them. For as long as we’ve been writing about retail, crime has been endemic.

Somewhat oddly, the only time when things appeared to improve was during Covid. As Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) Chief Executive Pete Cheema pointed out at last month’s SGF Crime Seminar, it wasn’t that long ago that local retailers were being heralded as “the fourth emergency service” and were being clapped on the streets of Scotland every week alongside their fellow heroes in the NHS.

How quickly times have changed. SGF’s most recent Scottish Crime Report for 2023/24 shows that retail crime is arguably worse than ever. A full 100% of retailers surveyed said shoplifting has increased in the last year, with 99.5% of them reporting that it happens on a daily basis.

Recent data from the Association of Convenience Stores shows that incidences of theft from shops rose from a shocking 1.1 million to a frankly inconceivable 5.6 million in the last year. It’s worth reading that sentence one more time. That’s an increase of over 400% in a single year.

Over the same period, the number of violent incidents increased from 41,000 to 76,000.

CALLING THE POLICE

So, with crime at levels like that and violence commonplace against people simply doing their jobs, it would be logical to assume that the police are tackling the issue like the epidemic it is. Not so. Some 93.6% of respondents to

SGF’s Crime Survey said that police response times to incidents are either unsatisfactory or significantly delayed. So much so, in fact that over three-quarters (76.7%) say they are either unlikely or very unlikely to even bother reporting incidents. What’s the point?

Cheema did accept that the current “tsunami of retail crime” is worsened by both “the current economic conditions and pressure on the police in terms of enforcement”. Cheema cited a “minor £30m” increase in the police budget announced in the recent Budget statement but rightly denounced as “derisory”.

He also confirmed that the Scottish Government won’t commit further funding to the #notpartofthejob campaign. With police enforcement effectively rare to non-existent, he said, “criminals believe themselves untouchable”.

POSITIVE ACT

One of the very few positive real changes to take place in recent times was the introduction of Daniel Johnson MSP’s Protection of Workers Bill which subsequently became law. Former retailer Johnson gave an impassioned presentation of why he worked so hard to secure the safe passage of his Bill, referring to his personal experience of the “traumatic” and “long-lasting” effects of instore violence and abuse.

He commented: “This is not just a crime, it’s traumatic. It’s violence happening in your own workplace, and you can’t avoid your place of work,” adding that no-one should be fearful to simply do their job.

Since the introduction of the Act, however, the results have been positive if less than gamechanging. A total of 3,000 cases have been referred to court leading to 1,199 convictions with 1,313 still ongoing. Only 154 so far were not pursued. That’s clearly progress, but it’s barely a trickle amidst a torrent of retail crime.

Johnson did, however, make the salient point that retail crime is often viewed as “not a big deal,” but if that’s the case, why have there been so many convictions under the new Act?

“My Bill was a good step forward, but we need to go much further,” he said. “At heart, this is a social problem. We need to educate people that it’s not acceptable to be abusive or violent towards shopworkers simply doing their jobs”.

Johnson called on the Scottish Government to “step up” to deliver “a much bigger public awareness campaign”. He highlighted that the Scottish Government is one of the largest spenders on social media in the UK and suggested that “they can afford to spare some of that for something this important”.

EDUCATION, EDUCATION

That crime is a social problem is undeniable, and it was a point also referred to by the next speaker, Tim Mairs, Assistant Chief Constable at Police Scotland. He said: “I live in rural Perthshire and my local shop is a hub for our community. I see everything you do for the community and you have a right to be safe and secure in your business. But we can’t arrest our way out of this, we have a wider social challenge in front of us.”

Mairs cited cost-of-living challenges and the organised crime element as playing key roles in the current spike in crime and accepted that shopflifting has become “a more persistent trend than other crimes” post-Covid.

“I am proud that in Scotland we have legislation protecting shopworkers,” he said, “and we are getting outcomes. We are progressing the vast majority of cases but it takes time and the system is heavily backlogged.”

Worryingly, Mair said Police Scotland data shows that the biggest spike in retail crime is coming from much younger customers “in their mid to late teens” but reiterated that “law

enforcement may not be the best way to deal with that”, calling it a “wider issue”.

He did however urge retailers to keep reporting crimes to allow the police to gain a clearer picture of the scale of the problem.

RETAILER EXPERIENCE

A retailer panel then offered attendees a firsthand glimpse into the real-life experiences of retailers on the front line.

Dan Brown, Umar Majid and Anand Cheema all shared experiences with a general consensus, voiced by Dan, that “there’s lots of talk but no action”. He said: “People outside of retail often think I’m exaggerating when I tell them about life in a store, but there’s retailers being killed at their place of work. How many of us have to die before this problem gets the attention it deserves?”

Dan shared how he had been threatened by a knife and his fiancée had literally looked down the barrel of a shotgun, while Anand told of attacks with crossbows and machetes.

Umar echoed the thoughts of many in the room when he said he “doesn’t always report every incident” because there doesn’t seem to be any point. “I was assaulted a couple of years ago,” he said. “It eventually ended up in court, but the accused didn’t turn up and I’m still waiting to hear anything about it.”

Dan added that in countless court appearances over the years, the sum total of compensation he has received is “one cheque for £6”.

Most damningly, Dan admitted that “it’s certainly got us questioning whether we want to work in retail. My biggest concern is the wellbeing of my colleagues and it’s not out the question that we could be sitting on this stage next year talking about something horrendous having happened to one of the three of us on this panel today.”

EDUCATION CAMPAIGN?

One of the most interesting practical suggestions to be aired on the day was from Daniel Johnson MSP who suggested that the Scottish Government should fund and produce a social media campaign to begin the process of educating people that abusing and assaulting store staff is not acceptable. Crime, as many speakers on the day noted, is part of a wider social problem – and in common with most social problems, the answer is likely to lie in education rather than enforcement.

He said: “We need a campaign to show that it’s not acceptable to threaten shop workers because it’s simply wrong that they don’t feel safe behind the counter. Everybody has the right to feel safe at work. It’s often thought that if you work in a shop, these are the sort of things you’re just expected to put up with – and they’re not. Enough is enough.”

Johnson said the Scottish Government is one of the biggest spenders on social media in the UK and could “afford to spare some of that [spend] for something this important”.

It’s certainly not likely to be a fast-acting solution, but it clearly seems like a step in the right direction. Retail crime has been going on for generations and is likely to take generations to fix, but nothing that has been tried in the past 25 years has made much of an impression. An educational campaign is something which could only have a positive impact.

“We can’t arrest our way out of this, we have a wider social challenge in front of us.”

TIM MAIRS, ASSISTANT CHIEF CONSTABLE,

IT’S TIME TO HIT THE ROAD!

The first stage of judging is now complete and it’s time to see which stores made the shortlist for the 2024 SLR Awards.

The wait is finally over, and we can officially reveal which stores will contest this year’s SLR Awards in a little over two months’ time.

Despite an earlier entry deadline due to the Awards returning to their traditional June slot, our panel of expert, experienced and independent judges from across the UK had a huge number of submissions to consider.

The panel assessed every single entry to strict set of criteria and allocated each store a numerical score. This score was then used to draw up the shortlist you can see on page opposite.

Congratulations if your store appears on the list. You can now look forward to an unannounced visit from our judges, who will be keen to see your store exactly the same way that customers do.

SLR Publishing Director Antony Begley commented: “As it always is, it was a pleasure to get the judging for this year’s SLR Awards underway. I would like to extend my thanks to all judges who took the time to participate, and in particular I’ll like to thank southern-based retailers Paul Stone and Samantha Coldbeck for agreeing to judge. It’s always great to have highly successful convenience retailers on the panel as they bring such fantastic expertise and knowledge of the sector, which helps ensure the judging is of the very highest quality.

“We were delighted to see a fantastically high standard of entries once again this year with clear evidence of industry-wide large-scale investment once again. There’s no doubt that this outstanding industry sector is continuing to reach for the stars

and push the retailing envelope. Choosing stores to shortlist was an extremely difficult task, given the remarkably high standard of entries – so everyone on the shortlists should be extremely proud.

“We can’t wait to hit the road this month and start our annual pilgrimage across Scotland to see the stores in person.”

To find out more or to buy tickets, please visit:

SHORTLISTED FOR 2024

BREAD & BAKERY

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Whytes of New Pitsligo

Premier Ali’s

Spar Crosshouse

CONFECTIONERY

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Day Today Alloa Road

Day Today Bourtreehill

Jaz’s Premier

Spar Erskine

FOOD-TO-GO

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Baba’s Kitchen - Costcutter

Bellshill

Premier Whitehills

Spar David’s Kitchen

Glenrothes

Spar Garthamlock

Spar Scourie

FORECOURT

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Londis St Michael’s Services

Premier Racetrack

Bearsden

Spar Jamestown

FRESH & CHILLED

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Jaz’s Premier

Nisa Broughton Market

Spar Crosshouse

Spar David’s Kitchen

Kirkcaldy

NEWSTRADE

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Day Today Varnsdorf Way

JP Pozzi

Mearns News

Spar West Kilbride

OFF-TRADE

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Jaz’s Premier

Londis St Michael’s Services

Premier Whitehills

Spar Renfrew

SCOTTISH BRANDS

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Nisa Broughton Market

Premier Whitehills

Spar David’s Kitchen

Kirkcaldy

Spar Jamestown

SOFT DRINKS

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Day Today Rotherwood

Premier DUSA

Spar Crosshouse

COMMUNITY

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Day Today Bourtreehill

Londis St Michael’s Services

Whytes of New Pitsligo

Spar Portland

NEWSTORE OF THE YEAR

Day Today Princes Street

Londis St Michael’s Services

Nisa Rutherglen

REFIT OF THE YEAR

Day Today Stone Place

Girish’s Premier @ Londonroad

Premier Ali’s Spar Erskine

SUSTAINABILITY

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Premier DUSA

Premier Girish’s @ Barmulloch

Spar Drymen

#THINKSMART INNOVATION AWARD

Day Today Alloa Road

Premier Broadway

Premier Girish’s @ Barmulloch

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Premier Broadway

Premier Leuchars

Spar Portland

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

ONCE A HUTTIE WALLAH, ALWAYS A HUTTIE WALLAH!

Spar Renfrew celebrated its 30th anniversary last month, while the Sadiq family business marked its 40th birthday. SLR caught up with Saleem Sadiq to take a look back at a remarkable business.

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

BBefore we even came to Scotland we were steeped in retail,” laughs Saleem Sadiq, whose Spar Renfrew store celebrated its remarkable 30th anniversary on 22 March. “My grandmother was involved in retail back in Pakistan and we were known as the ‘Huttie Wallahs,’ the shopkeepers. And, as they say, once a Huttie Wallah, always a Huttie Wallah!”

Saleem came to the UK in 1967 with his older brother Khalid and his father. “I was 10 years old and couldn’t speak a word of English,” he laughs. Aged 11 I went into primary one! But within a few years I was in high school and I did alright.” His dad had been given permission by his own father to try his luck in Scotland for five years

with the promise that he’d return to Pakistan. “True to his word, my dad went back after five years,” explains Saleem, “but then he asked my grandfather for another five years!

“My dad had been in the army but was discharged to come to the UK and he got a job as a bus conductor, then became a driver and an inspector. In 1968, my brothers Iqbal and Ashy and my sister Shamim joined us. Umjit was the only one of us to be born over here.”

FIRST STEPS

Before long, however, Saleem’s dad wanted to be his own boss and bought a small newsagents on Maxwell road on the south side of Glasgow. “He had agreed the deal with the owner, a man

named John Murray, but he was £250 short –which was a lot of money in 1968. He tried nine banks and got nowhere then, at the last minute, Bank of Scotland gave him a banker’s cheque for the £250 and the deal was done,” says Saleem.

That the family business still banks with Bank of Scotland tells you something about the importance the Sadiq’s place on loyalty.

“At the time we lived in Ibrox, and Khalid and I used to cycle over there every weekend to open the shop and give dad a long lie,” he says. Khalid was 15 at this point and Saleem was just 12.

During that time, Saleem’s uncle arrived in Scotland and the business began to grow. The brothers ultimately owned four newsagents before selling them to enter the restaurant business.

By the time Saleem got involved, the family owned three restaurants. As a dyed-in-the-wool family of Huttie Wallahs, however, they then decided to sell these to get back into retail.

BACK IN THE GAME

“We bought the first store in Duntocher in December 1984,” recalls Saleem. “It was a Spar store and my main recollection is that people asked us why we were planning to stay with Spar because the perception at that time was that Spar was expensive, and that’s probably still true today! But what we saw in Spar was professionalism and discipline. We felt it was the right way to run a business. We didn’t want to be touring round cash and carrys chasing deals. We wanted to run the shop well, and efficiently and professionally.”

The next store to join the group was another Spar store in Bonhill. “We bought it, closed it for a full refit, then reopened it and doubled the turnover in the first week,” says Saleem. “We just got all the basics right, treated our customers with respect and we got the rewards.”

Saleem’s dad, however, was never very keen on the Bonhill store. “It was in the middle of a housing scheme and felt closed in at night. Dad was never keen for us to be in there, so after five years we sold it,” he says.

That was in 1992 and, having offloaded one store, the family soon acquired another in Knightswood and promptly took it into Spar.

A year or so later, Saleem was invited to have a look at a store in Renfrew owned by the Co-op. Nothing doing at that point but, around a year later, he was invited back for another look and a fresh deal – and this time the family decided to go for it.

They gutted it, rebuilt it more or less from the ground up and re-opened on 22 March 1994. The result? “Sales doubled in the first week again,” laughs Saleem. And, 30 years down the line, the family has just celebrated 30 years in the store, a remarkable achievement.

PARTY TIME

The family hosted a huge in-store party that saw a host of locals, customers, family, friends and colleagues attend, including Spar Scotland CEO Colin McLean.

McLean says: “Congratulations to Saleem, the Sadiq family and all the staff and customers of Spar Renfrew. It is a wonderful family history in convenience retailing and today a brilliant Spar business. Local retailing is at the heart of everything they do, and we wish Saleem continued success with his business – both in this generation and the next.”

What is so striking about Spar Renfrew has been the passion and vision that Saleem has been able to bring to the store consistently and unfailingly for three full decades. The store has always been near the cutting edge of local retailing; the wall of countless industry awards behind the till tells its own story.

“Our guiding principle has always been to just do things right,” explains Saleem. “That’s what has made us successful in this store for 30 years and successful as a business for 40. We learned very early on that nobody wants to come to a messy, dirty store. Just like everybody wants a nice house, everybody wants a nice store. It’s not complicated.”

Well, running a successful convenience retailing business for 30 years can be complicated, but Saleem and family have a knack for making it look easy.

“I think it comes down to passion and drive and a work ethic,” ponders Saleem. “We’re natural-born Huttie Wallahs and I get a buzz from retail in a way I don’t get from other sectors. We don’t want to have all of our eggs

in one basket, so we have some properties, we have a nurseries business, we recently bought a football pitch complex. It’s all great but nothing gives me the buzz I get from retail. I don’t know where the years have gone, but I would happily do it all over again.”

FULL SPEED AHEAD

In typical fashion, Saleem has no retirement plans yet. There’s too much to be done.

“We recently sold the Duntocher store to our Postmaster, although we retain an interest. The Co-op took back the Knightswood store after the 21-year lease expired, but it doesn’t seem to have done so well since then. But we’ve still got stores on Kilbowie Road and at St George’s Cross and we’re busy – and doing well. A lot of retailers tell me it’s been difficult for the last while, but we’re doing well, especially here in Renfrew.

“We had a great Christmas and we’re up 12% year-on-year, although inflation obviously played some part in that. But we’re doing well. Our home delivery business is also doing really well and accounts for about 15% of our turnover and 17% of our sales uplift. But there’s a lot more we can do with it. It’s the future, as far as I’m concerned.”

Over and above all that, there are a couple of major refits in the pipeline, including at Renfrew. “We’ve got some big plans and we’re considering some quite unusual ideas,” he says. “It’s exciting.”

Perhaps surprisingly, considering the family now has “15 or 16 kids,” only one of them is actively involved in the business, Saleem’s son Waseem.

“We never groomed them to come into the business,” explains Saleem. “And they’re all doctors and lawyers and dentists and opticians and teachers and engineers and architects! Waseem trained in accountancy, so that’s prepared him well for the business. We never asked him to join, he just wanted to, but we’ll be looking for him to take the business forward for the next 30 years!”

As well as Waseem, Saleem can also rely on a “wonderful” team at the store. “I’m very proud of my staff. I’ve always believed that if you treat your team well, they’ll look after you.”

It’s been a rollercoaster 30 years and it looks like there’s still plenty in the tank for the years ahead for a most remarkable retailing family.

An indication of the popularity of Saleem and siblings is the fact that a TikTok post showing the family holding their 30th birthday cake outside the store received over 30,000 views.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” concludes Saleem. “30,000 hits on our 30th anniversary.” It is indeed, and we look forward to attending the 40th birthday party in 2034.

AVENS RETAIL FASCIA DEBUTED IN KIRKCALDY

Multi-store retailer Zahid Mukhtar has unveiled a brand-new fascia for his latest store in Kirkcaldy with help from specialist convenience consultancy the C-Store Collective.

Scottish retailer Zahid Mukhtar has opened his first ‘Avens Retail’ fascia store with the support of Nisa and specialist convenience consultancy the C-Store Collective. The new store on Rosslyn Street in Kirkcaldy is Zahid’s second store in the town and his third in total, with another site in nearby Ballingry.

While the two existing stores are Nisabranded, Zahid was keen to give his latest store a fresh new identity to help set it apart from the competition. For a relatively small town, Kirkcaldy is already well served in terms of convenience, with chains including Greens and David’s Kitchen already well established there.

“It was important for Zahid that the store stood apart from the competition so we worked with him on developing a bold strategy to achieve that,” explains Jon Rons, co-founder of the C-Store Collective.

“Zahid approached us last year and we were invited to run what we call our Health Checks on his existing stores, basically getting under the hood of the business and producing in-depth analysis and developing a strategy to develop the business, drive efficiencies and improve the profits of the stores.

“In the midst of that he told us he was planning to add a third store and asked our advice on helping ensure it stood out and made a splash in the local community, as well as offering him some flexibility in the future. The discussion quickly evolved, and we agreed that the best way

to do that was to build a brand-new fascia from the ground up.”

Rons introduced Zahid to a C-Store Collective partner, the Design Workshop in Hull, to start developing the concept for the new brand.

“We’ve worked with the Design Workshop on lots of projects and they’re very familiar with the sector,” says Rons. “They work with Filco and Heron Foods, for example, and also CK Foodstores in Wales – so they know convenience.”

“The first concepts were around Kirkcaldy’s historic links with the linoleum trade,” laughs Rons. “Zahid was keen to give the brand a true and authentic local feel so we gave him various design options and in the end he settled on Avens Retail, a name which comes from the wood avens, a local wildflower. Hence the logo you see above the door now!”

Rons and fellow C-Store Collective founders and industry veterans Mike Igoe and John Heagney then developed what Rons refers to as a “brand bible” which Zahid followed when implementing to the use of the new branding.

During the process, it became clear to Rons that Zahid’s successful food-to-go offer could be further elevated by creating a sub-brand which could be used across all three stores.

“Food to go is huge in the two existing stores and it’s done really, really well,” he explains. “So we recognised the opportunity to create a special sub-brand to give the food-to-go offer its own unique identity. We agreed on Avens Deli

“Zahid was keen to give the brand a true and authentic local feel and in the end he settled on Avens, a name which comes from the wood avens, a local wildflower.”

and it was rolled out across all three stores. It looks fantastic and it’s landing really well with customers.”

All in all, the new store has the look and feel of a bright, airy and modern convenience store and, despite only being open for a few weeks, is already proving to be a valuable addition to the local community.

The grand opening saw local residents join footballers from Raith Rovers and MSP David Torrance for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Day one visitors were given goodie bags, free burgers, Calippo slush iced drinks and a raffle with the opportunity to win a 50” TV.

One lucky customer also took part in a 60-second supermarket sweep to celebrate the opening of the store.

Nisa fully supported the launch and provides the same level of support and expertise throughout the whole store development process to stores that open under an independent fascia.

“This new store felt like the perfect opportunity to introduce Avens to the residents of Kirkcaldy and, so far, our customers have been very complimentary about the store,” says Zahid.

“The benefit of being a Nisa customer is that they really do support your vision for the store and work with you no matter what fascia features at the front of the store. The support I’ve had from Nisa’s retail and format team has been brilliant, and they’ve worked hard with us to deliver our vision for Avens and supported our launch event alongside some suppliers.”

The store also carries an extremely comprehensive range as well as food-to-go and

a glass-doored beer cave. The store’s manager Lee Drysdale has worked in retail since leaving school at the age of 16. Lee describes this store as “a hybrid between a convenience store and a supermarket”, with the larger store size differentiating it from typical high street convenience stores.

The store has also partnered with Kirkcaldy’s award-winning Stuarts the Bakers and Butchers to offer meat and baked goods. This includes a new custard fudge doughnut created exclusively for Avens.

With the new store set to play a major role in the local community, Zahid is intent on actively giving back to the community through Nisa’s

Make a Difference Locally (MADL) charity. MADL helps Nisa stores raise money that can then be donated to local charities and good causes through the sale of selected products in store.

So far, Zahid’s wider business has donated almost £10,000 through MADL to benefit initiatives operated by St Andrew’s RC High School, Lochgelly High School and Kids Come First.

It’s still early days for Zahid and his team but the indications are that the new store will prove to be a fantastic new asset and there’s every chance that this won’t be the last Avens Retail store in Scotland.

THE POWER OF INTEGRATION

With more and more tech making its way into convenience stores, getting kit from different suppliers to run smoothly together can be a challenge. With that in mind, SLR invited Henderson Technology to share the learnings from the development of its EdgePOS platform and suite of fully integrated apps with a panel of key convenience industry figures.

BY FINDLAY STEIN

ATTENDEES

Q Antony Begley, Publishing Director, SLR

Q Matthew Howie, Wholesale Account Manager, Morrisons Daily

Q Ester Uche, Business Development Executive (Scotland & Northern England), Henderson Technology

Q Shamly Sud, Managing Director, GHSL

Q Jordan Lavery, Customer Relations Executive, Henderson Technology

Q Kevin Blyth, Corporate Development Manager, Highland Fuels

Q Stephen Thomson, CEO, Eddy’s Food Station

Q Stephen Jackson, Company Risk & Sustainability Manager, One O One Convenience Stores

Q Kristine Moore, Retail Technology Channel Manager, Henderson Technology

Technology. It’s great when it works. Conversely, it can be a nightmare when it doesn’t. We have some personal experience of this. Back when SLR ran the Woodlands Local store all three tills chose one Friday night to crash simultaneously. Cue mayhem in a store packed with what felt like half of Falkirk all trying to buy booze on the busiest night of the week.

The first solution, switching the tills off then switching them back on, drew a blank. A panicked phone call to the EPoS provider was met with an automated reply assuring us someone would call back “within the hour”. So, with nothing else for it, it was time to break out the pens and paper and dust off some longneglected mental arithmetic skills.

And that’s just one part of an increasingly complicated in-store tech equation. You can and possibly already do have any number of different solutions that all work fine in isolation but then refuse to play nice with each other.

Again, at Woodlands, we had no end of bother trying to integrate third-party solutions for food waste and home delivery. EPoS providers, it turns out, aren’t keen to grant third party access to their systems, mostly even refusing to allow simple APIs to make the systems work quicker and more efficiently. This experience taught us a valuable lesson: all these different platforms need to seamlessly integrate with the EPoS software so that real-time data about everything from pricing and stock levels can move back and forth without any friction. In other words, you don’t have to update a dozen separate computers every time you change the price of a packet of biscuits.

Back in 2010, Northern Ireland’s Henderson Retail was experiencing similar frustrations finding an EPoS provider that could offer a solution that did everything it needed an EPoS system to do. However, instead of breaking out the biros, it turned to sister company Henderson Technology to create its own system, EDGEPoS. This puts Henderson in a fairly unique position, as an EPoS provider that uses its own system in its own stores. Hence the EDGEPos motto, ‘By retailers, for retailers’.

Not only does Henderson use EDGEPoS itself, but it is continually developing and improving the platform based on the company’s experience of front-line convenience retailing.

That experience extends to approximately 560 stores in Northern Ireland, of which around 100 are company-owned. The business also has a large footprint in Australia and is making inroads in the UK, having just completed its 155th installation on the mainland.

So, with all that in mind, we lured Henderson Technology across the water with the promise of a fantastic lunch at Glasgow’s upmarket Hotel du Vin to give our panel of major players in Scotland’s convenience industry a quick overview of the cutting-edge tech integrations it can offer and its experience of tweaking and developing them over time.

DO IT YOURSELF

Henderson was ahead of the curve when it planned to launch hybrid self-checkout tills in its company-owned stores back in 2018. This was before the pandemic, when their usage really took off as customers sought to reduce their human interaction, and the business found the existing options “way too expensive”

EDGEPOS FEATURES

SECURITY

Q Payment Options

Q Safe drops

Q Advanced Age Check

Q Audit Trails

Q Authorisation

Q Authorising fuel

Q Contactless payments

Q Drive off prevention

Q Fuel fraud prevention

Q Live system

Q PayPoint Integration

Q Transactions

Q Wholesaler Link Integration

OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY

Q Automatic end of day reports

Q Report Scheduler

Q Fuel Cards Integration

Q Multi-Currency payments

Q Receipt resolution

Q Self-populating PLUs

Q Supplier database

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Q Customer accounts

Q Customer loyalty scheme

Q Deals & Promotions

Q Instore Coupons

Q Multi buys

Q Upselling Messages

– in the words of Kristine Moore, Henderson Technology’s Retail Technology Channel Manager – and not a good fit for forecourts or convenience stores. So, in typical fashion, it then developed its own option which proved a great success when its wholesale customers tried it.

The company has been constantly developing and features and options available ever since, and now every Henderson Retail store that opens has standalone self-checkouts by default, for both card and cash.

Every till in Henderson’s retail estate also uses the third-party Glory automated cash handling platform, a cassette-based system which means staff never come into contact with notes and coins.

Moore accepts that the units are “not cheap” but they do offer “lots and lots of benefits”. If your store shuts at 11, then your staff are out at 11, she said. Aside from the obvious benefits around efficiency, security and shrinkage –with stores seeing cash loss “dropping to zero” – Henderson Retail finds the system works as a useful tool in recruiting and retaining staff.

And, in what’s perceived as an increasingly cashless society, adding Glory increases self-

Sharing the knowledge: Kristine Moore, Henderson Technology’s Retail Technology Channel Manager

EDGEPos: ‘By retailers, for retailers’

Check this out: no need to handle cash

checkout use from 18% to 60%, Moore said. Henderson offers the solution on a seven-year lease deal, something that Glory itself doesn’t do.

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Henderson also offers Electronic Shelf Edge Labels (ESELs) to retailers on a seven-year lease, with no upfront costs, after its own positive experience with them.

“No one but no one in Henderson Group ever foresaw how successful we would be with Electronic Shelf Edge Labels,” said Moore, adding that the company is now installing them in two stores per week in Northern Ireland and two per month in mainland UK.

Despite all showing a great interest in them, none of the retailers at the roundtable have installed ESELs yet – with the cost a major factor in this decision. Moore said retailers would see a return on investment after three years and benefit from an instant margin growth of typically 0.6% for a two- or three-lane store.

The other benefits are obvious: flexible pricing, no wrong prices and no time-sapping and souldestroying manual promotional changeovers. Every retailer knows the pain of swapping out endless numbers of tickets every three or four weeks.

Moore cited a 16-lane Eurospar store in Portadown that used to take an entire week to change promotions. That’s now down to under three minutes with ESELs. A typical two- to three-lane store would save 12 to 16 employee hours per week, she said, adding that Henderson had yet to receive a single piece of negative feedback about its ESELs.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

A kiosk ordering solution for food to go is another example of how Henderson’s constantly evolving ecosystem can help save time.

This is an extension of the EDGEPoS click & collect and home delivery apps, which circumvent the problems associated with integrating different platforms. As mentioned previously, we found it impossible to run a practical home delivery operation at Woodlands because of EPoS issues. One retailer on the panel said that they had problems updating prices on one of the leading apps.

EDGEPoS has a Deliverect integration linking it to all of the major food delivery platforms while a second integration with Brandbank removes the need to manually upload the product pictures that bring the customer-facing website or app to life and drive sales. Moore said the system automatically uploads prices to Deliverect once a day and retailers can also manually change prices. Since a number of home delivery platforms won’t let retailers make

prices on the app more expensive than in-store, those who want to add a mark-up to cover app commission charges can export their prices, add 30% or whatever, then reimport them.

Henderson decided to expand this function to self-serve kiosks and “let customers come in and serve themselves,” with an October 2022 launch in its flagship Spar Mallusk store. This huge 5,400sq ft store acts as a test bed for all of Henderson’s latest developments. Now 12% of its food-to-go sales come through self-ordering.

Promotions also feed through the kiosk screens, which can display different meal deals depending on the time of day, with breakfastspecific offers automatically switching to a lunchtime deal and so on.

Henderson’s drive-thru concept takes the self-ordering kiosks outside and is again driven through digital media screens fully integrated with the EDGEPoS system.

SCREEN TIME

Henderson will also be launching a range of digital screens in “all kinds of weird and wonderful sizes” at the upcoming National Convenience Show at the end of the month. These will be offered as standalone products although the screens can, of course, be fully integrated with EDGEPoS, meaning retailers can change a price at the head or back office, which will then simultaneously deploy to tills, self-checkouts, ESELs and menu boards.

Highland Fuels’ Kevin Blyth is a big fan of digital signage. “It really works,” he said, citing his experience with the 7/11 chain in the US, which saw a 45% increase in sales of products promoted on screens.

Shamly Sud, who has gone in hard with screens in her award-winning Racetrack stores, agreed. “It makes retail fun,” she said. Shamly said she picks up a lot of ideas from America and is now trying to up the experiential aspect in her stores by going more Wonka. Given the number of trophies on her mantelpiece, it’s safe to say that she’ll make a better job of this than the organisers of the recent Glasgow-based Willy Wonka Experience that took the world by storm for all the wrong reasons.

NOBODY’S FUEL

It’s already been mentioned that Henderson operates around 100 company-owned stores. Many of these also sell fuel and subsequently EDGEPoS boasts a number of features geared towards forecourt operators.

These have been bolstered by the launch of a Fuel Pay app, which Moore admits copies the concept of BPme, and is a cost-effective simple way of offering pay at the pump that negates the need for expensive terminals. It’s a white label app, meaning multisite forecourt operators can badge it up with their own branding, that can also incorporate a loyalty scheme. Customers simply choose their forecourt and pump then fill up and drive off.

There is also support Blue Badge drivers with limited mobility, who can select their fuel and amount then call for an assistant to come and fill up for them via the app. It goes without saying that it seamlessly integrates with EDGEPoS.

FUTURE OF CONVENIENCE?

If you’ve read this far then you could be forgiven for thinking that we’re giving the integration drum a right good banging but it’s hard to envision a world in five years’ time where it won’t be playing a vital role in convenience.

With the minimum wage only going in one direction and the likes of Aldi and Lidl offering increasingly tempting salaries, it can be argued that the future may lie in running stores more efficiently and with a reduced headcount.

An integrated store would see tech doing all the boring and difficult jobs, with a smaller number of staff freed up to look after customers and do things that they’re good at and actually enjoy. And not – as one Henderson employee had to do in the days before ESELs – spend 40 hours every week checking paper labels.

That thought, much like the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding served up by Hotel du Vin, is something worth chewing over.

Henderson’s flagship Spar Mallusk store

ESELs take the pain out of promotions

RETAIL

REVOLUTIONISE YOUR STORE WITH EDGEPOS

EDGEPoS offers seamless EPOS integrations for forecourt, convenience and retail environments

Give your business a head start with EDGEPoS

Contact us today to learn more about Henderson Technology and how we can support your business going forward

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Jacob’s Cheesy Specials pladis

Dialling up Jacob’s ‘baked with real cheese’ USP, the two new ultracheesy variants – Smoked Cheddar and Jacob’s Mini Cheddars

Cheddar & Roasted Tomato – are available from this month in 6 x 23g multipacks (RSP £1.75). The Smoked Cheddar variant also comes in a 90g £1.25 PMP. The launch targets younger shoppers seeking bold, trending flavours.

Monster Juiced Bad Apple CCEP

Available now in both plain and £1.65 priced-marked 500ml cans, Monster Juiced Bad Apple combines the Monster Energy blend with a crisp refreshing apple taste that’s not too sweet.

The can design features an edgy female character grasping a Monster claw-inscribed apple. Request Monster Juiced Bad Apple POS and download digital assets from My.CCEP.com.

Marmite Crisps/Tortillas Tayto

Marmite has teamed up with Tayto Group to launch a new Marmitebranded range of crisps and snacks. Marmite Crisps (65g) and Tortillas (70g) are both available in £1.25 sharing price-marked packs now. The new range delivers an authentic Marmite taste, which has been reformulated, and can be found in distinctive, black packs sporting the iconic Marmite logo.

When given lemons, make Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has launched two new lemon-flavoured colas: Coca-Cola Original Taste Lemon and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Lemon.

Available now, packs put the citrus flavour front and centre, combining Coca-Cola red with a yellow gradient and lemon graphic.

The two variants are available in 330ml cans, 500ml rPET bottles and larger 1.75-litre (Coca-Cola Original Taste Lemon) and two-litre (Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Lemon) rPET bottles and multi-pack cans. Pricemarked options are available for Coca-Cola Original Taste Lemon in 500ml rPET and 330ml cans, and 500ml rPET bottles of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Lemon.

The roll-out is supported by a large-scale marketing campaign, including sampling, out-of-home

Rockstar Zero Sugar Blueberry PepsiCo

Rockstar’s new on-trend flavour is available in 500ml cans, both plain and priced-marked at £1.29. Its subtle taste is designed to recruit older consumers to the category, while retaining Rockstar’s core 18-35 fan base.

The launch will be supported by out-of-home media, sampling, in-store activity, and a strategic combination of PR and influencer initiatives.

advertising, experiential, social media content and in-store activities. POS kits are available from the My.CCEP.com trade website.

The new launches come with flavoured colas growing ahead of the colas segment as a whole.

Rob Yeomans, Vice-President, Commercial Development at CCEP GB, said: “Coca-Cola and lemon are a natural combination. Consumers that order Coca-Cola in a pub will be used to seeing it served with ‘ice and a slice,’ which for many is the ideal refreshment on a hot summer day.

“Our new Lemon flavour will help us to bring that iconic pairing into retail, with a full-on zing flavour to deliver a taste that we know consumers will love – with and without sugar.”

Jammie Dodgers Apple & Blackcurrant Minis Fox’s Burton’s Companies

The new product is available in Sainsbury’s first, with a wider roll out to follow. Packs of 6 x 20g mini-packs have an RSP of £1.25. The launch follows the introduction of 140g Jammie Dodgers Apple & Blackcurrant flavour last May, which recruited 277,000 incremental shoppers to the brand. It comes as demand for pre-portioned, mini snacks rises, with mini biscuits growing faster than the wider market.

Protein 25 Yogurt Drink Graham’s The Family Dairy

This brand-new yogurt drink meets a growing demand for naturally nutrient-rich protein products and are designed for ‘on the go’ consumers who want to make the most of their workouts. Fat and sweetener free, the drinks come in four flavours: Salted Caramel, Strawberry, Vanilla and Peach. Each 330ml serving provides 25g of protein. In addition, the drinks contain live gut-friendly bacteria.

Rubicon Spring Pink

Grapefruit Blood Orange

Barr Soft Drinks

Available now in 500ml plain and £1 price-marked packs, Rubicon Spring Pink Grapefruit Blood Orange performed well in consumer research with three out of four people saying they would definitely or probably buy it. The launch is supported by a marketing campaign that includes strategic digital activity and national time-activated sampling to drive trial and engagement.

Extra Flamin’ Hot PepsiCo

The UK launch of PepsiCo’s Extra Flamin’ Hot platform brings a spicy twist to Doritos, Walkers Max and Wotsits Crunchy, with sharing bags (RSP £2.50) and £1.25 PMPs available now. The new Doritos and Walkers Max Extra Flamin’ Hot varieties are both non-HFSS. The launch is supported by a twomonth-long multi-millionpound marketing campaign that takes in TV, social media, digital and consumer PR activities.

Babybel x Comic Relief Bel UK

This is the 25th year of Babybel’s partnership with Red Nose Day and the brand has released limitededition packs to get the nation laughing with their ‘Share a Giggle initiative’. Every pack purchased donates 5p to Comic Relief and has a QR code which sends consumers to a ‘giggle gallery’. Special packs of 6, 10 and 12 laughter-themed cheeses are available while stocks last across both Original and Light variants.

Cadbury Dairy Milk &More Mondelez

The latest addition to the Cadbury Dairy Milk range is available now in two variants – Nutty Praline Crisp (180g) and Caramel Nut Crunch (200g) – both of which have a £2.75 RSP. Both also come with larger chunks compared to a standard 180g Dairy Milk bar. To find out more about the new product please visit cadbury.co.uk and, for more ranging and merchandising advice, retailers can also visit snackdisplay.co.uk.

Chupa Chups Slush Pouches Rose Marketing

New Chupa Chups Slush Pouches are available to buy direct from Rose Marketing in single-flavour shelf-ready cases of 12 in two variants, Strawberry and Cola, with an RSP of £1.25. The vegan-friendly slushes are made with real fruit juice, have no added sugar and contain 41 calories per pouch. The new range is fully HFSS compliant, with a zero score.

Biona cooking pastes

Windmill Organic

Organic food supplier Biona has launched a new range of organic and convenient cooking pastes includes 130g jars of garlic paste, ginger paste and a combined garlic and ginger paste, all with an RSP of £3.19. With demand for preprepared cooking pastes on the increase, the range is targeted at time-poor consumers who don’t have the time to peel and chop.

Loving your work

Diet Coke’s new campaign, ‘Love What You Love, By You,’ follows on from 2022’s ‘Love What You Love’ activity. It is built around more than 30 quotes from genuine Diet Coke fans from across the UK. A new TV ad spearheads the campaign, which also includes video-ondemand, out-of-home, digital, social media, influencer, PR and in-store activities.

Life’s good

RTD premium milk drink Chocomel has kicked off six months of promotional activity with a new TV advert designed to raise brand awareness and increase penetration under the banner ‘When Life Gives You Chocomel’. The advert is set to reach 86% of UK adults via TV, cinema, video on demand and other digital platforms as part of a £5m media spend.

Blooming marvellous

Molson Coors has invested more than £1m this in the return of Staropramen’s ‘Prague Expert’ marketing campaign. The campaign stars the number one Prague beer brand’s global brand ambassador, Lord of the Rings star and UNICEF ambassador Orlando Bloom. It includes 30-second and 75-second ads played across video-on-demand and cinema.

Own goal

Snickers has launched a new campaign starring Bukayo Saka and Luka Modrić. An ad sees a barber shear off a strip of a customer’s hair when he celebrates a goal on TV. Modrić and Saka give the fan a Snickers with the tagline ‘Own goal? Maybe you just need a Snickers’. The campaign also includes out-ofhome, digital, social, PR and in-store activities.

KP kicks back

KP Snacks has unveiled a new campaign to promote its KP Flavour Kravers range. Running until mid-May across social media and out-of-home channels, the campaign focuses on the latest variants, Crunchy Coated Aromatic Thai Chilli and Crunchy Coated Katsu Curry, and continues the brand’s ‘Kick back with a pack’ messaging.

for all the latest product news, head to www.slrmag.co.uk/category/product-news/

The soft drinks category is a constant positive sales driver for the independence channel and this is projected to continue as the warmer weather approaches.

The total category is now worth more than £12bn, according to Circana, maintaining its spot in the top three categories in convenience. Within the soft drinks category, sports & energy accounts for £1bn, with energy stimulation drinks being a significant contributor to the value growth of the sub-category, growing by 21% year-on-year and accounting for 28% of all soft drink value sales.

ENERGY BONANZA

The sports drinks sector shows no signs of slowing down, offering retailers a rapid rate of sales. According to data to the end of January 2024, sports drinks have become the second fastest growing category within Soft Drinks, with a +57% value growth year-on-year.

“Sitting at the forefront of the category’s growth pattern with its +41% value growth YOY, Boost Sport is currently the number two sports drink brand in volume,” to Adrian Hipkiss, Commercial Director at Boost Drinks, says. “As consumers are increasingly turning to products

TIPS FOR RETAILERS FROM BOOST DRINKS

Q Ensure products are blocked by soft drinks category.

Q Merchandise products by pack size to limit any confusion.

Q Ensure bestsellers are at eyeline in the chiller.

Q Maximise space by increasing vertical facings as well as horizontal.

Q Maximise space in the chiller by placing large packs in ambient space.

Q It is important to stock not only bestsellers. Ensure you are meeting all shoppers’ needs with products at different price points and pack sizes.

REFRESHING UPLIFT

With the warm weather beckoning, the strong soft drinks category is expected to supercharge sales once again.

BY ELENA DIMAMA

that deliver on quality without compromising on price, it’s important for retailers to take into consideration the two main drivers influencing consumer purchase of sports drinks: ‘taste’ and ‘value’. Taste is the most important factor for consumers when choosing sports drinks.”

Energy flavours indeed continued to grow in popularity last year, with 71% of shoppers that were new to energy drinks in 2023 having bought a flavoured product, according to Kantar. “Increasingly consumers are looking for variety in flavours with 85% agreeing that they ‘want to try new and unusual flavours in energy drinks’ which has contributed to the success of Red Bull flavours in 2023,” Red Bull notes.

“For Red Bull, NPD has been largely incremental with 50% of shoppers that bought into the Edition range being new to the Red Bull brand and 75% of Red Bull Editions value was incremental to total Sports & Energy, so having them alongside their core range is likely to attract incremental shoppers.”

New and enhanced flavours have also helped Lucozade capture the category’s popularity, with Lucozade Energy having grown in value last year by 2.8%, according to Nielsen, following the introduction of a new look and taste for the brand’s Original and Orange flavours. “The changes also prompted 25% more shoppers to purchase the brand and over half of these (52% ) were light or lapsed shoppers, which suggests the drinks’ fresh new pack design and bolder flavour profiles are renewing shopper interest in the brand and driving trial,” Matt Gouldsmith, Channel Director, Wholesale, Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, explains.

FIZZ UP

The flavoured carbonates category is also performing quite strongly at the moment. According to Circana, it is the third-largest category within soft drinks, worth over £357m and growing by 2% year-on-year.

“Tropical is the second-fastest-growing fruit flavour in the category, growing +22% and adding +£2.5m RSV in the last year. Rio, which contains exotic guava and passion fruit is growing +3% year on year and is in the top three ROS of all fruit carbonates,” Hipkiss notes. “According to research, 40% of fruit carbonated shoppers buy a 1.5Ltr/2Ltr drink once a week or more, showing that now more than ever, consumers are opting for drinks in take-home formats that can easily be enjoyed and shared amongst the family and friends.”

The category has also created space for growth in the flavoured sparkling water sector, fuelled by a strong emphasis on both functional health and taste. Red Star Brands, which launched Sparkling Ice to the UK market in 2016, is investing in a summer sampling roadshow and an influencer gifting campaign to support retail sales through key locations.

“Not all consumers want fizzy pop, but they are looking for something more exciting than water. This presents convenience retailers with an opportunity to offer innovative fruity sparkling soft drinks, which are available for that on-the-go moment,” Clark McIlroy, Managing Director, Red Star Brands, says.

RIGHT ON THE MONEY

The tobacco category still offers bright opportunities despite the value storm.

BY GAELLE WALKER

TOBACCO: KEY FACTS

Q The tobacco category, which is worth £14bn each year, provides a substantial sales opportunity for retailers.

Q Factory Made Cigarettes currently holds the lion’s share of the market, worth 70% of tobacco sales, with Roll Your Own accounting for 30%.

Q In fact, the value tier, combined with the economy sector, now make up a substantial 69% of all FMC sales and 54% of all RYO sales.

(SOURCE: IMPERIAL TOBACCO.)

For local stores across Scotland, tobacco remains a key driver not just of footfall but also associated purchases.

As such, keeping on top of the latest tobacco trends and developments remains of the upmost importance – and there’s no bigger trend right now than value for money.

Adult smokers’ quest for value has continued to shape new product development within the tobacco market recently, with a number of product upgrades designed to provide them with more bang for their buck.

One such development came from Imperial Tobacco, which recently launched an upgraded version of its Regal Signature cigarettes to help retailers tap into the value trend.

Featuring the strapline, ‘The New Champion of Scotland,’ Regal Signature cigarettes feature quality paper, firm filters and a roundedcornered box.

Packs of Regal Signature cigarettes now also boast resealable foil to help lock moisture in and maintain freshness. The range, including Kingsize and Superkingsize formats, is available to buy now in packs of 20 at an RSP of £12.75.

The hunt for products which offer the lowest out-of-pocket price is also being felt hard and fast in the Roll-Your-Own (RYO) segment, where product sales within the value price sector are growing by 8% year on year according to Imperial Tobacco, whose line-up includes Regal Signature, Riverstone and Players JPS.

It’s not surprising then that smaller pouch formats which offer the lowest out-of-pocket spend account for the lion’s share of sales within the category, with Imperial data showing that 30g packs of rolling tobacco are now the most popular with adult smokers – making up a meaty 69% of all RYO sales.

“Larger formats still account for 31% of RYO sales, so ensuring a range of 50g formats is available should also be a focus.”

YAWER RASOOL, UK CONSUMER MARKETING DIRECTOR, IMPERIAL TOBACCO

However, as the company’s UK Consumer Marketing Director Yawer Rasool warns, “larger formats still account for 31% of RYO sales, so ensuring a range of 50g formats is available should also be a focus.”

ACCESSORIES

With 4.5 million RYO smokers in the UK, the tobacco accessories category provides a substantial sales opportunity for retailers. Within the category, rolling papers continue to shine, growing at +13.3% year on year and worth more than £73m in convenience alone – according to Circana data for the year to 6 August 2023.

King size papers represent around 60% of the category’s sales value and within this, combi papers is the fastest growing segment.

Value-savvy consumers are also increasingly migrating from king size into combi formats due to the added value and convenience that they offer. Responding to this trend, Imperial has recently extended its combi range to include a new Classic King Size Combi variant for Rizla.

Other developments within the papers market include the introduction of OCB’s Authentic Real Rice Paper to the UK market.

Organic and chlorine free, OCB Rice Papers are made from a blend of rice and organic hemp. The unbleached, ultra-thin papers deliver a premium rolling and slow-burning experience in a natural, brown paper.

Featuring 32 papers per pack, OCB Rice is available in both Slim (RSP, £1.10) and Slim & Tips (RSP, £1.73).

Commenting on the move, Republic Technologies’ UK Sales & Marketing Director Gavin Anderson says: “Shoppers are more demanding than ever, looking for quality and value in every purchase. Top-quality products, displays and innovation are important, complemented by broad availability and distribution, but the importance of a competitive price point should not be underestimated.”

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Legislation to ban future generations of adults from ever legally being sold tobacco products will be introduced in Scotland as well as the rest of the UK, it has been confirmed.

The proposal by the UK government will gradually increase the age of sale for cigarettes, making it an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.

Health is a devolved matter, but agreement has been reached for a four-nation approach to tackling smoking.

The proposed legislation will grant Scotland the appropriate powers needed to enact the bill, but the Scottish Parliament will then need to give its consent via a vote in Holyrood.

CIGAR UPDATE

Q The total UK cigar category is currently worth just over £306.4m in annual sales, up just over 8% year on year according to latest data from STG. The category’s positive performance is mainly down to cigarillo sales, which have experienced profound success over the past four years, now accounting for just under £122m in annual sales and more than half of all cigars sold in volume terms.

Q The small, often flavoured, cigars are expected to continue shining brightly in 2024, as STG’s UK Marketing Manager Nataly Scarpetta explains: “Cigarillo sales show no sign of slowing down so I would expect that particular success story to continue throughout 2024 and beyond.

“Our Signature Action brand is currently the fastest-growing cigarillo, experiencing sales growth of 40.4% versus the same time last year.”

Scarpetta also urges retailers to keep an eye on flavoured cigars which are doing well in mainland Europe. “This doesn’t only mean peppermint-flavoured cigarillos, other flavoured cigars are popular too, particularly in the miniature segment, so make sure you have some good options in stock. Our Signature Red Filter brand is currently the UK’s bestselling aromatic filter cigar, with a smooth taste and vanilla flavour which proves consistently popular with those adult smokers,” she adds.

FROZEN INDULGENCE

Ice cream remains a classic favourite that retailers can continue to lean on in the summer months to drive sales – especially in Scotland.

BY ELENA DIMAMA

Ice cream is often viewed as a timeless dessert staple despite inflationary pressures, remaining incredibly popular with younger consumers and undergoing something of a culinary revolution in Scotland.

In the UK overall, the category has seen a 4% increase in value sales from 2022 to 2023, according to Nielsen, but volume sales fell by 8.2% in the same period, highlighting the impact of inflation on consumer purchasing habits.

THE SCOTTISH UPLIFT

However, Scotland has emerged as a “standout performer,” according to Andrew Niven, Strategic Market Intelligence Manager for The Knowledge Bank. The country has outpaced England and Wales with a 6.3% value growth – Nielsen data has shown – with Scottish brands led by Mackie’s of Scotland having carved a “niche with a slight preference for tubs over other formats, taking more than 93% of brand sales”.

Indeed, the numbers speak for themselves; Mackie’s saw its

turnover rise from £17.7m two years ago to £20.8m in the last

CARTE D’OR EXPANDS RANGE WITH MINI POTS

Carte D’Or has launched a new mini pots line in three flavours to offer a portionable solution to ice cream snacking.

The new flavours include Vanilla Caramel Pecan, Eton Mess and Chocolate Cookie. The brand has also expanded its Deluxe range of 850ml tubs with two new variants, Tiramisu and New York Cheesecake.

Hannah Faulkner, Desserts Brand Manager at Unilever, said: “The launch of two new iconic dessert flavours, Tiramisu and Cheesecake, builds on the success of Carte D’Or Baileys at Christmas, which was the number two Winter NPD.

“We are adding more luxury to the range by bringing together the number one premium ice cream brand with two indulgent desserts, guaranteed to attract dessert lovers to the ice cream category.”

financial year, while also increasing its UK market penetration by 13%.

“Over the past few years, we’ve seen a meteoric rise in sales of our Honeycomb, which we make by mixing molten pieces of our handmade honeycomb into each tub,” says Stuart Common, Managing Director at Mackie’s of Scotland.

“It’s great to know that the team’s hard work in making our highquality products is appreciated by our consumers across the country, and really exciting for us to be seeing such growth in the business as a result.”

WARM WEATHER AND INNOVATIVE FLAVOURS

Summer seasonality is still quite important when it comes to ice cream, with 2022 seeing an earlier

June peak in sales compared to 2023, according to Nielsen. Niven adds: “Handheld ice cream drives sales at this time of year and have seen a considerable increase of almost £40m in value between 2021 and 2023 in the UK. This reinforces the importance of harnessing seasonal preferences for product promotion, as the warmer months tend to encourage consumers to purchase products such as handheld ice cream which can be more conveniently enjoyed out of home.”

In terms of consumer demographics, a total of 97% of consumers aged between 16-24 and 85% of consumers between 24-35 years old ate ice cream between July and September 2023, according to Mintel. However, older age groups

also demonstrate an interest in frozen desserts, but tend to prefer products that contain natural ingredients. Mintel data showed that a total of 60% of people aged 55 and over showed a stronger interest in natural products in comparison to 46% of 16-24-year-olds.

“These findings reinforce the importance of consumer preferences. However, innovative flavour combinations also drive interest, with 47% of UK consumers intrigued by sweet and salty flavour combinations,” Niven explains. “These numbers are most prominent among younger audiences, with half of all 16–24-year-olds expressing an interest in trying exciting and unconventional flavours, as well as snacking formats.”

FAIR

AND

SQUARE THE LION MING

So, Lyle’s Golden Syrup has unveiled its first major brand overhaul in more than 140 years, which is roughly how long Under The Counter has been wearing the same tatty old cardigan for.

This, apparently, is a Guinness World Record. The unchanged branding, that is, not the Auld Boy’s dogged determination to avoid shelling out on new clobber. As records go, it’s not exactly up there with most spears caught from a spear gun underwater in one minute (14) but hey ho, we can’t all be Ashrita Furman, who also holds the world record for most world records held (more than 200, all of them pointless).

However, if there was a record for most disturbing branding then Lyle’s could probably lay a decent claim to that. Like most people, UTC had never noticed that its tins of Golden Syrup have spent almost a century and a half adorned with a dead lion surrounded by a swarm of bees.

This, along with an accompanying quote from the Bible, probably made sense back in the black and white days of Queen Victoria. Now it just seems a bit… minging.

Despite having a notoriously sweet tooth, UTC was never a fan of Golden Syrup anyway –the tin was always far too sticky for one thing. And, when he clocked that its Sunday name was the distinctly unappetising ‘partially inverted refiners syrup’ he thought that, on reflection, he’d probably rather eat a dead lion.

PIG IGNORANT

The gent in the picture goes by the moniker of Joey Carbstrong. That’s obviously not his real name. He’s actually called Quentin Carbstrong.

No, he’s not, but at any rate Mr Carbstrong is an Australian vegan activist and is seen here protesting against cruelty towards pigs outside Sainsbury’s London HQ. It also looks like an unsympathetic passer-by is taunting him with what could well be a bacon roll.

A former gang member, Joey gave up a life of crime and substance misuse after a six-month stretch in the big hoose, and now advocates for animal rights instead. Good lad. Under The Counter was disappointed that the huge ‘269’ tattooed on his neck is not an obscure sexual reference but rather the tag number of a baby cow rescued from a Tel Aviv abattoir.

Now, UTC loves a wee calf, but he’d rather have a fortnight.

March was a good month for Under The Counter. For once, the Cheltenham Festival proved to be financially rewarding. It was possibly the first time he’d won big since the late sixties, when the boys had longer hair than the girls and UTC had already lost most of his. And, he also got to celebrate two days dedicated to a couple of hot hold heroes.

In case you missed it, 18 March marked the firstever National Black Pudding Day. Whether by accident or design, this was the day after St Patrick’s Day. Which was handy for the Auld Boy, whose bleary-eyed arrival in SLR Towers carrying two rolls on blood sausage would normally immediately arouse suspicions of a hangover. This year he got away with it.

Day (25 March), a wheeze dreamed up by Ayrshire butcher, We hae meat. UTC is undecided whether this is a terrible name or a great name for a business. It is though, for a butcher, about as Ronseal as it gets.

Investigative journalist that he is, the Auld Boy was curious about the date. In his eyes, a roll on sausage is a good a hangover cure as a roll on black pudding, but he couldn’t imagine too many folk getting blind drunk on the 24th to celebrate World Tuberculosis Day.

The answer, however, comes from the field of mathematics –not airborne respiratory diseases – and it’s a simple one, even for Under The Counter.

UTC then had only a week to keep his excitement under check until National Square Sausage

The 25th was chosen because, as the product of five times five, it’s what’s eggheads describe as ‘a perfect square’. Which was what those longhaired hippies used to call UTC way back in the sixties.