SLR January 2024 Edition

JANUARY 2024 | ISSUE 249

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Time running out to enter the Above & Beyond Awards 2024! P22

JANUARY 2024 | ISSUE 249

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KILOWATT KILLERS

Scottish Government-funded body helps retailers save thousands on energy bills.

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GROWING LOKO

Red Bull innovator turns his hand to RTDs

WE’RE COMING HOME! Entry deadline looming for SLR Awards 2024

EASTER FEASTER Get geared up for a cracking Easter

Time running out to enter the Above & Beyond Awards 2024! P22

January 2024

Contents

Contents ISSUE 249

NEWS 06

07 08 10 18 20

Business Help Companies with up to 50 staff could qualify for support from the Energy Ombudsman to resolve disputes with suppliers.

Vaping A new national initiative calls on retailers and consumers to ‘Be Vape Vigilant’.

Access to Cash The Financial Conduct Authority proposes new rules to protect access to cash.

News Extra Legislation The Scottish Government rethinks its plans to curb alcohol advertising and promotion.

Product News SpongeBob and Ecoegg join forces and Weetabix shines a light on its wheat farmers.

Off-Trade News WKD unveils a new liqueur range as Diageo demonstrates the magic of moderate drinking.

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7

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21

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INSIDE BUSINESS 22

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29 46

Above & Beyond Awards Time is running out to nominate the unsung heroes among your store colleagues for SLR’s new Above & Beyond Awards.

SLR Awards With the SLR Awards returning to their traditional slot in June this year, it’s time to start planning you entries for a summer festival of retail excellence.

The Big Interview Andy Ferguson The man who built Red Bull in Scotland is back in the trade after a decade in Spain and is working his magic on another brand he believes has a huge future: Four Loko.

Hotlines The latest new products that suppliers want to see on your shelves.

Under The Counter The Auld Boy finds himself rooting about in a wastepaper basket for a discarded lottery ticket.

FEATURES 30

32 34 42

Product Launches Brand innovation is the lifeblood of retail and companies have been busy developing the next big things in line with demand.

Easter With confectionery aplenty, Easter can help drive bigger margins in the run-up to and during spring.

Fascia Guide Could the new year be the perfect time for a fresh start with a new symbol partner?

Vaping The vaping category remains crucial for independent retailers despite anxieties over potential legislative changes.

ON THE COVER 14

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Business Costs Expert consultancy and interest-free unsecured loans and grants through Business Energy Scotland can help you slash your energy bills.

JANUARY 2024 | SLR

5

News BUSINESS ADVICE Companies with up to 50 staff could qualify for support from the Energy Ombudsman

Scottish councils warn of effective bankruptcy Nearly a quarter of Scottish councils fear they will not be able to balance their budgets in the 2024/25 financial year, according to new research from the Local Government Information Unit. The research reveals that alongside planned cuts, nearly all (97%) of Scottish councils said that they would be increasing fees and charges, and 89% said that they would be spending reserves.

Cost of living crisis drives return to cash Cash usage grew for the first time in a decade, rising to 19% of all transactions (from 15% in 2021), according to the British Retail Consortium’s Payments Survey 2023. The data shows card payments were used for 76% of transactions (83% in 2021), with debit cards accounting for four-

Businesses could get free advice to settle energy supplier disputes Energy regulator Ofgem has unveiled plans to expand existing rules on Standards of Conduct to all businesses, increasing transparency for businesses when using brokers and expanding who can access the Energy Ombudsman.

Under the proposals, companies with up to 50 employees would qualify for support from the Energy Ombudsman – with issues ranging from disputes over bills and energy supply, to how an energy product or service has been sold, or wider customer service issues.

Currently, this support is only available to businesses of up to 10 employees, and households.

The move follows a survey conducted by regulator Ofgem, which found that 94% of the total respondents – which included business organisations, consumer

groups, and suppliers – said they would welcome this move.

Minister for Energy Consumers and Affordability Amanda Solloway said: “This government has always stood by businesses, and we want to ensure they are getting proper support and service in dealing with energy suppliers.

“That’s why we’re proposing expanding the reach of the Energy

Ombudsman to cover an extra 200,000 businesses, allowing them to access free, impartial advice and resolve issues with their supplier without the need for an expensive trip to court.”

In response, ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “We welcome the announcement to expand the Energy Ombudsman’s support to businesses with up to 50 employees – something that we have long advocated for as part of the reforms to the energy market.

“The energy market can be extremely difficult for convenience retailers to navigate, particularly when there are issues with billing and supply and the introduction of this support will be positively received by local shops as it will enable retailers to resolve energy disputes efficiently and affordably.”

fifths of these. The data shows retailers spent £1.26bn on card processing fees. The sum included a 27% increase in scheme fees in 2022.

Voice of business ‘being heard’ The voice of business is being heard at the heart of the Scottish government, Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray has told industry leaders at the Scottish Chambers of Commerce annual dinner in Glasgow. He said he was committed to strengthening the partnership with business and consulting on policy, and acknowledged the need to tackle labour and skills shortages.

Drivers face £100 fine for pavement parking Drivers can now be fined £100 for parking on the pavement under new laws that came into effect on 11 December. The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 bans pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs, with certain exemptions designated by Scottish councils.

SYMBOL GROUPS David Sands will represent Scottish retailers on the National Guild Board of Spar

David Sands elected Vice-Chair of Spar’s Scottish Guild Independent retailer David Sands has been elected as the Vice-Chair of the Scottish Guild and will represent Scottish retailers on the National Guild Board of Spar.

The Spar Guild system, which sees Spar central office decisions on areas such as marketing agreed by the regional Guild committee of retailers and wholesalers and ratified by a central board, is at the heart of the way Spar is run in the UK and is central to the international Spar ethos all over the world.

David will replace awardwinning independent Spar retailer Saleem Sadiq, who has served as the Scottish Guild Board Director since 2016.

David said: “I have been an independent retailer all my working life and I am committed to seeing our sector flourish.

“We face a number of challenges, and I am hoping that the Guild will be seen by Spar independents as a forum for new ideas, good practice and ever-improving services from our wholesaler.”

Brian Straiton, Independent Sales Director for CJ Lang & Son and Chair of the Scottish Guild thanked Saleem for his work representing the Scottish Guild over the last seven years and welcomed David to the role of Scottish Guild Vice-Chair.

TRADE SHOWS

Spar Scotland reveals plans for tradeshow in 2024 Spar Scotland’s annual tradeshow and conference will return to the MacDonald Hotel and Resort, in the heart of Aviemore and the Cairngorms National Park, on 26 September 2024.

The event brings together Spar, independent retailers and company-owned store staff, CJ Lang & Son employees from support functions, and suppliers to highlight new products and identify future opportunities with Spar in Scotland.

The tradeshow, conference and celebratory programme will feature speakers from CJ Lang & Son, Spar UK and Spar International and more than 200 FMCG exhibitors, with over 850 delegates in total.

Headline sponsor for the event has been confirmed as Pepsico.

Fines will be reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days.

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SLR | JANUARY 2024

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News VAPING New initiative aims to mobilise legitimate retailers and the public to inform on rogue retailers

National initiative calls on retailers and consumers to ‘Be Vape Vigilant’ The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has launched a UK-wide initiative to identify and report rogue traders who are suspected of selling vapes to minors or stocking illicit goods.

The ‘Be Vape Vigilant’ initiative, supported by trading standards, the Association of Convenience Stores and the wider retail sector, has been created to mobilise legitimate retailers and the general public to play a key role in turning in those retail outlets and wholesale operations that are blatantly selling vapes to under-18-year-olds, or supplying potentially highly dangerous illicit vapes.

The campaign follows new research from compliance firm Arcus Compliance which shows local enforcement teams need greater resources and support in addressing youth access to vaping and illicit product sales.

A new online platform has been established by UKVIA, where suspected unscrupulous retailers can be reported.

As part of the initiative, UKVIA is providing a range of downloadable materials which responsible retailers can display in-store to encourage the general public to play a key role in bringing cowboy retailers and wholesalers to justice. All Be Vape Vigilant campaign

promotions include a QR Code linking back to the online reporting facility.

John Dunne, UKVIA Director General, added: “The only way to stop youth vaping in its tracks is by getting to the root of the problem – those traders who are intent on breaking the law and getting away with it. We need as much help as possible from those who want to make an honest living from selling vapes and the general public who care about the welfare of their children.”

James Lowman, Chief Executive of ACS, added: “Responsible retailers want to see high standards enforced and the reporting protocols in this campaign will help identify irresponsible businesses and allow trading standards officers to focus their resources on them.”

Nisa appoints new Head of Central Operations Nisa has promoted Michelle Scott-Jones to Head of Central Operations. Scott-Jones joined Nisa in 1994 and operated as Administration Manager and then Support & Planning Manager until 2015. She was promoted to Business Manager in Trading Support in 2019 – her most recent role before taking on the vacant Head of Central Operations position.

Spar UK donates £250k to FareShare Spar UK has donated £250,000 to food redistribution charity FareShare as part of its Giving One Million Meals campaign. The donation will enable the charity to provide the equivalent of one million meals through the local charities it works with in Spar communities. Spar UK’s Giving One Million Meals was supported with in-store POS and across digital channels, with blog posts and TikTok content.

Pitlochry newsagents sold The Paper Shop, in Pitlochry, Perthshire, has been sold to Cool Britannia Retail – a multinational

SYMBOL GROUPS Bellshill retailer leaves Nisa after five years

Daniall Nadeem joins Spar Independent retailer Daniall Nadeem, who owns a convenience store on Motherwell Road in Bellshill, has joined Spar after five years with Nisa.

The 2,500sq ft Spar store is situated on the grounds on a former pub in Bellshill and offers services including PayPoint, lottery, hot food, Costa Coffee, Revolution 24/7 Laundrette, Snappy Shopper home delivery, Tango Ice Blast, Equi’s ice cream, Collect+ parcel service, and a free-to-use ATM. Daniall said: “I was looking for a partner that could not only develop my store, but also help me develop as a retailer. We as retailers are constantly learning and growing, and I feel comfortable growing with Spar.

“I’m really looking forward to getting to know the entire team. CJ Lang is not just a wholesale and managed convenience store business, it’s there with a fantastic support network for retailers. My growth plans have been listened to and, most importantly, actioned upon very quickly.”

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FORECOURTS

Revamped petrol station opens in Musselburgh Motor Fuel Group’s revamped Monktonhall BP petrol station at Old Craighall Services in Musselburgh has opened.

The facility features a Londis store with an off-licence, advanced contactless JET wash, ultra-rapid 150kw EV charging, an HGV car park with showers, as well as Scotland’s first Miss Millie’s Fried Chicken, and Greggs. A Costa Coffee drive-thru is set to open in the new year.

Tamer Saoud, Retail Manager at MFG Monktonhall, told the East Lothian Courier: “There is lots of new housing that will benefit from the services.”

gift store operator. The town’s sole newsagent, the store is relied upon by locals for its paper round, as well as its range of confectionery, books and gifts.

New owner Sarwar Nabizoda was reportedly planning to refit the store in time for Christmas.

The sale was handled by Christie & Co.

Sainsbury’s opens new Edinburgh store The 2,820sq ft store, in the ground floor of the Pentland Outdoor Centre, secures the future of the building as a local hub for the Fairmilehead community. Sainsbury’s Biggar Road Local offers fresh food, fruit and veg, food to go, cupboard staples, and freshly baked goods. It also features an Argos, Habitat and Tu Clothing collection point.

JANUARY 2024 | SLR

7

News ACCESS TO CASH Proposed rules have been welcomed by business organisations

Nisa’s charity celebrates UK Charity Week Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally (MADL) charity marked UK Charity Week 2023 by supporting five good causes with its ‘Give Five £500’ giveaway.

These are Lindsey Lodge Hospice, 4Louis, Bearded Fishermen, LAILA, and Batten Disease Family Association.

MADL also donated clothing to a homeless shelter, hosted a bake sale, and created care packs and hampers for those in need.

Marks and Spencer opens new Glasgow food store A new Marks & Spencer food store has opened in Glasgow’s southside. The 3,000sq ft store on Grange Road, in Battlefield, has been built in partnership with HM Stanley. Sean Geddes, boss of The Explorer Group – the parent company of HM Stanley – told Glasgow Times: “This new store marks the first of an ambitious roll-out of M&S Food Convenience stores across Scotland.”

Government urged not to introduce vaping ban The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has launched a national petition which urges the government against banning disposable vapes and flavours. The petition shines a light on the potential public health consequences of “excessive and counterproductive legislation” which reduces the effectiveness of vaping as a stop smoking tool.

Larkhall Co-op and Post Office to reopen Co-op’s Larkhall store and Post Office, in Lanarkshire, has relaunched after a seven-week programme of improvements.

The 8,000sq ft store, which is located in Union Street, features an in-store bakery, a Costa coffee express machine, customer car parking, and a freeto-use cash machine. The store also offers post office services, a photo booth, click-and-collect and home delivery of groceries.

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SLR | JANUARY 2024

FCA proposes new rules to protect access to cash The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed new rules to protect access to cash for businesses and consumers across the UK. The FCA has launched a consultation on a new regulatory regime, which would require banks and building societies, designated by the government, to assess and address gaps, or potential gaps, in cash access provision in local communities.

Under the proposals, designated firms will be required to: Q Undertake cash access assessments when changes are being made to cash access services – to understand whether additional services are required to meet local gaps.

Q Respond to requests from local residents, community organisations and representatives to consider, assess and plug gaps.

Q Deliver reasonable additional cash services to fill gaps in provision where assessments show that there is or will be a significant local gap.

Q Ensure they do not close cash facilities, including bank branches, until any additional cash services identified are available.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “Cash is a valued payment method for both business and consumers across the UK and

HYBRID STORES The former Select Convenience store gets a £250k overhaul

Bestway launches new hybrid store

Convenience giant Bestway Retail has launched a new hybrid store in Guildford, Surrey that it claims will “define the future of convenience”.

The first ‘Costcutter with a Wine Rack store’ comes after the launch of the ‘Costcutter with a Bargain Booze store’ model last year.

The company-owned store, which was formally a Select Convenience with a Bargain Booze store, has been completely remodelled with a full refit costing £250,000. It features an artisanal bakery, fresh produce, package-free products and other grocery and convenience categories. It continues to house the local post office, serving customers seven days a week.

The Wine Rack store offers an extensive range of beers, wines and spirits including more than 30 different market-leading champagnes and over 50 craft beers. The store also offers gifting options and a gift-wrapping service.

Jamie Davison, Retail Director at Bestway Retail, said: “The launch continues our marketleading journey into the opportunity that hybrid stores can offer the sector adding further value in the retailer proposition.”

is used by millions of customers as a way of managing their money.

“We welcome the FCA’s proposals to ensure that banks and building societies have regard for reasonable access to cash services, but it is important to note that further measures will be needed to protect this vital payment method. The government needs to review ATM interchange fees to ensure that they rise to a level which properly covers the cost of providing and managing the long-term future of the UK’s free-to-use ATM network.”

Martin McTague, National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, added: “It is crucial that cash services are still accessible to small businesses who need to provide a variety of payment choices. Cash is also an integral back-up when electronic payments systems aren’t available, and in areas with poor connectivity.”

GIFT CARDS Major retailer joins Scotland Loves Local

Co-op signs up to Scottish gift card initiatives

Co-op has joined the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card and Town & City Gift Card initiatives.

The Scotland Loves Local Gift Card, which was introduced

by Scotland’s Towns Partnership and Miconex in 2021, and Miconex’s Town & City Gift Cards are designed to support local economies by helping to keep spending in communities.

Kate McCrae Graham, Co-op Operations Director, said: “Co-op stores operate in more than 300 towns, villages and cities across Scotland – working to form part of the fabric of community life, while creating jobs and supporting local suppliers. We are pleased to put our name to the cards that are designed to support local high streets and economies.”

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We’ll be visiting stores to see how we can help you reach the support level - who will be the first?

News Extra

Legislation | Alcohol advertising

NewsExtra NEW LINES EQUALS NEW PROFITS – P30

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

Convenience Matters with the SGF Over £12,000. That is how much retail crime and shop theft cost the average convenience store in Scotland, in 2023. Needless to say, that figure doesn’t even compare to the damaging impact of threatening abuse and violent behaviour faced by shop workers every day.

The situation in stores today is starker than it has been for a generation. Shoplifting remains a daily occurrence in almost all stores, and 100% of respondents to our recent crime survey report a ‘significant’ surge in shop theft.

Meanwhile, 92.8% report that violence against staff occurs at least once a week.

These are just some of the figures that will be published ahead of our annual SGF Crime Seminar, alongside our 2023/24 SGF Crime Report & Safer Business Guide.

Both the Seminar and the Report provide key findings and support for convenience retailers on dealing with retail crime, and raise awareness across the sector and with political representatives about the harmful effect crime has on communities and businesses.

SGF is calling for action.

Throughout 2023, we urged the Scottish Government to set out an emergency plan. More resources are desperately needed to focus and support our enforcement organisations and get to grips with the destructive escalation in retail crime in Scotland.

Until we see better police response times, swifter action taken against criminals and a reduction in the backlog of cases awaiting trial, those responsible believe they are untouchable. Without action, matters will only get worse.

Our Crime Seminar is being held on 14 March 2024 at Hampden Park, Glasgow and we urge members to attend.

Check our website for details.

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SLR | JANUARY 2024

Scottish government to rethink potential ban on alcohol advertising High levels of opposition to its proposals to restrict alcohol advertising and promotions have prompted the Scottish government to announce further discussions with stakeholders followed by another public consultation.

The Scottish government will hold more talks with public health stakeholders and the alcohol industry early next year to discuss ways of limiting young people’s exposure to alcohol promotions.

The development comes after the publication of its recent consultation on restricting alcohol advertising and promotions. The restrictions proposed included prohibiting window displays from being included within the permitted alcohol display area, limiting alcohol from being displayed at aisle-ends, restricting the use of mixed alcohol and nonalcohol aisles, limiting the display of alcohol similar to the restrictions applied to retailers for the display of tobacco products, and positioning alcohol in a separate area of the shop behind barriers or in enclosed adjacent storage units.

The consultation received more than 3,000 responses from people and organisations, and the findings show that there were high levels of opposition to the specific measures proposed. Some of the concerns raised by respondents include: Q Alcohol harm is a consequence of complex social, economic, and environmental factors, rather than brand marketing.

Q The evidence was drawn from a narrow, and highly selective range of sources and not an accurate reflection situation in Scotland.

Q The current regulatory arrangements implemented are adequate, effective and operate at no cost to the public purse.

Approximately two-thirds of respondents disagreed with the proposals and none of the proposed measures received majority support. However, public health and third sector organisations were overwhelmingly in favour of bans on alcohol marketing with minimal exceptions, noting: Q There may be causal links between the marketing and promotion of alcohol and attitudes towards alcohol.

Q The World Health Organization has identified ‘prevention of the alcohol industry’s influence on social norms’ as a key purpose of comprehensive restrictions.

Q Restrictions may be effective in changing behaviour relating to purchase and consumption.

Regarding the range of in-store restrictions, 21% thought that the visibility of alcohol should be further restricted in retail environments, while 76% thought it should not. Retail and hospitality organisations and alcohol producers were overwhelmingly against further restrictions.

The report shows that most individuals and organisations with links to the alcohol industry thought the proposals as set out would not achieve the intended outcomes of reducing alcohol consumption and alcohol harm, and/or were disproportionate to the scale of the problem. However, there were high levels of agreement with the proposals among public health, third sector, local authorities, and academics.

The Scottish government said that after targeted stakeholder engagement, the public will be asked for their views on a narrower range of proposals that will consider the views expressed and international public health evidence, including a recommendation from the World Health Organization that restricting alcohol marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways of tackling alcohol harm.

Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham said: “International evidence shows that alcohol marketing increases the likelihood that children and young people will start to drink alcohol or, if they already drink alcohol, drink more, while young people and their families have told us that they want us to take action.

“So we will continue to engage with all interested parties on specific, narrower, proposals that meet our aims. I’m confident this collaborative approach will ensure that we develop policies understanding the full range of opportunities and impacts.”

In response, Matt Lambert, boss of drinks industry watchdog The Portman Group, welcomed the Scottish government’s intention to work collaboratively to tackle alcohol harm and protect children from irresponsible marketing.

He added: “The alcohol industry has a longstanding and serious commitment to market its products responsibly, and we believe this is recognised in the widespread public opposition to the previous blanket proposals.” www.slrmag.co.uk

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Comment

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? Well, here we are. Another new year and the chance to reset, get our heads back on straight and get ready for whatever 2024 holds in store for us all. But what does it have in store for us?

Most of us would agree that 2023 was a tough year for the trade and most of us probably accept that 2024 is picking up exactly where the last 12 months left off. None of the key challenges have gone away: issues like the cost-of-living crisis, higher interest rates, bumper inflation, fierce competition and ever-rising costs aren’t going anywhere any time soon.

So it looks like we need to buckle up and get ready for another bumpy ride in 2024, fighting for every sale and trying to cut every penny of cost. But here’s some welcome good news: there is something you can do right now about tackling those rising costs – and that’s why we’ve chosen to start 2024 with a cover story on Business Energy Scotland (BES).

Unlike the cold-calling shady brokers that have been calling you for the last year, BES is a Scottish Government-funded body and it has already helped many retailers save thousands of pounds on their energy bills.

Just ask yourself how many tins of beans you’d need to sell to make £3k or £4k in extra profit.

BES don’t take commission, they don’t have preferred suppliers and they don’t charge for their services. They can often arrange sizeable non-repayable grants as well as interest-free loans from the Government. It all sounds too good to be true.

Why would BES do all of this? To help the Scottish Government move towards its Net Zero commitments. It’s that simple. As an industry, retail is a huge consumer of energy, as we all know only too well. Helping retailers cut energy usage and carbon (as well as cost) is a major plank of BES’s Net Zero strategy.

So whether you just want to replace some tired old chillers or you want to go full-on heat source pumps and solar panels, BES can help. It’s minimum admin, it’s quick and it’s as easy as a process like that can made. That’s why so many retailers in Scotland have already taken advantage of the help available.

Slashing your energy bills certainly won’t do you any harm through the tough times and when the good times return and energy bills return to something approaching normal, as we all hope they will, you’ll be in a position to take maximum advantage, as well as reducing your own carbon footprint.

This is one gift horse that you don’t want to look in the mouth.

EDITORIAL Publishing Director & Editor Antony Begley abegley@55north.com Deputy Editor Liz Wells lwells@55north.com Features Editor Gaelle Walker gwalker@55north.com Features Writer Elena Dimama edimama@55north.com Web Editor Findlay Stein fstein@55north.com

ADVERTISING Sales & Marketing Director Helen Lyons 07575 959 915 | hlyons@55north.com Advertising Manager Garry Cole 07846 872 738 | gcole@55north.com

DESIGN Design & Digital Manager Richard Chaudhry rchaudhry@55north.com

EVENTS & OPERATIONS Events & Circulation Manager Cara Begley cbegley@55north.com Scottish Local Retailer is distributed free to qualifying readers. For a registration card, call 0141 222 5381. Other readers can obtain copies by annual subscription at £50 (UK), £62 (Europe airmail), £99 (Worldwide airmail).

55 North Ltd, Waterloo Chambers, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6AY Tel: 0141 22 22 100 Fax: 0141 22 22 177 Website: www.55north.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/slrmag DISCLAIMER The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of 55 North Ltd. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher.

ANTONY BEGLEY, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the magazine has endevoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change.

This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.

Scottish Local Retailer is produced monthly by 55 North Ltd.

© 55 North Ltd. 2023 ISSN 1740-2409.

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Cover Story

Business Energy Scotland

SLASH YOUR ENERGY BILLS – THE EASY WAY

Expert consultancy and interest-free unsecured loans and grants through Business Energy Scotland can help you slash your energy bills, just the way it has already done for many retail businesses in Scotland.

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

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SLR | JANUARY 2024

A

s every local retailer knows, one of the most efficient ways of improving your bottom line is by cutting costs.

One of the biggest costs of all is, of course, energy. We have all been affected by escalating energy bills – but help is at hand. Scottish Government-funded Business Energy Scotland exists to help businesses save energy, carbon and money. They have already helped countless retail and wholesale businesses do exactly that as part of the Scottish www.slrmag.co.uk

Business Energy Scotland

Government’s commitment to hitting its Net Zero targets.

Business Energy Scotland offers free expert consultancy as well as helping organise interestfree, unsecured loans and grants to replace ageing, inefficient equipment with new state-ofthe-art kit that can help you make big savings on your energy bill.

Managed by the Energy Saving Trust, Business Energy Scotland has no commercial interests in supporting retailers and does not take commissions or fees from external suppliers. It exists simply to help you to become more energy efficient, reduce your energy consumption and, ultimately, to reduce your costs and improve your profits. And it’s entirely free.

It makes no difference whether you just want to upgrade some tired refrigeration kit, install better lighting or whether you are looking at more major projects like heat pumps or solar power – Business Energy Scotland can help.

To give you a flavour for exactly how they can help, and the savings you could make, here are a few case studies from retail businesses that have benefitted from Business Energy Scotland’s support.

CASE STUDY 1:

PREMIER MC GIRVAN £4,000 SAVING With the help of Business Energy Scotland advisers and an interest-free, unsecured loan, Premier MC Stores in Girvan was able to slash more than £4,000 off its annual energy bill.

The store was able to make several improvements throughout the business including: Q New LED lighting Q New refrigeration units Q A new ventilation system Richard Cook, Operations Manager at Premier MC Stores, said: “Because of the interest-free loan and cashback we were able to invest more money back into the business to basically bring the store up to a five-star standard.”

CASE STUDY 2:

GOLDENACRE MINI MARKET, EDINBURGH £1,800 SAVING A Best-one store, Goldenacre Mini Market managed to achieve a 30% energy cost reduction which represented a saving of around £1,800 a year. The costs were funded through a combination of a non-repayable grant and a Scottish Government interest-free SME loan.

The store was able to make several improvements throughout the business including: Q New LED lighting Q New refrigeration units

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Cover Story

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW… Q Available to retailers who have been trading for 12 months.

Q Interest-free loans of £1,000 to £100,000 from the Scottish Government to pay for energyand carbon-saving upgrades.

Q Cashback non-repayable grants of up to £30,000 when installing eligible equipment.

Q Grants covering 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £20,000 can be claimed for energy efficiency measures.

Q Grants covering 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £10,000 can also be claimed for a range of renewable heat measures (heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal).

Q SME Loan Scheme has already provided Scottish businesses with over £26m in loans for more than 950 projects.

Q Business Energy Scotland’s team of advisors has already found over £200m worth of savings for Scottish organisations.

Q Average saving of 24% per business.

JANUARY 2024 | SLR

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Cover Story

Business Energy Scotland

FUNDING OPTIONS

CASE STUDY 3:

HARRIS COMMUNITY SHOP £3,750 SAVING Co-Chomunn na Hearadh (Harris Community Shop) used an interest-free SME Loan to purchase high-efficiency refrigerated display cabinets, reducing its energy use by around 40% and saving £3,750 per year.

The store was able to make several improvements throughout the business including: Q Replacing all 18 of the store’s chillers and freezers

Through Business Energy Scotland, SMEs that have been trading for 12 months can access unsecured, interest-free loans of £1,000 to £100,000 from the Scottish Government to pay for energy- and carbon-saving upgrades in their business.

The scheme can be used to finance the installation of many energy-efficient systems, equipment or building fabric, including: Q heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades; Q renewable heat technologies such as installing an air source heat pump; Q improving insulation, draught proofing, double or secondary glazing; Q installing LED lighting; Q installing solar thermal systems, wind turbines and biomass boilers.

Recipients can also receive a cashback non-repayable grant of up to £30,000 when installing eligible equipment: Q 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £20,000 can be claimed for energy efficiency measures; Q 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £10,000 can also be claimed for a range of renewable heat measures (heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal).

The SME Loan Scheme has already provided Scottish businesses with over £26m in loans for more than 950 projects.

CASE STUDY 4:

DAY-TODAY LOCAL MYRE STORE, DUMBARTON £3,000 SAVING This Dumbarton convenience store cut its annual energy costs by over £3,000 with an air source heat pump and new refrigeration units, funded through an unsecured and interest-free SME Loan.

“The SME loan and technical support made it easy to justify the investment in new refrigerated displays.

The money we save will be reinvested into expanding the business and enhancing the quality of service for the community.”

The store was able to make several improvements throughout the business including: Q New refrigeration units Q New air source heat pump

To find out more about how Business Energy Scotland and the Scottish Government’s SME Loan Scheme can help your business save energy and money, visit businessenergyscotland.org or call 0808 808 2268.

CHRIS ROSS, CHAIRMAN, CO-CHOMUNN NA HEARADH.

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www.slrmag.co.uk

News

Products

Davidstow moves upmarket with new pack design Cornish cheese brand Davidstow Cheddar has relaunched with a new pack design intended to convey a more premium look and feel, with improved range navigation and standout in the chiller. The new look comes with a new brand platform, ‘Awaken The Moment,’ which focuses on the sensory joy of eating the cheese whilst tapping into the brand’s Cornish heritage.

Consumers confused over food and drink, says Purity Gaps in knowledge are stopping consumers making informed choices when it comes to the food and drink they eat, according to a new report from Purity Soft Drinks, owner of the Juice Burst and Firefly brands.

‘Squeezing the Potential of Fruit Juice’ examines some of the latest Soft Drink and Juice

Product News HAVE AN EGGS-CELLENT EASTER – P32 LAUNDRY A new range of environmentally products supports marine conservation efforts

SpongeBob and Ecoegg join forces to save the sea Environmentally friendly laundry brand Ecoegg has teamed up with Nickelodeon in support of SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change.

The collaboration sees Ecoegg unveil a series of new products, all aligned with the mission of protecting the oceans.

The lineup includes Ecoegg SpongeBob Laundry Egg and Refill Packs, infused with a Tropical Burst aroma, alongside Ecoegg SpongeBob Dryer Eggs. Each

product’s packaging displays the Operation Sea Change emblem and SpongeBob SquarePants graphics.

Launched in 2022, Operation Sea Change is inspired by the popular Nickelodeon character and resident of Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob SquarePants. It focuses on funding global clean-up efforts, promoting sustainable products, and spreading the word about marine conservation.

For all trade enquiries, please email Abbie.Carle@ecoegg.com.

consumption trends and flags up consumer confusion around wellknown phrases and legislation impacting everyday life.

Counterfeit chocolate warning Food Standards Scotland and the Food Standards Agency are warning the public not to buy or eat fake ‘Wonka Bars’ or ‘Prime’ chocolate bars. The warning comes after the FSA received reports of fake branded chocolate on sale. These may be unsafe to eat, as they could have beenmade or repackaged

BREAKFAST

Weetabix sustainability report puts farmers centre stage The Weetabix Food Company has published its 2023 Sustainability Report, which showcases a new initiative to introduce consumers to some of the real British farmers growing Weetabix wheat.

The brand is now profiling some of its farmers on the back of packs. Consumers can scan a QR code to learn more about the journey their cereal makes from field to spoon, via an interactive traceability microsite.

The report also highlights the ongoing sustainability gains the business made by increasing recycled content, making cartons thinner, and reducing the weight of plastics in drinks bottles and inner bags. Since 2020, the company has reduced carbon emissions by 9.2% across all its packaging through these measures.

It has also donated more than three million breakfasts to those in need in 2023 through its work with GroceryAid, Magic Breakfast and FareShare.

Visit weetabixfoodcompany.co.uk/sustainabilityreport2023.

by unregistered businesses who will not be following hygiene, labelling and traceability laws.

UltraGrime out to clean up in domestic market Cleaning wipes brand UltraGrime is looking to make inroads into the consumer market in the wake of what it called “phenomenal” demand in the DIY and trade sectors. The brand is now working with forecourts and c-stores, with plans to reinvigorate the household category. For more information and to stock, visit ultragrime. com/ultragrime-new-retailer.

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SPONSORSHIP DEALS Brands including Dove and Colman’s will be seen by five billion football fans

Unilever kicks off Euro 2024 multi-brand partnership A number of Unilever brands have been named as official sponsors of the Euro 2024 football tournament.

These include personal care brands Sure, Dove Men+Care, Lynx and Radox, along with Hellmann’s, Knorr, Colman’s and The Vegetarian Butcher from Unilever’s nutrition portfolio.

The move will put the brands in front of an audience of 2.7 million football fans when Germany hosts

the tournament next summer, as well as the five billion viewers who are expected to watch its 51 matches on TV. In the lead up to and throughout the tournament, Unilever’s brands will work alongside key retail partners across Europe and create opportunities for shoppers to

win tickets and enjoy special fan experiences. The brands will also have a presence in official fan zones at the tournament.

KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST NEWS AS IT HAPPENS – FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SLRMAG

www.slrmag.co.uk

A Deposit Return Scheme is a highly effective and efficient way of reducing litter, increasing the collection of containers and ensuring better quality material for recycling.

Operating in 60 markets TOMRA has an unrivalled international experience in designing and implementing deposit schemes.

We are committed to making DRS a success for Scotland and tackling the climate crisis.

1ST MARCH

DRS FOR SCOTLAND

For further information contact John.lee@tomra.com

News

Off-Trade

Spearhead eyes growth Loch Lomond Group has brought distribution of its Spearhead whisky back in-house to allow it to focus on expanding the brand, which was previously distributed in the UK by Mangrove.

Launched in 2021, Spearhead is a single-grain scotch whisky made using 100% malted barley. The spirit undergoes an extended fermentation time of 92 hours before distillation. It is bottled at 43% ABV and has a RSP of £30.

The value of Virtue Clydebank-based non-alcoholic spirits company Spirits of Virtue is seeking further investment to fuel expansion plans after its intellectual property was valued at £3.5m. Investors have already ploughed almost £3m into the business, which produces seven zero-proof alternatives to scotch, bourbon, vodka, gin, rum and tequila. It also makes an ownlabel range of non-alcoholic spirits for Asda.

Kingfisher rebrands Kingfisher Beer Europe has rebranded to Kingfisher Drinks to better reflect its portfolio of brands and growing global

Off-TradeNews FASCIAS IN FOCUS – P34 LIQUEURS SHS Drinks takes inspiration from the hospitality trade

WKD gets the Vibe with new range of liqueurs Ready-to-drink brand WKD has launched a range of liqueurs named WKD Vibe.

Available in 500ml glass bottles, WKD Vibe (ABV 15%) initially rolls out in five variants: two clear liqueurs – Blue Raspberry and Tropical – along with three creamy flavours, Piña Colada, Strawberry, and Blue Raspberry again. The two clear variants have a £10 RSP, while the creamy ones RSP at £13.

The new sub-brand takes inspiration from the variety of shots and shooters available in the on-trade. The liqueurs have been specifically developed for use in Instagrammable ‘layered’ drinks.

Brand owner SHS Drinks says that the products “layer perfectly with each other, with the range of WKD RTDs, and with popular spirits to form highly impactful and intriguing serves”.

A further two variants will be added to the range during 2024.

The launch is bolstered by a £1m marketing campaign that includes social media and influencer activities; interactive POS and instore features under the ‘Find Your Vibe’ campaign theme; interactive packaging which will promote the versatility of the new products and detail recipes and serves; and WKD Vibe party nights.

VODKA New campaign wants everybody to have a drink

‘We Do Us’: Smirnoff brings people together to combat isolation

footprint. The business was founded more than 30 years ago to distribute India’s number one beer, Kingfisher, in the UK and throughout Europe. However, it now markets a number of other brands including Peacock Cider, Makai Spiced Rum and 5 Walla Cream Liqueur in the Americas, Africa and the Middle East.

Bacardi adds Teeling Bacardi has grown its portfolio with the addition of Teeling Irish whiskey. The news follows Bacardi’s decision to increase its stake in The Teeling Whiskey Company, with founders Jack and Stephen Teeling continuing to own part of the business and run day-to-day operations.

Teeling both traditional and unconventional techniques in distillation and maturation to produce handcrafted, small batch bottlings.

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Smirnoff is promoting accessibility and inclusion through its new global marketing platform, ‘We Do Us’.

With loneliness and isolation on the rise, ‘We Do Us’ looks to make it easier for people with disabilities to go out and enjoy a drink.

The campaign isn’t limited to the on-trade; wholesalers and convenience retailers can access

POS kits, including FSDUs and parasite units.

It is also supported by a new global TV campaign, ‘Atomic,’ which aims to keep the brand front-of-mind for consumers by spotlighting inclusion and togetherness.

A new advert compares life to a cocktail, and shows a diverse group of people connect with one another.

WHISKY

Waterford unveils peated whisky Irish whisky brand Waterford has bottled a new heavily peated Irish whisky, Waterford Peated: Lacken, distributed exclusively by Speciality Brands and available now with a £90 RSP. Lacken is made from single farm origin barley, grown on Lacken farm in Co. Wexford, and made using traditional methods of whisky production to impart more unique flavours from the Irish peat.

Each bottle features a unique code that validates and verifies every stage of its journey through harvesting, storage, malting, distillation and maturation.

KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST NEWS AS IT HAPPENS – FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SLRMAG

www.slrmag.co.uk

Off-Trade

News

New chair for drinks watchdog The Portman Group has named Rachel Childs as new Chair of the Independent Complaints Panel following seven years

RESPONSIBLE DRINKING New campaign encourages consumers to drink responsibly

Diageo demonstrates the magic of moderate drinking

as a serving member. Childs

Diageo, the maker of Guinness, Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker, has launched a new global responsible drinking campaign, ‘The Magic of Moderate Drinking,’ that looks to make moderation aspirational and encourages responsible drinking.

The campaign shows consumers that by drinking better, not more, they can savour every moment and occasion. It includes a short film which features Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray 0.0 and Seedlip, and shows how responsible drinking can take many forms.

The film is supported by out-ofhome advertising and social media activities.

regulation, she has a wealth of

was appointed as the Panel’s first Deputy Chair in January 2022 and took over as interim Chair in September 2023. As a former headteacher with a varied career spanning over 10 years in experience to bring to the role.

Enter the dragon Maison Courvoisier has teamedup with Chinese painter and artist, Jiannan Huang, for a threestrong Lunar New Year range to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.

Two releases are available in the UK: L’Essence de Courvoisier (RSP £3,000, ABV 42%) and a

Kate Gibson, Diageo’s Global Society Director, said the campaign challenged “outdated perceptions about responsible drinking and demonstrates you can still have a great celebration”.

GIN New marketing campaign pivots towards real-life situations

Gordon’s stays at home

To support the campaign, Diageo has created a new positive drinking page on its website that hosts resources such as DRINKiQ and the latest responsible drinking work from Diageo and its brands.

GIN

Watermelon in June

special edition of Courvoisier XO (RSP £135), bottled at 40% ABV. The only mythical creature in the Lunar Calendar, the Dragon represents power and good fortune.

Heavenly brandy Family-owned calvados producer House of Druin has released the eighth edition of its Christian Drouin experimental range, Foursquare Angels, available from Speciality Brands with an RSP of £110. It was produced by maturing a 17-year-old Pays d’Auge calvados for 17 months in French oak barrels from the Foursquare rum distillery in Barbados. This was then

Gordon’s has launched new campaign that builds on the brand’s British heritage and reputation by positioning it as “the definitive gin for casual get-togethers at home”.

The campaign is spearheaded by a new short film, ‘Many Evenings In,’ that takes the audience on a journey through the many social moments that modern life presents, from a catch-up in the kitchen to a house party and a long-overdue dinner with friends.

The activity marks the biggest shift in Gordon’s marketing since the brand relaunched in 2016 with its ‘Shall We?’ campaign and represents a move towards showing people enjoying the product in real-life situations.

Tayara SousaLinke, Global Head of Marketing, Gordon’s, commented: “To reignite pride for the brand, this campaign aims to shine a spotlight on its heritage and frame Gordon’s as the modern classic.”

Premium French gin brand G’Vine has added a Watermelon flavour to its June by G’Vine range.

With roots in the Cognac region of France, G’Vine makes its products from grape alcohol, rather than the traditional grain.

June Watermelon (ABV 37.5%, 70cl) boasts an intense floral aroma and notes of fresh citrus and tangy watermelon, enhanced by cucumber and melon.

The June by G’Vine range also features June Wild Peach & Summer Fruits and June Pear & Cardamom. It is available from Paragon Brands in the UK.

matured for three more months in freshly re-toasted barrels.

Drink interesting Diageo’s alcohol-free spirit Seedlip has launched ‘Drink Interesting,’ a new £1m marketing campaign that runs across social, digital and video on demand. Featuring Seedlip flavours Grove 42, Spice 94 and Garden 108, a new advert reveals drinking in moderation to be fun, empowering and exciting by showing that that people can consume interesting, highquality, alcohol-free serves.

www.slrmag.co.uk

JANUARY 2024 | SLR

21

Inside Business

Above & Beyond Awards 2024

LET’S CELEBRATE OUR

UNSUNG HEROES! KEY DATES

Time is running out to nominate the unsung heroes among your store colleagues for SLR’s new Above & Beyond Awards.

ENTRY DEADLINE

FRIDAY 12 JANUARY 2024 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

FRIDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2024 WINNERS LUNCH

WEDNESDAY 13 MARCH 2024 THE CORINTHIAN CLUB, GLASGOW

T

ime is rapidly running out to make nominations for the inaugural SLR Above & Beyond Awards which have been created specifically to acknowledge and reward the everyday heroics of the stars of our sector: the often-overlooked colleagues who lie at the heart of all of our businesses and who make them so special.

As we all know, it’s our store colleagues who are the heart and soul of our businesses and it is upon them that our reputations are built and sustained. Proudly supported by CocaCola Europacific Partners, Hovis, Mondelez and SPAR Scotland, the SLR Above & Beyond Awards will put these heroes in the spotlight – and we need you to help us find them.

From the shopfloor to the stock room, from behind the till to in front of the TikTok camera, it’s our people that make our businesses what they are – and we believe it’s time those people stepped out of the shadows and into the limelight.

HELP US SHINE A LIGHT ON SCOTLAND’S LOCAL STORE HEROES!

INSPIRING TALES Not only will the Above and Beyond Awards offer the chance to recognise and showcase these 22

SLR | JANUARY 2024

store superstars and unearth some of the many amazing stories that unfold in stores across Scotland every day, but they will also provide a platform to help inspire other colleagues and future generations along the way.

So, we would ask you to take the time to check out the awards categories and criteria on the SLR website and get in touch to let us know about some of the amazing things that your colleagues have done to go above and beyond the basic call of duty.

The awards categories cover all major store formats and styles and leave plenty of scope for you to tell us about the heroics that ordinarily go unreported and unheralded.

This is your chance to provide some overdue recognition for those members of your team that really do help set your business apart in the local community.

The awards are simple to enter, and all shortlisted colleagues will be invited free of charge to a celebratory lunch at the plush Corinthian Club in Glasgow on 13 March 2024.

Working with our generous sponsors, we will ensure that everyone joining us on the day enjoys a relaxing day off and receives the recognition they so thoroughly deserve. www.slrmag.co.uk

Above & Beyond Awards 2024

Inside Business

AS GOOD TODAY AS IT’S ALWAYS BEEN

SLR

PRESENTS

THE ABOVE AND BEYOND AWARDS 2024 AWARD CATEGORIES INDEPENDENT STORE COLLEAGUE – SYMBOL GROUP MEMBER Q Open to all colleagues working in independently owned local retailing stores in Scotland that are members of any symbol group, fascia or franchise.

INDEPENDENT STORE COLLEAGUE – UNAFFILIATED STORE Q Open to all colleagues working in independently owned unaffiliated local retailing stores in Scotland.

MULTIPLE STORE COLLEAGUE Q Open to all colleagues working in convenience-format stores in Scotland owned by a central company, group or organisation (excluding supermarket-owned convenience-format stores).

COMPANY-OWNED Q Open to all colleagues working in CJ Lang company-owned stores in Scotland.

FORECOURT STORE COLLEAGUE Q Open to all colleagues working in independently owned forecourt stores in Scotland.

UP & COMING STAR Q Open to all colleagues aged 25 or under working in any of the store formats detailed above who have shown themselves to be outstanding colleagues with a bright future in the sector ahead of them.

LONG SERVICE AWARDS Q Open to all colleagues working in any of the store formats detailed above who have worked in the sector or a single store or chain for an extended period.

ASTONISHING ACT Q Open to all colleagues working in any of the store formats detailed above who truly went Above & Beyond to perform an astonishing single act that had a massive positive impact on a customer, colleague or community.

Community and people have always been at the heart of Hovis. Our story goes all the way back to 1886 when our founder Richard ‘Stoney’ Smith radically changed the way flour was milled that has given Hovis its uniqueness.

However, in 1890 a competiton was run open to the public for a new name and the winner was Herbert Grime, suggesting the name “Hovis”, from the Latin “Hominis Vis” meaning “Strength of Man”.

To this day Hovis embraces its community and its people.

We employ over 2,800 staff across the UK. In Scotland alone, we have our manufacturing and logistics site on Duke Street in Glasgow where we have almost 350 colleagues.

The Glasgow Team has an average service of more than 20 years – a testament to the family spirit everyone brings with them every day.

Internally we embrace our diverse workforce, supporting our colleagues with religious festivals across multiple faiths, empowering our people to feel motivated to be who they and who they want to be regardless of their background.

Each month we celebrate across all sites people who go above and beyond their day job with our ‘Toasting Success’ awards. At head office we do a weekly ‘Bloomin Brilliant’ nomination for people who have just done something extra/ different in the week.

In 2021 and 2022, Hovis® supported over 850 charities up and down the country. We have donated over 750,000 loaves of bread to help support and feed thousands of people, breakfast clubs and coffee mornings.

During the height of the Covid Pandemic, it was the Scottish Convenience channel that helped keep everyone going, working tirelessly without hesitation. It’s this drive and determination that we at Hovis are keen to support SLR in celebrating the people who have gone Above and Beyond.

We are honored to sponsor the ‘Astonishing Act’ Tom Pook, Impulse Business Account Manager, Hovis Ltd

TO NOMINATE STORE COLLEAGUES, PLEASE VISIT SLRMAG.CO.UK/ABOVEANDBEYOND www.slrmag.co.uk

JANUARY 2024 | SLR

23

Inside Business

SLR Awards 2024

19 JUNE 2024

WE’RE BRINGING IT HOME!

RADISSON BLU, GLASGOW

With the SLR Awards returning to their traditional slot in June this year, it’s time to start planning you entries for a summer festival of retail excellence.

T

he SLR Awards, as you hopefully know by now, are coming home and returning to their traditional summer slot in June this year.

The move formally draws a line under the Covid pandemic for us as a magazine and takes you back to normal service and a time slot that suits everyone better.

We canvassed the entire industry before making the bold move, but there was a clear consensus from retailers, partners and sponsors: June is a much better time of year to hold the awards and give everyone the time and space in their diary to prepare for what is undoubtedly a highlight of the Scottish local retailing calendar.

With the earlier date, that means the new entry deadline is 21 Feb so there’s still plenty of time but it’s probably wise to start lining up your ducks to make sure you have some strong entries for this year’s awards to give yourself the best possible chance of being on the stage in June.

“The SLR Awards are coming home and we’re delighted that the move has been met with universal approval from everyone involved,” said SLR Publisher Antony Begley.

“The June slot has always worked for us because it avoids clashes with our important industry events and it means retailers have

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SLR | JANUARY 2024

some mental space to focus on their entries and make sure they given themselves the best possible chance of being among the winners and joining us on what I’m sure will be a fantastic night on 19 June.

“We are extremely grateful to our many partners and sponsors for supporting the move and, to be honest, all of them were very positive when we first suggested coming home to the June slot. It works for them and their teams and we know that it also works for retailers and wholesalers, rather than having so many of the UK industry awards clustered together at the back end of the year during a busy trading period.

“Everyone at SLR is really looking forward to another great event and another fantastic celebration of this fantastic industry and I would ask all retailers to get June marked off in their diaries and make sure they get their entries in soon.”

Once again, the SLR Awards are set to deliver a unique judging model where Publisher Antony Begley visits every single store in the shortlist, ensuring complete consistency of judging standards.

The awards judging visits will once again be unannounced to make sure that the judges see your stores exactly the way your customers do.

Good luck and see you in June!

Entry deadline:

21 FEB 2024

Shortlist announced:

MARCH 2024

To find out more or to enter, visit: SLRawards.com

www.slrmag.co.uk

SLR Awards 2024

Inside Business

CATEGORY LIST IN-STORE CATEGORIES Q Bread & Bakery Retailer of the Year Q Confectionery Retailer of the Year Q Food-to-Go Retailer of the Year Q Forecourt Retailer of the Year Q Fresh & Chilled Retailer of the Year Q Newstrade Retailer of the Year Q Off-Trade Retailer of the Year Q Scottish Brands Retailer of the Year Q Soft Drinks Retailer of the Year Q Tobacco Retailer of the Year IN-ACTION CATEGORIES Q Community Retailer of the Year Q New Store of The Year Q Refit of the Year Q Sustainability Retailer of the Year Q #ThinkSmart Innovation Award Q Unsung Hero of the Year Q Special Recognition Q Team of the Year

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

www.slrmag.co.uk

JANUARY 2024 | SLR

25

Inside Business

The Big Interview | Andy Ferguson

GROWING LOKO! The man who built Red Bull in Scotland is back in the trade after a decade in Spain and is working his magic on another brand he believes has a huge future: Four Loko.

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

I

t may come as a surprise, particularly to younger retailers, to learn that when Red Bull first hit the shelves in the UK, the first shelves it hit were in Scotland. Since then, it has gone on to secure legendary status and remains an absolute must-stock in every convenience store.

The story behind that journey is a fascinating one and the man who arguably played a bigger role than anyone else in giving Red Bull its wings in Scotland was an Edinburgh gent by the name of Andy Ferguson. That tale begins way back in 2000 when Andy and the team at his distribution and marketing agency, Liquide, were given the daunting task of taking an entirely unknown product and effectively creating an entirely new product category with it.

‘NEVER HEARD OF RED BULL’ “In early summer 1999 I took a random call from my brother who told me that I needed to speak to a guy called Harry Drnec who needed help distributing a product called Red Bull,” recalls Andy, the son of two former leading lights of the Scottish hospitality scene. “I’d never heard of Red Bull and I’d never heard of Harry but I was in distribution at the time so I gave him a call. He eventually became my mentor and a very dear friend and I still have a photo of him on my desk to this day. Anyway, I thought he was looking for help on warehousing and logistics but it turns out Harry wanted help with marketing too.

“I did a meeting in London and a meeting in Austria and, long story short, by August I had been anointed as exclusive distributor for Red Bull before I even had a company to service the agreement. I then set up Liquide and we started trading on 1 January 2000. The rest is history.”

The rest may indeed be history but the journey that Andy embarked on the for the next decade was remarkable in all sorts of ways – and the lessons he learned on it are proving to be very useful to him all these years later with another brand that Andy believes has the potential to explode: Four Loko.

“In 2000, there was Lucozade and that was about it as far as energy went,” explains Andy.

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SLR | JANUARY 2024

www.slrmag.co.uk

Andy Ferguson | The Big Interview

“We had this new, weird-tasting drink that did things no other drink did – and it was really expensive. Over £1 a can at the time, which seemed crazy to a lot of people.

“Our early focus was in the on-trade where, historically, brands were built. But we rapidly moved into the off-trade too and within a couple of years we had eight people. A key hire was a guy called Fwad Afzal because his family had convenience stores in Edinburgh and he really understood retail. The types of people you needed in the off-trade were completely different to the people you needed for the on-trade.”

HARD SELL So did it have wings from day one? “No, not at all,” laughs Andy. “The first couple of years were really hard. Nobody knew the product or knew what it was or what to do with it. We effectively had to bring people to a new style of drinking, totally change consumer perceptions and create new distribution models. You didn’t drink Red Bull, you used it. You didn’t use it because you were thirsty, you used it because you needed stimulation. It was a hard sell, believe me.”

Hard as it was, after a few years Andy and his team smashed it out the park. www.slrmag.co.uk

“I knew quite early that it was going to work,” he says. “I was extremely confident, but the day it really sunk in was when I learned that the latest data showed that Scotland had the highest per capita consumption of Red Bull of any country on the planet. That was a special day.”

In the end, however, Andy became a victim of his own success when Red Bull chose to take the distribution and marketing of their product in-house.

“It’s the nature of being a distributor,” comments Andy with a wry smile. “We worked on a rolling three-month contract and there was always the risk that you would get a call out of the blue one day telling you that the contract wouldn’t be renewed. That call came in 2007.

The brand was moving into a different lifecycle.”

So Andy hopped on a plane to Spain where he was to spend the next decade of his life. Why Spain?

“Mostly for the sunshine and the golf,” he laughs. “I had made a bit of money and I’d worked my nuts off for the previous decade. I set up a product trading company based in Gibraltar and it did well with brands like Fiji Water but the global economic crisis of 2009 put paid to that. Then I set up a distribution channel for a

Inside Business

company doing TV and internet distribution in Spain which went really well. And then I got the phone call. The brand owner was taking it inhouse!”

HEALTH SCARE History having seemingly repeated itself, Andy chose to return to his early career by helping friends and associates run bars and restaurants – but his life was to take another dramatic turn before long.

“One day I noticed a tiny little blood clot in my urine,” he says. “I dismissed it because I was only 48 and feeling fine but mentioned it to my doctor in passing the next time I was in for a check-up and he had me do all sorts of tests.

They had some concerns but said they would follow up next time in my annual check-up.

“I ignored it and carried on with my life, but then I had a seizure. Nothing to do with the little blood clot. It was caused by a massive 5cm brain tumour which, thankfully, turned out to be noncancerous. I had surgery to remove it in Spain and, despite the 47 staples in my head, I left the hospital with a new lease of life, super upbeat.

I even had a large G&T on the night I left the hospital!”

JANUARY 2024 | SLR

27

Inside Business

The Big Interview | Andy Ferguson

Andy continued to recover well and was in fine spirits when he moved back to the UK. “I was feeling great, and then I learned that when the doctors in Edinburgh were repatriating my medical records from Spain, they learned about the blood clot in my urine. A load more tests later and it turns out I had prostate cancer.

Lots of it. But it was an early detection so I just accepted it and tried to stay positive. They removed my prostate in Edinburgh and I’ve been clear ever since. And living through that kind of stuff gives you a zest for life, I can tell you!

“All I can say to anyone else is, if you notice anything odd, get it checked out immediately.

Early detection is the key. Take action now.”

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS With a newfound lust for life, Andy’s latest challenge soon presented itself. At the end of 2020, fast-growing Belfast-based distribution and marketing business Red Star had gotten hold of the distribution rights for the US Four Loko brand and wanted to bring it to Scotland.

“I was asked to have a look and see if I fancied it,” says Andy. “I said ‘probably not’ but that I was happy to have a chat. I had the meeting then did a drive around Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee and was astonished to learn that, other than Dragon Soop, the RTD category was pretty

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SLR | JANUARY 2024

much as I left it in 2007. I knew straight away there was an opportunity.”

Red Star has a strong track record of bringing US disruptor drinks and snack brands to the UK and is growing at 178% a year as a company.

“They’re a fantastic company and the team that Clark and Ryan have really deliver amazing work across their portfolio,” says Andy. “Really switched on and they understand retail. They’ve built a great reputation and there’s an endless string of brands coming to their door. They say ‘no’ far more often than they say ‘yes’, that’s for sure.

“I’m working with them on a number of brands but a key driver at the moment is Four Loko. It’s an 8.5% bold-flavoured RTD in 440ml cans. No PMP, no multipack. Critically, it’s a vodka-based drink with no energy or stimulant ingredients.

“I was given the challenge of launching the brand in Scotland under a sales agency agreement. There was no distribution to speak of but from coming on board in February 2020, I managed to get listings in Filshill, United Wholesale Grocers, United Wholesale Scotland and Spar Scotland within months.”

The upshot? “You have to remember that is from a standing start, a brand-new product.

Within a couple of years we’re now the number five RTD in GB convenience, even though

to date the majority of the sales have been in Scotland – but for sure, that is changing fast.

The IRI figures also show we’re the number two brand in Scotland and we have the fastest-selling RTD SKU in GB convenience. We also have another five SKUs in the top 10.”

To put that in some sort of context, Andy says that only Au RTD has added more value contribution in the last 52 weeks, again bearing in mind that Four Loko is mainly only in Scotland.

“We’ve only got weighted distribution so far of 16.2%,” he adds. “Au has 54% distribution. And if you look at the value we add per distribution point, we’re adding £784k worth of sales compared to Au’s £289k. In other words, Four Loko is delivering three times the value with one third of the distribution.”

HISTORY REPEATING In a clear echo of his Red Bull achievements of yore, Andy was recently able to celebrate that fact that per capita consumption of Four Loko in Scotland is now the highest of any country on earth. He’s only gone and done it again.

On this sort of trajectory, Andy’s only puzzling question is why more retailers aren’t stocking it. “For me, it’s a no-brainer,” he says.

“It’s flying where it’s stocked and it’s only going in one direction. Where we get distribution, we drive huge sales growth. It’s that simple.”

Launched originally with four flavour variants, the range now extends to nine – with more NPD planned for next year.

“We’re very conscious of the fact that flavours and NPD drive sales in this category, so we’re adding exciting new variants next year,” he says.

“But we’re also conscious that retailers don’t have elastic shelves so in time we’ll be removing some lines from the UK market to make room.

But in my opinion, the key challenge will be to encourage retailers to grow the space they dedicate to the RTD category, not just to rerange within the space they’ve got.

“Range evaluations are, however critical. If you want to maximise the profit you make from every facing, you need regular range reviews to weed out under-performing products. But space for RTDs needs to grow, I believe. There’s a clear demand for it from consumers because drinking habits have changed since Covid, underlined by the cost-of-living challenges. Drinking at home is a massive opportunity and RTDs are core to that. The space dedicated to the category instore needs to reflect that.

“As for Four Loko, it’s not your everyday drink.

We like to think of it as a signpost, a statement of intent, the perfect way to get a memorable evening off to a flyer: every can is the start of an amazing story, as we like to say.”

The next chapter of the Four Loko story has yet to be written but if Andy has his way, it’ll be another blockbuster. www.slrmag.co.uk

Product News & Media Watch McCoy’s Epic Eats PMPs KP Snacks KP Snacks has expanded its McCoy’s Epic Eats range with the launch of Chip Shop Curry Sauce and Bangin’ BBQ flavours in £1.25 price-marked packs. Available now, the new McCoy’s Epic Eats PMPs are also non-HFSS, with 45% less salt than standard potato crisps on average. The launch comes as £1.25 PMPs see growth of 27.8% in the CSN category, driving 61% of sales for indies.

Peperami BBQ Lunchbox Minis Jack Link’s The latest addition to the Lunchbox Minis core range is available now in 100g packs of 10 with an RSP of £2.75. BBQ Lunchbox Minis are made with 100% pork and a mix of smoky spices.

They contain 2.3g of protein and 50 calories per 10g stick.

The launch follows a social media poll in which brand fans rated BBQ their top flavour.

Richmond/L&B Blue 21s Imperial Tobacco Imperial Tobacco has brought back its popular 21s packs, which are available exclusively for the independent channel across two of its bestselling brands. These include Richmond 21s, with an RSP of £12.25, and L&B Blue 21s at an RSP of £12.50. Imperial is also bringing back its 32g packs of rolling tobacco for its Riverstone brand, which have an RSP of £18.50.

www.slrmag.co.uk

Hotlines

Urban Eat extends heat-and-eat range Urban Eat has added to its new microwave snacking range with the launch of a Chipotle Chicken Burrito.

Already a trending cuisine of the past few years, Mexican is expected to stay popular throughout 2024, with 32% of consumers saying they’d like to try it in out-of-home dining. Urban Eat seeks to tap into this demand with the new burrito, which offers a smoky and spicy flavour profile.

Wayne Greensmith, Head of Customer Marketing at Urban Eat, said: “We’ve been thrilled with the consumer and customer response to our microwave snacking range and the results of our smart retail solution trials. The broad range of options and bespoke in-store unit allow our customers to offer delicious hot food in store, without additional staff or training needed.

“It therefore made total sense to expand the options further with a mouthwatering new addition.

Packing a punch, the Mexican-inspired Chipotle Chicken Burrito is guaranteed to be a winner this winter and beyond – get your orders in now!”

To stock up on the Chipotle Chicken Burrito and full microwave snacking range, contact the Fresh Food For Now Company sales team on 0116 236 1640 or hello@foodfornow.co.uk. Alternatively, visit urbaneat.co.uk to submit a request.

Salted Caramel Flavoured Milk Delamere Dairy Dairy has added a new Salted Caramel variant to its range of flavoured milks that already includes Banana, Iced Coffee, Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla flavours. It is available now in 500ml packs. Combining a smooth caramel taste with a hint of salt, it is intended to be served either chilled or gently warmed.

Contact salesteam@ delameredairy.co.uk or call 01565 632422 to find out more.

Pez Hancocks

Dexters Dynaeggs Kervan Gida

World of Sweets has rolled out four new Pez character collections, including Barbie, Gabby’s Dollhouse, The Smurfs and Trolls 3. All are available in outers of 12 x 17g. Packs have a £2 RSP and contain one dispenser and two individually wrapped refill tubes.

Barbie was, of course, one of the biggest films of 2023 and the Trolls franchise also returned to movie screens this year.

Kervan Gida is looking to capitalise on the popularity of mini eggs at Easter with these new milk chocolate eggs that have a crispy shell and a chewy gummy centre.

They are available in shelf-ready outers of 12 x 80 bags (RSP £1) and are halal-certified. Kervan Gida advised retailers to stock up early to benefit from an extended selling period.

The eggs are available to order from CJ Lang and Sugro.

JANUARY 2024 | SLR

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Feature

Product Launches

NEW LINES, NEW PROFITS

Brand innovation is the lifeblood of retail and companies have been busy developing the next big things in line with demand.

BY ELENA DIMAMA

N

ew product development (NPD) is crucial to attract new customers and retain repeat customers, which is why brands keep increasing spend on expanding lines and creating new products with shoppers in mind.

According to government statistics, companies spent £800m on food and drink R&D in 2021/22, an increase of 12.7% from £710m the year before.

SNACKS GALORE The rise in local shopping, coupled with demand for high-quality value products, is just one of the reasons why brands want to invest in product development.

Greenock-based Golden Casket, for example, has rebranded its £onepounders confectionery range as ‘Allrounders’ by Buchanans in £1.25 price-marked packs. The new product will have 48 confectionery varieties across boiled, gum, mint and bonbons, chocolate and toffee lines with each sub-variety boasting its own pack colour of yellow, pink, green and purple.

Available in stores from the beginning of February, the range includes 34 Vegetarian Society and 41 halal-approved lines.

“Our Allrounders offer is a new name but with the same all-round delicious taste and value of its predecessors. The brand will continue to champion and support the independent retail sector throughout the UK,” Carly Rae, Trade Marketeer at Golden Casket, explains.

McCain has been busy too and announced in November that it was undertaking the launch of its biggest new product development in over a decade with Baby Hasselbacks. Inspired by consumer insight which revealed that shoppers lack inspiration for midweek meals, the new product aims to also increase the appeal of the growing frozen food category.

“We’re helping our customers to add restaurant-quality foods to their home-cooked meals, in a matter of just minutes,” Mark Hodge, VP of Marketing at McCain, said at the time of the launch. “This new launch is the perfect combination of delicious flavour and convenience.

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“The range is perfect to accompany a variety of meals whether it is a relaxing evening in after a long day or to add something fun and different to family mealtimes.”

Meanwhile, Tayto-owned Golden Wonder has launched £1 PMP Saucers, tapping into growing demand for price-marked packs. “The squeeze on consumers means independent retailers must give their customers confidence that they are getting great value through PMPs,” the brand noted. “Value for money is now the third most important reason for snacks purchase (after flavour and quality) with over 90% agreeing that value for money is important.”

LOW AND NO Impending reformulation and increased demand for low and no sugar and alcohol products has fuelled NPD for years.

Molson Coors has launched a reformulated Cobra Zero in 330 ml cans, capitalising on growing appetite for alcohol-free products, particularly from young adults, many of whom are less likely to drink alcohol than any other generation. In fact, one in five young adults are now teetotal, according to Drinkaware.

Announcing the launch Flick Jones, Senior Brand Manager – Cobra at Molson Coors Beverage Company, said: “The number of alcohol-free occasions continues to increase as does the Asian lager market in the UK, so it’s the perfect time for us to launch our new and improved Cobra Zero recipe, available in can format for the first time.”

Meanwhile, Tate & Lyle Sugars has launched a low-calorie Sucralose Sweetener to offer consumers more choice. Available in both tablet and resealable pouch form, it is more concentrated to offer a cost saving, meaning consumers could use less product to achieve

“the same amount of sweetness”. Furthermore, the resealable pouch is recyclable, uses less packaging material than a traditional bag or box, and takes up less space on the shelf for retailers.

“We’ve seen a growing trend towards consumers regularly opting for sweetener; the market is now worth over £55m per year and accounts for almost a fifth of the total sugar market value. This share is growing year on year, for example, sales of our existing food service-led sweetener brand have grown by 300% in volume compared to pre-Covid-19 levels, with this sales trend expected to continue as consumers remain focused on exercising greater control of their diets,” Sandra Gonilho, Marketing Manager, for Tate & Lyle Sugars, says.

ALCOHOL MIX NPD is a big area of interest in the drinks sector too, as witnessed by the burst of product launches in the category.

Bacardi-owned Eristoff vodka is just one of the brands innovating, with the company’s latest RTD cocktails launched recently to respond to consumer demand for berry and tropical flavours. The new Eristoff Pink it Up! and Passion Star! were launched for the 2022 festive season, but the flavours are also primed for the summer months.

What’s more, Polish vodka brand Zubrowka has introduced its first-ever craft beer to feature Bison Grass. The new Polish Bison Grass Wheat Craft Beer is brewed at 4.2% using the essence of bison grass, while boasting notes of almond, vanilla, coconut and lavender.

Finally, Pernod Ricard has launched The Chuan, aimed at celebrating the brand’s vision to create a malt whisky made in China. “The inauguration of The Chuan Distillery is the culmination of a pioneering adventure,” explains Alexandre Ricard, Chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard.

“We have blended the natural beauty of the Emeishan landscape in China with the skill and craftsmanship of our distillers to produce a whisky to be proud of.

“It will shape a new and unique experience for whisky enthusiasts for many years to come.” www.slrmag.co.uk

New Name Same All Round Delicious Taste & Value!

Assortment of 48 varieties in hanging bag format 34 vegetarian society approved lines 41 halal approved lines

Launching 1st February 2024

Formerly known as Fort Matilda Industrial Estate, Greenock, Scotland PA16 7QF Tel: +44 (0)1475 721099 enquiries@goldencasket.co.uk www.goldencasket.co.uk

Feature

Easter

HOP IN! TIPS FROM MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL

To make the most of the season, retailers should split Easter into three phases: getting off to a fast start (from now until Valentine’s Day), building momentum (from Valentine’s Day on 14 February, to Mother’s Day on 10 March), and then gearing up for a ‘gifting finish’ for the last three weeks as the period reaches its finale.

Retailers should note that 70% of Easter sales preValentine’s Day are Mini Eggs and Filled Eggs, and should focus on the Top 10 SKUs to help signpost the incoming Easter season.

For a fast start to the season, Mondelez suggests that retailers: Q be ready on day one of the season with sufficient stock of seasonal self-eat and sharing favourites from well-loved brands, such as Cadbury Creme Egg and Cadbury Mini Eggs; Q create awareness of the season with your customers using campaigns, competitions and promotions as a talking point; Q use POS from shoppers’ favourite Easter brands to highlight products and optimise incremental sales.

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With confectionery aplenty, Easter can help drive bigger margins in the run-up to and during the spring season.

BY ELENA DIMAMA

S

easonal occasions such as Easter provide a great opportunity for retailers to showcase high-performing ranges and highlight the bestselling categories.

Easter is one of those calendar events that retailers can use to promote lines for a longer period of time, with confectionery able to play a major role in it.

SWEET SEASON Whether as a main gift or to complement bigger gifts, confectionery sales are growing in independent and symbol stores as more consumers opt for local shopping, according to Snackchat.

Meanwhile, seasonal confectionery shoppers tend to be more affluent, having a £12.50 higher spend per visit, according to Lumina. What’s more, over 50% of shoppers buy chocolates and flowers together, offering more opportunities to trade up.

NPD will be key once again this Easter season, with new products expected to drive the occasion, according to the NIQ Scantrack’s data to April 2023.

“Easter 2024 will see the launch of the Cadbury Creme Egg Tablet,” Susan Nash, Trade Communications Manager at Mondelez International, notes. “[It] sees the iconic brand taken into this format for the first time ever in the UK.

“As one of the UK’s favourite Easter SKUs, the Cadbury Creme Egg brand sees buy-in from one-infour households during the Easter season, allowing it to achieve an incredible brand awareness of 95%. With this new tablet format added to the catalogue, perfect for both sharing and self-treat occasions, retailers will be able to use the irresistible allure of the Cadbury Creme Egg to drive their fast start to the season and repeat purchase rate.”

The brand’s Cadbury Mini Eggs are also coming back, having grown by 19% in 2023, according to Nielsen Insights. Moreover, the Cadbury Mini Eggs Bar, a 360g gifting format, will be available nationwide for the first time.

Meanwhile, Kervan Gida UK is launching Dexters Dynaeggs for this year’s Easter. The new product boasts candy-coated milk chocolate eggs with a chewy jelly gummy centre.

“Stocking up early will ensure an extended selling period for this Jurassic-ally delightful treat, offering multiple purchase occasions,” says Jonathan Drake, National Account Manager at Kervan Gida, UK. “This is a delicious and fun product to fill a gap in the market and will bring in new consumers to the seasonal confectionery aisle generating incremental sales for retailers.

“The £1 price point also presents a strong opportunity to drive profit.”

He adds: “These eggs can be displayed on hanging bag fixtures or as part of Easter displays using the shelf ready display unit. We expect shoppers to buy them for multiple occasions as they are perfect for self-treating, sharing, egg hunts, or decorating Easter bakes.” www.slrmag.co.uk

CK W TO N O

S UP

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Feature

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Fascia Guide

www.slrmag.co.uk

Fascia Guide

Feature

NEW YEAR, NEW APPROACH? With a fresh new year underway and as much pressure as ever on retailers thanks to ever-rising costs, it could be the perfect time for a fresh start with a new symbol partner that better meets your specific needs.

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

C

ovid may very much behind us, but its effects continue to be felt. As we enter a fresh new year, our industry is still facing a barrage of challenges like inflation, energy costs, staffing challenges, legislation and more. On the face of it, 2024 looks set to be another difficult year – which might mean it’s the perfect time for some to consider a fresh start.

HELP AT HAND The apparent attractions of joining another symbol group, franchise or fascia is strong, but it’s not a decision to be taken lightly. Joining another symbol group is unlikely to be a magic bullet that makes all your problems go away.

Indeed, the symbol groups these days seem to be choosier than ever when it comes to recruiting new stores and most will demand definite commitments from retailers before they’ll even entertain a conversation about joining.

The first question to ask yourself when looking at a new partner is simple: would my business be better, stronger and more profitable with a different symbol or franchise partner?

And if so, why do you say that? You need a clear vision of precisely how you plan to benefit from having a new wholesale partner, not just a vague hope that things will get better.

A partnership involves two parties and the success of that partnership requires both parties to pull their weight, work closely together and meet the challenges together for mutual benefit.

Only by truly working hand in hand with your symbol group will you fully exploit the many opportunities that exist in 2024.

So, it takes a very clear eye and a very frank and dispassionate analytical approach to decide www.slrmag.co.uk

whether the grass is indeed greener. The key here is to firstly identify the areas of your own business that aren’t performing the way you want them to. Whether that’s margins, stock levels, staffing, admin, pricing or something else. A new symbol group can’t fix all of these problems for you on day one. They can help on lots of fronts, but they can’t wipe the slate clean for you in an instant.

Once you’ve identified the weak areas, then it’s time to analyse the various options on the table, trying to establish which groups are most likely to be able to help you with the weaknesses you’ve already identified.

Comparing symbol groups is a complex task and some would say that there is no completely reliable way to analyse how good a symbol group is until you’ve signed on that dotted line and actually started trading.

Talking to other retailers is a great way to learn more about the nitty gritty of what lies under the bonnet of each of the major groups but, once again, tread carefully and don’t take everything you hear as indisputable fact. All you’re hearing is one person’s subjective view of what it’s like to work with this or that symbol group. If another retailer feels like they had a bad time with a particular group, that doesn’t mean you will too.

But, after all that, if you are still keen to test the waters, we have produced a brief guide to some of the leading symbol groups in Scotland and across the UK. There are some very clear differences between the groups but the key is not to judge a symbol group on just one or two factors like delivery charges, promotional pricing or claimed availability levels. Try to judge each group in the round, and try to establish what each group

could bring to your specific store with your particular customer base.

BUSY YEAR It has been another busy year for the symbols.

Recruitment activity is as aggressive as ever, and more and more groups are targeting Scotland.

If you are looking to change group, you’ll have a long line of suitors at your door but be prepared for some tough conversations, even from groups desperate to grow in Scotland.

In recent years all of the main groups have become more selective about who they work with. They are looking for retailers to play a very active role in the partnership – whether that means running bigger promotional cycles, investing in store upgrades or refits, higher levels of range compliance or any number of other commitments that your new group will expect you to honour if you want their full support.

That makes commercial sense for them, and it makes common sense too. Why would they want to commit resources to a store that they don’t believe is keeping up its end of the bargain?

At the end of the day, the groups rely entirely on stores as the public face of the business, so wanting to drive standards up is something that all parties should welcome.

In return for the enormous support that symbol groups can offer local retailers, they will be looking for commitment and drive from their retail partners. There are very few quick wins in this game and only by forging a strong, positive partnership with your symbol group can you maximise your returns over the longer term.

So have a look through the guide and start lining your ducks up – and, of course, never forget the old adage: it takes two to tango.

JANUARY 2024 | SLR

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Feature

Fascia Guide | SPAR Scotland

SPAR SCOTLAND CONTINUES TO DELIVER SUCCESS Continued investment and an efficient business model ensures SPAR Scotland delivers success.

W

e hold a deep sense of pride in being an independent family-run business. The SPAR brand is a strong convenience brand and, as a leading symbol group, we are in a great position to support our mix of independent forecourt and convenience retailers.

We continue to raise the convenience bar in Scotland and have seen high performing retailers such as the David Sands Group joining SPAR in recent times, testimony to the huge strides forward we have made in the last few years.

All stores in the David Sands Group are now fully onboarded with SPAR Scotland and are enjoying the first-class support and package that only SPAR Scotland can offer.

More recently, highly respected Bellshill retailer Daniall Nadeem has joined SPAR Scotland, the latest top-quality retailer among many to join SPAR in the last year.

It is no surprise then that SPAR Scotland was once again named Symbol Group of the Year at the SLR Awards in September.

We remain fully committed to providing our SPAR retailers with first class support and further develop independent retailer convenience and forecourt businesses all over the country: Q Our dedicated team of six Business Development Managers (BDMs) cover all of Scotland.

Q We provide up to three multi-temp deliveries per week, with no delivery charges.

Q Joint business reviews are available with a dedicated BDM. Q We offer a start-to-finish recruitment support package, with refit assistance, store design and merchandising support at no cost.

Q Store layouts are based on a demographic survey of the area with a tailored range to match.

Q SPAR retailers get a range of local and national promotions supported with TV advertising and various sponsorships.

Q SPAR retailers have access to our 900 exclusive award-winning SPAR own-label range of products.

Q We work in partnership with Scottish suppliers – over 50% of the products on Scottish SPAR store shelves come from Scotland, which means great availability.

Q Stores have access to a full fresh offer, with BDM guidance and merchandising support.

Q Our depot in Dundee is fully supported with a great team who are there for SPAR retailers.

Q Scottish Guild membership – a forum composed of SPAR Scotland retailers.

JOIN SPAR SCOTLAND TODAY – WE ARE YOUR SYMBOL OF CHOICE

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SLR | JANUARY 2024

www.slrmag.co.uk

Joining the family has never been easier!

• A truly Scottish retailer and wholesaler with over 100 years of experience • The first wholesaler in Scotland to deliver Prime • A first class distribution delivery service • The only convenience retailer consistently on STV • Taking our brand in Scotland to a new audience through our ongoing partnership with the Scottish FA ... AND up to 6% rebate Just a few of the reasons more and more independent retailers are joining SPAR Scotland.

For a confidential, informal conversation contact craig.lynn@cjlang.co.uk or call 01382 512000 SparScotlandOfficial

@SparScotland

www.cjlang.co.uk

@SparScotland

CJ Lang & Son Limited

www.sparscotland.co.uk

CJ Lang & Son Ltd, Longtown Distribution Centre, 78 Longtown Road, Dundee, DD4 8JU

Feature

Fascia Guide | Premier

PREMIER IS IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN As part of the UK’s largest symbol group, Premier retailers benefit from a fantastic promotional programme, group exclusives including access to more than 600 own-brand Euro Shopper and Jack’s products, and unrivalled levels of support.

P TELEPHONE 01933 371246 E-MAIL MARTYN.PARKINSON@BOOKER.CO.UK WEBSITE WWW.PREMIER-STORES.CO.UK TWITTER @MYLOCALPREMIER 38

SLR | JANUARY 2024

remier is the UK’s largest symbol group with over 4,350 stores across the UK, with over 500 of these in Scotland making it the biggest symbol operator in Scotland. Backed by Booker, the UK’s leading food & drink wholesaler, Scottish Premier retailers benefit from group exclusives with delivery at cash and carry prices and the convenience to top up at any of our 23 branches in Scotland to maximise availability.

Premier retailers benefit from a fantastic promotional programme covering all categories which is backed up by a comprehensive EDLP program. The Premier Program is designed to drive footfall and increase cash profit with our mega deals giving POR of over 15% and most of our core deals offering at least 20% POR. Our dedicated Scottish promotions each period also offer a real point of difference from the competition.

Premier is committed to helping Scottish retailers reduce costs and supporting both retailers & shoppers alike.

Key incentives include: Q Reducing energy consumption with efficient LED lighting, Beer Caves, walk-in Soft Drinks area and refrigeration units.

Q Extending our spend and save scheme to include vape products, earning retailers up to 5% rebate.

Q Linking up with Healthy Scotland to support communities and children across Scotland.

Q Food donations points in store via Fareshare.

Scottish retailers have access to over 600 ownbrand products through Jack’s and the Euro shopper brands. Euro Shopper is our entry level value range and Jack’s is part of the Tesco family and mid-tier. Both exclusive ranges come in PMPs and offer a minimum of 30% POR*.

Premier’s store development teams will design and implement our latest thinking in stores, including Soft Drinks walk-in refrigeration units, Beer Caves, Refresh Zones, £5 lunchtime ‘Mega Meal Deal’ and local Scottish Bakery lineups, whilst ensuring stores are as energy efficient and sustainable as possible.

Some Scottish stores who have invested over £200k have seen this pay back within 12 months and Premier’s small store format model means that now any Scottish stores from 300sq ft+ can benefit from the Premier model. *Excluding some products & chilled lines

www.slrmag.co.uk

JOIN THE UK’S LARGEST SYMBOL GROUP • No joining fees • Up to 5% Spend & Save discount* (Now includes Vape spend) • Free Marketing support • Free EPOS system* • Assistance with van leasing • Bespoke ranges & promotions for Scotland *Terms and conditions apply.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP GROW YOUR BUSINESS

CALL US TODAY ON 0808 178 8644

OR VISIT JoinPremier.co.uk

Feature

Fascia Guide | Day-Today

UNVEILING THE POWER OF THE DAY-TODAY SYMBOL GROUP BENEFITS FOR JOINING THE DAYTODAY SYMBOL GROUP INCLUDE 1. JOIN FOR FREE! Joining the Day-Today family comes with no initial costs, allowing retailers to invest their resources where they matter most – in their stores and communities.

2. UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE DEALS AND COMPETITIVE PRICES Day-Today members gain access to a treasure trove of exclusive deals and the most competitive wholesale prices around.

3. PERSONALISED SUPPORT FROM EXPERT DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS Our expert Development Managers provide personalised support, leveraging their industry knowledge to help stores thrive. From strategic planning to operational guidance, Day-Today is committed to the success of every member.

4. TAILORED FASCIA FORMATS FOR EVERY STORE STYLE One size does not fit all, and Day-Today understands the unique identity of each store. Enjoy the flexibility of choosing from a range of tailored fascia formats that complement and enhance your store’s individual style and area location.

5. EXPERIENCE EXCELLENCE: OUR STORES HAVE EARNED LOCAL AND NATIONAL AWARDS! Day-Today stores are not just retail spaces; they are award-winning establishments that have earned local and national recognition. Joining Day-Today means aligning with excellence, benefiting from the same strategies and practices that have garnered awards in various categories.

6. STAY AHEAD WITH CUTTING-EDGE TRENDS AND INNOVATIONS In the dynamic world of retail, staying ahead is crucial. Day-Today keeps its members at the forefront by providing insights into cutting-edge trends and innovations. Be it technology, product offerings, or customer engagement strategies.

7. DYNAMIC MARKETING AND PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT Benefit from dynamic marketing and promotional support, including campaigns, signage, and materials that amplify your store’s visibility. Our aim is to help you exceed customer expectations while creating a buzz in your local community.

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I

n the ever-evolving landscape of retail, finding the right symbol partner is paramount for local retailers seeking a fresh start in 2024. Among the choices, DayToday stands tall as the fastest-growing and award-winning cash and carry retail chain in the UK. Founded in 2003 with a remarkable simultaneous opening of 30 stores, Day-Today has grown into a network of over 300 shops in Scotland, embodying a commitment to service and community.

At the heart of Day-Today’s success is a commitment to going the extra mile for customers. These stores take pride in servicing local communities, presenting a cash and carry ‘one-stop-shop’ concept for all essentials.

The Day-Today group understands that first impressions matter, striving for excellence to ensure a lasting connection between customers and their local stores. Offering a fresh, modern, and professional convenience store service, Day-Today delivery the perfect package for your neighbourhood or high street.

Naeem Khaliq, Day-Today Head of Symbol at UWS emphasises the group support for retailers: “We’re seeking partners who share our commitment to quality, service and community.

We’ve evolved to save more and sell more, offering not just better prices but strategies to boost footfall and offset costs. Our pricing and promotions aim to be competitive, benefiting both retailers and customers. Our strong

supplier relationships bring trust, transparency, and exclusive deals. Join us – let’s strengthen the bond between Day-Today, suppliers, and retailers.”

Day-Today is not just a symbol group; it’s a catalyst for success in the world of retail. The accolades amassed by Day-Today stores in 2023 are a testament to their dedication and success.

Awards such as: Spirit of the Community for Day-Today Bourtreehill at the Asian Trader Awards, Symbol Store of the Year for Day-Today Bankton at the Scottish Grocer Awards. DayToday Drylaw earned the title of Vaping Retailer of the Year, and several other stores received prestigious recognitions in various categories.

In the world of retail, the right symbol partner can make all the difference. Day-Today goes beyond the conventional symbol group experience. Joining us is not just a strategic business move; it’s an immersive journey into a supportive community. The phenomenal growth, community-focused approach, and industry accolades position Day-Today as a top choice for local retailers aiming for success.

As the SLR Symbol Group, Fascia & Franchise Guide unfolds, consider the unmatched benefits of joining the Day-Today symbol group—a partnership that goes beyond convenience, embracing community spirit and retail excellence. Explore your options wisely, and let Day-Today be the cornerstone of your success story in the coming year.

Asian Trader Awards, Spirit of the Community Winner 2023: Day-Today Bourtreehill.

“Being a part of Day-Today for the past 17 years has been the best partnership. We feel of supported, like having a comfort blanket, having the Day-Today team around us. What keeps us with Day-Today is the genuine sense of being listened to and valued. It’s a two-way street, a partnership that works seamlessly. Without the unwavering support of the Day-Today team, we wouldn’t be where we are today & winning awards!”

MRS MEHMOOD – DAY-TODAY, BANKTON

www.slrmag.co.uk

Day-Today Bankton Symbol Store of the Year (Single Store)

NO JOINING FEES ACCESS TO THE BEST DEALS AND PRICES DEDICATED DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS DIFFERENT FASCIA FORMATS FOR EVERY STORE TYPE

JOIN OUR GROUP! Scan the QR code and complete the simple contact form, or email our Symbol Project Manager at naveed.ahmed@uniteduk.com A member of our team will contact you within 72 hours to discuss your business plans and the support we can provide.

Feature

Vaping

PUFF ON The vaping category is still crucial for independent retail despite anxieties over potential legislative changes.

BY ELENA DIMAMA

A

n array of flavours, varieties and brands makes the vaping category a crucial one for independent retailers, despite regulatory roadblocks.

Smoking alternatives make up 12.4% of the total nicotine category, with e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and oral nicotine the only nicotine categories to show growth in the past year.

In Scotland, the nicotine category is dominated by Factory Made Cigarettes, however, according to the ONS, smoking alternatives now account for 12% of the nicotine category – up from 2% just five years ago – highlighting the importance for the sector.

DISPOSABLE FRIENDS AND FOES The disposable market is quite a lucrative one within the category, now worth 83% of all vape sales, according to ITUK. “Retailers should ensure they review their range regularly and prioritise stocking the brands that cater to these fast-moving trends in order to remain current and maximise sales,” Tom Gully, Head of Consumer Marketing UK & Ireland at Imperial Tobacco, explains.

“With this in mind, we’d recommend stocking a range of leading disposable products like blu bar, and pod-mods such as blu 2.0.”

The brand has launched three new flavours to capitalise on the demand for disposable vapes, including Tropical Mix, Apple Ice and Mint Ice, taking the total flavour range up to 13 variants.

“Collectively, these flavour characteristics, including apple, pineapple, mint and mango, accounted for 10.75% of all vaping sales

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over the last six months, with their share contribution almost doubling vs. the same period a year ago,” Gully notes. “This really demonstrates the significant consumer demand for these particular flavour profiles.”

Meanwhile, however, the future of disposable vapes and flavours has come into question, after the UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak launched a consultation on plans to create what is described as a ‘smokefree generation’ and crack down on youth vaping. Moreover, the Scottish government announced back in September it was considering a ban on disposable vaping products, as part of a wider public health and environment protection plan.

Responding to the government’s proposals, the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) is calling for tougher regulation on naming and packaging to deter underage vaping, but cautions against flavour restrictions.

Amongst the measures the body proposes are Challenge 25 checks; asking producers to encourage alternative vaping products over disposables, but ruling out an outright ban to avoid the rise of illicit trade; working with retailers to provide recycling options; and making sure current legislation is enforced to punish retailers responsible for illegal sales of vapes.

Announcing the proposals, SGF CEO Pete Cheema said: “The Healthier Choices, Healthier Communities campaign is about balance.

We want to help create public policy which simultaneously encourages vaping amongst adults who wish to quit smoking and discourages it amongst non-smokers, particularly given the evidence of young people vaping.”

Juul Labs UK Director of National Accounts Richard Cook tells SLR: “The priority must be to ensure the vaping industry is acting responsibly in order to help adult smokers transition away from cigarettes and reduce the harms from tobacco while combating underage use.

“We want to build a responsible vaping industry with tougher rules on packaging, flavours and promotions, to prevent these products getting into the hands of those who are underage.”

He adds: “Disposables have been under political scrutiny, and media interest intensifies, but views vary widely on the depth and scale of regulatory intervention required across the category.

“Quality products, focusing on sustainability/environmental impact, with responsible marketing and advertising practices, will be best placed in any future regulatory configuration.”

SUSTAINABILITY PRIORITIES The issue of sustainability within the category is a pertinent one, which is why the SGF is placing increased emphasis on it, in collaboration with SLR. The body is currently running a pilot programme to introduce vape recycling bins into stores across Scotland. The first phase saw a total of 20 SGF member stores from across Scotland participate in the scheme.

Cheema noted at the time of the scheme’s announcement: “A key focus for both SGF and SLR is the promotion of responsible community retailing.

“We recognise that single-use vapes can be extremely effective for those quitting smoking, but they must stop appearing in our streets and parks. Stores participating in the pilot will be able to offer customers a return point in-store through a recycling bin for used vapes and retailers will be provided with a convenient waste and recycling option as part of this.”

The campaign comes as research reveals the extent of the problem around disposables.

Cook explains: “Last month, Material Focus found that the number of disposable vapes thrown away has quadrupled from 1.3 million to five million per week in the past year, equivalent to eight per second.

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“Juul devices are not single-use devices and can be reused and recharged, unlike disposable vapes, and are designed to be long lasting, with each device coming with a two-year warranty. If needed, the battery part of the device can be recycled with other electronic waste.

“We are committed to improving the sustainability of our products and, over the last 18 months, have been operating a take-back scheme where users can return their used Juul pods to us at no additional cost.”

NO TO THE BAN Meanwhile, the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has called on smokers, vapers and the wider industry to rally behind a national petition which urges the government against banning disposable vapes and flavours.

The petition shines a light on the potential public health consequences of ‘excessive and counterproductive legislation’ which reduces the effectiveness of vaping as a stop smoking tool.

It warns that blocking access to flavours and disposables, on which over half of smokers looking to quit rely, could prevent adult smokers from making the switch.

To encourage consumers to pledge their support, the UKVIA is directly engaging with its own members, advocacy groups such as WeVape and online communities which have a combined membership of more than 100,000 adult vapers.

The trade association is also running a social media campaign to maximise sign ups and is sharing stories of real ex-smokers whose lives have been changed for the better after switching to vaping.

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UTC

LOTTO RUBBISH

CLOUDED JUDGEMENT

Have you ever had a customer say they’ve chucked away a winning lottery ticket? There have been, apparently, 14 unclaimed winning tickets in the UK within the last six months, eight of which were for a million quid.

A mob called Minimum Deposit Casinos (MDC) thinks it’s fair to assume some of these have been tossed in the trash and, with this riveting thought in mind, emailed Under The Counter to see if he could spot a missing lottery ticket in a bin full of rubbish. Just a wee bit of new year fun, like.

According to MDC, it takes at least a minute to find the ticket, with 20% giving up entirely. UTC gave up before he started – because he hates puzzles – and jumped straight to the answer, only to discover that he still couldn’t find it.

The Auld Boy did, however, while away at least a minute marvelling at the huge amount of electrical waste MDC was sending to landfill and wondering in what crazy clip art universe mobile phones and digital cameras are the same size as AA batteries and paperclips.

Now UTC never prints out emails. In fact, he seldom even reads them. However, he went to the bother of pressing Ctrl + P on this occasion, just so he could screw up the message and chuck it in the bin. Narrowly avoiding a tiny hairdryer.

Have a go at the puzzle yourself. Just a wee bit of new year fun, like. The so-called ‘solution’ is at the bottom of the page.

There is always plenty of work for undertakers, as Under The Counter likes to remind his colleagues, who like to remind him that he is long overdue to be fitted for a wooden overcoat.

There is also, it’s fair to say, plenty of work for Aldi’s copyright infringement lawyers.

For the discounter is back in court after brewer Thatchers accused it of ripping off its Cloudy Lemon Cider when Aldi launched a Taurus ‘Cloudy Cider Lemon’ variant.

Surely not? The company that brought us Nutoka chocolate hazelnut spread and Nordpak butter has been accused of gaining an unfair advantage by copying Thatchers’ brew “in both taste and appearance”.

We’ll let readers decide if the two products look the same, but we can’t – despite our best efforts – invite you try a taste test.

Unlike Thatchers’ lawyer, who asked the judge to do just that.

Two things immediately came to the Auld Boy’s mind. Firstly, that his careers officer back in the day never told him that a job in the legal profession could involve getting paid to drink cider. And that this is a highrisk strategy on the part of the Somerset brewer.

For what if the beak, rather than decide that both taste the same, concludes – with the weight of hundreds of years of Britain’s proud judicial heritage at their back – that Taurus tastes better?

STOP MAKING SCENTS Under The Counter was worried he’d been in a Hogmanay party-induced coma for three months and woken up on 1 April when he heard that Lidl had unveiled a limited-edition gift box of its Cien deodorant range that included a scent inspired by “the eclectic community of Edinburgh’s Leith district”.

This is apparently not a wind-up to rival the discounter’s 2022 April Fool’s launch of a bakery-scented perfume called Eau de Dough, but the real deal.

UTC has seen the box, and it describes the new oxter spray as reflecting “the area’s sense of community spirit and

perseverance, with an undercurrent of its industrious roots. Not to forget its artistic flair, fresh sea air, locally baked sourdough, booze-soaked beer mats and friendly dugs aplenty.”

So – to summarise the marketing mince – if you want your pits to smell of hipster bread, stale alcohol and Cocker Spaniels, you’d better get yourself down to Lidl. Right? Wrong.

Only 500 packs were available by means of a prize draw. And, much like every article the Auld Boy taps out with a solitary arthritic finger, you’ve missed the deadline by a mile.

Eagle-eyed readers will apparently find the missing lottery ticket at the edge of the image, just above three o’clock and nestling under a spoon.

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