* Based on NielsenIQ RMS data for the Nicotine Pouches category for the 18-month period ending 30/12/2023 for the UK total retail market (Copyright © 2023, NielsenIQ) ** This product is not risk-free and contains nicotine, an addictive substance. For adult nicotine consumers only.
David’s Kitchen named Scottish Local Retailer of the Year 2024.
FATHER AND SON TEAM, BAY AND ELLIS HAVE GOT THE RIGHT CHILLER LAYOUT. HAVE YOU? RETAILER
1 in 3 on-the-go soft drinks sold are energy drinks1 so give them the room they deserve! Hero the fastest growing brands like Monster to maximise sales. 2
Help shoppers navigate the fixture by grouping energy brands and create clear segments for Traditional, Zero Sugar and Flavoured energy sectors.
Kick out the slow sellers. Double face the SKUs that really deliver. Include zero sugar energy too, like Monster Ultra, the No.1 zero sugar energy brand. 2 And don’t forget flavoured favourites like Monster Juiced.
Innovation drives sales 2, so create fixture excitement with the latest launches. Remember, 62% of energy innovation sales 2 over the last year are from Monster.
Single cans are great for shoppers when on-the-go but don’t forget to keep your multipacks chilled for shoppers who want energy now and for later.
08 Awards David’s Kitchen is SLR’s Scottish Local Retailer of the Year.
09 Stores Greens Retail teams up with Iceland Local.
10 Horizon Scandal A new Post Office offences law comes into force.
12 New Stores An empty Kirkcaldy building is transformed into a Nisa store.
14 News Extra Euro 2024 Scotland’s football team may have failed to shine, but its retailers did the country proud.
30 Product News Soft drinks are the ‘kings of convenience,’ according to a new report from Britvic.
34 Off-Trade News Guinness signs on with the Premier League while Jack Daniels and Coke are ready to rock.
36 Store Profile David’s Kitchen A deep dive into our Scottish Local Retailer of the Year and food-to-go trailblazer
40 SLR Awards Industry Achievement AG Barr Commercial Director Jonathan Kemp has enjoyed a phenomenal career.
41 Checkout Scotland GroceryAid Scotland’s unique music event is back in September and tickets are selling fast.
42 Above & Beyond Awards We take a closer look at three of our outstanding 2024 winners.
45 Industry Events Spar Scotland’s September trade show will focus on ‘Raising the Bar’.
46 Crime Londis Solo Convenience owner Natalie Lightfoot speaks out on the lasting effects of retail crime.
48 Hotlines The latest new products and media campaigns.
66 Under The Counter The Auld Boy has problems with pakora, protesters and peeing.
50 Crisps & Snacks From PMPs to healthy options and flavour trends, find out how to get more out of crisps and snacks.
58 Tobacco With many consumers still finding it tough to pay the bills, offering both quality and value is crucial.
64 Back To School Get an A for effort with a range of nutritious, convenient and cost-effective lunchbox options.
UK inflation hits 2%, but shopworkers struggle
The UK rate of inflation has hit the Bank of England’s target of 2% for the first time in nearly three years, but the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite hard, according to Usdaw. The retail trade union’s survey found that 72% of members have struggled to pay energy bills, with a quarter of those facing hardship every month. Usdaw said that the inflation figure “masks the misery many workers have suffered”.
hole in Trading Standards budget
UK Trading Standards needs a funding boost of £168,340,000 over five years if it is to fully enforce vape legislation across the UK, according to an analysis commissioned by the Association of Convenience Stores. This figure represents a near 30% increase in net budgets for Trading Standards and takes into consideration the cost of enforcement officers, training, detection dogs and more.
Strong results for PayPoint, but ATMs disappoint PayPoint has delivered strong full-year results, with underlying EBITDA up 32.6% to £81.3m. Collect+ saw a year of growth in parcel transactions, up 77.5% to 100.1 million (FY23: 56.4 million), including regularly processing more than two million parcels per week. However, the group’s ATM business saw net revenue decrease by 8.2% year on year, attributed to the continued reduced demand for cash.
More than 800 retailers from the Costcutter, best-one, Bargain Booze and Extra Local fascias and a number of key suppliers attended the Bestway Retail Showcase held at Coventry Building Society Arena on 15 May. Now in its second year, the showcase saw the launch of Bestway’s latest own-label range ‘Best-in,’ and the latest news on new store formats.
Greens Retail has announced a new partnership with Iceland Local, which will see its Glasgow and Dundee stores receive dualbranded fascias.
e Iceland range will be introduced to Greens of Shettleston, Glasgow, and Greens of Dundee in July, with a view to roll out in more stores later in the year.
“We are thrilled to enter into this partnership with Iceland,” said Harris Aslam, Managing Director at Greens Retail.
“ e extensive value and variety of Iceland’s own-label and brand partnership products help to showcase our dedication to providing the best range, availability, and value to our customers.”
e rst Iceland Local opened on 31 March 2023, under the management of SGN Retail, on a Texaco garage forecourt in Fallings Park, Wolverhampton and the new Greens stores will bring the total number up to ve by the end of July.
Iceland will supply the store with a range of frozen products from its own-label range and its exclusive brand partnerships, including customer favourites such as Greggs,
TGI Fridays, Harry Ramsden’s, and Cathedral City.
Justin Addison, International & Partnerships Director at Iceland Foods said: “We are delighted to have worked with Greens on the launch of the Iceland Local concept in Scotland.
“We have already demonstrated the very broad customer appeal of the Iceland brand in new types of location by successfully making our food available in more than 100 e Range stores across the UK since the launch of our strategic alliance with e Range in 2018.
“We are now ready to extend our footprint into other high-tra c locations through partnerships with carefully selected operators such as Greens.”
The newly refurbed Inverness Co-op on Telford Street has partnered with value retailer Boyes. The discount retailer’s first venture into Scotland has created 10 jobs.
The 10,500sq ft Co-op opened on Thursday 27 June, with the Boyes section offering discount clothing; homewares; electrical appliances; stationery; DIY products; soft furnishings; wool and haberdashery; craft and hobby; pet products; and seasonal ranges.
The new look store, which supports nearly 40 local jobs, has an improved range and layout following a six-week investment programme. An overcounter range from Inverness-based bakery Harry Gow offers hot pies and cakes, alongside an extensive focus on fresh and chilled produce.
Convenience retailers in Scotland’s major cities face increased competition a er Amazon announced the expansion of its fresh food deliveries.
e service was previously limited to Prime members, but now the delivery behemoth is making fresh food orders available to all customers in over 100 towns and cities across the UK.
In Glasgow, all Amazon shoppers can order fresh food for delivery from Co-op, Iceland and Morrisons via the online giant. Meanwhile, those in Dundee, Glenrothes, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Stirling and Stevenston can use the website to order fresh food deliveries from Morrisons.
Prime members will get free same day or next day delivery with a twohour delivery slot subject to minimum spend (depending on retailer) when ordering Morrisons, Iceland, and Co-op food deliveries through Amazon, with other customers paying a minimum £3 delivery charge.
While Scotland battled to a 1-1 draw with Switzerland, it was David’s Kitchen and its Managing Director Keith Fernie who secured victory at the SLR Awards on 19 June.
Keith walked o with the prestigious Scottish Local Retailer of the Year award, while Spar David’s Kitchen Kirkcaldy was named Fresh & Chilled Retailer of the Year. Further success came when David’s Kitchen Glenrothes took the Food-to-Go gong.
David’s Kitchen pioneered the food-to-go revolution in Scotland and has been at the forefront of the category for more than a decade. SLR Publishing Editor Antony Begley said the chain – under Keith’s guidance – had “single-handedly rede ned what a convenience store is and does in Scotland”.
No one store dominated this year’s event, which again saw an exceptionally strong eld of nalists. With two trophies, Premier DUSA, Dundee was the evening’s top scorer, picking up the So Drinks Retailer of the Year award while retaining its title as Sustainability Retailer of the Year.
e Industry Achievement award went to Jonathan Kemp, who – as AG Barr’s Commercial Director –
has been responsible for keeping Irn-Bru on shelves for more than 20 years. Described by Begley as “a genuinely lovely human being,” Kemp retires in September, leaving a very large hole in the Scottish convenience industry.
Spar Garthamlock manager Gerry Haughey was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement award, recognised for a spectacular year in his store and a career consistently characterised by growth, success and achievement.
e event, which was hosted by comedian Fred MacAuley, was once again held in the Radisson blu hotel in Glasgow.
For a full rundown of the Awards, turn to page 18.
It was party time at Pinkie Farm Spar as the store celebrated its 10-year anniversary on 31 May.
Originally set up and run by Colin Smith, who is now Chief Executive at the Scottish Wholesale Association, the store was taken over by Dan Brown in 2018. He and partner, Nicole, who joined the business in 2022, have worked tirelessly to support their local community and suppliers and customers were delighted to take part in the festivities, which included product sampling, facepainting and competitions.
Dan said: “It’s been an honour to have become part of the local community, seeing it grow and evolve, and being part of Musselburgh’s story! We’re exceptionally proud of our entire team’s continued e ortsthey all go above and beyond every single day (and some have been doing so for the full 10 years we’ve been around!)
“We truly do love our customers and community and our aim for the next 10 years is to continue trying to do the very best we can to give them a store they can be proud of.”
Wholesaler Booker has unveiled a Tobacco Club for its Shop Locally retail club members.
The Tobacco Club includes promotions on 10 products, including Chesterfield Red SK, Mayfair Silver and Gold KS and SK and Kensitas Club SK and KS cigarettes, and Malboro Gold, B&H Blue and Kensitas Club RYO tobacco.
Booker is offering these promotions to help increase sales, footfall and profit delivering a potential £1,000 of additional profit a year. This deal also counts towards the retailers Spend & Save discount, delivering up to 5% (T&C’s apply).
Retailers interested in the Tobacco Club can contact their local branch or Retail Development Manager for more details.
New Team GB and ParalympicsGB scratchcard
National Lottery operator, Allwyn, has unveiled a special edition Paris 2024-themed scratchcard ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic games, which kick off this summer. The card features two designs centred on each of the GB teams and has their logos emblazoned on front. The £1 Scratchcard has a top prize of £100,000 and offers five chances to win a prize.
Spar Scotland brews up Barista Bar celebration
Spar Scotland wholesaler CJ Lang celebrated the successful rollout of Barista Bar in 20 company-owned stores with a free coffee and competition event. Customers at the Barista Bar stores were treated to in-store parties with an hour of complimentary coffee and free Lorne rolls, on Friday 21 June. Spar Halbeath in Dunfermline was the first store to install the coffee feature.
Gander teams up with C-Store Collective
Gander has signed a new service partnership agreement with C-Store Collective, which aims to expand the reach and enhance the availability of Gander’s product. The collaboration is intended to promote sustainability and cut down food waste by enabling retailers to sell more reduced food, providing a win-win for retailers and shoppers alike.
runs ‘Win With Every Goal’ promotion
Spar customers can win one of thousands of prizes in Spar’s Euro 2024 initiative, which runs until 14 July. To take part, shoppers need to visit everygoal. co.uk to submit their details and spin a virtual wheel that will randomly select a team. Customers can then choose to win an instant reward either each time their team scores or concedes a goal.
A ‘From Pitch to Profits’ campaign has landed at Bestway depots across the UK as the wholesaler looks to help retailers maximise the Euro 2024 opportunity. Retailers visiting Bestway wholesale outlets will enter a football pitch-themed warehouse where deals will be promoted throughout the Euros. They will then be invited to show off their own football skills. The campaign runs until mid-July.
Hall named President of Spar International Joint Managing Director of James Hall & Co, Dominic Hall, has been elected President of Spar International, the world’s largest voluntary retail food network. Hall has been a Board member of the Spar UK Food Distributors since 2007, held the position of Chair of the National Guild of Spar UK since 2011, and became a member of the Supervisory Board of Spar International in 2017.
Humdrum weather hinders May sales
UK Total retail sales increased by 0.7% year on year in May, against a growth of 3.9% in May 2023, according to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. Food sales increased 3.6% year on year over the three months to May. BRC boss Helen Dickinson said: “Despite a strong bank holiday weekend for retailers, minimal improvement to weather across most of May meant only a modest rebound in retail sales.”
Card spending growth hits three year low
Consumer card spending grew just 1.0% year on year in May, the smallest rise since February 2021 and significantly lower than the latest CPIH inflation rate of 3.0%, according to the latest Barclays Consumer Spend Report. Consumer confidence dipped following increases on several household bills, with 87% worried about the impact on their personal finances.
Sub-postmasters in Scotland who were wrongly convicted because of the Post O ce Horizon scandal were automatically exonerated a er a new law came into force on 14 June, the same day Post O ce campaigner Alan Bates received a knighthood in the King’s Birthday honours list.
e Post O ce (Horizon System) O ences (Scotland) Act received Royal Assent on 13 June, having been passed in the Scottish Parliament on 30 May 2024, to deliver justice to victims as swi ly as possible and enable them to access the UK Government nancial redress scheme.
Working with the Crown O ce, the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission and the Post O ce, the Scottish Government will notify those a ected and ensure police and court records are amended. ere is also a route for victims to bring their cases to the attention of Ministers.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance has written an open letter to sub-postmasters setting out next steps.
She said: “ is legislation automatically exonerates sub-postmasters who were convicted of crimes of dishonesty that they did not commit due to the Post O ce’s faulty Horizon IT system, meaning they are eligible to access the redress scheme.
“Of course, no amount of compensation can fully mend the lives that were torn apart by this miscarriage of justice.
“I do hope, however, that this legislation goes some way to righting the terrible wrongs of the past.
“I will be writing to those a ected to tell them their convictions have been quashed and ensuring court records are changed, so the victims of this scandal can have their good names restored as quickly as possible.
ey have already waited too long for justice.”
Sub-postmasters can make the Scottish Government aware of any convictions by emailing PostO ceConvictions@gov.scot.
With single-use vapes set to be banned in April 2025, the Scottish Government has provided further clarity on the de nition of a disposable vape, in addition to more information on how the rules will be enforced.
e vaping products that are set to be banned must not be re llable by an individual user in the normal course of their use; not be rechargeable; not be re llable and rechargeable; and not be able to be tted with a replacement heating coil which is separately available and replaceable by an individual user in the normal course of their use.
e information was provided as part of the Scottish Government’s response to the consultation on the dra regulations to implement a ban on single-use vapes.
On enforcement, the consultation response sets out additional powers to allow Trading Standards o cers to identify rogue sellers, enter premises and seize illegitimate products. ose who commit an o ence could be subject to receive a level ve ne, which is equivalent to between £5,000 and £10,000. is is in contrast to the regulations in England, which stipulate a range of notices which could be imposed on a business and an initial £200 xed penalty notice for an o ence, reduced to £100 if paid within 28 days.
NEWSTRADE Unfair treatment causes outrage
Price rises across all three Telegraph titles, and an accompanying cut in retailers’ terms have been deemed ‘unacceptable’ by newly elected President of the Federation of Independent Retailers ( e Fed), Mo Razzaq, who runs Premier Mo’s in Blantyre.
e price hikes kicked in at the end of June, but the margin retailers receive for handling the titles has been frozen for six months. is will be followed in December by a 1% cut in the margin on weekday and Sunday editions and a 0.5% cut on Saturday editions.
8.4% ABV | NO CAFFEINE MADE WITH VODKA
£16.3m Value 93% Growth
#2 RTD brand in Scotland
Fastest Selling SKU White - GB Conv. #1 #2
#1 Brand Value per PWD
SLR is working with Red Star Brands and its fast-growing RTD brand Four Loko to provide you with regular updates on the performance of an increasingly important category.
Over 220 new RTD products have launched in the last year, as the category growth continues to gather momentum – growing at 7.2%.
Growth is being driven entirely by the Convenience channels which are in 20.2% Value Growth - conversely, In Supermarkets, RTDs are in 0.6% Value Decline.
Convenience channels in Scotland outperform all other regions, contributing to 38% of the Total Growth, and growing at 78%.
Premium priced RTDs have grown faster than any other segment in the last two years, with an increase in Spirit based offerings and an increase in Higher ABV product launches.
Two of those products, Four Loko White (Latest 52 weeks) and Four Loko Dark Berry Burst (Latest 4 weeks) are the fastest selling products (Value Rate of Sale) across the entire GB region.
A Kirkcaldy high street building, which was last used as a temporary base for the town’s library a decade ago, has been refurbished as a Nisa outlet.
e store, which opened last month, boasts stunning honeycomb and square panel edge lit LED lighting, as well as a striking food-togo counter displaying a tempting selection of Stuart’s Bakery cakes and patisserie lines, as well as savoury pies and pastries.
A dedicated Co ee & Slush zone has a showstopping feature wall with multicoloured retrostyle square artwork. e area houses a Tango Ice Blast machine, as well as a Costa machine that serves both hot and cold drinks.
Owner Imran Haqqan said: “We chose to have the shop on the High Street as we feel it was lacking a good convenience store. We want to help bring life back to the street as well.
“We feel everyone has to do their part to get our High Street great again – and this is ours. We will be o ering a wide range of groceries such as newspapers, tobacco, alcohol, fruit, veg, toys, snacks and chocolate, owers, frozen and chilled food, toiletries, bread and cakes. We also have food to go, click and collect services, Tango
Ice Blast machine, Costa machine, lottery and PayPoint.
“We are open every day 7am to 10pm. is also gives customers the chance to pop in a er work as no other shops on the High Street are open as late.”
e store employs eight sta and is located in the centre of the town’s pedestrianised zone, just a three-minute walk away from a recently converted Morrisons Daily, which was previously a McColl’s.
Retail Director of Glasgow-based United Wholesale Grocers, Tom Slaven, has been elected President of the Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA), succeeding Julie Dunn, Operations Director of Blantyre-based Dunns Food and Drinks who has held the position for six years.
Slaven has been a member of the SWA council for several years and brings a wealth of experience to the role of President having
previously worked for drinks suppliers Anheuser-Busch and Asahi UK.
He said: “As a huge supporter of the SWA and its work over many years, both as a supplier and latterly as a wholesaler, it was a big moment for me when I was invited to join the board. But to be asked to take over from Julie as President is an even bigger honour and I look forward to developing my predecessor’s groundbreaking work and putting my own stamp on the association.
“Replacing such a respected wholesale operator is slightly daunting but I know that Julie and the rest of the council – and Chief Executive Colin Smith – will support me as we work together to progress and build on the excellent work that SWA is doing across several key areas.”
Smith said: “I’m delighted to welcome Tom Slaven as our new President, taking over from Julie Dunn whose sterling work over the last six years has helped SWA cement its position as a relevant and focused trade association with its members and people at its core.”
53% OF ADULTS In SCOTLAND AN AVERAGE OF 15 TIMES
53% OF ADULTS In SCOTLAND AN AVERAGE OF 15 times REACHING REACHING
Scottish Grocers’ Federation
At the time of writing, the General Election has yet to be decided. Many of you reading this will now know where the balance of power sits in Westminster.
What will not be so clear, is exactly what that will mean for Scottish convenience stores.
It’s true that devolution means the majority of issues impacting retailers come from the Scottish Government. Nonetheless, things could look very different in just a few short years depending on the result.
A new UK Government might be less likely to draw the ire of Scottish voters and, depending on the share of MPs in Scotland, the Scottish Government might find itself more inclined to work with, rather than be at loggerheads with, ministers in London.
In recent years, we have moved towards four nation policy. Whether on DRS, single use vapes, the protection of retail workers, or even HFSS – policy is being replicated on both sides of the border.
We haven’t seen parity, however, on issues like business rates, where the direct support for retail in England sits in stark contrast to Scottish policy. There are also some major differences on alcohol promotion, with no hint that UK parties are considering the very farreaching restrictions mooted for the Scottish industry.
Moreover, with a Scottish Parliament election no more than 22 months away, the tectonic plates could move again, and many of the issues listed above could either find new purchase or be left on the cutting room floor.
Whatever happens, both Edinburgh and Westminster must prioritise rebuilding our ailing economy. A period of stability is essential for business survival, investment and growth.
Scotland’s football team may have failed to shine, but its retailers did the country proud with their unique displays of support, racking up some impressive sales along the way.
e national team’s Euro journey passed by in the usual disappointing blue blur, but savvy retailers were quick to capitalise.
Day-Today Alloa Road in Stenhousemuir, Falkirk, went viral when the team wore Scottish-themed Viking hats and released blue smoke canisters outside the front of the store, alongside a huge Scottish ag. Videos of the occasion have racked up tens of thousands of views on social media.
e store also dedicated a xture at the store entrance to Scotland memorabilia.
“All the customers were really impressed that we’d done so much to support Scotland,” said owner Asyiah Javed. “ e store was very busy for all the Scotland games. People were buying ags, hats, even mugs and popcorn, cheesecakes and hot food,” she said. “Sales were up about 30% during match days; it made a huge di erence. People were really happy that we were celebrating it and getting behind Scotland.”
Over in Glasgow, Keystore More retailer Jazz Lalli, who has stores in Renfrew and Temple, got customers talking when he posed with a replica trophy and dressed the store in Scottish ags. “It’s a special occasion, you have to push yourself out there,” he said. “We’re competing with supermarkets, so you have to be proactive.”
He claimed that the evening match slots for Scotland games meant that there was ample opportunity to bag some Big Night In footie sales. “ e games were all on at 8pm, so everyone was able to relax and enjoy the match,” he said. “We 100% saw a sales upli during games. Snacks and crisps, sweets and alcohol were all busy. During the last game on Sunday, sales were 5-10% up.”
Broadway Convenience Store near Edinburgh extended its opening hours to cash in on half-time sales.
“We usually shut at 9pm, but we stayed up until about 9.30 to make sure that everybody still used us to get whatever they needed during half time,” said Sophie Williams, who runs the store with her parents, Linda and Dennis.
e store went all-out to show their support. “For Scotland’s rst game against Germany, we had all
our sta in Scotland tops,” said Sophie. “We had blue hair, blue glitter and Scotland tattoos.”
Suppliers got involved too. “We had one of our reps from Irn Bru come in and play Beat e Goalie, so customers could have a shot and win sunglasses or a T-shirt or scarf,” said Sophie.
A competition with Tennent’s saw sta decked out in Scotland gear give away a 12-pack of lager and a glass.
“People love a competition, so it’s a good way to gain traction on your social media,” added Sophie.
e Williams also invited local primary school kids to sing some Scottish songs to get everybody in the mood. “ ey were standing outside the shop singing Flower of Scotland, it was brilliant,” beamed Sophie.
“ e whole Broadway was buzzing.
“Even though we’ve not played the best in this tournament, we have had such a good time supporting Scotland and spreading joy. It’s been an absolute triumph for us.”
And that triumph extended to the tills, with so drinks sales up 12% on the days Scotland were playing.
And while Scotland may be out of the tournament, there’s still plenty for stores to play for. “I think going forward now, we’ll also spike when England plays,” said Sophie. “People will come in to buy stu to watch the matches because they want to see England get beat!”
Remarkably, David’s Kitchen has never won the Scottish Local Retailer of the Year title before, a fact that only dawned on me when it was unanimously agreed that the ground-breaking business was the winner of this year’s top prize at the SLR Awards.
The brainchild of one of Scotland’s most successful local retailers, David’s Kitchen first came to life more than a decade ago after David Sands had sold his eponymous chain of stores to the Co-operative Group and set his sights on launching an entirely new type of convenience business.
His concept for the new business was unique: a convenience business of sorts but majoring on food to go. Always a progressive, ambitious retailer, David has spent many years touring the globe on store safaris and had become convinced that food to go was the way forward. At the time it seemed, frankly, a bit nuts. Ten or 11 years ago, if you recall, food to go just wasn’t a thing in local retailing. Maybe a hotdog machine here or a little bake-off and hot hold there –but that was about it.
In the intervening years the business grew and grew and, lo and behold, food to go became ‘a thing’ in local retailing. Then, in the run up to Covid, it arguably became ‘The Thing’. Retailers couldn’t get into it quick enough.
The problem with food to go, however, as anyone who has tried it will tell you, is that it is hard. It’s very profitable when done well but it is hard, expensive and risky to do it properly – and the thing is, you have to do it properly or you’re essentially wasting your time. Food to go requires commitment, patience and relatively deep pockets. It takes years to educate your customer base and build enough volume to ensure that your chillers and hot holds are pleasingly fully stocked without panicking about throwing three-quarters of it in the bin. And this is where David’s Kitchen has excelled. Under Keith Fernie and Diane Greenough, they’ve done the hard yards, they’ve made all the learnings, and they did it all many years before everyone else.
Along the way they’ve also learned a few tricks. Providing external catering services, for example, is now a major part of the business. But what the judges saw during the on-the-road judging for the SLR Awards were immaculate stores, ridiculously high standards and a business that’s really in its stride. And that’s down to Keith, Diane and their exceptional team who continue to strive for perfection, continue to innovate and continue to meet the demands of today’s shoppers. A first-class business run by a first-class team and very, very worthy winners in my opinion.
If you haven’t visited one of their stores recently, I would strongly urge you to do so. This is what singular commitment to a challenging long-term strategy looks like.
ANTONY BEGLEY, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR
EDITORIAL
Publishing Director & Editor Antony Begley abegley@55north.com
Deputy Editor Sarah Britton sbritton@55north.com
Features Editor Gaelle Walker gwalker@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 22 22 100. 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.
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.
David’s Kitchen was named Scottish Local Retailer of the Year last month among a host of outstanding winners at this year’s SLR Awards.
It was another night to remember last month as the cream of the Scottish local retailing sector gathered to recognise and celebrate some of the best retailers and businesses in the country at the SLR Awards 2024. Despite an unfortunate diary clash – the awards fell on the same night as the Scotland v Switzerland Euros match! – the room was full to
over owing with retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and many others from around the sector.
Unsurprisingly, given the awards and the football match, the atmosphere was electric and, thanks to some carefully scheduled event planning, the start of the awards was delayed slightly to allow the audience to see the nal moments of the match.
While Scotland disappointed, as they so o en do, the retailers on the shortlist shone bright, as they so o en do.
e big winner on the night was David’s Kitchen, the food-to-go-driven convenience business that has gone from strength to strength since opening its rst store just 10 years ago. It claimed two category awards – Food To Go
Retailer of the Year and Fresh & Chilled Retailer of the Year, sponsored by PGMA – before going on to claim the outright Scottish Local Retailer of the Year award, sponsored by Britvic.
David’s Kitchen was one of several Spar Scotland stores hitting the heights this year with CJ Lang’s company-owned Crosshouse store claiming the Bread & Bakery Award, sponsored by Hovis, and the company-owned Spar Erskine claiming the Re t of the Year Title, sponsored by Buckfast.
Also on stage was Gerry Haughey, currently manager of Spar Garthamlock, who was rewarded for his years of top-drawer performance with an Outstanding Achievement Award, sponsored by MHouse Solutions.
It was a great night for Premier too with Jaz’s Premier at Grangemouth securing the OTrade Retailer of the Year Award, sponsored by Diageo; Premier Whitehills adding the Scottish Brands Retailer of the Year Award to its trophy cabinet, sponsored by AG Barr; and Premier Leuchars claiming the Team of the Year Award, sponsored by Bestway Wholesale.
Meanwhile, Premier Girish’s of Barmulloch walked away with the inkSmart Innovation Award, sponsored by PayPoint, and Premier DUSA bagged a brace of gongs by winning the So Drinks Retailer of the Year award, sponsored by CCEP, and the Sustainability Retailer of the Year award, sponsored by Business Energy Scotland.
Nisa Rutherglen was named New Store of the Year, sponsored by Christie & Co, while Nisa-supplied Whytes of New Pitsligo won the Community Retailer of the Year award, sponsored by Booker.
Londis also tasted victory with the Forecourt Retailer of the Year title going to Londis St Michael’s Services in Dumfries, sponsored by Four Loko, while Day-Today Bourtreehill grabbed the Confectionery Retailer of the Year award.
Una liated independent JP Pozzi in Buckie claimed the Newstrade Retailer of the Year prize, sponsored by News Scotland.
Finally, AG Barr Commercial Director Jonathan Kemp was handed an Industry
Achievement award, and he begins to wind down for his imminent retirement in September a er 21 years of fantastic service to the Scottish local retailing sector.
SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “Last year we saw a signi cant increase in investment and, remarkably, this year we seem to have carried on where we le o . During the six weeks of judging we witnessed the e ects of truly impressive levels of investment in the form of sparkling re ts, stunning new stores and, more generally, just amazing store standards more or less across the board.
“We were delighted to once again be able to put Scotland’s local retailers front and centre for the evening and celebrate the unbelievable commitment, e ort and resilience that this sector is rightly renowned for.
“I’d like to extend my congratulations to all of our winners and, indeed, everyone who made it onto the shortlists. e standards are so high in local retailing these days in Scotland that to make it to a shortlist is a commendable achievement in itself.”
FRESH & CHILLED RETAILER OF THE YEAR
NEWSTRADE RETAILER OF THE YEAR
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
SCOTTISH LOCAL RETAILER OF THE YEAR
Bear promo makes splash
Kids fruit snacking brand Bear has launched a new on-pack promotion in partnership with Water Babies that gives families a chance to win eight free swimming lessons for toddlers. The promotion runs through to September and is supported with shopper marketing, social media and influencer activities. It will be bolstered further with content from Water Babies, reaching its subscriber network of 50,000 families across the UK.
Lees launches retro look
Lees of Scotland has launched new packaging for its teacakes and snowballs. The confectioner said the new nostalgic design was created “to celebrate the brand’s rich heritage, honour its loyal customers, and celebrate its iconic sweet treats”. The retro packaging, which features a new typeface for the brand combined with vintage graphics, comes alongside product reformulations which see a jammier teacake with an improved biscuit recipe.
Fisherman’s Friend unveils new hay fever campaign
Fisherman’s Friend has announced the launch of a summer social media campaign, ‘Restore in the Great Outdoors’. With an estimated reach of 124,800, the brand is set to team up with leading outdoor influencers to incentivise followers to embrace the best of British summertime – with a packet of Fisherman’s Friend to combat hay fever symptoms, naturally.
Ploom X Advanced comes to Glasgow and Sheffield JTI’s heated tobacco device, Ploom X Advanced, is now available to independent and symbol group retailers in Glasgow. Outside of convenience and vape retailers in London, the device has previously only been stocked in supermarkets. The expansion in availability comes as JTI looks to build the heated tobacco category and also takes in the English city of Sheffield.
SOFT DRINKS Report also reveals forecourts are driving growth in convenience
e so drinks category continues to be a mainstay of the convenience channel, according to the Britvic So Drinks Review 2024.
e report found that so drink sales grew 15.3% to £3.3bn last year, with volumes up by 3.0% and units by 3.3%. So drinks is now the most-bought impulse category in convenience, present in just over one in four baskets (26.1%).
Britvic revealed that forecourts are driving growth in the convenience channel, with total sales growing by 2.8% to £4.6bn in 2023. e report also highlights new opportunities presented by the growing number of electric vehicle owners killing time while their vehicles charge.
However, it appears that forecourt operators are missing out where energy drinks are concerned, as Ben Parker, Retail Commercial
Director at Britvic, explained: “Research shows that people are twice as likely to be looking for an energy boost in forecourts than they are when they visit outlets in the wider convenience retail sector.
“Despite this, the number of shoppers who buy energy
As part of its ongoing Boost Your Burger initiative, Rustlers has launched a new on-pack promotion across its Bestsellers range that gives shoppers the opportunity to bag themselves a six-month Spotify Premium pass.
The competition runs until 23 July and hundreds of passes are up for grabs. To be in with a shout of winning one, shoppers need to upload a copy of their receipt to winwithrustlers.com.
Free POS is available to download from Kepak’s trade website. Activations are rolling out across Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Iceland, as well as Co-op, Nisa and Spar.
A social campaign across TikTok and Meta supports the giveaway and a mood-boosting playlist on Spotify will generate more than 28 million impressions for the brand.
drinks from forecourts remains surprisingly low, with only 2.1% of forecourt shoppers currently buying them. ere’s an opportunity here for the taking.”
More broadly across convenience, stimulant energy delivered growth worth £181.5m last year. It was the second-fastestgrowing sub-sector at 23.7%, behind sports drinks which grew at 64.6%.
Another key trend highlighted in the report is the growing proportion of people buying breakfast while travelling or commuting. In fact, 10% of all food-to-go missions in forecourts are for breakfast (double the number in wider convenience). One- h (20%) of food-to-go NPD launched in the rst quarter of 2024 was for breakfast. Visit britvic.com/so -drinksreview to download the report.
Win a grand for your community with Robinsons
Robinsons is celebrating its third year as The Hundred’s Official Soft Drinks Partner, with an exclusive wholesale competition giving retailers the opportunity to win big for their community this summer. Running from now until 18 July, retailers are in with a chance of winning cash to donate to a community project of their choice. There are 10 prizes of £1,000 up for grabs. To enter, retailers must purchase any two participating cases from selected wholesalers before texting ‘COMMUNITY’, along with their full name, business name and postcode to 85100 by 11:59pm on 18 July 2024.
£5.99* * SAME GREAT PRICE
BLUBARHUB.CO.UK THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS NICOTINE. For existing adult smokers and vapers only. Not a smoking cessation product. 18+ only. © Fontem 2024.
*Puff count is a maximum estimate based on typical user consumption. Actual number of puffs may vary depending on usage.
**Based on ITUK RRP as of February 2024. For the avoidance of doubt, retailers are free at all times to determine the selling price of their products.
Capri-Sun offers free sport sessions to families
Capri-Sun has launched a new promotion that lets shoppers claim a free sports session in their local area, for children aged 5-16. Running until 31 July across selected packs, the promotion gives shoppers more than 30 sports to choose from. To take part, customers scan an on-pack QR code to register and search by either sport or location to choose their session.
Galloway Cheddar unveils ‘grate’ cause
Galloway Cheddar has partnered with Fareshare and food trucks across Scotland to launch the ‘Galloway Gathering Project,’ a new campaign to help tackle loneliness and food insecurity. The brand will donate the equivalent of 90,000 meals to those in need and supply 800kg of free cheese for the initiative. Food trucks will cook up special cheesy dishes this summer using Galloway Cheddar for one-off fundraising days.
JET marks 70 years with campaign and retro logo
Fuel brand JET is celebrating its 70th anniversary in the UK with the launch of a retro logo and a series of platinum-themed marketing activities. These include a ‘memory lane’ content series; a number of platinum ‘Behind the Business’ dealer interviews; themed merchandise including totes and t-shirts; filmed content for social media; and the return of the popular Wheel Spins activity.
Danone unveils category management website
Danone has launched a brandnew category management website for trade customers, ‘Danone-the-go,’ that combines key category trends, downloadable planograms, range recommendations, merchandising advice, and top tips all tailored to independent stores. Visit danone.co.uk/ danone-the-go.html to see what the website offers.
SOFT DRINKS There’s still something to salvage from the Euros
Scotland’s involvement with Euro 2024 is well and truly over, but o cial tournament partner CocaCola is still giving shoppers the chance to win a host of football-themed prizes.
e promotion runs until the nal on 14 July across 2L, 1.25L and 500ml PET bottles, 330ml cans and 24-can multipacks and 330ml glass bottles of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. Consumers can scan on-pack QR codes to access a prize draw.
With chances to win every day, consumers could get their hands on adidas training tops and CocaCola branded footballs and cups. Everyone that enters the promotion will also be added to a draw for a VIP nal fan fest experience at
GROCERY Cricket tickets and a once-in-a-lifetime holiday up for grabs
Premier Foods is giving independent retailers the chance to win prizes as it launches its Summer of Cricket campaign for the second year in a row.
A competition to win a holiday to Pakistan for two adults during England men’s cricket test tour against Pakistan for ve nights including a training and Q&A session with Paul Collingwood is live now. It runs in Bestway until 18 July and in Unitas until 14 July.
It will be followed by the chance to win a pair of Emirates Old Tra ord hospitality tickets to England v Sri Lanka or a pair of Kia Oval hospitality tickets to England v Sri Lanka. is competition runs in Bestway from 19 July until 15 August, and in Unitas from 15 July until 4 August.
e promotion is open to independent retailers who are members of Bestway or Unitas. To be in with a chance of winning, retailers simply need to buy ve cases of qualifying products from the Batchelors, Nissin, Bisto, OXO, Ambrosia, Sharwood’s, Loyd Grossman, McDougalls and BeRo ranges during the relevant promotion period.
one of the seven Boxpark football screening venues dotted around the country. Convenience retailers can get still try and wring some more excitement from the Euros by getting behind the promotion with POS and digital assets from the brand’s My.CCEP. com trade website.
e promotion follows Coke’s ‘Endless Summer,’ which o ered shoppers tickets to the Euros, Olympics and music festivals.
Biscoff and Cadbury collaboration announced
Mondelez International and Lotus Bakeries have teamed up to launch co-branded Cadbury and Biscoff products.
While specific formats are still in the early stages of development, the first new products are expected to hit UK shelves early next year.
The move is part of a wider deal that will see Mondelez manufacture, market, distribute and sell the Lotus Biscoff brand in India, as well as launch co-branded Milka and Biscoff products in Europe.
Lotus Bakeries boss Jan Boone commented: “Our delicious flavours complement each other perfectly, and we’re confident that our shared commitment to innovation and quality will delight customers and consumers.”
Cider maker Thatchers has given its Cloudy Lemon variant a Mediterranean-tinged packaging refresh. The new branding gives the Thatchers fruit cider range a more unified look, while letting each flavour retain its own personality. The new look is consistent with Thatchers’ latest fruit cider branding, including Thatchers Apple & Blackcurrant and Thatchers Blood Orange.
One Stop hears customers and resets alcohol range
One Stop has brought in 38 new lines in response to customer demand for a wider selection of craft and ale beers as well as low- and no-alcohol options. New lines include products from AU Vodka, Beavertown, Brewdog, Leffe, Boddingtons, 19 Crimes, Yellow Tail, Kopparberg, Peroni, Estrella, Thatchers as well as a number of new RTD can options including classic gin & tonic, pina colada and martinis.
Indian whisky comes to UK
Mangrove Global has expanded its world whisky portfolio with the arrival of Indri, created by India’s largest independent malt spirits producer, Piccadily. The whisky was launched in India in 2021 and has already become a multi-award-winning spirit, with wins at the 2023 Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition and The Spirits Business Global World Whisky Masters. Mangrove will now bring Indri’s expressions, Dru and Trini to the UK, as well as limited volumes of Diwali.
Glen Moray pairs up with Senior Open
Glen Moray single malt has been unveiled as the new Official Whisky of the Senior Open. The three-year, six-figure partnership tees off when the event returns to Carnoustie. Taking place from 25 to 28 July, an expected crowd of 35,000 spectators will see some of golf’s greatest legends and have the chance to visit Glen Moray’s whisky bar in the Championship Village.
Guinness has announced its rstever global football partnership with the Premier League.
e four-year deal, which kicks o with the 2024/25 season, will see Guinness become the O cial Beer of the Premier League, and Guinness 0.0 as the O cial NonAlcoholic Beer of the Premier League. As the O cial Responsible Drinking Partner of the League, Guinness will also be using its global rights to promote and encourage responsible drinking.
e Premier League is the most-watched football league on the planet and the deal will give the Diageo brand TV exposure in 900 million homes across 189 countries.
A new Guinness campaign platform will launch in August to coincide with the start of the 2024/25 Premier League.
Commenting on the deal, Stephen O’Kelly, Global Brand Director for Guinness, said: “ is partnership brings together two iconic global brands that are loved by communities all over the world, and we can’t wait to bring beautiful pints to the beautiful game.
RTDs New variant goes down well with Gen Z drinkers
“When the rst ball is kicked o in August, Guinness will be building on its international legacy in sport with a new campaign reaching millions of fans, who follow and enjoy the Premier League in their own unique way across the globe.”
VK has launched a new Apple & Blackcurrant avour following a poll among fans of the RTD brand.
ere were more than 20,000 votes cast in the #WeAreFlavour campaign. Peach & Lychee, Lemon & Lime, and Pineapple & Coconut avours were also in the running but it was Apple & Blackcurrant that emerged triumphant, with more than 40% of the nal vote.
e 3.4% ABV new avour combines the taste of crisp apples with sweet, tangy blackcurrant.
Apple & Blackcurrant avour and 70cl bottles and will also
It is available in 275ml and 70cl bottles and will also feature in VK’s Mixed Pack.
Holly Bolus, Senior Brand Manager for VK at Global Brands, said: “Our consumers have spoken, and Apple & Blackcurrant is o cially the newest avour to join the party! It’s the perfect refreshing option whether it’s a sunny BBQ, classic night out or enjoying the Euros.”
Bolus said the new addition to the range aligned with evolving avour preferences among Gen Z drinkers.
Heineken has launched new Strongbow Strawberry (ABV 4%), which is available now in 4 x 440ml can multipacks and 500ml bottles from Booker.
The new flavour is gluten free and vegan friendly, with no artificial flavours, sweeteners or colours.
The launch is supported by a wider £10m marketing campaign for the brand.
Coca-Cola Europaci c Partners
Great Britain (CCEP) has launched a new campaign from Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola – with and without sugar – called ‘Born Ready To Reunite with Your Crew’, o ering brand fans the chance to win £500 gig vouchers to rock with their mates this summer.
In addition, convenience store retailers are in with a chance to win a share of £2,000 to treat their ‘Convenience Store Crew’ to a summer social and some Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola merch.
Music lovers have until the end of July to enter a free draw to be in with a chance of winning the £500 prize via the Coke website.
WHISKY Slightly sweeter Grouse rolls out
e promotion is supported by out-of-home advertising and digital marketing activity. Every week until 12 August, convenience retailers who stock Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola – with and without sugar – are invited to take a photo of the variants on their
xture and text it to 07470001001 to enter a weekly prize draw. Winners will receive £250 cash to treat their sta with. ey will also be sent a pack of exclusive Jack Daniel’s & Coca Cola branded merchandise including hoodies, T-shirts and can coolers.
Spar unveils new own-label wine range
Spar has launched a new trio of value own-label wines, curated by Master of Wine Philippa Carr. A drop of red, a sip of white, and a splash of rosé are all available now with an RSP of £4.99. The range introduces three cartoon animals created to engage with shoppers in a light-hearted and memorable way through onbottle QR codes. These direct shoppers to a dedicated website that provides more information about the wines.
New spiced rum lands in time for summer
Aluna Rum has launched Aluna Tropica, a blend of premium rums sourced from Sri Lanka and the Caribbean. A lighter, less sugary spiced rum, Aluna Tropica offers flavours of pineapple, lemongrass and almonds, with a smooth finish of honeyed spice. Aluna Tropica is distributed in the UK by Mangrove Global and available at an RSP of £32.
Calvados maker uses Arran Whisky casks
e Famous Grouse has unveiled a new permanent edition to its portfolio, e Famous Grouse Sherry Cask Finish – now available in the UK.
e new premium expression is a rich, avourful blend with an unmistakable sweetness that is the result of a period of maturation in ex-sherry casks.
A er launching exclusively at Morrisons in May, it will be more widely available from September with an RSP of £22.
A sweeter balance and smooth in texture, e Famous Grouse Sherry Cask Finish has been created with mixability in mind and its release aptly follows the launch of e Famous Grouse’s ‘Full of Character’ global campaign. Designed to introduce the drink to the next generation of whisky drinkers, the campaign also aimed to educate consumers on the accessibility and mixability of the liquid.
RTD brand Funkin Cocktails has launched its biggest-ever on-pack promotion to celebrate its 25th birthday.
Until 31 August, shoppers can enter the competition by scanning QR codes on participating packs. The codes can be found on promotional neck tags of 100,000 Bartender Edition bottles as well as 80,000 Nitro Can Cocktail Mixed Party Packs. The £25,000 prize pool includes a trip for two to Barcelona, Polaroid Now Gen cameras, mini fridges stacked with Funkin Cocktails and £100 supermarket vouchers.
For the ninth edition of Christian Drouin’s Expérimental range, the French producer has turned its attention to Scotland to create Arran Angels (ABV 46.9%, 70cl, RSP £105). The limitededition 13-year-old Pays d’Auge calvados was finished for six months in French oak casks that had been used to mature Arran whisky for more than 17 years. It will be exclusively distributed in the UK by Speciality Brands.
Eden Mill lines up Scottish Open partnership
Eden Mill has been named as the Official Gin of the 2024 Scottish Open, which tees off with a pro-am on 10 July at the Renaissance Club just outside of North Berwick. The distillery will provide serves from its portfolio of gins inspired by the flora of Scotland’s east coast. Golf Gin, for example, takes its botanical inspiration from the links courses of St Andrews.
David’s Kitchen claimed the coveted Scottish Local Retailer of the Year Award last month, just rewards for a decade of blazing a trail in the convenience sector.
BY ANTONY BEGLEY
Perhaps surprisingly, David’s Kitchen has never before won the Scottish Local Retailer of the Year title, despite a decade of boldly ploughing a lone furrow and e ectively creating a new category in convenience: food-to-go. is year, however, the judges were unanimous on the winner of the title and a quick walk around any of the business’s three stores in Glenrothes, Falkirk and Kirkcaldy will show you why.
With the passage of time, it’s easy to forget just how le eld the decision to launch a foodto-go-based convenience business seemed at the time when David Sands unveiled his new concept a decade ago.
Having just sold his chain of traditional convenience stores to the Co-operative Group, David could have been forgiven for taking the rest of his life o and spending his days shing for salmon and going on skiing holidays.
But for anyone that knows the dyed-in-wool retailer, that was never likely to be the case. Always a progressive, ambitious and driven retailer, he had spent many years touring the globe visiting stores to see what he could see. When the time came and the Co-op deal was done, he nally had the opportunity to take a yer on something entirely new: a food-to-goled convenience business.
His travels had convinced him that food-to-go was the way to go, that the market in Scotland was ready for a new world of eating on the go. It is di cult to overstate how le eld this seemed
at the time. A decade ago when the rst David’s Kitchen o cially opened in Glenrothes, foodto-go just wasn’t a thing in local retailing. Why would anybody want to buy hot food and lled baguettes from a convenience store?
Never one for being overly concerned with other people’s opinions and invariably described in the trade press as ‘canny,’ David ploughed on and, in long-term colleagues Keith Fernie and Diane Greenough, he had the perfect team to bring the ambitious dream to life.
“I remember standing in the store in 2014, the night before we opened, looking at about ve metres of chiller thinking ‘how the hell are we going to ll all of this?’,” laughs Keith, Managing Director of David’s Kitchen. But ll it they did and, remarkably, the store started making money in very short order.
“Everybody thinks it took us years to make money but that’s not the case,” he explains. “Diane and I had worked with David for more years than we can remember, and we make a great team. Diane has one of those ‘can do’ approaches to life. If you ask her to take something on, she’ll just say ‘yeah, I can do that’ – and she invariably does. So we just rolled our sleeves up and, in fact, we started making money from period two. Glenrothes e ectively made money instantly.”
As anyone who has tried to add food-togo to their business will tell you, it takes time, patience and money. It requires consistently high standards, a committed team and a vision.
“It wasn’t easy at the start, I’ll be honest,” says Keith. “We had waste at the start, like everyone
who does food-to-go has, but it wasn’t excessive. We knew that we had to keep the chillers and cabinets well stocked because customers don’t like buying from empty cabinets, so we knew we had to invest in waste to a certain extent. But it was never excessive.
“We were doing something di erent but we had the con dence that we were doing the right thing,” he says. “And you need that con dence, especially when times are tough – and that’s where Diane comes in again! She drove us forward and never lost the faith and that’s key when you’re building a new type of business.”
As well as building a food-to-go category, however, Keith and Diane were also well aware of the importance of the rest of the store. Customers could nd everything they expected of a local convenience store but they could also nd a whole lot else besides.
e business has always focused heavily on working with local suppliers, including Stephens the Bakers, Tom Courts Butcher, Patrick’s of Camelon, Bu alo Farm, Puddledub Pork, Blyth Eggs, Savage Kitchen, Clyde Valley Plants, Grahams Dairies and Luca’s Ice Cream.
And, critically, the store has always maintained the highest of standards in terms of the basics: t out standards, ranging, merchandising, cleanliness.
“We always try to keep the stores looking nice,” says Keith, modest as ever.
If you were to listen to the judges at this year’s SLR Awards, however, the stores look a lot more than just ‘nice’. Stunning might be a more appropriate word.
Meanwhile, back in 2014, the Glenrothes store was proving so successful that a second store was soon opened with Falkirk joining the portfolio the following year. While the store was a very di erent shape and in a very di erent location, the basic model stayed the same. Food-to-go at its heart, wrapped in a full convenience o er.
In 2019 a third store was opened in Kirkcaldy and, as we speak, a fourth is very much on its way to becoming reality.
“We’re currently working on a site in Bo’ness, preparing it for work to start this month,” says Keith. “We’re hoping to have it open and trading early in the new year.”
It’s a remarkable story and is proof of what can be achieved in a relatively short space of time by a team that are con dent in their vision and prepared to do what it takes to make it a reality.
From a standing start to four stores in little over a decade is testament to the people behind the business. So, looking back, what has made the business so special and so successful?
“I’d say our success is down to vision, perseverance and a great team,” says Keith. “We believed in what we were doing, we stuck at it and built a team that was and remains committed to delivering our vision. We’re very much a family business, in every sense. David and his dad Lindsay own the business and Diane and I have focused on building a team that’s really based on family. Most of the people who were at the stores when they opened are still there and a lot of us are related to each other.
at works for us because we all pull together and we all feel a responsibility to each other.
“My son Kyle manages Glenrothes and does a great job and I have to say that Stephen Graham who runs Kirkcaldy and Sasha Henderson who runs Falkirk also do outstanding jobs. But it’s wider than that. It’s the whole team that makes David’s Kitchen what it is. e senior team needs to lead from the front but we rely on literally everyone in the team to help us deliver the vision every day of the week – and they do, which is brilliant.”
While Keith and Diane have remained loyal to the vision they had on day one – a food-to-go led convenience o er – they have also remained open to new opportunities as they encountered them. Outside catering is a great example.
“ e business was obviously built around in-store sales,” says Keith, “but you have to be alert to opportunities. For a long time we o ered platters of sandwiches and things like that which local businesses might buy for their team or people bought for birthday parties or whatever. But one day we had a conversation with Scout Scotland who asked if we could cater for a major scouting event with 500 attendees! It was fairly daunting but, Diane being Diane, she just said ‘I can do that’ – and she did.
“A er that experience we realised there was a major opportunity so we ran with it and Diane did an immense job of growing that side of the business. It can be a little seasonal but we’re
basically doing large-scale outside catering most weeks now. is week, for example, we were catering for 250 and next week we have 110 booked.
“We still work with Scout Scotland but we also cater for local businesses, schools, colleges, outdoor centres, you name it.”
e team in the production kitchen is so busy that the business now runs night shi s to meet the demand.
“ e catering shi helps us prepare everything we need for the following day,” explains Keith. “Everything is prepared fresh in-store and we do a lot of volume both in the store and for outside catering so there’s a lot to be done each night.
“Food-to-go is hard in so many ways, but if you do it well and you get it right, you can build a great business.”
A er having been with Nisa for most of its life, David’s Kitchen made the move to Spar last year, a decision that surprised a few industry observers.
“I’ve nothing but praise for Spar,” says Keith. “ ey’ve done what they said they would do, the deliveries come as they should, our sales are up and our margins are up. It’s all good.
“We’re not afraid of change. e trading environment has never been tougher than it is now, so you need to be smart and work hard to keep moving forward. You have to try new stu because the day you stop trying new stu is the day you start going backwards.”
As he heads towards retirement in September, AG Barr Commercial Director Jonathan Kemp capped a phenomenal career by adding an SLR Industry Achievement Award to his trophy cabinet.
Jonathan Kemp is one of very few people in the Scottish local retailing industry who require no introduction. AG Barr’s well kent and equally well liked and admired Commercial Director has been the driving force behind Scotland’s other national drink for more than 21 years but his time at the business is coming to an end in September as he takes a nal bow and moves on into what everyone in the industry hopes is a long and happy retirement.
While AG Barr has an extensive and successful range of products in its portfolio – and that range has grown under Kemp’s e ective stewardship –there’s no doubt that Irn-Bru is the heart and soul of the business. Taking responsibility for a brand like that, however, is not a challenge you take on lightly. e word ‘iconic’ gets bandied about a lot these days but Irn-Bru is among the very few brands that can legitimately lay claim to iconic status.
Despite being born an Englishman – he was born in Corby which he believes makes him half English and half Scottish! – he took to the challenge
like a duck to water. Rarely seen at public events without his Irn-Bru tartan kilt, he has skilfully navigated his way through the many challenges that he has faced in those 21 years and manages always to maintain good grace and an easy smile. A great public speaker and a passionate advocate of the local retailing sector, he has made many friends in the industry, and you never have to wait long for a good story.
On the night of the SLR Awards, for example, he revealed that the kilt he was wearing was the actual one worn by the actor in the recent ‘Mannscha ’ ad. He went on to explain that, in between the ad being shot and the SLR Awards, the only other person to have worn it was a certain Ally McCoist.
e last 21 years have been transformative for Irn-Bru and indeed AG Barr and there’s no doubt that Kemp has steered the ship formidably through good times and bad. He will be greatly missed, of that there is no doubt. We wish him a healthy and long retirement.
GroceryAid Scotland’s unique music event is back in September and is already heading towards sellout – so if you want to make sure you are there, it’s time to get your tickets!
Launched just a few years ago, Checkout Scotland has established itself as a unique and must-attend event for the local retailing sector in Scotland. e event has continued to grow every year and demand for tickets has grown alongside. So much so, in fact, that despite the fact that Checkout Scotland 2024 doesn’t take place until 5 September, the event is fast approaching sellout.
So, if you want to be there on the day to take part in a spectacular event that also raises muchneeded funds that allows GroceryAid to provide nancial, practical and emotional support to retailing colleagues in Scotland, you’ll need to get in there quickly.
Organised by the Scottish committee of GroceryAid, the festival of music and fun returns to Barras Art and Design (BaaD) with
up to 1,000 industry colleagues expected to attend.
SLR Publisher Antony Begley, who sits on the GroceryAid Scotland Committee, says: “Having been involved with Checkout Scotland from day one, it’s just fantastic to see how it continues to evolve and grow. e fact that we’re already approaching sellout tells us all we need to know about how local retailers, wholesalers, national supporters and home-grown brands want to be involved.
“I would urge anyone interested in showcasing their brand or buying tickets to pick the phone up and get involved now.
“Not only is Checkout Scotland a brilliant day out, it’s also helping generate funds for GroceryAid so that they can continue to provide outstanding, con dential support to anyone in our industry who needs it.”
Generous attendees at last month’s SLR Awards helped raise more than £3,000 for GroceryAid Scotland by donating money and by purchasing raffle tickets with the chance to win tickets to this year’s Checkout Scotland festival.
A total of £3,025 was raised for the charity on the night and attendees were also shown a video of last year’s Checkout Scotland event to remind them to get their tickets soon before the festival sells out.
SLR’s Above and Beyond Awards were designed to celebrate our industry’s heroes – those selfless colleagues who regularly go ‘above and beyond’ to support their communities and stores. Here, we take a closer look at three more of our outstanding 2024 winners.
BY GAELLE WALKER
She’s only 24 but third-generation retailer Sophie Williams is already making a mighty mark on her well-known family-owned store and the wider convenience industry.
A er all, how many other twentysomethings can say they’ve addressed not just the SGF annual conference but parliament too?
Sophie’s innovative approach to social media management is not only attracting wide-spread industry acclaim, it’s also helping Premier Broadway Convenience Store to engage shoppers on a whole new level. anks to Sophie’s e orts, the store now has a following of more than 3,000 on Facebook and 1,300 on TikTok – where her engaging digital content is also helping the store to reach a whole new audience. In fact, one of Sophie’s recent ‘like and share’ videos racked up an incredible 25,000 views!
With stats like those, it’s hardly surprising that Sophie’s digital prowess is also adding up to higher footfall, sales and pro ts for the 40-year-old business.
Looking ahead, Sophie says that her “ultimate goal” is to become “the UK’s rst retail in uencer and to engage and inspire a future generation of retailers and especially women.
“I’m determined to highlight that retail can be a hugely successful and ful lling career choice for women, and social media is a powerful tool for doing just that,” she says.
She’s also working hard to hone her sta mentoring skills with various training courses.
Sophie’s caring nature and e ervescent personality also make her a favourite with the store’s local shoppers – especially its many elderly customers – with whom she has forged strong bonds and meaningful relationships.
Always on hand for a friendly chat, to o er a listening ear or a li to the doctor, Sophie is a true shop- oor superstar.
She’s even been known to take customers who can’t drive to the bingo – and has ended up staying and playing along!
JOHNNY STEPHEN, PREMIER WHITEHILLS
Supporting the local community is vital for all stores but in a location as remote as Whitehills in Ban the community support o ered by people like Johnny Stephen becomes a literal lifeline.
Johnny’s e orts to deliver essential goods and services to local people, remote addresses and the many shing boats along the coast are nothing short of heroic and even more so when you consider that he’s recently celebrated his 80th birthday!
From paperboy to delivery driver, general handyman and so much more, Johnny will stop at nothing to ensure that the needs of the local
shoppers in Whitehills are met – and he does it six days a week, come rain or shine!
Store owner Billy Gatt describes Johnny as an “irreplaceable part” of his team and says that he’s never missed a shi or been late to work, even during the challenging pandemic era.
Inspirational Johnny says he was “shocked and honored,” to have won the inaugural Long Service Award.
“I’ve always worked in jobs which involve helping and caring for people and this is no di erent. It means so much to me and I’ve got no plans to slow down or stop!” he adds.
Given his heroic e orts and inspirational attitude, it’s hardly surprising that Johnny has become a real local legend and greatly loved, central player in Ban ’s close-knit community.
ALISON LENNON, DAY-TODAY, SHOTTS
Store manager Alison’s heroic story quite literally reduced the judges to tears. Having worked in her local store for more than 20 years, Alison’s unrivalled knowledge of her local shoppers proved quite literally lifesaving when one of the store’s elderly regulars didn’t turn up for his daily paper one morning.
Spider senses tingling, Alison hotfooted it to the gentleman’s house to check on his welfare. She was right to have been alarmed. e gentleman’s bad leg had given way when he had tried to get out of the bath the night before – and he had been stuck in the cold tub ever since, unable to call for help.
With no key with which to access the house, Alison reassured him through the letterbox before calling the emergency services, who had to knock down the front door to get in.
Her close local bonds and quick thinking led to the gentleman being rescued.
“No one else would have noticed that he was missing for hours more, maybe even days,” Alison says. “I’m used to my regular shoppers coming into the shop at the same time every day. I know them all so well and I know if there’s something not right. I’ll always check on them and make sure they’re okay or if they need help with anything. It’s just what I do. “ e relationship I have with my customers is the best thing about my job. It genuinely means so much and there’s nothing else I’d rather do.”
United Wholesale’s symbol development manager Lorraine Macpherson describes Alison as an “absolute superstar” – and we certainly agree.
Aviemore is set to become a hive of activity this September when Spar Scotland hosts the biggest convenience retail show in the country.
Atheme of “Raising the Bar” has been revealed for this year’s Spar Scotland trade show, which will see over 850 delegates head to Aviemore on 26 September 2024.
Scotland’s largest show in the convenience retail industry brings together Spar’s company owned store colleagues and independent retailers; CJ Lang & Son wholesale, marketing and trading teams; Spar UK and Spar International.
Paula Middleton, Spar Scotland Head of Marketing, said: “Our goal is to also help suppliers ‘raise the bar’ in their business initiatives by providing them with a platform to highlight their new products and innovations, core product lines and services to a targeted audience. Demand from
our supply base has been extremely high and we are close to a sell-out, therefore we are urging any supplier who is looking to take part to get in touch as soon as possible to ensure they are not disappointed. We really do have a limited number of stand space le , so I would urge any supplier who has not signed up for the event to do so now.”
e winners of the Spar Scotland Awards will be announced as part of the evening celebrations. New award categories include Spar Brand Store of the Year and the Future Stars Award, sponsored by the Scottish FA. Suppliers interested in attending are encouraged to register as soon as possible to secure their spot. For more information and to register, please contact the Spar Scotland Tradeshow team on 01382 512000.
Londis Solo Convenience owner Natalie Lightfoot speaks out on the lasting effects of retail crime.
BY SARAH BRITTON
There was an undeniable buzz about Baillieston last month as people celebrated the second annual Main Street Pavement Festival, organised by Londis Solo Convenience owner Natalie Lightfoot. Locals tucked into barbecued sausages, whilst little ones’ faces twinkled with freshly applied glitter tattoos.
Originally from Bedford, Natalie has been running the 650sq store since 2007, where her passion for both retailing and her community has breathed life into the working-class suburb of Glasgow.
Her close ties with numerous suppliers mean the store is famous for its ability to source all the latest new products, and there were freebies aplenty at the festival, as well as an impressive array of ra e prizes.
Funds from ra e tickets sold at the 2023 Festival were combined with money raised from a Londis team bungee jump, which took place
the following month, resulting in thousands of pounds donated to Beatson Cancer Charity, British Heart Foundation and Versus Arthritis charities, and this year all funds raised from the ra e are going to Beatson.
Naturally, the charities involved in these fundraisers are immensely grateful to the store, but arguably the biggest bene ciaries of community events such as this are the town’s residents who come together and bond over the shared experience.
e festival is one of the highlights in a calendar of events supported by the store. Last Halloween, Natalie even donned a moustache as she dressed up as Captain Hook, while husband Martin wore a fetching pair of green shorts as Peter Pan. e front of the store was turned into a Neverland pirate ship, thanks to Martin’s handiwork with some old crates, and kids were treated to hundreds of to ee apples and packs of sweets.
But as we all know, life is far from a fairytale and the shop has supported locals during more challenging times too. Natalie partnered with a local pub and co ee shop to create care packages for the elderly during the pandemic, as well as setting up a delivery service via Snappy Shopper.
Meanwhile, her latest project saw her distributing sanitary products to community groups, in addition to leaving boxes of these items in local cafe toilets with a QR code encouraging users to ‘pay it forward’ and make a donation to fund more sanitary products.
Knowing how driven Natalie is to help others and seeing how the store has become a beacon of hope in the community, it is hard to see how anyone could wish to hurt the business or its sta . But devastatingly, crime is very much a regular occurrence for Natalie and her team.
As all convenience retailers are only too aware, crime numbers have soared in recent times, with
the latest Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) report highlighting that the cost of retail crime reached an eye-watering £62.9m in 2023/24 –an amount which the trade association claims is crippling the sector. What’s more, nine out of every 10 stores report that violence against sta occurs at least once a week, while over half experience daily incidents of abuse when refusing a sale or asking for proof of age.
What is perhaps harder still to understand is that businesses like Natalie’s are not being supported when facing this onslaught of abuse and violence.
“Self-employed people are forgotten about with mental health,” she says. “We’re not well protected.”
In fact, Natalie herself su ers from posttraumatic stress disorder, brought on by two break-ins at the store eight years ago, which took place just 20 days apart. “It’s not just a case of how much money we lost,” says Natalie. “If it was just a certain gure then it would be a nancial worry, but it’s not just about quantifying it in material terms, this has had a much bigger e ect.”
She claims that the incidents have le her with lasting anxiety, haunted by the fear of nding intruders in the store. “I would struggle now to open the shop on my own,” she concedes. “I walked in and the back of the shop had been completely torn apart, I was worried someone might still be in the store.”
In addition to the ongoing fear of attack, there was the devastation of having to build back the business she had dedicated her life to for almost a decade and the humiliation and frustration of having to ask her nearest and dearest for help because the insurance wouldn’t cover the damage. “ ere was the anger of how unfair it was,” she explains. “I had to go to all my friends and family asking for support.”
Reviewing CCTV, she was horri ed at the ease at which the criminals gained access to the building and the brazenness of their behaviour. “ e shutter was like a rolled can of tuna,” she says. “I have video of them picking the spirits, a mobile phone burner on the side – trying to top up an electric key,” she states, clearly still visibly enraged at the sickening thought of what happened.
And it isn’t just Natalie who has been impacted by crime in the workplace, her team have also su ered at the hands of criminals. “We get violent, abusive physical behaviour,” she says. “It has a knock-on e ect on your self-con dence. We don’t leave it in the o ce.”
‘CAN’T
One of her sta was attacked a er work by two girls she had previously asked to leave the
store because they were pestering customers for money. “She got charged upon at the bus stop on the way home,” says Natalie. ankfully, they didn’t manage to injure her because a man nearby rushed to her defence, but mentally, the poor woman was in turmoil. “ at night, she rang me and said she can’t work in the evenings, she said ‘I can’t do this anymore’,” recalls Natalie. e girls are well-known troublemakers in the local area and are even alleged to have attacked a pregnant woman with a screwdriver, and yet zero action has been taken as a result of their attack on Natalie’s sta member. “We reported it to the police and we’ve not heard anything,” she says. “ ey came to the store, took her details and then nothing happened.”
Sadly, this is an all too familiar experience for retailers across Scotland, and indeed the UK. “We get forgotten about,” says Natalie. “In this eld, being self-employed, there’s no support. e view is that we chose this job, and that violence and abuse is just part of it.”
Angered by her experiences and those of her sta and peers, Natalie was prepared to share her trauma with MSPs at the SGF’s Cross-Party Group for Independent Convenience Stores, last
month. e meeting was set to give Holyrood a genuine insight into the damage caused to the convenience sector by retail crime. A er months of preparing for the meeting – inducing nerves not only at the thought of public speaking, but due to the mental anguish of having to revisit such incredibly stressful situations – Natalie found out whilst on the train journey to attend the meeting that it had been cancelled. Regardless of the reasons why, it’s hard to shi the feeling that independent retailers are being overlooked, yet again.
But being the inspirational retail leader she is, Natalie knows that staying quiet isn’t an option. “ is a ects our own lives beyond just our livelihood,” says Natalie. “As independent business owners, we get painted as fat cats. MSPs have lost touch with real life, sometimes you need to shock them back to reality.”
In the run-up to the general election, Natalie met with Glasgow East SNP candidate David Linden to discuss the need for greater support on retail crime and abuse against shopworkers.
She is hopeful that she will get the chance to raise these crucial issues at the next Cross-Party meeting on Tuesday 17 September.
At the core of the Street Vibes range are two soft taco meal kits, available in two of the most popular Mexican street food flavours: Barbacoa and Al Pastor. The kits are intended for couples and take just 20 minutes to prepare. The range also includes two sauces, Smoky Barbacoa and Sweet Chilli & Lime; a guacamole spice mix; and a standalone soft taco pack. The launch is supported by a new TV ad and other marketing activities.
The new product (110g, RSP £1.25) features the brand’s light sponge and dark chocolate with a cola bottle centre. Already in Asda, it will enjoy a wider rollout from the end of July. A convenience-only £1.25 PMP will also be available then. The brand is also launching packs of five individually wrapped Cake Bars (RSP £1.80) in Tesco from 22 July, and other outlets from mid-August.
After it first launched in 1993 – a year that also gave us Friends, The X-Files and a false start in the Grand National – Cadbury is relaunching its Top Deck bar in the UK.
The limited-edition bar, which boasts two layers of white and milk chocolate, is popular in Australia and South Africa, and returns as part of the brand’s continued 200th anniversary celebrations.
The new bar will feature vintage-inspired packaging from the original Top Deck back in the day.
It is available now in both plain (RSP £1.65) and £1.35 price-marked 95g packs.
The launch will be supported by in-store POS, activations, and social and PR activity. Cadbury brand
Perfetti Van Melle
owner Mondelez advised retailers to range Top Deck as a key part of their chocolate offering, alongside the rest of the Cadbury tablets range.
For more ranging and merchandising advice, retailers can visit snackdisplay.co.uk.
Mara Popa, Brand Manager at Mondelez International, said: “We’re delighted to be answering Cadbury fans’ requests and relaunching Cadbury Top Deck in the UK for a limited time, as part of our 200year anniversary celebrations.
“With two delicious layers of milk and creamy white chocolate, every bite of Cadbury Top Deck will reward shoppers with pure indulgence, making it a muststock for retailers!”
Imperial Brands has launched Golden Virginia Amber Blend – the brand’s first new blend in 15 years, following Yellow in 2009. Available now, the new blend offers a rich and aromatic flavour profile, alongside lower moisture content from sun dried leaf, designed to elevate the smoking experience. It is available in a 30g zip-click pouch for extended freshness, at an RSP of £21.35.
Tapping into growing demand for sour and fruity sweets, the new range comprises of Sour Mixed Belts, Sour Apple Belts, Sour Strawberry Belts, and Strawberry Laces. All are available now in outers of 18 x 90g hanging bags with an RSP of £1.25 each. An organic social media campaign supports the launch, to build awareness among the teen shopper demographic.
An established brand across the pond, the frosted whole grain oat cereal delivers a sweet, toasted oat flavour alongside a considerable number of marshmallow chunks. The launch comes at a time when at-home breakfasts are now a key driver for the category. Marshmallow Mateys (RSP £3.75 per 320g pack) is available direct and from wholesalers including Bestway and Glencrest.
Made from a blend of Starbucks Arabica Coffee, with 20g protein per 330ml bottle, low-fat milk, and no added sugar, Starbucks Protein Drink with Coffee is available in three variants – Caffe Latte, Chocolate Mocha and Caramel Hazelnut – with an RSP of £2.75. The protein category has almost trebled in value from £46m in 2021 to £125m last year.
The new isotonic sports drink has a tropical flavour profile and comes in 500ml plain packs. Like the rest of the Powerade range, it contains vitamin B6. An updated design offers greater readability of the brand’s ‘Bold Hydration for Body & Mind’ messaging and packs feature five linked rings as part of Coca-Cola’s partnership with the Olympics. POS materials are available via My.CCEP.com.
Produced under licence from Procter & Gamble and made from 100% FSC sources, the three-ply roll comes in two sizes – Handy Sheets for quicker jobs and XL Sheets for bigger clean-ups. Both are embossed with the Flash name and its lightning
The latest addition to Fox’s Crunch Creams range combines a crunchy golden biscuit with a Cherry Bakewell flavour and is, in the words of the manufacturer, “reminiscent of shoppers’ favourite desserts in biscuit format”. It is available now in cases of 16 x 200g with an RSP of £1 to £1.29. It rolls out alongside a new Fox’s Crunch Creams Salted Caramel £1.29 price-marked pack, also in cases of 16 x 200g and exclusive to Booker.
Hell Beverages has added a new Mocha variant to its Ice Coffee range. The premium drink is made with robusta and arabica coffee beans together with a minimum 70% milk content. It is available from UWS, UWG and Bestway in 250ml aluminium cans price-marked at £1.25. POS, including free on loan branded coolers, is available. Contact andrew.pheasant@ hellenergy.com to find out more.
Spanish beer Estrella Galicia is investing £10m to drive awareness of the brand in the UK. The Spanish not Span-ish campaign shines a light on the brand’s authentic Spanish provenance, versus 80% of the top ‘world lagers’ which are actually brewed in the UK. The campaign includes radio, digital and out-of-home ads as well as PR, social and off-trade activities.
Swizzels has unveiled its first ever TV sponsorship for Squashies. Running throughout the summer, sponsorship bumpers will appear around popular shows on STV, including Coronation St. Viewers should have more than 15 chances to see the bumpers, which celebrate Squashies’ position as the No.1 sugar hanging bag brand in the market.
Mentos has launched ‘Unbeaten on Taste and Flavour,’ a new £1.5m campaign for the brand’s Product of the Year 2024 Paperbottle Pure Fresh Gum range. Running until September, the campaign includes out of home, shopper, radio, video on demand, social media and influencer activities – with an expected reach of more than 51 million adults.
Pladis has extended its sweet-andsavoury snack brand Flipz with the introduction of limited-edition Flipz Cinnamon Bun. It will come as no surprise to learn that the new variant consists of crunchy and salty Flipz pretzels in a sweet cinnamon bun-flavoured coating. It is available to Nisa retailers now ahead of a wider roll out as a 90g sharing pouch (RSP £1.65) alongside an 80g £1.25 price-marked pack.
Pot Noodle has launched a new Chicken Fajita flavour in the wake of a public vote to decide the brand’s latest variant. Up against Pepperoni Pizza and Full English flavours, Chicken Fajita won a landslide 48% of votes cast in a poll on Pot Noodle’s X channel and Asda. com. Pot Noodle Chicken Fajita is available exclusively in Asda stores for 12 weeks, before a wider roll out frrom September with an RSP of £1.20.
Müller has launched a new wave of its ‘Rice, Rice Baby’ activity. The seven-figure campaign, to promote Müller Rice Protein, again stars Declan Rice and builds on the 2022 activity which reworked the 90s Vanilla Ice song. Tongue-in-cheek ads show the Arsenal player in a variety of situations such as single-handedly lifting a sofa.
Cathedral City is back on TV screens with ‘City,’ a new £2.5m campaign running across national TV slots and social media. City is expected to reach an estimated 15.4 million UK households and 83% of family households, a core audience for the cheese brand. It aims to show how Cathedral City can elevate everyday cheese usage occasions.
Snacking remains a central part of dayto-day life with the total Salty Snacks category in UK independent and symbol stores now worth £631.6m and growing at +18.0% [NielsenIQ, Independents & Symbols, MAT 20.01.24]. Within this, Crisps, Snacks and Nuts accounts for 94.1% of value sales of Total Savoury Snacks [ibid], creating a signi cant opportunity for independent retailers to grow their savoury snacking sales, claims PepsiCo.
“ e market for crisps, snacks and nuts has remained particularly stable despite the obvious impact of in ation,” reports Carol Saunders, Head of Insight at the Knowledge Bank. “Other food markets have not proven as resilient to these challenges which is testament to the innovation shown by snacking brands to update and diversify their product o erings.”
Crisps and snacks are such a good performer for Glasgow-based Keystore retailer Jazz Lalli,
From PMPs to healthy options and flavour trends, find out how to get the best out of your crisps and snacks offer.
that he has taken the opportunity to expand the category at his Temple store as part of a wider refurb. “We’ve allocated a lot more space to crisps and given popular lines double facings. Before, we had 3m and now we have just over 4m.”
With plenty of consumers still following a strict budget in order to pay the bills, price marked packs remain of vital importance, according to PepsiCo, which describes PMPs as “the key to category growth”.
Within the Savoury Snacks Category, the company claims that Sharing PMPs remain the number one contributor to crisps and snacks growth in value, compared with other segments [ibid]. “Within the Independent and Symbols channel, the top 15 Sharing PMP Snack SKUs include Doritos, Quavers, Cheetos, Wotsits and Monster Munch, which demonstrates just how important these SKUs are,” says Nic Storey, Senior Sales Director, Impulse & Field Sales at
PepsiCo. “To maximise this growth opportunity, we recommend that retailers stock a variety of Walkers brands in PMP format in-store to cater to multiple snacking occasions.”
Jazz has seen the power of price marks with his own eyes. “Crisps and snacks are in the middle aisle of the store, not far from the counter area,” he explains. “Our best sellers are our price-marked £1.25 range.”
Single packs of Walkers crisps are displayed in basket stands, but he claims that sales of this pack size are slowing down. “ ey’re 80-90p a pack and McCoys are £1.15, and then it’s £1.25 for a bigger bag. Customers are still a ected by the cost of living and a bigger bag is better value.”
Worth over £350.3m, the PMP format is popular within Crisps, Snacks and Nuts (CSN) [Nielsen IQ, Total Coverage, Total PMPs Value, MAT 25.10.23], with 57% of impulse shoppers buying PMPs [Lumina Q1 Convenience Strategy Forum 2023].
KP Snacks claims to be delivering the fastest growth in PMPs at +20% [Nielsen IQ, Total Coverage, Bagged Snacks Value, MAT 20.04.24].
e group’s £1.25 Hula Hoops Big Hoops BBQ Beef are the best-selling PMP on the market [Nielsen IQ, Total Coverage, MAT 24.07.23].
e trend towards value is also impacting demand for larger pack sizes, observes Burts. e snacking category is being largely in uenced by the current cost-of-living crisis, and with 64% of consumers arranging big nights in rather than going out [Mintel, UK Food and Drink at Home Socialising Market Report, 2023], local stores can expect an increase in snack sharer packs being sold, suggests the rm. As more people host gatherings with friends at home, the demand for sharing packs has increased, with 47% of those who have hosted social gatherings being interested in food-sharing boards [ibid], observes Burts, which o ers 150g packs of Lightly Sea Salted and Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar avours.
Jazz agrees that Big Night In is a sales driver for crisps and snacks. “People buy four packs at a time – a lot of people don’t go out as much of a weekend, so they’d rather get some snacks and drinks and stay at home,” he says. “It’s expensive to go out.”
Another consumer trend that is shaping demand and innovation is the increasing preference for elevated snacking experiences and intense avours. In fact, UK consumers are hungry for spice, with 51% saying they love spicy food [Quantitative Usage and Attitude Study, Ipsos, 2022]. Additionally, recent research shows that the UK’s desire for spice also ranks as the second highest in Europe [ibid], with the hot and spicy space having grown by +8.9% in the Savoury Snacking category year on year [Take Home Purchase panel, 52we 17 Mar 2024 vs YA].
To tap into the demand for spicy snacks, PepsiCo unveiled its Extra Flamin’ Hot platform across Doritos, Walkers Max and Wotsits Crunchy earlier this year. Jumbo POS structures helped to create plenty of excitement in-store for independent retailers who worked with PepsiCo to ensure the launch was a hit.
“ ere’s de nitely a trend for spicy crisps like Takis and Walkers and Doritos Extra Flamin’ Hot,” enthuses Jazz. “People want something di erent.”
Burts is also tapping into the trend for spicy snacks. Industry research shows there is a noticeable shi towards more adventurous and bold avour combinations, particularly those featuring chilli and beef, which have seen growth rates of 16.7% and 22.4% [Circana 52 weeks 18/02/2024], states the rm.
Burts has added a limited-edition avour of Spicy Barbecue hand-cooked potato chips to its
Three retailers have seen sales rocket after implementing KP’s ‘25 to Thrive’ advice. Retailers reported a marked uplift in their Bagged Snacks sales, with an average growth of +15.3%.
The trials ran for four weeks, with retailers Kenny Chupe and Koyes Miah, and Mohammed Qasim Khan receiving direct support from KP Snacks to optimise their Bagged Snacks fixtures, taking on board must-stock crisps, snacks, nuts and popcorn SKUs from multiple suppliers to drive category sales.
Kenny, who runs Our Local in Moston, Manchester, saw a 17% increase during the trial. He says: “Our store is based in a community with lots of families and a school nearby. Stocking a wide range of PMPs at different price points has led to an uplift in sales, with smaller pricemarked packs appealing to family shoppers looking for lighter and more affordable snacks.”
At City Centre News in Salford, which saw a +13.6% increase in sales following the trial, KP Snacks supported Koyes Miah to give best sellers more space and prominence within his Bagged Snacks fixture, while adding variety with the introduction of popcorn SKUs.
Miah says: “We have been really happy with the changes. It has been good to understand what the bestselling SKUs in the market are and we have made sure that each of these has a couple of facings. Adding popcorn SKUs into the range and even putting them in a dump bin has definitely had an impact and we will keep them in the range.”
range for summer 2024, combining warm, spicy barbecue avours with honey.
Also ticking the spicy box is Burts’ new premium avour of Beef and Mustard Ridges, which use real organic beef from Burts’ local ingredient partner, e Evers eld Organic Farm.
Pladis is getting in on the spicy action too with non-HFSS Jacob’s Crinklys Chilli Beef.
Tapping into the appeal of ‘Spicy’ and ‘Meaty’ avours – a segment growing at +26.8% [Nielsen IQ, WE 06.04.24, Total Coverage inc. Discs, Flavour Group YOY % Change LMAT], the new product features the familiar avour-packed ridges coated in a chilli beef seasoning.
“Jacob’s has been baking some of the nation’s favourite savoury snacks for over 170 years, but
To celebrate its partnership with 100-ball cricket competition
The Hundred, KP Snacks has unveiled a new on-pack promotion offering consumers a chance to win £10,000, plus daily cash and cricket prizes.
The Hundred-themed packs run across Multipack, Sharing and Single formats from the leading KP Snacks brands which feature on the team shirts of the eight men’s and women’s teams competing in The Hundred: popchips, Butterkist, Pom-Bear, Tyrrells, KP Nuts, Hula Hoops, McCoy’s and Skips.
Running until mid-August, a grand prize of £10,000 is up for grabs, as well as over a hundred £100 cash prizes.
Eight New Balance cricket sets and two £65 vouchers for The Hundred shop will also be won each day, offering consumers simple ways to get involved in cricket.
The new on-pack promotion, spotlights KP’s ‘Everyone In’ campaign designed to encourage families to adopt healthier lifestyles by getting involved in cricket.
we’re no strangers to deviating from tradition and experimenting with trend-led innovation,” says Asli Akman, Marketing Director – pladis UK&I. “In fact, we’ve got a track record of reeling in younger snackers with exciting avours and new formats.
“Now, with Jacob’s Crinklys Chilli Beef, we’re encouraging snacking shoppers to branch out and discover a tasty take on our much-loved savoury ridges. And this latest launch is already set up for success thanks to both our reputation and the existing popularity of ‘Spicy’ or ‘Meaty’ Crisps & Snacks, with almost a h (18%) of the category’s shoppers already purchasing these avours [ibid].” e company has launched a channel-exclusive 90g PMP format (£1.25) for the independent channel.
e new Chilli Beef avour follows hot on the heels of the successful non-HFSS recipe revision for Jacob’s Crinklys last summer, which saw the oven-baked snack slash fat content by 30% for its classic Cheese & Onion and Salt & Vinegar avours.
Both variants ranked within the top ve nonHFSS launches of 2023 [Sales Value of 1 Products, All Trading Company, All Brand, All Flavour Of Savoury Product, All BB LI Estimated HFSS Status in Total Coverage including Discounters/ GB during latest 52 wks w/e 25/11/23], having reeled in an additional +£3.7m in sales (+43.3%) [Nielsen Total Coverage LMAT Sales Values 22.02.24].
Health is a priority for shoppers and retailers alike, with the focus on Healthier Snacking growing in response to the introduction of UK HFSS legislation in October 2022, states KP. In the past year, the Healthier Snacking segment has grown rapidly at +5.5% [Nielsen IQ, Total Coverage, Total Value, MAT 12 w/e 20.04.24].
KP claims that around 25% of its portfolio is non-HFSS, including Popchips and Hula Hoops Pu brands, and that these lines account for a 25.5% share of non-HFSS CSN products.
Better For You lines are in demand, according to the Knowledge Bank. “More than 50% of consumers are looking for healthier versions of their favourite snacks, while 61% claimed they proactively seek out savoury snacks with alternative ingredients such as chickpeas or lentils [Mintel – Crisps, Savoury Snacks, and Nuts – UK – 2024/Levercli Consumer Tracker Survey 2024],” says Saunders. “In Scotland, Nudie Snacks jumped on this trend by launching cauli ower crisps. e company identi ed a gap in the market for ‘high bre’ and ‘high protein’ snacks [Nielsen Total Coverage incl. Discounters – 52 w/e 24 February 2024].”
Jazz ensures he stocks a few Better For You lines to cater for all tastes. “Snack A Jacks do OK and Popchips – you do get people who are more health conscious,” he says. “But your everyday sellers are Hula Hoops, Walkers, Doritos, McCoys, Sensations, popcorn and peanuts.”
Q Secondary sitings in store are vital to the category and food-to-go mission, particularly as shoppers are four times more likely to buy crisps, nuts and snacks if they see them in a secondary location [PepsiCo and Shopper Intelligence August 2022], which is likely to be important for those who are rushing around a store when on the go.
Q Retailers should put bestsellers at eye line as this can drive up to 38% more sales vs being on the bottom shelf [PepsiCo Trax Analytics 2022], particularly as those shoppers onthe-go are less likely to have time to browse an entire range, so will be looking for those easy to find bestselling snacks.
Q Displays in store, especially nearer the till, play a key role for purchasing with 35% of purchases in the Savoury Snacks Category made from these displays [Lumina, Convenience Tracking Program, 19/09/22 –05/03/23 (12we); Symbols profile].
With many consumers still finding it tough to pay the bills, offering both quality and value is crucial.
Despite being hidden from view, the tobacco market continues to light up sales for many c-stores across the land. In fact, the category is currently worth £14bn each year (before tax) [ITUK EPOS to w/e 29/08/21, P1 Retail & Wholesale] and is a valuable footfall driver. So it makes sense to keep your category in shape by understanding exactly which areas to focus on and how the market is changing. e tobacco category provides a substantial sales opportunity for retailers, states Imperial Brands. “Looking at the sub-categories, Factory Made Cigarettes (FMC) currently hold the lion’s share of the market, worth 70% of tobacco sales, with Roll Your Own (RYO) accounting for 30% [ITUK Report on Trade, November 2023],” says Yawer Rasool, Consumer Marketing Director UK & Ireland at Imperial Brands.
While the UK rate of in ation fell to 2% in May, hitting the Bank of England’s target for the rst time in nearly three years, many consumers are still struggling to make ends meet. In fact, analysis of O ce for National Statistics (ONS) data by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) on the day new in ation statistics were released, shows that food prices have stayed near record levels.
For example, a bag of sugar is up 72% at £1.19 from 69p, while potatoes are up in price by 49%, with a 19% increase since just December 2023. erefore, it is no surprise that every penny counts and demand for lower-cost tobacco lines
is high. “As the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact consumer spending, we’re seeing shopper demand for value rise across the entire tobacco category,” says Rasool. “As a result, products in the lowest pricing tiers now account for the majority of all tobacco sales. In fact, the value tier, combined with the economy sector, now make up a substantial 69% of all FMC sales and 54% of all RYO sales [ITUK Report on Trade, November 2023].”
So how can retailers really make the most of the tobacco opportunity? In order to capitalise on the signi cant sales opportunities presented by the tobacco category, it’s crucial that retailers are stocking a wide range of products that cater for this value trend, especially those within the value and economy priced tiers, notes Imperial Brands. “While having the right product range is key, it’s also important that both retailers and their sta are equipped with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco category to deliver a great customer experience for any shoppers seeking advice,” highlights Rasool.
Worth the biggest share of all tobacco sales (70%) [ibid], the FMC category holds a huge amount of value for retailers, states Imperial Brands. With products in the lowest pricing tiers (economy and value) now worth 69% of all FMC sales [ibid], it’s clear that sales in the category are very much driven by demand for value, observes the company. “With this in mind, we recently
launched an upgraded version of our popular Regal Signature cigarettes range to help retailers tap into this trend and maximise sales. e Regal Signature range is positioned under the strapline, ‘ e New Champion of Scotland,’ and o ers adult smokers the quality you expect from Regal in a new signature blend that is tailored to modern tastes. Regal Signature cigarettes provide high-quality paper, a rm lter and a rounded-cornered box for a more contemporary and premium feel. e range, including Kingsize and Superkingsize formats, is available to buy now in packs of 20 at an RRP of £12.75.”
The Scottish tobacco accessories market is worth £35M, +11.4%
e Roll Your Own sub-category has continued to thrive as cash conscious shoppers count their pennies, with product sales within the value price sector increasing by an impressive 8% year-on-year [ibid], making it the fastest-growing segment that accounts for almost a quarter (24%) of all RYO sales [ibid].
Within RYO, by far the most popular format is 30g packs of rolling tobacco, which account for a whopping 69% of all RYO sales [ibid]. “With this in mind, it’s clear that value-focused customers are increasingly opting for budget-friendly RYO products that o er the lowest out-of-pocket spend,” adds Rasool.
To cater for this demand, it’s key that retailers stock the right RYO product o ering and Imperial Brands recommends o ering a wide range of leading brands, such as Regal Signature, Riverstone and Players JPS. Although 30g formats are the most popular for shoppers, larger formats still account for 31% of RYO [ibid] sales ,so ensuring a range of 50g formats is available should also be a focus, urges the rm.
Despite the popularity of the value and economy price tiers, which account for over half of sales, the premium price sector in fact holds the largest share of the RYO market at 36% [ibid]. “ is really demonstrates that, despite the focus on value, there are still many adult smokers who remain brand loyal and are willing to pay a more premium price for a brand that they know and trust,” claims Rasool. “With this in mind, we’d recommend that retailers stock a range of leading premium RYO brands, including Golden Virginia.”
is certainly rings true for Mohammed Omar, supervisor at Day-Today Salamander Place in Edinburgh. “We sell a mix of tobacco brands,” he says. “Some people ask for the cheapest, but most people ask for a brand.”
He lists Amber Leaf, American Spirit and Golden Virginia among his top sellers.
Imperial recently announced the extension of its Golden Virginia range with the launch of its rst new rolling tobacco blend in 15 years, Golden Virginia Amber Blend (30g, RSP £21.35). e product features a smooth, rich and aromatic avour pro le, alongside lower moisture content from sun-dried leaf, designed to elevate the smoking experience. e blend bene ts from a new zip click feature, ensuring freshness from the rst to the last use.
Rasool says: “With the launch of our new Golden Virginia Amber Blend, we are helping retailers to meet the needs of both valueseeking and quality-conscious consumers, o ering a premium rolling experience at a competitive price. is strategic move enables us to leverage the brand’s long-standing heritage and reputation to introduce a new product that aligns with current consumer preferences and market dynamics.”
Where Scotland is concerned, there’s everything to play for within the tobacco accessories market, which has seen double-digit growth over the past year, reaching a scorching £35m in value sales [Circana Total Marketplace 52 w/e 18/02/24].
Ensuring that you stock a broad range of products to meet a vast range of needs is crucial, according to Republic Technologies, which claims to account for 40% of total marketplace sales.
“Shoppers in this category have a range of di erent usage occasions and purchasing habits, so choice is absolutely key in maximising engagement and sales in tobacco accessories,” says Gavin Anderson, Sales & Marketing Director at Republic Technologies.
“ ose retailers who o er a varied selection of product formats, from king size papers to eco-friendly lters are seeing the highest levels of repeat purchase which is a key driver for incremental sales.”
Papers remain the highest value subcategory in tobacco accessories, worth over £11m and growing year on year [ibid]. Republic Technologies states that its eco-friendly OCB range is the UK’s fastest-growing paper brand in the tracked market, at +40% [Circana Total Marketplace Paper Sales 52 w/e 18/02/23].
As shoppers continue to seek value in their everyday purchases, Anderson also highlights the bene t of stocking multipacks.
“Multipacks o er better value for both retailers and consumers at a time when rising numbers of cost-conscious shoppers want to get an even better return from their sales across the tobacco accessories category,” he adds.
Products with a more natural o er are also trending. Republic Technologies recently introduced OCB Authentic Real Rice Papers, which are organic and chlorine free. Made from a blend of rice and organic hemp, the unbleached, ultra-thin papers deliver a premium rolling and slow-burning experience in a natural, brown paper.
“We know that OCB Rice Papers will appeal to the growing number of roll-your-own consumers who are now looking more closely at products with natural ingredients,” adds Anderson.
Featuring 32 papers per pack, OCB Rice is available in both Slim (RSP £1.10) and Slim & Tips (RSP £1.73).
Imperial Brands has given a nod to both natural and value trends with its latest Rizla launch.
“Value-savvy consumers are increasingly migrating from king size into combi formats due to the added value and convenience they o er,” Rasool notes. “To help retailers tap into this trend, we recently extended our combi range to
include a new Classic King Size Combi variant for our iconic Rizla brand.”
With an RSP of £1.30, the Rizla Classic King Size Combi includes 32 unbleached king size papers and tips to appeal to the rising number of smokers looking for papers with a more natural look and feel with the added bene t of tips in the same pack.
“With volume sales of combi formats expected to exceed those of popular standard format king size papers thanks to the great convenience they o er, we’d highly recommend that retailers stock up on Rizla Classic King Size Combi to tap into this trend and grow their sales with an iconic and market-leading paper brand,” he adds.
Another product appealing to value conscious consumers is the cigarillo, which has helped to drive the UK cigar category up 11.7% in value sales to £316.6m annually [IRI MarketPlace, Value and Volume sales, w/e 12/5/24].
Cigarillos account for the largest of the four segments in the cigar category and are worth £133m in annual sales [ibid]. In fact, they are responsible for just over half of total cigar volume sales across the UK.
“I’m pleased to say our Signature Action brand is currently the fastest growing cigarillo, experiencing sales growth of 40.6% across the UK versus the same time last year,” says Prianka Jhingan, Head of Marketing UK at Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK (STG UK). “Of course, the key thing cigars and cigarillos o er retailers that other forms of tobacco don’t is great pro t
margins. On average, they are three times higher than cigarettes, so for example, our Moments Blue brand o ers up to 18% margin when sold at its RRP, and there’s not many products in the tobacco category that can match that.”
Cigarillos are shorter, usually about three to four inches long and narrower than traditional cigars. ey typically take less time to smoke, which can o en appeal to adult smokers. “Our Signature Action brand is currently the fastestgrowing cigarillo, experiencing sales growth of 40.6% versus the same time last year [ibid],” she adds.
At the start of the year, the company announced a contemporary redesign for its Signature cigar range. e simple but smart design appears on packs of Signature Blue, Signature Original and Signature Red Filter where more focus has been added to the leaf icon to emphasise the unique nature of the product.
Beyond traditional tobacco, a wealth of options are now available for smokers to transition towards. e shi towards tobacco alternatives has been re ected by a signi cant milestone for Philip Morris Limited (PML) in the UK and Ireland, which owns both Malboro and IQOS brands. “During PMI’s end-of-year 2023 nancial results, our CEO revealed that IQOS had surpassed Marlboro in global net revenues, becoming the Company’s number one international nicotine brand,” says John Rennie, Director of Commercial Operations. “ is success was replicated in the rst quarter of
Nicotine Pouch sales are only going in one direction. “Nicotine pouch sales are really gathering pace in the UK, with the category now worth just over £90m in annual retail sales [IRI Marketplace, Value and Volume sales, Apr 2024] and this figure doesn’t include sales taking place online,” says STG’s UK Managing Director, Gleb Pugacev.
“Nicotine pouches are particularly valued by consumers due to their discreet nature, as they can be used any time and any place. We have recently been delighted to announce our entry into the next gen nicotine category with the launch of XQS pouches. This new range has been created in Sweden, the home of nicotine pouches, and has been available to retailers since May, competitively priced at just £5.50.”
The XQS is available in four flavours – Tropical, Blueberry Mint, Cool Ice and Arctic Freeze – and a variety of different strengths.
All four variants come in fully recyclable packaging and contain uniquely smallersized pouches to ensure a perfect fit under the lip.
“To maximise sales, we believe XQS is best suited in multiple locations due to it being a new product in the category that consumers may not be aware of,” says Pugacev. “We currently offer three different display solutions to accommodate different store space availability and to ensure maximum visibility to those entering the store. We’d also encourage retailers to use the bold and colourful branding and prominent RRP communication which will attract existing nicotine pouch users.”
2024, where Philip Morris’ smoke-free business accounted for 39% of international net revenues, with IQOS maintaining pole position in 11 markets [Philip Morris International Reports First-Quarter 2024 Results and Updates Full Year Guidance, 23rd April 2024].”
While it took Marlboro 115 years to establish its dominance as the world’s bestselling cigarette, heated tobacco brand IQOS has surpassed the world’s most valuable cigarette brand in less than a decade since its launch [ibid].
“In the UK, as with many other markets, the growth of heated tobacco has been a sharp contrast to the decline in cigarette sales similarly to Europe where heated tobacco unit sales have increased by 9.4% during the rst three months of 2024, re ecting continuous growth momentum for IQOS across the continent [ibid],” states Rennie.
“Nationally, the percentage of convenience retailers now selling our TEREA and HEETS tobacco sticks has risen by 42% in two years [Nielsen Total Coverage Dec 23 vs. Sep 21 in convenience], while cigarette sales declined by 34% during the same period [ibid]. is trend is also re ected in grocery multiples, where sales of IQOS kits grew by 269% between September 2021 and December 2023 [Nielsen Total Coverage Dec 23 vs. Sep 21 in Key Accounts], while cigarette sales declined by 27% [ibid].”
PMI claims that IQOS ILUMA complements gantries because it o ers a real tobacco taste and
satisfaction, with 95% less harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes and enables savings of up to £3,000 a year.
Also vying for attention in the heated tobacco battleground is JTI’s Ploom X Advanced.
e device and heated tobacco sticks recently became available to independent and symbol group retailers in Glasgow, as the brand looks to build the category.
e Ploom X Advanced device was brought to the market in September 2023, boasting an optimised HeatFlow system and faster charging, now taking less than 90 minutes to achieve a full charge.
Ploom device sales have almost doubled since last year, and JTI hopes to build on this success with the highly anticipated expansion outside of Greater London.
With the heated tobacco category currently worth £120m in traditional retail [Circana Market Place, Value Sales, Total T-Vapour Category, Total UK, MAT Dec 2023] and growing 8.9% year on year [ibid], the staged roll out of Ploom X Advanced represents a signi cant sales opportunity for retailers.
Mark McGuinness, Marketing Director at JTI UK, says: “ e Ploom brand has shown really encouraging growth, particularly over the last 12 months, and we have big plans to take this even further in 2024 with our expansion into the independent convenience channel outside of London.”
“Our estimates suggest the Heated Tobacco category will be worth £400 million by 2027 as more customers are seeking an alternative but familiar tobacco experience with devices that heat tobacco instead of burning it. We look forward to working closely with retailers in She eld and Glasgow to educate them on the Heated Tobacco opportunity and to see them bene t from such a thriving category.”
Get an A for effort with a range of nutritious, convenient and cost-effective lunchbox options.
In just a few short weeks, the summer holidays that seemed endless as a child, will be over all too soon for the kids, and not nearly soon enough for their exhausted parents.
While mums and dads are rushing around trying to buy an a ordable pair of school shoes that won’t wear out a er ve minutes’ footie and ensuring pencil cases are fully equipped with all the latest paraphernalia, the last thing they need to be faced with is what to pack their little darlings for lunch.
ankfully, their local convenience store can help simplify the process, by stocking a selection of kid-friendly foods that will pass the school rules.
“Healthy fruit snacks and healthier lunchbox items in general should be front and centre when retailers are trying to make the most from the back-to-school opportunity, but this is probably recognised more in the grocery channel at present, so is de nitely an area for convenience retailers to consider,” says Gareth Roberts, UK Country Sales Manager at Dole Sunshine Company. “At Dole, all our fruit snacks are non-HFSS which, along with their convenient packaging, makes them perfect for the lunchbox.”
Salads are another quick and easy option for parents and guardians wanting to include healthier food in children’s lunchboxes.
At a time when one-third of shoppers are proactively looking to eat more fruit and vegetables to lead a healthier lifestyle [IGD Shopper Vista Health and Nutrition Barometer Oct 23], they recognise the positive impact fresh salads can have on children’s diets, claims Florette.
With over 560 million packs of salad sold each year [Nielsen & Kantar 52 w/e 16 March 2024], the growing choice and variety in the fresh salads category can help parents to take greater control of their children’s diets, states the rm.
Martin Purdy, Commercial and Marketing Director at Florette UK says: “Very o en, the main ingredients in sandwiches for children’s lunchboxes may not be chosen for health reasons, but parents can easily add the healthy option of fresh salads, which are naturally low in fat, salt and sugar and complement a wide range of children’s favourite lunchbox options.”
Florette has a wide range of salad products which are ideally suited to the lunchbox occasion, including Florette Crispy (90g and 140g), the biggest-selling salad product in the impulse channel, and Florette Mixed salad
(125g), with its crunchy mix of leaves adding interest and texture to lunchbox meals.
In addition to health and convenience, Dole’s Roberts ags up that cost must also be considered when providing lunchbox solutions. “We know for many consumers who are shopping on a budget, fresh fruit and vegetables can be one of the rst things to come o the shopping list, which really highlights the importance of retailers and brands who are committed to supporting healthier choices for their customers, and speci cally helping people to eat healthily on a budget,” he says.
“However, healthier choices don’t have to be more expensive, as consumers can buy a fourpack of Dole’s fruit in juice cups for just £2.30 which o ers them a great-tasting and healthy product at a price most can a ord which are perfect for lunchboxes.”
e rm was also rst to market last summer with a range of mixed fruit in jelly, targeted speci cally at kids. Available in strawberry and orange jelly avours, the products contain pieces of pineapple and papaya in smaller portion sizes for kids. Both pots are available to convenience retailers, with an RSP of just £1.79 for a pack of four, which o ers retailers an attractive margin, with ambient storage and a long shelf life.
Under The Counter loves pakora. He famously once didn’t make it to the main course of an all-youcan-eat Indian buffet, crashing out early after scoffing 29 pieces of the deep-fried delicacy.
Scandalously, the Auld Boy had the nerve to blame a can of Irn-Bru he was concurrently consuming for his downfall. At any rate, there was no room left for some much-needed Gaviscon.
Anyway, the point is that UTC could neck pakora and Irn-Bru until the cows come home.
Boy to fend for himself, he treats himself to one of the Perthbased chef’s ready meals that can be found in the freezer of any decent convenience store. So the prospect of popping into Premier to pick up pakora pleases him no end.
He was therefore slavering like Pavlov’s dug when he saw a video of Praveen Kumar making full fat Irn-Bru-flavoured pakora.
The Auld Boy is a big fan of Praveen and his wife Swarna; he’d love to meet the Kumars. On the not so rare occasions that Mrs UTC leaves the Auld
However, his enthusiasm waned when he found out that the principal ingredient of said starter was the humble mushroom. Under The Counter is not fond of vegetables – he didn’t get to his age by eating healthily – and he positively hates mushrooms. The Auld Boy is not a fan of fungi.
And, as a straw poll of his colleagues would reveal, he’s not much of a fun guy himself.
Which goes some way to explaining why he increasingly finds himself alone, eating ready meals for one.
Regular readers will recall from May’s edition that Under The Counter had a bee in his bunnet about a retailer who promoted his business with a life-sized cutout of himself. UTC was aggrieved that the cutout, far from being life-sized, was a good six inches smaller than the actual retailer.
And regular readers won’t be surprised to discover he’s at it again, this time over a cutout of Asda owner, Manjit Dale, founding partner of private equity firm TDR Capital.
It turns out that Asda colleagues are upset that TDR is making them do more work in less hours. The downtrodden workers quite rightly expressed their anger by demonstrating outside an Asda store in Bournemouth, complete with a cutout of Dale.
Now, SLR would like to describe the cutout as “life size”. However, to do so would risk giving UTC an aneurysm since – as the Auld Boy was
Under The Counter thinks himself something of an expert in the RTD category, given that he himself is always ready to drink.
So he wasn’t surprised that Four Loko is sponsoring this year’s Trnsmt festival; UTC enjoyed necking a cold can or two at this year’s SLR Awards, after all.
What caught him off guard, however, was news that Trnsmt is actually the UK’s safest music festival, with a crime rate of only 1.6 incidents per 1,000 attendees.
The Auld Boy’s surprise at this finding was very much coloured by his one and only outdoor musical experience. Way before Trnsmt’s precursor T in the Park was even a thing, he attended the ill-starred 1980 Loch Lomond festival, held in Balloch Country Park. This was most notable for running battles between rival gangs of punks, skinheads, mods and rockers. ‘Bottles fly at Loch Lomond,’ wailed the Sunday Post from its front page. UTC had a great time nevertheless, despite someone using his tent as a public lavatory.
You’ll find none of that shocking behaviour at Trnsmt though, mainly because there’s no camping at the event.
At any rate, it compares very favourably to Britain’s least safe festival, Creamfields, which endures a whopping 23 incidents of crime per 1,000 attendees. The electronic dance music extravaganza takes place in the sleepy Cheshire village of Daresbury, roughly halfway between Liverpool and Manchester. Readers can draw their own conclusions.
Under The Counter advised Four Loko to avoid sponsoring Creamfields, suggesting Treasury Wine Estates’ red wine brand 19 Crimes might be a better fit.
at great pains to point out – the figure towers over the demonstrators.
And that’s before his multi-billionaire capitalist robber baron top hat is taken into consideration. Fair enough, Auld Boy. There may well be a problem with lifesized cutouts.
However, it may well be that Dale is quite tall and that Asda staff – after all that downtrodding from TDR – are quite short. Just saying.
