SLR June 2023 Edition

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PREMIER HITS 500 STORES IN SCOTLAND

The UK’s leading symbol group reaches 500-store milestone in Scotland.

Glass out as troubled scheme gets the nod

Cash in on warm weather

NEWS

06 In-Store Services PayPoint and NFRN team up to offer a Christmas savings club.

07 Deposit Return Scheme A UK Government decision means Scotland’s DRS can go ahead – but without glass.

08 National Lottery Sales for the last financial year are the Lottery’s second-highest ever.

10 Tech CJ Lang enhances its SalesTrack software, which gives retailers key insights into how products are performing.

12 News Extra Cost Of Living Scottish government removes income thresholds from its Best Start Foods benefit.

22 Product News Lucozade and Xbox team up, while Monster brings back its retailer support scheme.

26 Off-Trade News Havana Club celebrates the Cuban mindset and a film star is the new face of Staropramen.

INSIDE BUSINESS

28 GroceryAid Jim Harper explains why One O One is so passionate about supporting the industry charity.

31 Checkout Scotland GroceryAid Scotland’s flagship event unveils its 2023 headlining acts.

32 Store Profile Nisa Yokermill Road Arbaaz Hayat and his family have helped revitalise a community by re-opening a store that had lain empty for nine months.

34 Hotlines The latest new products and media campaigns.

42 Competition You could win £50-worth of BrewDog Lost Lager in our easy-to-enter competition.

54 Under The Counter The Auld Boy is less than delighted when the World Avocado Organisation reaches out to him.

FEATURES

36 Summer Drinks The fine-weather season is upon us and with it the opportunity to drive summer drinks sales.

46 Summer Festivals Festival season is back in full swing, and brands are gearing up for another period of boosted sales – meaning good news for retailers.

48 Nicotine Alternative nicotine solutions are offering adult smokers increasingly powerful ways to secure their hits.

52 Food-To-Go Shoppers are still looking for on-the-go treats that won’t break the bank.

Groups Premier, SLR’s reigning Symbol Group of the Year, opens its 500th store in Scotland after a period of rapid growth.

Snappy Group names new marketing chief

The Snappy Group has appointed Brad Jones as Head of Marketing. His role will focus on boosting local businesses and their communities by growing brand awareness of the Snappy Group, through the promotion of Snappy Shopper, Hungrrr, and digital high street propositions. He will prioritise in growing Snappy Shopper’s presence in new and existing areas in the UK and globally.

Spar Scotland awards

Spar Scotland’s second annual awards will again be presented at the symbol group’s annual tradeshow on 28 September. The categories are: Independent community retailer of the Year, Company-owned community store of the Year, Independent Retailer of the Year, Companyowned Store of the Year, and Supplier of the Year. A shortlist of stores will be drawn up judges and sponsors to visit.

MFG’s Tweedbank site granted licence

The Scottish Borders Licensing Board has granted MFG a premises licence to sell alcohol from the yet-to-be-built Tweedbank Service Station, at Tweedbank Industrial Estate. Members agreed to the application on the grounds that 10% of the shop space was devoted to alcohol sales – not the 14% applied for. The site is expected to open around the first week of August this year.

Shopkeeper fined for underage vape sales

A Newtongrange shopkeeper and his employer have been issued fixed penalty notices for selling a nicotine-based vape product to a person under 18. Acting on a tip-off, Midlothian Council’s trading standards team carried out test surveillance that confirmed the sales. Councillor Stuart McKenzie said: “Quite frankly anyone caught doing this and fined up to £200 in the first instance is getting off lightly.”

PayPoint and NFRN partner up to offer Christmas savings

deal of PayPoint One, Park Savings, and parcels.

e new scheme will be rolling out in the summer ahead of the start of the Christmas 2024 season. NFRN members that are interested can visit paypoint.com/parksavings or email parksavings@paypoint. com to register their interest.

PayPoint and the NFRN have formed a new partnership that will see the organisations work together to create a network of more than 1,500 Park Christmas Savings Super Agents over the next few months.

Park Christmas Savings, now part of the PayPoint Group, is the UK’s biggest Christmas savings club, helping more than 350,000 families manage the cost of Christmas, by o ering a range of gi cards and vouchers from some of the biggest high street names.

e new partnership will see participating NFRN members access an earning opportunity of over £1,000 per annum, recruiting savers in their local area. Each store will get access to an extensive support package, including training roadshows, digital and in-store POS, personalised saver communications and a national £2.5m advertising campaign driving awareness of the scheme.

Nick Wiles, Chief Executive of PayPoint, said: “ is forms part of our longstanding commitment to add extra value and revenue into the pockets of all PayPoint retailer partners. We’re looking forward to working closely with the Fed to roll this out over the coming months.”

Jason Birks, National President of the NFRN, added: “ is exclusive partnership creates a great opportunity for members to make more money from PayPoint in their store whilst o ering a vital service to customers in their community. I would encourage all members to get involved.” ILLICT TRADE

Fed members who are not currently PayPoint retailers can also take advantage of an exclusive bundle

ACS backs tougher sanctions on illicit tobacco

ACS has responded to an HM Revenue and Customs consultation on tougher sanctions to tackle illicit tobacco, welcoming measures that could reduce the impact of the illicit trade on retailers and consumers.

HMRC is considering the introduction of fines for up to £10,000 for persistent offenders selling large quantities of illicit tobacco and the six-month removal of track and trace for severe cases of noncompliance.

In the submission, ACS highlights the lack of previous meaningful enforcement action when it comes to dealing with businesses that were found to be selling illicit tobacco, with almost half of businesses in 2019 (48%) receiving a verbal warning.

Margiotta secures £725,000 funding for new store

Edinburgh and East Lothian convenience store chain Margiotta is set to open a new store in the capital a er securing £725,000 in funding from HSBC UK.

e new 2,000sq store will be located in Harrison Gardens, at a site that was previously owned by an architecture rm.

e store, the second in the Shandon area of Edinburgh for the family-run business, will be used to host food and drink from local

suppliers – such as Fortitude Co ee and Heather Hills Honey – as well as a range of homeware products.

e existing Shandon store will remain a newsagent, with the addition of homemade gelato, paninis, and co ee.

Founder and Managing Director Franco Margiotta said: “Both we and our customers value local produce from quality suppliers, so we’re looking forward to being able to expand our product range with our increased footprint.

“HSBC UK’s support has helped us to grasp the opportunity to buy this new space and explore a new venture as we bring to life our rst café-style venture at our older store.”

FUNDING The family-run business will open a second store in the Shandon area of Edinburgh

EPOS New partnership will help more than 350,000 families manage the cost of Christmas

Scotland’s DRS to proceed with the exclusion of glass

e UK government has granted Scotland a temporary exemption from the Internal Market Act to enable the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) to go ahead, but it only covers PET plastic, aluminium, and steel.

Glass bottles were a key part of Scottish government proposals for DRS, which are due to go start in March 2024, but UK ministers excluded glass from English and Northern Irish schemes shortly before granting Scotland’s exemption to internal market rules.

In a letter to the First Minister, the UK government said including glass “would have created a potentially permanent divergence from the schemes planned for England and Northern Ireland”.

Hamza Yousaf has accused the UK government of trying to

“sabotage” the DRS in Scotland, as businesses had already signed up to and spent money on a scheme including glass.

He said he would have to hold urgent talks with businesses and examine the viability of the Scottish scheme.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “ e announcement of the exclusion of glass from DRS in Scotland is welcome news for many local shops that were concerned about asking their store colleagues to handle and store glass that could be broken or soiled.”

Tomra appoints new UK and Ireland boss

Tomra, a supplier of reverse vending machines (RVMs), has appointed a new Scotland-based Managing Director for the UK and Ireland.

Ryan Buzzell takes up his post at an important juncture for the business as it makes a multi-million-pound investment in new sta and resources ahead of the introduction of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme in March 2024.

Buzzell, who will be based at the rm’s current Scottish operations hub in Livingston, will aim to double Tomra’s current Scottish workforce to 60 by the end of 2023 as it works to install and maintain RVMs, including contracts with major supermarket chains and smaller shop operators.

He has experience internationally in the implementation of deposit return schemes, most recently as President and Chief Executive of Tomra Collection Australia.

Buzzell has held a series of senior roles with Tomra during his 18 years with the rm, rstly in New York and then Sydney, where he was based for more than ve years, and also had responsibility for expanding the company’s interests across the Paci c region.

e Scottish Wholesale Association added: “While the UK Government’s late timing of this announcement is disrespectful to all the businesses which have been waiting for this con rmation, it’s now critical that the Scottish and UK governments work together, and with those a ected businesses, at pace to ensure that the Scottish scheme can go live smoothly next spring and the UK-wide schemes can work as seamlessly as possible in future.

“We know there has been considerable e ort and investment put into plans for glass to be included. It cannot be beyond the wit of both governments to nd ways in which that infrastructure and investment might be channelled to assist glass recovery outwith the DRS.”

ISLANDS Co-op’s new Shetland stores scrapped

Illegal vapes seized

Glasgow City Council has almost 900 illegal vapes from an unnamed East End store after its trading standards team received a consumer complaint. The council tweeted: “Tests will be carried out on the vapes – many of which had tanks exceeding the legal limit.” In March, the council backed the call for a ban on the sale of single-use vapes amid growing health and environmental concerns.

Dunfermline RVM planned Co-op has applied for planning permission for a reverse vending machine outside its store at Shamrock Street, Dunfermline. The move is in preparation for the deposit return scheme, which has been delayed until May 2024. If approved, the machine – which would be just under 2.5 metres in height and 1.4m wide – would be installed to the left of the store entrance. The store offers bakery, National Lottery, PayPoint, and parcel services.

Deliveroo delivers the news

Plans for two new Co-op stores in Sandwick and Scalloway, Shetland, have been scrapped.

Property developer Seamount had hoped the stores would open by early 2023, but a 50% increase in building costs and contractor availability meant it was “unable to proceed”.

The property developer said it would be happy to revisit the proposals if the situation changed.

Speaking to The National, the Co-op said it is committed to serving Shetland and shares the developer’s disappointment that works are unable to progress.

Deliveroo trialled the sale of weekend newspapers through Deliveroo HOP, its rapid grocery delivery service, over the coronation weekend. These included The Telegraph, The Guardian, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, and Daily Express. The company said it newspaper delivery could become a regular feature on the Deliveroo app if the five-city trial proved to be a success.

Alexandria store for sale

A Keystore-branded convenience store in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, has been put on the market. The store, located at 156 Main Street, achieves weekly sales of around £14,500. The business, which is being marketed by Christie & Co, occupies one of the ground floor units in a two-storey building with parking at the rear of the store. It is available on a leasehold basis, with an asking price of £100,000, and annual rent of £12,800.

RECYCLING Tomra to make multi-million-pound investment in new staff and resources in Scotland

Illegal tobacco seized

A store in Saltcoats has had a number of illegal tobacco products seized. Ayrshire police said that 64 packs of counterfeit cigarettes and six pouches of illicit tobacco were taken from the store. North Ayrshire Trading Standards and Police Scotland are continuing checks in the area after 18 pouches of illicit tobacco, 59 packets of counterfeit cigarettes, and 302 illegal vape products were seized from one Irvine store last week.

Adults turn to petty theft

One in 10 younger adults has admitted stealing items at supermarket self-checkouts over the past year as food prices soared, according to a poll for money-saving app ZipZero. The survey found one in 25 adults said they have intentionally skipped or incorrectly scanned items at the checkout. In addition, 6% cent have borrowed money to handle rising grocery costs and 5% have started using food banks.

Glasgow Londis seeks permission for ATM

A Londis located near Glasgow Central Station is seeking to install an ATM on its shopfront. Londis Union Street, which is located at 60 Union Street, is hoping to install an ATM of “standard design” on the righthand side of the main entrance. The planning document says there is no CCTV, but the ATM would be installed in a well-lit open area, and the store plans to be open 24 hours a day.

Impulse Guide unveiled

Unitas has launched its first Plan for Profit Guide of 2023.

The Impulse Guide features advice and highlights must-stock products across confectionery, sweet snacking, crisps and soft drinks to help retailers maximise sales and profits. It has been developed in collaboration with suppliers and member category experts using data and insight from its network of wholesalers and industry sources.

The National Lottery sales grow to second highest in its history

National Lottery sales increased by £99.6m to £8.19bn in the year ended 31 March – the second-highest annual sales total since the Lottery’s launch.

Camelot said a strong performance from EuroMillions over the period helped propel drawbased games sales to £4.7bn – up £91.9m. In addition, Lotto continued to perform steadily despite seeing fewer sales-driving ‘Must Be Won’ draws over the period.

A series of huge EuroMillions rollover draws also helped to grow sales across the Instants category, which rose by £7.7m to £3.45bn – with players buying Instant Win Games as spontaneous add-on products to go with their EuroMillions tickets. Elsewhere within the category, Scratchcard sales dipped in a re ection of people’s changing shopping habits and the ongoing challenging retail environment.

Despite tough trading conditions, in-store sales recovered slightly over the past six months to reach £4.49bn for the full year, as people visited stores more frequently in search of best value.

As a result of this strong performance, returns to good causes from ticket sales alone hit an all-time high of £1.8bn in 2022/23, £6.2m higher than in the previous year.

Camelot Co-Chief Executives, Clare Swindell and Neil Brocklehurst, said: “It’s clear that e National Lottery is delivering for players and society in what are very challenging times.

“We have more exciting plans lined up for the year ahead to ensure that e National Lottery remains front of mind and brings people together at key national moments.” HOME

Falkirk Council grants licence changes for refurbished service station

Snappy Shopper partners with ShopMate

Snappy Shopper has teamed up with EPoS supplier, ShopMate, to integrate its system with Snappy Shopper retailers.

The company says the introduction of ShopMate – which is powered by Retail Data Partnership – will reduce time spent on administrative tasks, as purchases are directly updated to systems at the point of purchase, which will free up hours to deliver a better customer experience to drive repeat orders and store loyalty.

Forecourt operator Ascona has been granted permission to increase the size of the alcohol display area at its newly refurbished Re nery Service Station, in Grangemouth.

Ascona took over the site on Bo’ness Road in August and Falkirk Council’s licensing board transferred the licence from the previous owners, but changes have been made that required a non-minor variation.

One of the additions to the licence was including a hot and cold food takeaway – now a Greggs – and the biggest change was increasing the alcohol display area because of changes to the layout.

ere were no objections to any of the changes and they were granted as applied for.

ShopMate’s automated price, product and promotional data updates – which are sent both daily and at key period changes directly to Snappy Shopper retailers – will help them to best understand, operate and synchronise their in-store and online menus.

After a successful testing phase, the nationwide rollout of the partnership will begin in May 2023.

LOTTERY In-store sales recovered slightly over the past six months as people visited stores more frequently in search of best value

Underage vaping rise

There has been an increase in experimental vaping among 11–17-year-olds, from 7.7% last year to 11.6% this year, according to a survey for Action on Smoking and Health. The data shows disposable vapes are the e-cig of choice for youngsters; last year 52% of respondents said they mostly used disposable vapes, and this has grown to 69% in 2023. Of young people who currently vape, 72% usually buy vapes themselves.

Store asking price reduced

The asking price for a c-store in Muirkirk, East Ayrshire, has been dropped. The store, on Pagan’s Walk, was originally advertised for sale in March with a guide price of £30,000. This has now been reduced to £25,000. Being marketed by Prime Property Auctions (Scotland), Glasgow, the shop extends to approximately 750sq ft. It has a kitted-out storeroom downstairs and a fully plumbed sink and a toilet to the rear.

Allergen training tool

Food Standards Scotland has launched a new free online allergen training tool to support food businesses and give their staff a better understanding of food hypersensitivities. The tool is made up of five video sections: food allergies explained;, rules and regulations; providing allergen information; allergen management; and your responsibility as a food business.

Govanhill raids

Around 50,000 illegal cigarettes were found during raids at shops across Glasgow. A tobacco detection dog was used during searches at four businesses in Govanhill, visited as part of Operation CeCe Scotland, a joint initiative between Scottish Trading Standards Services and HMRC. Glasgow City Council said: “Boo is trained to sniff out tobacco that’s been purposefully hidden in locations which would not have been apparent during a routine inspection.”

CJ Lang customises Spar Scotland SalesTrack platform

GroceryAid launches ‘Always Open’ campaign

CJ Lang & Son is to customise its Spar Scotland SalesTrack platform, a tool that allows the business to report both its wholesale shipments and EPoS sales data in one platform, a er seeing traction with its suppliers and retailers.

By toggling between wholesale and retail metrics, suppliers can seamlessly track product performance through depots, into retail and out to the consumer. e data can be used to educate retailers on what is driving performance in their own stores.

e Spar Scotland SalesTrack platform has just undergone an upgrade, designed in close collaboration with the CJ Lang trading team, which has unlocked a series of new features to take performance and reporting to the next level by adding customised

functionality that is unique to Spar Scotland SalesTrack. is includes customised segmentations for their customers; time reporting for CJ Lang’s nancial year; and internal reports to monitor pro tability and drive category development. is is in addition to TWC planned upgrades, which includes new charting options for space and ranging analysis, a pivot function for large data extracts, and new reports in retail and wholesale.

Richard Collins, Trading Director at CJ Lang & Son, said: “We are delighted with the new features on Spar Scotland SalesTrack from TWC. It gives our suppliers and retailers more ways to accurately understand what’s working and what isn’t in our stores.

“We demonstrated the developments to over 300 suppliers at our recent Supplier Brie ng sessions a couple of weeks ago and the feedback was extremely positive.”

Tanya Pepin, Managing Director at TWC, added: “As a business we are committed to a development roadmap for our technology to ensure that it continues to evolve with our clients’ requirements.”

SYMBOL GROUPS Nisa has already recruited 130 stores this year to date

GroceryAid has launched a new awareness campaign to highlight the range of services that it has available to colleagues who may be in need of support.

The new ‘Always Open’ campaign aims to remind retailers and workers that GroceryAid is always open, providing free and confidential emotional, practical and financial support.

GroceryAid has developed a range of printed materials, including posters, leaflets, stickers and wallet cards that employers can order and distribute internally.

The charity has also created a set of digital materials, including social media assets and digital banners, that can be downloaded directly from its website.

Nisa gears up for ambitious recruitment drive

Nisa is aiming to open a further 400 stores this year as part of an ambitious recruitment drive.

e symbol group opened 473 new stores last year and says it has seen a strong start to 2023, with 130 stores having been recruited year to date. Over the past two years, Nisa has recruited almost 900 stores. Recruitment of wholesale partners, including Greens Retail and MPK, has almost doubled in the same period year-on-year.

e recruitment drive is being supported by investments in price and a simpli ed version of Nisa’s Fresh Rewards rebate scheme.

Peter Batt, Managing Director at Nisa, said: “ e sustained

growth in recruitment is not only down to the brilliant team at Nisa, who have gone from strength to strength, but also to the strength of Nisa’s proposition for independent retailers.

“At Nisa we’re committed in ensuring our retailers are at the heart of the decisions we make,

and we’ll continue to invest in our o er.”

Victoria Lockie, Head of Retail at Nisa, added: “We strive to be the best we can be for all our partners and we look forward to welcoming everyone joining the Nisa family.”

e symbol group currently supplies 2,480 stores.

TECHNOLOGY Data can be used to educate retailers on what is driving their store’s performance

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

Convenience Matters with the SGF

Spice and herb sales are booming in the UK, but what does that have to do with convenience retail you may ask?

The answer is one that could be crucial for our sector. The steep rise in food prices, especially for core staple items, and the ongoing costof-living crisis mean that more people than ever are keeping a tight grip on shopping budgets. The boom in spice and herbs sales is a sign that many more people are looking for adventurous, cost-effective recipes that they can try at home.

This is a great opportunity for retailers to promote Scotland’s world-class local produce and to help customers looking for a healthier at-home option. Supporting local economies, our wonderful local producers and struggling households.

SGF is proud to work with the Scottish Government to deliver both our Healthy Living Programme and our Go Local Programme.

The Healthy Living Programme works closely with retailers to promote healthier options throughout the store and increase the range, availability, quality and affordability of fresh produce and healthier products. This works in tandem with our ‘Go Local’ grant fund, which is open now, promoting the very best of Scottish produce across convenience stores, in communities all over the country.

The way people shop and the products on the shelf are always changing. Convenience stores are at the very heart of their communities and best placed to meet the changing needs of their customers.

Scottish government provides food support to more families

The removal of thresholds will increase eligibility for Best Start Foods to around an additional 20,000 people from February 2024.

e Scottish government has revealed that income thresholds are to be removed from its Best Start Foods bene t, which provides help to pregnant women and families with children aged up to three years old, so they can buy healthy food, milk or baby formula.

e bene t is currently paid to people who receive qualifying bene ts, so long as their incomes are not above set thresholds. e Scottish government will introduce regulations that remove those thresholds increasing eligibility for Best Start Foods to around an additional 20,000 people from February 2024.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Rising food prices disproportionately hurt those on the lowest incomes, so removing the threshold for qualifying bene ts means around 20,000 people will now get vital help to buy healthy foods.

“Best Start Foods is one of our ve family payments, including the Scottish Child Payment, which together could be worth more than £10,000 by the time a rst child turns six and more than £20,000 by the time an eligible child is 16.”

Best Start Foods is delivered via a prepaid card and provides £19.80 every four weeks throughout pregnancy, £39.60 every four weeks from birth until a child turns one, then £19.80 every four weeks until a child turns three.

e bene t is to be promoted at more than 2,200 local convenience stores under a new partnership with the Scottish Grocers Federation Healthy Living Programme. e initiative will raise awareness of the payment and encourage the 40,000 holders of the prepaid card to use it at their local shop.

Retailers will display information around their store to let customers know they accept the prepaid card as a method of payment. e Scottish Grocers Federation’s Healthy Living Programme will also train

and encourage sta in shops to get their customers used to paying with Best Start Foods cards.

Among the chains involved in the new scheme are Spar, Keystore, Nisa, and Premier. e network of small shops promoting Best Start Foods spans the whole of Scotland, from the Shetland Isles in the north to the Scottish Borders in the south and from Harris, Stornoway in the west to Peterhead in the east.

Social Security Scotland Chief Executive David Wallace, who launched the scheme, commented: “Local convenience shops can sometimes be the lifeblood of their communities. is initiative means owners and sta can o er support to their customers, ensuring they use all of the nancial support available to them.

“I would encourage anyone who has a Best Start Foods card to check their balance and to make sure they are using it regularly.

“As well as the smaller local stores the card can be used in most big supermarkets and online.”

Kathryn Neil, Programme Director of the Scottish Grocers’ Federation’s Healthy Living Programme, added: “ is positive partnership presents the opportunity for Healthy Living Partnership to join up with other Scottish Government policies.

“Healthy Living Partnership’s relationships with the convenience and wholesale sector allows us to deliver the information to consumers in the most deprived areas of Scotland and reaching those who are eligible.”

Chris Watson, owner of Keystore in Ness Avenue, Johnstone, said: “I’ve been in convenience retail for over 30 years and times are really hard for my customers.

“If I can highlight the Best Start scheme and customers can bene t from it, it can only be a good thing.”

COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS Scottish government is removing income thresholds from its Best Start Foods benefit

DRS: A PAIN IN THE GLASS?

So, it looks like the Scottish retailing community will finally get what it was hoping for all along: a DRS that’s aligned with the UK and doesn’t include glass. As always with DRS, however, it’s not quite that simple and we’re certainly not out of the woods yet.

The tale of DRS has had more twists and turns than the recent Monaco Grand Prix and there will undoubtedly be a few more before we finally reach the chequered flag. But the UK Government’s confirmation that it would grant a “temporary and limited” exemption from the Internal Market Act means we may be edging towards some sort of clarity, arguably for the first time since we first learned what the letters ‘D-R-S’ stood for all those years ago.

The exemption is “temporary” because it only extends from the launch in Scotland in March 2024 (if it goes ahead) until other planned schemes are in place in the rest of the UK, and it’s “limited” because it doesn’t allow for the inclusion of glass.

For all the vacillations and proclamations and remonstrations and aggravations of Lorna Slater and Co over the last few years, all it took was one brief Saturday morning in Westminster to bring things to a head and what looks like the bones of a conclusion.

First Minister Humza Yousaf quickly took the opportunity to denounce the UK Government’s glass decision as a “democratic outrage” – all perceived interference from London being automatically considered a democratic outrage by the SNP – but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was secretly pleased at the removal of glass. It squares neatly with his business-friendly approach – and there were lots of businesses who wanted glass out – while simultaneously allowing him to howl at the injustice of Westminster “trying to undermine devolution”. A win-win for him, if you like.

Meanwhile Lorna Slater said she would have to look very seriously at the viability of a Scottish DRS without glass and Yousaf has said he doesn’t want to proceed with a glassless scheme after millions were spent on preparing it… but he will look at his options.

As my grandfather used to tell me as a boy: there’s a hard way and an easy way to do everything. It looks to me very much like the Scottish Government has chosen the very, very hard way to find itself back where it was always likely to end up: a UK-aligned scheme without glass.

EDITORIAL

Publishing Director & Editor Antony Begley abegley@55north.com

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PREMIER HITS 500 STORE MARK IN SCOTLAND

The UK’s leading symbol group and SLR’s reigning Symbol Group of the Year recently opened its 500th store in Scotland after a period of rapid growth.

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

Premier, the biggest symbol group in the UK with over 4,000 stores, has recently celebrated another milestone achievement by opening its 500th store in Scotland.

e achievement follows a period of remarkable growth for the Booker-owned group which has seen Premier add around 150 stores in the last two-and-a-half years, cementing its position in Scotland.

e last few years have been marked by extreme ux in the symbol group arena in Scotland but SLR’s reigning Symbol Group of the Year has used that time wisely, attracting a huge in ux of independent retailers tempted by the relatively simple, no-nonsense manner of Premier and its enduringly successful modular approach to helping retailers build busy, pro table stores.

e 500th store is Ali’s Convenience Store in Tranent on the outskirts of Edinburgh, a store with all the hallmarks of Premier’s tried-andtested modular approach that allows retailers to pick and choose from a range of solutions that focus on high margin, high volume, minimum intervention products and services.

Run by husband-and-wife team Zul qar and Anila Ali, the 1,400sq store took many learnings from agship Premier stores down south like Mandeep Singh’s Premier store in She eld and, more recently, Premier Talbot Village in Bournemouth.

In essence, Premier o ers a bank of proven solutions to retailers who can then pick and choose according to the needs of their own customer base, tting as many high margin, high volume solutions into their stores as possible –although Premier does encourage to retailers to retain a spacious, approachable layout, something that is very much in evidence in the Tranent store a er a £210,000 re t.

Among the ‘modules’ to be found in Ali’s is

the must-have Refresh@Premier Bar featuring Tango Ice Blast and Coca-Cola Frozen slush machines as well as a two-station milkshake unit and a Costa Co ee machine.

Premier’s Refresh Bar is a feature of most re ts in Premier stores these days and it’s not di cult to see why. In Ali’s the Zone is already taking £3,500 a week only 10 weeks or so a er reopening and margins are typically around 65%.

Equally importantly, as Booker Sales Director for Retail Martyn Parkinson pointed out during the visit: “ e Refresh Bar requires no input from sta , which helps keep costs down. e machines cost only around £10 a day to run and customers serve themselves, which is a feature of many of the solutions we o er to our Premier retailers.”

Similarly, the Tranent store features a showstopping 400sq beer cave that was added during the re t by repurposing part of an old storeroom. e cave o ers a real point of di erence over local competitors as well as over supermarkets.

As well as having a vast array of chilled beers, wines, ciders and RTDs – over 50 new lines were added – the cave o ers a vast selection of multipacks, something the major multiples can’t do, which goes a long way to making the store a true destination store in the local area, particularly around major sporting events and when the sun comes out.

O ering a point of di erence isn’t the only bene t of a beer cave though. “We haven’t got enough data on this particular store yet,” says Parkinson, “but typically we expect to see an electricity cost saving of around 50% when compared with traditional chillers. We do know, however, that the total energy bill for the store has fallen by £100 in the rst month, so that’s a great indication.

“Additionally, part of the point of the beer cave is to minimise what’s stocked in in the

backshop and get it all out front. Touching stock is expensive, as we all know, so every time we reduce the amount of times it needs to be moved by sta we reduce cost for the business.”

In a similar vein, the store features 500 digital shelf edge labels which greatly reduces the time required to manually switch labels around, particularly during promotional period changes. “Even with 500 labels, we reckon that the store is saving about seven and a half hours of sta time a week,” comments Parkinson.

On the tech front, the store has also abandoned printed promotional lea ets in favour of scannable QR codes that customers can use to access deals.

Another key focus in the modern Premier blueprint is fresh and chilled, and the Tranent store toes this line too. e chilled section was expanded from two meters to seven and the range was increased from around 70 lines to more than 320.

“Fresh and chilled is critical these days but we are very aware of retailers’ concerns around waste, so we’ve worked very hard to massively increase the number of longer-life fresh and

chilled products we are able to o er our retailers,” says Parkinson. “Over 80% of the lines in our fresh and chilled range now have at least 20 days’ life.”

Anila Ali doesn’t mind admitting that the huge expansion of the fresh and chilled section was her biggest concern during the re t: “Before the re t we didn’t do much and we were not known for it, so I was a little nervous at how big the section became but when I see it now, it just makes me so happy and proud! We’re not quite there yet on it as we still have some work to do to make sure all our customers know it’s here now but Premier made it clear that it would be the section that would take the longest to really ourish – but I’m positive we’ll get there, and it totally transforms the look and feel of the shop.”

Also added during the re t was a new foodto-go cabinet which features a range of pastries, cakes and treats. As none of the food is prepared in the store, the so-called ‘Natasha’s Law’ does not apply, minimising e ort and labour costs. “ e food-to-go unit requires no extra sta ,” explains Parkinson. “Anyone behind the till can just stick on a pair of blue gloves and serve the customer in seconds.”

With value as critical as ever, the store stocks an extensive range of Jack’s and Euro Shopper ownlabel lines as well as Premier’s well-known ‘Mega Deals’ that help drive sales and communicate value.

On top of all of that, the store has stepped up its home delivery game post-re t, growing by about 30% already, and now turns over in excess of £6,000 a week using Snappy Shopper.

Anila and Zul qar have had the store for over

17 years, 16 of those with Premier, but Anila says the re t has been the most transformative development for the business that they’ve ever undertook.

“We had to close the store for about four weeks for the re t,” says Anila, “but we couldn’t leave the local community without a shop, so we continued to trade from a shipping container out the front!

“It wasn’t ideal, and I certainly wouldn’t want to do it again, but it kept our customers served and it helped maintain loyalty, as well as keeping some money coming in. We actually retained about 75% of our business, which we were very happy with.”

When it came to the re t, Anila says she and her husband pretty much gave Premier a free hand: “We had some ideas but we trust Premier and they know what they’re doing so we just went with almost everything they suggested. In just 10 weeks sales are up 50% so it looks like everything they suggested is working, so we’re absolutely over the moon. e store is unrecognisable and it’s just what our fantastic customers deserve!”

To coincide with the reopening, the store took advantage of Premier’s new social media support service. is does all the heavy li ing to make it quick and pain free for retailers to ensure that all key promotions are posted onto Facebook, which is still the key social media platform for Premier customers, according to Parkinson. e support service helped the store quickly grow its following from 200 to over 1,200 in just a matter of weeks which directly helped grow footfall, sales and pro ts.

“We’re seeing around 1,000 more customers coming to the store every week now,” says Anila.

As for Premier itself, Parkinson is delighted that so many retailers are willing to invest in their stores.

“ e really encouraging thing for us is that retailers are seeing what we are doing with the

Premier model, they’re seeing other Premier stores reap the bene ts and they’re willing to invest in refurbishing their own stores to a very high standard,” he says. “ e Tranent store saw £210,000 invested and none of that was on building work – that was all re t and that’s a considerable investment.

“We know how tough it is out there at the moment and that’s why we’re working so hard to get our Premier retailers’ margins up to 30%. Stores that follow the blueprint typically see margins increase by 6% or 7%. It’s all about creating a great in-store environment and working smart in key categories, keeping cost down and maximising PORs.

We believe that if you follow our blueprint, you will get margins to 30% and you can expect full payback on your investment within 12 months.”

To mark the 500th Scottish store milestone, Premier will plant500 trees in Scotland as part of its ongoing sustainability plan and will also be o ering the chance to win £10,000 towards a new Refresh@ Premier Bar to retailers who join Premier in the next six months.

“It’s an exciting time in Scotland for Premier,” concludes Parkinson. “We have a long and very successful history in Scotland and I’m looking forward to welcoming more Scottish stores to Premier in the future.

Cadbury Cakes cash comp

Premier Foods has launched an on-pack promotion with Cadbury Cakes to give shoppers in the UK and Ireland the chance to win instant cash. Running until 25 August, ‘Find the Golden Token, Win Cash’ features across Cadbury Mini Rolls and Cake Bars. Over 1,000 golden tokens have been placed inside promotional packs and lucky shoppers who find one can go online to claim a cash prize of either £1,000, £100 or £10.

KP pitches in

KP Snacks has launched a new on-pack promotion to fund new community cricket pitches as part of its partnership with The Hundred tournament. The promotion is part of KP Snacks’ initiative to give back to local communities and get people active. Each pack purchased will help fund 35 permanent community cricket pitches. In addition, the promo gives shoppers the chance to win one of over one hundred £100 cash prizes from now until November, by entering a prize draw.

Frozen Frubes

Frubes has launched its biggestever marketing campaign, encouraging consumers to try freezing the children’s yogurt. The six-figure campaign includes media, summer sampling, influencer and social media activities. Three Frubes limitededition Try Me Frozen packs have also been launched to clearly communicate the freezing opportunity.

Don’t sweat it

Unilever’s deodorant brand Sure has launched its 72hr Nonstop Protection technology into Roll

On formats and has added two new scents to its existing female and male 72hr aerosol range –Sure Nonstop Freesia & Waterlily and Sure Men Nonstop Sensitive.

A £5m marketing campaign supports the launches, with a marketing campaign running from May to September across both male and female portfolios.

Lucozade Energy joins forces with Xbox for new Starfield promotion

Lucozade Energy has teamed-up with Bethesda So works and Xbox to give shoppers the chance to win Xbox prizes every day.

Ahead of the launch of Bethesda’s much anticipated Star eld video game, the promotion lets consumers enter an extended reality experience where they can discover Star eld in-game content and take part in challenges to win additional exclusive Xbox prizes.

Shoppers just need to scan special edition packs to ‘Unlock Your Universe’.

e partnership runs across Lucozade Energy Orange, Lucozade Energy Original, and Lucozade Zero Pink Lemonade avours. It is supported by in-store point of sale material, and outof-home and paid social advertising.

supported by in-store point of sale material, and out-

Robinsons launches cricket ticket promo

Robinsons ready to drink is once again giving consumers the chance to win a pair of tickets to The Hundred cricket competition via a QR code on-pack, as well as a £20 voucher to spend on food and drink on the day.

A total of 112 pairs of tickets are up for grabs over the duration of the tournament, which runs from 1 to 27 August.

This is the second year of a three-year deal as the brand’s official soft drinks partner for The Hundred. It will support the partnership through POS, digital and in-store activations, as well as in-ground advertising during the tournament.

The Robinsons ready to drink range is available in Blackberry & Blueberry, Raspberry & Apple, and Peach & Mango flavours in 500ml packs price-marked at £1.09.

Prizes include a one-month an

Prizes include a one-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, and an Xbox Series S can be won every day. Additionally, participants will be entered into a draw to win prizes including Star eld merchandise bundles.

e promotion follows last year’s successful partnership between Lucozade Energy, Xbox and Halo In nite.

Take a trip to World of Jumanji with Capri-Sun

CCEP’s Capri-Sun brand is once again partnering with Merlin Entertainments for an on-pack promotion – this time, for the World of Jumanji at Chessington World of Adventures Resort.

e promotion gives a free adult or child entry to Chessington World of Adventures Resort with a full ‘On e Day’-priced adult ticket. e resort is home to a theme park, zoo, aquarium and more – and the world’s rst World of Jumanji, which is new for 2023.

Running until the end of this June, QR codes on ve million promotional packs of Capri-Sun can be used to secure a voucher for buy-one-getone-free entry, valid until 30 June 2024.

e promotion is designed to reward young families with a fun day out this summer, while boosting sales of the £60m kids’ juice drinks brand.

It is supported by out-of-home, social media and in-store activities.

Promotional packs include 4x200ml multipacks of Capri-Sun Orange, No Added Sugar Orange, and No Added Sugar Apple & Blackcurrant, and 8x200ml multipacks of CapriSun Orange, Tropical, Blackcurrant, Jungle, No Added Sugar

Orange and No

Added Sugar Apple & Blackcurrant.

SOFT DRINKS CCEP brand teams up with Merlin Entertainments

SOFT DRINKS

Wizard days out

Mondelez has again joined forces with Merlin Entertainments for the return of its familyfavourite summer promotion. Running across a variety of Cadbury products, this year’s onpack promotion offers up to 50% off ticket prices to a variety of Merlin attractions. The promotion runs until September and is bolstered by digital, radio and social media activities, as well as in-store support and point of sale materials.

Relaunch makes scents

Comfort has reformulated its Concentrated Fabric Conditioner Core and Creations ranges, promising shoppers 100 days of freshness and fragrance, and unveiled a redesigned bottle that offers greater standout and has a new optimised shape so more units can be stocked on-shelf. The relaunch is supported by a £12m campaign that puts an increased focus on inclusivity, with audio descriptions featuring in TV adverts.

Müller invites you to ‘Make Pots of Profit’

Müller has unveiled ‘Make Pots of Profit,’ a new category initiative created specifically for convenience stores to offer help and advice to improve the effectiveness of their Chilled Yogurts and Potted Desserts category. The guidance includes a selection of planograms for retailers to use according to their store size. These are available from the makepotsofprofit.co.uk dedicated microsite.

McCain’s Community Shop

Frozen potato manufacturer

McCain Foods has partnered with Community Shop to open a new social supermarket store in Eastfield, North Yorkshire – the home of McCain GB since 1969. The store sells surplus products that are perfectly good to eat or use and have been donated by major retailers, brands and manufacturers. The surplus products may have otherwise gone to waste.

Monster invites retailers to supercharge their energy drinks sales

Natalie Lightfoot of Londis Solo in Baillieston stars in the campaign, alongside English retailers Amrit Singh and Jack Matthews.

e trio have also been sharing their advice on how to get the most out of the energy drinks through a Q&A hosted on the SalesSupercharged.co.uk platform, which can be viewed at vimeo. com/822067505.

Monster Energy has brought back its SalesSupercharged.co.uk convenience retailer support initiative for a third year, in a bid to help retailers make the most of the energy drinks sales opportunity – and also provide chances to win some prizes.

e online platform and trade communications campaign will continue to provide the low-down

on the latest trends and details on key segments within energy drinks, alongside tips and advice around ranging and execution in-store.

e 2023 SalesSupercharged. co.uk campaign features three successful convenience retailers, all of whom have taken advantage of the resources on the platform and recognise the sales opportunity energy drinks present.

Imperial expands blu bar range

Imperial has added four new flavours to its range of blu bar disposable vapes.

With Blueberry now the top-selling disposable vape flavour and Berry growing rapidly by 60% month-onmonth, Imperial has responded to this consumer demand by launching Blueberry Ice, Blueberry Sour Razz, Berry Mix and Grape Ice flavours.

They join existing blu bar variants – Kiwi Passionfruit, Mango Ice, Banana Ice, Peach Ice, Watermelon Ice and Strawberry Ice – to bring the total range up to 10 flavours.

All are available at an RSP of £5.99 per device. Each blu bar contains 20mg/ml of nicotine in 2ml of e-liquid providing up to 600 puffs and features an LED indicator that lights up when in use, along with a compact pocket design.

Tom Gully, Imperial Tobacco’s Head of Consumer Marketing UK&I said: “We’d recommend that retailers stock up on these new tasty additions now to tap into the seasonal sales on offer this summer.”

Natalie commented: “Monster has always been such an important brand for our business, so to have the opportunity to show and educate other retailers on the importance of a well-maintained energy category was a no-brainer.”

e campaign also gives retailers the chance to win two Grandstand tickets to the 2023 MotoGP British Grand Prix at Silverstone on 6 August with £500 towards travel, accommodation and food & drink costs for the day. Retailers should enter the free prize draw before it closes on 30 June. Winners will be noti ed by 6 July.

Rio unveils

1.5-litre bottle

Soft drinks brand Rio has added a new 1.5-ltr pack of its Tropical Fruit flavour to its range, as demand grows for take-home formats.

According to new research, 40% of fruit carbonated shoppers buy a 1.5-ltr or 2-ltr drink once a week or more, showing that consumers are opting for drinks in formats that can easily be shared among family and friends.

SOFT DRINKS

SWITCH ON TO ALTERNATIVE NICOTINE SOLUTIONS – P48

For batter or worse

Portobello-based sour beer producer Vault City Brewing has launched an imperial stout based on the deep-fried Mars Bar. DDF M*RS BAR (Double Deep Fried M*rs Bar) is is “packed to the brim” with chocolate malt and cacao nibs. Real battered Mars Bars were apparently also used during the production process to guarantee an authentic deepfried flavour for the 15.5% ABV brew. Contact sales@vaultcity. co.uk for stock enquiries.

Brewgooder and Brooklyn launch ‘super-grain’ beer

Socially responsible beer brand

Brewgooder has collaborated with Brooklyn Brewery to create the UK’s first beer made using West African ‘super-grain’ fonio. Fonio has strong sustainability credentials due to its drought resistance and ability to grow in nutrient-poor soil. Fonio Session

IPA is at 4.3% ABV with a light finish and is available exclusively for purchase as a 4-pack from Co-op stores for £6.

Absolut rolls out new canned cocktail range

Absolut has launched two new cocktails in cans, Espresso Martini and Strawberry Spritz. They join the brand’s existing Passionfruit Martini RTD to create a three-strong range of ‘Absolut Cocktails’. All are ABV 5% and come in 250ml cans (Espresso Martini 200ml) with a £2.50 RSP. They are available from wholesalers including Bestway. The launch will be supported by sampling activity.

Whisky is Made To Be Measured

The Scotch Whisky Association has launched a new campaign to tackle harmful drinking.

‘Made to be Measured’ aims to raise awareness of the alcohol content of drinks in units and the recommended weekly guidelines. The campaign runs across digital and consumer platforms and helps convey and clarify the units within Scotch and other alcoholic drinks.

Havana Club enters Cuban Mode

Pernod Ricard’s rum brand Havana Club is back with a campaign called ‘Cuban Mode’.

e new multi-million-pound campaign celebrates the Cuban mindset and Cuba’s vibrant collective energy – described as La Cubanía. It includes digital, social and online video media, and outof-home marketing in grocery and impulse, as well as pubs and bars. A range of POS materials is also available.

Centred around the brand’s rum portfolio, Cuban Mode seeks to capture the very essence of Cuba by combining iconic landmarks with vibrant party scenes.

Josh McCarthy, Brand Director at Pernod Ricard UK, commented: “Havana Club is THE iconic Cuban

LIQUEURS

rum and Cuban Mode is here to reveal La Cubanía to the world and spread its energy with and through our community. La Cubanía is the essence and lifestyle born in the streets of Havana, but it is meant to be felt by everyone everywhere.

“Over the last few years, we’ve built a solid position as a street culture icon amongst Generation Z, and we’re con dent this campaign will further accelerate brand growth and welcome new audiences to the brand.”

Malibu makes move to strawberry

Malibu has added Strawberry flavour to its core range, which launches alongside a new Strawberry Daiquiri ready-to-drink (RTD) can.

Made with white rum and bursting with strawberry flavour, new Malibu Strawberry offers a refreshing taste and is a sweet switch from the brand’s signature coconut taste. It comes in a 70cl bottle (ABV 21%) and has an RSP of £17.19.

LOW AND NO Get on your bike with Erdinger

Erdinger Alkoholfrei has launched an off-trade promotion to support its ‘Your Ritual After Sport’ campaign.

Promotional neck collars give consumers the chance to win a selection of sporting equipment including Ribble Gravel bikes, Garmin watches and sport sunglasses.

It

The new sparkling Malibu Strawberry Daiquiri sees white rum mixed with strawberry and lime for a convenient on-the-go serve. It is available in 250ml cans (ABV 5%) with a £2.40 RSP. Both are available now from Booker.

Liam Murphy, Brand Director at Pernod Ricard UK, commented: “Strawberry spirit variants overindex with young adult shoppers and remains in high demand in the on-trade, and the launch of Malibu Strawberry will allow us to continue the flavour momentum.”

Rolling out at the end of June, the neck collars feature on 500ml bottles of Erdinger Alkoholfrei and have a QR code that shoppers can scan to see if they’ve bagged a prize.

Peter Gowans, Erdinger UK Country Manager, commented: “Erdinger Alkoholfrei’s isotonic properties help to replace lost fluids quickly and it also contains valuable nutrients including the essential vitamins B9 and B12, which help reduce tiredness and contribute to the normal function of the immune system.”

Retailers should visit carlsbergmarstons. co.uk for stock enquiries.

RUM New campaign celebrates Cuba’s collective energy

Bloom gets behind Staropramen

Wolf Blass unveils zero alcohol wines

Treasury Wine Estate’s (TWE) premium wine brand, Wolf Blass has launched a range of no-alcohol wines – Wolf Blass Zero.

The range consists of Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling and Rosé. All three are ABV 0.5% and RSP at £5.50.

The launch is supported with an integrated marketing campaign that includes trade press, social media and instore activities.

Pirates

e TV spot, along with supporting marketing activities, will focus on the 150-year history of the Prague beer, marking the next phase of Staropramen’s award-winning ‘Brewed by Experts, for Experts’ campaign.

e new ad is set in Prague and features Bloom explaining his links to the city, having lived and worked there for a number of years, and how its beer culture emerged.

VODKA Launch forms part of the brand’s Born To Mix campaign

Absolut goes wild with latest flavour

Premium vodka brand Absolut has added to its avour portfolio with the launch of Absolut Wild Berri. Available now from Booker with an RSP of £21, the 38% ABV vodka is made using only natural avours and no added sugar. It o ers a natural taste of freshly picked blueberries, blackberries and wild strawberries combined with hints of spice.

e launch is supported by paid social and in uencer activity, and forms part of the brand’s Born To Mix avours and cocktails media campaign that is running throughout May and June.

Liam Murphy, Brand Director at Pernod Ricard UK, commented: “Absolut Wild Berri is an exciting new example of how the brand continues to embody and drive forward its values of being Born To Mix and o ering consumers exceptional cocktails.

“ e launch brings with it new ways and occasions to enjoy the iconic avour of Absolut, whether that’s with a wide range of mixers or in a cocktail, and we’ve used our expertise and passion to create a premium vodka that allows its natural berry avours to shine through.”

Ben Blake, Head of Marketing EMEA at TWE, said: “We recognise there is sizeable and growing demand for no and low products in the UK, and consumers are leaning towards big brands within this space for reassurance on taste. With the launch of the exceptional Wolf Blass Zero range into the UK, we aim to use the quality credentials of our award-winning wines to recruit more consumers into the category.”

Good year for Global

Global Brands, owner of the Hooch and VK brands, has announced record trading for its financial year ending 30 September 2022. The company reported a 26.6% growth in turnover, rising to £84.4m, versus sales of £66.6m the year before. An operating profit of £6.9m was up from £6.1m in 2020/21. The Derbyshire-based business is now the biggest supplier of branded canned cocktails to the UK off-trade.

Greene King hits charity target

Greene King, brewer of Old Speckled Hen and the Belhaven range of beers, has raised £1m for Macmillan Cancer Support’s Emergency Grants Appeal, fulfilling a pledge it made at the start of 2023. The funds raised could help almost 3,000 families with a financial grant. The money will help people living with cancer manage unexpected or additional costs related to their diagnosis during the cost-ofliving crisis.

Coronation capsule reveal

Guinness brand owner Diageo has opened a Guinness time capsule sealed in 1953 to mark the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Diageo GB boss Nuno Teles had the honour of opening the capsule. It contained a half-pint bottle of Coronation Commemorative Guinness Foreign Extra Stout and a selection of Sovereign coins, as well as a copy of The Daily Express from 3 June 1953.

Brooklyn does Glasto

Brooklyn Brewery has launched new festival-friendly 440ml cans of Brooklyn Pilsner to the off-trade, to coincide with the beer’s naming as Official Beer of Glastonbury Festival. The tie-in sits alongside a multimillion-pound national marketing campaign that includes on- and off-trade POS; video on demand; partnerships; out-of-home and digital advertising; and social, PR and experiential activities.

Molson Coors has named actor Orlando Bloom as the new brand ambassador for its Staropramen brand.

of the Caribbean star Bloom, who is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, will feature in a new Staropramen TV ad later this year.

ONE O ONE BACKS CHECKOUT SCOTLAND

One O One Convenience Stores has been a generous and enthusiastic supporter of GroceryAid Scotland for many years. We catch up with Head of Operations Jim Harper to find out why the business is so passionate about helping industry colleagues.

JIM, HOW DID ONE O ONE FIRST GET INVOLVED WITH GROCERYAID?

One O One Convenience Stores has been a supporter of GroceryAid for four years, building up a partnership with the industry charity during that time through fundraising, engagement, sponsorship, and direct annual contributions.

At the outset, many of our colleagues and indeed wider business had little awareness of GroceryAid and it took time to communicate the range of services that were on o er.

Once our colleagues gained improved understanding of the charity, they realised they could access nancial grants, emotional support, practical advice and many other services, accessing this through the free and con dential helpline or GroceryAid website.

Our teams found the support invaluable during these past few years we have all experienced.

Paul Stirling, Group Retail Director of One O One, is an avid supporter of the charity and passionate about raising awareness of the services available to all our teams throughout the company. He said: “ e services o ered from the charity have real bene t to our employees. As the world recovers from the pandemic, and our teams and wider public deal with the current cost-of-living crisis, there is no better support than GroceryAid to help all in the retail industry.”

HOW DO YOU KEEP COLLEAGUES UP TO DATE ON GROCERYAID DEVELOPMENTS?

Paul encourages all our support teams to always carry information about GroceryAid’s welfare services with them to allow our teams to get immediate support when it is needed. Lyndsey, our HR Manager, sends newsletters out every month, containing information about

the charity’s services, and stores have printed materials in sta areas so employees can learn what GroceryAid does and get easy access to contact details. At One O One we are proud to be a Gold Partner with GroceryAid and we would encourage all retailers, wholesalers, producers and service providers to the retail food industry to join us and support their teams.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO SPONSOR CHECKOUT SCOTLAND?

When Checkout Scotland came around last year, sponsorship was a win-win. At One O One, we wanted to support GroceryAid with its rst event as a thank you for the support they have given to our teams. Also, sponsorship helps develop industry awareness of our brand and we were proud to sit alongside the major multinational companies that also sponsored the event.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF CHECKOUT IN 2022?

For me, it was amazing to network with so many colleagues from the di erent parts of the industry. e event was something special that people, once they had been the rst time, would think “we need to bring our colleagues along to this next year”. e event is the only one of its kind within the grocery industry, which has made it quite unique.

ere were many fabulous DJs playing on the day and we were very lucky that the weather was great.

We also brought along many of our central and store teams, as the sponsorship package

contained tickets too. at was a great way to reward and recognise individuals.

WHAT WAS YOUR MAIN OBJECTIVE FOR THE EVENT?

Simply put: to raise awareness of the charity whilst attending the biggest Scottish industry music event on the Scottish retail calendar. One

O One hopes to be part of the event for many years to come.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT CHECKOUT 2023?

Firstly, I think bringing more colleagues along!

We had about 30 colleagues there last year and I’m looking forward to seeing the faces of those that might be surprised about how good an event it is. I am also really looking forward to seeing this year’s new outside activation area.

e venue itself is special, so seeing over 1,000 colleagues at the event, enjoying amazing, entertainment, DJs, acts and new sponsored activation will be great. I am so looking forward to it all!

WHY SHOULD BRANDS CONSIDER SPONSORING CHECKOUT?

e Scottish convenience and grocery marketplace is made up of so many businesses and Checkout Scotland is for everyone in the industry, small or large. We’ve talked a lot about awareness for the One O One brand, but it’s also about raising awareness of Grocery Aid’s services too and fundraising for the charity at the same time. Many of those businesses’ employees could bene t from GroceryAid’s free emotional, practical, and nancial support.

Sponsors will also get the chance to speak to everyone within the industry on the day in a relaxed environment, which is a unique opportunity.

Lastly, I think it’s really important to get across how it’s helped our business. One O One is a big supporter of GroceryAid and we stand very proudly on the Gold Award winners list amongst some of the biggest FMCG players in the UK. Even if a business buys a few tickets for the event, it’s worthwhile to come along and gain an understanding of what the charity is and what it can do for you. Send a couple of your colleagues along and let them come back and tell you how amazing the charity is.

If you’re not involved, you’ve got to ask yourself the question ‘why not?’

I can’t wait for Checkout 2 on 31 August 2023.

EDGEPOS FUTUREPROOFINGYOURBUSINESS

Henderson Technology realises that retail is a rapidly changing business and recognises the impact of innovative technology. The company provides forward-thinking solutions for convenience stores and forecourt retailers, enabling their businesses to maintain their competitive edge and ultimately boost profitability.

EDGEPoS covers the three main areas of running a retail business –operational efficiency, security and business development.

With continuous development and innovative integrations and partnerships, EDGEPoS is now one of the most powerful and featurerich systems in the UK.

There are a number of different products available. From Retail, Head Office, Self-Checkouts to ESELs, EDGEPoS has everything a forward-thinking business needs.

One retailer who has installed the EDGEPoS system onsite is Manpreet Bawa from Burnpark Service Station in Kilmarnock Manpreet, who fronts Bawa Group, has a wealth of experience in using EPOS systems and made the decision to install EDGEPoS into his Gulf and Premier branded store, with the EDGEPoS Go Live, in May last year.

He said: “We are delighted with the functionality of EDGEPoS. It allows us to be able to refund a fuel transaction instantly right back onto the existing pump it came from. A simple refund function and it appears back on the till.

“Over the years we found it really hard to find a system which can easily do our wetstock management, instead of having to pay an outside company to do it. Henderson Technology has reduced the

cost when it comes to wet stock management. We used to have to do it every day. Now we do it once or twice a week and the fuel stock is always perfect to within a litre.”

Darren Moir, Store Manager at Westhill Service Station in Aberdeen, has worked for the family run store for over 30 years

He said: “We chose EDGEPoS over other systems because of the ease of use. That, alongside the ability to install the system within our timeline; and the competitive pricing model secured the partnership between Westhill Service Station and Henderson Technology.”

Westhill Service Station has also implemented the fully integrated Appetite! Home Delivery and Click n Collect App instore.

KEEP COMPETITIVE WITH EDGEPOS

EDGEPoS is the future of retail technology and with its innovative and cost-effective self-checkout solution for retailers, alongside the award-winning Gander, Appetite and Ubamarket app integrations.

Henderson Technology works with all its customers to ensure that the award-winning EPOS solution brings added functionality and integrations into the fuel forecourt and convenience sectors.

CHECKOUT SCOTLAND UNVEILS STELLAR LINE-UP FOR 2023!

The Scottish committee of GroceryAid has recently unveiled the headline acts for this year’s Checkout Scotland event which takes place at Barras Art & Design in Glasgow on 31 August.

e acts feature something for everyone with crossover dance music star Example headlining the event. He will be joined by popular Irish girl group B*Wtiched and legendary Scottish songsters e Supernaturals.

e event is set to build on the phenomenal success of last year’s launch event and more than 1,000 industry colleagues are expected to attend the musical extravaganza.

Checkout Scotland will once again help raise awareness of the free and con dential support that GroceryAid o ers to all industry colleagues in need of a little help. at support ranges from nancial and emotional to practical and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. GroceryAid Scottish Committee Co-Chairman Peter Steel said: “It is unbelievably important that everyone who works in the convenience retailing industry in Scotland is aware of the help that GroceryAid can o er them if they need and want it. We never know what’s round the corner but knowing that there’s help available can be a real bene t.

“ at’s why Checkout Scotland is such an important event. It’s a great chance to have a fantastic day out with industry friends and colleagues but it’s also an important tool to help us raise funds and awareness. Whether you would like to reward your team for their hard work, showcase your brand and product or simply support the charity that supports the Scottish grocery industry, we would love to see you there.

“ e sponsorship options are perfect for archetypal Scottish brands and suppliers who want to engage with the Scottish trade.”

Contact peter.steel@groceryaid.org.uk to nd out more about sponsorship opportunities and visit groceryaid.org.uk/event-bookings/CS2023 to purchase tickets for the event, which cost £75 + VAT. See you down the front!

GroceryAid Scotland’s flagship event, Checkout Scotland, has unveiled the headliners for the 2023 running of the unique festival of music and entertainment for Scotland’s local retailing and grocery sectors.

NISA YOKERMILL RE-OPENS AFTER NINE MONTHS

By Antony Begley

Anewly-re tted Nisa Local store on Yokermill Road in Glasgow is helping revitalise its community and o er a hub for the local area a er having lain empty for nine months.

e store was o cially opened at the end of April by Carol Monaghan, MP for Glasgow North-West and o ers a strong range of products and services including fresh and frozen, groceries, a Post O ce, a dessert parlour, a Costa Co ee machine and a hot food counter.

Arbaaz Hayat, one of the owners of the family-run business, said he and his family had a very speci c vision for this particular store and added the family has plans to expand its portfolio of stores in the future should the right opportunities arise.

“ e vision with this wasn’t just to open a shop or just to be a convenience store,” said Arbaaz. “ e vision was to be a one-stop point for the community and to provide something exciting. We wanted to give the community options that aren’t on o er elsewhere and make it a bit of an attraction. I think it’s important

to have somewhere that, even if you come in feeling not so great, you can leave feeling bright and vibrant.”

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

Arbaaz said a lot of work went into the design, layout, and lighting of the shop to make sure it created the right kind of atmosphere. Since opening, Arbaaz said he had made a point of carefully listening to customer feedback and has used it to help continually shape the store’s o er to make sure it perfectly meets the needs of the local customer base.

“Customers have come to us with requests, so we try our best to ful l them,” said Arbaaz.

Unsurprisingly, the reaction from the local community has been phenomenal: “ e response has been absolutely incredible, even better than we expected,” he said. “I think –because of the way the shop was previously and the improvements that we have made – people really appreciate it.

“It’s about people being able to get everything they need in one place. It’s important to give

people somewhere local to get everything they need and to minimise the trips further out.”

HOT STUFF

One of the biggest upgrades to the Yokermill Road site is the addition of a new hot food counter which o ers a wide range of options including sandwiches, burgers, freshly made samosas – handmade every day – and chips.

Matthew Howie, Retail Development Manager at Nisa, added: “ e main di erence that this store brings to the community is a huge range in comparison to what was here before, as well as good value. is store is all about community and I’m looking forward to seeing the di erence the store can make in the community using Nisa’s Making a Di erence Locally charity.

“I’ve been coming here about three times a week for the last six months so it’s great to see the store get to this point.

“ ere have been some hurdles, but we’ve got there which is the main thing. I’m also looking forward to developing more stores with the guys, because they do have plans to do that.”

“The vision wasn’t just to open a shop, it was to be a one-stop point for the community and to provide something exciting.”

ARBAAZ HAYAT

Swizzels Drumsticks Squashies Freeze & Squeeze Slush Pouches Rose Marketing

Available in Original Raspberry and Sour Cherry & Apple flavours, the pouches are made with real fruit juice, and contain no added sugar. They are available with a £1.39 RSP in single-flavour shelf-ready cases of 12.The range is exclusively sold and distributed by Rose Marketing (rosemarketinguk.com).

F’real Mint Choc Chip Rich’s UK

F’real’s new limited-edition Mint Choc Chip flavour, which is made with delicately minted, dairy ice cream and chocolate chips. The launch is supported with digital POS and social media assets, as well as brand-new packaging and fresh blender artwork. It is available through all f’real’s distributors, including Booker and Eden Farm, with an RSP of £3 to £4, dependent on retailer discretion.

Minions Sherbet Dips Swizzels

Minions Sherbet Dip comes in three flavours – Fizzy Orange, Sour Apple and Tangy Berry – all with a classic Swizzelstick for dipping. It is available now in shelf-ready cases of 36 x 23g sachets that have a 50p RSP. The launch will be supported by a targeted social media campaign in the summer. The new vegan-friendly product joins a range that already includes Minions Chew Bags and Minions Chew Bars.

Relentless extends Zero Sugar range with Watermelon flavour

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has extended its Relentless Zero Sugar range with a new Watermelon flavour.

Rolling out now, Relentless Zero Sugar Watermelon comes in an eye-catching white, black, pink and vibrant green can design with the recognisable Relentless ‘R’ motif in the centre. It is available in both plain and price-marked 500ml cans.

To support the launch in-store, POS materials and digital downloads are available to retailers from My.CCEP.com.

The new flavour builds on the successful launch of the Relentless Zero Sugar Raspberry and Peach flavours last summer, which have already added more than £5.3m to the energy drinks category in less than a year.

Pippa Collins, Associate Director of Commercial Development at CCEP GB, said: “The energy drinks segment has established itself as one of the key value and volume growth drivers within soft drinks, adding more than £205m to the category over the last year.

“This is largely due to the segment becoming more mainstream over the last decade, appealing to more consumers on more occasions and this is thanks to the arrival of new flavours, functionality and zero sugar options like the Relentless Zero Sugar range.

“Innovation continues to be incredibly important to the segment, delivering almost a quarter of energy drinks growth and we’re confident that this new Relentless Zero Sugar Watermelon variant will contribute to this moving forward so would recommend that retailers get stocked up.”

Convenience-only range Cottage Delight

This new range of hand-crafted jams, chutneys, pickles and more is exclusively available to the convenience channel. Products come in double-facing shelf-ready cases of six, that highlight the brand’s Great Taste Awardwinning status. POS and merchandising materials are available on request. To stock, retailers can contact info@cottagedelight. co.uk, call 01538 382020 or visit cottagedelight.co.uk.

Boost Lemon & Lime Energy Barr Soft Drinks

The new beverage is a zingy fusion of lemon and lime, giving a point of difference against current single-flavour SKUs in the category.

It is available in 250ml cans, pricemarked at 75p. Citrus-flavoured beverages continue to grow by 16% in the market, with lime flavours in eye-popping 900% growth and lemon up by 60%.

Chocomel PMP FrieslandCampina

Premium milk drink Chocomel has launched a new £1.69 price-marked pack for its 250ml cans. The launch coincides with Chocomel’s latest £10m TV campaign, under the banner ‘Sharing Not Required’, that is expected to reach 80% of UK adults eight times. Within retail, the launch is supported by van sales to drive distribution, in-depot takeovers, and quick commerce support.

Iron Brew Slush Puppie Manchester

Drinks

Manchester Drinks has added a new Iron Brew flavour to its range of Slush Puppie Frozen Pouches. The new variant is exclusive to Scotland and launches alongside a Mango flavour. Both are available now in 250ml resealable pouches and join existing flavours Blue Raspberry, Strawberry and Sour Cherry. For more information email info@ manchesterdrinks. com or call 0161 763 0033.

Dr. Oetker Ristorante Vegan Pepperoni-Salame

Oetker Group

This new flavour puts a vegan spin on Dr. Oetker’s classic Italian-style pizza, combining a thin and crispy Ristorante crust with passata, dairy-free mozzarella and vegan pepperoni-salame. It follows the 2021 launch of the Ristorante Vegan Margherita Pomodori, which was the brand’s first vegan pizza and has become the most valuable vegan frozen pizza in the category, worth over £2m as of February 2023.

Weetabix Chocolatey

Hazelnut Melts

Weetabix

Food Company

Weetabix has added a new Chocolatey Hazelnut variant to its Melts range. The new soft-centred crunchy hazelnut bites are HFSScompliant and comes in 360g packs with a £2 RSP. Asda will be the first retailer to stock Chocolatey Hazelnut Melts in early May, with a wider roll out over the summer months. Existing Chocolate Melts variants outperformed the chocolate pillow leader in taste tests.

Oasis Zero Exotic Fruits Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

Available now, Oasis Zero Exotic Fruits is a blend of mango and passion fruit flavours with no calories and no sugar. It is HFSS compliant and comes in 500ml recycled and recyclable plastic bottles. The launch is supported by social media, out of home advertising, and experiential activity focusing on young urban adults seeking lunchtime refreshment on the go.

Chupa Chups Big Babol Green Apple

Perfetti Van Melle

Chupa Chups has added a new Green Apple flavour to its Big Babol bubblegum range. Soft and chewy in texture, Big Babol Green Apple is available in packs of six individually wrapped extra-large pieces per pack. Packs have a 55p RSP and come in display-ready cases of 20. The launch is supported by a multiplatform social media campaign that seeks to drive awareness amongst the brand’s key teen shopper audience.

Soreen Lift Bars Samworth Brothers

Soreen’s new vegan friendly and HFSS-compliant soft bakes launch in Blueberry, Raspberry & Vanilla, and Chocolate Orange flavours. The bars offer fewer than 140 calories, B vitamins, malt, fibre, potassium, folate. Multipacks of four (RSP £2.25) are available in Morrisons and Asda, with a wider roll out throughout the summer.

Goat smell

A new £13m campaign from Lynx trumpets its Lynx Africa variant as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) when it comes to male fragrances. A new ad – streaming across TV, VOD, cinema, YouTube, Twitch and Spotify – features an animated goat holding a Lynx Africa Body Spray. The campaign also includes digital outof-home and social media activities.

Food to the max

‘Better with Pepsi Max’ seeks to promote the drink’s ability to enhance the taste of food and includes partnerships with KFC, celebrity chef Big Zuu, Amazon Ads and food media brand Twisted, coupled with out-of-home, digital and radio advertising. Social media content from Twisted and Big Zuu features 15-minute recipes that pair well with Pepsi Max.

Share the joy

Dr. Oetker is back on TV with ‘Share a Little Joy,’ a new campaign celebrates how little gestures of kindness can make a big difference in creating happy memories. Running on TV, video on demand, social and digital, a new ad shows how one homebaked gesture of kindness can create a chain reaction of good deeds with feelgood results.

Magic bear

KP Snacks has unveiled a new £250,000 radio campaign for Pom-Bear, with adverts and competitions designed to drive awareness of the family snacking brand. The campaign runs until September in partnership with Magic Radio and features Pom-Bear’s core range of Original, Cheese & Onion, and Salt & Vinegar flavours.

All ‘Hans’ on

deck

Frosty Jack’s first-ever TV advert encourages customers to ‘Crack Open the Unexpected’. The tongue-in-cheek ad forms part of a wider multi-channel marketing campaign that also includes YouTube, social media and out-ofhome activities. It features the world’s “mostfamous” Z-list celebrity hands model, Hans Handerson, reliving his glory days.

The fine-weather season is upon us and with it the opportunity to drive summer drinks sales.

BY ELENA DIMAMA

MERCHANDISING ADVICE BY RED BULL

UNQUENCHABLE THIRST S

When building a great range, it’s key to remember the four Soft Drink need states

– Refresh (Colas and Fruit Carbonates), Hydrate (Waters), Replenish (Sports Drinks) and Energise (Caffeinated Energy Drinks and RTD Coffees).

Shoppers can only see products within a 1.3m breadth, so it’s vital that you signpost each sector with the biggest brands to help them locate what they’re looking for quickly. For Energy Drinks, that is Red Bull. To offer further choice there are four key segments within Energy Drinks to get right again

– Core Energy Drink, SugarFree options, Flavoured options and Multipacks. If you have all these covered then you will enjoy great growth in your store.

ummer is a key period for so drinks sales and last year brought a welcome bonanza to retailers, aided by unprecedented hot temperatures. Flavoured carbonates and water saw the most signi cant upli s last year, while during the peak of the heatwave, an additional £75m boost in so drinks sales was recorded in just one week (the one ending 24 July), compared to the year prior.

VALUE SPEAKS

As cost-of-living concerns persist, shoppers are seeking value to make their pennies go further, with 38% of shoppers focusing on saving money this year, according to IGD.

Meanwhile, more than seven in 10 UK households are now impacted by the rising costs of food and drink and the number of nancially constrained consumers has risen from 23% to 59%, according to NielsenIQ.

“Larger pack formats and multipacks will continue to play an important role, as people look for more opportunities to socialise with family and friends around

key calendar events,” Adrian Troy, Marketing Director at Barr So Drinks says.

“Retailers have an opportunity to pick up these sales by looking at exciting avours, bigger formats and multipacks from trusted brands.”

Calli O’Brien, Head of Marketing at Aston Manor Cider, adds: “While many pay more attention to what they are spending their hardearned money on, don’t forget that the average consumer was feeling the pinch even before now.

“We are here for shoppers, helping them to save with our a ordable cider, allowing them to focus their spend on what really matters. Our range provides shoppers with an a ordable solution, without trading down on quality, so they can be assured they are not compromising when needing to spend a little less cash on cider but looking to enjoy the summer with friends and family.”

Another trend within the money-saving theme is switching to own label which could potentially hurt brands. “So drinks branded spend is in fact 36% higher than own label, suggesting that shoppers prefer to stay brand loyal and are willing to spend more, rather than revert to own label to save money as they do in other categories,” a Red Bull spokesperson

says. “As shoppers spend less on non-essential items, such as alcohol and tobacco, so drinks continue to play an important role in customers’ repertoires. Potentially as an alternative or simply a fundamental item they are not willing to compromise on, despite cutting back in other areas.”

Boost is another brand aiming to help drive sales for retailers while delivering value for customers. “Juic’d is jam-packed full of avour, with real fruit juice refreshment but at the same great Boost value price point for consumers,” Adrian Hipkiss, Marketing Director at Boost Drinks notes. “With the cost-of-living increases, it’s great to be able to add to this thriving category and provide more choice for consumers.”

Multipacks can also help with the value proposition of many brands, which is why Yazoo introduced a new PMP o er for the convenience channel, with its core 400ml available with a ‘2 for £2.20’ price mark. “We know from our consumer research that Yazoo shoppers are o en looking to make multiple bottle purchases, so the two for £2.20 o er provides value for money in a year of economic uncertainty,” Dan Chesborough, UK Sales Director at FrieslandCampina, explains.

TIPS BY WHITE CLAW

Where possible retailers should try and offer Hard Seltzers their own bay, near to the beer and cider products. This allows consumers to see the ranges on offer and have instant access to a wide variety of flavours and brands that clearly stand out among the rest of the RTD category. This approach has seen huge success in the US and is an easy way to specifically target the appropriate audience – licensed drinking age through to 35-year-olds.

“Retailers can stock the avours and sizes they know sell well whilst communicating value to their shoppers and maintaining that point of di erence.”

In the o -trade, international football gave sales a boost in the nal quarter of 2022, with beer the only segment in growth (1.8% year-onyear), according to Kantar. However, as price hikes and in ation took e ect at the start of the year, total beer was down by 12.3% in value MAT, according to Nielsen.

However, the picture is improving in Impulse, says Miriam ompson, O -Trade Category Development Manager for BrewDog. “Total beer is still in decline, but at a slower rate (-2.5%), but Cra Beer is in growth +2.9% and BrewDog is outperforming Total Cra at +4.2% and Core BrewDog products up +5.2%.”

For Westons Cider, authenticity, cra and “connoisseurship” is of growing interest to consumers, with Sally McKinnon, Head of Marketing, adding: “Today’s consumers are willing to pay more for premium products that are made in a traditional way and have heritage and provenance attributes. e growth of cra ed cider demonstrates this trend perfectly.

“ is sub-category is in strong growth (+10%) which is all the more impressive considering many other cider sub-categories are struggling to annualise against the highs of 2020 and 2021.”

“Balance is key, both in terms of offering choice across a range of sectors, and stocking different formats. Volume and value sales of on-thego packs have increased in convenience over the past 12 months, and we only expect that to increase as people get out and about this summer. But take-home packs are suited to at-home social occasions, like barbecues and sports nights, so will also have a role to play too.”

AMY BURGESS, SENIOR TRADE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AT COCA-COLA EUROPACIFIC PARTNERS (CCEP)

CALLI O’BRIEN, HEAD OF MARKETING AT ASTON MANOR CIDER

FLAVOURED VARIETY

Last summer saw avoured carbonates achieve the biggest subcategory upli across so drinks, growing +55% in retail, according to IRI Marketplace.

“Shoppers look for more exotic and di erent avours to try in the summer and this highlights the importance of trusted brands like Irn-Bru and Rubicon Sparkling, known for their iconic avours and exotic fruitiness,” Troy notes. “Taste remains the top consideration in so drinks purchases, and avour innovations are becoming more complex as consumers look for new and interesting tastes, so we expect to see more unique products on shelf as the category grows.”

“It is therefore important that retailers o er a range of formats and avours to make the most of these opportunities.”

e strong appetite for avours is also witnessed in the hugely popular energy subcategory, with avours in energy now accounting for 38% of Stimulation sales, according to IRI, and have shown a whopping 48% growth yearon-year.

“Flavours are key to helping drive the growth of Sports & Energy, and the area which sees the most innovation, as shoppers look for variety and hydration, particularly during the summer months.

caters to an array of consumption moments, whether on the move or stocking up to enjoy at home,” Hipkiss adds.

“Boost Red Berry is the largest selling 250ml Stimulation Flavour SKU, however, considering the fact that 39% of Stimulation shoppers actually make their purchase based on avour alone, it’s important to stock a wide variety of avours to cater to this.”

are up +24.4% YoY vs un avoured at +12.0%,

Seasonal avours are also big in the summer, according to O’Brien. “One of the reasons why consumers opt for avoured ciders is because there are many di erent accessible avours to choose from. Consumers of avoured ciders tend to traditionally be a younger audience who like to know the ingredients of what they’re drinking and see avoured cider as an easy-todrink beverage.

“As a result, avoured Sports & Energy drinks are up +24.4% YoY vs un avoured at +12.0%, with tropical avours a core opportunity, growing 18.5% vs mainstream avours at 17.4%,” a Red Bull spokesperson explains.

Flavoured milk is also being rewarded by consumers looking for new, refreshing tastes. “We’ve seen positive growth across all our brands as shoppers embrace the avoured milk category as both a take-home treat, as well as a great on-the-go refreshment option,” Chesborough explains. “At its heart, avoured milk is a fun category. Our consumers want innovation, indulgence, and refreshment for both themselves and their families,” he adds.

many di erent accessible avours to younger audience who like to know the

Meanwhile, Flavoured Carbonates is the third-largest category in So Drinks, now being worth over £291m and growing 8% year-on-year.

Drinks, now being worth over £291m and growing 8% year-on-year.

“ e range of avour pro les and pack sizes on o er from Boost allows consumers to rely on us as a brand that

Meanwhile, avoured carbonates in a multipack format are looking at a win-win this summer, as they have seen a 22% upli , according to IRI Marketplace (MAT to 25.03.2023).

RTD WINS

Not to ignore one of the fastest-growing segments in the category, the RTD co ee sub-

“Cider is the impulse drink of choice during summer months so retailers can support customers by stocking a 100% chilled, wide range of options in cans and bottles. If a store has limited chiller space, then it’s worth retailers at least ensuring there is a good selection of flavoured ciders available chilled alongside top-selling ciders.

”

TIPS BY ARLA

Siting within store is an integral part of whether an offering is successful. The RTD Coffee category, including Starbucks chilled coffee, should be sited within the soft drinks fixture alongside dairy drinks and as close as possible to the energy category. It is also important to give RTD coffee SKUs appropriate space within the feature, with multiple facings a key way to encourage a purchase.

RTD coffee is also an ideal addition to meal and link deal executions, many retailers are already experiencing the advantages of including these drinks in their existing offers.

category is rising at a rate of 35.4% MAT, making it worth £209m, according to Nielsen. “As the category leader and representing close to 50% of all RTD co ee sales, Starbucks chilled co ee has played a fundamental role in spearheading total category growth, adding more than £13m in incremental sales,” Adam Hacking, Head of Beverages at Arla, notes.

Looking at the RTD Iced Co ee category speci cally, the segment is now worth £230m, with sales at symbol stores and independent retail having now grown to over £44m, according to IRI. “We know that the RTD Iced Co ee category is growing rapidly at +24% volume and +31% value YOY, providing a huge opportunity for retailers to draw customers in and maximise sales,” Hipkiss adds. “To successfully capitalise on this trend, retailers and wholesalers should provide enough space to allow for future growth in the category and stock fast-growing brands such as Boost.”

RTD is also a big sales driver for the hard seltzer category, as witnessed by White Claw. “With the warmer weather and longer days, the arrival of summer heralds a variety of drinking opportunities unique to the season, including more outdoor drinking occasions,” Matt Rounding, White Claw’s O Premise Sales Director, explains. “ is marks a huge opportunity for local retailers, as consumers turn

WIN £50 OF BREWDOGLOST LAGER!

to these outlets for easy access to their favourite RTD brands.”

HEALTHY WAYS

In the post-pandemic period, health remains a crucial factor in uencing purchasing decisions, with shoppers actively looking for lower-calorie products. Flavoured water is growing in popularity as a result, with avoured sparkling water sales up +10% year on year,” Troy says. “O er a good choice of low-calorie products that don’t compromise on avour, taste or value, such as Rubicon Spring, to tap into incremental category sales,” he advises retailers.

Health plays an important role also in the hard seltzer category, especially as retailers try to focus on Gen Z and Millennial shoppers. “Younger drinkers are seeking a beverage that their parents didn’t drink, looking to be more adventurous with their selection, and Gen Z and millennials are making conscious lifestyle choices amid an increased focus on health and wellness compared to previous generations,” Rounding notes. “Retailers should bear these market trends in mind when building a stock portfolio.”

Coca-Cola Europaci c Partners (CCEP) also thinks healthier choices have been a priority for consumers for some time, with Amy Burgess, Senior Trade Communications Manager, noting:

BrewDog believes drinking beer is about discovery and experimentation, which has been reflected in the continued success of Craft Beer in recent years. Previously Lager has not traditionally sat within the Craft Beer repertoire, however, Lost Lager has changed that. With refreshment key during the summer months Lager has been identified as a significant style to introduce consumers to the Craft Beer category.

Paired with its sustainability credentials and the fact that 31% of new Lost Lager shoppers enter the Craft Category after buying Lost, the brand has been vital to helping recruit new shoppers and drive incremental sales.

Research shows quality (66%), taste (50%) and range (45%) are the top drivers to purchasing BrewDog, and the brand prides itself by working with the best brewers to ensure that Lost Lager does not compromise its ethos, to make people as passionate about great beer as they are. As a result, BrewDog’s Lost Lager was awarded Best International Lager at the World Beer Awards last year.

Lager drinkers are also looking for added value from their beer choices and sustainability was identified as a key reason to purchase when developing Lost Lager. This is where it presents a category first, as the original carbon negative lager. With 94% of premium lager drinkers caring about the environmental crisis1, the brand engages this element, allowing shoppers to make a simple change and benefit the planet.

This all means that just two years after it launched, Lost Lager has not only become the fourth-largest Craft Brand in the UK Total trade by volume2, but it is also holding its own in the lager category, as the sixth-fastest growing lager for absolute growth in the off-trade, +40.8% to a value of £7.2m3

BrewDog is partnering with SLR to offer readers the chance to win £50 of Lost Lager 440ml 4-packs. To enter, simply email carly@smithcomm.co.uk with the subject SLR READER OFFER and your name, store address and phone number by 30 June. Five lucky winners will be chosen at random.

IRN-BRU XTRA TASTES LIKE SUMMER

Barr Soft Drinks is rolling out two limited-edition Irn-Bru Xtra summer flavours in a bid to help retailers make the most of the seasonal soft drinks sales peak.

Irn-Bru Xtra Tropical and Ice Cream have both launched in a 69p pricemarked 330ml single can for impulse retailers and a plain can multipack for the grocery channel. However, just like the Scottish summer, they won’t be around for long.

The launch is supported by an “attention-grabbing” media campaign that is predicted to reach 94% of 16–24-year-olds at least 45 times through a combination of out-of-home advertising, influencer activity and social media content.

Vibrant, eye-catching point-of-sale material is also be available to help retailers create some in-store theatre and attract shoppers to the soft drinks fixture.

Irn-Bru Xtra delivers a 12% increase in sales value over the summer months and is currently outperforming the overall low-calorie carbonate market.

Barr’s last limited edition that was available in single-serve and take-home packs was Fiery Irn-Bru, which achieved a 70% trial rate amongst consumers in Scotland.

“ at’s why we identi ed it as one of the key drivers to unlock the growth opportunity in the so drinks category in our Refresh Tomorrow category vision.

“Since 2015, through reformulation, we have reduced sugar across the CCEP portfolio by more than 25%, and have introduced low and zero sugar variants from nearly all of our brands. is includes our light colas range, comprised of Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and their respective avours, and our zero sugar avoured carbonates including Fanta Zero.”

IMPULSE BUYS

During the summer months, impulse buys become ever more important, as the hot weather encourages more impromptu visits to convenience stores. “Cider is the impulse drink of choice during summer months so retailers can support customers by stocking a 100% chilled, wide range of options in cans and bottles,” O’Brien notes. “If a store has limited chiller space, then it’s worth retailers at least ensuring there is a good selection of avoured ciders available chilled alongside topselling ciders. When a shopper buys cider on impulse, having it chilled and ready to drink is o en more important than price, however, promotions still play an important role in communicating value for money that will help to win longerterm customer loyalty.”

Taste and value are crucial elements of attracting the impulse customer, according to Boost Drinks, with Hipkiss adding: “It is essential that retailers stock an o ering that takes the ‘taste’ and ‘value’ drivers into account to e ectively maximise sales to impulse shoppers – whilst also appealing to an array of budgets and tastes.

“Taking these factors into account when considering which brands and SKUs to stock provides a great opportunity for

BREWDOG ROLLS OUT PACK UPDATE ACROSS MULTI-PACK RANGE

BrewDog has introduced a pack updated across its entire multi-pack range. The refresh sees the packs move from all-white, aiming to integrate the can creative of each of its beers, making them easier to differentiate in the chiller.

The new packs will also provide three-word descriptors focusing on taste, along with a visual of the beer in a glass, highlighting the colour of the liquid, to help shoppers more easily select the specific beer style they want. Packs include Punk IPA 330ml can 4-, 6-, 8- and 12-packs, Lost Lager 440ml can 4- and 10-packs, Hazy Jane 330ml can 4- and 12-packs, Planet Pale 330ml can 4- and 12-packs, Elvis Juice 330ml can 4-pack and Punk AF 330ml 4-pack.

retailers to access their key audiences on a personalised level and ensure successful sales rates.”

NPD LEADS THE WAY

“One of the most exciting things about the RTD Co ee category is the speed at which it is evolving,” Hacking explains.

“Innovative NPDs are continuously hitting the shelves keeping this subcategory fresh and relevant as it progresses at pace to match ever-changing consumer consumption habits. With this in mind, Limited Editions will become more of a feature within the Starbucks RTD range.”

In June 2022, Starbucks Limited-Edition Frappuccino To ee Honeycomb was launched.

Boost

Drinks’

Juic’d range is also part of an NPD tapping into the largest-selling can segment, including four avours, made with 5% real fruit juice and price marked at £1.09. “In line with our commitment to always ensuring we invest time and energy into understating the habits of our retail partners’ shoppers, we continue to o er NPDs with price-marked packs that help retailers to communicate great value on xture, amidst increased consumer price consciousness, while still delivering excellent margins,” Hipkiss concludes.

PARTY ON F

estival season is back in full swing, with the biggest of them all – Glastonbury – taking place at the end of this month. e good news for Scotland’s local retailers is that brands are falling over each other to build excitement and lure in shoppers with festivalrelated goodies and promotions.

GIVEAWAY TIME

Brooklyn Brewery, for example, has launched new festival-friendly 440ml cans of Brooklyn Pilsner to the o -trade, to coincide with the beer’s naming as O cial Beer of Glastonbury Festival. Drinks purchased at the ve-day event will be served in co-branded Brooklyn Pilsner cups featuring the brand’s logo, doodles and bright yellow livery.

e Glasto partnership sits alongside a multi-million-pound national marketing campaign for Brooklyn Pilsner in 2023. e campaign seeks to drive consumer awareness and sales through a combination of on- and o -trade POS; video on demand; partnerships; out-of-home and digital advertising; and social, PR and experiential activities.

Meanwhile, Brothers has launched its biggest-ever on-pack promotion, with over a million prizes up for grabs, including 10 pairs of tickets to Glastonbury, for which it has been named as the o cial cider. Other prizes include more than 1,000 festival-related goodies, including hoodies, T-shirts, bucket hats, sunglasses and can coolers, as well as a million coupons for 50p o Brothers drinks. To mark the Glastonbury association, Brothers has launched a 500ml bottle of Festival Apple Cider, a variant only previously available in cans.

Live through to 31 May, the campaign ran across Brothers 500ml glass bottles of Festival Apple Cider, To ee Apple Cider and Cherry Bakewell Cider, and on 10x440ml can multipacks of Festival Apple Cider.

BRANDS EXPANDING

Festivals can be a fantastic opportunity for brands to broaden their appeal to the much-desired Gen Z and Millennial crowds, which is why this summer a lot of companies are reaching out to big events.

CCEP is partnering with an array of festivals as part of its latest campaign for its Costa Co ee ready-to-drink (RTD) chilled co ee range this summer. Running throughout the summer, the campaign sees the brand tie up with Pride, Might Hoopla, Barcode Festival, Car Fest, and Kendal Calling, where sample bikes and a branded Land Rover Defender will distribute cans of Costa Co ee Latte, Vanilla Latte and Caramel Latte as well as the Frappe range.

Festival goers can also head over to ‘ e Dopamine Booth,’ an immersive experience inspired from the current dopamine dressing trend of wearing clothes that enhance your mood. Choosing from one of three ‘moods,’ users will be able to curate their own experience, transporting themselves away from the intensity of the festival for a moment of calm. Visitors also have a chance win a year’s supply of Costa Co ee RTD chilled co ee.

Hard seltzer White Claw is another brand splashing out signi cantly to expand into festivals this year, investing more than £4m to support UK music events this summer.

e multi-channel strategy will see the brand take over UK festivals, including London’s Wide Awake (28 May), Mighty Hoopla (3 June) and All Points East (19 August), as well as Love Saves the Day (2-3 June) in Bristol, Parklife (11-12 June) in Manchester and Boardmasters (10-14 August) in Cornwall.

BY ELENA DIMAMA

MERCHANDISING ADVICE FROM CCEP

The soft drinks category is worth nearly £3bn in convenience and is the third most valuable category to independent retailers. CCEP has identified an opportunity to drive further growth over the next three years as part of its ‘Refresh Tomorrow’ soft drinks category vision. Sparkling soft drinks are a popular refreshing accompaniment to help bring summer occasions to life. Retailers should focus on leading brands like Coca-Cola, led by Coca-Coca Zero Sugar (the fastest-growing major cola brand in retail by volume and value). It also includes Fanta, the number one flavoured carbonates brand in GB and Schweppes, the number one mixers brand in convenience.

“ e better-for-you drinking experience was trailblazed by White Claw targeting core Gen Z and Millennial audiences,” Michael Dean, Head of Marketing, explains.

“By supporting a long line-up of local and national festivals, our fans won’t need to compromise as White Claw will be on hand to o er drinkers lighter alternatives that deliver genuine refreshment.”

Meanwhile, Cornish Orchards, the new Asahi brand, will trial its new Cherry & Blackberry Cider and Raspberry & Elder ower Cider avours at the Great Estate Festival in Scorrier (2-4 June), which has expanded its capacity this year to 10,000 people.

FATBOY SLIM TO TOP BARCODE BILL

GroceryAid has named Fatboy Slim as headline act for this year’s Barcode Festival. The event will be held on Thursday 6 July at Magazine London, with the aim of raising more than £900,000 to help support grocery colleagues in need.

For ticket packages and sponsorship opportunities, email events@groceryaid.org.uk or visit barcodefestival.co.uk.

Festivals are great opportunities for both retailers and brands to increase sales and footfall.

DRIVING SALES THROUGH INNOVATION.

NAME: JACK MATTHEWS

STORE: BRADLEY’S SUPERMARKET

LOCATION: LEICESTERSHIRE

Innovation is key to increasing sales, delivering 29% of all category growth.* Stocking new launches brings excitement to your fixture.

MONSTER ENERGY

Monster delivers 67% of all innovation sales* so make sure new launches such as Lewis Hamilton Zero Sugar, Aussie Style Lemonade and Ultra Rosa are added to your range.

HARD HITTERS

TOP TIPS FOR NICOTINE POUCHES

JTI UK Portfolio Brand Manager Bruce Terry offers the following advice to help retailers make more of the nicotine pouch category:

Q Establish clear product visibility: give the category a clear ‘home’ by displaying nicotine pouches on a back wall solution with heated tobacco and vaping devices.

Q Attract customers with an eye-catching counter display: for nicotine pouches, JTI offers POS category solutions to suit stores of all shapes and sizes, including countertop display solutions.

Q Ensure consistent product availability.

Q Observe seasonal trends and busy periods, for example, keep your nicotine pouch range particularly strong in the summer months when demand is highest.

Alternative nicotine solutions are offering adult smokers increasingly powerful ways to secure their nicotine hits.

BY GAELLE WALKER

From vapes to pouches and heat not burn, alternative nicotine products are where it’s at, helping Scotland’s local retailers rack up valuable extra footfall, sales, and pro ts at a time when they need it most.

And as we head towards the summer months, categories such as nicotine pouches and vapes look set to enjoy even sunnier sales thanks to the seasonal rise in sociable occasions.

When it comes to vapes, disposables continue to blaze a trail, with the products now worth 83% of all vape sales. e disposables market saw “a remarkable increase from £141m in 2021 to £973m in 2022,” according to Imperial Tobacco,

leading it to launch its new blu bar vape range earlier this year.

Now available in six avours, “carefully chosen due to their consumer appeal,” each blu bar device contains 20mg/ml of nicotine, in 2ml of e-liquid, providing adult vapers with up to 600 pu s.

Away from disposables, Imperial says that closed-pod systems and basic open-pod systems remain “popular choices for vapers,” accounting for 17% of the UK market.

However, despite vape’s meteoric rise, recent data also suggests that there’s still plenty of work to be done when it comes to educating potential new vapers about the category.

Q Use clear signposting to aid consumer navigation of the category.

Q Stay ahead with category education: as the nicotine pouch category is rapidly growing, consumers will require guidance, including what a pouch is, how to use it, and which strengths are available.

According to a new One Poll survey of 2,000 smokers commissioned by SMOORE, 62% of smokers believed vaping to be just as, or more harmful than smoking, while 42% said they only trusted vaping “a little or not at all”. In addition, 38% of those who said they lacked trust, said it could deter them from attempting to quit smoking with the help of a vape.

e report highlighted an urgent need for more and better information about vaping, to help smokers make informed decisions about switching. Trust in the category could be regained in a number of ways, the report said, such as public health campaigns promoting evidence-based facts and better education of doctors.

Retailers could also play a role, by providing adult smokers with better education about which vaping products would be most suitable to help them quit or cut down on tobacco.

e ndings coincide with SMOORE establishing an independent ‘think tank’ of experts from the UK and US to lay the foundations for an industry-wide harm reduction rating system that could be communicated to consumers on product packaging.

Another alternative nicotine category which presents retailers with a key opportunity is the pouch sector, where the trends towards stronger variants and menthol avours continue to drive sales.

JTI UK portfolio Brand Manager Bruce Terry says: “A key trend within the nicotine pouch category is the continued demand for higher nicotine strengths. A total of 83.1% of nicotine pouch sales in traditional retail in the UK are from the Extra-Strong or Strong strengths, so we advise retailers to provide a good choice of products in this segment.”

Mint- avoured products have also soared to new heights within the category, with the market currently split 81.6% mint and 17.6% fruit.

In line with this trend, JTI added ‘Spearmint Strong’ to its Nordic Spirit portfolio back in March.

“With the category in clear growth and now worth £45.8m a year, there is a big opportunity for retailers to build on the success in the market and grow with Nordic Spirit,” Terry adds.

ILLICIT VAPES

The success of the disposable vape category has not been lost on criminals.

Imperial Tobacco’s Head of Consumer Marketing Tom Gully says disposables have seen impressive growth over the last year and this popularity has made them an area of focus for illicit traders.

He adds: “As a result, we’re seeing an increasing number of non-compliant vape products come to market that are disguised to appear as something else to avoid detection, such as a recent seizure which saw an illicit vape product made to look like a highlighter pen. These products often feature names that are seemingly designed to appeal to children, like fidget spinners, gummy bears and ice lollies.”

Gully strongly encourages retailers to check their stock of any single use or disposable vapes for any of the following and take action without delay if they have any disposable vape products in store that:

Q state that they contain nicotine or nicotine salt (nic salt) e-liquid which is over 2% (20mg/ml);

Q contain more than 2ml of liquid (equates to around 600 – 700 puffs);

Q do not have this exact wording: ‘This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance’.

If retailers do find any products in stock that meet any of these criteria, they should remove them from sale immediately, return them to the supplier and notify the authorities of where the stock was purchased from.

VELOVELOVELO VELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELO LOVEVELO THEFACTTHAT NICOTINEPOUCHESARE INTHEUK*

DISCOVER THE UK’S NO.1 NICOTINE POUCH*

AVAILABLE AT VAPERMARKET.CO.UK

Speak with your local BAT Representative

This product contains nicotine and is addictive. For adult nicotine consumers only.

*Based on NielsenIQ RMS data for the Nicotine Pouches category for the 12-month period ending 04/02/2023 for the UK total retail market (Copyright © 2023, Nielsen Consumer LLC)

FAST FUEL V

alue for money plays a crucial role in this volatile economic environment of squeezed incomes and could give the snacking category its moment to shine in the convenience sector.

AFFORDABLE TREATS

“ e cost-of-living crisis will continue through 2023 and so o ering great value for money is key,” Matt Smith, Marketing Director for Tayto Group, says. “In convenience, £1 PMPs are a must-stock.

“ ey have been the main driver of category growth – growing more than twice as fast as the market,” he explains, following a survey by the company on both retailers and consumers demonstrated how important the £1 price point is to both.

According to the research, 95% of consumers were concerned about the cost of groceries with almost 40% being very or extremely concerned.

“In the current climate, consumers are feeling the pinch and independent retailers need to showcase great value for money,” he says. “Instead of raising the headline price of our £1 PMPs, we’ve decided to stick to £1.”

Smith notes that in impulse snacks, value for money is “essential”, and having the right range of PMP snacks will drive sales. “Your entry price point must shout great value. Our 35p Fun Snacks range, which includes Tangy Toms, Spicy Bikers, Awesome Oinks and Strikers, is delivering 16% YoY growth.”

treats that won’t break the bank.

BY ELENA DIMAMA

START ON THE GO

Hybrid working has seen a lot of people now only work in the o ce a few days a week, meaning convenient breakfast options are a way for retailers to capitalise on the trend.

“People are also looking for options that will help them stick to healthier habits, especially in the new world of hybrid working; nearly half of those who work both at home and in the o ce said they are conscious of what they eat to stay healthy,” JP Del Carmen, Head of Snacks at General Mills, explains.

e brand identi ed an opportunity to combine the “better-for-you” snacking trend with shoppers’ appetite for sweets, creating Fibre One 90 Calorie Doughnuts, which launched this summer.

Premier Foods is also looking to tap into the products in this category require preparation,

Premier Foods is also looking to tap into the convenient breakfast trend with Ambrosia’s ready-to-eat porridge pots. “Whilst most products in this category require preparation, this product can be enjoyed ambient or hot, with no need to add hot water, making it ideal for shoppers seeking a convenient breakfast option,” Ben Knop, Food To Go Innovation Marketing Manager for Premier Foods, says.

CUTTING DOWN ON MEAT

According to Urban Eat, one of the biggest trends in the food-to-go market is the demand for high-quality non-meat alternatives. “Our research shows that the rise in meat excluders and meat reducers is at an all-time high,” Charlotte Assinder, Brand Manager, Urban Eat, notes.

“Sixty- ve per cent of people in the UK are reducing meat from their diets with a further 7% of the population excluding meat completely. However, our research

MERCHANDISING TIPS FROM TAYTO GROUP

Retailers can maximise their sales by ensuring that they have a range that covers the key price points:

Q Entry-point – where great value for money is essential (e.g. 35p PMPs such as Golden Wonder’s Tangy Toms and Spicy Bikers which have the added benefit of a 2 for 60p on-pack promotion).

Q Impulse – a core range for on-the-go occasions and lunchtime snacks (e.g. Golden Wonder’s 50p Transform-A-Snack).

Q £1 Sharing – demands a big focus as the largest and fastest-growing segment.

Q Pork Scratchings – with over 20% shoppers unwilling to switch if scratchings aren’t available, you are missing out if you aren’t stocking scratchings.

TOP TIPS FROM PREMIER FOODS

Q Use secondary sitings and create an eye-catching display with the key onthe-go products people will be on the lookout for – including porridge pots and desserts.

Q To attract those in a rush, create pointof-sale displays so that consumers won’t miss convenient options.

also showed us that 65% of the population open to reducing their meat intake are also not willing to compromise on taste and quality to do so.” e brand’s plant-based Roots range comprises two sandwiches, Cheeze & Pick and Falafel & Houmous.

Shoppers are still looking for on-the-go

OPTIMAL SALES, PRIME PROFITS!

AVOCADO BRAVADO

Under The Counter receives a large number of unsolicited emails every day. Most of these are from SLR’s editor, enquiring if the latest Soft Drinks feature has been written yet.

There’s also a couple – inexplicably – from companies in Spain, and the odd one from the World Avocado Organisation (WAO).

Despite his foreign language skills not extending far beyond ‘dos cervezas por favor,’ the Auld Boy usually spends more time reading los emailos españoles than those from the WAO.

Truth be told, he doesn’t really know much about avocados, except that posh people like to ‘smash’ them. This, UTC imagines, must be something akin to foxhunting.

He couldn’t have told you avocados had stones, for example. Until, that is, he received a WAO email titled ’10 ways to reuse your unwanted avocado stones’.

His avocado experience, like that of most fruits and vegetables (French fried potato excepted), might be limited, but UTC knows a first-world problem when he sees one.

In the unlikely event he ever came into possession of an unwanted avocado stone, the Auld Boy was adamant it was even more unlikely he would deploy it to: make tea; exfoliate; use as compost; add to his porridge; massage Mrs UTC’s feet; make Christmas decorations; construct a wind chime; create jewellery; dye something pink; or even – and as nature intended – grow an avocado tree.

He did, however, promise to launch one at the editor’s head if he didn’t stop bugging him about that Soft Drinks feature.

POT, KETTLE, BLACK

One of Mrs UTC’s many duties is to ensure the Auld Boy looks fit to face the public every morning. This can prove problematic, given that Under The Counter hates wearing a belt and his trousers are too big for him; many a commuter’s morning has been ruined by a glimpse of his bumcrack as he shuffles through Glasgow Central.

The Portman Group is very much the Mrs UTC of the drinks industry, given that one of its many duties is deciding whether or not an alcoholic beverage’s packaging is likely to cause public offence.

Its rulings present a steady stream of entertainment for the Auld Boy. So much so, he has a list of favourites filed under ‘What was the manufacturer thinking?’

There’s Prescription Gin, offered in a medicine bottle with personalised pharmacist’s label; Quickie Wine (label featuring a scantily clad buxom blonde adjusting her stockings); and Unshaven Maiden, whose partially nude, bearded mermaid unbelievably caused “widespread offence”.

UTC was recently shocked to find, however, that a complaint had been raised against the Four Loko ready-to-drink brand.

The complainant suggested the name sounded like Spanish for crazy and caused offence on mental health grounds. Not much for the Auld Boy to get hot under the string vest there, you might think.

It was the sheer hypocrisy that got the old goat’s goat though. The complaint was made on behalf of Corinthian Brands, which makes rival RTD Dragon Soop – a product that, as far as Portman Group complaints go, has been pulled up more often than UTC’s breeks.

THE RIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

Under The Counter didn’t host a coronation tea party. He didn’t even think tea parties were still a thing until he received an unsolicited email from the delightfully named RIFT Tax Refunds, a company which UTC surmised must specialise in exploiting some belching-related HMRC loophole. Anyways, RIFT had temporarily ceased hostilities with the taxman to waste its time comparing the cost of a 1953 tea party with its 2023 equivalent. The results won’t shock you.

It analysed the current prices of 11 tea party essentials from bread to cheese, beer to biscuits and, obvs, tea, milk and sugar, before looking at how the cost of these items differs when compared to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II back when UTC was merely middle-aged.

The Auld Boy, it must be said, raised a wiry eyebrow about the inclusion of beer on the list but conceded it was probably the only way you’d lure him to a tea party.

The bad news for him is that in real terms, the price of a pint of beer has more than doubled over the past 70 years, rocketing from the equivalent of £2.04 to the current average price of £4.50.

But if the prohibitive cost gets UTC to reduce his alcohol consumption, it can only be a good thing. For, as anyone who has ever popped into the Rhoddie Dhu for a pint with the uncouth old chap will testify, he too is a specialist in belching. And very, very taxing.

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