SLR December 2020 edition.

DECEMBER 2020 | ISSUE 212

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THE NO.1 SCOTTISH GROCERY BRAND

BACK ON TV FROM 1ST DECEMBER Copyright © Snowman Enterprises Limited 2020 THE SNOWMAN (TM) Snowman Enterprises Limited

*Source: Kantar World Panel, Value Sales, Take Home Non-Alcohol Brands, MAT to 06.09.20, Total Scotland

Vote for your favourite product launches of 2020! p18

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COLIN MCLEAN

Spar backs new Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards DECEMBER 2020 | ISSUE 212

CHRIS SHEAD

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Pernod boss talks Christmas

+

WHAT’S YOUR PICK OF 2020?

Vote for your favourite NPD this year in the SLR New Product Awards 2020.

£100K TO GO LOCAL

SGF unveils local produce pilot

TIME FOR A SIGNATURE DUAL? Dan Brown in cigarillo trial

EPOS TIPPING POINT

Unlock the last-minute Christmas drinks opportunity p40

Integration challenge lies ahead

December 2020

Contents

Contents ISSUE 212

NEWS p6 p7 p10 p11 p12 p13 p14 p26 p28

Illicit Tobacco Bumper haul of counterfeit cigarettes uncovered in Glasgow warehouse.

Food-to-go Spar Scotland unveils its new bumper food-togo offer.

New Stores PGNJ Group opens the doors on its eighth store, a Nisa Local in Renfrew.

Wholesalers SWA joins other Scottish food and drink organisations in warning PM over a no-deal Brexit.

Lottery Paisley retailer wins £10,000 in Camelot’s ‘Site, Stock, Sell Online’ prize draw.

Food Poverty Big-hearted Greenock retailer launches an in-store foodbank.

News Extra Crime Usdaw’s awareness-raising campaign reveals there’s not much Respect For Shopworkers.

Product News Ribena rolls out its most sustainable bottle yet while Tetley funds early years development in Malawi.

Off-Trade News Pernod Ricard targets festive drinkers and Absolut celebrates meaningful connections.

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14

28

32

40

50

INSIDE BUSINESS p25 SLR Rewards 2020 A virtual festival of excellence. p30 Tobacco Musselburgh retailer Dan Brown and STG hook up for an in-store trial of Signature Dual and a look at the cigar category. p32 Local Sourcing Spar Scotland backs the new Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards 2021 to get more Scottish product onto more shelves. p34 What’s in store for 2021 SGF Chief Executive Pete Cheema predicts an exciting year for local retailers, with developments in local sourcing and shopworker protection. p35 What’s in store for 2021 There’s plenty ahead to ensure wholesalers enter 2021 with positivity and momentum, says SWA Chief Executive Colin Smith. p37 What’s in store for 2021 The SGF Healthy Living Partnership looks ahead to a new year and a new set of opportunities. p62 Under The Counter The Auld Yin doffs his bunnet to the good folks of Moniaive.

FEATURES p40 Last Minute Christmas Drinks The key trends, categories and products to focus on in the final stretch. p50 Tobacco It’s all about value in the ever resilient tobacco category. p56 Epos A rapidly evolving local retailing landscape is presenting plenty of challenges – and opportunities – for Epos providers.

ON THE COVER p18 We unveil the SLR Product of the Year Awards 2020 – as voted for by retailers.

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DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

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News ILLICIT TOBACCO Major coup for HMRC

Footfall ‘buckling under weight of pandemic’ BRC-ShopperTrak data for October revealed that year-onyear UK footfall decreased by 33.5% during the month, with a 3.4% decline from September.

David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “Shopper footfall continues to buckle under the weight of the pandemic, associated Covid restrictions and warnings about using public transport, and economic uncertainty.

Sainsbury’s cuts 3.5k jobs Sainsbury’s is to shed 3,500 staff as it closes 420 Argos stores and all its meat, fish and deli counters. The Argos stores will close by March 2024, leaving around 100 still trading; Sainsbury’s said it would open 150 Argos outlets in its supermarkets. It also revealed a £137m loss in its half-year results. The cull, which will save some £600m, was in response to changing consumer habits and the growth of online shopping.

CJ Lang continues turnaround Scottish Spar wholesaler and retailer CJ Lang and Son has reported a rise in sales and underlying profits for the year ending 30 April 2020. The company’s turnover increased by 3.4%, to £194.2m and underlying pre-tax profits doubled to £1.5m.

The results include the impact of the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which saw an increase in demand in the final six weeks of the financial year.

Lottery bounces back after Covid sales slump Camelot had its second best ever National Lottery ticket sales during the first six months of the 2020/21 financial year (1 April to 26 September 2020), despite an 18% hit to sales at the start of the pandemic. The company achieved sales of £3.8bn – down £67.2m on the first half of 2019/20. Sales generated £864m for Good Causes – an average of

Four million dodgy fags found in Glasgow Three men have been charged after customs officers discovered 4.2 million suspected illicit cigarettes in a Glasgow warehouse.

The goods found are believed to be worth an estimated £1.6m in lost duty and taxes.

Further enquiries led to the uncovering of a tobacco factory in Hamilton which was dismantled with the seizure of two industrial mixing machines, a tobacco shredding machine, packaging and 45kg of tobacco.

Fifty HMRC officers executed several warrants across Glasgow and Lanarkshire on 19 November along with eight polic officers.

Three men from Airdrie, aged between 25 and 34, were arrested and charged with Excise Duty fraud and money laundering offences.

Some £20,000 cash was also seized from one of the properties.

A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course. The

three men were released pending further investigation.

Joe Hendry, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC,

WHOLESALERS Retailers can design their own POS material

Unitas unveils new POS service

Unitas Wholesale has launched a brand new Plan for Profit point of sale design facility, giving convenience retailers access to high quality, customisable point of sale for their stores.

The service is completely free of charge and the POS is available to print from the retailer’s own personal computer.

The new service gives retailers the opportunity to select product images from the Plan for Profit core range or upload their own images and text to create posters, stack cards and shelf talkers.

It also provides a wide selection of seasonal and nonseasonal themed design templates for retailers to choose from, to help them make the most of key sales opportunities.

A selection of leading suppliers has also shared fully branded designs that retailers can personalise with their in-store offer.

In addition, the latest in-store signage and important customer notices are also available.

The Plan for Profit website also includes core range guidance, planogram support, a POR calculator tool, NPD, legislation advice and more.

Discover the new point of sale printing facility by visiting planforprofit.co.uk/pos-printer.

said: “This is another example of the combined powers our partners at the Scottish Crime Campus and Serious Organised Crime Taskforce have to disrupt, detect and deter the illicit trade of tobacco and other forms of criminality.

“Tackling criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £1.9 billion a year.

“This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.”

PAYMENT SERVICES

Payzone wraps up gift card deal Payzone has signed a new contract with Blackhawk Network to supply Payzone stores with the ‘One4All’ and ‘Choice’ gift cards.

The range at Payzone outlets initially includes six variations of the gift card, including One4All Classic, Birthday and Christmas gift cards along with Gamers Choice, Fashion Choice and Restaurant Choice gift cards.

The gift cards are available to Payzone retailers now, with Digital Top Up products and an extended range coming next year.

Retailers earn on average £1 for every gift card sold and will be provided with the gift cards free of charge, together with a POS stand for their counter.

Customers will be able to take their gift card to the till point, pay in cash or via card, and use in store or online with a wide range of brands.

£34m every week.

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SLR | DECEMBER 2020

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News FOOD-TO-GO CJ Lang makes ‘huge investment’ to stay ahead of rivals

Spar Scotland unveils CJ’s food-to-go Spar Scotland wholesaler and retailer CJ Lang & Son has launched a new food-to-go concept.

Named CJ’s, the new concept promises a “quick and tasty food brand” and forms part of a significant investment by the Dundee-based business. The company expects the CJ brand to be present in all company-owned stores by the end of March 2021.

The CJ’s brand will exist alongside the group’s already extensive foodto-go range which includes Rollover Hotdogs, Costa Coffee, F’real Milkshakes, Skwishee and Tango Ice Blast.

The rollout programme will also include a hot breakfast and lunch offer along with support from local bakers Asher’s, Browning’s the Bakers, JG Ross, McGhee’s and Stuart’s for a range of cakes, sweet treats and hot savouries.

Stephen Brown, Head of Foodto-go at CJ Lang, commented: “We

Gas cut off Shell has stopped supplying Autogas liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at its UK forecourts, due to low demand and prohibitive compliance costs. Autogas was a joint venture between Shell and Calor; it has now cease trading. Drivers of LPG vehicles will no longer be able to refuel at Autogas sites on Shell forecourts but Calor will still supply LPG to more than 1,000 UK sites.

MP calls for vape stores to stay open Mark Pawsey MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vaping, has urged the Government to grant specialist

are delighted to be working with so many local Scottish bakers as well as large iconic brands to deliver our new CJ’s food-to-go offering. This adds to the stable of existing brands we work with, the great local bakers and the multitude of Scottish based suppliers.

“We have very ambitious plans to grow food-to-go within our Spar estate in Scotland. It is one of the fastest growing sectors of the eating out market and as a forward-thinking convenience retailer we are making a huge investment to ensure we are at the forefront of this sector.”

vape shops specialist retailer status, allowing them to remain open in periods of tighter lockdown restrictions. Pawsey said that the country’s public health is best served by “keeping vape stores open”. Other European countries have granted vape stores essential status.

HOME DELIVERY Major win for shopping app

BUSINESS COSTS

Bestway picks Jisp for home delivery

Nobody happy with National Living Wage rise

Costcutter prize draw

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a rise in the National Living Wage from £8.72 to £8.91 an hour in his latest Spending Review.

The 2.2% increase will be extended to workers aged 23 and over from April 2021.

Sunak’s announcement was met with a mixed response.

The NFRN said the increase will have a negative impact on thousands of small businesses and threaten jobs. Its National President Stuart Reddish called the rise “a kick in the teeth”.

Conversely, retail trade union Usdaw expressed disappointed that low paid workers will not get the full minimum wage increase they were promised –the Government had previously projected a rate of £9.21.

they are supporting their local

Bestway has teamed-up with shopping and payment app Jisp to provide its franchise and symbol partners with the opportunity to offer their customers Home Delivery and Click & Collect services.

The Jisp app is currently undergoing a six-week trial within the Bestway estate; it is expected to be made available to all Bestway’s partners and corporate stores in the new year, free of charge.

The app, which is contact-free and can be easily accessed using mobile phones, also gives retailers customer insights and lets them tailor products and services for their individual needs.

The move is a clear response to the growing demand for Home Delivery, fuelled by the coronavirus outbreak. According to ACS data, over half of retailers have launched Home Delivery services in one form or another since the pandemic took hold. In July, the NFRN announced a partnership with Jisp for its retailers. Rival platform, Dundeebased Snappy Shopper, is also

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booming. It recently made several key hires to further its growth and has just embarked on a national TV advertising campaign.

Bestway boss Dawood Pervez commented: “Our partnership with Jisp is designed to empower our partners by giving them functionality that goes beyond the very basic order capture system and enables them to compete with the best in the business. It can be accessed through smart / mobile technology – which everyone is now familiar with using – making it very easy for consumers to use the app.

“Retailers will be able to understand their customers better in terms of products and range and individual preferences, helping them to upsell and grow sales.”

Costcutter’s independent retailers can be in with a chance of winning vouchers in a prize draw, by sharing images of how communities this Christmas and creating in-store theatre for shoppers to add to the Christmas spirit. The competition is part of the Group’s festive campaign, ‘Shop Local This Christmas’, which has “a firm focus on value and local communities”.

Wholesalers to the rescue?

The Head of Immunisation at Public Health England has warned that Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine – which must be stored below -80°C – might need to be kept in wholesalers’ freezers because some hospital freezers can’t get that cold. Pfizer said there were “challenges related to our vaccine candidate’s ultralow temperature formulation and attendant storage, distribution and administration requirements”.

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

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SOLUTIONS

FOR SOFT DRINK CATEGORY GROWTH With so many new soft drinks coming to the market, and new trends emerging as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown period, it has never been more important to stay on top of your range. Craig Starling from Suntory Beverage and Food GB&I (SBF GB&I) joined Umesh Patel at his Up1 News store in East London to find out how small changes can grow sales.

MEET THE RETAILERS

THE STORE AS IT STANDS

UMESH PATEL UP1 NEWS, SILVERTOWN, EAST LONDON

CRAIG STARLING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, SUNTORY BEVERAGE & FOOD GB&I

“This is a very mixed area, with a lot of families of African, Eastern European and British heritage. While the majority of our customers come from local families, we’ve recently started to see a real influx of young professionals moving into the new housing being built in the area.

“Our soft drinks display accounts for around 60% of our sales in the summer, worth about £1,500 in the busiest weeks. Energy and sports drinks account for around 60% of our soft drink sales.

“Our busiest times are 8-9am and 3-5pm, with lots of commuters and young people, heading to and from the nearby DLR station.”

"This is a fantastic local store. Umesh has a good mix of people that live locally and commuters stopping by on their way to work. He’s been here for 30 years, so he knows his customers, and what they want, really well.

"Umesh has got a really comprehensive soft drinks range. He has multiple SKUs, flavours, and different formats for the different needs of his customers.

Whether they’re picking up drinks on their way to work or picking up larger formats to take home to their families, he’s got it all covered."

LESSONS FOR YOUR STORE

1.

2.

3.

BLOCK YOUR DRINKS BY SUB-CATEGORY SO CUSTOMERS CAN EASILY FIND WHAT THEY WANT

WITHIN EACH SUB-CATEGORY, BLOCK BY FORMAT TO HELP CATER FOR EVERY OCCASION

IN SPORTS & ENERGY, FLOW YOUR DRINKS BY NEED STATE, AND HIGHLIGHT YOUR TAKE HOME OFFER

1 IGD Food to Go 2016 2 EXT IRI, MarketPlace GB, Value, latest 13 weeks to 26.07.20 vs YA

50%

THE RESULTS

1

OF ALL SOFT DRINKS ARE BOUGHT ON IMPULSE

FLAVOURED CARBS HAVE SEEN GROWTH OF

7.1%

2

RECENTLY

29%

RISE IN SALES OF FLAVOURED CARBONATES BASED ON DATA FROM THE PAST FOUR WEEKS

50%

RISE IN SALES OF LARGE FORMAT TAKE-HOME BOTTLED SOFT DRINKS, BASED ON DATA FROM THE PAST FOUR WEEKS

THE CHANGES WE MADE IN STORE

1. BLOCK YOUR SOFT DRINKS BY CATEGORY

BEFORE

AFTER

It’s important to group the same types of drinks together. We put all of Umesh’s flavoured carbs in one block in the same chiller. Sales in this category have grown 7.1% recently, and putting all of his flavoured carbs together will help shoppers find what they want more easily.

2. WITHIN EACH CATEGORY, ARRANGE BY FORMAT

BEFORE

AFTER

Range formats within each category together so they flow smoothly.

We’ve put Umesh’s cola together, then segmented this section further into cans and bottles. If we can make finding the right format easier for customers, it improves the shopability of the category.

3. BLOCK ENERGY BY CATEGORY AND HIGHLIGHT YOUR TAKE-HOME OFFER

BEFORE

AFTER

TO SEE MORE OF UMESH’S SHOP AND FOR MORE ADVICE AND TIPS FOLLOW SBF GB&I ON TWITTER AT @SUNTORYBF_GBI

Energy and sports drinks accounts for a huge 60% of Umesh’s soft drinks sales.

We’ve blocked his sports and energy by need state – starting with stimulants, flowing into sports, then energy and finally natural energy. We’ve also brought his take-home drinks into this chiller, helping the customer to find the right drink for the right occasion.

News NEW STORES Creating a community store ‘is what it’s all about’

Britvic names new sustainability chief

Eight stores and counting for PGNJ

Britvic has appointed Tom Fiennes as its new Commercial Sustainability Director for Great Britain. With over 25 years of FMCG experience, Fiennes moves from his role as Britvic’s Director of Strategic Change Programmes, having previously held roles at Heineken, Carlsberg, Premier Foods and Mars. He is also the chairperson of the LGBTQ+ network, B-Proud, and a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee at Britvic.

New car ban won’t hurt forecourt value Property advisors Christie & Co has said the recently announced 2030 cut-off for the sale of new

Retail Group PGNJ has opened the doors on its eighth Nisa Local store, in Renfrew, with a ninth soon to follow in Giffnock.

PGNJ is one of Nisa’s key accounts that moved to the symbol group less than a year ago with six stores.

The store has undergone a full refurbishment with all the latest fixtures and fittings incorporated as well as spacious aisles and a wide foyer area to improve access for wheelchair users and prams.

It offers grocery, BWS and a wide food-to-go choice comprising Costa Coffee, Skwishee, Slush and f’real.

There are also fresh cakes, pies and sandwiches, as well as more than 1,000 Co-op own brand products.

PGNJ Director Jay Javid said development was the best part of retail for him: “Turning an empty shell in to a community store is what it’s all about.”

Jay said PGNJ prided itself on offering customers affordable, reliable, sought after products that are displayed in an easy and attractive manner.

“It doesn’t matter if you have one store or 10, we still merchandise our stores like our first. It’s our business but it’s my passion to merchandise,” he said. “Our crisp, cool style and use of modern lighting is designed to make our customers’ shopping experience that bit more pleasant.”

Victoria Lockie, Head Of Key Accounts at Nisa, added: “This

development really is brilliant and the finished store looks fantastic. We’re thrilled to be working with the team at PGNJ and are looking forward to supporting them on their journey which is proving to be extremely exciting and fast-paced. A huge well done to everyone on this latest addition to the PGNJ portfolio.”

petrol and diesel vehicles will have a negligible effect on the value of forecourts. It said the forecourt property market is primarily fuelled by retailers looking to sell fast moving consumer goods and food-to-go.

From BP to EG Forecourt operator EG Group, which recently bought a controlling stake in Asda, has appointed former BP executive John Carey as a non-executive Director. Carey was an adviser on alternative fuels for the oil and gas giant and also has experience in the convenience and forecourt sectors. He was named Chairman of GripHero, a developer of fuel nozzle-mounted hand-protection dispensers, in July.

Quail Digital becomes ACS trusted supplier The Association of Convenience Stores has welcomed digital team communications specialist Quail Digital to its club of trusted suppliers. With a track record in improving team efficiency and safety within the retail environment, Quail’s digital headsets facilitate improved levels of communication, creating calmer, safer, more

SYMBOL GROUPS One Stop celebrates Christmas heroes

Eddy the Elf back in One Stop stores One Stop’s Christmas Elf ‘Eddy’ is back, with a new app-based seasonal festive game: Eddy’s Christmas Heroes.

Available until 20 December 2020, customers can play the game at home as well as in store using an app on their smartphones.

Players must scan markers around the store to unleash an elf which will then reveal if the player has won. Thousands of prizes are up for grabs including Maltesers Reindeers and boxes of Celebrations. Players also have the chance to win £1,000 each week – with some weeks giving customers multiple chances – with a final draw for a £5,000 jackpot.

At home customers can scan the barcode of the product featured in that week’s deal to view Christmasrelated content.

The game is part of One Stop’s campaign ‘Celebrating Christmas Heroes’ – people who have gone above and beyond to help others.

Nigel Prendergast, Head of Customer at One Stop, commented: “Our 2020 campaign is all about focusing on positivity, reflection and warmth of the year gone by. We’re hoping that Eddy the Elf, coupled with the celebration of Christmas heroes and market leading deals, will really help to provide a point of difference this year.”

HOME DELIVERY

Aldi brings Deliveroo trial to Scotland Aldi has extended its current trial with Deliveroo to Scotland for the first time, with eight stores now offering the rapid delivery service to shoppers across the country.

Customers living near the Aldi stores in Glasgow, Perth, Dundee, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, St Andrews, Musselburgh, and Dunfermline can choose from around 400 products online, then have them delivered to their door in as little as 20 minutes.

The trial was initially launched at eight stores in England in May and is now being extended to almost 130 stores across the UK. The participating stores are Aberdeen – Boulevard Retail Park; Dundee – Arbroath Road; Edinburgh – Cameron Toll; Dunfermline – Halbeath Road; Glasgow – High Street; Musselburgh – Newhailes Road; Perth – Glasgow Road; and St Andrews – Tom Stewart Lane.

productive working environments for better customer engagement.

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News WHOLESALERS Johnson told food and drink industry faces a ‘perilous situation’

Wholesalers warn PM over no-deal Brexit The Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) was one of 11 Scottish food, drink and farming organisations that made a direct plea to the Prime Minister to warn of the “perilous situation” facing the food and drink industry if there is no-deal Brexit.

In a letter to Boris Johnson, the groups stressed the damage coronavirus has caused this year and warned that the “fallout from a no deal would be catastrophic”. The UK’s Brexit transition period is set to end on December 31.

SWA boss Colin Smith said the trade association had ensured the letter stated that distributors were included within the businesses asked to be given a financial compensation package, where they encounter loses as a direct result of border or market disruption.

In recognising the enormity of the task facing the UK Government in negotiating new trade deals, the letter stated: “The end of the transition period and ever-increasing uncertainty on the terms of our new trading arrangement with the EU compounds these concerns. The EU is the destination of 70% of our food exports. It is also the largest market for Scotch whisky. Indeed, our food and drink exports are four times more important to the Scottish economy than to the English economy.

“Tariffs, border disruption for high value perishable goods, and certification costs are all far greater threats for the food and drink sector than they are for other sectors in the economy. And our

food producers are extremely reliant on labour from the EU, such as the north-east where over 70% of the workforce in seafood processing are EU nationals.

“So, what we do in the next 60 days is critical to the survival of many food, drink, farming, fishing and seafood businesses, and the supply chain and jobs they support.”

The letter also stated: “Just as businesses thought they had weathered the worst of the storm and could chart a path to recovery, the second wave of the virus has now taken hold, with further deep restrictions across the UK.”

JTI aims for carbon zero JTI UK has announced its commitment to achieving net zero emissions within the next decade – 20 years ahead of the government’s current 2050 deadline. Its new Environmental Plan focuses on five key areas: emissions, energy, waste, water and stakeholder engagement, and forms part of JTI’s global sustainability strategy. JTI UK has committed to reducing emissions by 80% and becoming carbon net zero through various initiatives, including transitioning its fleet of vehicles to electric.

Staff before profits The GMB union has called on Asda to use profits to reward staff who have taken “considerable risk on their health and well-being” through the Covid-19 crisis. The call came after Asda announced a 2.7% sales growth for the third quarter of 2020, with a 72% explosion in online sales.

SYMBOL GROUPS Blantyre girl paints Spar’s wagon

Alisha’s brush with success An eight-year-old girl from Blantyre has been named the winner of Spar Scotland’s first ever lorry design competition.Alisha Razzaq, from Blantyre, was one of many children and adults from around Scotland who entered the competition, which launched in August.

Spar customers were invited to design the livery of a Spar lorry which would travel the length and breadth of Scotland delivering food and drink products to stores.

As well as seeing her design emblazoned on a Spar wagon, Alisha also received a goody bag and a framed image of her winning entry. The winner was also meant to receive Spar shopping vouchers, but big-hearted Alisha asked for an equivalent sum to be donated to a local charity instead.

An avid artist, Alisha said she was “so excited to have won the competition. My parents own a Spar store and I see lorries deliver to us every day. I’m really excited to see my drawing on the Spar lorry. I designed it with sunshine, green grass, flowers and trees. I wanted to make everyone else feel happy when they saw the lorry!”

Alisha completed the design during lockdown and didn’t expect to win.

Her mother Michelle Razzaq commented: “There has been huge excitement in the house since we found out Alisha won! We are very proud of her.”

Colin McLean, CEO of Spar Scotland, added: “We were thrilled to receive Alisha’s winning design! We are looking forward to seeing how our Spar retailers and customer respond when they see the colourful lorry make its deliveries around Scotland.”

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High spirits Premium spirits importer and distributor Mangrove UK has appointed four new team members to its sales and business development team. David Fisher,

IRN-BRU IS BACK ON TV WITH SNOWMAN ADVERT IRN-BRU is back on TV screens on 1st December with the IRN-BRU Snowman, Scotland’s best-loved Christmas TV advert.

Ensuring you have the right ranges for broad appeal and offering value will be even more crucial this year with bigger take home packs meeting the needs of shoppers inhome.

Prominently display all three variants of IRNBRU to drive incremental category sales.

Jack Gething and Lewis Richards will take on Business Development Manager roles. Bruna Sedo Molina has been appointed UK Brand Ambassador for El Bandarra, tasked with advocating the aperitif brand.

WiW launches Job Finder Women in Wholesale has launched a Job Finder section on its website to advertise, free of charge, any vacancies in the wholesale, retail and FMCG sectors. “Many of us have been affected by Covid-19. There are many lost jobs yet still many opportunities. We hope we can help to connect businesses with the right individuals,” said Founder Elit Rowland.

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

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News NATIONAL LOTTERY Paisley retailer takes Camelot’s top prize

New FSS guidance for Covid-19 investigations Food Standards Scotland has

Ali sites, stocks, wins £10k

published a new document in collaboration with Public Health Scotland to support food business operators with preparing for the investigations that will take place if an outbreak of Covid-19 is suspected in their workforce. The ‘Investigation of Covid-19 Outbreaks in Food Businesses’ guidance can be downloaded on the FSS site.

Renee on her way Phillips 66 has named Renee Semiz as Managing Director for UK Marketing, effective from January 2021. Samiz joined the business in 1998, and has an extensive and diverse background across refining, process engineering, commercial commodities, optimisation and marketing. She has held various roles in Phillips 66, most

A Paisley retailer is celebrating after winning £10,000 in the first quarterly prize draw of Camelot’s new-look retailer rewards programme, ‘Site, Stock, Sell Online’.

Ali Irtiza, owner of East End Convenience Store, was automatically entered into the draw

for scoring eight or more in the lottery operator’s 10-point programme.

Ali – who’s never won anything in his life before – said the win was totally unexpected: “When I found out, I just felt really happy and couldn’t wait to share the news with my family. I also had to double-check that I was reading the number of zeros right!”

His wife Nalia was also pleased to hit the jackpot. She said: “We’ve already been thinking about how we will invest the money – we want to move house, so this will be a really good amount to put towards the deposit.”

A further 10 retailers each won £1,000 in the draw, including Pauline Wales of Spar Polmont in Falkirk.

Camelot adapted and moved its rewards programme online earlier in the year due to coronavirus.

Retailers score their store against

10 Site, Stock, Sell questions each month by uploading images to the National Lottery Retailer Hub (www. tnlretailerhub.co.uk). Cash rewards are earned for scores of eight, nine or 10/10. Each time retailers score eight or above, they receive one entry into the quarterly prize draw.

Camelot’s Retail Director Jenny Blogg said: “Congratulations to all of this quarter’s winners. Retailers continue to be the backbone of The National Lottery, and they’ve been vital in helping us raise funding for Good Causes at a time when it’s most needed. Therefore it’s only right we reward them whenever we have an opportunity to. We’re delighted that this quarter we were able to boost our Site, Stock, Sell quarterly prize pool to £20,000 – and hope that this money makes a real difference to the winners, especially during such difficult circumstances.”

recently as Manager, Brand U.S. Marketing and relocates to the UK from Phillips 66’s Houston office.

PayPoint buys card payments businesses PayPoint has bought two card payments and card terminal leasing businesses – Handepay and Merchant Rentals – from a consortium of private investors for £70m. The acquisitions will create a combined national card payments business with a customer base of over 30,000 SMEs, spanning the grocery, auto trade, clothing, household goods and hospitality sectors.

Golden store E. Kinnaird & Son, a family-run Nisa Local store in Dalbeattie, Dumfries & Galloway is celebrating a century of trading.

Owner James Kinnaird said being an integral part of the community remains one of the most important factors for his business. His entire life has centred around the store, having started out as a schoolboy selling fruit and vegetables outside the front of the shop at

DATA Spar Scotland wholesaler launches groundbreaking service

CJ Lang harnesses power of data with TWC partnership CJ Lang has appointed data and digital specialist TWC to develop a new sales data reporting service for the Spar Scotland wholesaler’s suppliers and stakeholders.

‘Spar Scotland SalesTrack’ will not only give suppliers access to CJ Lang’s wholesale shipment data but, in what is believed to be an industry first, the group is also giving suppliers visibility of retail sales from its 108 company-owned Spar stores.

Shipment and EPoS data will sit side by side on a custom dashboard accessible anytime, anywhere, and on any device.

The new service is scheduled to launch on 18 January 2021.

Colin McLean, CEO of CJ Lang, said: “Harnessing data in a way that gives all our partner suppliers visibility and knowledge of what is happening across wholesale shipments and at a retail point of sale will enable us all to work closer together.

“Our SalesTrack service will provide suppliers with the most accurate read yet as to what is happening from a wholesale and retail perspective in Scotland.”

Tom Fender, Development Director for TWC, highlighted SalesTrack’s ease of use: “You don’t need to be a rocket scientist or have a PhD in stats to use our reporting tool. We’ve designed it for busy execs ‘on the go’ so they can access information at their fingertips.

“Emerging trends need to be spotted early. Gaps in performance or listings need to be plugged quickly. A one size fits all approach to business is ineffective and inefficient. We need to work together to cleverly pinpoint opportunities with laser like focus and deliver data-led solutions which improve performance.”

LEGISLATION

Junk food ad ban: suppliers critical of consultation’s timing The Food and Drink Federation (FDF), along with UK Hospitality and the Advertising Association, has written an open letter to Boris Johnson highlighting its concerns regarding the Government’s public consultation on a total ban of online advertising for unhealthy foods.

The new consultation, which will run for six weeks, will gather views from the public and industry stakeholders to understand the impact and challenges of such a ban, which is intended to help people live healthier lives and tackle childhood obesity.

The open letter is co-signed by a number of the FDF’s members, including Associated British Foods, Mars Wrigley, Britvic, Mondelez, PepsiCo, General Mills, Haribo, pladis, Kellogg’s, Princes, KP Snacks, and Unilever.

An FDF spokesperson said: “While we support the Government’s public health objectives we’re very concerned by the timing of the consultation, in that it is only open until the end of the year, and frankly couldn’t come at a worse time for our industry.”

just eight years old.

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

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SLR | DECEMBER 2020

www.slrmag.co.uk

News FOOD POVERTY Retailer launches in-store foodbank

NEW STORES Eros empire expands

Harry helps fight hunger Greens chain grows An in-store foodbank has been launched by big-hearted staff at Nisa Local Greenock to ensure nobody in the community goes hungry.

The team has been making up packages for those who are struggling and have been supported by customers who have also made donations, in a bid to help local people in need.

The store, which opened at the beginning of March just as the coronavirus outbreak hit, has quickly established a place in the community; the launch of the foodbank is in response to the support it has received.

The 1,500sq ft store is operated by the Ahmed family and owner Harry Ahmed says he wants to help locals in any way possible.

He said: “We are very grateful to have our business here and to be doing well thanks

to the support of the locals. We just wanted to help and give something back and we have seen how much some people are struggling right now.”

People have been urged to contact the store or speak to Harry directly, in confidence, and the team then puts food packages together.

He said: “Nobody needs to feel embarrassed. We just ask that people contact us. They can message us on Facebook with their needs, or pop into the store and speak to a member of staff and then we arrange what they need.”

As well as donations made by the store, locals have rallied around to show their support by donating groceries and money for goods.

Harry commented: “Everyone in the community wants to support us and we have had some really generous donations.”

Eros Retail has snapped up another store in Fife, a former Co-op in Crossford near Dunfermline. The store is trading under Eros Retail’s Greens banner and opened its doors to customers for the first time on 17 November.

The store’s existing team kept their jobs and Co-op brands are still on shelves since Greens is serviced by Nisa.

Locally sourced additions to the offer include products from Wicked Cheesecake and Breadwinner. A Fisher & Donaldson bakery concession will be introduced as part of an overhaul of the store, which will also see investment in energy saving technology.

Lewis hasn’t lost his fizz Dave Lewis, the former Tesco boss who oversaw the supermarket’s £3.7bn takeover of Booker, has joined the Board of PepsiCo as an independent member. Before Tesco, Lewis worked at Unilever for almost three decades. He said: “I am thrilled to join the Board of PepsiCo at such a dynamic time for the consumer-packaged goods industry.”

Solid first half for PayPoint PayPoint reported a pre-tax profit of £16.8m for the six months to 30 September 2020, a £3.9m drop on the same period last year. Underlying profit from continuing operations before tax dipped to £17.8m from £18.6 million in 2019. Boss Nick Wiles said: “Our first half has been a particularly busy and challenging period for the business, against which we have delivered a solid performance, with a pro-active network and product recovery post-lockdown.”

Illegal tobacco is damaging your local community, funding organised crime and undermining local businesses We all have a role to play to combat the issue.

Don’t be complicit in the illicit trade

Anyone with information about this type of crime should contact Trading Standards on 03454 04 05 06 or visit www.jtiadvance.co.uk/DontBeComplicit

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DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

13

News Extra

Respect for Shopworkers Week

NewsExtra NEW SLR PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR AWARDS UNVEILED P18 CRIME Holyrood offers a glimpse of sunshine amid a storm of threats and violence

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

Convenience Matters with the SGF There is a very cynical point of view which holds that government can take advantage of big economic or public health problems to put out new initiatives or proposals in the hope they will receive as little scrutiny or attention as possible. With that in mind...

HM Treasury and HMRC are undertaking a major review of the alcohol duty system.

Buried within their consultation document is a proposal to have a different rate of duty on alcohol products which are purchased in retail premises and hospitality premises.

Essentially a higher rate of duty would apply to products purchased from retail. The stated aim of this is to help the hospitality sector deal with the challenges it currently faces by reducing its costs. This just will not work.

The most fundamental problem with the proposal is that the hospitality and retail sectors are essentially supplied by the same wholesalers. It is not possible to identify if an alcohol product will be purchased for sale in hospitality or for sale in a retail outlet. If products were to be separated in this way it would require significantly increased space in wholesale depots (double warehousing), significant investment in new stock control systems with all the associate on-costs.

The purchaser would require some form of ‘operating code’ to identify them as being a hospitality or retailer operator.

The logistical costs and challenges in this would be prohibitive and the potential for fraud would be almost limitless. Clearly our colleagues in hospitality need assistance from government but turning the alcohol duty regime into some kind of social responsibility tax on retailers is not the way to do it.

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SLR | DECEMBER 2020

Where’s the respect for shopworkers?

Last month saw Usdaw’s annual Respect for Shopworkers Week shine a light on in-store assaults and abuse, a problem that’s only getting worse during the coronavirus pandemic. However, among the grim poll findings and CCTV footage of disgraceful customer behaviour there was some good news.

Retail trade union Usdaw launched Respect for Shopworkers Week (16 to 22 November) with a depressingly familiar list of statistics culled from its annual survey on workplace abuse.

Interim results from over 2,000 retail staff across the UK found that so far this year, three-quarters (76%) said abuse has been worse than normal during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, 85% of shopworkers had experienced verbal abuse, 57% were threatened by a customer, while almost one-in-10 (9%) were assaulted.

Throughout the week, Usdaw raised awareness of its year-round Freedom from Fear Campaign and promoted its petition calling on the UK Government to legislate to protect shopworkers.

The petition currently has over 85,000 signatures and a Parliamentary debate should be triggered when it crosses the 100,000 threshold. If you haven’t already, search online for ‘protect retail workers petition’ and add your voice to the campaign.

The Co-op also took the opportunity to publish research into aggression towards its colleagues, along with appalling CCTV footage of a customer going on a ragefuelled rampage after being asked to adhere to an in-store one-way system. In the video, widely shared online, the customer verbally abuses clearly upset members of staff before trashing an entire wine display.

Readers will be disappointed – but

not surprised – to discover she was cautioned by police.

The Co-op’s survey sadly revealed that people living in Scotland are second-most likely to have been abusive or aggressive towards staff (21% of respondents), topped only by those in Greater London (33%).

Customers in Yorkshire and the Humber were least likely to have behaved aggressively (9%).

Better news for colleagues on the front line in Scotland came from Holyrood though, when the Scottish Parliament voted to support Daniel Johnson MSP’s Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Bill at Stage 2 of the legislative process.

The Bill will create a new statutory offence of assaulting, threatening or abusing a retail worker and provide

further legal protections when the worker is carrying out their statutory duties around age restricted sales.

Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, said he was “delighted” to see his bill pass Stage 2 – especially as the vote came during Respect for Shopworkers Week.

He said: “I now look ahead to championing our retail workers in the final Parliamentary Stage debate before my Bill becomes law.”

The Bill will now proceed to the final Stage 3 vote before it can be made law. A date for this vote has yet to be confirmed.

In Westminster, Labour and Cooperative MP Alex Norris is also trying to get a similar law on the statute books; his Assaults on Retail Workers Bill is due to get its second hearing in Parliament next year. www.slrmag.co.uk

Comment

A YEAR OF CONTRADICTIONS EDITORIAL

2020, eh? What a year. For most it will definitely be a year to forget - and that probably includes local retailers who found themselves in the very unusual position of being one of the very few sectors to see a commercial benefit to this horrific period. Only family and friends of Government ministers who hastily set up PPE businesses seem to have fared better.

So for most of us it’s been a year of contradictions, a very bittersweet year at best. The majority of stores have seen turnovers rocket and for once it’s been nice to be working round the clock but actually see the benefit of it in the till. But the satisfaction of a bumper year will no doubt me more than offset for most by the misery they have had to witness all around them with friends, family, industry colleagues and local communities being decimated by a virus that looks like something dreamed up in a 1970s sci-fi novel.

And some people paid the ultimate price, including many local retailers across the UK. The passing of the much loved and widely respected retailer Raj Aggarwal earlier this year was a gut-wrencher for everyone that knew him - and it was a reminder to us all that nothing lasts forever and we’d better look after ourselves and our loved ones as best we can, and make very most of the ride while it lasts. I’m sure Raj would agree.

But the year is ending with some positive developments. In terms of the bigger picture, the coronavirus vaccine could have us out of this mess once and for all and offers us the chance to ponder what the new normal will look like. There are lots about the old normal that few of us would wish to have back, so let’s hope we have all learned a few things in the last eight or nine months and got our priorities straightened out a little.

A societal reset has been long overdue and if we emerge from this catastrophe with a little more love in our hearts and a little more time and patience for those around us, that would be a very positive legacy to hang on to from what has been a truly unique period in all of our lives.

There’s also plenty of good news on the horizon too, not least the prospect of proper protection for shopworkers for the first time when Daniel Johnson’s Bill finally received Royal Assent. And, just as encouragingly, I think the sector has surprised even itself by how quickly it has been able to respond to a world turned upside down.

We have a solid platform for a solid future. So I hope than in 2021 we manage to continue to build and create a sector that is ready for not just 2021 but for the long term.

Have a fantastic Christmas when it comes and please do try to spend at least some of it with your families.

Publishing Director & Editor Antony Begley 0141 222 5380 | abegley@55north.com Web Editor Findlay Stein 0141 222 5389 | fstein@55north.com Editorial Contributor Karen Peattie

ADVERTISING Advertising Manager Robert Aitken 0141 222 5302 | raitken@55north.com

DESIGN Design & Digital Manager Richard Chaudhry 0141 222 5388 | rchaudhry@55north.com

EVENTS Events & Operations Manager Kirsty McDowall 0141 222 5383 | kmcdowall@55north.com

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

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

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

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

Scottish Local Retailer is produced monthly by 55 North Ltd.

ANTONY BEGLEY, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

© 55 North Ltd. 2020 ISSN 1740-2409.

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SLR | DECEMBER 2020

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CONSUMER

ON-PACK OFFER

STOCK UP NOW

Cover Story

NPD | SLR Product of the Year Awards 2020

INTRODUCING…

THE SLR PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2020 Engaging and new products are the lifeblood of the local retailing industry and we’re helping celebrate this year’s best launches - with the winners chosen exclusively by local retailers.

AS VOTED FOR BY RETAILERS

A

ll local retailers know the vital role that new products play in helping generate excitement among customers in-store and on social media, as well as driving footfall, sales and profits.

This year more than ever, retailers have been relying on a steady stream of innovative, engaging and attention-grabbing new products - and the big brands haven’t let them down.

Which is why Scottish Local Retailer is introducing a new SLR Products of the Year Awards for 2020 with every winner chosen by the people that matter most: local retailers themselves.

All local retailers will be able to vote for their favourite products of 2020 and will have the opportunity to explain why their chosen products were so important to their success this year.

The brand new SLR Products of the

Year Awards 2020 will shine a light on the incredible role that suppliers have played in this most challenging of years for the sector.

The Awards will recognise and reward the innovation, creativity and adaptability of the many suppliers who have delivered for the local retailing sector this year.

Once the votes have been cast, the winners will be announced in a special supplement as part of the January 2021 issue of SLR and will also be featured in a special edition of our weekly digital magazine The Week In Retail in January.

All winning and shortlisted products will be entitled to carry the SLR Products of the Year Awards 2020 winner or shortlisted logo on-pack and in their marketing materials - thereby completing a virtuous circle by helping drive further sales in the future in local retailing outlets across the country, because we all know that shoppers love an awards-winning product.

HOW DID WE ESTABLISH THE SHORTLIST? The list of outstanding NPD that you will see over the next few pages has been carefully curated using a complex scoring formula with only the topperforming products making it into the shortlist.

Every new product that was carried in SLR in print or digital format in 2020 was analysed and scored against a range of the most important engagement criteria including digital views, reads and clicks as well as offline retailer feedback.

Vote at www.slrmag.co.uk/POTY 18

SLR | DECEMBER 2020

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Cover Story

SLR Product of the Year Awards 2020 | NPD

BEER & LOW /

CHOCOLATE CONFECTIONERY

NO ALCOHOL BEER

Q Cadbury Dairy Milk Freddo Treasures Space

Q Doom Bar Zero Q Grolsch Relaunch

Q Cadbury Darkmilk Giant Buttons

Q Tennent’s Zero

Q Cadbury Orange Twirl Q Mint Maltesers Buttons

BISCUITS Q Border Biscuits Dark Chocolate

CIGARS & SMOKING ACCESSORIES Q Mr Wintermans Limited Edition UK

Gingers Bars Q Jammie Dodgers Vegan-Friendly

theme Q Rizla Flavour Infusions range

recipe

Q Zig-Zag lighters range

Q Maltesers Biscuits Q Maryland Choc Chip and Coconut

CRISPS & SNACKS

Convenience Exclusive

Q Bobby’s Strips range

Q McVities VIB range

Q Doritos Stax BREAD AND HOME BAKING

Q Doritos Flamin’ Hot Tangy Cheese

Q Warburtons Half White Half

Q KP £1PMP range

Wholemeal range Q Dr Oetker Spectacular Science

FOOD TO GO Q Batchelors Super Noodles 100g

Cake Mix

pots CANDY

Q Chicago Town Pizza To Go Range

Q Haribo’s Springtime Friends and

Q Spar food-to-go range

Jelly Bunnies Easter range

Q Wall’s Healthier Chicken Scotch Egg

Q Mentos Xtra Strong Q Skittles Giants Q Swizzles Great British Puds range Q Tic Tac Coca-Cola Limited Edition Q Vimto Juicy Mixups

Vote at www.slrmag.co.uk/POTY www.slrmag.co.uk

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

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Cover Story

20

SLR | DECEMBER 2020

NPD | SLR Product of the Year Awards 2020

www.slrmag.co.uk

SLR Product of the Year Awards 2020 | NPD

www.slrmag.co.uk

Cover Story

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

21

Cover Story

NPD | SLR Product of the Year Awards 2020

FREE-FROM

PERSONAL CARE

Q Hellmann’s 100% recyclable

Q Life Bouy Hand Sanitiser Gel

Squeezy Vegan Mayo Q Quorn Vegan Pepperoni Slices

Q Aquafresh Splash & Senses ranges toothpaste

Q Rustlers Moroccan Vegetarian PET FOOD

Burger

Q Mars Petcare’s Pedigree Dentastix Chewy Chunx

GUM Q Mars Wrigley Extra Refreshers

Q Denatastix Dreamies

Q Mentos Pure Fresh Fruity bottled

Q Pedigree Xmas Dinner

range Q Mentos Pure Fresh Gum

RTDS Q Blossom Hill Gin Fizz range

HARD SELTZERS

Q Cockspur Rum Punch

Q Echo Falls Rose Seltzers

Q Hoopers range

Q Mikes Hard Seltzers

Q Pink Hooch

Q Smirnoff No 21 Premier range

Q WKD Lemon

Q White Claw range SOFT DRINKS

Q Bodega Bay range

Q Capri-Sun 330ml Blackcurrant ICE CREAM / ICE LOLLY

Q Diet Coke Sublime Lime

Q Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip

Q Drench PMPs

Cookie Dough Chunks

Q J2O Spritz cans

Q Cornetto Mermaid

Q Levi Roots Tropical Punch

Q New Calippo range

Q Ribena Sparkling range Q 7 Up Sugar Free Cherry

NICOTINE POUCHES Q Nordic Spirit Elderflower Q Zyn Espressino Q Zyn Spearmint Vote at www.slrmag.co.uk/POTY 22

SLR | DECEMBER 2020

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Cover Story

SLR Product of the Year Awards 2020 | NPD

SPIRITS

TOBACCO

Q Beefeater PMPs

Q Imperial Tobacco Green Filter ranges

Q Captain Morgan Tiki Q Dead Man’s Fingers Range

Q JPS Players Crushball Cigarillo

Q Gordon’s Sicilian Lemon

Q Sterling Dual Capsule Leaf

Q Havana Club Skepta Limited

Wrapped Q Sterling 3-in-1

Edition Q Old Curiosity Alcohol-Free Gin

Q 3-in-1 Kensitas Club pouch

SPORTS & ENERGY DRINKS

VAPING

Q Coca-Cola Energy Cherry range

Q Logic Compact Intense Berry Mint

Q Lucozade Energy Citrus Chill

Q Logic Compact Nicsalts Range

Q Monster Pacific Punch

Q Logic Compact Polar Menthol

Q Monster Ultra Paradise

Q JUUL Menthol pods

Q Red Bull Summer Edition

Q JUUL Rich Tobacco pods

Q Red Bull Zero Q Reign Total Body Fuel range

WINE

Q Rockstar 25% more caffeine range

Q Campo Viejo Rioja Tempranillo PMP

SQUASH

Q Echo Falls Botanicals

Q Ribena Raspberry & Rhubarb

Q Jam Shed Malbec

Q Robinsons Fruit Creations

Q Samuel Wynn range Q 19 Crimes Sauv Block

Blackberry & Blueberry Q Vimto Remix range Orange, Strawberry and Lime

OWN LABEL WINES Q Spar Malbec Rose Q Spar Orbis Organic range Q Spar Perlezza Rosé Spumante

Vote at www.slrmag.co.uk/POTY www.slrmag.co.uk

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

23

As the UK’s #1 vape brand, JUUL brings in 80% more profit than other closed pod systems.* Your store has the potential to earn over £352 in profit per JUUL customer every year.** Become a JUUL retail partner.

Email uksales@juul.com today.

Designed for adult smokers.

Not for sale to minors.

JUUL is an e-cigarette.This is an age-restricted product and age verification is required at sale. *Source: IRI Total Market Value Sales 4 Weeks to 27th September 2020. Based on a single sale of a JUUL Starter Kit and 2 packs of JUULpods per week across leading closed system manufacturers, October 2020. ** Source: Based on average WSP and RRP of JUUL products, October 2020.

TM and © 2020 JUUL Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.

WARNING: This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance.

SLR REWARDS 2020:

JOIN US FOR A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE! It’s not long until the SLR Rewards 2020, so make sure you register to join this celebration of the entire local retailing industry in Scotland.

S

LR’s Virtual Festival of Excellence, the SLR Rewards 2020, is almost upon us and we invite all of you to join in a fantastic celebration of a fantastic industry on Friday 11 Dec at 6pm.

It has been a year like no other with many highs, many lows and far too many challenges to mention - but in general, it’s been a landmark year for the sector. Not only have most retailers been enjoying significantly increased sales, but they have also been thrust into the limelight and, after long last, the vital role that they play at the heart of communities everywhere has finally been recognised.

The SLR Rewards 2020 will provide the perfect platform to come together – virtually – and raise a glass to local retailers everywhere.

www.slrmag.co.uk

SLR REWARDS 2020 6PM, FRI 11 DEC Their efforts this year deserve recognition.

Whether you’re in your DJ or your PJs, grab a glass, get settled in and join us for an end-of-year virtual knees-up with your industry friends and colleagues.

TO REGISTER, VISIT: WWW.SLRAWARDS.COM

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

25

News

Products

Quorn cooks up R&D team Quorn Foods has created a new five-strong Culinary

ProductNews

Innovation Team to identify the next big product opportunities for the meat-free brand. The team is headed up by Culinary Innovation Manager Sarah Graham, formerly of Café Nero where she was responsible for the rebrand of the Café Nero Food and Beverage offer, including the delivery of Café Nero’s plant-based growth agenda.

Stand up for Cathedral City Saputo Dairy has rolled out stand-up packaging for its 180g packs of Grated Cathedral City cheese, to deliver improved functionality and shelf presence.

The packaging change applies to Cathedral City Grated Mature, Mature Lighter and Mature PMP 180g SKUs. The move came after consumer research showed

MAKE THE MOST OF LAST-MINUTE DRINKS OPPORTUNITIES THIS CHRISTMAS P40 CHARITY Tetley to build childhood development centres on tea estates

Tetley funds early years development in Malawi Tetley has pledged £650,000 to UNICEF to launch an early childhood development programme in Malawi.

The programme will target tea estates in the Thyolo and Mulanje districts of the country, regions identified by UNICEF to have the greatest need for such a service.

As part of the programme, two Early Childhood Development Centres will be built on selected tea estates. The Tetley funded centres will be the first UNICEF

has introduced to tea estates in Malawi.

The centres will provide nutritious food, early years education and opportunities for stimulating play. These offerings are essential in a country where over one third of children are stunted, meaning their health, wellbeing and developmental potential is compromised, and where only 40% of children aged three to five years are enrolled in early learning and care centres.

that cheese buyers prefer a resealable zip style of packaging, finding it easier to open, pour

BISCUITS

from and re-close.

New McVitie’s campaign is too good not to share

Don’t miss out on multipacks, says Red Bull Red Bull has advised retailers to stock up on multipack formats in time for the Christmas period, with new insight revealing that Red Bull multipacks trade +59% during the festivities with more in-home consumption occasions driving increased demand.

However, the data also revealed that 12% of shoppers do not purchase multipacks because they aren’t available on shelves.

CCEP lowers price-mark on 500ml bottles Coca-Cola European Partners has reduced the recommended price points for some of its 500ml bottle price-marked packs (PMPs) for a limited period.

Diet Coke, Fanta, Fanta Zero, Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper Zero – are available now in 500ml £1 PMPs. The recommended price point has been reduced by 15p, enhancing the appeal to

Snacking giant pladis has just launched a major new £3m masterbrand campaign, ‘Too Good Not to Share’, for its bestselling McVitie’s brand.

The campaign, which features two brand-new TV ads and a ‘Digigestives’ digital gifting activation, will debut a refreshed look for the brand.

Updated packaging will roll out from the end of January with the new McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives pack including a nod to its place as ‘the nation’s favourite’ biscuit.

Other McVitie’s products including Digestives, Ginger Nuts and Fruit Shortcake will also benefit from a refreshed pack design to further align the brand identity across the range.

The brand’s ‘Too Good Not to Share’ campaign will introduce UK shoppers to the new-look packs and focus on the power of sharing and connection – plus, the vital role biscuits can play in bringing people together – even when they feel worlds apart. It will roll out across TV, video-on-demand and social media in a bid to drive sales.

SUSTAINABILITY

Mondelez selects cardboard Mondelez is removing all plastic trays from its adult selection boxes in the UK and Ireland this Christmas.

All UK and Ireland adult selection boxes including Cadbury’s Classic Collection 430g, Cadbury Darkmilk 340g, Cadbury & Oreo 430g, Bournville 400g and Toblerone 510g will now use cardboard trays, resulting in a reduction of 33 tonnes less plastic used this Christmas.

Mondelez is also adding a season specific recycling labelling campaign, #UnwrapAGoodHabit, to its entire selection box range.

The move is part of the company’s broader ‘Pack Light and Pack Right’ packaging strategy, contributing to its global target to eliminate 65,000 tonnes of packaging by the end of 2020.

shoppers. Plain packs are also available.

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SLR | DECEMBER 2020

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Products

News

Part-baked bread rising St Pierre Groupe has predicted December will be a bumper month for part-baked bread, after record sales of its Paul Hollywood range and a surge

JUICE DRINKS Significant milestone from Suntory

Ribena rolls out most sustainable bottle yet

in the part-baked category as

Ribena has unveiled a new design that will make it the largest soft drinks brand with bottles that are made from 100% recycled plastic and are 100% bottle-to-bottle recyclable.

Every Ribena bottle – once used – will now have the optimum chance of being recycled into another drinks bottle as the new design features a reduction in the plastic sleeve, making the bottles more easily detected as clear plastic at recycling centres.

Every new Ribena bottle features several recycling messages embossed on its bottle, as well as on the label, to encourage consumers to recycle. The brand will also include recycling messaging on its advertising and invest six-figure sums, the biggest campaign for Ribena next year, to encourage consumers to recycle. The marketing campaign will include a TV advert, social media and POS materials.

habits has fuelled further uplift in

The new pack designs aim to draw on the familiar and distinctive aspects of the previous Ribena packaging, while modernising the brand.

This latest packaging change has removed 202 tonnes of plastic and follows a two-year development programme and investment of £1.6m in new manufacturing equipment, as well as in research and design.

Over the years, the brand has removed more and more plastic from the bottle’s design, with 527 tonnes of plastic taken out of circulation. This year, Ribena became the first major UK juice drink brand to introduce a paper straw to its drinks cartons.

The redesign ties in with the Suntory vision of Growing for Good; the company plans to move to using only 100% sustainable plastic bottles by 2030, as part of a wider 2050 environmental vision.

a whole. Worth £48m annually, data reviewed by analysts at St Pierre shows category growth of more than 42% year-on-year. The impact of Covid-19 on shopping the sector, as consumers turn to long-life products.

Crisp ‘n Dry rebrands for golden anniversary Crisp ‘n Dry is celebrating its 50th year by bringing a new look and feel to the design of the cooking oil brand to dial up its long standing British heritage.

The new design remains true to the brand’s traditional red colour palette but brings the product’s 100% rapeseed oil and high in Omega 3 messages to the forefront. The rebrand is supported by a new TV advert.

Tyrrellbly tasty Christmas

SOFT DRINKS Collaboration spreads hope and positivity

Coke and Katy team up for the kids

KP Snacks will be supporting

Coca-Cola and Katy Perry have launched a new music project that seeks to spread a message of hope and positivity during the coronavirus pandemic.

Perry and the soft drinks giant have come together to reimagine ‘Resilient’ – a song from the global superstar’s new album, Smile. The remix is described as “an uplifting, inclusive anthem for our times”.

Walter Susini, Coca-Cola’s Europe Head of Marketing, explained: “For more than 136 years, Coca-Cola has used its voice to help unite people across

Christmas period. The posh

the world. In response to the current crisis, we launched the ‘Open’ platform, a campaign highlighting how the world has changed and to appreciate what

perhaps was previously taken for granted.

“Lock-down has meant that young people have missed out on life-defining moments – from proms and graduations to just being with their friends face-toface. This song is dedicated to them.”

Katy Perry commented: “To me, this campaign is about growing through challenges. I think the song ‘Resilient’ ties so well into that because being resilient is getting back up after you fall, growing from failure, and getting through that challenge.”

its Tyrrells range with a £1.5m marketing spend ahead of the crisp brand will be back on TV, again featuring its Hand Cooked English crisps, but also for the first time ever, its Tyrrells Vegetable Crisps and new Tyrrells Nut Medley range.

The campaign will also feature in print and digital to drive awareness amongst consumers looking for a premium Christmas. snack.

Tartan cheese Lactalis has marked the Scottish heritage of its Galloway and Orkney brands by rolling out limited edition St Andrew’s Day packaging. The dairy producer

SPORTS & ENERGY DRINKS

Mountain Dew answers the Call Of Duty Mountain Dew is partnering with video game giant Activision on its latest release, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, to run an on-pack promotion for the second year.

The promo is supported with wider marketing activity. Shoppers can get double XP points with every purchase of Mountain Dew, which will enable faster in-game progression.

Limited-edition Mountain Dew bottles will be available until the end of January.

hopes the special packaging will boost sales of the brands, which are all produced in Scotland, in the lead up to the festive period. Packs feature a tartan background with a blue and white Scottish heart-shaped saltire on the front.

www.slrmag.co.uk

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

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News

Off-Trade

Wolf Blass on box Australian wine brand Wolf Blass is back on TV screens with its

Off-TradeNews

‘Here’s to the Chase’ advert.

The commercial is airing until 27 December on major catch up channels including ITV Hub, My5 and 4OD. The ad made its second debut earlier this year from March – June and its relaunch comes as Wolf Blass was named International Red Wine Producer of the Year at the 2020 International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Banrock Station launches flat-bottled wine Banrock Station, the eco-friendly wine brand from Accolade Wines, has released the first flat bottle made from 100% recycled plastic into the UK market. Weighing just 63g, the 75cl bottles are made from 100% recycled rPET plastic, which require 75% less energy to produce and emit 79% less CO2 than virgin PET. The bottles are also 100% recyclable and

NEW ERA BRINGS NEW CHALLENGES FOR EPOS PROVIDERS P56 SPIRITS Online masterclasses for Christmas cocktails

Pernod Ricard targets festive drinkers with virtual events Pernod Ricard UK is increasing its investment in virtual experiences this Christmas with a broadreaching campaign targeting 13 million consumers across online, print, in-store and social media.

With the trend for at-home cocktail making set to continue, the wine and spirits supplier is hosting over 60 free online masterclasses to help consumers take their Christmas cocktail skills to the next level. Pernod will also be putting on brand experiences from four of its core spirits and champagne brands to provide convivial moments to consumers this Christmas.

The calendar of virtual events builds on the success of online experiences offered during lockdown earlier this year, during which the drinks giant engaged with over 3,000 consumers through virtual masterclasses.

The masterclasses will show consumers how to make serves including The Glenlivet Marmalade Sour, a MALFY Frutta Candita or an Absolut Passion Fruit Martini.

More than one fifth of shoppers set to make cocktails at home this Christmas.

Estelle Martin, Pernod Ricard UK Head of Experiential

and Consumer Activation, commented: “2020 has seen virtual cocktail hours rise in popularity as consumers experimented with serves at home, and with 43% having attempted to make the perfect cocktail during lockdown, we wanted to show people how to make quality drinks at home this Christmas. Not only are we significantly investing in providing drinks inspiration for the festive season with our range of masterclasses, we’re confident our virtual brand experiences will bring some conviviality at a time it’s much needed.”

certified carbon neutral.

Organic malt first Waterford Distillery has launched Organic: Gaia 1.1, Ireland’s first certified organic single malt whisky. It is exclusively

WINE Accolade brand spices up festive season

Jam Shed mulls over return of Christmas campaign

distributed in the UK by Speciality Brands with an RSP of £77. The whisky is part of the brand’s new Arcadian series, which is a provenance-driven range of Irish whiskies made from organic, biodynamic and heritage grains that celebrates alternative farming philosophies.

Gifts from Masons Gin maker Masons of Yorkshire has unveiled its Christmas gifting range. A Tasting Experience pack (RSP £20) features miniature 5cl bottles of the core range – Masons Original, Masons Tea Edition, Pear & Pink Peppercorn, English Lavender and Orange and Lime Leaf – presented in a double-windowed set. Masons G&T Glass Set (RSP £10) features two custom-engraved & branded cut glasses in a

Jam Shed has relaunched its mulled wine campaign ahead of the festive season, with the return of recipe neck tags on its bestselling Shiraz (RSP £7).

Following its success last Christmas, the campaign is supported with a combination of instore and digital activity, including online recipe videos.

Since its first Shiraz SKU launched in 2017, Jam Shed is now worth £24.5m and growing in value at 120% year-on-year. It is now the UK’s ninth-largest Australian wine brand and the third largest contributor in value to the Australian wine category with the highest purchase frequency.

Lindsay Holas, Brand Manager at Accolade Wines, said: “Lockdown has seen many drinking occasions shift back into our homes, and this year we’re sure consumers will want to try recreating this festive treat themselves. Our mulled wine recipe cards on each bottle will make it easier than ever.”

The Christmas period is incredibly valuable to wine sales, with approximately 27% of the year’s value going through the 12-week Christmas period.

PROSECCO

Spar first with pink fizz Spar has predicted it will sell “several tens of thousands” of bottles of its own-label Prosecco Rosé over the festive season.

The Italian government gave the go ahead for the production of pink Prosecco in May, and Spar said it is “delighted” to be the first convenience store group in Britain to offer the tipple to shoppers.

Available now, Spar Prosecco Rosé 75cl launched on special promotion at £7.99 until 10 March 2021. Normal RSP is £9.

bespoke gift box.

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

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SLR | DECEMBER 2020

www.slrmag.co.uk

Off-Trade

News

Big Christmas for cider Westons has launched a special Covid-19 Edition of its annual Cider Report, in which it predicts predicts 2020 will be cider’s biggest-ever Christmas

PREMIUM SPIRITS New campaign from Absolut

Absolut celebrates the importance of meaningful connections

for the off-trade. The report

Absolut has launched ‘It’s In Our Spirit,’ the premium vodka brand’s first national campaign in over 18 months.

The campaign celebrates “the importance of meaningful connections, inspiring consumers to look forward to those moments where we’ll all be together again in real-life”. It features actress Tessa Thompson and music artist MNEK breaking out of a virtual world into real-life to enjoy a moment of togetherness, culminating with the end line: ‘Can’t wait for together #IRL’.

For readers who don’t have access to a teenager, IRL is short for In Real Life.

The campaign will reach over 80% of 18-34 year olds in the UK. Thirty and 20 second prime time TV

10% from 10% from last year with

revealed cider value (+15.1%) has continued to grow ahead of volume (+12.6%). Westons also advised retailers to stock larger formats, sales of which are up ten packs experiencing a 34% surge in growth.

Five gongs for Spar Spar picked up three Silver medals and two Bronze medals for its own-label spirit lines at this year’s 25th International

spots will roll out on C4, ITV and Sky, as well as on video-on-demand, digital and social media.

Consumers who share what they can’t wait to do #TogetherIRL have the chance to have their social comments embedded in an online digital mural, with the Absolut bottle silhouette as its centrepiece.

Spirits Challenge. Spar Premium London Dry Gin, Spar Premium French Grain Vodka and Spar Imperial Vodka were recognised in the category challenges and each received Silver medals.

Spar Premium Rhubarb & Ginger Gin and Spar Original London

SUSTAINABILITY Heineken cuts carbon footprint

Sol-ar powered beer Sol drinkers can now literally ‘Taste the Sun’, after Heineken announced its Mexican lager brand is now produced using renewable energy from solar power.

This follows the installation of a total of over 13,000 solar panels at Sol’s breweries in Tadcaster and Zoeterwoude.

The move marks an important step towards reducing the brand’s carbon footprint, as part of Heineken UK’s broader commitment to sustainability ‘Brewing a Better World’, which aims to increase the share of renewable energy in production to 70% by 2030.

All primary and secondary packaging now includes the new tagline ‘Brewed with Solar Energy’ to mark the achievement and demonstrate to shoppers the changes the brand has made.

Matt Saltzstein, Premium Beer Unit Brand Director at Heineken UK said: “At Heineken UK, we’ve challenged ourselves to innovate sustainably and as a result, we’re proud to share that the Sol brand is now brewed by solar energy. As its name suggests, Sol is all about the sun and our new tagline, ‘Brewed with Solar Energy’, reinforces our authentic, longstanding connection to it, whilst also showcasing our goal of becoming more carbon neutral to our sustainability-minded shoppers.”

SUSTAINABILITY

Dry Gin took Bronze medals.

Diageo marked high on green index

Whitley Neill has the perfect Christmas serve

Diageo, maker of Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Guinness, has been recognised in the Dow Jones World Sustainability Index for the third consecutive year.

This achievement ranks Diageo in the top four beverage companies worldwide on environmental, social and governance performance and is based on an indepth analysis of economic, social and environmental performance.

The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index is considered the gold standard for measuring corporate sustainability.

In the 2020 Index Diageo scored full marks for Brand Management; Strategy for Emerging Markets; Environmental Reporting; Operational Eco-Efficiency; Water Related Risks; Social Reporting; and Human Capital Development.

Diageo concluded its 2015-2020 Sustainability and Responsibility Goals earlier in 2020. It will announce its next 10-year action plan shortly, continuing its focus on promoting positive drinking; championing inclusion and diversity; and pioneering grain-to-glass sustainability.

Whitley Neill has unveiled a new £1.4m campaign to drive awareness of the premium gin brand in the run-up the Christmas. The new activity focuses on its multi-awardwinning Original Dry gin and best-selling Rhubarb & Ginger gin, highlighting the joy of the ‘perfect serve’. The campaign runs until the end of the year.

A range of posters and POS materials are available to retailers.

Scots drinks producer aims high with Lilo Scottish business The Alcoholic Water Company has entered the growing Hard Seltzer market.

Lilo (ABV 3.5%) is available in two flavours, White Grape & Elderflower (44 calories) and Cranberry & Rosehip (43 calories) in 250ml cans designed by artist Maria Rivans.

Negotiations with wholesalers are ongoing but Lilo is currently available from lilodrinks.com.

www.slrmag.co.uk

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

29

Inside Business

STG In-Store Trial

IT’S TIME FOR A SIGNATURE DUAL IN MUSSELBURGH! As the preferences of adult smokers continue to evolve, SLR has hooked up with Scandinavian Tobacco Group and Musselburgh retailer Dan Brown to run a best-practice trial around the growing Signature Dual brand and optimising execution in the wider cigar category.

T

he wider tobacco category has been under immense pressure in recent years given a raft of punitive new legislation, but despite all the challenges, the category remains very buoyant indeed with some segments – principally at the value end of the spectrum – actually in growth by value.

The latest major challenge for retailers to overcome was May’s Menthol Ban but attempts to make sense of the impacts of that ban have been muddied by the current coronavirus pandemic. In general terms, however, the tobacco category remains as resilient as ever – and nowhere is this more evident than in the cigar category.

This year has seen some genuinely innovative NPD from major suppliers, including the launch of Signature Dual from Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK (STG). The leafwrapped cigarillos feature a peppermint capsule and come in a convenient and stylish pack of 10. They are available to shoppers for around a fiver – a hugely attractive price point when shoppers are increasingly focused on lower out-of-pocket spend.

With so many challenges around launching new tobacco products to market, we decided to set up a real-life trial with Musselburgh retailer Dan Brown, supported by STG. “To be honest, cigars is a category that we probably don’t dedicate enough time and attention to in-store,” says Dan, the current President of the Scottish Grocers’ Federation. “So we’re really excited to be giving the category some much-needed care and focus. We have a lot of cigar smokers visit the store and we do pretty well in the category. It tends to offer really good margins compared to cigarettes, so anything we can do to grow sales in the category is more than welcome. As the UK’s leading cigar company, STG is the perfect partner to help us revitalise the category.”

The focus of the in-store trial is Signature Dual, but the trial will examine the wider cigar category in Dan’s exceptional, multi-award winning Nisa store.

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SLR | DECEMBER 2020

CIGARS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Q The total cigar category is down across the UK by about 3.5% by volume and just 0.2% by value. Compare that with just four and five years and the market was in double digit decline.

Q In Scotland the picture is even rosier with sales volumes down just 3% and value up by 2.1%.

Q Sales in Scotland of medium and large cigars have also risen – and by a chunky 6.5% in volume and 10.2% in value.

Q Miniature cigars still dominate the market with 71% volume share.

Q The only top 10 cigar brand in significant growth is Moments Blue, STG’s leading value for money offering. Sales are up 1.7% by volume in Scotland.

Q STG is by far the largest player in the category in Scotland with a 60.4%.

Q With the top three brands in Scotland and six of the top 10, STG’s portfolio now accounts for more than 35% of the total Scottish market.

www.slrmag.co.uk

STG In-Store Trial

“For me, the price point and the fact that the product is menthol are really important opportunities for us as retailers, as well as the fact that, being cigarillos and therefore not covered by EUTPD2, the product doesn’t have to be in unbranded packs so they look great,” says Dan. As part of the project, STG visited the store to brief the team on best practice across the category and to ensure that the entire team could talk knowledgeably about the category to adult smokers seeking advice.

“With so many customers asking us what our cheapest tobacco product is, the fact that we can say Signature Dual means that I think we will see a lot of trial of the product because it’s effectively half the price of a pack of cigarettes,” says Dan. “I think it will also appeal to menthol smokers who might still be looking for a product that works for them if they maybe haven’t taken to vaping or other nicotine replacement products.”

The project is already off to a flyer, as Dan explains. “We’ve already sold over a dozen packs in the days after the stock was introduced and before the project really got underway, so I’m hopeful that we’ll see some strong sales.”

STG’s UK Country Director, Alastair Williams, says: “We were really excited to introduce Signature Dual and extend our offering to the UK tobacco market.

“It’s a natural extension to our range and we’re confident it will prove a very welcome addition to the UK’s biggest cigar brand portfolio.”

As well as looking at Signature Dual, rep Paul Niven and the wider team from STG also competed an audit of the wider category in-store – with Dan and his team getting a thumbs up.

“It’s particularly important that retailers stock the top-selling brands in Scotland and that means that both Signature Blue and Moments Blue are must-stocks for all retailers in Scotland,” says Niven. “Signature is the best-selling cigar in Scotland and Moments Blue is the best-selling value line, so it was great to see that Dan had both on sale and had plenty of stock.

“Miniature cigars are by far the biggest sector in the cigar category so they’re extremely important – but it was also pleasing to see that Dan stocks Henri Wintermans Half Corona because sales of medium and large cigars in Scotland are currently growing by 6.5% in volume and 10.2% in value.”

Check out next month’s SLR to see how Dan and his team got on over the festive period and how they got on with growing sales of Signature Dual in particular and cigar sales in general. www.slrmag.co.uk

Inside Business

[Source: IRI, Aug 2020]

WHAT DID WE DO IN-STORE? Q Ensured Dan’s range was comprehensive and meets the needs of his shopper base. The starting point was the Top 10 Brands in Scotland.

Q Briefed Dan’s team on the importance of actively engaging with customers looking to buy cigars or considering trying alternative products, particularly menthol lines, and being able to talk knowledgeably about the category.

Q Ensured that Dan’s team were aware that Signature Dual is the cheapest product on the gantry – and that it is a menthol product – so that they could quickly highlight this fact to customers looking to minimise out-of-pocket spend.

Q Made sure stock levels were adequate across all key lines.

Q Asked STG rep Paul Niven to visit Dan’s store to be sure that best practice was being followed right across the entire cigar category.

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

31

Inside Business

Local Sourcing | Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards 2021

2021: TIME TO GET VOCAL ABOUT LOCAL?

T One of the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic has been a major shift towards local sourcing, and a new awards programme aims to help local retailers in Scotland harness the power of local, regional and national products.

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

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SLR | DECEMBER 2020

here were many seismic shifts in the local retailing sector during the last seven or eight months as the entire supply chain attempted to cope with change on an unprecedented scale and pace as coronavirus turned the world on its head. One of those seismic shifts has been a re-evaluation of the benefits of local sourcing by many retailers and wholesalers.

When the big global brand supply chain works, it unquestionably works well. But when it doesn’t work, it creates chaos. The mass-scale availability issues we saw earlier this year were astonishing. When even supermarkets are half empty you know there’s a major problem.

On the whole, local retailers seemed to manage their availability issues a lot better, taking advantage of their ability to be nimble, creative and committed to doing whatever it took to keep essentials on the shelves. But www.slrmag.co.uk

Inside Business

Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards 2021 | Local Sourcing

under Covid-19, the supply chain genie was released from the bottle – and it will take a long time to force it back in.

Under a pandemic like this, another consequence is that retailers find out who their friends really are. There’s no question that the supermarkets got preferential treatment when stocks got really low. Many big brands had no choice but to prioritise and, in many high profile instances, the local retailing and wholesaling sector got a second prize at best.

Unsurprisingly, retailers and wholesalers had to do what they had to just to keep stock on the shelves and, for many, that meant leaning much more heavily on smaller, more local producers.

And you know what? The experience was enlightening for many. Dan Brown, Manager of Pinkie Farm Convenience Store in Edinburgh and standing SGF President comments: “We’ve always tried to use local producers because our customers like local products and because we believe in supporting the local economy. Our experience of working more intensely with local suppliers under coronavirus has actually yielded lots of unexpected benefits. They tend to be very responsive, very proactive and very willing to work with us in ways that big producers can’t. We’ve had local suppliers happy to create bespoke products just for the store, for instance.

“And another thing that I never really appreciated before is that when you work closely with smaller local businesses, you realise you’re gaining access to vast amounts of experience and expertise. These are companies that live and breathe their products, so they know them inside out.

They’ve been able to offer absolutely exceptional support and advice. We’ll definitely be using more local suppliers in the longer term. It just works.”

There’s also strong evidence to suggest that, after the traumatic experiences of the pandemic, shoppers are more interested in ever than ethical buying and that often translates into a desire to support independent businesses and to support local economies that have been proven to be so fragile this year.

The signs, then, are that local sourcing’s day could finally have arrived. Local sourcing has been important to many retailers and wholesalers for years, but it has never quite hit the top of the bill. The new Scottish Retail food & Drink Awards aims to help push Scottish products much further up the retail and wholesale agenda and help get more of Scotland’s outstanding food and drink products onto more Scottish retail shelves.

Initially launched at the start of this year, the new awards fell victim to coronavirus like so many other projects, but they have now been fully relaunched with greater momentum than ever, thanks to the news that Spar Scotland will a key sponsor. Scotland’s leading convenience retailer is sponsoring the mission-critical Small Producer of the Year category.

A family-owned company, Spar Scotland services over 300 Spar stores across the country and already works with over 150 local suppliers Scotland-wide in a broad spectrum of product categories.

The sponsorship demonstrates the wholesaler and retailer’s commitment to helping nurture and develop Scotland’s legion of small producers.

Colin McLean, CEO of Spar Scotland, commented: “As a family-owned business with more than 100 years of history www.slrmag.co.uk

in serving hundreds of communities across Scotland, we understand just how important it is to support the country’s many fantastic small local producers. That’s why we are absolutely thrilled to sponsor the Small Producer of the Year category at the first ever Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards. We view this as a fantastic celebration of Scottish food and drink but with a clear commercial aim: to grow sales for both small producers and the retailers who stock their products.

“We have always actively supported small producers and have long helped get more Scottish products onto more Scottish retail shelves and we currently work with more than 150 local suppliers in Scotland. During the current coronavirus pandemic we have only seen shopper interest in local products grow and we are keen to play our part in helping add momentum to that trend.

“Another thing that I never really appreciated before is that when you work closely with smaller local businesses, you realise you’re gaining access to vast amounts of experience and expertise.”

DAN BROWN, PINKIE FARM CONVENIENCE STORE

“There are so many benefits to local sourcing that have, perhaps, become more apparent than ever under coronavirus. Supporting small, local producers helps sustain local economies across Scotland, it helps safeguard jobs and it helps minimise our impact on the planet thanks to significantly reduced ‘road miles’. This is a great opportunity to help Scotland’s local suppliers grow and thrive.”

Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards Director Helen Lyons added: “We have seen only too clearly how fragile many local communities are in Scotland over the last seven or eight months and how important local, regional and national sourcing has become in helping protect local economies.

“The Awards respond directly to increasing consumer demand for local products and will be to the benefit of everyone involved from producers and suppliers to wholesalers, retailers and, ultimately, to consumers themselves.”

The Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards is supported by a panel of distinguished judges which will be led by internationally-renowned food expert Jane Milton and a large team of highly respected independent food and drink experts. Official ambassador for the awards will be Bruce Langlands, a highly esteemed figure and former Director of Foods at Harrods and Director of Food & Hospitality at Selfridges.

The Awards also benefit from the support of Scotland’s largest circulation newspapers with The Scottish Sun, The Times in Scotland and The Sunday Times in Scotland confirmed as official Consumer Media Partners.

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

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Inside Business

What’s in Store for 2021? | Scottish Grocers’ Federation

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2021... PETE CHEEMA? Retailers have relied on the SGF more than ever in the last year and the Federation has delivered in style on behalf of members, says Pete Cheema.

“What a strange year this been,” muses Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) Chief Executive Pete Cheema as he reflects on one of the most challenging years in anyone’s living memory. “Covid-19 forced retailers to bring about dramatic changes to how they operated their businesses, in every sense, but do you know what, they did more than just managed, they excelled – and as a sector we should be proud of our response to the needs of our communities.

“Our ability to adapt our business models and grasp some of the digital and delivery service opportunities so rapidly has been nothing short of inspirational.”

Cheema also believes that “innovation and social conscience have been borne out of the crisis”, a view that’s hard to argue with.

But it’s not just retailers that have faced a tough but ultimately positive year. SGF has faced its own series of challenges with its entire events calendar wiped out and, along with it, the chance to catch up face-to-face with the trade. “Not being able to hold any events has been really challenging because bringing the trade together, sharing learnings and helping keep us all up to date on the latest developments is a big part of what SGF is all about,” says Cheema. “But that hasn’t stopped us ploughing ahead and I’m delighted to report that membership continues to grow 34

SLR | DECEMBER 2020

with Applegreen among the latest to join as members.”

This year has also been a successful one on the lobbying front for SGF, as Cheema explains: “With the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) on its way, we are delighted to have played a major role in ensuring that Reverse Vending Machines are exempt from both Business Rates and planning permission, and we have ensured that retailers can be exempt from the DRS. We have also formally agreed to become a DRS Scheme Administrator member which will allow us to effectively represent the interests of our members around this game-changing initiative.

“More recently, it has been hugely satisfying to see Daniel Johnson’s Shopworker Protection Bill successfully make its way through Holyood and we are proud of the vital role that SGF played in helping bring that Bill forward. We expect to see it clear the final hurdle, possibly as early as this month, but more likely in early 2021 and then we can wait for Royal Assent so that it can become legislation.

“We have also recently announced an exciting £100,000 Go Local pilot project, funded by the Scottish Government and led

by SGF, that will help increase the range of Scottish products stocked in Scottish convenience stores. This demonstrates clearly the trust that the Scottish Government has in

SGF and our ability to deliver real, positive change that benefits retailers, producers and consumers alike.”

The good work doesn’t stop there, however, as SGF already has a number of other projects in the pipeline to support members and the wider industry. “Tying in with Daniel Johnson’s Bill, we will be launching an ambitious new programme in early 2021 in partnership with Crimestoppers that will work directly with both consumers and retailers, educating both about what the shop workers protection laws will mean. “We expect to see a major behavioural change in consumers after the Bill becomes law as shoppers begin to understand the consequences of abusing shop workers in any shape or form.”

Looking further ahead, Cheema predicts a continued shift to digital in the sector, particularly around home delivery. He concludes: “Our sector has consistently and repeatedly shown the way forward and we should never be afraid to try something different, to be different and to create a USP. “There are very positive things we can build on: we now have 30% of the grocery sector.

We employ more people in our sector than we have done in the last decade, more people want to enter our sector than ever before, and we are perceived to the ‘fourth emergency service’. Things can only get better.” www.slrmag.co.uk

Scottish Wholesale Association | What’s in Store for 2021?

Inside Business

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2021... COLIN SMITH? There’s no doubt that 2020 has been a tough year on parts of the wholesale industry, but there’s plenty ahead to ensure wholesalers enter 2021 with positivity and momentum, says Colin Smith.

N

ext year must be about rebuilding those parts of the wholesale industry that have suffered during 2020’s coronavirus pandemic and further enhancing those that have seen positive growth, says Colin Smith, Chief Executive of the Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA).

Looking ahead to a year with – hopefully – fewer surprises, he said: “No-one needs me to reiterate how awful 2020 has been for everyone – businesses, their employees, individuals, families. Covid-19 has impacted on everyone and will continue to do so in 2021. However, we must remain positive and keep exploring ways in which we can support Scotland’s wholesale industry collectively and uniformly.

“I’m sure our foodservice members will agree with me that at times it felt like the supply chain was largely forgotten about by both the Scottish and UK governments during the height of the pandemic.

Some wholesalers lost over 80% of their business overnight when the first lockdown hit.

“However, we worked with ministers and officials to secure Scottish Government Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund grants for some members and, in October, we received confirmation that some wholesalers directly constrained by Scotland’s five-tier Covid restrictions would also benefit.” www.slrmag.co.uk

Smith said engaging with the government and helping officials understand they key role played by wholesale in the supply chain had been critical in ensuring that businesses stayed afloat. “I regularly point out that we are the ‘wheels to the industry’ and I think that message is getting through,” Smith said.

As SLR went to press, Smith was waiting for confirmation of further support for the Scottish wholesale sector. He said: “I’m not yet in a position to divulge the full details but the key point is that this support will follow months of lobbying by the SWA – and it will provide a lifeline to wholesalers which have, in some instances, lost up to 95% of their foodservice income due to much of the licensed and hospitality industry being forced to close as a result of various Covid-19 lockdowns.

“Let’s not forget that food and drink wholesalers operate in a sector that is worth £2.9bn to the Scottish economy and have ensured that local convenience stores have remained fully stocked, allowing consumers to access everything need in their own communities throughout the pandemic.”

Local sourcing, Smith added, had taken centre stage during the pandemic with people actively seeking out Scottish-produced food and drink. “We sowed the seeds for our own local sourcing initiative in 2019 with our Keeping Scotland Local exhibition at our annual conference,” he pointed out.

“We continue to collaborate with key partners to help develop and grow the food and drink industry in Scotland and, in early 2021, will announce details of a new ‘Local Sourcing’ strategy to help wholesalers distribute more local produce.”

The new year will also see the SWA embark on a new “decarbonisation of the wholesale industry” project to create a greener and more sustainable food and drink supply chain. “This is pretty exciting for us with COP26 taking place in Glasgow next November and the Scottish Government heavily committed to the global fight against climate change,” Smith continued.

“We are currently recruiting a graduate to undertake research into exploring the commercial use of hydrogen fuel cell technology within wholesale distribution in Scotland. Working with the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, hydrogen developers and Transport Scotland we will explore the commercial viability of alternative fuel vehicles in our sector.”

While Covid will continue to dominate the agenda in 2021, there’s plenty food for thought for the wholesale sector as the country launches its vaccination programme and pivots to new ways of thinking in these unprecedented times.

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

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Salt r Suga g 6.00

g 0.30

n

recipe

SGF Healthy Living Programme | What’s in store for 2021?

Inside Business

PLATFORM BUILT FOR A HEALTHY START TO 2021 It’s been a tough year for the sector but with the convenience sector starring throughout 2020, there’s a strong platform for healthy growth in 2021, says Healthy Living Programme Director Kathryn Neil.

2

020 has been a challenging time for everyone, however it has also provided lots of encouragement for local retailers. On a positive note, it gave the convenience sector a chance to shine and to show how essential their stores are within the community. So, despite all the challenges, doom and gloom, there are some encouraging points to take away.

customers to cooking at home. We have wobblers in stores that have QR codes which can be scanned to provide recipes. These can be downloaded for use when the customers return home. Signposting step by step ways to help consumers in store is key for selling healthier products and educating families in cooking healthier mealtime solutions.

COOKING AT HOME

Food to go is a key area in many convenience stores now, so we have designed point of sale to help guide the consumer into making the healthier choice at lunchtime. Our POS fits in with any current meal deal in place and assists the retailers in pushing the sales of their healthier ranges.

During the pandemic, we learned from our retailers that there was a trend developing for cooking at home. People now working at home more often means that they have more time within their day to spend that extra 20 minutes in the kitchen making a home cooked meal.

We also learned that people had started to focus on what they were eating and the demand for healthier meals was increasing.

In response to this, we have now devised new point of sale to help retailers steer their www.slrmag.co.uk

FOOD TO GO

WELBY LOYALTY CLUB 2020 saw the re-launch of our Welby Loyalty Club and we aim to deliver this in as many convenience stores in 2021 by linking up the

local store with their communities. The club encourages children to purchase four pieces of fruits and the fifth piece is free. The children then receive a certificate and magnet to say they are part of the Welby club. This initiative is focused around bringing a bit of fun, bright colours and interacting with children in stores whilst delivering the healthy eating message.

Retailers that are already part of the scheme have seen uplifts of loose fruit reach as high as 200% within the first week of running the club.

2021 is going to be an exciting year with the SGF Healthy Living Programme, we are hoping to broaden our focus based on the learnings we have taken from 2020 and work with the changing trends in shopping behaviours with the shift towards healthier products. We have some interesting ventures that we cannot wait to deliver in store. We might even see a famous face pop up alongside our new ideas... watch this space!

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

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Hotlines

Product News & Media Watch

Ginsters Vegan Empenada Samworth Brothers The latest launch from Ginsters is made using Pulled Oats, a high protein mix of oats, pea and faba beans from Finland that is tipped to be the next big UK food trend. It also contains piquanté pepper and ancho chillies in a smoky Mexican style sauce, all wrapped in light pastry and finished with a smoked paprika topping.

It is available in three-pack (RSP £2) and two-pack (RSP £1.50) formats.

Mondelez cracks into ‘healthier bars’ market with Cadbury Nuttier

Cheesecake Factory Blaze XK American dessert chain The Cheesecake Factory has arrived in the UK and Ireland with a range that includes its flagship Original, Chocolate Mousse, Red Velvet and Strawberry Topped cheesecakes.

Slices are ideally suited for c-stores and food-to-go counters. Single and double slice retail pre-packs RSP from £2.99 to £4.99. Whole cheesecakes RSP from £9.99 to £29.99.

Boursin Cranberry & Pepper Groupe Bel Boursin has launched a limited edition 150g Boursin Cranberry and Pepper for the festive season.

In addition, the Boursin 3-Flavour Limited Edition 240-gram pack is back by popular demand, this year consisting of Garlic & Herbs, Cranberry & Pepper, and Shallot & Chive flavours. Celina Leroyer, Senior Brand Manager for Boursin, said: “Retailers should stock up now to get their share of the seasonal sales!”

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Mondelez has launched a brand-new fruit and nut snack brand, Cadbury Nuttier.

The brand’s three flavours – Peanut & Almond; Cranberry, Peanut & Almond; and Coconut & Almond – are all available in cases of 15 x 40g single bars with an RSP of £1.19 each.

The new bars are filled with fibre, made up with over 40% of whole fruit and nuts. Cadbury Nuttier is also one of the first products within the ‘Healthier Bars’ segment to include milk chocolate.

Transparent packaging means consumers can see the combination of blended fruit and nuts featuring at the top, embedded into Cadbury milk chocolate at the bottom. This points to the concept that ‘there are two sides to every bar’, with this slogan appearing on POS material.

Mr Kipling and Cadbury Festive Cakes Premier Foods Available now, Premier Foods’ relaunched Christmas cake range features classics such as Cadbury Festive Cake Bars 5-pk, Mini Yule Logs 5-pk, Reindeer Cakes 4-pk, Caramel Mini Rolls 8-pk and Mr Kipling Frosty Fancies 9-pk, Winter Whirls 6-pk, Festive Bakewells 6-pk, Reindeer Slices 8-pk (RSPs £1–£2).

Cadbury festive cakes were worth £4.6m last year.

Lyndsey Homer, Brand Manager for Cadbury Nuttier at Mondelez International, commented: “As the nation’s favourite chocolate, Cadbury is in prime position to deliver growth for the ‘Healthier Bars’ category.

“Not only do we know that the ‘Healthier Bars’ category is very popular, but we’re confident Nuttier is one of our best tasting bars yet This, combined with its striking packaging that will stand out on shelf, will mean Cadbury Nuttier is sure to be a hit for shoppers.”

The new bars will be available to order in January.

Mondelez advises retailers to range them in the on-the-go section, near the front of store, or alongside other ‘healthier snacking’ options to maximise impulse sales.

Hand Sanitiser Zidac Laboratories Zidac Laboratories has launched a new consumer range of hand sanitiser following growing demand during the pandemic. Its hospital grade hand gel (100ml, RSP £2.45) kills 99.99% of bacteria and viruses, and contains aloe vera to keep hands soft. The range also includes antibacterial hand gel in a 50ml bottle (RSP 95p) and a 100ml tube (RSP £1.40). Email sofia. svensson@zidac. co.uk for stock enquiries.

Puck Penguin Haribo Haribo has launched festive favourite Puck Penguin into its Christmas impulse range in a 160g sharing bag format (RSP £2).

Puck Penguin is a jelly and foam penguin-shaped sweet in peach & vanilla, blackcurrant & vanilla and strawberry & vanilla fruit flavour combinations. For stock enquiries, retailers can call Haribo on 01977 600266, email sales-uk@ haribo.com or visit haribo. com.

www.slrmag.co.uk

Product News & Media Watch Flipz Christmas Pretzels pladis

Cadbury Mini Eggs Tablet Mondelez

Snacking giant pladis has launched new seasonal sharing packs for its Flipz pretzels. The new packs feature Christmas-themed shaped pretzels and are available across the brand’s Milk Chocolate and White Fudge variants. Flipz Christmas sharing packs are available now in a 160g pack format with an RSP of £2. Empty packs can be recycled through pladis’ partnership with Terracycle.

Tropicana Festive Packs PepsiCo

The rumours turned out to be true after all – Mondelez has added a Cadbury Mini Eggs Tablet to its Easter 2021 portfolio. The new 110g bar will be available in cases of 20 at an RSP of £1.49. The launch will be supported by a brand-new suite of Mini Eggs POS material, matching the same eye-catching staple yellow colours of the brand’s aesthetic, as well as a new pack design across the range.



Have you got the spirit?

Schweppes has lifted the lid on a brandnew campaign – Schweppes, We’ve Got The Tonic, You’ve Got The Spirit. A new TV ad is supported by out-of-home advertising and digital, referencing different taglines including, ‘Open up a cracker this Christmas’ – a message that will be further amplified on social media.

Red letter day Embassy Signature Imperial Tobacco

Tropicana has kicked-off the Christmas season with a new festive pack design for its core range.

New designs, that include Christmas slogans and imagery, are available now across 950ml, 1.4l and 1.6l formats.

MEDIAwatch

Hotlines

Imperial Tobacco’s new Embassy Signature range comprises Gold and Silver variants. Both RSP at £9.30 per pack of 20s. Signature Gold is also available in packs of 100 (RSP £46.50). Both feature a modern blend of Virginia tobaccos wrapped in premium paper.

Signature Silver also benefits from special Reduced Smoke Smell paper, designed to reduce the linger of smoke smell on clothes or fingers.

Coca-Cola has launched ‘The Letter’ – a new campaign and festive TV ad. Unwrapping the magic of Christmas, the ad tells “a hopefilled tale about a father’s unremitting love for his daughter and his journey to make her Christmas wish come true”. The new campaign marks 100 years since Coca-Cola created its first festive association.

Inspirational cheese Boursin’s new ‘Boursin Inspires, You Create’ Christmas marketing campaign is designed to inspire creativity with the cheese. The campaign seeks to unlock new usage occasions outside of the traditional cheeseboard and comes in response to an increase in scratch cooking and culinary experimentation during the pandemic.

Muchos ado about wrestling Bottlegreen Bramble SHS Drinks Drawing on inspiration from a current trend in the gin category, Bottlegreen has launched a new bramble flavour into its sparkling pressé range, available from January. The launch forms part of a comprehensive refresh for the brand, with packs getting a contemporary new design. For sales enquiries, retailers should contact SHS Drinks on 01452 378555.

Heyoo Vitamins Karia Group Family-owned healthcare start-up brand Heyoo has launched its first range of vitamins, available now from Booker. These are: Mastermind Multivitamins – helps boost immunity and normal cognitive function; Busybee Multivitamins effervescent tablets – helps boost immunity and energy; Sleepyhead High Dose Vitamin C effervescent tablets – helps boost immunity and reduce daily fatigue. All RSP at £3.49.

KP Snacks has launched a new TV campaign to support its McCoy’s Muchos range. The ad depicts a Mexican wrestling match between a McCoy’s Muchos tortilla snack and a standard triangular tortilla chip. There are no prizes for guessing who wins. The ad runs across Channel 4 and Dave and will also feature during the ad breaks of The Last Leg.

Snappy delivers first TV ad campaign Snappy Shopper has launched a new sixfigure national TV, video-on-demand, radio and online advertising campaign to encourage shoppers to shop locally via the home delivery app. The 30-second ads, supported by digital and social media content, feature stories of shoppers faced with a sudden, unexpected need for groceries.

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

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

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Xmas Drinks

Feature

CHEERS TO A POSITIVE END TO 2020!

It’s been a year of highs and lows but whether shoppers are celebrating or commiserating this Christmas, they’ll be doing so with some Christmas drinks. SLR takes a look at what they might be looking for…

L

et’s face it, 2020 has been a shocker. But with a vaccine on the way and Christmas just around the corner, there’s a good chance that many shoppers in Scotland will be planning to cut loose a little this festive period. The purse strings might get loosened a little and with the convenience channel more popular than ever and MUP ensuring the supermarkets can’t undercut local retailers, there’s every chance that this could be a bumper sales period on the drinks front.

To help retailers focus on where shoppers might be encouraged to spend a bit more this Christmas, we have highlighted a number of key trends and sales and profit opportunities...

GIFTING The old Christmas favourite, gifting is a massive opportunity because nobody wants to be seen to be 40

SLR | DECEMBER 2020

offering value brands as gifts, do they? Premium all the way.

“There is a real opportunity for the local retailing channel in last couple of weeks before Christmas to become a destination for key festive categories such as whiskey and wine,” says Chris Shead, Pernod Ricard UK (PRUK) Off-Trade Channel Director.

Independent research by PRUK identified gifting as amongst the main reasons for spirit purchases at Christmas, with 48% of people buying alcohol as a gift last year. Gin, Vodka, Irish Whiskey and Wine have always been important categories at Christmas, however, growth has accelerated in these sectors in 2020 and are the four key categories that have seen exponential growth, particularly during the lockdown period.

When it comes to gifting, premium brands play the lead role and space should be allocated to key categories www.slrmag.co.uk

Feature

Xmas Drinks

that are in growth, displaying both a core range as well as flavoured variants, particularly as flavoured Gin is the No.1 value contributor in impulse [Nielsen, Mar 2020].

Hannah Dawson, Head of Category Development, OffTrade at Diageo agrees: “People naturally gravitate towards products they know and trust for great quality and taste.

Especially as people are currently spending less time in stores, there is less time to browse fixtures – therefore it’s all the more important to ensure retailers that the drinks range includes a number of popular brands to aid instore navigation and help guarantee sales.”

SPIRITS As highlighted above, PRUK is encouraging retailers to focus on four key categories including Gin, Vodka and Irish Whiskey. Why? Gin has continued double-digit growth for the past 12 weeks and is growing faster the nearer Christmas comes, Vodka is the second biggest value contributor in Total Spirits after flavoured gin and Irish Whiskey is the second fastest growing category behind Gin. PRUK’s Shead advises retailers that Beefeater gin is a must-stock (growing +63.6% in value) while Plymouth is also back in growth in the off-trade (+19.9% by value) with MALFY a great addition to any flavoured gin range.

As for vodka, Absolut holds the majority of Premium+ vodka category sales in the off trade (56% share) and is growing at 27.4%.

Meanwhile, Jameson is the UK’s number one Irish Whiskey brand and is seeing a significant performance in the off-trade (+25.1% by value) and growing three times faster than the Total Whisky category (+7.1%).

Hannah Dawson of Diageo broadly echoes those sentiments: “Gin is driving the biggest growth in spirits with flavoured variants making up 45.8% of total value share MAT. Gordon’s SKUs in particular currently

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SLR | DECEMBER 2020

www.slrmag.co.uk

NO .1

RED WINE IN THE UK**

NO .1

BEST KNOWN WINE BRAND IN THE UK*

NO .2

FAVOURITE WHITE WINE IN THE UK†

ENJOY RESPONSIBLY

*Source: Prime database, IPSOS fiscal YTD 2020 until end of Dec 2019 **Source: Nielsen – Total Coverage – Value % Share – MAT to WE 05.09.20 †Source: Nielsen – Total Coverage – Value % Share – MAT to WE 05.09.20

Feature

Xmas Drinks

occupy the top eight spots in the impulse channel. Crossmerchandising spirits with premium mixers can also inspire customers to try something new.”

Dawson highlights luxury vodka Cîroc as a key tool in unlocking the big night in occasion this Christmas: “The big night in occasion will be key and Cîroc’s share of total vodka sales typically spikes during Christmas as it is known as a spirit for shared consumption. There’s an opportunity to showcase premium and super premium ranges on shelf this festive season as people look to treat themselves. Flavours are a key driver of brand appeal and differentiation among all Cîroc buyers in the convenience sector.”

SELTZERS AND RTDS A newish sub-category that could spring to life this Christmas is hard seltzers, with major brands like White Claw, Budweiser and Smirnoff and helping grow the category. Another entrant into the hard seltzer fest is beer giant Molson Coors.

Andrew Lawrence, Sales & Operations Director for Scotland at Molson Coors, says: “Hard seltzers are low-calorie alcoholic sparkling water drinks often infused with fruit, which come in readyto-drink formats. They can help retailers to appeal to more health-conscious shoppers, meeting the demand for lighter alcohol options without compromising on taste.

Having been a huge hit with consumers to date, it’s an exciting segment of the market and is certainly one to watch moving forward.

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SLR | DECEMBER 2020

www.slrmag.co.uk

STOCK UP NOW

Feature

Xmas Drinks

“The hard seltzer market is in a period of significant growth in the US, where sales topped more than $1.5bn in retail last year and saw growth of 215%. While it’s still early days in Europe, we’re expecting the hard seltzer category to follow a similar pattern to the US, and it presents a strong growth opportunity for Scottish retailers moving forward.”

Molson Coors has gotten in on the act thanks to a partnership with Miami Cocktail Company to roll-out its range of award-winning, hand-crafted organic cocktails in stores in Scotland and across the UK. The brand fulfils consumer demands for less calories and more natural ingredients that are increasingly becoming key drivers of purchasing decisions. “We expect it to be a popular choice with Scottish shoppers looking to enjoy cocktails at home and on-the-go as we move into 2021,” says Lawrence.

The company also announced an exclusive distribution partnership with Bodega Bay earlier this year which saw the launch in the UK of the California-inspired brand made with natural ingredients and containing just 72 calories, with no added sugar, artificial flavourings or colours. Variants include Elderflower, Lemon & Mint and Apple, Ginger & Acai Berry.

Echo Falls also launched its first ever Rosé Seltzers in August to appeal to consumers looking to moderate their alcohol consumption and to capitalise on the category’s continued growth.

LOW AND NO With alcohol-free drinks now definitely a ‘thing’ in convenience, sales of low and no alcohol products have consistently grown and the category is now taken seriously in many stores.

Again, Molson Coors has been working hard in the category, as Lawrence explains: “We recently expanded our low and no alcohol portfolio with the launch of Doom Bar Zero, the UK’s first widely available 0.0% ABV amber ale.

It retains a similar flavour profile and stays true to the style of the successful Doom Bar brand while achieving 0.0% alcohol – significantly more difficult to brew than 0.5%.

“Bavaria 0.0% continues to be a popular choice while our Cobra Zero also lets consumers enjoy the muchloved taste of Cobra without any alcohol. Our Rekorderlig Alcohol-Free Strawberry & Lime cider provides an option for those looking for different flavours, with light fruity notes making it a perfect choice for those with a sweeter tooth.

“We recommend creating a distinct low and no alcohol section as part of retailers’ existing alcohol range, so that they are easy to find and will catch the eye of beer and cider fans who are looking for something different. It is also important to have a good selection of chilled no and low alcohol options that shoppers can pick up and enjoy straight away.”

Since launching four years ago, Diageo’s Seedlip brand has earned a loyal following due to its commitment to offering the highest quality non-alcoholic options to consumers. The Seedlip range is now poured in the top 50 bars in the world and is performing well in the off-trade too.

Accolade Wines launched Echo Falls Botanicals in May 2020 to cater to the current consumer trend in botanicals, 46

SLR | DECEMBER 2020

www.slrmag.co.uk

Holidays are Coming

• Large sharing packs* of Coca-ColaTM are growing by 20%** • Stock up on Coca-Cola festive packs to take advantage of increased at-home consumption occasions • Multi-Million pound Coca-Cola Christmas campaign for 2020 SCAN TO ADD TO YOU NEXT ORDER

Coca-Cola Original Taste 1.5L PMP

0 5 0 0 0 1 1 2 5 8 5 4 5 2

TO FIND OUT MORE EMAIL CONNECT@CCEP.COM, CALL CUSTOMER HUB ON 0808 1 000 000 OR VISIT WWW.COKECUSTOMERHUB.CO.UK

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 1.75L PMP

0 5 0 0 0 1 1 2 5 8 3 9 3 9

Diet Coke 1.75L PMP

0 5 0 0 0 1 1 2 5 8 3 9 1 5

#holidaysarecoming

*Includes Large PET bottles, multi-pack cans and multi-pack glass bottles ** Nielsen (Home Channel) Total Coverage Value MAT w/e 13.06.20 © 2020 The Coca-Cola Company. All rights reserved. COCA-COLA is a registered trade mark of The Coca-Cola Company.

Xmas Drinks

Feature

driven primarily by Gen-Z and Millennial audiences.

Research has shown that 73% of No/Low drinkers buy wine and, at 5.5% ABV, so Echo Falls Botanicals caters to the consumer demand for fruitier and sweeter wine styles with a lower ABV intake. Served in a 750ml/75cl bottle, the line is available in two contemporary flavours: Melon & Mint and Raspberry & Lavender.

WINE According to PRUK’s Chris Shead: “Wine momentum is building as more consumers enjoyed wine at home, as opposed to in pubs and bars, during the Covid-19 crisis and the off-trade has seen +12.5% value growth and +8.9% volume growth. PRUK is ramping up investment in this category and can claim the #1 red wine and #2 white wine in the UK with Campo Viejo and Brancott Estate respectively, making these must-stock brands this Christmas.”

For Accolade Wines’ Head of Category and Insight – Europe, Norbert Jozsa, this Christmas will also see sustainability become a much more important issue for shoppers, and thus retailers. He says: “Sustainability is a key focus for us, and this year we announced that our core branded portfolio – including Hardys, Mud House, Jam Shed, Banrock Station, Echo Falls and Kumala – has been certified carbon neutral, with the aim to complete 100% portfolio neutrality by the end of 2020.

“We know that there is demand from shoppers for greener products, with 62% of consumers saying they want to buy from sustainable brands, and the wine category is no different.”

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BEER Among the most critical element to get right in the beer category this Christmas is pack sizes, as Diageo’s Dawson highlights: “Pack sizes are a hugely important factor to consider, especially in the beer category. Recent data has demonstrated that bigger pack sizes are driving growth in the beer category, with value sales of 12- and 10-packs up by 13% and 9% over the last six months. It will be important to stock a variety of pack formats that lend themselves to a range of occasions, such as gifting and stocking up for the ‘at-home occasion’ – this will also encourage customers to increase basket size and provide them with more choice.”

SOFT DRINKS AND MIXERS Offering a strong soft drinks and mixers range over Christmas will, of course, be vital to help drive basket spend and footfall, particularly in the last few days before the big day. Amy Burgess, Senior Trade Communications Manager at Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP), says: “A whopping £6.2bn went through grocers’ tills in the final two weeks before Christmas in 2019, demonstrating what a huge opportunity the Christmas top-up is to retailers.

We expect this trend to continue again this year, with 72% of shoppers planning to do their shopping in the final two weeks before Christmas in 2020, and nearly two-thirds intending to pop to the shops between 20th and 23rd of December.”

Mixers and adult soft drinks will be particularly important, says Burgess, and retailers should be ready to capitalise on these last-minute sales opportunities by ensuring they are well-stocked with sharing pack formats of best-selling lines like the Coca-Cola range and Schweppes Mixers. “It’s also worth focussing on chilled soft drinks for shoppers looking to enjoy their soft drinks straight away,” she adds. www.slrmag.co.uk

Xmas Drinks

Feature

She also flags up Appletiser as a great non-alcoholic option to offer to customers and highlighting its uesfuleness as a mocktail base.

Meanwhile, Matt Gouldsmith, Channel Director, Wholesale at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, suggests Ribena as a great brand to help grow sales this Christmas: “Ribena’s heritage and brand equity – as the fourth most popular beverage brand in the UK – is well placed to help Scottish retailers drive sales this festive season with the introduction of new sparkling drinks.”

Ribena Sparkling is now available in two flavours across three formats. Ribena Sparkling Blackcurrant comes in 500ml, 2L and 6x330ml multipack cans, while Ribena Sparkling Raspberry is available in 500ml and 2L formats.

Flavoured carbonates have seen amazing growth of 7.1% recently, and they also have one of the highest penetrations of any soft drink category at 81%. Four out of five of those buyers consume flavoured carbs at least once a week.

Gouldsmith says in-home occasions for carbonated soft drinks grew 40% during the first national Covid-19 lockdown period as shoppers embraced more ‘drink later’ drinks, meaning there’s a real opportunity for the right brand to drive excitement for shoppers as they spend time indoors with their families through this winter season and more so at Christmas.”

www.slrmag.co.uk

DECEMBER 2020 | SLR

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Feature

Tobacco

VALUE STATEMENT The latest tobacco market data suggests it’s all about price these days as shoppers continue to shift into RYO and value cigarettes – but the category remains resilient, and profitable, for retailers.

I

t will come as a surpise to no one that the tobacco market remains heavily pricedriven as consumers increasingly shift towards the value end of the market.

“We’re seeing an uplift in consumers switching into Roll Your Own (RYO), as well as value Factory Made Cigarettes (FMC),” says Duncan Cunningham, UK Corporate Affairs Director at Imperial Tobacco & blu. “We’re also seeing a rise in dual users buying both RYO and FMC for different occasions, as more shoppers move to a nicotine portfolio approach.”

In fact, Imperial Tobacco figures show a quarter of consumers are now dual smokers, so retailers must be well-equipped with a strong product range across all categories to cater for this trend.

The RYO segment has rapidly expanded its market share and now accounts for around 45% of all tobacco sales, according to Imperial, with recent data showing volume sales are growing by 30%.

Despite this, Factory Made Cigarettes still account for the majority of tobacco sales with a 55% share of the market and are actually experiencing volume growth of 4% YOY, according to Imperial, albeit featuring a

55%

Cigarettes’ share of tobacco market

EMBASSY SIGNATURE Imperial Tobacco has launched a new Embassy Signature range offering a premium product without the premium price tag. Unveiled at the end of last month, the range comprises Gold and Silver variants.

PLOOM REVEALED To capitalise on growth in the heat-not-burn sector, JTI has launched Ploom S, offering adult smokers and dualists (smokers and vapers) an alternative but familiar tobacco experience by heating tobacco instead of burning it. Available initially in London, the device can be used exclusively with EVO tobacco sticks which are available in four different flavours with an RSP of £4.50.

CRUSH OPTIONS As value continues to be the main purchase driver in tobacco, Imperial Tobacco has launched new crush variants for JPS Players and L&B Blue with a new Superkings variant that lasts 35% longer.

TEAK HEETS IQOS, the leading heat-not-burn player in the UK, has launched new Teak Selection HEETS tobacco sticks to provide the taste and satisfaction of real tobacco offering “a toasted tobacco blend with nutty aromas” with an RSP of £5.

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SLR | DECEMBER 2020

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Tobacco

continued shift towards value products that offer the lowest out of pocket spend.

The major FMC manufacturers have embraced this shift with Imperial Tobacco, for instance, repositioning some of its leading brands into the sub-economy sector, such as L&B Blue and Embassy.

Ross Hennessy, Sales Vice President at JTI UK, is equally bullish about the tobacco market: “Even with everything that has happened this year, the tobacco market continues to be one of the biggest and most resilient FMCG categories in the UK and a category that drives footfall and revenue for convenience stores nationwide.”

Hennessy also shares the view that value is a critical focus for local retailers, alongside great availability. He says “Price remains a key factor for existing adult smokers when choosing where to shop for tobacco, so local retailers should look to remain competitive by selling at the RSP or below to help drive sales.

“With research showing that nearly a third of smokers will choose to buy elsewhere if their preferred brand is unavailable, maintaining a full range and availability of tobacco brands across the pricing scale is important if retailers are to maximise the profit opportunity.”

So what profit opportunities lie ahead? For Imperial Tobacco’s Cunningham, Christmas may offer a bigger boost than normal to local retailers, as he explains: “As we prepare for a Christmas like no other before, retailers may be in a strong position to benefit. We’ve seen more consumers choosing to shop locally and this is a trend that is likely to continue throughout the traditional festive season.”

Another profit opportunity is in smoking accessories off the back of both the Menthol Ban in May an the continued growth of the RYO market.

Cunningham again: “This shift towards RYO products presents new sales opportunities for tobacco-related accessories.

“To tap into this trend, retailers should make sure they’re fully stocked at all times of filters, papers, lighters and other flavour-related innovations like Rizla Flavour Infusions Cards and Rizla Polar Blast Crushball filters, to cater for the rising number of consumers buying into the RYO segment.”

Imperial Tobacco says its currently selling around 900,000 packs of Rizla Flavour Infusions a week. as consumers look to recreate the menthol experience.

Another factor benefitting local retailers is the restriction on international travel under Covid-19 which is reducing the amount of tobacco bought abroad for consumption in the UK. 54

SLR | DECEMBER 2020

30%

Increase in recent RYO sales volumes

“We’re also seeing a rise in dual users buying both RYO and FMC for different occasions, as more shoppers move to a nicotine portfolio approach.”

DUNCAN CUNNINGHAM

THE CHRISTMAS CIGAR OPPORTUNITY CIGAR MARKET POLARISES UNDER LOCKDOWN

Traditionally, the cigar category sees a pronounced peak around Christmas and, after the year we’ve all had, this year could see a bumper opportunity for local retailers as shoppers add a little luxury to their festivities after a tough year.

The category is performing well this year with total sales volumes in Scotland actually in growth by 2.1%. Interestingly, sales of medium and large cigars in Scotland have risen – by an even chunkier 6.5% in volume and 10.2% in value. So is there a major opportunity to grow sales of larger cigars over the next month or so?

Alastair Williams, UK Country Director at category captains Scandinavian Tobacco Group comments: “What we’re seeing under lockdown is more people spending more time at home.

Medium and large cigars obviously require a little longer to enjoy so it could simply be that more consumers have more occasions available to them to enjoy a larger cigar. It would be no surpise if that trend carried on throughout the Christmas period.”

At least some of the growth in the larger cigar market has been driven by a special limited edition introduced in August by STG. The Union Jack-bedecked Henri Wintermans Half Corona Limited Edition saw sales spike hugely and annual retail sales value in Scotland hit a chunky £1.9m, so it’s a good pack for retailers to focus on this Christmas.

The bulk of the market remains smaller cigars however with STG’s Moments Blue leading the value for money offering. Sales are up 1.7% by volume in Scotland.

“It appears that there is a bit of polarisation,” says Williams. “The areas we’re seeing the biggest growth are in the premium end and the value for money end and that’s something that retailers should be aware of when they’re checking their range this Christmas.”

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DISCOVER THE

REAL LEAF CHOICE

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Epos

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EPOS FACILITATING THE TECH REVOLUTION The pandemic has seen the local retailing sector massively accelerate its adoption of new technologies, particularly around home delivery and click & collect, shining a new light on the vital role that a great Epos system can play at the heart of new tech strategies.

SAME MAIN PHOTO AS ON ADVERTORIAL

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decent Epos system is now generally accepted as a ‘must have’ in modern convenience, but the role that Epos plays in running a store these days has been transformed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Once seen exclusively as a fantastic tool for running an efficient, profitable business, the role that Epos now plays has been magnified enormously over the last eight or nine months as retailers embrace more and more in-store technologies. To get the very best out of most of these new technologies, retailers need to have them integrated with their Epos system.

The big challenge for Epos companies then is to shed their long-standing and deepseated reluctance to integrate with third party solutions, be they simple apps like digital loyalty cards or home delivery software or be they more complex solutions like self-scan tills, in-store tobacco vending machines or digital shelf-edge labels.

Without full, real-time integration with an Epos system, many of these systems simply can’t function optimally. Manually extracting price files, stock levels and so on from an Epos system to use in an app or on a website is all but impossible at a practical level without some form of integration, even if that’s just a simple API – but many Epos providers won’t even accept that basic level of integration with their systems.

The reasons why Epos providers are so reluctant to integrate with solutions from other providers are complex and, often, quite illogical – to the retailer at least. Whatever the reasons, it seems inevitable that this accelerated adoption of new tech in the convenience sector is set to continue, so Epos companies that refuse to adapt and evolve with the times could find themselves facing big challenges winning new retail customers, and retaining the ones they already have.

One provider that seeing big growth in Scotland by adopting a flexible approach is Motherwell-based Mhouse Solutions. The company now supplies well over 700 stores www.slrmag.co.uk

Epos

in Scotland and has enjoyed a stellar year in 2020. Managing Director Faisal Sattar puts much of that growth down to his company’s open-minded approach to integrations.

He says: “Mhouse can demonstrate an uplift of 3% in gross profit using our MPoS system by giving store owners much greater control over a wider range of store procedures.

But we’ve always said that wherever the customer, MPoS will be there to help. It’s all about convenience and it always will be.

These days that increasingly means taking an open-minded approach to working with thirds-party solutions and software providers to help deliver the best possible package for both retailers and their customers.”

Mhouse has long integrated with cigarette gantry solutions and loyalty schemes, both digital and paper, and had “countless discussions” with providers of other solutions around the areas where today’s shoppers are showing interest including areas like home delivery and waste management.

“We don’t say yes to every integration that’s proposed to us, for all sorts of sensible reasons, but we will always listen and take a pragmatic approach if we think the solution can work and will benefit retailers and customers,” he says. “Technology is going to play a much bigger role in convenience in future and much of that progress will be built on having a great Epos system as base platform. MPoS is that platform.”

Another Epos provider making big headway in Scotland this year is Northern Ireland-based Henderson Technology. As part of the Henderson Group, the company is in the unusual position of being both a large scale retailer – serving hundreds of Spar stores in the province – and a technology solutions provider. That position gives the company unique insight into the real-world challenges (and opportunities) of using Epos on a daily basis which helps inform and drive the development of its proprietary EDGEpoS solution.

Over recent months the company has used its retail experience to unveil a range of solutions including digital shelf-edge strips, home delivery and click and collect apps and, most recently, a contactless cash recycling solution that sees automated units fitted at every till point and means staff never have to touch cash. Shoppers feed their money into the machines and receive their change without staff ever having to handle the cash - and there is a real-time log of every penny that’s currently in the system so cashing up at the end of the day, sorting floats and all sorts of other time-consuming but vital tasks are fully automated, freeing staff up to focus on www.slrmag.co.uk

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replenishing shelves and providing improved customer service.

Ron Whitten, Chief Financial Officer at Henderson Group says: “The solution provides centralised control of cash inventory and optimisation of all cash processes.

“The solution has proven time efficiencies through removing routine non-value added tasks such as float replenishment, till uplifts, safe counting and lodgement preparation and so on. Whilst we have been focused on streamlining in-store administrative tasks and removing inefficiencies in our processes to focus on the customer experience, the current challenges presented by Covid-19 have further heightened our interest in new technologies to remove pressure on our store teams.”

Henderson, however, has also taken an open-minded approach to integrations and currently offers integrations with everything from CCTV solutions from SurvSec and tobacco vending systems from Navarra to Azpiral loyalty solutions and Glory cash recycling systems.

It’s a rapidly changing world and it will bring more challenges in future, even when coronavirus is gone. But just as retailers are having to adapt – and quickly – so to are Epos providers.

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EDGEPoS — The Future of Retail Technology is here Innovational integrations with many third party Apps. Connect with your customers.

Security, operational efficiency and business development within your store.

Control pricing, product and reporting across multiple locations.

A reliable new and innovative offering to the convenience and fuel market for Self-Checkout.

Grocery Delivery Click ‘N Collect Hot Food Collection/Delivery App

appetite is now fully integrated with EDGEPoS henderson.technology/appkit

The EDGEPoS Electronic Shelf Edge Label (ESEL) System is a tool used by retailers to display specific product pricing on shelves.

Electronic display modules are fixed to the front edge of the retail shelving.

Accurate pricing Shelf edge influence Enhance your shopper experience Increase margin instantly Utilise assistant hours in different areas of the store Reduce wrong pricing customer complaints Instant promotion changeovers and price changes

Speak with an EPOS expert at henderson.technology/esels

Keep your shelves talking with EDGEPoS ESELs

Henderson Technology

Advertising Feature

TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS BY RETAILERS FOR RETAILERS As part of the Henderson Group, the new innovations and solutions being brought to market by Henderson Technology are borne out of real experience at the retail coal face.

BY DARREN NICKELS, RETAIL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, HENDERSON TECHNOLOGY.

T

he way consumers are shopping has changed beyond recognition.

With convenience retail facing new challenges with the pandemic, and all stores regardless of size or offering, need to be able to provide customers with choice.

This is really driving stores and store operators to embrace new products and innovations.

At Henderson Technology, we have developed our own bespoke Click and Collect and home delivery mobile app through EDGEPoS to meet the new normal trends of increased usage of these of these services in the convenience sector, and we are seeing stores regularly achieve over £4,000 per week of additional sales via the App. Our new App allows shoppers to pre-order their groceries to collect at a time convenient to them, or have delivered. In conjunction with Appetite, the app not only enables users to fill their basket with their usual essentials, but also allows them to pre-order from the food-to-go deli in selected stores. This is just one of the ways the company has reacted to the change in daily life over the past few months.

Technology has played a huge part in the ways in which both retailers and consumers have had to adapt over the past few months, and with our SPAR and EUROSPAR stores being a lifeline for many vulnerable and isolating members of the community, we needed to make it even easier for them to access their groceries from outlets they can trust. The app is completely user friendly; once a local store is selected, they can search products, view special offers and deals and complete their order quickly and securely after choosing a time to collect or delivery that suits them. Currently there are a number of SPAR and

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EUROSPAR stores trialling it in Northern Ireland and in England. We can see this becoming a huge part of the business moving forward. The App will move towards including Pay at the Pump services and other functions to further ease the shopper journey at stores.

We have a responsibility to ensure shoppers get their essentials as safely as possible, and at this time, that means many do not want to come in store, no matter what safety measures we have invested in. This is where technology comes in and we are at a great advantage to have the team’s skills and expertise, to move quickly and push out these trials on the ground as soon as they’re ready.

Self-Checkout is also key to providing a more contact free experience and adoption of these technologies is a must – our EDGEPoS selfcheckout has been specifically designed for convenience and forecourt operators as a low cost option to allow for easy adoption. We are also seeing strong orders for Electronic Shelf Edge Labels, again helping keep shop floors free to maintain social distancing and ease the shopper journey. There are many more innovations in the pipeline, so it is key for retailers to ensure they are partnered with a POS provider that is active in developing these solutions and is beside them in developing their business to meet the new normal.

For retailers who currently don’t use EPOS and considering a switch, there are important things to consider: Using a feature rich solution such as EDGEPoS allows retailers to have control over all aspects of their business and so can help with security of processes, operational efficiency, and ultimately developing their business even further

and capture new opportunities. It is also vital in a world where technology is now so important and will continue to play a greater and greater role in all aspects of everyday life and so will ensure that a retailer can respond to the needs and expectations of shoppers. We see retailers that use EDGEPoS across the UK are embracing mechanisms such as promotions, deals and customer coupons to drive repeat custom and enhance their value proposition to shoppers – key at a time of great uncertainty. Strong retail system reporting also allows the retailer finely tune pricing to achieve the best margins and profitability.

Efficiency is also a vital factor, given potential staff sickness and rising costs, so reducing time spent on instore task such as labelling by using Electronic Shelf Edge Labels and installing selfcheckouts prove to be big benefits.

EDGEPoS offers a solution that is forward thinking providing the latest developments in convenience retail. Our product is designed by us as retailers for retailers, and this gives us clear focus on the needs of retailers in the ever changing convenience retail market.

With over 600 stores across the UK and Australia using the system, we work with our retailers to ensure we drive the developments they need, and then back that up with best-in-class support services and retailer support at every turn because we know that being a strong and valued partner to our retailers is key to both their and our success.

Our award winning solutions bring a high end, feature rich solution in an accessible package for all retailers, with no upfront costs to implement and work seamlessly across convenience or forecourt stores, for single or multi-site operators.

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Helping you to make an extra 3% Gross Profit Ease of use

Simple to use touch screen till software

Backoffice admin software

Cigarette Gantry integration

Indepth reporting and analysis

Touch screen handheld device to control the shop from the shopfloor

Supplier Data links with all major Wholesalers

Credit Card integration

Weekly health check reports to guide you to improve your sales and margin.

Access to background database with over 100,000 products

Benefits of MPos ✓ Built around a retailer, not a computer user ✓ Simple to use till, powerful admin tools ✓ Built from retailers perspective ✓ Reduces labour by downloading products, price changes, invoices and promotions

✓ Reduces labour by allowing one click order generation and one click invoice downloads - easily shave off 10 hours of work per store

✓ Increased control on stock; all stock deliveries downloaded and all stock adjustments emailed to the owner; NO stock is unaccounted for

✓ Emails store performance to the user with real actionable data once a week rather than stats heavy reports that overwhelm the user

✓ Based in Scotland with excellent support and training program

✓ Easy to use Hand Held terminal to control the store from shop floor ✓ Integration with Credit Card terminals, Zapper, Cigarette Gantry, Loyalty Schemes and more ✓ Developed and supported by people that know the retail trade

So How much Could our System make for you?

We can demonstrate a 3% uplift in Gross Profit in using our system.

£5,000 £10,000 £15,000 £20,000 £25,000

£7,800 Current Weekly Turnover Extra profit per annum

£15,600 £23,400 £31,200 £39,000

Even a Single Lane system can more than pay for itself in the first 4 months!

MHouse, 349 Shields Road, Motherwell, ML1 2LD

Tel: 0800 242 5360 email sales@mhousesolutions.com

Mhouse Solutions

Advertising Feature

MPOS: THE SOLUTION THAT DELIVERS EXTRA PROFIT As one of the UK’s leading Epos suppliers, Motherwell-based Mhouse Solutions is focused exclusively on saving cost, driving efficiency and adding profit for local retailers.

E

pos systems have been nothing short of a revolution in the retail space. Businesses like grocery and convenience stores are equipping themselves with a technology that reduces their dependence on labour while simultaneously saving cost and boosting efficiency.

With the rapid pace of technological advancement, a plethora of opportunities have introduced themselves and appeared in the realms of retail. With integrated credit card systems, loyalty apps, cloud technology, delivery partners, and even CCTV playing a part in optimising your stores, it can become a daunting task to individually maneuver through the vast sea of potential feasibility.

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As a solution that merits its value, an Epos system can help you with just that.

A system that manages the operations of your store should have the capacity to allow other tools to operate as additional limbs. This would create a singular system where you have the ability to control all the additional features and technological integrations you might wish to introduce to your premises, and your Epos system is the key to the kingdom as it is a technology that complements all else.

We as a dynamic company aim to work with the most pragmatic, efficient, and value-driven technologies that are out on offer. With feedback from our customers in mind, we are always developing and creating room for

more integrations. After all, our mantra is to make your life easier and help you make that extra profit.

As a retailer, the bank account will always remain as the bottom line.

Regardless of how efficient a new method or gimmick may be. The relevance is established through the impact it has on the numbers. MPOS was created while keeping that model in mind, as a bespoke system created ‘For retailers, by retailers’.

With our personal experience in the retail space that aggregates beyond 30 years, we established the formula and perfected the recipe. Now, we have eliminated the redundancies and added features to help you optimise your stores. After all, we’re all for making you comfortable, with a heavier wallet.

“With our personal experience in the retail space that aggregates beyond 30 years, we established the formula and perfected the recipe.”

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UTC

HAMILTON ACCIES GIN – BY WAY OF DUNDEE Avid readers of this page will know by now that, for his many sins, UTC is an enthusiastic Hamilton Accies fan. Or as enthusiastic a fan as you can be when your team is rock bottom of the Scottish Premier League and recently suffered an 8-0 humping to Rangers.

So his mood was mildly improved recently when he received an email from the The Real Hoops telling him he could now buy official Hamilton Accies Gin. Then he noticed something odd on the bottle: it’s made in Dundee.

Granted, he wasn’t aware of any gin distilleries in Hamilton, but safe to say he’ll be sticking with his tried and tested 12-pack of Tennent’s and litre bottle of Grouse this Christmas.

HATS OFF TO THE GOOD FOLKS OF MONIAIVE It’s not every day that the life-weary Auld Yin sees something that lifts his spirits but he had a spring in his step when he learned of a fantastic Christmas initiative in the tiny village of Moniaive in Dumfries & Galloway. Consider yourself privileged, good folks of Moniaive.

Graham Watson, friend of SLR and all round good guy, sent this to UTC and he promptly doffed his battered flat cap in honour of a brilliant idea to support small independent businesses in the village.

Local businesses create 25 special offers, one from each business, so Moniaivers get a great deal every day in December as well as helping support the local community and the businesses it relies on.

Top work Graham!

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IT’S CRYING TIME AGAIN..

While we’re on the subject of Hamilton Accies, the auld boy was befuddled recently by a conversation his boss, another Accies fan, was having with a guy from Cheshire on Twitter.

At first glance, it looked like @RussinCheshire was a fellow long-suffering fan of the boys in red and white - but it turns out there’s a musical called Hamilton that also ends with the entire audience in tears.

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SUPPORTING GROCERY COLLEAGUES The GroceryAid Covid-19 Fund is designed to help colleagues who need support now and throughout the full impact of the pandemic.

Grocery colleagues have access to:

“Amid the huge challenge of Covid-19 our trade has done a great job of keeping the nation fed. GroceryAid has raised a special Covid-19 fund to help our industry colleagues at this time of need. The 24/7 Helpline will deal with concerns and assist with financial stress caused by this terrible virus.”

- Charles Wilson, GroceryAid President

Mental Health Support Offering ‘in the moment’ emotional and practical support for colleagues dealing with shock, anxiety and stress through BACP trained counsellors, our Health and Wellbeing portal and Woebot, our AI Robot App. Bereavement Financial Assistance Providing financial assistance for the loss of a loved one through Covid-19. Available to colleagues who lose a partner or the immediate family of a colleague who has passed away as a result of Covid-19 whilst working in our industry.

Crisis Grants Non-repayable grants, designed to help with financial emergencies. This is available for colleagues experiencing unexpected financial difficulties due to Covid-19 with a year’s industry service.

GroceryAid Helpline: 08088 021 122 Visit: www.groceryaid.org.uk Follow us: