SLR January 2021 edition.

LEVI BOORER

Ferrero talks Valentine’s Day

DUNCAN CUNNINGHAM JANUARY 2021 | ISSUE 213

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DAN & UMAR SHOW THE WAY!

Dan Brown and Umar Majid claim the top awards

Kickstart vaping growth

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BESTWAY BUYS BIG

Costcutter snapped up

DEACON DEPARTS

Greg Deacon leaves NFRN

DRAM FINE BURNS NIGHT Top whisky picks

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Contents

January 2021

Contents ISSUE 213

NEWS p4

Crime There’s a double helping of good news from Westminster in the fight against in-store assaults. p5 Symbol Groups Bestway Wholesale snaps up Costcutter for an undisclosed sum. p6 Wholesalers The Scottish Government throws the troubled sector a £5m lifeline. p8 Charity Scotmid raises £300,000 to fund services provided

by Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland. p10 News Extra Local Sourcing A new £100,000 Scottish Government scheme encourages shoppers to ‘Go Local’. p20 Product News Ferrero unveils its spring range and Nescafé has a tempting bean-to-cup proposition. p24 Off-Trade News Diageo launches on-pack health warnings and Captain Morgan unveils a new campaign.

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INSIDE BUSINESS p28 Research Digest Shoppers are increasingly turning to local produce as the impact of Brexit looms ever larger. p30 Acquisitions Do Costcutter retailers have something to look forward to after the group was bought by Bestway? p37 Retailer Support GroceryAid Day Support your industry colleagues who might need a little help and get involved in GroceryAid Day 2021. p38 Fascia Special Nisa Nisa’s flexible model continues to deliver, with new stores seeing 12% average sales rises. p40 Tobacco Signature Dual Trial Retailer Dan Brown sees sales grow by 500% in the first month of a project with Scandinavian Tobacco Group and SLR. p42 Hotlines The latest new products that suppliers want to see on your shelves. p58 Under The Counter The Auld Yin gets rubbed up the wrong way by KY Jelly’s rebrand.

FEATURES p44 Burns Night Whisky is an essential part of Burns Night, so what should you stock to tempt shoppers with? p48 Valentine’s Day There are plenty of options to consider when planning your boxed chocolate offer. p50 Energy Drinks Low and no sugar is the way to go as shoppers embark on their January health kick. p52 NPD Last year was a fairly quiet one for new products, so will 2021 see NPD back with a bang? p54 Vaping What do retailers need to do to try to leverage the category in 2021?

VIRTUAL ON THE COVER p15 SLR Rewards Musselburgh Nisa retailer Dan Brown is our Scottish Local Retailer of the Year 2020.

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JANUARY 2021 | SLR

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News CRIME There’s a double helping of good news for retail staff from Westminster

Corona sales surge during pandemic Sales of Corona shot up by 40% last year despite the Mexican lager’s unfortunate sharing of a name with a well-known pathogen. When the coronavirus outbreak first took hold, some alcohol industry watchers predicted tough times for the brand. However it appears that the constant bombardment of people’s ears with the word coronavirus means that Corona springs to mind first when they fancy a beer.

PayPal launches touchfree payments with iZettle PayPal has launched a new in-store payment solution using the iZettle PoS app to help small businesses accept touch-free transactions. This is the first time that UK retailers are able to accept PayPal QR code payments in-store via a PoS solution. Transactions will be available for iZettle merchants at

Shopworkers petition hits debate trigger as in-store violence inquiry is announced Usdaw’s parliamentary petition that seeks to protect retail staff from violence, threats and abuse has passed the 100,000 signatures needed that should trigger a parliamentary debate on the subject.

Furthermore, the Home Affairs Committee announced a new inquiry to explore the police response to incidents of violence and abuse experienced by retail workers. This follows a joint letter last October from Usdaw, the BRC, the ACS and NFRN to Committee’s calling for an inquiry into the abuse of shopworkers.

The UK Government has repeatedly rejected calls for new legislation to protect retail workers.

Speaking in the House of Commons on 14 December, Minister of State for Crime and Policing Kit Malthouse said the Government didn’t “yet” see a case for a specific offence of assaulting a shopworker. The Government also objected to the

progression of Alex Norris MP’s proposed Assaults on Retail Workers (Offences) Bill. Originally timetabled for its second reading in Parliament in September, the Bill is now delayed until January.

Usdaw’s petition is backed by 23 major retailers and the industry’s leading trade bodies. Additionally, a Co-op survey found that over 80% of the public say abuse of shopworkers is unacceptable and want greater sentencing for offenders.

Usdaw General Secretary Paddy Lillis said the inquiry was a very welcome opportunity to evidence the need for a ‘protection of shopworkers’ law.

He added: “We now urge the House of Commons Petitions Committee to grant a parliamentary debate and for MPs to support the aims of the petition by persuading the Government to back legislation to protect shopworkers.

“Retail staff have a crucial role in our communities and that role must be valued and respected, they deserve the protection of the law.”

In Scotland, Daniel Johnson MSP’s proposed Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) faces a final Stage 3 vote before it can be made law.

Paddy Lillis

a reduced rate of 1% from now until 31 May 2021.

GroceryAid Day returns Ahead of GroceryAid Day on Tuesday 2 March 2021, the industry charity is urging everyone to take a look at the services and help it has to offer, and then think about how they can get involved. GroceryAid will share a pack with everything needed to help raise awareness later this month. Last year 116 companies took part in the event. The GroceryAid Helpline is available 24/7, 365 days a year on 08088 021 122.

Vaccine drives spike in shopper confidence The latest IGD Shopper Confidence Index has revealed that shopper confidence has hit the highest level since last February as the new coronavirus vaccination programme begins to be rolled out across the UK. While still relatively low, November’s score of -6 has reversed the recent decline and

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Morrisons Daily stores help McColl’s to double-digit sales bump A strong performance from its Morrisons Daily format helped drive a 12% rise in like-for-like sales for McColl’s in 2020.

The increase, reported as part of the convenience chain’s trading update for the year ended 29 November, is a significant improvement on 2019’s flat (0%) figure. It was further buoyed by BWS, fresh food and tobacco sales.

With the entire convenience sector resurgent during the pandemic, McColl’s saw a 2.3% rise in revenues to £1.25bn. This was partly offset by 179 store closures during the year as the business shifts its focus to the aforementioned larger, more profitable Morrisons Daily stores.

Earnings before tax is expected to be between £29m and £30m, a drop from £32.1m in 2019. McColl’s

put this down to margin pressures.

Changes in shopping behaviour during the pandemic led to an altered product mix, which squeezed margins.

Decreased services revenues and ongoing Covid-related costs also hit profits.

To simplify its operations and keep costs down, the business expects to have all its stores supplied by Morrisons by March 2021.

STOLEN GOODS

Cops keen to crack case of stolen whisky Retailers have been urged to contact the police if they are offered cut-price whisky after thieves helped themselves to £200,000-worth of Scotch.

A trailer containing 2,000 cases of Glenfiddich 12-year single malt was stolen from Clydesmill Industrial Estate in Carmyle near Glasgow on Friday 11 December around 9.15pm. It turned up empty on Whistleberry Road in Blantyre the next Tuesday morning.

Detective Sergeant Stephen Greenshields is keen to hear from anyone who saw the trailer, which is red with white writing on the sides, during the intervening period. He said: “I’d also like to speak to anyone who has been approached and offered to buy any of this type of whisky at a considerably reduced price and where the seller has no proof of purchase.”

is the highest recorded level since January 2020.

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News MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS Deal adds 1,500 stores to the Bestway empire

Bestway buys Costcutter Bestway Wholesale has bought Costcutter from Bibby Line Group for an undisclosed sum.

The purchase takes Bestway’s annual turnover to almost £3bn, and grows its symbol, franchise, and company store retail estate to more than 3,795 stores in the UK. Approximately 1,500 stores branded under Costcutter, Mace, Supershop, Kwiksave, and Simply Fresh will join Bestway’s family of Bargain Booze, Best-One, Wine Rack, Select Convenience and Central Convenience outlets.

The deal is subject to FCA approval and should complete in the first quarter of 2021. Darcy WillsonRymer, Costcutter’s CEO of nine years, will then leave the business.

Bestway was at pains to reassure Costcutter retailers they would see no operational change as a result of the acquisition and announced a two-and-a-half-year extension to Costcutter’s existing supply contract with Co-op/Nisa.

Costcutter employs around 500 people and has enjoyed a strong

couple of years. Its sales rose by 10% to £426m in 2019; sales and profitability continued to grow this year as consumers increasingly shopped locally because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bestway Boss Dawood Pervez said: “The acquisition of CSG by Bestway Wholesale enables us to further build on our solid foundations in Independent Retail, allowing us to expand on our already established, and highly respected, fascias and national network of stores.

Pervez said there would be benefits of joining forces for retailers, for shoppers, and for suppliers.

He concluded: “We will continue to support and champion this sector and will be investing for its future alongside range, service excellence and technology. Our message to all our retailers is that ‘together we are stronger’ at a time of economic uncertainty, both with Covid-19 and Brexit ahead.”

Turn to page 30 for further analysis of the takeover.

Scottish sales plummet Level 4 lockdowns caused Scottish retail sales to plunge by 9.6% in November on a likefor-like basis compared with the same period in 2019, when they decreased by 1.0%. The figure, from SRC-KPMG Scottish Retail Sales Monitor for November 2020, is below the 3-month average decrease of 7.5% and above the 12-month average decrease of 9.9%.

Tesco triggers massive relief repayment wave Tesco’s repayment of a £585m rates windfall it received from the government during the coronavirus pandemic has prompted Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Lidl and Whole Foods Market to do likewise. The total repayment is believed to be in excess of £2bn. However there are rumblings in the grocery industry that Tesco’s competitors felt they had been “bounced” into the action.

New year, new Heineken boss David Flochel took over as

CHARITY Nisa partners go above and beyond for Making a Difference Locally

FOOTFALL DRIVERS

Bumper month for Nisa’s charity

Managing Director of Heineken

Post Office and Royal Mail seal 12-year deal

UK on New Year’s Day. He

Nisa retailers donated almost £165,000 to good causes between 5 November and 2 December, via the symbol group’s Making a Difference Locally charity.

A total of 329 donations were made by 212 stores.

The events of this year have seen retailer donations to foodbanks and health and wellbeing charities in particular increase. More than half of donations (60%) over this time were made to health and wellbeing charities, totalling £86,581, while 11% went to good causes promoting good food and nutrition (such as foodbanks) totalling £25,574.

One-fifth (20%) of donations were made to support learning facilities such as schools and playgroups, while 7% went to charities providing shelter and security services, including centres for the homeless.

Kate Carroll, Nisa’s Head of Charity, said: “We’ve seen

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replaced interim boss Simon Amor, who has reverted to his position as Off-Trade Director after stepping up when David Forde left the business in July.

countless examples of Nisa partners going above and beyond for their local communities this year and demonstrating the value independent retailers provide to the local area.

“The additional support given to good causes via Making a Difference Locally, at a time when many are facing a significant loss of income but a higher demand for their services, has been incredible.

“November was one of our biggest ever months for partner donations.”

The Post Office and Royal Mail have shaken hands on a new long-term commercial agreement.

The deal, which runs until March 2032, follows on from the pair’s original 2012 agreement, which was set up when the two businesses went their separate ways.

It secures long-term access for Royal Mail to the Post Office network and provides the PO with the ability to continue to sell and accept Royal Mail’s range of postal products.

Post Office boss Nick Read said the deal benefits both “postmasters and customers”.

Flochel joined the brewer from Selecta Group. He previously held several FMCG senior roles at Mars Wrigley and Unilever.

900th f’real installation Milkshake brand f’real has celebrated the installation of its 900th machine in the convenience sector. The company launched in the UK in 2015. With many out-of-home outlets closed in 2020 because of lockdown restrictions, takehome sales of dairy drinks have soared 8.4% in the past year.

A f’real spokesperson said the news was only the beginning: “We have lots of exciting plans in the pipeline, including NPD.”

JANUARY 2021 | SLR

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News WHOLESALERS New resilience fund follows hard lobbying by SWA

Lottery age to rise to 18 Following a consultation in 2019, the government has decided to increase the minimum age for buying National Lottery products from 16 to 18 as of October next year in response to concerns that the National Lottery’s growing portfolio of products could make it a gateway to gambling. ACS Chief Executiv James Lowman welcomed the news. He said: “We are now fully committed to helping retailers to implement this policy over the next 10 months.”

First electric forecourt switches on Gridserve has opened the UK’s first electric forecourt near Braintree in Essex. The site is the first of over 100 electric forecourts being built by the company over the next five years as part of a £1bn UKwide programme. Thirty-six electric vehicles to be charged

Scottish Government throws wholesalers £5m lifeline A new Scottish Wholesale Food and Drink Resilience Fund has been established by the Scottish Government to help qualifying wholesalers affected by coronavirus restrictions cover fixed costs for a six-month period from October 2020.

The £5m sector-specific grant aid follows months of lobbying by the Scottish Wholesale Association and will provide a lifeline to wholesalers which have, in some instances, lost up to 95% of their foodservice income due various licensed and hospitality Covid-19 lockdowns.

The fund will be targeted at food and drink wholesalers that sell to hospitality, on-trade or public sector clients who have seen sales fall by 20% or more since March.

It is intended to cover the shortfall in revenue and fixed operating costs such as business rates, rent, loan repayments, utilities and insurance as well as things like loss of stock.

Colin Smith, Chief Executive of Colin Smith the Scottish Wholesale Association,

welcomed the “vital lifeline”: “While the sector still faces significant challenges, as many of our hospitality and tourism customers remain closed or restricted, this funding will make a huge difference to the survival of many SWA members, protecting food supplies into our 5,000 local convenience stores but especially into our hospitals, care homes, prisons and schools.”

The Scottish Government acknowledged the impact Covid-19 restrictions had on the sector.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing commented: “We recognise that many food and drink wholesalers have lost huge amounts of business almost overnight, in addition to suffering stock loss and other costs as a result of their customers closing. This is affecting the long-term viability of these previously profitable businesses, so we’ve worked closely with the Scottish Wholesale Association to target this funding specifically at those that need it most and help them get through a tough winter.

simultaneously, with high power chargers enabling people to add 200 miles of range in 20 minutes.

SPAR brings cheer to Marie Curie SPAR spread some Christmas

CHARITY Convenience chain helps disadvantaged children

HOME DELIVERY

Cash For Kids receives cheque from One-O-One

McColl’s goes with Uber Eats

cheer by donating sandwiches and treats to nurses and staff at several Marie Curie Hospice across the UK last month.

Deliveries of the SPAR Turkey Feast Christmas sandwiches and treats were made to thank staff for the care and support they have provided to dying people, with and without coronavirus.

SPAR donated 10p to Marie Curie for each one sold.

Green plates are go The UK Government has introduced green number plates to raise awareness of the growing number of zeroemission vehicles, as well as help drivers benefit from initiatives like cheaper parking and free entry into zero-emission zones. The plates have a green flash on the left-hand side and can be retro-fitted to any vehicle if it emits no CO2 from the

One-O-One Convenience Stores donated over £14,000 to Radio Clyde Cash For Kids, just two months after the charity teamed-up with the retail chain.

As pictured, Retail Area Business Manager Jim Harper handed over a cheque in December for £14,225 to the charity outside One-O-One’s Castlemilk store.

Commenting at the time, Harper said there were many more cheques to come over the course of the yearlong partnership.

He added: “We are delighted with the engagement of our teams who are going way above and beyond in their determination to help all kids this Christmas around our trading areas of Glasgow, South Lanarkshire and Edinburgh.”

To further ensure that disadvantaged children had a great time over the festive season, OneO-One also got behind Cash For Kids’ Mission Christmas campaign by donating warehousing and distribution space.

McColl’s has announced a partnership with Uber Eats to offer home delivery from over 400 stores across the UK. A range of 500 daily essentials will be available on-demand via the Uber Eats app including groceries, soft drinks, confectionery, snacks, beer, wine, toiletries and household goods.

McColl’s expects to offer 135 stores via the Uber Eats app ahead of Christmas, with 400 stores on the app in total by by the end of March 2021.

In line with health and safety guidance, all deliveries will be contact-free.

The partnership builds on McColl’s existing home delivery trial with Uber Eats and represents an important milestone as the retail chain progresses its strategic change programme.

exhaust.

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News CHARITY Scotmid hits remarkable fundraising target despite lockdowns

Ferrero toasts muesli purchase Ferrero has bought Eat Natural, a maker of cereal bars, toasted muesli and granola, for an undisclosed sum. The confectionery giant will take over Eat Natural’s production facilities in Halstead, Essex and plans to retain the management and the employees of the business. The deal is expected to close in the next months, subject to the usual closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

Competition watchdog investigates Asda sale The proposed £6.8bn takeover of Asda by private equity firm TDR Capital and billionaire brothers that founded EG Group has run into problems with the Competition and Markets Authority. The watchdog is investigating whether the deal would lead to a “substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the UK for goods or services”. A verdict is expected next month.

Hancocks invests in new online distribution centre Hancocks has acquired a 140,000sq ft warehouse and distribution centre in the Midlands to support the continuing growth of its online business, which saw growth of more than 200% last year.

The purchase will see around 60 permanent roles created at the new site in Manton Wood, Worksop. Hancocks hopes staff from its closing Dunstable site will relocate.

New website works for Nisa Since its launch last July, up to the end of October, Nisa saw an increase of 230% in leads generated from its new website year-on-year as compared to the same period in 2019. The nisalocally.co.uk website was transformed to provide a solution that clearly and effectively demonstrates the Nisa offering, catering for consumers, partners, prospective partners, trade press

Scotmid raises £300k for stroke survivors Staff, customers and members of Scotmid Co-operative have raised an incredible £300,000 to support stroke survivors to rebuild their lives, survive and thrive.

A one year partnership, which was extended due to the Covid pandemic, raised funds for services provided by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS), Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) and England’s Different Strokes.

Thanks to Scotmid’s support, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland can provide six months of support for 1,000 stroke survivors in Scotland’s communities, giving them the vital help and support that they need when they need it most.

Staff from Scotmid, Semichem, Scotmid Funerals and Lakes & Dales stores were fundraising superheroes, taking part in daredevil events like the Forth Bridge Abseil, an eight-hour relay challenge and Munro bagging.

When the pandemic hit, fundraising efforts switched to everything from head-shaves to virtual marathons.

Scotmid and CHSS also joined forces to support vulnerable people throughout lockdown, with Scotmid staff working together with the charity’s Kindness Volunteers to deliver shopping.

Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland thanked everyone at Scotmid: “Your support, your effort, your commitment and your passion has been above and beyond. You have kept us going through what has been one of the hardest years any of us have ever experienced.

“The amount of energy that everyone at Scotmid have put into the partnership has been really inspiring to me.”

Scotmid set itself the £300,000 target in September 2019.

Its Chief Executive John Brodie said: “In what has undoubtedly been the most challenging year we have seen in retail and fundraising, I am so proud of what we have achieved. Not only raising a phenomenal £300,000, but also increasing awareness of symptoms and support services within our communities.”

CASH Closure of businesses reflected in PO figures

NEWSTRADE

England’s lockdown causes huge drop in business deposits, says Post Office

Greg Deacon leaves NFRN

Personal cash deposits remained relatively stable at Post Offices in November compared with the previous month, however business cash deposits fell 22%, largely because of national restrictions across England, according to the latest Post Office Cash Tracker.

Personal cash deposits of £966m dipped 2% compared with October (£984m). Business cash deposits totalled £719m, a 22% fall on October (£924m) and was the lowest amount deposited since June (£492m) when the UK began exiting the first lockdown.

Overall, cash deposits and withdrawals by business and personal customers amounted to over £2.27bn in November. This was

down 10% compared with October (£2.52bn).

Martin Kearsley, Director of Banking at the Post Office, said: “The steady amount of cash deposited by personal customers at Post Offices despite England being under national restrictions last month shows how much Post Office supports those who need to budget on, and use, cash and continues to exceed pre-Covid levels. With cash withdrawals remaining steady we see the reliance millions of people place on the ability to access and deposit cash in a quick and secure manner at their local Post Office.”

For further data and analysis, please visit corporate.postoffice. co.uk/cashtracker.

Greg Deacon has left his role as Chief Operating Officer at the NFRN. Deacon, who has held the position since September 2019, leaves with the best wishes of the National Executive Committee.

The NFRN’s National President Stuart Reddish, Vice President Muntazir Dipoti and Deputy Vice President Jason Birks will look after his duties in the interim.

and many others.

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News Extra

Local Sourcing | New Scottish Government Programme

NewsExtra MAKE VAPING WORK FOR YOU – P54 LOCAL SOURCING £100,000 initial investment in 10-store pilot scheme

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

Convenience Matters with the SGF It was a year like no other. It is difficult to assess the long-term impact on our lives, but as we look back on 2020, some evidence has emerged which might show how shopping behaviours and consumer attitudes have changed during the pandemic.

Two major considerations dominate the picture. The first is the huge shift towards shopping on-line. About 75% of people are now shopping for groceries on-line; this is up from 60% in 2019. The second is that there has been a big move towards convenience stores. Searches on UKwide social media for ‘local shops’ are up 179% on last year. Surveys have found that 70% of those who used local convenience stores to ‘top up’ their shopping during the crisis would maintain the routine. We know that across the UK, the convenience sector is currently making about 600,000 home deliveries each week and that the sector has captured around 30% of the total market share in grocery.

We also cannot ignore the potentially massive impact of Brexit. The staple products which make up a typical basket of shopping in a convenience store won’t be affected but in terms of anything which is imported we might see a much-reduced range of products on the shelves.

So it looks like in 2021 we will continue to shop more online, but when we do pop out for grocery shopping it is just as likely to be to a local convenience store as a big supermarket. Brexit might reduce the rage of product categories in the shops, but this could be a real opportunity to focus on Scottish and seasonal products. Perhaps it’s not all bad.

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Government supports Scottish produce with new local sourcing initiative At a time when its profile has never been higher, local sourcing has been given a further boost by a new scheme that urges shoppers to ‘Go Local’.

Scottish consumers are being encouraged to ‘Go Local’ as part of a new Scottish Government-funded initiative that will transform convenience stores into marketplaces selling more local produce.

The initial phase of this initiative will see £100,000 invested in 10 local shops to increase the space given to Scottish products, broaden the range of Scottish products offered and enhance consumer engagement with Scottish products.

Grants will be awarded for the installation of new equipment dedicated to locally sourced Scottish products on a 50% match-funding basis, capped at £10,000 (i.e. 50% paid by the retailer, 50% paid by the fund).

An evaluation of the pilot phase is expected to be completed by June 2021.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing MSP said: “Convenience stores have played a vital role supporting their local communities through the pandemic – this initiative offers the chance to enhance their offering by stocking more Scottish produce. It will also make a difference for Scottish producers – with many struggling with other markets closed off to them, reaching more customers here at home could make a big difference to their businesses.

“Most importantly, it will give more people the opportunity to buy and enjoy locally sourced Scottish products, including fresh and healthy produce.

“This initiative is a useful addition to the Healthy Living Programme, which already supports Scottish independent retailers to offer healthy food choices, increase sales and assist in the goal of achieving a healthy nation. It all forms part of our commitment to be a Good Food Nation, helping everyone to take pride and pleasure in, and benefit from, the food they produce, buy, cook, serve, and eat each day.”

The initiative will be delivered by the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF), with Scotland Food & Drink supporting on the local sourcing elements.

Jamie Buchanan, previously the Formats and Merchandising Director with CJ Lang, has been appointed as the Director of the Go Local programme.

Buchanan will also take on an additional role as Membership Services Manager with SGF. SGF Chief Executive Pete Cheema said: “At a time when the food and drink industry in Scotland faces unprecedented challenges, we are delighted that the Scottish government is providing funding for the Go Local programme. The programme supports not only Scottish retailers but also Scottish manufacturers and will strengthen the entire supply chain. Consumers have embraced shopping locally and convenience stores can now ensure that customers have access to a wider range of Scottish products.”

One of the pilot stores is Watson’s Grocers in Moniaive, Dumfries & Galloway. Proprietor Graham Watson said: “I believe that the Go Local programme will be an invaluable tool for retailers to effectively promote Scottish products and will give a much needed boost to the Scottish food and drink industry.

“We as a trade have punched way above our weight over the last few months of the pandemic and it invariably has been the local shop that has made the difference to our communities. This new programme will enable me to meet the increased demand from customers for quality Scottish products and to support local producers.”

SGF will employ a dedicated specialist with extensive experience in grocery retail and local sourcing to influence the macro layout and product selection to maximise the range of Scottish products and their exposure to consumers.

In recognition of the healthy angle referred to in Programme for Government, alcohol and discretionary foods (such as confectionery, sweet biscuits, crisps and sweet pastries) will not be included in the programme. www.slrmag.co.uk

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Comment

AN AWARDS LIKE NO OTHER TO END A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

EDITORIAL 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

On reflection, it seems somehow appropriate that a year like no other culminated in an SLR Rewards like no other. Not only was it our first ever virtual awards, the focus and feel of the event was also different: yes, the stars of the show were our winners like Dan Brown, Umar Majid, Charles Wilson and Linda Williams – but the evening was really a celebration of the entire local retailing sector in Scotland.

We named a couple of Covid Heroes on the night, but that’s because it would have been impractical to name all 5,000 or so local retailing Covid Heroes who kept communities across Scotland in one piece in 2020.

When the going got tough, and it absolutely got tougher than it has ever been, the sector that came out fighting, pivoting, innovating, caring, sharing, working every hour and generally just being awesome was the local retailing sector. Local retailers owned 2020 - and for all the right reasons. There isn’t a community across Scotland that doesn’t owe a massive debt of gratitude to its local retailers.

And for that reason, the SLR Rewards was our salute to every single one of you. Our big hope for 2021 is that many of the consumers who discovered their local store for the first time in 2020 have also discovered that they quite liked the experience, thank you very much, and will continue using your stores long into the future.

So it was a suitably unusual awards event to end a strange year. It wasn’t how we wanted to do it – we much prefer the good old fashioned knees-up that we’ve been having for the best part of 20 years. Remember that time when you used to be able to go to industry events, meet actual people, drink draught beer and generally just enjoy the banter about what’s been going in the industry?

Anyway, virtual it had to be and virtual it was. As it turns out, it went pretty well and, judging by the viewing figures – we’re up to well over 750 views now – the format proved pretty popular with a lot of people. I suppose sitting at home in your PJs with a bottle of something in hand has its upsides.

It was also great to just see so many industry colleagues joining in and, while it’s no match for the real thing, it was certainly a pleasant way to begin drawing the curtain on a year that will be remembered long into the future as nothing less than a shocker.

As for 2021, that remains to be seen. It certainly doesn’t feel like we’ve turned over a new leaf quite yet. There’s likely to be a fair bit of more of them same before we see an end in sight – but the world has changed in the meantime and, for my money, nobody has changed with it quite as effectively as the local retailing sector. There’s plenty to be optimistic about, that’s for sure.

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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.

© 55 North Ltd. 2021 ISSN 1740-2409.

ANTONY BEGLEY, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

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SLR Rewards

Cover Story

DAN’S THE MAN – AGAIN!

Musselburgh Nisa retailer Dan Brown has been named Scottish Local Retailer of the Year at the SLR Rewards 2020, sponsored by St Pierre Group – just a year after claiming the Young Retailer of the Year crown.

I

t was a successful night for Dan, the youngest SGF President in history, as he collected two category awards as well as the ultimate prize, including Food-To-Go Retailer of the Year and Scottish Brands Retailer of the Year. For good measure, Dan and his team also collected a Highly Commended award in the Fresh, Chilled & Frozen Retailer of the Year category.

Bellshill Nisa retailer Umar Majid claimed the freshly vacated Young Retailer of the Year crown for his efforts in revitalising the store his father Abdul has owned for decades with the introduction of a new Baba’s Kitchen food-to-go concept that has seen sales and profits flourish.

Ibrox Premier retailer Shamly Sud and her family also enjoyed a highly successful evening, picking up the Forecourt Retailer of the Year, Best Refit of the Year and ThinkSmart Innovation awards for their show-stopping Racetrack Autoport Services store.

Booker CEO Charles Wilson was honoured on the night with a Special Recognition Award after announcing his imminent retirement in September. Charles’ legacy in this industry is unrivalled with the judges hailing him as “one of the most successful businessmen in the UK in any industry” and recognising how he had achieved all of this with “humility and compassion”.

In an industry replete with Covid Heroes, SLR highlighted two individuals and rewarded them with Covid Hero Awards for www.slrmag.co.uk

their exceptional contributions to their local communities during the pandemic. Linda Williams of Premier Broadway Convenience Store in Edinburgh was recognised for her innovative and hugely beneficial Covid Hardship Fun concept that has seen around £10,000 handed out to members of her local community who were in urgent need of a little help. Sean Boyd, a Snappy Shopper delivery driver at Family Choice Hamilton, was also recognised for the work he did during coronavirus, effectively turning his delivery job into an outreach service, helping hundreds of vulnerable local people when they really needed the support.

“It was a fantastic evening, and we hope that that the 700 or so people who have seen

it so far enjoyed the virtual format,” said SLR Publisher Antony Begley. “Putting a full scale virtual event on for the first time was undoubtedly a challenge for our team but they did an outstanding job and it was hugely satisfying to be able to recognise and reward not just the shortlisted entrants and winners on Friday, but the entire local retailing sector in Scotland.

“Local retailers have shone like never before under coronavirus and have finally had the critical role that play at the heart of communities across Scotland celebrated and recognised by a much wider audience – and not before time.

“Huge congratulations to every winner and every shortlisted entrant.”

JANUARY 2021 | SLR

15

6.50

RRP

£

**

FOR 20 POUCHES

*Source: IRI Market Place, Unit Share, Nicotine Pouch Category, Total UK, Aug 2020. To verify contact us via nordicspirit.co.uk/contact **RRP effective 16/11/2020.

You remain free to price as you choose.

NORDIC SPIRIT OF SWEDEN

Cover Story

SLR Rewards

SLR REWARDS 2020 – WINNERS AND HIGHLY COMMENDED STORES SCOTTISH LOCAL RETAILER OF THE YEAR NISA PINKIE FARM CONVENIENCE STORE, MUSSELBURGH

FORECOURT RETAILER OF THE YEAR PREMIER RACETRACK AUTOPORT SERVICES

YOUNG SCOTTISH RETAILER OF THE YEAR UMAR MAJID, NISA LOCAL BELLSHILL

FRESH CHILLED & FROZEN RETAILER OF THE YEAR PREMIER DUNDEE UNIVERSITY

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD CHARLES WILSON, BOOKER GROUP

HIGHLY COMMENDED: NISA PINKIE FARM CONVENIENCE STORE, MUSSELBURGH

COVID HEROES LINDA WILLIAMS, BROADWAY CONVENIENCE STORE AND SEAN BOYD, FAMILY CHOICE HAMILTON BEERS, CIDERS, WINES & SPIRITS RETAILER OF THE YEAR PREMIER DUNDEE UNIVERSITY

NEWSTRADE RETAILER OF THE YEAR PREMIER TURRIFF SOFT DRINKS RETAILER OF THE YEAR SPAR BOSWELL PARK, AYR

BEST REFIT OF THE YEAR PREMIER RACETRACK AUTOPORT SERVICES HIGHLY COMMENDED: HIGHCLERE FOOD STORE, INVERURIE

RESPONSIBLE RETAILER OF THE YEAR JACK’S BLANTYRE SCOTTISH BRANDS RETAILER OF THE YEAR NISA PINKIE FARM CONVENIENCE STORE, MUSSELBURGH SUSTAINABILITY RETAILER OF THE YEAR PREMIER DUNDEE UNIVERSITY HIGHLY COMMENDED: PREMIER WATSON’S GROCERS, MONIAIVE

HIGHLY COMMENDED: EUROGARAGES SPAR WEST HIGHWAY

BISCUITS RETAILER OF THE YEAR SPAR DALRYMPLE CONFECTIONERY RETAILER OF THE YEAR LONDIS SOLO CONVENIENCE, BAILLIESTON CRISPS & SNACKS RETAILER OF THE YEAR EUROGARAGES SPAR LOMONDGATE

VAPING RETAILER OF THE YEAR WAZ’S, BROXBURN

TEAM OF THE YEAR BEST ONE WHITBURN POST OFFICE HIGHLY COMMENDED: DAY-TODAY LOCHSIDE

HIGHLY COMMENDED: PREMIER RACETRACK AUTOPORT SERVICES

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT RETAILER OF THE YEAR DAY-TODAY BOURTREEHILL

THINKSMART INNOVATION AWARD PREMIER RACETRACK AUTOPORT SERVICES

To view all the winners and flick through the handbook, visit www.slrawards.com

HIGHLY COMMENDED: LONDIS SOLO CONVENIENCE, BAILLIESTON

FOOD-TO-GO RETAILER OF THE YEAR NISA PINKIE FARM CONVENIENCE STORE, MUSSELBURGH HIGHLY COMMENDED: DAVID’S KITCHEN FALKIRK

www.slrmag.co.uk

NEW STORE OF THE YEAR SPAR HAVANNAH STREET, GLASGOW SLR REWARDS

HIGHLY COMMENDED: SPAR FREUCHIE

2020 WINNERS BROCHURE

JANUARY 2021 | SLR

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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS!

Premier Dundee University

WINNER

WINNER

JOIN THE WINNING TEAMS!

Beer, Cider, Wines & Spirits Retailer of the Year Fresh, Chilled & Frozen Retailer of the Year Sustainability Retailer of the Year

Premier Racetrack Services, Glasgow Autoport

Forecourt Retailer of the Year Best Refit of the Ye ar ThinkSmart Innova tion Award

WINNER

Premier Turriff

e Year

Newstrade Retailer of th

CALL PREMIER 0808 178 8644

WINNER

r Broadway Linda Williams, Premiein rgh Convenience Store, Ed bu Covid Hero Award

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Londis Solo Convenience Store, Baillieston Confectionery Retailer of the Year

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Jack’s of Blantyre

Responsible Retailer of the Year

CALL LONDIS 0808 178 8644

News

Products

Britvic’s new info boss Britvic has appointed Sudeep Shetty as Group Chief

ProductNews

Information Officer as part of its strategic investment in technology to transform the business and its supply chain.

He succeeds Steve Potts, who has moved on from his role of Chief Information, Transformation and Digital Officer to become Managing Director of Britvic’s Beyond the Bottle Innovation division.

Kikkoman gets set for Chinese New Year Soy sauce brand Kikkoman has unveiled a Chinese New Year campaign, which kicks-off on 18 January. Twenty- and 30-second adverts with the strapline ‘Food Loves Kikkoman’ will run for four weeks across ITV, Channel 4, and Skymedia, as well as on video-on-demand and online.

The campaign intends to remind

DRAMS FOR BURNS NIGHT – P44 COFFEE-TO-GO Interesting findings for local retailers

Shoppers tempted by sub-£2 big brand coffee-to-go, says Nescafé Nescafé has released a new guide revealing the potential for local retailers to capitalise on the freshly ground coffee-to-go market.

The guide, ‘Brewing profits locally: one cup at a time’, shows that almost two-thirds (61%) of consumers would be more interested in purchasing a freshly ground coffee-to-go if it was a wellrecognised brand and at an affordable price under £2 a cup (compared to a coffee shop), making a strong case for bean-to-cup coffee machines in local convenience stores.

The research, based on a Onepoll survey of 1,000 regular coffee drinkers in the UK, also highlights the trend towards supporting local retailers, with 70% of consumers using them for ‘top-up’ shops and more than half (51%) citing a visit to their

local convenience store as a way to support local businesses.

The guide says that quality, price and speed of service are the three most important factors for consumers when it comes to deciding to purchase coffee-to-go.

Charlotte Smith, Category Manager – Coffee-togo, Nestlé Professional UK & Ireland, commented: “The guide underlines the huge potential for coffee-to-go in the convenience space. As more people shop and work locally, small business and convenience store owners have the opportunity to satisfy consumers and drive loyalty through a quality fresh bean coffee offering.”

The guide is available to download free of charge from bit.ly/vpxS5.

consumers of Kikkoman’s “versatility as an all-purpose seasoning as well as a dipping

RICE

sauce”.

Tilda celebrates golden anniversary with recipe book

Baked by Rich’s now available at One Stop Rich Products’ (Rich’s) thaw-andserve bakery range, Baked, is launching in 875 One Stop stores across the UK, as the company looks to increase its distribution within the convenience channel.

The range is launching initially with two cookie products, White Chocolate cookies and the topselling Triple Chocolate cookies.

Contact baked@rich.com for more information on how to stock.

Scottish Blend has sustainability down to a T Scottish Blend will become even more environmentally friendly next year with the removal of the plastic overwrap on all its retail boxes. The brand has already saved 5.9 tonnes of oil-based plastic so far since switching to fully biodegradable tea bags.

Furthermore, Scottish Blend’s factory is fully carbon neutral

To mark its 50th anniversary, rice brand Tilda has published a new recipe book to say thanks to those who made the company what it is today – including convenience retailers – while also raising money for The Felix Project.

With help from chefs, consumers and its own longstanding staff, Tilda has created a commemorative 50th Anniversary cookbook that celebrates rice dishes from every walk of life; ‘Your Flavourful Food Stories’ brings together 20 recipes and the stories behind them.

All proceeds will be donated to Tilda’s charity partner The Felix Project, a food redistribution charity which rescues good quality surplus food and delivers it to charities and schools.

The book’s publication is bolstered by a 50th anniversary ‘Thanks To You’ campaign that includes TV, radio, out-of-home advertising, PR and digital support. Tilda will also be celebrating its anniversary with a range of instore activity across multiples, online and in convenience.

FROZEN

Birds Eye makes major sustainability move Birds Eye has moved closer to achieving its sustainability targets by moving to recyclable packaging on its Natural Vegetable products.

The update will remove 379 tonnes of plastic and will be the start towards ensuring all the brand’s vegetable lines will have recyclable packaging.

The update sees new recyclable materials and components replace the existing packaging used, across all Natural Veg products whilst also reducing excess packaging by reducing the size of the bags but keeping the same amount of veg.

with 100% of the energy it uses coming from renewable sources.

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Congratulations to all Scottish sustainability champions The deposit return scheme is coming to Scotland in July 2022.

Make it easy with TOMRA, the global leader in reverse vending.

Get in touch to find out more: tcs.uk@tomra.com

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees of the SLR Rewards 2020.

News

Products

Edinburgh teeming with vape shops Edinburgh has narrowly missed

ProductNews

out on being named the UK’s most vape-friendly city. Research

by Vype gave Leeds the honour, by dint of its 18 vape shops per square mile. Edinburgh has 17, York 15, Sheffield 14 and London 13. However the UK’s capital was Vype’s top city for sales, with Londoners accounting for a whopping 40% of the brand’s total UK sales to date in 2020.

Crisp Mint is currently the bestselling Vype flavour.

Weetabix unveils latest Sustainability Report Weetabix Food Company has published its second sustainability report, which outlines its commitment to supporting people, society and the environment through its British, locally sourced products.

The report revealed that

VALENTINE’S DAY GIFTING OPTIONS – P48 CONFECTIONERY Will Marvel heroes save Easter?

Put a ‘spring’ in your step with Ferrero Ferrero UK has unveiled its spring 2021 campaign with new launches and a combined £5.8m advertising investment. With a big focus on the importance of stocking the core Ferrero range alongside seasonal products, the aim is to ensure retailers can maximise their sales throughout the entire season.

For Valentine’s Day 2021, the Thorntons Classic gift-wrapped ‘With Love’ packs will benefit from a more premium design in a bid to entice new shoppers to the brand.

Come Easter, Kinder will introduce new licenses across its

range. The Kinder Surprise 100g will see Marvel heroes including Black Panther, Thor, Spiderman and Captain Marvel alongside a range of Disney Princesses featured on-pack. These include Rapunzel, Belle and Ariel among others. The mixed cases will contain both Marvel and Disney Princess toys to give retailers the chance to appeal to more shoppers.

Meanwhile the larger Kinder Surprise 220g eggs will receive a Minions update to celebrate next summer’s launch of ‘Minions 2: The Rise of Gru’. To drive further growth, the 150g Kinder Flame eggs will carry licenses from Toy Story and Marvel.

Thorntons experienced early growth last spring, prior to the national lockdown, and aims to replicate the success of its kids’ range next year, bringing back both the unicorn egg and dinosaur egg.

Ferrero Rocher Golden Easter Egg and Ferrero Collection Milk Egg will both receive a makeover.

Weetabix has reduced its plastic use by 6% in the last year, with

GROCERY End food poverty? Yes we can!

92% of its packaging now fully

COMPETITION

recyclable.

Win an Amazon Echo

Ambrosia back on screens Premier Foods has launched a new TV advert for its Ambrosia brand. The ad might be new but it still includes the familiar ‘Devon knows how they make it so creamy’ tagline. The £2.5m campaign runs until next March and is supported by limitededition cans of Ambrosia Custard and Rice Pudding, as well as in-store POS. The advert is expected to reach 74% of UK households.

Easter NPD from Nestlé Nestlé has revealed its Easter 2021 lineup, with a mix of NPD and returning favourites. New lines include Milkybar Bunny in three sizes: 17g (RSP 65p), 44g (RSP £1.49), 88g (RSP £2.49; and KitKat Mini Eggs (RSP £1).

The confectionery giant has also hatched a trio of new shell eggs: Smarties Buttons Giant Egg (RSP £7.49; Aero Peppermint Mini Eggs Giant Egg (RSP £7.49); KitKat Chunky Cookie Dough

Help your shoppers celebrate Burns Night with a BRU! Make sure you’re stocked up ahead of January 25th and enter our competition to be in with a chance of winning one of three Amazon Echos! Finish off the rhyme and email your answer to raitken@55north.com before 1 February. The answer is somewhere in this issue!

“Stocking up with BRU’s the thing, if you want your till to go _______!”

Del Monte teams up with Jack Monroe Canned fruit brand Del Monte has launched a six-month partnership with award-winning food writer and anti-food poverty campaigner Jack Monroe, to promote the positive benefits of eating canned fruit.

The partnership will begin with Monroe and Del Monte collaborating on the development of a series of recipes utilising the brand’s core canned fruit range. The main focus of the recipes will be to offer families inspiration to create nutritious, appetising and affordable dishes using Del Monte’s most popular products. The recipes will be made available to consumers through a wide-reaching digital and PR campaign, including both Jack Monroe and Del Monte social media channels, with the campaign hashtag: #YesWeCAN. Monroe will further support the activity with a series of national media interviews, highlighting the benefits of using canned fruit.

To celebrate the partnership, Del Monte will donate £10,000 to Magic Breakfast – a food poverty charity picked by Monroe.

Incredible Egg (RSP £12).

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News

Off-Trade

Peaky Blinders distillery opens in Black Country Halewood Artisanal Spirits has

Off-TradeNews

announced a £1m investment in the opening of a brand new distillery at the Sadler’s site in the Black Country. The new distillery will become the main production site for Sadler’s

ENERGISE YOUR NEW YEAR SALES – P50 RUM ‘Cracking’ new ad from Diageo brand

Captain Morgan is better than gold

Peaky Blinder spirits, including Spiced Dry Gin and Black Spiced Rum. The new site is fully operational, with the first locally produced spirits rolling out into the market at the end of last year.

Boë Gin enters RTD market with low calorie G&L cans Boë Gin has released two premium pre-mixed gin and lemonade 25cl cans: Boë Violet with Rose Lemonade and Boë Passionfruit with Sicilian Lemonade. Both RSP at £2.25, are ABV 5.5% and contain fewer than 80 calories. The launch follows Boë’s research earlier this year which found that more young people are enjoying gin with lemonade over tonic, with over half of 18 to 34-year-olds regularly ordering G&Ls.

Bestway experiments with a new Tippl

Captain Morgan has launched its latest marketing campaign, ‘Better Than Gold’.

The campaign is spearheaded by a new TV ad which puts a playful spin on a traditional heist with a female protagonist racing against the clock to crack open a safe containing Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold.

The ad is backed with video-

on-demand, digital, out-of-home, search and social media activity.

To drive further engagement, a physical ‘Better Than Gold’ rewards card gives participating consumers access to home delivered Captain Morgan recipe kits, discounts off takeaways, exclusive Captain Morgan merchandise and online game invitations.

Annalisa Tedeschi, Global Marketing Director at Captain Morgan, commented: “Through our fun and bold ‘Better than Gold’ campaign, we’re looking forward to building energy and excitement around Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold and we’re thrilled to be creating a series of memorable experiences for consumers.”

Bestway Wholesale is trialling Tippl, a new premium-led drinks concept, with a store in Garforth,

LOW/NO ALCOHOL DRINKS

Leeds. Besides an “exceptional”

Low 2 No opportunity grows in convenience

range of wines, spirits, ales, craft lagers and mixers, the store offers food-to-go and premium meal solutions. Shoppers can also choose to drink and eat in-store. The concept is an extension of Bestway’s Wine Rack model, designed for high footfall areas.

Brewdog still on fast track Aberdeenshire-based Brewdog has appeared for a ninth consecutive year on the Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 league table of private companies with the fastestgrowing sales. The brewer increased sales by an average 44% a year over three years to £215m in 2019. This propelled it to 80th place in the table, down

New research from Lumina Intelligence has revealed a significant opportunity for local retailers to tap into the rising popularity of low to no alcohol (L2N) drinks.

A survey of 1,500 shoppers found that almost four in 10 (38%) consumers have reduced their alcohol consumption since the first lockdown in March. This rises to 42% for 18-24 year olds and 46% for 25-34s, with health the main motivation for consumption.

The good news for local retailers is that the research revealed convenience stores as the most popular channel for buying L2N products, ahead of supermarkets and discounters. The top three drivers to purchase in convenience store shoppers are prices, promotions and trying something new.

Lumina said clear merchandising, point of sale and packaging are crucial to ensuring shoppers can navigate the category, since some define L2N as BWS while others define it as a premium soft drink.

Sarah Coleman, Insight & Communications Director at Lumina Intelligence, said: “With younger consumers driving growth in the Low 2 No market, health and price are two key areas to focus on.”

WHISKY

For peat’s sake!

The producer of Daffy’s Gin has released Creag Dhu, an environmentally-friendly unpeated Speyside single malt whisky.

Each bottle of Creag Dhu comes with its own official carbon offset certificate, crediting consumers with the carbon offset associated with each individual bottle. These are linked to peatland recovery projects in which the Creag Dhu are involved.

Important carbon stores in the fight against climate change, Britain’s peatlands have undergone rapid deterioration and degradation over the past century due to farming practices and peat extraction.

Chris Molyneaux, founder of Creag Dhu, commented: “We could not be prouder of what we have created.”

from 57th in 2019.

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FIZZ UP YOUR SALES YOUR SALES

GREAT TASTE, QUALITY AND VALUE FANTASTIC RANGE OF BEST-SELLING FLAVOURS

News

Off-Trade

New Chief Exec for Portman Group Alcohol watchdog the

Off-TradeNews

Portman Group has named Matt Lambert as its new Chief Executive, effective from this month. Lambert has extensive experience in management and corporate affairs and is currently the CEO of the Federation for Industry Sector, Skills and Standards. He has previously held senior roles at a number of large corporations including Microsoft and Betfair.

New look Yardhead Halewood has unveiled a new look for its Crabbie’s Yardhead Single Malt Scotch Whisky to emphasise the brand’s single malt whisky credentials and increase on-shelf standout. New bottles feature a slimmed-down shape, an updated white label and the addition of a distinctive new handle. The re-design is

MAKE THE MOST OF NPD – P52 SPIRITS Shoppers told ‘alcohol may cause health problems’

Diageo first to launch on-pack health warnings Diageo has become the first alcohol company in the UK to introduce a voluntary health warning, with Smirnoff, Gordon’s Gin, Baileys and Captain Morgan the first of its brands to provide UK consumers with new guidance on pack.

As well as retaining information previously displayed, information on the new labels will include the up-to-date Chief Medical Officer’s guidance, IARD’s 18 age restriction commitment, and a

new enhanced warning: “Alcohol may cause health problems.

For more information, visit DRINKiQ.com.”

The updated labels will first appear on 70cl and 1-litre bottles of Smirnoff as well as 1-litre bottles of Gordon’s Pink Gin in early 2021. Baileys and Captain Morgan will follow and then on pack across all brands in GB as old stocks are replaced.

The new labels will direct individuals to DRINKiQ.com.

supported by Halewood’s firstever major marketing push, with print and out-of-home advertising alongside social media activity.

Sharp’s gold rush Sharp’s Brewery has won 10 international brewing awards in less than two months. The North Cornish brewery was awarded six medals at the International Beer Challenge 2020, three at the European Beer Star Awards and, most recently, a gold for its flagship amber ale Doom Bar at the Brussels Beer Challenge.

The European Beer Star awards saw Sharp’s collect two more gold medals, alongside the one for Doom Bar in Brussels.

World-first gin Gin distiller Three Wrens has launched new limited-edition Bison Grass Gin (ABV 41.5%, RSP £38.50). It is apparently the world’s first to be distilled and infused with the aromatic sweetgrass, which has only been used to infuse vodka before.

Once thought to be only found in Poland, the bison grass used

BEER New Guinness ad is first in more than 10 years

Guinness in can, on box Guinness has launched its first TV advert in Britain for Guinness Draught in a can in over a decade.

The new ad was created in response to increasing demand for Guinness Draught in a can and demonstrates how consumers can still enjoy a perfectly poured Guinness serve at home.

It forms part of a wider campaign, which also includes video-ondemand, out-of-home, social and radio activity.

Neil Shah, Head of Guinness GB, said: “People love to savour delicious Guinness Draught and we wanted to remind people that they can enjoy the smooth and refreshing taste whether they choose to drink it in a pub or at home.”

BEER

Kestrel turns vegan With consumers turning to veganism in increasing numbers, so too has Kestrel Premium lager.

The beer has repositioned itself as ‘the vegan lager’ after it was certified as vegan by The Vegetarian Society.

The move is supported by a marketing campaign timed to coincide with Veganuary.

Activity will span consumer and trade media, social media and digital platforms.

Wholesale and trade can benefit from price promotions throughout the campaign.

Kestrel Premium Lager (ABV 5%) is available in a 4x500ml pack format.

was secretly grown by Three Wrens’ founder Nick Wadeson at the company’s base in Cheshire.

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Home for

Christmas #holidaysarecoming Thank you to all our customers and wishing everyone a safe, happy holiday season.

To find out more email connect@ccep.com or call 0808 1 000 000 Š 2020 The Coca-Cola Company. All rights reserved. COCA-COLA, COCA-COLA ZERO and DIET COKE are registered trade marks of The Coca-Cola Company.

Inside Business

Research Digest

COVID POSITIVE IMPACT ON PRODUCTIVITY Three in five bosses (60%) say that the Covid-19 pandemic has unexpectedly impacted the productivity of their workforce in a positive way, according to new research from Hitachi Capital Business Finance.

The survey of over 1,000 small businesses asked how their business productivity had been affected by the pandemic the day that the government announced the new tier system. Aside from their employees being more independent (20%), bosses noted that the working-day started more promptly (19%), business was more streamlined (13%), staff are more well-rested (15%) and junior colleagues experienced a greater learning curve while working remotely (12%).

The retail sector was the most likely to have seen positive changes to workforce productivity since the pandemic (64% versus 60% nationally).

The research also suggested that those bosses who saw an increase in workforce productivity – despite the outbreak – were now predicting growth in the months ahead.

Joanna Morris, Head of Insight at Hitachi Capital Business Finance commented: “While a slowdown in production and technology challenges have been cited as real obstacles to productivity, interestingly, a number of small busines owners have also seen working dynamics change for the better.

“One of the key takeaways has been a move towards flexible working and improved work-life balance, which many bosses want to reinforce for the long-term.

“Behind every decision like this are a diverse group of small business leaders – who take very different approaches to managing staff and running a business.

It is only right that the financial community works to better understand these individuals so there is adequate support in place to help them get through this time.”

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SLR | JANUARY 2021

Consumers going local as Brexit looms Shoppers are increasingly turning to local produce as the impact of Brexit looms ever larger.

A

lmost of a fifth of all consumers (19%) plan to buy more British brands and 12% are going to start to buy more local produce as Brexit looms ever larger, according to data from Channel Pulse, Lumina Intelligence’s weekly measure of shopper and consumer behaviour across all UK food and drink channels.

With uncertainty around import tariffs, 34% of consumers are worried that prices will go up and 6% of consumers have begun to stockpile in case of shortages.

Unsurprisingly, business leaders share the same concerns as consumers. In a recent Lumina Intelligence survey with business leaders from across the hospitality and grocery retail industries, the number one concern about Brexit was import

tariffs and the uncertainty around price increases.

Business leaders are concerned this will limit their ability to offer reasonably priced products to consumers.

With maximum attention placed on tackling the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, it is understandable that consumers are not fully focussed on the upcoming Brexit deadline.

Almost a quarter of consumers said they had not given much thought to it and 37% indicated that they were more worried about the coronavirus than our impending exit from the EU. When asked about their general feeling towards the upcoming Brexit deadline, nearly half were worried or very worried, 36% were not worried and 17% said they were unsure how they felt about the matter.

Fruit and veg prices ‘to rise by 4%’ A new briefing paper from the SHEFS consortium, a global research programme funded by the Wellcome Trust, shows that new trade tariffs that will apply as a result of a No Deal Brexit would increase the price of fruit and vegetables in the UK and make it even more expensive for families to purchase a healthy diet.

Preliminary analysis finds that prices of fruit and veg will increase by an average of 4% the month and some products could rise by even more: tomatoes would become 9% more expensive. Increased food prices will impact the more deprived groups of society the most.

The UK is highly reliant on fruit and vegetable imports, currently importing 65% of total UK supply. In the event of a No Deal, imports would automatically be subject to new tariffs. If tariff increases are passed directly on to UK citizens, the average British family would pay 4% more for their fruit and veg from 1 January. For a family of four (two adults and two children), this would mean an increase of £25-28 a year to their fruit and vegetable bill. If families increased their consumption to the recommended five-a-day this would cost £65 per year more for a family of four under a No Deal scenario. www.slrmag.co.uk

Following Orders

Introducing Appetite, the app for delivery, click ’n collect and hot food orders, now integrated with EDGEPoS.

Grocery and alcohol click ’n collect or delivery Corporate ordering facility Hot food/deli click ’n collect and delivery Grow existing sales and acquire new customers Food nutrition and allergen information (EU 1169/11) Optional in-store self-service kiosks (additional costs apply)

VIVO Larne reported 80% of Appetite shoppers are new customers

Take control of your orders Live stock view on app

Zero commission

Receive a terminal and printer for managing all orders

Bludot Technologies Dashboard for marketing and reporting

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Inside Business

Mergers & Acquisitions | Bestway Buys Costcutter

THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR COSTCUTTER RETAILERS?

After a number of tough years, do Costcutter retailers now have something to look forward to after the group was acquired by Bestway Wholesale in the week before Christmas?

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

D

ecember is normally a relatively quiet period on the news front as the sector gears up for the madness of Christmas, but after a year like no other, it was hardly surprising to end 2020 on a tumultuous note as Bestway Wholesale announced it had acquired Costcutter Supermarkets Group just a few days before Christmas.

Formerly owned by Bibby Line Group, the addition of Costcutter takes Bestway Wholesale’s annual turnover to almost £3bn and takes its symbol, franchise and companyowned retail estate to more than 3,795 stores in total. Of those, 2,682 are fascia stores and 195 are company-owned.

It’s a major move by any standards and takes Bestway up another level or two, while also offering the potential of a brighter future for Costcutter retail customers.

The deal still requires FCA approval but, should it go through, 2021 will be a very different year for both groups, now merged into the UK’s largest independent food and drink wholesaler. It will also become the 11th largest independently owned multi-national conglomerate of any description in the UK. The acquisition follows an improvement in Costcutter’s financial performance over the last couple of years. During the 12 months to 31 December 2019, CSG’s sales rose by 10% to £426m with sales and profitability continuing to rise throughout 2020 as consumers increasingly shopped locally as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bestway expects to complete the acquisition in the first quarter of this year but says that, while Costcutter will become part of Bestway Wholesale’s retail division, it will “continue to operate as normal” – although without the services of Darcy Willson-Rymer, Costcutter’s CEO of nine years who will leave the business following the acquisition.

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“The acquisition enables us to further build on our solid foundations in independent retail and clearly there will be benefits of joining forces for our retailers, for shoppers, and for suppliers.”

DAWOOD PERVEZ, MANAGING DIRECTOR, BESTWAY WHOLESALE

BESTWAY WHOLESALE: FASTFACTS Q Established in 1976.

Q Now the UK’s largest independent food and drink wholesaler with a UK turnover of almost £3bn.

Q Part of the industrial giant Bestway Group which also has global business interests in banking, cement, pharmacy, milling and property investment.

Q 61 Bestway and Batleys depots.

Q Supply partner to over 47,000 independent retailers.

Q Operates the best-one symbol group which has 1,761 members.

Q Over 4,000 independents use depot-run Xtra Local promotional retail club.

www.slrmag.co.uk

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.

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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

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Inside Business

Mergers & Acquisitions | Bestway Buys Costcutter

COSTCUTTER SUPERMARKETS GROUP: FASTFACTS

Bestway Wholesale has highlighted that the existing Costcutter supply contract with Coop/Nisa is not affected by the acquisition and Nisa will continue to supply Costcutter stores.

Costcutter retailers will retain access to the same range they have today, including the Coop Own Brand range.

Approximately 1,500 stores currently branded as Costcutter, Mace, Supershop, Kwiksave, and Simply Fresh, will join Bestway Wholesale’s retail brands: Bargain Booze, Best-One, Wine Rack, Select Convenience and Central Convenience. Bestway says “it is committed to ensuring retailers continue to enjoy all the benefits they currently enjoy with Costcutter”.

Founded by Sir Anwar Pervez in 1976, the family remains at the helm of Bestway with his nephew, Lord Zameer Choudrey CEO of Bestway Group, and Sir Anwar’s son, Dawood Pervez, as Managing Director of Bestway Wholesale.

Speaking of the acquisition, Dawood Pervez says: “Costcutter is a great brand with a long heritage and a history of success alongside industry-leading and loyal retailers, with some of the best in-store execution in the business.

The acquisition by Bestway Wholesale enables us to further build on our solid foundations in independent retail, allowing us to expand on 32

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our already established, and highly respected, fascias and national network of stores. Clearly, there will be benefits of joining forces for our retailers, for shoppers, and for suppliers.”

“Independent retailers are vital hubs within their local communities that have become increasingly valued and appreciated by consumers – and government – for their services during the Covid-19 pandemic. We will continue to support and champion this sector and will be investing for its future alongside range, service excellence and technology. Our message to all our retailers is that ‘together we are stronger’ at a time of economic uncertainty, both with Covid-19 and Brexit ahead.”

John Cresswell, CEO of Bibby Line Group, commented: “Over the last two years, Costcutter has transformed itself into a profitable and much stronger business, and I’d like to thank the team for their unstinting commitment and passion for helping independent retailers thrive. We hope Costcutter will continue to prosper and grow as it becomes part of a larger business with deep retail expertise.”

With increased buying power, the larger group should now be well positioned to enhance its offer to both retailers and shoppers in 2021 and beyond.

Q Symbol group operator which has been supplying independent retailers for over 30 years.

Q Employs around 500 people.

Q Total of 1,550 stores serviced under the Costcutter, Mace, Supershop, Kwiksave and Simply Fresh fascias.

Q Vast majority independently owned and operated.

Q Access to Co-op Own Brand range.

“Bestway expects to complete the acquisition in the first quarter of this year but says that, while Costcutter will become part of Bestway Wholesale’s retail division, it will ‘continue to operate as normal’.” www.slrmag.co.uk

Smarter Shopping It’s already in your customer’s hands Scan, Pay, Go! by Ubamarket® integrates seamlessly with EDGEPoS to provide retailers with their own ‘scan and go’ in-store app. A high-tech, low-cost solution that’s simple to implement and revolutionises the shopping experience.

1 SCAN

2 PAY

3 GO!

Customers simply scan an item they want to buy with their smartphone.

Customer pays at Self-Checkout till by scanning the QR code on screen.

Customer has paid and is free to leave the store.

Scan, Pay, Go! Benefits for retailers Personalised Offers

Increase Basket size

Shoppers can scroll through personalised offers by category and tap to add them to their list, increasing sales by up to 30%.

Engaged app users consistently spend up to 21% more in store.

Reduce Overheads

The Magic Shopping List

Put the customer in control and streamline your business.

Enabling shoppers to build, locate, scan and buy live stock items.

+44 (0)28 9094 1900

www.henderson.technology

enquiries@henderson.technology

@_HendersonTech | @Ubamarket

Future Proof your Store Remove in-store friction forever and engage with customers in real-time.

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Inside Business

Henderson Technology

SUCCESS AT THE CORE OF HENDERSON TECHNOLOGY Henderson Technology had plenty to celebrate in 2020. Despite the limitations put on them caused by the pandemic, 2020 was an all-round year of highs and success stories in the world of EDGEPoS and retail technology.

NEW PARTNERSHIPS UNITAS WHOLESALE 2020 saw Unitas Wholesale announce EDGEPoS as an approved Epos supplier.

With 173 wholesale members, Unitas has the largest network of independent cash and carry and delivered wholesalers in the UK. Their members are committed, ambitious and forward thinking, representing more than 285 depots around the UK. The partnership enables Henderson Technology to supply EDGEPoS, the award winning global Epos software system, to retail stores supplied by wholesalers within Unitas Wholesale.

The Unitas partnership announcement tied in with EDGEPoS’ 10th birthday and the announcement of 600 EDGEPoS installs globally in March 2020. Celebrations were put on hold due to the pandemic, but Henderson Technology hopes to celebrate this milestone birthday with colleagues and retailers in 2021.

JW FILSHILL The EDGEPoS system was also announced as the approved Epos supplier to JW Filshill fuel retailers. EDGEPoS was installed into a number of the Glasgow based wholesaler’s fuel sites including Park’s Motor Group in Glasgow, Loch Services on Isle of Lewis, Abbotsinch Service Station in Glasgow and Adderstone Service Station in North England.

DEEBEE WHOLESALE And more good news on this front was when Deebee Wholesale also announced EDGEPoS as the approved Epos supplier to fuel retailers.

C-STORE COLLECTIVE C-Store Collective, a group of three founder consultants and a panel of partner consultants, chose EDGEPoS as the exclusive Epos provider for their advisory and consultancy business within the convenience sector.

John Heagney, one of three Founding Partners said: “At the C-Store Collective we only align ourselves with partners that are clear leaders in their field of specialism. Our 34

SLR | JANUARY 2021

latest partner, Henderson Technology, is a clear leader in its market. We welcome them to C-Store Collective as our exclusive Epos provider. Henderson Technology provide a very strong platform for convenience store owners to really control their businesses and the fuel element of their system is cutting edge and a market leader.”

SGF Henderson Technology was also proud to announce its corporate membership for 2020 with Scottish Grocers’ Federation. The SGF is the authoritative voice for the independent Scottish convenience store industry.

Darren Nickels, Retail Technology Operations Director, said: “We were delighted to have this partnership with SGF for 2020 and we are continuing with this into 2021.

We have had fantastic support from the convenience and fuel market across Scotland, with more EDGEPoS installs planned in 2021.

Having this partnership only strengthens our commitment to providing Scotland with our award-winning Epos system and ensuring a first class customer service experience is given at all times.

“We have committed to exhibit at both the SGF Mini Summit and at the Annual Conference in 2021, and are looking forward to meeting retailers at these upcoming events.”

NEW SOLUTIONS Henderson Technology has many innovative products to showcase at these upcoming events. The Epos company launched the first BP and Texaco hybrid Self-Checkout in its company owned Henderson Retail stores in Northern Ireland, with a number of BP and Texaco branded sites across Scotland and England due to adopt EDGEPoS SelfCheckout in 2021.

Appetite, the Home Delivery, Click & Collect and Hot Food app was also launched in 2020.

Appetite, created in partnership with Blu Dot Technologies by Henderson Technology, is fully integrated into the company’s EDGEPoS system, meaning stock levels are live and automatically updated so shoppers have the pick of what is on shelves in real-time.

Always innovating to create efficient processes in store, the app saw a surge in retailers installing the service during lockdown when they started to offer home deliveries, with one retailer reporting 80% of its users as completely new customers.

Darren Nickels said installing the app in-store is seamless: “Retailers are fully supported by our training team which means the software, order terminal and printer can all be installed with full stock uploaded and training completed in around two days.

“This is a game changer for independent retailers. Already our stores have experienced fantastic sales and are attracting new shoppers, with VIVO Glenarm Road in Larne reporting in December that 80% of their orders coming from those who had never shopped with them before. Throughout the pandemic as we all look for different solutions, Appetite has only continued to grow and brings fantastic benefits to our retailers.”

NEW INTEGRATIONS In 2020, Henderson Technology also introduced Ubamarket’s mobile retail technology, ‘Scan, Pay, Go!’ to three Henderson Group SPAR and EUROSPAR stores in Northern Ireland, to improve the www.slrmag.co.uk

Henderson Technology

convenience shopping experience for their customers.

Ubamarket’s Scan, Pay, Go! app allows customers to build shopping lists ahead of planned store visits to see what is in stock, be guided around the store and scan products as they shop. Other benefits of the end-to-end mobile shopping app include allergen and dietary alerts for every product, and sustainability information regarding the recyclability of any plastic packaging associated with each product. The technology on offer also allows for staff to be deployed elsewhere in the store, and colleagues can help replenish items and safely help customers.

This innovative mobile app will be available to EDGEPoS retailers from 1 February 2021.

Will Broome, CEO of Ubamarket, maintains the benefits of investing in retail technology: “We are extremely proud to announce our partnership with Henderson Technology and absolutely delighted to bring a complete and fully functioning solution to their customers that will change supermarket shopping for all. Convenience stores and supermarkets are currently desperate for retail tech innovation that improves the instore shopping experience. Ubamarket and Henderson Technology can now provide shoppers with a fully revitalised and hyperconvenient experience, enabling them to visit their stores and shop more safely and efficiently. This marks a significant shift in the landscape of retail technology and in shopping on a wider scale.

“We are thrilled to have partnered with Henderson Technology to spearhead our market-leading new SPAR – Scan, Pay, Go! app. Henderson Technology are worldrenowned for their fast-paced innovation and their willingness to push boundaries, embrace change and pioneer the future of retail. With a large number of excellently managed, highend stores across Northern Ireland, SPAR and Henderson Technology have been the perfect launch partner and we look forward www.slrmag.co.uk

to incorporating a number of trailblazing new features (such as AI personalisation) as we introduce the app to more and more stores across the group.”

Keeping on the theme of products launched in 2020, Henderson Retail company owned store VIVOxtra in Banbridge was the first store to install the Glory Cash Management closed loop system, with more stores being rolled out in 2021 across Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

NEW AWARDS 2020 was a successful year for celebrating awards too. Gander and Henderson Technology claimed Highly Commended Best Sustainability Initiative at the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards 2020. They were also announced as Responsible Business Champion in Business in the Community NI Awards 2020, for the organisation that can best demonstrate how it has used digital solutions in a project or initiative that in turn tackle a social or environmental issue.

SPAR Loughbrickland, an EDGEPoS retailer based in County Down, celebrated winning ‘Excellence in Technology’ at the annual Convenience Awards in September 2020. Proudly, all three shortlisted retailers for this category at the prestigious awards use EDGEPoS instore and the associated EDGEPoS bolt-on products such as SelfCheckout, Electronic Shelf Edge Labels (ESELs) and Daily Deli scales integration.

MORE INSTALLATIONS Henderson Technology completed dozens of installs of EDGEPoS ESELs in 2020 despite the lockdowns in place. These were in a wide mix of stores across Northern Ireland and there was also an ESEL install completed in Checkout Express, Wimbledon, London.

Dale Beckett, co-owner of Manor Retail Group, installed EDGEPoS Electronic Shelf Edge Labels onsite in March 2020. He said, “EDGEPoS ESELs are super-efficient. They

Inside Business

have made the shop more profitable and they have given us better peace of mind, ensuring that customer complaints about wrong pricing have been stamped out completely.”

WHAT’S IN-STORE FOR HENDERSON TECHNOLOGY IN 2021?

Henderson Technology is excited to be officially launching Ubamarket Scan, Pay, Go! App to EDGEPoS retailers in February 2021. With a portfolio of EDGEPoS retailers across Scotland, England and Wales, the Epos supplier will continue to grow its network of EDGEPoS users across the UK, with upcoming exciting announcements about Group and Dealer partnerships in 2021.

Darren Nickels, Retail Technology Operations Director, said: “With wholesaler links in place such as Booker, Costcutter, SPAR, JW Filshill and Deebee Wholesale, we are excited to announce that we will be installing EDGEPoS into Bestway and Nisa supplied retailers in 2021 with the development of the wholesaler links due to be completed in early 2021. We are proud to be associated with Unitas Wholesale and to be in discussions with wholesaler groups within this forward thinking company.

“2021 is going to be a huge year for us and we are delighted with the innovational products that we offer to all EDGEPoS retailers. We are first and foremost an awardwinning Epos company with a feature rich and innovational system on offer, but we are so proud of our additional offerings also that are fully integrated with the EDGEPoS system, including Self-Checkout, Head Office, ESELs, and our suite of mobile app integrations with Gander, Ubamarket, Blu Dot Technologies and BPme.” Nickels concluded: “We would welcome any retailer across the convenience and fuel forecourt market to get in touch and organise an EDGEPoS online demonstration today and see how the Future of Retail Technology is already here with EDGEPoS.” JANUARY 2021 | SLR

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Inside Business

Retailer Support | GroceryAid Day 2021

WE ALL NEED A LITTLE HELP SOMETIMES...

It won’t surprise you to find out that more people than ever relied on industry charity GroceryAid last year, so why not not support your industry colleagues who might need a little help by getting involved in GroceryAid Day 2021?

F

or most of us, 2020 was a challenging year but for some people in our industry it was a truly traumatic one. Convenience channel industry charity GroceryAid was flooded with requests for support of all kinds last year, receiving record levels of contact from colleagues all the way through the supply chain. That means more colleagues needing financial and emotional support than ever before.

Clearly this has put enormous pressure on the charity, but they have been there 24/7 for every industry colleague in need – and GroceryAid in turn needs your support both in terms of helping raise vital funds and also to raise awareness of the many ways the charity can help those in need. Are your colleagues even aware of the support that’s available to them when times get tough, for instance?

If you would like to play your part, the perfect opportunity is just around the corner.

The annual GroceryAid Day is the ideal way to raise awareness of the charity and the support it can provide among your colleagues – and there’s no shame in needing a little help now and again.

GroceryAid Day returns on Tuesday 2 March 2021, and after the year we’ve all had it’s more important than ever that your colleagues know about the support available to them.

While our industry has been resilient, statistics show that over six million households are currently financially fragile, with many falling into arrears with household bills.

GroceryAid is there to support your colleagues with financial support including grants and debt advice. It also offers emotional support in the shape of counselling, relationship advice and mental health services.

Key workers throughout the grocery industry have done an amazing job going into work during the Covid-19 pandemic to keep the nation fed. When you’re busy with work and trying to cope with new, unusual or challenging circumstances, taking care of yourself can take a back seat. It is so important colleagues know they can turn to GroceryAid for support at any time.

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED Last year 116 companies took part in GroceryAid Day and this year the charity needs you to let your colleagues know about the services and the help available. It’s simple, all they want you to do is share.

FOR NOW, GROCERYAID HAS THREE ASKS: 1 Look at the services it offers at groceryaid.org.uk – you will be surprised at how much support it offers.

2 Follow GroceryAid on LinkedIn and ask your colleagues to do the same.

3 Think about how you and your team can get involved and put the date into your diaries.

This month a GroceryAid Day Pack will be shared covering everything you need to help raise awareness.

24/7 GroceryAid Helpline 08088 021 122 www.slrmag.co.uk

JANUARY 2021 | SLR

37

Inside Business

Fascia Special | Nisa Retail

NISA’S FLEXIBLE MODEL DRIVING 12% SALES GROWTH Nisa has been working with independent retailers for over 40 years and its flexible model continues to deliver with stores joining the group in 2020 seeing average sales increases of 12%.

N

isa is proud to work with many multi-award-winning stores in Scotland – including Pinkie Farm, Greens of Markinch and David’s Kitchen to name a few – making us the proven partner of choice for marketleading, independently minded retailers in Scotland.

And with a record number of retailers moving to Nisa Retail in 2020 and those investing in new and upgraded stores enjoying average sales uplifts of 12%, there never has been a better time to join us.

For more than 40 years we have worked with independent retailers, helping them to grow their businesses through a comprehensive support package. Now part of the Co-op group, we are even better placed to do that, making greater investment in price and promotions and improving our offer to partners. We also enjoy increased buying power and a broader product range.

Nisa’s flexible model provides its retailers with an unbeatable breadth of range of more than 13,000 SKUs. The inclusion of over 2,200 Co-op own brand products across all categories, offers a recognised, quality brand for shoppers and good margins for retailers.

These products include the Co-op’s extensive festive range and the innovative plant-based GRO range. Nisa’s own award-winning own label range, Heritage, is also available, providing even more choice with quality products at affordable prices.

Nisa’s promotional alignment with Coop has also given retailers access to sectorleading deals, with promotions including

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lunch meal deals, the popular £5 freezer filler deals, Super Saver Deals and more. At a time when value is more important than ever to shoppers, strong promotions are key to the Nisa offer.

Nisa provides a complete retail support package comprising a strong retail focused team, a staff training facility and a comprehensive marketing package incorporating social media and PR support, bespoke leaflets, point of sale material, a personalised Nisa FM radio network and national advertising.

Alongside our bespoke EPoS solution, Evolution, our latest technology offering is a new mobile app which launched in 2020. Free to download from the Apple Store and Google Play, it offers many advantages to retailers and makes it much easier to trade with Nisa.

The app has been well received and widely adopted by Nisa partners. It allows Nisa’s partners to run their stores remotely, placing orders, checking stock and confirming order status all through their mobile devices as well as receiving push notifications which ensure they never miss out on the latest deals because

they’re not at the back office computer.

Nisa retailers can source local products and have them invoiced centrally, creating a simpler, time efficient process. All orders are placed directly with individual suppliers, deliveries are made direct to store, but the invoicing and administration is managed centrally. This is all delivered by Nisa’s industry leading supply chain which retailers can trust with an impressive 99.9% of deliveries made on the day and 95.2% successfully made on time.

And we know community involvement is key to independent retailers which is why we enable our partners to support local good causes through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity. Since the charity’s formation in 2008, more than £12m has been raised for good causes and charities with more than £1m raised in 2020.

To find out more, complete the form on nisalocally.co.uk/retailers/contact-us-andjoin-nisa/ or contact our development team on 0800 542 7490.

www.slrmag.co.uk

O T S N O REAS

JOIN NISA ÂŁ

98%

Sales +12% with Nisa Evolution store format

Next day delivery service*

98% Availability

2,000+ Co-op own label products

Opening our new store just before the coronavirus hit was a huge challenge but Nisa were there to support us through it. They have been in contact regularly to assist us and have been great at maintaining stock availability. Now we are thinking about the future of the store and again Nisa have been really helpful.

Harry Ahmed, Nisa Local Greenock

For even more reasons, visit join-nisa.co.uk #JoinNisa | 0800 542 7490 *currently in selected locations only

Inside Business

In-Store Project | Signature Dual

PINKIE FARM SEES 500% SIGNATURE GROWTH IN A MONTH!

HOW DID DAN MANAGE IT? Dan’s top tips for growing sales of Signature Dual are: Q Make it the cheapest product on the gantry, to appeal to shoppers looking to minimise outof-pocket-spend.

Q Encourage staff to upsell at the till point, highlighting Signature Dual when a customer mentions price.

Q Train staff on the features of the product so that they can talk knowledgably and answer any questions from customers.

Q Maintain good stock levels.

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www.slrmag.co.uk

Signature Dual | In-Store Project

Inside Business

Musselburgh retailer Dan Brown, the new Scottish Local Retailer of the Year, has seen sales of Signature Dual grow by 500% in the first month of a project with Scandinavian Tobacco Group and SLR.

L

ast month saw the launch in SLR of the new project with multi-award winning Musselburgh Nisa retailer Dan Brown and Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK (STG) focusing on growing sales of the increasingly popular Signature Dual leaf-wrapped cigarillos. Well, it’s been a busy month for Dan as, not only was he named the Scottish Local Retailer of the Year, he also succeeded in growing sales of Signature Dual an incredible 500%!

“December was a bit of a crazy month, as you can imagine,” comments Dan, who also finds time to be the youngest ever President of the Scottish Grocers’ Federation. “December is always busy with Christmas but then I was blown away to be named the Scottish Local Retailer of the Year, just a year after being named the SLR Young Retailer of the Year. It was a great boost for me and my team at the store.

“But we still had to focus on the day job and part of that involved our project with STG to see if we could drive some growth in sales of Signature Dual. As always, the team did a fantastic job but I have to admit I was quite surprised to learn that after just a month we’d seen sales grow by 500%!”

Granted, the growth was from a small base, but 500% growth is an achievement by any standard – and clear proof that even just a little focus and attention dedicated to the product and the wider cigars category will deliver for retailers.

“Before the project we were only selling around one outer a week of Signature Dual, largely because it’s very hard to communicate with customers about new products,” says Dan. “But we’re up to over five outers a week now and that’s pretty impressive growth.”

So how did Dan and his team make such an immediate impact? www.slrmag.co.uk

“To be honest, the impact wasn’t exactly immediate,” explains Dan. “It took about a week before the message started to land with customers but after that the sales just started spiking. We made Signature Dual the cheapest product on the gantry, which only required a very small tweak to the pricing, and we trained staff to upsell at the till point. Whenever anyone mentioned price, we were able to suggest Signature Dual

as the lowest priced product we stock.

“We also gave the staff a briefing on the product itself so that they could talk knowledgeably, should customers want any more information – and many did.”

Signature Dual features a peppermint capsule and comes in a convenient and stylish pack of 10. Dan believes that the key features of the product are the menthol capsule and the price

point. “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,” he says.

“I’d say most of the new sales are coming from people looking to minimise out of pocket spend or looking for a menthol option, now that they can’t buy menthol cigarettes,” he comments.

STG’s UK Country Director, Alastair Williams, says: “It’s fantastic news that Dan has seen such big growth in sales of Signature Dual inside just a few weeks, and it reaffirms our belief that this is a fantastic product.

Hopefully he will continue to sales grow throughout January and beyond.”

See next month’s SLR for the final instalment of this series and to see the project’s final results.

JANUARY 2021 | SLR

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Hotlines

Product News & Media Watch

Embassy Signature Gold Superkings Imperial Tobacco New Embassy Signature Gold Superkings will be a straight swap for Embassy No.1 Red Superkings.

It has an RSP of £9.50 per pack of 20 and targets superkings down-traders and switchers looking for premium features at a value price point. As with the rest of the range, Embassy Signature Gold Superkings features a modern blend of Virginia tobaccos wrapped in premium paper.

McVitie’s British Icons pladis Available in new Strawberry Cheesecake and Lemon Drizzle flavours, McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Digestives take on a fruity new form, whilst McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Hobnobs get indulgent with Chocolate Brownie and Sticky Toffee Pudding flavours. The new launches are intended to attract consumers between the ages of 25 and 40 to the biscuit aisle and are available now with an RSP of £1.59.

Irn-Bru Energy Big Can Barr Soft Drinks This new 500ml addition to Barr’s Irn-Bru energy range, which launched in a 330ml slim can format last July, is available from this month in outers of 12 x 500ml big cans in both sugar (£1.29 PMP) and no sugar (£1.29 PMP) variants.

The launch will be supported with a £1m brand investment from February, including heavyweight outdoor and digital advertising, complemented by a “huge” sampling campaign.

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KP Snacks gets fired up by new McCoy’s range

KP Snacks has launched McCoy’s Fire Pit, a brand new three-strong range inspired by the trend of open fire, or ‘wood fired’ cooking.

McCoy’s Fire Pit is available now in Multipack format (RSP £1.70), a 45g Grab Bag (RSP 89p) and as a 62.5g £1 PMP. Three sizzling flavours include Flame Roasted Peri Peri, Flame Smoked Chorizo, and Flame Scorched BBQ Ribs.

The launch taps into the fastest growing CSN flavours of Spicy (+7.1%), Meaty (+5.8%) and BBQ (+4.5%), with smoky, chargrilled flavours traditionally associated with cooking meat slowly over an open fire.

It will be supported with a £2 million investment in a multimedia campaign in 2021.

The new range has a flavour and spice level to suit all tastes. Flame Roasted Peri Peri takes a national classic and elevates it to another level.

Mini Cheddars Sticks pladis Jacob’s Mini Cheddars Sticks (RSP £1.99) is golden-baked with real cheese in two flavours – Rich & Tangy Cheddar and Grilled Cheddar & Sizzling Steak. It will be available to convenience retailers from February in a 150g sharing pack format, following a Tesco-exclusive launch this month. The roll-out will be supported by a high-profile marketing campaign featuring a brandnew TV ad. This will go live across TV, digital and social from 8 March.

With medium heat, consumers will experience flavours of hot and tangy chili marinated chicken, pepper roasted over coals and a twist of charred lime. Flame Smoked Chorizo is a milder flavour that brings together paprika, chili, red bell peppers and spiced cured pork sausage, and combines it with sautéed and roasted onions. Cooked low and slow for a succulent sweet and smoky pork rib flavour, Flame Scorched BBQ Rib promises classic rich and tangy Deep South flavours, quintessential with BBQ cuisine.

Kevin McNair, Marketing Director of KP Snacks said: “McCoys is one of our most successful brands and a leader in the CSN category, across both singles and multipacks. Flavour is the most important factor in CSN and we are extremely excited to bring something differentiated to the market that capitalises on this trend whilst bringing fun and innovation to the category.”

Galaxy Orange Block Mars Wrigley Orange is one of the most popular flavours within confectionery, growing a whopping 20% in the last two years. This new launch looks set to keep that trend going in the new year. Galaxy Orange Block will be available in large block, PMP and single from March 2021. The brand will also launch Galaxy Fusions, an accessible premium offering for young adult shoppers, in late 2021.

Nature Valley Protein Soft Bakes General Mills These new breakfast bars offer 8.4g of protein per bar in two flavours: Oats & Honey and Blueberry & Almond. They are available in 4 x multipacks (RSP £2.89) and 89p RSP singles. The launch is backed with a £1m spend as part of Nature Valley’s ‘Get Out More campaign’.

In March, the brand will also encourage shoppers to switch up their morning by grabbing a Protein Soft Bake and getting outside.

www.slrmag.co.uk

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Ken Singh Love Lane Store, Pontefract

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“

“

Having used EPoS in my other stores, I can confirm this is a very thought through product. The mobile app allows me to move around the store, creating shelf edge label lists which can be printed directly from the PayPoint One in real time, saving me time and the hassle of taking products to the counter.

Feature

Big Night In | Burns Night

DRAM FINE BURNS NIGHT

25TH JAN BURNS NIGHT

Nothing complements a steaming plate of haggis, neeps and tatties like a wee dram or two of fine Scotch whisky, so SLR offers a few suggestions to tempt shoppers with this Burns Night.

W

ith Burns Night just around the corner and Covid restrictions still very much in place, there’s a good chance that more h ouseholds than usual will be settling households down to a steaming plate of haggis, neeps and tatties and a few drams of fine Scotch whisky.

James Stocker, Marketing Director at Halewood Artisanal Spirits, says: “Just like at Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Burns Night will take on a different format to previous years. People are much more 44

SLR | JANUARY 2021

likely to be celebrating in their homes, rather than going out to celebrate, which naturally provides a huge opportunity to boost sales during this period – particularly within the whisky category which is of course an essential part of the celebrations.”

Many shoppers will simply be looking for a good value blended dram to get them into the spirit of Burns Night, but many more will be looking for something a little more unusual, a little more special. Here are a few options you could consider to help add some excitement to your whisky range…

THE TRADITIONAL OPTION: CRABBIE’S 12YO RSP: £35

Crabbie’s 12 Year Old Speyside single malt provides a great gift option for the more traditional whisky drinker. A new variant www.slrmag.co.uk

Feature

Big Night In | Burns Night

from the Speyside region, it is aged in specially selected Bourbon casks to give rich fruity flavours.

THE EXOTIC OPTION: GLEN MORAY SAUTERNES CASK MATURED RSP: £79.95

THE VERSATILE OPTION: CRABBIE’S YARDHEAD RSP: £22

For shoppers looking for something a little bit different, Crabbie’s Yardhead Single Malt is an interesting option. Launched in 2018, Crabbie’s Yardhead is a no-age expression single malt which has been created with mixing in mind. Yardhead provides a great base for really simple whisky serves – paired with Ginger Beer or Coke – or for more complex cocktails. The product recently benefitted from a modern new look that emphasises the brand’s single malt whisky credentials and delivers greater standout onshelf.

In addition, the brand is being supported by its first ever ATL campaign for the brand, which includes print and outdoor advertising, as well as increased social media support.

THE SUSTAINABLE OPTION: CREAG DHU RSP: £34

The team behind the award-winning Daffy’s Gin has very recently released Creag Dhu, a Speyside single malt. Every bottle contains an official Carbon Offset Certificate linked to the peatland saving projects in which the Creag Dhu team are involved. The world-first certificate recognises the role each purchase plays in helping preserve Scotland’s peatlands, one of nature’s most important carbon stores and a critical component in the fight against climate change.

Over the past century, peatlands have undergone rapid deterioration and degradation due to farming practices and peat extraction, releasing thousands of tons of carbon into the atmosphere and destroying ecosystems of diverse and essential wildlife. Creag Dhu whisky seeks to restore some of these peatlands through investment in peatland recovery projects.

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Glen Moray has released the first whisky from its new Warehouse 1 Collection, the Glen Moray Sauternes Cask Matured expression.

Just five casks have been released after the spirit spent 14 years maturing in Warehouse 1 exclusively in five sweet Sauternes wine casks. The result is a 59.6% ABV cask strength dram that is a luxurious mix of Glen Moray’s smooth, light Speyside style with the aromatic, honeyed sweetness of France’s most famous dessert wine.

THE PEATY OPTION: ANCNOC PEATHEART BATCH 2 RSP: £52

If you have shoppers who prefer the peaty side of life, the new anCnoc Peatheart Batch 2 is a tempting option. The 46% ABV Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky continues its journey to the dark side with the release of the second consignment of its award-winning permanent peated expression.

Crafted at Knockdhu Distillery in the small village of Knock,

by Huntly in Aberdeenshire, Peatheart uses peated barley in production to add a rich, smoky twist before maturation in American Oak ex-bourbon barrels.

THE PLASTIC-FREE OPTION: JOHNNIE WALKER For shoppers with an avid interest in all things environmental, Diageo has launched the world’s first plastic-free paper-based spirits bottle. The bottle debuts very soon with Johnnie Walker, the world’s number one Scotch Whisky.

The bottle is made from sustainably sourced pulp to meet food-safe standards and will be fully recyclable in standard waste streams. www.slrmag.co.uk

Raise a BRU for Burns on January 25th

“

Stocking up with BRU’s the thing, If you want your till to go ker-ching

”

Feature

Big Night In | Valentine’s Day

SHARE THE LOVE FOR VALENTINE’S DAY It’s all about chocolate as usual, this Valentine’s Day, and there’s plenty of options for retailers to consider when planning a range of gifting options.

V

alentine’s Day is all about happiness and love – and there’s no love quite like the love of chocolate. Stocking a good range of gifting options for your shoppers will definitely be appreciated, particularly among those very busy shoppers who somehow manage to forget to pick an appropriate present up for their loved one until the very last minute.

And it must be top quality. Who wants to receive a box of cheap chocolates from the love of their life on 14 February?

Ferrero UK has some great options among the huge list of products it recently launched as part of its spring collection – and that spring 2021 range is being backed by a £5.8m ad campaign so the company’s many famous brands are likely to be front of mind next month as the big day approaches.

With coronavirus still very much influencing customer behaviour and purchasing decisions, Levi Boorer, Customer Development Director at Ferrero, comments: “People will likely be eager to make spring events like Valentine’s Day even more special and turn to more premium brands to add some sparkle.

“Although there has been physical distance, gifting has remained key, with shoppers happy to spend extra in order to treat loved ones after what has been a challenging year. Both Rocher and Collection are performing ahead of the category, with the former in value growth of +2.6% [Nielsen, Sep 20]. Our aim will be to focus on this success, with our trusted brands and products helping to ensure retailers can provide exactly what shoppers are looking for in store as we approach Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter.”

FERRERO ROCHER Lovestruck shoppers looking to treat their better half on Valentine’s Day can’t go wrong with Ferrero Rocher and the confectionery giant’s 48

SLR | JANUARY 2021

range is being supported across multiple channels at each occasion throughout spring.

Last year Ferrero Rocher T16 (200g) grew by a whopping 24% [Nielsen, Mar 2020] while Ferrero collection grew by 15%, according to the same stats, showing just how important it is for retailers to stock the core range.

Ferrero Rocher T24 (300g) also remains the number one boxed chocolate SKU at Valentine’s Day, giving retailers a popular gifting solution that will retain its relevance after the event too.

THORNTONS Thorntons Classic was the fastest growing boxed chocolate brand at both Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day last year [Nielsen]. To help grow the brand further, the company has launched Thorntons Classic gift-wrapped ‘With Love’ packs which benefit from a more premium design to entice new shoppers to the brand.

The wider Thorntons brand experienced early growth of +6% during spring 2020 [Nielsen, Apr 2020], prior to the national lockdown impacting store visits, and was the only confectionery brand in the top seven to grow in terms of both value (+6.3%) and volume (+21.2%) in that initial period.

“Shoppers are emotionally invested within the confectionery category as the brands help them celebrate the moments they share with loved ones,” adds Boorer.

“With our established core range, media campaigns, POS solutions and new products, we want to do all we can to support retailers during Valentine’s Day and the other spring occasions. We always strive to offer retailers and shoppers the right balance of seasonal specials, which drive awareness and interest to the category, in addition to helping drive sales all year round with the core range.” www.slrmag.co.uk

Feature

Energy Drinks

LOW THE WAY TO GO With shoppers traditionally seeking to make healthier choices at this time of year after the excesses of the festive period, low and no sugar is the way to go with energy drinks.

N

ew Year’s resolutions often mean that, after the excesses of Christmas and New Year, many shoppers are looking to make healthier choices at this time of the year. With a tough year behind them however, and the prospect of a tough start to 2021 ahead of them, many shoppers will be still be looking for a boost to get them through the day, which is great news for retailers in general and the huge energy drinks category in particular.

Today Sports & Energy is now worth £1.3bn, with growth totalling over £25.3m vs 2019 [Nielsen, Aug 2020]. This growth has been fuelled by the increasing demand for Functional Energy which have added over £130m vs 2019 and are fast approaching a billion-pound segment, today worth over £900m annually. The consistent performance of Functional in the category has ensured that Sports & Energy has remained in growth despite slower performance in other segments and Functional Energy is the fastest growing segment in Soft Drinks at +6.1%.

A big beneficiary of this trend has been

category captain Red Bull which, over the past year, has seen volume per buyer increase by a whopping 37.4% [Kantar, Aug 2020].

Offering choice is at the centre of a strong energy offer and especially at the start of the year as consumers increasingly pick up a sugarfree alternative. Red Bull has reacted to the shift to sugar free with an expansion of its range to include a sugarfree variant of almost every pack in the range. This has seen Red Bull launch Sugarfree 473ml, Tropical Sugarfree Edition in 2018, along with Coconut Berry Sugarfree Edition in 2019.

Red Bull Zero was relaunched earlier in 2020 with a reformulated taste profile, responding to shopper demand for a great tasting energy drink without sugar. Red Bull Zero has sold 1m cans since launching earlier this year and is one of the biggest NPD contributors of growth to the Sports & Energy category, adding almost £1.3m of value as part of Red Bull’s £23m YTD growth vs 2019 [Nielsen]. Red Bull Zero is now available in a 250ml 4-pack to meet this profitable retail opportunity.

IRN-BRU ENERGY NOW IN 500ML CANS Barr Soft Drinks is set to deliver growth in the £1.4bn energy drinks market with the addition of a 500ml big can variant to its Ian-Bru Energy brand.

“Energy is the biggest and most profitable drink-now segment in the UK, with over one in three soft drinks sold in convenience stores being an energy drink [IRI, Nov 2020],” says Adrian Troy, Marketing Director at Barr Soft Drinks.

“However, the top 20 energy products are split equally between big and small cans, with 60% of shoppers always buying the same size can [Kantar, Jun 2020] .”

Troy says Irn-Bru Energy is growing four times faster than the total energy market [IRI, Sep 2020] and delivering incremental sales, as half of Irn-Bru Energy shoppers buy it in addition to their normal energy product Irn-Bru Energy 500ml will be available in full sugar (£1.29 RSP) and no sugar (£1.19 RSP) and retailers should stock both variants as each product attracts a different type of shopper, says the company. The launch will be supported with an unmissable £1m brand investment from next month, including heavyweight outdoor and digital advertising, complemented by a huge sampling campaign.

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SLR | JANUARY 2021

www.slrmag.co.uk

YOUR NEW YEAR MUST STOCKS.

Feature

NPD

NPD: BRINGING EXCITEMENT

2020 was a relatively slow year in terms of NPD as manufacturers – and retailers – rationalised ranges to focus on the tried and tested big sellers, so will 2021 see NPD back with a bang?

N

PD is an interesting phenomenon in local retailing. Over the last decade, launching new products has become a core part of what most brands do, big and small, and both customers and retailers have grown to love the excitement that comes with a new product to try. Historically, of course, the vast majority of NPD fails. The top 20 products in convenience of 20 years ago would look remarkably similar to today’s Top 20, but that doesn’t stop brands persevering in their search for that rare new product, the one that sticks and becomes a core product long into future.

Launching NPD is a costly business for suppliers, often involving expensive new machinery and production processes alongside equally expensive media campaigns – so a product that sticks is worth a dozen that don’t.

52

SLR | JANUARY 2021

For retailers, however, engaging and exciting new products are the lifeblood of the local retailing industry, which is why SLR recently launched its new Product of the Year Awards 2020.

There’s no question that 2020 was a slower year on the NPD front as both suppliers and retailers rationalised their ranges to drive operational efficiencies by devoting their energies to the big sellers – but there was still plenty to get excited about all the same.

All 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. Last year, more than ever, retailers were actively seeking out innovative, engaging and attention-grabbing new products – and the big brands didn’t let them down.

From Orange Twirls to Gordon’s Sicilian Lemon, from Au Vodka launches to a raft

of new hard seltzers, there’s been enough coming through to allow retailers to generate that passion and excitement among consumers that keeps them coming to the store and checking their Facebook pages.

What will 2021 hold, then? It’s likely to be a slow first quarter although several major suppliers have already announced plans to launch new lines – but there’s a chance that towards the back half of the year we’ll see a glut of NPD as suppliers rejoin the battle for attention and shelf space.

Look out for the winners of the SLR Products of the Year 2020 Awards this month in The Week In Retail! Email mailinglist@55north. com to receive it direct to your inbox. www.slrmag.co.uk

500ml

EwW N e l b a l i a no av big can

• IRN-BRU ENERGY IS GROWING 4 X FASTER THAN TOTAL ENERGY* • 60% OF SHOPPERS ALWAYS BUY THE SAME SIZE CAN** •

ADD 500ML TO TURBo CHARGE YOUR SALES

Feature

Vaping

OPEN AND CLOSED CASE IN 2021?

With ‘closed’ pod-based vaping systems now the leading growth driver, what do retailers need to do to try to leverage the category in 2021?

T

here’s no doubt that 2020 was a remarkable year in many ways that saw shopping habits transformed beyond belief and sales across many categories – and so it was with the vaping category that had appeared to stall after several years of enormous growth.

The menthol ban last May kick started a fresh spike in vaping sales as adult smokers sought out new ways to securing their menthol hit. For many of those consumers, the easiest way of transitioning from cigarettes to vaping was through intuitive click-and-play pod-based systems and in August this year, ‘closed’ pod-based systems finally overtook open systems as the leading sector and biggest growth driver.

54

SLR | JANUARY 2021

Worryingly, however, IRI data shows that independent retailers only account for about 30% of closed system sales with the rest going via the supermarkets who were quicker to embrace the category and have seen the benefit.

So is the big opportunity for local retailers in 2021 to really get behind pods?

John Patterson, Sales Director of JUUL Labs UK, certainly thinks so and the company is helping retailers grab more share with the launch of a new pricemarked pack for its JUUL Starter Kit. The prominent £19.99 price mark is aimed to reassure shoppers that they are being charged a fair price and Patterson sees it as a major move in helping retailers grow their share.

SMOKERS ‘NEED MORE ALTERNATIVES’ A new survey of over 3,200 Britons has revealed that almost half of adult smokers have admitted they are now smoking more often while at home. Commissioned by JUUL Labs, the research found that around 41% of smokers polled stated they were smoking more at home now than they were three months ago, prompting fears that passive smoking rates were rising in homes across the UK. While working from home has potentially brought with it many advantages, including arguably a better work/life balance, it has also made it far easier for employees to slip into old habits.

“This survey shows that many adult smokers are not just working from home, but smoking from home too – and at far greater levels,” said John Patterson, Sales Director of JUUL Labs UK. “To be clear, JUUL Labs as a company believes smokers should first and foremost quit. And those who have not successfully quit should completely switch to potentially less harmful alternative nicotine products.

It is vital that every smoker is provided with the latest advice and support to help them give up cigarettes for good.”

The vaping category in the UK continues to grow with closed systems now the leading growth driver in the vaping category, having overtaken open systems in August. However, according to IRI, symbols’ and independents’ share of the closed pod category hovers at around 30%, compared to 70% in multiple retailers who were early adopters of the technology.

To help independent retailers, JUUL Labs, which is the UK’s number one vape brand by value [IRI. Nov 2020], has introduced a new price marked pack for its JUUL Starter Kit to make JUUL products more accessible for adult smokers who may wish to transition from combustible cigarettes to potentially less harmful alternative nicotine products.

JUUL Starter Kits now feature a £19.99 price-marked roundel while JUULpods will continue to be priced at an RSP of £10.99.

www.slrmag.co.uk

JUUL sales account for 37% of all growth in the closed pod sector.* One of the fastest growing categories for your store is closed pod systems.** JUUL is growing 63% year-on-year.* Do you have the UK’s #1 vape brand in stock?* Become a JUUL retail partner.

Email uksales@juul.com today.

Not for sale to minors.

Designed for adult smokers.

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 Sept 2020. **Source: IRI Total Market Value Sales 4 Weeks to 13th Sept 2020.

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

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

Feature

Vaping

“By offering a more accessible entry point, we hope to offer more adult smokers further alternatives to combustible cigarettes and more options to transition away from tobacco, which remains the largest cause of preventable death in the UK,” says Patterson.

“Adult smokers use their local convenience store on a regular basis to purchase their cigarettes and convenience retailers are ideal places to offer these smokers alternatives to combustible tobacco products.”

While pod systems are in the ascendancy, Duncan Cunningham, UK Corporate Affairs Director at Imperial Tobacco & blu, still recommends that retailers stock at least on one open and one closed system from a big-name manufacturer, suggesting blu as the ideal brand.

“Pod-mod systems like myblu should also be a focus as they have become increasingly popular thanks to their ease of use and flexibility,” says Cunningham.

“And the range of devices on offer should always be supported with a strong portfolio of e-liquids, especially fruit and menthol flavours, in a variety of nicotine strengths, including nicsalts like 56

SLR | JANUARY 2021 21

myblu Intense, to cater for all tastes. Our best-selling variant in the myblu range is the Menthol Intense Liquidpod so we would highly recommend this as a muststock for all retailers. The myblu Menthol Intense liquidpods are available to buy at £5.99 RRP for a pack of two.”

Nick Geens, Head of Reduced Risk Products at JTI UK, comments: “Vapers are looking for convenient and easy-to-use devices that they can experiment with in terms of flavours and strengths to find the right fit.

Our premium pod device, Logic Compact, offers a convenient and modern alternative to traditional vaping products and couldn’t be easier to use, with pre-filled e-liquid pods that click magnetically into place.”

Cunningham does, however, share Patterson’s view on the important of capitalising on the huge shift to convenience seen under coronavirus. “As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, many customers have started shopping locally or online, in part because they are less willing to go far from home for their products,” he says. “Therefore, there is an opportunity for convenience

stores to retain customers of vape products that might shop elsewhere (such as specialist vape stores) under normal circumstances.”

Therefore, customer service and strong category knowledge have crucial roles to play at present, given the in-store restrictions because of the pandemic. Many consumers won’t wish to handle products in order to look at them before they buy and may also not want to ask questions at the till point to avoid queues building up behind them.

Cunningham says: “Retailers need to be prepared to proactively offer them advice at the till point and help shoppers feel at ease by providing knowledgeable answers to their questions that really showcase their understanding of the category.”

Now more than ever, investing in education is key to retaining new and existing vape customers.

If retailers don’t invest in training their staff on the products on offer, there’s a strong chance they’ll miss out on sales.

www.slrmag.co.uk

why not buy ? shoppers do.

N E W M Y B L U. H A N DY A N D E A S Y VA P I N G.

This product contains nicotine. 18+ only. Not a smoking cessation product. Š Fontem 2020.

2020

UTC

KY RUBS THE AULD YIN UP THE WRONG WAY

Marketers have got a lot to answer for, if you ask UTC. Who else would have come up with the unfathomable decision by KY Jelly to rebrand its upstanding and iconic product with a new name but a marketer? Or, more likely, a committee of marketers – whatever the collective noun for marketers is.

Only a marketer could dream up one of those irritating modern brand names with capital letters in the wrong places and and K’s instead of C’s for no apparent reason.

The auld boy wondered aloud the other day whether the phrase “You don’t have a wee skoosh of Kynect handy, do you?” carries quite the same sense of exhilaration and foreboding as “Got any KY on you?”

What chance has the youth of today got, he mused. Your mother isn’t even going to raise an eyebrow if she finds a tube of Kynect in the pocket of your jeans.

The company that makes KY says the new name will “communicate intimacy and connection”, but as far as the auld yin is concerned, nothing gets the blood flowing quite like a prospective partner uttering the letters ‘KY’.

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SLR | JANUARY 2021

WHEN PERSONALISATION GOES WRONG...

Apparently not having been a good enough boy last year to make it onto Mondelez’s Christmas list, UTC was tickled last month to see his colleague Findlay open a huge bar of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk that he received from Mondelez. And this was no ordinary bar of chocolate. No sirree. It was a personalised bar. The only problem was that it was personalised for someone else. “Merry Christmas Chris,” it read.

Trade journalism being a small world, however, Findlay soon learned that his bar had been sent to Scottish Grocer editor Matthew Lynas. So presumably there is a journalist in Englandshire somewhere wondering why they got a bar of chocolate called Matthew.

Having said all that, it still tasted good. So, no point crying over misspelt Dairy Milk. [Worst. Pun. Ever - Ed.]

www.slrmag.co.uk

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