SLR March 2019 by 55 North

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SAME CIGAR

MARCH 2019 | ISSUE 191

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NEW NAME

SAME CIGAR

MARCH 2019 | ISSUE 191

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GARY BLACK

CCEP driving soft drinks growth

JOHN LEE

DRS in focus

DOING GOOD IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS

Sustainability is set to have a major impact on the local retailing industry – but saving the planet can also help you save money and increase profits.

THE POWER OF TAGGING

Tagging takes EPoS up a level

CRIMINAL STATISTICS

SGF event shows crime as bad as ever

SUN SHINES

New Sun Savers promo campaign

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March 2019

Contents

Contents ISSUE 191

NEWS p6 p7 p8 p10 p12 p22 p24 p26

Symbol Groups Co-op launches franchise recruitment drive as it seeks the ‘right retailers’ to widen its reach. Recycling The public asks for a straightforward deposit return scheme that is easy to understand, use and access. Mergers Asda-Sainsbury’s deal cast in doubt as competition watchdog issues damning provisional report. Illicit Tobacco A series of HMRC raids around Glasgow nets around five tonnes of suspected contraband. News Extra Scottish Wholesale Achievers JW Filshill crowned ‘Champion of Champions’ at SWA bash. Product News Three Coca-Cola brands launch new lowsugar options and Chicago Town unveils pizza-to-go. Off-Trade News Glen’s Vodka gets fruity, while Carlsberg overhauls its ﬂagship Pilsner from ‘head to hop’. Newstrade Retailers to be hit with double whammy of wage and carriage charge increases on same day.

INSIDE BUSINESS p28 Research Digest HIM predicts food-to-go will grow by £0.5bn in next few years – but convenience is losing share. p31 Philip Morris Study Tour A rare glimpse inside the tobacco giant’s Swiss research and manufacturing facility. p32 Getting More Out Of Epos The fourth of our six-month series of ‘hands-on’ articles reveals the power of PayPoint One’s tagging feature. p34 SGF Crime Seminar The recent SGF seminar on retail crime saw different views on tackling the problem. p38 SLR Rewards It’s time to meet this year’s judges for the most Rewarding awards in convenience retail. p40 SLR Rewards Invaluable category advice from our awards partners CCEP, News UK, Blu and Barr Soft Drinks. p48 Hotlines The cold coffee drinks segment heats up with the arrival of new Espresso Monster from CCEP. p62 Under The Counter Original recipe Irn-Bru is as rare as UTC’s teeth these days, hence its phenomenal price tag. FEATURES p50 Chocolate As the tastes and demands of chocolate consumers evolve, so too must the range offered to them. p53 Forecourts The modern forecourt shopper seeks the best of all worlds, which means some hard work for retailers. p57 Candy The category once known as sugar confectionery now focuses on reducing or eliminating the white stuff. p60 Soft Drinks It’s been busy for soft drinks of late, with a wave of low sugar NPD, new initiatives and media campaigns.

ON THE COVER p16 Sustainability Building a more sustainable business can be just as good for the bottom line as it is for the environment.

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MARCH 2019 | SLR

News SYMBOL GROUPS Co-op seeks ‘right retailers’ to widen its reach

Thug jailed for ‘deplorable’ attack on shopworker A vicious thug with 95 previous convictions has been jailed for six years after attacking a shopworker with a baseball bat. Joseph Bissett, 42, repeatedly hit Luminita Serban with the weapon at the Nisa Heathryfold store in Aberdeen on 25 October last year. He also banged the 33-year-old’s head off a fridge, pulled out clumps of her hair and threatened to kill her. He then stole cigarettes to the value of £547 from the store.

Jet reveals new image Jet has unveiled a new image prototype at one of the fuel brand’s new company-owned sites, in North Yorkshire. The new design has been

Co-op launches franchise recruitment campaign The Co-op is looking for independent retailers who share its “values and principles” and would like to trade under its fascia. A new website (coop.co.uk/ franchise) is actively recruiting interested retailers, who will access a full-service model and receive support, tools and training. To qualify retailers must have weekly sales of £20,000 excluding VAT, Lotto, Paypoint and Post Office. Stores needs to be at least 2,000sq ft with additional storage space of over 800sq ft. The move into symbol group territory comes in addition to the

company’s plans to build around 100 new owned and operated stores this year.

The Co-op has been trialling its franchise model since last spring. The three participating stores have apparently seen a minimum sales uplift of 50%.

Franchised outlets will give shoppers access to the Co-op’s membership scheme, which gives a 5% reward back on Co-op ownbrand purchases and a further 1% donated to local community causes. Martin Rogers, the Co-op’s Head of New Channels, said: “We’re looking for the right retailers in the right locations to share in our success and help widen the reach of Co-op products. “We now have the capability to deliver franchising at scale, offering our award-winning food in new places to attract new customers and members.”

developed in response to dealer and consumer feedback and

CRIME No store left untouched by crime, finds latest annual survey

CRIME

includes an angled canopy with

Extent of retail crime revealed at SGF summit

Quarter of Scots self-scanners admit stealing

Every convenience retailer in ScotThe keynote address at the conland was a victim of retail crime last ference was given by the Minister year, according to the latest SGF Re- for Community Safety, Ash Denham tail Crime Report. MSP. She said: “I am aware how seShoplifting was the most prevalent rious shop theft, physical and verbal form of crime, with almost 65% of abuse, robbery and break-ins are. I store experiencing am committed to Ash Denham MSP incidents of shoplifttackling these is-

One in four Scottish selfcheckout customers have stolen groceries, according to a new study. So-called “swipers” use a variety of tricks like swapping the barcodes of high-value items with cheaper products or deliberately pretending expensive fruit and vegetables are cheaper items, like carrots. Almost half (46%) of the thieves admit to doing it on a regular basis and Scots swipers are estimated to steal an average of £350-worth of goods every year. Dr Emmeline Taylor, a criminologist and expert in retail crime at City University, London, said many people start “swiping” accidentally, but then see how easy it is. “Often they don’t see it as stealing because they’re interacting with a machine.” She said a lot of retailers were ignoring the problem for fear of wrongfully accusing customers.

additional LED lighting, clearer signage, branded premium fuels and a new pole sign with clear pricing of all products.

Brexit fears slowing store sales, says report Uncertainty around Brexit has put the brakes on the retail property market, according to Christie & Co’s Business Outlook report for 2019. However, the specialist convenience retail property adviser said pent-up demand from investors could lead to a surge in the number of businesses changing hands once the economy stabilises post-Brexit.

Nisa colleagues step out for charity Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity is donating £1 to Alzheimer’s Society for every mile that colleagues walk, jog or run.taking part in a workplace The Nisa Miles Challenge encourages staff to be healthier by aiming to reach a target of 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles. Almost 90 people have taken part so far and by the end of January their efforts have raised

ing daily. The report, which was launched at the Federation’s annual Crime Conference, also showed that the refusal of sale or requests for identification are still amongst the primary triggers for incidents of abuse. Over 60% of stores regularly endure these types of incidents. SGF Chief Executive Pete Cheema said: “Our new crime report shows how persistent and serious retail crime is. Retailers need more protection and that is why are throwing our full weight behind the members Bill on the Protection of Workers which will soon come before the Scottish Parliament.”

sues.” The Minister also said that the Scottish government would look closely at any proposals to given shop staff additional legal protection. The conference also heard a powerful personal story from retailer Amjid Bashir who said “I have been experiencing violence and abuse since I started work in retail at 16 years of age.” SGF also announced it would become a key partner in a major Police Scotland campaign on hate crime. Police Scotland and Scottish Business Resilience Centre will also retail crime roundtable meetings with SGF members, starting in the spring.

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News RECYCLING Government publishes DRS consultation findings

Public backs straightforward deposit return scheme Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) should be easy to understand, easy to use and easy to access, according to public opinion. Over 3,000 people responded to the Scottish Government’s threemonth-long DRS consultation. Analysis of the responses also revealed a broad consensus for a closer look at the impact and cost-benefits of DRS, with “lessons to be learned” from existing schemes. There were also calls for a comprehensive UK-wide approach to waste management. More than half of all respondents suggested deposit levels of between 15p and 20p. The UK, Welsh and Northern Irish Governments also set out their own DRS plans. Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said she

would be happy to “explore how our respective schemes might usefully align in the future”.

Reverse vending company Tomra Collection Solutions welcomed the announcement. UK boss Truls Haug said: “We believe a DRS will help see the return of over 90% of drinks containers for recycling within

just two years of the scheme being introduced in Scotland. The analysis of the responses came a week after three SGF member stores launched reverse vending machine trials. Customers of Nisa Local in Bellshill, Premier Broadway in Oxgangs and Keystore in Moredun are offering customers 10p for every empty water, soft drink and juice container returned to store until the end of April. Alternatively, customers can choose to donate their 10p to a local good cause. John Lee, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at SGF, said: “These trials will give us invaluable learning and insight into deposit return, particularly how shop staff and customers respond to having an RVM sited in-store.”

Mhouse unveils mobile app and self-service solution EPoS provider Mhouse has launched Saleschecker, a smartphone app that gives store owners the ability to monitor the performance of their business remotely, with key store metrics updated hourly. It has also unveiled a hybrid self-service addition to its Mpos system that allows retailers to quickly set up a card-only selfservice channel.

Huddersﬁeld newsagent scoops Camelot £10k Camelot’s latest Site, Stock, Sell quarterly draw for a cash prize of £10,000 has been won by Peter Thurlow, who owns Wordsworth News in Huddersfield. Peter said: “The AllStars rewards program is absolutely brilliant! Aside from the chance to win £10,000, the Site, Stock, Sell standards programme really helps drive sales and it’s great to get rewarded for doing the right

NEW STORES Harris Aslam’s empire expands

NATIONAL LOTTERY Ban on under-18s in pipeline

Eros opens ninth store

Lottery age limit rise proposed

Eros Retail has opened its ninth Greens store after receiving a £945,000 finance package from HSBC Bank. The company, run by former SLR Rewards Retailer of the Year Harris Aslam, also plans to open four more stores – two by April – with the funds. The new opening is a Greens Local in the Fife town of Cardenden. Eros Retail employs 145 staff, but this latest round of expansion will see the total rise to 200. The company’s last growth spurt came in 2017, when it opened a Little Greens in the Fife village of Coaltown of Balgonie and a Greens in Dundee city centre. All of the stores operate under the Nisa fascia. Little Greens is a smaller store format with a focus on food-to-go, while Greens Local is the chain’s value store proposition. Commenting on the launch, Harris said: “We pride ourselves on creating a unique shopping experience for our customers and wanted to work with a bank that understood our business ambitions. We’re looking forward to furthering this growth in a sustainable manner with the support of HSBC UK.”

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things.”

Jessie J to headline GroceryAid’s festival GroceryAid has unveiled the line-up for its second Barcode Festival, which returns to Hawker House on Thursday 4 July. Jessie J tops the bill, supported by a live show from Basement Jaxx and a DJ set from Radio One’s Nick Grimshaw. Tickets are on sale now, with a price tag of £300 (including all food & drink). For more information email events@

Under-18s could be banned from buying National Lottery products, the Minister for Sports & Civil Society has said. Speaking to the Commons ‘House Magazine’ Mims Davies said she wants to stop all current forms of under-18 gambling. The move would put an end to the current disparity where 16- and 17-year-olds can buy lottery tickets and scratchcards but can’t legally make any other kind of wager. “We need to be very clear that gambling starts at 18,” she said. “It’s not to stop people from having fun, but it’s also to protect those most vulnerable people.” Any changes are unlikely to come into effect before 2023, when Camelot’s licence to operate the lottery is up for renewal. A Camelot spokesperson said: “We have no issue with a Government review of the age limit for buying National Lottery products and are happy to assist in any way we can to help inform the decision.”

groceryaid.org.uk or call 01252 875925.

Clean up your community with Coca-Cola CCEP is backing this year’s Great British Spring Clean (22 March to 23 April) and wants retailers to help. Get started by downloading the guide on the sustainability section of cokecustomerhub.co.uk. CCEP is also providing a limited number of free kits to help retailers organise their event.

MARCH 2019 | SLR

News BUSINESS Competition regulator highly critical of proposed supermarket merger

Brexit blamed for Oddbins collapse Off-licence chain Oddbins has entered administration. Its owner, European Food Brokers, blamed tough trading conditions on the High Street and the economic uncertainty surrounding Brexit. The chain has nine Scottish stores, located in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Hundreds of staff across the UK could lose their jobs unless administrator Duff & Phelps finds a buyer.

Nisa pushes its stores up online search rankings Nisa has joined forces with search platform Yext to provide its retailers with greater visibility across over 50 search platforms. The partnership is a step up from the current Nisa Locally store locator site and will help Nisa retailers to feature automatically in search engines and directories like TripAdvisor, Facebook, Google and Yelp.

Scottish Government ignites ﬁreworks debate The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on the use and regulation of fireworks, which looks at how they are sold.

Asda-Sainbury’s deal ﬂoundering in wake of watchdog’s concerns The proposed merger between Asda and Sainsbury’s has been thrown into serious doubt after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued a damning provisional report that was highly critical of the deal. The CMA said the proposed merger could lead to a “worse experience” for in-store and online shoppers across the UK, citing higher prices, a poorer shopping experience, and reductions in range and quality. It also voiced concerns that fuel prices could rise at over 100 locations where Sainsbury’s and Asda petrol stations overlap. The competition watchdog also has concerns that the merger could lead to a substantial lessening of competition at both a national and local level. Stuart McIntosh, Chair of the independent inquiry group carrying

out the investigation, was quick to point out that the findings are provisional. “The companies and others now have the opportunity to respond to the analysis we’ve set out,” he said. “It’s our responsibility to carry out a thorough assessment of the deal to make sure that the sector remains competitive and shoppers don’t lose out.” The CMA set out two options to rectify the situation: blocking the deal entirely or the sell-off of a “significant number” of stores and other assets

– possibly including either of the Sainsbury’s or Asda brands. The watchdog warned that it is “likely to be difficult” for the companies to address its concerns. Interested parties have until 13 March to respond to the CMA’s provisional findings. A final report will be issued by 30 April. The GMB union, which represents Asda workers and has voiced concerns over the deal since its announcement, said it would now “absolutely oppose” any merger that would see “hundreds of stores and scores of depots” put at risk. The union’s General Secretary Tim Roache said the CMA’s provisional findings were “staggering”. “If this merger were allowed to go ahead, we could see thousands of jobs at risk in everything from stores and distribution, to head office and home shopping,” he said.

The consultation, which runs until 13 May 2019, seeks views

TOBACCO Government publishes information about new regulations

on issues like whether the

HMRC ﬁnally issues track and trace guidance

sale of fireworks to the public should be banned, and what other measures can help ensure fireworks are used safely and responsibly.

PayPoint One retailers get free ACS membership A new partnership between the Association of Convenience Stores and PayPoint will see all PayPoint One retailers offered free ACS membership, gaining access to industry events, advice and networking. ACS communications and content will be available to retailers via the PayPoint One platform. The two partners will also work together on events and communications focused on future developments of in-store

HMRC has published information about how the forthcoming ‘track and trace’ regulations will affect retailers selling and storing tobacco products (bit.ly/2V0FIaF). The new legislation comes into force on 20 May 2019. This is the first information that HMRC has made public about how retailers will be required to comply with the regulations. The guidance also includes information for wholesalers which covers recording sales, scanning tobacco products and aggregating unit packs. From 20 May, tobacco manufacturers must provide unique identifier codes on cigarette and

hand-rolling tobacco products and track these products through the supply chain. Tobacco traders will be required to have an Economic Operator Identifier Code (registered to their business) and a Facility Identifier Code (for each store or premises which stores tobacco) to purchase cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco. Security and anti-counterfeiting specialist De La Rue has been appointed to deliver the UK’s track and trace service, and will issue the necessary codes to retailers. No further details for requesting an identifier code were available as SLR went to press.

SYMBOL GROUPS

CJ Lang welcomes Imran Ali to the Spar family SLR Reward-winning retailer Imran Ali’s Bourtreehill store in Irvine has joined Spar. The store won the 2018 SLR Reward for Team of the Year. Imran has been in retail for 12 years and owns five stores. He commented: “We decided to join Spar because it has the best chilled and fresh food offering that will allow us to be competitive and stand out from other local retailers. Spar has an award-winning own label range that we’re looking forward to stocking going forward.”

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News ILLICIT TOBACCO Four people charged after major HMRC operation

Seafood industry asks us to ‘think seagan’ UK seafood industry body Seafish has launched a new campaign which promotes seaganism – a new diet combining fish with plant-based foodstuffs. ‘Think Seagan’ includes a variety of online materials suggesting new ways to consume and enjoy fish, alongside a range of educational tools, such as seafood fact and myth sheets.

Ram raiders target Edinburgh newsagent Balaclava-wearing bandits driving a telehandler failed in a bid to remove the ATM from a newsagents in Edinburgh’s Gorgie Road. The gang stole the construction industry forklift from a nearby building site before crashing it into the front of the newsagents. They fled when a local resident alerted police. Despite sustaining around

Glasgow customs raids uncover ﬁve tonnes of suspected illicit tobacco HMRC has seized around five tonnes of suspected illicit tobacco worth an estimated £1.5m in lost duty and taxes in a series of raids in Glasgow. The busts also uncovered two suspected tobacco factories, while the assistance of a cash dog helped in finding £4,000. Three women – aged 37, 38 and 42 – and a 25-year-old man were charged with excise duty fraud in connection with the raids. Searches of five households, a commercial property, two selfstorage containers and three vehicles were conducted on 21 February. Joe Hendry, of HMRC’s fraud investigation service, commented: “The sale of illegal tobacco will not

be tolerated by us or our partner agencies. Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco

market, which costs the UK around £2.5bn a year. “This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.”

£20,000 worth of damage, the store was open for business the

VAPING Major American player switches UK focus

WHOLESALERS

next day.

Juul starts drive into convenience stores

Boxed boss booked for SWA conference

Fowl play from cigarette smuggler A lorry driver who was caught smuggling almost 10 million illegal cigarettes disguised as frozen chickens has been jailed for four years. Robert Januszewski, 48, was stopped at Hull by Border Force officers who found the dodgy cigs in his lorry’s refrigerated trailer. The unpaid duty of £2,621,808 was enough to pay the wages of 125 nurses for a year, an HMRC source said.

Borders store for LIdl? Discounter Lidl looks set open a store in Galashiels after an application to allow the sale of food goods was submitted to Scottish Borders Council for a pair of adjacent units in the town’s Comely Bank Mill retail park. Lidl said it was exploring various options to expand in the area but had no firm plans yet. It currently operates two stores in the Borders, in Kelso and in

American vaping brand Juul has announced a major investment in its field sales team as it switches focus from specialist vape shops to the convenience channel. The move will see the company triple its field force by the end of April, bringing the number of business development executives to 75. John Patterson, Sales Director for Juul Labs UK, explained the company’s tactics: “For the UK launch, we followed the same process as we did when we launched in the States in 2015 – get into specialist vape, then into some key accounts before heavily targeting convenience. That strategy worked incredibly well for us and Juul now has over 75% of the vape market in US convenience. “We are incredibly excited about our roll out into symbol and convenience as Juul is a brand that has already resonated with adult smokers in the UK through the vape

channel and Sainsbury’s. There is a real appetite for the brand and we now want to ensure that current Juul users and those smokers who want to make the switch from tobacco can easily find Juul in their local store.” Steve Lintott, Head of Field Sales, oversees the new expanded team: “While many companies are scaling down or permanently using third party and sales agency staff to call on the independent trade, we wanted to show retailers that we are committed to growing Juul and the vape category in the UK by investing in our own people. In addition to engaging retailers, delivering stock, providing POS, insight and category education, the new team will enforce the company’s Challenge 25 policy, which all Juul stockists must adhere to. Lintott said: “We are only interested in targeting adult smokers and Challenge 25 is a prerequisite for any Juul retailer.”

Plans are under way for the Scottish Wholesale Association’s 2019 Annual Conference with Dawood Pervez, Managing Director of Bestway Wholesale, Colin McLean, Chief Executive of Dundee-based Spar wholesaler CJ Lang and Chieh Huang, Chief Executive of the US-based online wholesaler Boxed among the speakers. Huang, who launched Boxed from his parents’ garage in 2013, is flying over specially for the conference. In five years, he grew the company from a start-up making $40,000 in revenue to a household name valued at over half a billion dollars in 2018. The conference takes place at Crieff Hydro from 31 May to 2 June.

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News Extra

Scottish Wholesale Achievers Awards

NewsExtra TAKE A BIGGER BITE OF CHOCOLATE SALES – P50 WHOLESALERS Filshill crowned ‘Champion of Champions’ at SWA awards ceremony

Convenience Matters with the SGF Deposit return. You may feel, not without some justification, that there has been enough written about this already. But bear with us – this will be one of the biggest things ever to land in convenience stores and we have an ongoing need to work out what it will mean, what it will cost and what will be the best system for retailers. Last month SGF helped to launch in-store trials of reverse vending machines. This will give us invaluable insight into how customers react, the level of returned containers, the maintenance overhead and so on. All of this is important enough but as ever there is a bit of a bigger picture. They key to making DRS work for convenience is for retailers to show clearly that they are offering a vital service to the community by helping it to boost recycling, reduce litter and improve environmental quality. We must involve local schools, local clean-up projects and local charities. A key element of DRS is giving customers the chance to donate to a local charity and that’s why it’s vital that stores can connect with a charity partner. The big prize for us is that local people bring back their containers to the local shop, boosting footfall and overall spend. This will also help to make sure that the big supermarkets do not hoover up the vast bulk of returned containers as they do in other countries. A key follow-up for us from the RVM pilots is to create a community toolkit for retailers and DRS. Community is the key.

SLR | MARCH 2019

JW FILSHILL NAMED SCOTLAND’S TOP WHOLESALE BUSINESS

JW Filshill was named the best wholesale business in Scotland at the Scottish Wholesale Achievers awards (31 January), taking the Champion of Champions title. It also won three other categories: Best Delivered Operation (Retail), Best Symbol Group and Best Licensed Operation. Best Cash & Carry, one of the most closely contested categories, went to Booker, Shawfield while its Stock Control and Replenishment Supervisor, Craig Shand, took the Employee of the Year crown. Bidfood Scotland was also celebrating after claiming the Great Place to Work award, as well coming joint top in the Best Delivered Operation (Foodservice) category alongside Lomond Foods. The Best Marketing Initiative prize went to United Wholesale (Scotland) for its ‘Summer of Sport’ activity.

In the suppliers’ award categories, Linda Fraser of Nestlé was named Supplier Sales Executive of the Year, sponsored by Unitas Wholesale. Project Scotland, an award which highlights suppliers’ understanding of the wholesale industry in Scotland and their commitment to the sector, was won by Quorn Foods in partnership with Scot Serve for its ‘Quornvenience’ project. AG Barr came out on top in the fiercely-contested category for Best Overall Service by Suppliers, judged by members of the SWA voting each month for the shortlisted suppliers over a fourmonth period. A new award for Achievers 2019 – Best Foodservice Supplier

– saw foodservice wholesalers vote on the performance of the shortlisted suppliers over a fourmonth period. The winner of this inaugural award was Unilever Food Solutions. Finally, the Best Advertising Campaign award, which saw wholesalers vote for their favourite advert, went to Bud Light for ‘Dilly Dilly’. SWA boss Colin Smith said: “Achievers is the perfect vehicle to recognise the very best in our industry and I applaud the exceptional levels of innovation that we are seeing from our members as they seek new revenue streams, develop their operational processes and strive to provide the best possible customer service.” Smith also singled out suppliers for their support of the wholesale sector in Scotland: “We go to great lengths to ensure that the awards remain meaningful for all involved but we couldn’t do it without our supplier members and we are committed to working in partnership with our sponsors to offer them a solid return on their investment in the form of much closer working relationships with wholesalers and a far better understanding of the Scottish wholesale industry gained through the judging process.” Almost 450 people attended the Achievers gala dinner and awards presentation, which was hosted by TV’s Jennifer Reoch at the Sheraton Grand, Edinburgh. www.slrmag.co.uk

Free

ACS membership for all PayPoint One retailers

To find out more visit paypoint.com/acs

Comment

THE LACK OF ACTION IS CRIMINAL EDITORIAL

If you were unfortunate enough to see the horrific CCTV footage on Facebook recently of the central belt retailer who endured a sustained five-minute beating from a gang of mindless thugs, you’ll be well aware that retail crime is still very much a major issue. Attendees at last month’s SGF Crime Seminar were shown the footage and the audible gasps and cries tell their own story. The 2019 Scottish Crime Report found that 100% of local retailers in Scotland have suffered from retail crime in one way or another. Mercifully, not all of it involving being punched, kicked and battered with glass bottles – but it would be a lie to say that violence isn’t a regular occurrence in stores across the country. And usually because the retailer had no choice but to uphold the law by asking for ID or refusing a sale for one legitimate reason or another. Make no mistake, this is what lies at the heart of this problem: retailers being forced to police their own stores with little or no support in any tangible way from the people responsible for creating the laws that are the triggers for so much verbal and physical abuse. The SGF Crime Survey found that every respondent (100%) experienced incidents of physical or verbal abuse when refusing a sale, with 61% enduring them every week. And this is before we get to the more mundane retail crimes like shoplifting. Some 63% of respondents experienced shop theft on a daily basis. Far play to Daniel Johnson MSP for his Proposed Protection of Workers Bill as it will certainly help if he succeeds in getting it through the Committee stage in April – but let’s be honest, the real solution has got to run deeper than that and must involve a full re-think of both the scale and the impact of crimes that have effectively become normalised. Ash Denham MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Community Safety, spoke at the seminar and did her best to demonstrate that the Government is taking the issue seriously but wound up talking about an overhaul of IT systems that will free up police officers, the importance of Neighbourhood Watch Schemes and some toolkits available from the Scottish Business Resilience Centre. Hardly proof that the Government is tackling the issue head on. But when it came to the stuff that really mattered it was more of the same. The current presumption against short sentences of three months or less to sentences of 12 months or less is to be extended which, in reality, means that the chances of a convicted shoplifter being taken off the streets will move from slim to practically zero. “Compelling” evidence, she said, suggests short sentences do little to rehabilitate or reduce the likelihood of reoffending. So the answer is no custodial sentences? I’m no philosopher but that logic doesn’t work. Retailer Amjid Bashir who spoke at the seminar put it best when he said “retail crime is not a low-level crime”. Anyone who saw the CCTV footage of that brutal attack will wholeheartedly agree. The most puzzling issue here is why retail crime always seems to be quietly dismissed by politicians as retailers getting excited over nothing. What exactly do we have to do to give this issue the priority it so badly deserves? We’ve already seen retailers murdered in their stores. How serious does an issue have to get before it gets taken seriously?

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

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

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

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

CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS Scottish Local Retailer is distributed free to qualifying readers. For a registration card, call 0141 222 5381. Other readers may obtain copies by annual subscription at £50 (UK), £62 (Europe airmail), £99 (Worldwide airmail). 55 North Ltd, Waterloo Chambers, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6AY Tel: 0141 22 22 100 Fax: 0141 22 22 177 Website: www.55north.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/slrmag DISCLAIMER The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of 55 North Ltd. Nothing in this magazine MAY be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the magazine has endevoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability JUNE 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.

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Cover Story

Sustainability

DOING GOOD

IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS All the indications point to sustainability becoming an increasingly important factor in running a modern convenience store – but building a more sustainable business can be just as good for the bottom line as it is for the environment, finds SLR. BY ANTONY BEGLEY

I Gordon MacDonald MSP (left) tries out a DRS machine in Premier Broadway in Edinburgh.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is a ﬁrm advocate of DRS.

Food waste is increasingly important to shoppers.

SLR | MARCH 2019

t’s famously said that there are very few guarantees in life – death and taxes aside – but to that list local retailers can confidently add quite a few others including a steadily increasing National Minimum Wage, constantly increasing tobacco levies and a raft of new (possibly well-intended but often) misguided legislation. One issue that can also be added to the list of things that are not going to go away is sustainability. This is a complex, nuanced issue for local retailers but there is little doubt that both market forces and legislation will mean that local retailers will increasingly have to build sustainability into their core strategy, rather than treating it as the ‘nice to do’ issue that it has generally been for last four or five years. Yes, we’ve all added LED lights and food waste bins, but those have been driven by legislative changes. And yes, lots of stores have added energy-efficient refrigeration with closed-door chillers now seemingly the norm in major refits, but the fact remains that much of this work has been done almost reactively –

rather than as part of a planned strategy to place sustainability at the heart of the business. The reasons for this are simple and more often than not come down issue of cost. Most local retailers in Scotland, I’m reasonably confident in saying, have a desire to reduce their store’s carbon footprint and build more sustainable businesses – but this doesn’t often translate into action because there are so many more mission-critical issues to deal with that take priority, and understandably so. But the times they are a-changin’ and the arguments for embracing sustainability more positively are growing by the day. A recent IGD report, for instance, named sustainability as one of the five most important trends ‘set to shape retail in 2019’. “Sustainability concerns will change the way retailers do business,” says the report bluntly. Toby Pickard, IGD’s Head of Insight, Innovation and Futures, believes that this trend will be driven squarely by shopper demand: “2019’s biggest trend of all is likely to be the continuation of rapid and radical change in the food and grocery industry. Shoppers’ expectations have changed, and the retail and grocery sectors are working to meet those expectations in every area of business.” The IGD reports that food retailing businesses of all size will www.slrmag.co.uk

Sustainability

There’s a lot of it about…

Cover Story

Clever Cup users can track their spending, top up their balance, and take control to block or cancel the contactless payment element online or via the bPay app.

Häagen-Dazs – the ‘Loop’ reusable tub increasingly take the lead on sustainability. “Issues such as food waste and plastic pollution are headline news, and this has translated to changing attitudes across the generations,” says Pickard. “Nearly three quarters (74%) of UK shoppers say that they have become more aware of the environmental impact of plastic packaging over the past year. Retailers are no longer thinking about just reducing waste, but want to make a positive, tangible contribution. The next wave of innovative and leading retailers and brands will move beyond reducing their impact.” The risk here is that c-tores could be left behind in the battle to win the environmental hearts and minds of increasingly sociallyconscious shoppers as the supermarkets and discounters use their deep pockets to rapidly implement sustainability improvements then communicate those improvements to shoppers more quickly and efficiently. But one thing looks certain: the next generation of shoppers, including the infamous Generation Z, will place far more importance on sustainability and wider social and moral issues than their predecessors. Most vitally of all, they are more likely to make their buying decisions based on these issues and could choose one store or one retailer over another based on these beliefs. Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) Chief Executive Pete Cheema believes this is all but inevitable: “The new generation of shoppers coming through are more actively interested in a range of issues like sustainability and community integration than older generations perhaps were. The challenge for local retailers is to proactively embrace sustainability and then communicate the good work they are doing to their shoppers. “We know that many local retailers in Scotland are already doing some fantastic work around challenges like food waste, recycling, plastics and energy use, which is fantastic, and SGF is working hard at both Holyrood and Westminster to drive the sustainability agenda. But this is really only the tip of the iceberg. There’s a lot more work to do and sustainability is an issue that is only going to grow in importance in the future.” One of the principal reasons that sustainability has hit the headlines in Scotland www.slrmag.co.uk

Nestlé Ice Cream has launched a reusable, durable container for the new ‘Loop’ circular shopping

Corona – plastic-free sixpack rings

platform.

Mexican lager brand Corona is

Häagen-Dazs, to be used within

Loop offers consumers the

to pilot plastic-free six-pack rings

opportunity to shop smart with a

which are made from plant-based

focus on waste-free products and

biodegradable fibres, with a mix of

packaging. Essentially the milkman

by-product waste and compostable

reimagined, products are delivered

materials. The plastic-free rings will

directly to consumers in durable

be piloted in the town of Tulum in

packaging, which is then returned to

Mexico next year, with plans to test

the system for reuse.

in the UK later on. The rings break down into organic material that is

LRS – Ribena hair dye

not harmful to wildlife.

Some 90% of British blackcurrants are used by Lucozade Ribena Suntory in the production of Ribena and the skins have traditionally been a waste product. Researchers at Leeds University have developed a hair dyeing technology utilising the blackcurrant skins and reducing the food waste from this process.

Waitrose – no longer backing black

Walkers – crisp packet recycling scheme Walkers has unveiled the first nationwide recycling scheme

Waitrose has removed black plastic

for crisp packets. Working with

packaging from its own-brand fresh

recyclers TerraCycle the scheme

food range. The reduction of around

taps into an established network of

1,300 tonnes comes as the retailer

recycling collection points around

seeks to remove all forms of black

the UK. The scheme is simple and

plastic packaging/

free to use, all brands of crisp

At present black plastic

packets are accepted and will

packaging is coloured using carbon

ultimately be turned into other basic

black pigments. These do not

plastic items.

enable the pack to be sorted by used widely in plastics recycling

M&S – hard-to recycle takeback scheme

facilities as the black pigment

Marks & Spencer has pledged to

reflects little or no light.

install take-back bins for hard-to-

the existing optical sorting systems

recycle plastics across the UK by

Costa Coffee – contactless reusable cup

the end of this year. The bins will be

Costa Coffee has partnered with

which are not commonly accepted

Barclaycard to launch the UK’s

for kerbside recycling.

first reusable contactless coffee

used as collection points for plastics

Once the bins are full, their

cup. The Clever Cup harnesses

contents will be sent to a specialist,

contactless payment technology to

recycling facility where they will be

turn customers’ cups into a fast and

turned into playground equipment,

convenient way to pay.

fence posts and outdoor furniture.

MARCH 2019 | SLR

WE ARE TAKING ACTION ON PACKAGING All of our bottles and cans are 100% recyclable and have been for many years. We are working to ensure all our packaging in the market is recyclable or reusable. We are working with local and national partners to collect 100% of our packaging in Western Europe – helping to re-design the Producer Responsibility System and support implementation of a Deposit Return Scheme in GB. In GB 25% of the material we use for our PET bottles comes from recycled plastic - we are making sure this rises to at least 50% by 2020.

For more information on our six This Is Forward key actions, visit www.ccep.com

We are using the reach of our brands to inspire everyone to recycle. “Please Recycle” messages are now on all 500ml Coca-Cola bottle closures, and included in our TV and digital advertising. We are leading the way in pioneering sustainable packaging – including renewable materials and smart new ways to reduce packaging waste.

Sustainability

Cover Story

The discounters and supermarkets are already making big progress.

recently is the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) that is set to revolutionise the way drinks containers are recycled. The Scottish Government recently published the findings of its three-month public consultation into the implementation of a DRS scheme and over 3,000 people responded. An overwhelming majority of respondents want to see a very broad range of materials included, with 90% wishing to see PET, cans and glass as part of a DRS for Scotland. Furthermore, 88% want an ‘all-in’ scheme rather that one limited to on-the-go. More than half of all respondents suggested deposit levels of between 15p and 20p per container. Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “Work continues apace to finalise our proposals for deposit return and bring forward the necessary legislation to support its introduction.” She also said she would be happy to explore how the scheme could be aligned with similar schemes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Reverse vending company Tomra Collection Solutions welcomed the results of the consultation. UK boss Truls Haug said: “Based on our global experience we believe GLASGOW TACKLES SINGLE-USE CUPS A new city-wide initiative in Glasgow is set to tackle the issue of litter and waste produced from single-use coffee cups. The Glasgow Cup Movement aims to the largest single-use cup collection and behaviour change initiative of its kind in the UK. Managed jointly by Keep Scotland Beautiful and Simply Cups, and supported by the private sector, the campaign began in January and will run throughout the calendar year. KEY FACTS: Q 48% of Glasgow’s drinks waste is single-use cups. Q 478m single-use cups are used in Scotland every year. Q Only 4% of single-use cups are currently recycled nationally. The Movement aims to educate, inspire and empower people to change their littering, recycling and reuse behaviour as well as gathering robust evidence to inform policy and practice. Ultimately, the scheme hopes to create a model of best practice that can be replicated in other major cities. Local retailers in the Glasgow area are urged to get involved by signing up and ensuring that all single-use cups disposed of in the bins provided will be recycled into functional products. Partners will be able to sell the dedicated ‘rCup’, the first reusable cup made from recycled single-use cups, and promote its reuse to customers and staff. For more information visit keepscotlandbeautiful.org/cups or email cups@keepscotlandbeautiful.org.

www.slrmag.co.uk

a DRS will help see the return of over 90% of drinks containers for recycling within just two years of the scheme being introduced in Scotland.” The consultation findings were published just a week after three SGF member stores launched reverse vending machine trials. From mid-February through to April this year, customers at Nisa Local in Bellshill, Premier Broadway in Oxgangs, Edinburgh and Keystore in Moredun, Edinburgh will receive 10p for every empty plastic bottle or can deposited into machines supplied by Envipco. Dr John Lee, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at SGF, said: “These trials will give us invaluable learning and insight into deposit return, particularly how shop staff and customers respond to having a reverse vending machine sited in-store. This learning will ultimately help us develop and implement a system which is effective for retailers, consumers, and communities.” Abdul Majid, owner of Nisa Local Bellshill, said: “We are delighted to be one of the stores involved in this ground-breaking trial. This will help local people to recycle, reduce litter and improve the local environment.” It’s not all down to retailers however with most of the leading suppliers having already formulated detailed sustainability strategies. Coca-Cola European Partners (CEEP), for instance, recently celebrated the first anniversary of the launch of its Sustainable Packaging Strategy. This includes moving all large PET bottles to 40% rPET (recycled PET) this year with the wider aim of transitioning its entire PET portfolio to 50% rPET. MARCH 2019 | SLR

Sustainability

Cover Story

SUSTAINABILITY IN LOCAL RETAIL The strategy’s ultimate and very ambitious goal is to “to recover all of our packaging so that more is recycled and none ends up as litter”. Importantly, CCEP also helped retailers close the communications loop by undertaking its biggest ever recycling-focused multi-media advertising campaign, ‘Love Story’, which reached 27 million consumers. This is so vital because, as yet, it’s very rare to see local retailers leveraging the good work done by suppliers by communicating the progress made by suppliers direct to consumers. Nick Brown, Head of Sustainability at CCEP, says: “As a business we want to keep challenging ourselves to ensure we are part of the solution on packaging. We believe we are at a crucial moment in time, with a once-in-ageneration opportunity to create real change for packaging recovery systems in GB.” There’s undeniably a massive amount of change happening in this area but the one thing that retailers should bear in mind above all else is that doing good can be good for business. Many sustainability solutions can help reduce costs at a time when costs are rising all around us. Secondly, it’s clear that shoppers’ demands are changing – and retailers need to change alongside. Research group GlobalData found in a recent survey that an overwhelming 71.4% of consumers said that they consider the environmental impacts of their choice of food and grocery retailers and products. In other words, if you can’t show them that you are operate a business with sustainability at its heart, they may shop elsewhere with a retailer who can. Emily Salter, Retail Analyst at GlobalData, commented: “Since the BBC’s Blue Planet documentary series showed the devastating effects that the sheer volume of plastic waste has on marine life, food retailers have had to react and make changes.’’ And it goes without saying that community retailers should really be leading from the front here. After all, if you are going to improve the state of the planet the best place to start is on your own doorstep. www.slrmag.co.uk

A new #ThinkSmart event from SLR WEDS 27TH MARCH, WEST BREWERY, GLASGOW Sustainability is rapidly becoming a fundamental issue for the Scottish local retailing industry with issues such as plastic usage and food waste now higher up the agenda for many shoppers than ever before. This is only likely to continue as the next generation of increasingly socially-aware shoppers comes through – but the great news is that doing good is good for business, and good for communities. The Sustainability in Local Retail event will discuss and demonstrate how retailers can drive down their costs and grow their profits by making sustainability central to how they operate their businesses. Sustainability in Local Retail will demonstrate to retailers how they can move beyond simply reducing waste and begin to make positive, tangible contributions to the communities they serve and beyond. Critically, the conference will focus on how developing a sustainable business can reduce costs, save time, increase sales and improve profits. Sustainability in Local Retail will offer attendees hands-on, practical advice on how they can leverage the power of sustainability to grow and future-proof their businesses: Q Q Q

Drive footfall and sales by attracting new socially-conscious customers Enhance their store’s environmental and ethical reputation in the local communities they serve Cut costs, save time and improve profits with efficiency improvements throughout the business

Sustainability in Local Retail will consider a wide range of areas where retailers can improve their carbon footprint while also improving their profits: Q Plastics Q Packaging reduction Q Recycling (DRS) Q Recycle/reduce/reuse Q Food waste Q Energy efficiency Q Sustainable & ethical sourcing Q Paperless solutions Q In-store technology Q Community action The event is FREE for local retailers. To book your place, email events@55north.com For sponsorship and demo enquiries, please email Robert at raitken@55north.com

A #ThinkSmart Event from

MARCH 2019 | SLR

News

Products

Cadbury’s Buy a Legend, Win a Legend returns Cadbury’s Premier League

ProductNews

Legends promotion is back is live until 31 March. It offers consumers the chance to win thousands of prizes when they purchase a Cadbury Dairy Milk bar. Some will get to meet a former footballer like Thierry Henry, Jamie Redknapp or Gary Neville. There are also thousands of instant win prizes up for grabs, as well as Premier League match tickets. The campaign is supported by a £1.1m full-brand campaign, which includes out-of-home advertising, POS and pre-fills. For information, retailers should telephone Mondelez on 0870 600 0699, email retailer. services@mdlz.com or visit deliciousdisplay.co.uk.

FOCUS ON FORECOURTS – P53 FOOD-TO-GO Dr. Oetker launches pizza-to-go solution

Make more dough with Chicago Town Frozen pizza brand Chicago Town has launched a hot and fresh takeaway pizza solution that yields a 50% margin. Retailers who buy the hot ‘Pizza to Go’ cabinet, at a cost of £550 + VAT, will be reimbursed with free stock. Installation, training and POS materials are also free. Participating stores will be given a range of promotional materials including POS, menu cards and disposables. Field teams will give retailers ongoing support. The 12-inch stuffed crust pizzas are available in outers of eight in Loaded Cheese and Loaded Pepperoni flavours. Whole pizzas have an RSP of £7. They can also be sold as quarter-slices or half-pizzas. The ‘Pizza to Go’ cabinet measures 565mm x 565mm x 780mm (width x depth x height). For more information email foodtogo@oetker.co.uk or visit oetkerfoodservice.co.uk. FOOD-TO-GO New heated merchandiser units aimed at c-stores

FRUIT & VEG

Chiquita is in with the bricks Chiquita has launched a new global partnership with Lego Movie 2 that will see over 300 million bananas worldwide adorned with Legothemed blue stickers. “We hope to provide a little bit of sunshine and happiness this winter season, inspiring fans to discover our special stickers, collect them and share the love.” said Chiquita’s Jamie Postell.

Fri-jado launches plug-andgo hot hold range Food retailing equipment provider Fri-Jado has launched a new range of heated multideck merchandisers. The merchandisers have been designed with convenience stores in mind, with sloping display shelves positioned at eye level to drive impulse buying. Glazed end walls allow 180° product visibility and canopy lighting also features. Customised branding and shelf ticket strips can be added. The units can acccomodate a wide variety of hot food from a whole chicken all the way down to a sausage roll. The range includes 600mm, 1000mm and 1200mm cabinet widths, all of which feature three-tier shelving. Patented air curtain technology on the front of each shelf creates energy savings of some 20%. For more information call 01895 272227, email uk.info@frijado.com or visit frijado.co.uk.

SNACKS

Golden Wonder’s £1m giveaway Golden Wonder is giving away up to £1m worth of prizes in its new ‘Wonder What I’ve Won’ on-pack promotion. Kicking-off on 1 April for four months, the promo will see over 22 million packs of Golden Wonder and Ringos snacks offer a £5 voucher off a range of over 7,000 gifts from findmeagift. com as well as the chance to win a mystery prize. The promotion will be supported across TV, online and social media. A new advert will run on TV and digital across Scotland, reaching over 60% of adults. There will also be trade marketing support including a direct mail offer to independent retailers as well as POS.

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

SLR | MARCH 2019

www.slrmag.co.uk

Products

News

Red Noses for Babybel Mini Babybel is once again supporting Comic Relief with limited-edition Red Nose Day packs. The brand will donate 5p to the charity for every pack

SOFT DRINKS Coca-Cola hears what customers are saying about sugar

Hat trick of low-sugar launches from CCEP

sold. This year, packs contain a

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) has unveiled a trio of new Soft Drinks Tax-exempt variants across its Fanta, Capri-Sun and Monster Energy ranges in response to growing demand for low-sugar alternatives. Fanta Grape Zero, which is made with natural flavours, will be available from March in a 330ml can and a 500ml PET bottle for instant consumption, as well as 4 x 330ml can multipack and 2-litre PET formats. It will be supported by Fanta’s 2019 £5m marketing investment which will feature social media, digital and out-of-home activity, as well as nationwide consumer sampling to almost a quarter of a million people. Grape is the brand’s most highly requested flavour on social media by its young adult audience and is the second most popular Fanta flavour, after Orange, on CCEP’s Freestyle dispense machines, which are found in foodservice outlets. Simon Harrison, VP of Commercial Development at CCEP, said: “We listened to what [young adults] want and following huge demand on social media, as well as the data shown by our Freestyle machines, we’re now introducing one of Fanta’s biggest new flavour innovations of the past few years.”

takes place on Friday 15 March.

New Capri-Sun Cherry will be available from mid-March. It contains no preservatives or artificial flavouring and will be sold in 330ml resealable pouches (plain and 99p PMP) that feature a new safety cap designed to prevent choking. It will come in cardboard shelfready outers of 15 that display key product messages. The outers can also be easily stacked to provide an ambient secondary display solution. The new flavour and wider 330ml Capri-Sun portfolio will be supported by a £1m consumer advertising campaign which includes bespoke social media content and outdoor advertising. Advising retailers to “get stocked up”, Harrison said: “The new cherry flavour is bang on trend and will add excitement to the juice drinks segment.” Finally, CCEP is expanding its Monster Energy Ultra range with the addition of Monster Energy Ultra Blue – a sparkling, citrus and berry, low calorie energy drink. Available from the end of March, the new variant will launch in a 500ml can (both plain and as a £1.25 PMP). It will be supported by POS material and offfixture display. Harrison said: “We’re confident that the new variant delivers on taste – which is the main factor for those buying energy drinks – and will help attract new consumers to energy as well as appealing to our engaged core fan base.” For more information, retailers should call 0808 1 000 000 or email connect@ccep.com.

number of dares for consumers to tackle. Mini Babybel will donate a further £1 to Comic Relief for every dare shared on social media with the hashtag #BabybelDares. Red Nose Day

Kervan Gida signs ﬁrst UK licensing deal Kervan Gida has signed an agreement to licence Cartoon Network’s Dexter’s Laboratory brand. The new licence will sit alongside the confectionery manufacturer’s existing Dexters brand to bring an additional character lead element to new products due for release throughout 2019 and beyond.

McVitie’s backs mental health charity McVitie’s has joined forces with Time to Change to help promote conversations around mental health. The biscuit brand has donated up to 12,000 vouchers for its McVitie’s Biscuits range, offering consumers £1 off packs. The vouchers are included in Time to Change’s ‘Chatter Boxes’ – physical boxes filled with resources, tips and tricks designed to facilitate conversation around mental health, and distributed to thousands of workplaces and community groups around the country.

CHILLED Sausage brand teams up with football legend

Richmond and Redknapp search for super-supporters Richmond Sausages has teamed up with Harry Redknapp and Sky Sports presenter Hayley McQueen to find the nation’s most dedicated football fans. The ‘Nation’s Favourites’ campaign will reward the lucky winners with a “matchday to remember”. Entry is via Richmond Foods’ official

Facebook or Instagram pages, where entrants should state why their local club’s fans deserve to win. Football legend Harry said: “We want to reward those people who stand on the side-lines, win or lose, cheering on their team. After all, football is nothing without the fans!”

Vimto Remix gets some ﬁzz Nichols has added a new Raspberry, Orange and Passionfruit carbonated variant to its Vimto Remix range. It is available now in 2-litre (£1 PMP and plain pack) and 500ml (£1 PMP) formats. Like existing Remix flavours Mango, Strawberry & Pineapple and Watermelon, Strawberry & Peach, it contains no added sugar. The Vimto brand is now worth a record high of £87m.

www.slrmag.co.uk

MARCH 2019 | SLR

News

Off-Trade

Bulmers scoops Product of the Year gong Bulmers Original Cider was

Off-TradeNews

crowned best in the Beer & Cider Category at the Product of the Year Awards 2019 ceremony (24 January). The accolade followed a taste test by over 10,000 shoppers, who favoured its new recipe over other brands. The cider was reformulated in 2018 to increase

THE FUTURE’S DANDY FOR CANDY – P57 VODKA Loch Lomond Group gets fruity

Glen’s launches new ﬂavoured vodkas Glen’s Vodka has unveiled two new flavoured spirits: Glen’s Peach & Passionfruit and Glen’s

the number of British apples used and also make it suitable for vegans.

Game of Thrones whiskies unveiled Diageo has announced the launch of a collection of single malt whiskies based on the hit TV show Game of Thrones.

Strawberry & Apple. Both have an ABV of 20% and are available now in 70cl bottles with an RSP of £13.99 from UWG, UWS, Filshill and Batleys. The first 24,000 bottles produced carry a limited-edition neck-collar that details different serves. Alisha Goodwin, Glen’s Vodka Brand Manager, said Glen’s had performed “particularly well” for independent retailers: “The

growing interest in flavoured spirits and increasing demand for lower alcohol products presented an opportunity for us to expand the range. “We are confident Glen’s Flavours will become the brand of choice for consumers looking for a refreshing spirit. By combining quality vodka with zesty, fruity flavours we are eliminating the need to have dozens of ingredients.”

The eight-strong range is available now. RSPs are from £38 to £58, with ABVs between

RTDs

40% and 52%. A blended whisky,

VK gives mixed pack makeover

named after the show’s White Walker characters and intended to be served from the freezer, will also be released.

Tennent’s gets new convenience boss Tennent’s has appointed Kenny Gray to newly-created role of Managing Director Scotland, encompassing all convenience, on-trade and national business.

Ready-to-drink brand VK has revamped the design for its mixed pack and added new flavour VK Watermelon to the mix. The watermelon variant was launched after coming top of a consumer survey to find a new flavour. VK has plans for a “huge” multi-channel campaign in May that will kick off a summer of activity for the brand. The revamped mixed packs (10 x 275ml bottles, ABV 4%, RSP £10) are available now. For more information call 01246 216000, email info@globalbrands.co.uk or visit globalbrands.co.uk.

Gray is currently MD for National Accounts at Matthew Clark. In other changes at Wellpark, Duncan Frew has been named as Commercial & Marketing Director, while Finance Director Richie Webster will also now oversee an overhaul of business processes.

McQueen Gin is looking royally ﬂush Stirlingshire-based McQueen Gin has announced year-onyear revenue growth figures of over 300%. The craft spirit brand secured several major listings last year, with more in the pipeline. A £750,000 investment will see the company open a brandnew, state of the art 6,200sq ft

LIQUEURS Portman Group upholds complaint

Watchdog growls at 3 Pugs The Portman Group has upheld a complaint about 3 Pugs Gin, a liqueur produced by Silverback Distillers, after a member of the public thought the product was aimed at under-18s. The Group’s Independent Complaints Panel concluded that the use of the descriptor “pugalicious,” description of the “bubblegum” flavour on the labelling and the fact that the product was a pink-coloured gin were not in themselves problematic. However, once an image of “cartoon pugs in a hot air balloon overlooking a Willy Wonka-like sweet land across a pink liquid” was thrown into the mix, the Panel felt that 3 Pugs was likely to appeal to youngsters.

BEER

Morgenrot on point with South African beers Morgenrot has added three brews from South Africa’s Cape Brewing Company to its growing world beers catalogue. Available now in cases of 12 x 34cl bottles, the new threesome includes Cape Point Pale Ale, Cape Point Lager and Cape Point India Pale Ale. Cape Point Pale Ale (ABV 4.8%) – “Slightly malty nose, full of aromatic hop flavours. Fruity, lemony with a touch of passionfruit, lively and refreshing. Premium malts, secret hops, special American Pale Ale yeast.” Cape Point Lager (ABV 5.1%) – “Crisp and generous, nice balanced speciality malts, slightly hoppy and easy drinking. Premium malts, German noble hops, specially cultured yeast.” Cape Point India Pale Ale (ABV 6.5%) – “Bitterness is balanced with a strong malt backbone. Fruity with notes of tangerine and lemon. Premium malts, Mandarina Bavaria noble hops, specially cultured yeast.” For more information on the Cape Brewing Company range, call Morgenrot on 0845 070 4310 or email enquiries@ morgenrot.co.uk.

distillery facility on its premises in April. KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST NEWS AS IT HAPPENS – FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SLRMAG

SLR | MARCH 2019

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Off-Trade

News

Search on Grant’s scholarship winner William Grant & Sons has launched its sixth annual ‘Ian Murray Spirited Solutions Scholarship’, which celebrates

BEER “Head to hop” overhaul by Danish brewer

Carlsberg goes in pursuit of better beer

the life of Prestige Retail

Carlsberg has given its flagship Danish Pilsner beer a major refresh in a bid to improve “the consumer drinking experience” and minimise its environmental impact. New Carlsberg Danish Pilsner (ABV 3.8%) is available now, back by a multi-millionpound investment and new visual identity. A consumer marketing campaign that incorporates TV, digital and out-of-home

which includes Wine Spirit

activity. This rolls out in April and runs throughout 2019. The beer has been rebrewed “from head to hop” to deliver a “perfectly-balanced Danish Pilsner”. The brewer has also rolled out its new Snap Pack technology for the relaunch, which reduces plastic usage by gluing cans together. For more information on stocking call 08456 040 294 or visit carlsberg-pilsner.co.uk.

Manager Ian Murray and supports young people working in the spirits off-trade. The winner will embark on a bespoke 12 month programme, Education Trust Level 2 training. For more information contact hazel.lynch@wgrant.com.

Isle of Harris named Scotland’s favourite gin An online survey has revealed that Isle of Harris Gin is the nation’s favourite Scottish gin for the second year in a row. In total, 6435 unique votes were cast in The Scottish Gin Society’s poll, almost double that of the responses received in 2018. Self-styled ‘social distillery’

CRAFT BEER Why buy when you can make your own?

Isle of Harris was the clear

Love Gin’s in the air

In-store brewery anyone?

winner, receiving 21% of the

Scottish gin and whisky distiller Eden Mill has released its new Love Gin Liqueur. Its flavour is described as “complex and decadent... evocative of Turkish delight and premium raspberry ripple ice cream”. Love Gin Liqueur (50cl, 20% ABV) is available now with an RSP of £17.99. To stock, email Matthew Miller, Eden Mill’s National Account Manager for the Off-Trade, on mmiller@ edenmill.com.

Walk into any half-decent c-store these days and you’re bound to be confronted by any number of footfall drivers. But how many boast their own in-store brewery? As points of difference go, it’s certainly different, but freshly-brewed beer-to-go could become the next big thing in convenience with the launch of Little Giant Brewery’s franchise package. Granted, the company is targeting “sports clubs, trendy bars and small craft brewers” with its turnkey system, but there’s no reason why an enterprising retailer couldn’t find a spare 1.85m x 2.2m to slot one into their store. The machine’s fully automated brewing cycle is monitored remotely and any technical issues are flagged up and immediately dealt with by Little Giant. Ingredients are provided to make four different beers. Seasonal and special ale recipes can be added to the system if required. For more information email enquiries@littlegiantbrewery.co.uk.

New look Desperados

GIN

votes cast.

Heineken brand Desperados has been given a redesign, its first since launching 22 years ago. The new global identity “embodies the festivity, boldness and spontaneity of the brand, with its iconic agave symbol and bright brand colours dialled up to deliver increased visibility and stand out on shelves”. The changes will also result in a reduction of over 18,000 tons of CO2, as part of Heineken’s ‘Drop the C’ programme.

Diageo turns in strong second half performance Diageo GB’s interim results for the six months ended 31 December 2018 revealed a net sales rise of 14% with key brands all performing well. Smirnoff returned to growth with net sales increasing 4% in a declining category. Tanqueray and Gordon’s both delivered strong double-digit growth, while net Guinness sales outperformed the beer category at +6%.

www.slrmag.co.uk

MARCH 2019 | SLR

News

Newstrade

Egmont signs up Fingerlings Egmont Publishing has acquired

News& Magazines

the rights to publish Fingerlings magazine. The monthly title is set to launch later in 2019. The interactive toys have topped charts since their launch in 2017, with over 10 million Fingerlings sold to date. Encompassing the core Fingerlings brand value of ‘Friendship at your fingertips’, the magazine will be “full of fun, games, puzzles and stories that will encourage its readers to explore the magic of storytelling”. Egmont’s Publishing Director Laura Adnitt said: “We have been waiting for the perfect brand to enter into the highly successful collectibles market and we are thrilled to have Fingerlings as our brand of choice. The magazine will covermount official Fingerlings products to delight

LOW SUGAR DRIVING HIGHER SOFT DRINKS SALES – P60 BUSINESS COSTS Double whammy for retailers at start of next month

NO JOKE ON APRIL FOOL’S DAY The NFRN has slammed Menzies Distribution for new carriage charge increases which will take effect on the same day as the National Minimum Wage rises once more. The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) has reacted with fury to the news that local retailers served by Menzies Distribution will see their carriage charges increased on the same day that mandatory new staff wage increases take effect. This double whammy, on 1 April, will see the carriage charge base rate go up by an average 3.97%, an increase described by the NFRN as “eye watering”. On

the same day, National Minimum Wage rates will rise by nearly 5%. NFRN National President Mike Mitchelson commented: “It is absolutely appalling for Menzies Distribution to put up its charges at a time when so many of its retail customers are fighting to survive. To time it so it coincides with inflation-busting increases to national minimum wage rates is even more insensitive. But Menzies Distribution is a

monopolistic wholesaler so it knows it can do exactly what it likes.” Mitchelson also highlighted how the news wholesaler “continues to raid the purses of retailers who have no opportunity to pass on these increases to their customers” and added that, with the sale of Menzies Distribution to Endless for £74.5m, the industry had hoped for a better relationship with the new owners.

our young fans and we are sure the engaging content will deepen their love for all things Fingerlings.”

Here come the Munch Cats Tapping into current concerns about climate change and pollution of the oceans’, Vespa Design & Publishing has launched Munch Cats!, a new plastic-free magazine aimed at 5-10-year-olds. The magazine comes without plastic cover mounts or bagged giveaways; it is printed on FSC paper stock and is 100% recyclable; and all the makes, crafts, stickers and story books are paper based. The magazine also provides inspiration for creative upcycling of single-use plastic and other unwanted household items. The title is heavily influenced by the Japanese ‘kawaii’ cuteness trend and features craft and activity sheets, stickers, colouring sheets, puzzles, games, makes, poster, interactive pull out story book and cute comic strips. Munch Cats! is published on the first Friday of the month, RSP

NEWSPAPERS Campaign goes UK-wide after success in Scotland

SCOTS TRIAL FOR SUN SAVERS CAMPAIGN News UK has trialled a new retail campaign in Scotland to increase awareness of Sun Savers, the rewards club that puts money back into readers’ pockets. The successful trial will now be rolled out across all 12,000 news and magazine retailers in the UK. As part of the campaign, News UK will be placing new POS fixtures in-store to demonstrate and clearly communicate the mechanics of the Sun Saver scheme to customers, with the campaign message: Earn Cash, Get Treats, Win Prizes. Educational note cards will also be given to retailers and their employees to help explain the benefits of the scheme and how they can support. The campaign also includes a mystery shopper competition that retailers can enter by visiting www.newsretail.co.uk to be in with a chance of winning a holiday, plus 50 x £50 runners up vouchers. The campaign trial in Scotland last month saw News UK’s field team speak with over 1,200 stores – with over 90% of them being educated in the scheme. News UK estimates that the £5 cash reward Sun Savers offers – which is earned after customers purchase 28 papers and scan the codes inside – has driven additional sales of over £4.5m last year alone.

NEWSPAPERS

Telegraph margin disappointment for retailers News retailers have been left dismayed after learning that the Telegraph has increased the cover price of its weekday, Saturday and Sunday editions but will not be increasing the pence per copy margin it pays to retailers until August. The price of the Saturday edition has risen to £2.50, the Sunday Telegraph to £2.20 and the weekday editions now cost £2. Retail margins, however, will not be increased until Saturday 3 August. After a “series of heated meetings” with senior Telegraph executives, the NFRN said that it had secured an agreement from the newspaper that it would make available “a sizeable sum of money” to invest in members’ businesses.

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SLR | MARCH 2019

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Inside Business

Research Digest

FOOD SALES UP 4.9% IN JANUARY Total Food sales in Scotland increased by 4.9% in January, compared to the same period last year, when they had increased by 4.2%, according to the latest SRC-KPMG Scottish Retail Sales Monitor. This is the highest since July and above both the 3-month and the 12-month averages of 2.9% and 3.6% respectively. The 3-month and 12-month averages in Scotland are above the UK’s levels of 2.4% and 3.0% respectively. David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, commented: “January saw a welcome return to overall retail sales growth after what had been an underwhelming end to 2018, and despite a dip in shopper footfall during the month. This was driven by a more broadlybased pick up including a strong performance in food and drink.” Lonsdale said that the figures were “slightly distorted” by the inclusion of Hogmanay during the reporting period. This made it too early to say with confidence that retail sales had “turned the corner”. “Grocery sales did well, helped by New Year and Burns Night celebrations, both of which encouraged shoppers to stock up on Scottish favourites including steak pies and haggis,” he continued. “Nonetheless, it’s important to note a good January doesn’t offset a disappointing November and December which are the crucial trading months. Consumers continue to be careful with their spending at a time when political and economic uncertainty dominate the headlines, and with council tax and other cost of living rises in the pipeline. Policymakers should keep household spending pressures upmost in their minds over the next few months as a result.” 28

SLR | MARCH 2019

HIM: FOOD-TO-GO ‘TO GROW BY £0.5BN IN THREE YEARS’ The latest Food-to-go market report from HIM predicts the market will grow by £0.5bn in next few years – but convenience is losing share.

he latest food-to-go market report from convenience retailing research specialists HIM has predicted that the market will grow by a further £0.5bn in the next three years – but added that convenience retailing is losing share in this key growth market. Based on exclusive research from HIM and sister company MCA Insight, the report said that the entire UK food-to-go market is set to be worth a whopping £21.2bn in 2019, that’s 3% up on 2018. The convenience store sector will account for £6.2bn of that, equating to approximately 30% of the market. The insight was gained from over 72,000 online consumer surveys and 20,000 faceto-face shopper interviews.

The findings suggest that, despite continuous growth for the total market, the share that convenience holds has declined slightly since 2013. Val Kirillovs, Research and Insights Director at HIM, said food-to-go remained “pivotal” to convenience retail despite the decline, and that price and convenience were two of the key trends that retailers needed to focus on. He added: “Consumers are placing greater importance on range, in particular healthier options. Those retailers that are seeing great success in foodto-go are offering a variety of hot and cold options that cater to the needs of their particular shoppers. These will be best placed to maximise their share of the £0.5bn prize that has been forecast for the channel over the next three years.”

ORGANIC FOOD SALES HIT RECORD HIGH

he latest annual Organic Market Report from the Soil Association reveals that the UK’s organic food and drink market hit an all-time high in 2018, with sales worth a record £2.33bn. This means almost £45m a week is spent on organic in the UK. Sales in independent retail rose by 6.2% last year, ahead of the overall market which grew at 5.3%. Supermarkets (excluding discounters) trailed behind at 3.3% while home delivery was the fastest growing channel at 14.2%. The figures mean that the organic market is in bigger growth than the non-organic market, following seven consecutive years of growth. In the report, the Soil Association identifies changes in shopping habits as drivers of growth. Across the organic market, categories that continue to drive growth include wines, chilled foods and canned and packaged grocery. Figures show

that the chilled convenience sector, including tofu and fresh vegetarian products, saw sales grow by over 25%. Sales of fresh fruit, salad and vegetables increased by approximately £15m during the year. The Soil Association, the UK’s largest organic certification body, has also attributed growth in

the overall organic market to the food trends that are shaping the entire food industry. These trends include the growth in freefrom options, alternative choices and healthy eating, alongside a rise in the number of ‘conscious consumers’ making purchasing decisions based on their ethical and environmental principles.

www.slrmag.co.uk

The Cube, Neuchatel | SGF Study Tour

Inside Business

AN INSIDER’S VIEW OF REDUCED RISK PRODUCTS The SGF National Executive recently had the rare opportunity to see inside PMI’s spectacular Cube facility in Switzerland to gain a better view of the global giant’s commitment to a smokefree future through Reduced Risk Products.

Members of the SGF National Executive at PMI’s Cube.

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

here can be few u-turns quite as spectacular as the one Philip Morris International (PMI) made last January when it revealed that its new year’s resolution was to commit to ceasing production of combustible cigarettes. The world’s most successful cigarette company was quitting smoking. It was an astonishing statement and it’s notable that none of the other major tobacco players followed suit. PMI are going it alone and they’re not going at it half-heartedly. To date the company has spent $4.5bn researching and developing reduced risk alternatives. That’s a huge investment: even Apple would consider $4.5bn a hefty chunk of change to commit to a single project, let alone one in a category that’s still in its infancy. So it was fascinating to be part of an SGF National Executive study tour recently to visit The Cube, PMI’s ultra-modern research and development facility in Neuchatel in Switzerland. The broad aim of the trip was to get a better understanding of how committed PMI is to reduced risk products (RRPs) in general, and its IQOS ‘heat not burn’ proposition in particular.

SMOKE-FREE FUTURE PMI’s official position is they are building the future of the company “on smoke-free products that are a much better choice than cigarette smoking” and their vision is “that these products will one day replace cigarettes”. When that day will come, only time will tell, but a trip to The Cube at least offered a glimpse inside the energy, passion, smarts and financial investment that PMI is putting behind that vision. Neuchatel is one of two such facilities – there’s another in Singapore – and so far PMI www.slrmag.co.uk

has recruited 430 research and development scientists and housed them in two purpose built centres committed to delivering a smokefree future. They’re obviously already making some progress given that over 4,300 patents have been granted worldwide protecting work carried out by the teams. The Cube is pretty much what you’d expect it to be – futuristic with lots of glass-walled rooms full of scientists in lab coats working on fancy machines and computers. We also toured the manufacturing facility where the company’s HEETS sticks for its IQOS unit are produced. To summarise, HEETS are made by ‘homogenising’ tobacco into a paste that is dried and pressed to create huge rolls of what looks like pale brown wallpaper. These are chopped into small pieces and inserted into wrappers along with a filter. It’s a bit more complex than that, but you get the idea.

REDUCED RISK A presentation then gave the National Executive an update on PMI’s approach to a smoke-free future. The company is working on a full range of ‘heat not burn’ RRPs, some containing tobacco (such as IQOS), some more along the lines of vaping products. It was made clear the range is aimed at smokers who are looking for a less harmful alternative, rather than attracting non-smokers. The latest research by both PMI and independent bodies suggests that IQOS and other RRPs result in a 95% reduction in harm to users who previously smoked cigarettes – roughly on a par with vaping products in terms of risk exposure. The ultimate aim is to encourage all adult smokers to switch to smoke-free products as soon as possible. There are around one billion smokers worldwide and currently roughly 6 million

IQOS users. There’s clearly a long, long way to go but you’ve got to start somewhere. PMI appears to have taken a pragmatic, real-world approach to working on a smokefree future, recognising that new products still need to contain nicotine to get smokers to convert but simultaneously aiming to produce products that get smokers as close to cessation as possible while still giving them an experience similar to the one they get from combustible cigarettes.

EVIDENCE-BASED Much of The Cube’s work involves examining robust, reliable scientific data on the use of RRPs. The evidence generated will undoubtedly prove invaluable, not least for tackling the huge hurdles the company will face when attempting to fit IQOS into Scottish (and UK) tobacco and vaping legislation that was drafted before ‘heat not burn’ technologies had really become a thing. The presentation reiterated the latest conclusions that because IQOS heats to ‘only’ 350 degrees, no combustion occurs, so far lower levels of toxicity are generated. In conclusion, the trip demonstrated beyond all doubt how committed PMI is to a smoke-free future. Smoke-free is not simply an addition to the company’s strategy – it is the company’s strategy. That much is clear. The bigger challenge that lies ahead for PMI now is growing uptake of IQOS and other RRPs in the Scottish and UK markets, hindered all the while by lack of legislative clarity and lack of consumer knowledge of the product and its benefits. It’s no small challenge but after spending $4.5bn on it so far, it’s probably fair to assume that PMI fully intends to find a way to get a lot more smokers off the cigarettes and onto an IQOS. MARCH 2019 | SLR

BUSINESS BUILDING GETTING MORE OUT OF EPOS

THE INCREDIBLE POWER OF

TAGGING THE ‘TAGGING’ FUNCTIONALITY OF THE PAYPOINT ONE EPOS IS, LIKE ALL TRULY POWERFUL IDEAS, DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE AT FIRST GLANCE BUT CAN BE THE KEY TO UNLOCKING FANTASTICALLY VALUABLE INSIGHT THAT CAN HELP RETAILERS GROW THEIR SALES, FOOTFALL AND PROFITS.

ike all of the best ideas, PayPoint One’s ‘tagging’ functionality is exceptionally simple. So simple, in fact, that it’s easy to overlook – which is why we will be taking a closer look at it in this, the latest article in this hands-on series examining how local retailers can get more out their EPoS system. PayPoint One is extremely rich in powerful functionality and when combined with the free PayPoint One app, available on both Android and iOS, the solution effectively puts ‘your store in your pocket’. The market-leading all-in-one retail services platform gives retailers access to all of the data, insight and functionality they need to manage their store from wherever they are in the world.

TAP INTO THE APP... The PayPoint One app is free to all PayPoint One users and is available on both Android and iOS platforms. The app allows users to access their store from anywhere in world and allows them to perform a wide range of activities from their smartphone, putting ‘your store in your pocket’.

TAGGING So what exactly is tagging? Well, as the name suggests, tagging allows retailers to quickly and easily add ‘tags’ to any product or group of products in their store. Granted, the benefits of that apparently basic functionality may not be immediately obvious, which is why we will be exploring some of the ways you can use tagging to deliver insight that you never knew you needed. The power of tagging is incredible, as we will discover, but better still is the fact that how you use tagging in your store is limited only by your imagination and creativity. There are countless way to SEE SALES IN REAL TIME Q TOTAL SALES Q DAILY SALES OVER THE WEEK Q SALES BY TENDER TYPE Q SHOP GOODS TOP SELLERS Q PAYPOINT SERVICE TOP SELLERS Q PROMOTION SALES Q TILL CONTROLS CHANGE PRICES AND PROMOTIONS INSTANTLY Q BARCODE SCAN PRODUCT RECOGNITION Q PRODUCT SET UP: INCLUDING MIN STOCK LEVEL, PRICE & COST Q PRICE CHANGE Q PRODUCT EDIT Q SHELF EDGE LABEL PRINT STOCK CONTROL FROM ANYWHERE Q ORDERS Q DELIVERIES Q STOCK COUNTS Q GAP CHECKS

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT MORE

leverage the power of tagging to help you manage your store more efficiently and generate hugely valuable insights that will help you run a more profitable business. To explore the world of tagging, let’s take a look at a few examples of how it could be used.

Over a period of time tagging allows you to gain the sort of insight into your store that has never before been possible. The reports generated can also be broken down in whichever way you like: by cash profit, by sales volume, by sales value, by rate of sale. You choose.

GO YOUR OWN WAY And the more you use the tagging functionality the more ideas you are likely to generate for how you can use it even more efficiently and effectively. You could run reports with multiple tags – ‘red wine’ and ‘pizza’ or ‘sharing bag crisps’ and ‘take home soft drinks’, for instance, to see how well your cross-category initiatives are working. You could tag every promotional item each period with a specific tag that allows you to easily view how well your promotions are working for you, or you could add an ‘NPD’ tag to every new product you list each month to see which of them are flying and which of them are under-performing. As you can see, the power of tagging is limited only by your imagination, creativity and experience as a retailer.

TAG A BAY There are many reasons why you might want to tag every product on a specific bay, but it takes just a few seconds to do so and insight you gain will help you make that fixture more profitable overnight. One of the beauties of tagging is that it makes it very simple to run reports that would take literally hours to run using an Epos system with no tagging facility.

TAG A PROMOTIONAL BAY You could, for instance, tag all the products on a promotional aisleend. Then, at the end of the week, or the end of the promotional period, you can quickly run a report which will offer an in-depth breakdown of the sales figures for each product on that bay. Not only will you see how each product performed, you’ll also be able to see how well the entire fixture performed. Over time this will help you make better decisions when it comes to which products to site, how many facings to give each product, where to site each product and will also highlight the products that aren’t pulling their weight and should be delisted.

CASE STUDY To help illustrate how tagging can be used in a live store environment, we will be working with Costcutter Gateshead retailer Sajid Nazit over the next month to see how easy to implement tagging can be and take a closer look at the benefits. “I’ve known about the tagging functionality since I first starting using PayPoint One but I never really realised the whole world of opportunity it opens up for me in terms of getting a really deep, powerful understand of my store in a way that I’ve never had before,” said Sajid.

TAG ANY BAY Similarly, why not tag any bay you are interested in? Perhaps you have a free-from bay that you’re not sure is working, or you have a new American candy bay and you want to know how well it’s performing for you? Simply tag each product on the bay and from then on you’ll be able to quickly run reports that tell you how well each product and the entire bay are selling.

TAG EVERY BAY If you want to take the concept to its logical conclusion, you could always tag every bay

in your store. That way you’ll quickly see how every fixture is performing for you. The insight you gain will help make your range more efficient and could also suggest ideas for moving certain fixtures around the store to see if they perform better somewhere else.

E ABOUT PAYPOINT ONE, CALL 01707 537 014.

“I’m really looking forward to working with PayPoint to start using tagging in the store and I’ve already had a few ideas about how I could use it to answer some questions that I’ve long wanted to know the answer to but have never found a way of answering. It’s an exciting prospect and I genuinely think it could help me transform my business.”

Inside Business

SGF Retail Crime Seminar

RETAIL CRIME: WHAT WAY FORWARD?

Ash Denham MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Community Safety, ﬂanked by SGF’s Pete Cheema and John Lee.

The recent SGF seminar on retail crime saw different views on tackling the problem, with the Scottish Government moving towards community payback orders while retailers preferred more police and tougher sentences. BY FINDLAY STEIN

SLR | MARCH 2019

he 2019 Scottish Crime Report was launched at the SGF’s recent Retail Crime Seminar by the Federation’s Chief Executive Pete Cheema. The event kicked off in dramatic style with horrific CCTV footage of a sustained assault by three assailants on a retailer that took place on Christmas Eve in the central belt. The unfortunate store owner endured over five minutes of kicks, punches and flying bottles as his store was trashed around him. The video set the tone for the Report’s contents, which make for predictable and depressing reading. If you’re a retailer then you already know that you were a victim of shop theft last year. Just like you already know that you suffered abuse when refusing a sale. You weren’t alone. The report revealed that 63% of retailers who took part in SGF’s Crime Survey experienced shop theft daily in 2018, while the remaining 37% recorded incidents www.slrmag.co.uk

SGF Retail Crime Seminar

on a weekly basis. Every respondent (100%) experienced incidents of physical or verbal abuse when refusing a sale, with 61% enduring them every week. The same number were abused on a weekly basis when asking for proof of age. Only one per cent of retailers in the survey said an age check had never triggered abuse. With these figures in mind, Cheema urged the audience to make sure their MSPs were firmly behind Daniel Johnson’s Proposed Protection of Workers Bill as it moves towards the Committee stage in April 2019. Acknowledging that the Bill won’t solve all the industry’s problems, Cheema said it would send out a “clear signal”. He then announced the SGF was supporting a major police Scotland campaign to combat hate crime. “It’s time we stamped it out once and for all,” said Cheema. The retailer in the video has made a full physical recovery, but it is unclear what the long-term mental impact of such a vicious and cowardly attack will be. Cheema reminded SGF members that they can access services to help deal with the trauma and stress of retail violence through the Federation’s partnership with the Retail Trust. He said retail crime was a “persistent problem that shows no real sign of disappearing”, and urged retailers to engage with SGF to make stores safer for everyone.

Inside Business

Retailer Amjid Bashir.

GOVERNMENT APPROACH Keynote speaker Ash Denham MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Community Safety, said the government was committed to working with the police and businesses to make stores safe and secure for staff and customers, and that she appreciated the challenges c-stores can face from crime. Trumpeting a 42% drop in recorded crime since 2006/7, Denham announced a rise in Police Scotland’s budget to over £1.2bn in the next financial year. An overhaul of IT systems will facilitate mobile working for officers, allowing them to spend more time in communities. Despite the fall in recorded crime, the Minister acknowledged that shop theft was still a cause for concern and encouraged businesses to get involved in Neighbourhood Watch schemes. She welcomed the development of a toolkit by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre and Police Scotland that helps businesses deal with shoplifting more effectively and efficiently. Denham said the government was happy to consider legal reforms that would add new protections for shopworkers to existing law, before announcing an extension of the current presumption against short sentences of three months or less to sentences of 12 months or less. This means that the chances of a convicted shoplifter being taken off the streets will move from slim to practically zero. Denham stressed this was a presumption and not a ban, and that sentencing discretion remained with the courts. She justified the government’s move away from custodial to community-based sentences by saying it was based on “compelling” evidence that short sentences do little to rehabilitate or reduce the likelihood of reoffending.

RETAILER’S VIEW It’s safe to say another speaker, retailer Amjid Bashir who operates four stores in Glasgow city centre, doesn’t share the Minister’s views on more lenient sentencing. He has www.slrmag.co.uk

been charged at with a scaffolding pole and has suffered more verbal abuse than he cares to remember. “And all”, he said, “because I work in a shop.” Retailers were subject to levels of violence and abuse that would be unacceptable in any other part of society, he said. Recorded crime may well be in decline but, as Amjid pointed out, a great deal of retail crime goes unreported. He relayed the concerns of many retailers, who feel that the problem is not taken seriously enough by the authorities. Amjid mentioned complaints over police response times and sentences that can see perpetrators back on the streets before retailers get home from attending court. Amjid made a strong case for the introduction of specific legislation to protect shopworkers when he highlighted the psychological and emotional impact it can have. “It’s not enough to say insurance companies will deal with the damage,” he said, pointing out that retailers don’t have the luxury of going off sick. “Can you imagine going back to work in a place you’ve been threatened and attacked because you have no choice?” He said he’d spoken to many retailers who all said retail crime wasn’t taken seriously enough. Shoplifting is viewed as a low-level crime, he said, but it was hard for local retailers to absorb the cost like supermarkets could when working to tight margins. Amjid urged the government to clamp down on antisocial behaviour, citing the problems caused by drug and alcohol misuse, and called for tougher laws and more police officers. On a practical note he advised retailers to be more vigilant, have CCTV as a deterrent, and to train staff to

“100% of respondents experienced incidents of physical or verbal abuse when refusing a sale.”

MARCH 2019 | SLR

Inside Business

SGF Retail Crime Seminar

the bank account details. Bye also cited cases of hacked text messages and warned of the dangers posed by fake websites. The speakers were followed by three breakout sessions.

TAKE COVER

“drop everything” if they see suspicious characters come through the door. In closing he called on the authorities to adopt a zerotolerance approach. “Retail crime is not a low-level crime,” he said.

CYBERCRIME Moving to the less obvious – but no less real – threat posed by cybercrime, Graham Bye from the Scottish Business Resilience Centre discussed cyber security for businesses. He warned the audience not to think that cybercrime – such as ransomware attacks – only happened to big companies. With almost half (43%) of UK businesses targeted in 2018, he said it was important to understand what the threat is and make informed decisions on how to mitigate it. He advised retailers to sign-up to the government’s Cyber Essentials scheme to protect their business. Scottish Enterprise has made £500,000 funding available for this purpose. Retailers can receive up to £1,000 each, which should be more than enough to get basic certification. This, he said, would show customers you take safeguarding their data seriously. It’s certainly something to consider if you run any sort of EPoS-based loyalty scheme. Bye suggested a few basic measures that retailers could take to stop around 80% of cyber-attacks. These included using firewalls, malware protection and strong passwords as well as performing regular software updates. “Be prepared and don’t sleepwalk into a cyber crisis,” he warned.

SCAMS The seminar’s final speaker was RBS Community Banker David Russell Douglas. He put the cost of marketing scams to the economy at somewhere between £5bn and £10bn annually. It appears that the vast majority of this, like so much other crime businesses endure, slips under the authorities’ radar: only 5% gets reported to the police, Bye said. He advised retailers to register at the Friends Against Scams website (friendsagainstscams.org.uk) to discover the latest ways scammers are targeting businesses. These include spoof payment requests and diverted payments, where criminals intercept legitimate invoices and change 36

SLR | MARCH 2019

Retail Mutual’s Head of Claims Nic Warmink ran the rule over some insurance-based crime statistics before dispensing some common-sense advice. Reiterating wthat retail crime is on the rise, he said the proportion of claims as a result of crime had risen from 23% in 2010 to 65% last year. Theft after a break-in and ATM raids were most prevalent, followed by arson and theft by deception. The average break-in incurs a cost of around £4,000 to £5,000 and last under five minutes. This point was backed up by CCTV footage of two raiders smashing their way into a store in the dead of night and stealing cigarettes worth around £1,500 before fleeing. All in just over a minute. With police response times of at least 10 minutes, burglar alarms do little to deter serious criminals. Speaking from the audience, Scotmid’s Jim Harper said the SmokeCloak system, which releases an impenetrable layer of fog, had made an “enormous difference” in cutting down on cigarette loss in the company’s stores. Warmink said cash and tobacco were the main targets of break-ins and reminded retailers to adjust their cover to reflect the rising cost of cigarettes. He also warned of a rise in theft by deception, where criminals will distract a retailer while an accomplice sneaks into the back office. As well as installing CCTV and an alarm system, he suggested retailers leave the till empty and open overnight. It was also a good idea to vary banking days and times, he said, and not to hold large amounts of cash on the premises. He also advised the audience not to overload sockets, as this was the main cause of fire-related claims. Stuart Ramsay, Track & Trace Programme Manager for JTI told retailers all that they needed to know about the new legislation designed to clamp down on illicit tobacco that comes into effect on 20 May. Retailers will need to register before that date to be able to receive tobacco from suppliers or collect it from a cash and carry. However, HMRC has yet to reveal details of the registration process and any associated costs. Ramsay did confirm that the new system doesn’t replace the Scottish Tobacco register but runs in tandem with it. He also said funding was available to help wholesalers and cash & carrys upgrade their scanning systems to cope with the changes. Camelot congratulated retailers on preventing underage play of the Lottery. The company’s Retail Business Manager Wendy Craig said Scotland leads the UK in this respect, with a 95% pass rate of Camelot’s mystery shopper programme, the rather unimaginatively-titled Operation Child. She also announced the roll-out of a retailer training programme to help prevent excess play and publicised the new Set For Life annuity game that launches on 18 March. The seminar, which was held at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh on 7 February, also featured a well-attended trade exhibition. It was chaired by Kenny MacAskill, former Cabinet Secretary for Justice. www.slrmag.co.uk

SUSTAINABILITY IN LOCAL RETAIL

Doing Good Is Good For Business ...27TH MARCH, GLASGOW...

A new event from SLR exploring how retailers can boost their bottom line as well as their environmental credentials. To reserve your place, email events@55north.com

A #ThinkSmart Event from

NO ONE DOES AWARDS LIKE THE SLR REWARDS! THE MOST REWARDING EVENT IN RETAIL IS SET TO BE MORE REWARDING THAN EVER!

The most rewarding event in the industry is even bigger and better than ever with trips to Atlanta and Romania up for grabs this year, alongside a host of other spectacular Rewards that mean this is one awards you don’t want to miss out on!

IMPORTANT DATES ENTRY DEADLINE 15 MARCH 2019 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED EARLY APRIL 2019 THE AWARDS 19 JUNE 2019 As always, if you have any other questions, please contact the SLR Events team: Kirsty McDowall, Events & Operations Manager, 0141 222 5383, events@55north.com

It’s almost time for local retailers across the country to make sure they have their entries in for the most Rewarding awards programme in the UK local retailing industry! The search for the winners of the SLR Rewards 2019 is near and the time to get your entries in is NOW! The SLR Rewards are unique in offering amazing, often money-can’t-buy Rewards which this year include not one, but two places on a trip to the phenomenal NACS Conference in Atlanta as well as a trip to Romania. And there are plenty more fantastic Rewards to be announced. The only way to win it is to be in it, so set aside some time and make sure you give yourself the chance of being among the winners on 19 June in Glasgow at the plush Radisson Blu. To help you enter, as well as develop your in-store offer, we are working with our Rewards Partners to share some great advice and support that will help you boost footfall, sales and profits and assist you in putting together the strongest possible entry. With another astonishing array of Rewards up for grabs this year, you’d be mad not to give it a go!

General Information

The SLR Rewards 2019 are open to all independent and symbol convenience stores in Scotland. The content of your entry should cover the 12-month period running up to March 2019 and your store, or the project you are submitting in your entry, should have been operational throughout that period.

SLR REWARDS 2019 JUDGING PANEL BLAKE GLADMAN INSIGHT AND STRATEGY DIRECTOR, KAM MEDIA BLAKE GLADMAN

JOHN LEE

Blake has over 12 years’ experience delivering marketleading shopper and consumer insight. He started his career at Kantar before joining HIM in 2009. During his time at HIM, Blake worked across all areas of the business and has led the development of its products, content and marketing. He joined KAM Media as a Partner in May 2018, bringing his experience in utilising the power of research to support and drive all areas of the business.

JOHN LEE HEAD OF POLICY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, SCOTTISH GROCERS’ FEDERATION CHRIS NOICE

KAREN PEATTIE

DEE SEDANI

AVTAR SIDHU

SANDY WILKIE

Dee has been in retailing for over 20 years and is one of the most high-profile retailers in England. Initially a computer programmer for IBM, he couldn’t resist the lure of retail, a fascination shared with his late father. These days, Dee combines his IT knowledge with his retail experience to run two very successful One Stop stores in Derbyshire. He sits on an array of forums and committees and is also on the NRC board. His love of IT has never left him, and he also finds time to run a software house which provides valuable solutions for retailers.

AVTAR SIDHU BUDGENS RETAILER, KENILWORTH

John has over 10 years of experience leading on work with the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and other key policy and decision makers. He leads on SGF’s external communications and media relations work and has played an instrumental role in helping reshape SGF in last few years, making it more relevant and vital to the Scottish local retailing sector and giving retailers a far more powerful voice in the corridors of power at Holyrood and Westminster.

Avtar, or Sid as he is more commonly known, also began his working life in software, having successfully run his own business for 13 years. He only moved into local retail relatively recently when he acquired his own convenience store. His tech-driven past means Sid loves to trial new thinking and innovative ideas and, as a result, his Budgens store in Warwickshire has been named in the Top 100 independent stores list for four consecutive years. Sid is also a member on the independent board of the ACS.

CHRIS NOICE HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS AND RESEARCH, ASSOCIATION OF CONVENIENCE STORES

BLONNIE WALSH SENIOR INSIGHTS MANAGER, HIM

Chris joined ACS in October 2009 having graduated from the University of York with a degree in English and Linguistics. He is responsible for all of ACS’s external and internal communications, media relations and a growing research portfolio which includes the industry-leading Local Shop Report. Chris is an official spokesperson for ACS, appearing frequently on TV and radio.

KAREN PEATTIE FREELANCE JOURNALIST BLONNIE WALSH

DEE SEDANI ONE STOP RETAILER, DERBYSHIRE

Karen, an honorary member of the SGF and contributor to SLR, is a highly respected freelance journalist, editor and PR consultant with almost 40 years’ experience spanning weekly and national newspapers, trade publications, consumer magazines and online media. Specialising in the retail, wholesale, food and drink, and travel sectors, she is a recognised industry expert and commentator in Scotland. Fife-born Karen currently contributes to a wide range of publications.

Describing herself as ‘resident storyteller’ at convenience retailing research specialists HIM, Blonnie’s mission is to “make data do more”. Skilled in thought-leadership, she channels research into actionable insight that aligns businesses with consumer needs. Walsh has previously won awards for her innovative approach to insight in the Beers, Wines and Spirits category.

SANDY WILKIE INDEPENDENT JUDGE Sandy was for many years known as ‘Mr Milk’ in Scotland, having been the sales and marketing guru behind the transformation of Robert Wiseman Dairies. It was Sandy who launched the now iconic black and white branding that made Wiseman’s so famous and led to the company being acquired by Muller in 2012. Wilkie stayed on for several years helping ensure a smooth transition to the new owners. Most recently he was awarded an MBE in recognition of his services to the British and international dairy industry, and to the community in Lanarkshire.

How to enter Step 1: Visit www.slrawards.com. Step 2: Click on ‘Enter now’ to view the list of categories. Step 3: Click on each category name to access the entry forms. Step 4: Fill in your details and submit – along with supporting photos and/or videos. You will then receive a confirmation message and email. Microsoft Word versions of the forms are also available by emailing events@55north.com stating what categories you wish to enter.

SLR Rewards 2019

By Gary Black, Sales Director Wholesale and Convenience, CCEP

CCEP

DRIVING GROWTH TOGETHER IN CONVENIENCE WITH COCACOLA EUROPEAN PARTNERS

“2018 was a big year for the convenience channel. Despite the best efforts of the Beast from the East to send the country in to shutdown, soaring temperatures and World Cup fever in the summer months provided a boost to retailers. Meanwhile seasonal events including Halloween and Christmas once again helped to drive purchases as people enjoyed nights in with families and friends to mark these occasions. “With eight in 10 consumers in GB now shopping in convenience stores1 and soft drinks up by 8% within this channel2, there is a lot retailers can do to maximise the soft drinks opportunity. As well as investing in our field sales team, equipment and technology, we’re helping Scottish retailers to deliver the right range by evolving our core portfolio, exciting shoppers with NPD and providing choice – whether that’s in ﬂavour variety or low and zero sugar variants. “Following the introduction of the Soft Drinks Tax, low and zero sugar soft drinks have accelerated in growth3. The ‘zero or low-sugar’ soft drink sector is in fact the fastest-growing segment in Scotland with 10 of the top 15 soft drinks brands being either zero or low-sugar variants4. It’s therefore important for retailers to ensure they have a range of soft drink options that are low in sugar to sit alongside their classic options like Coca-Cola original taste or Monster Green. “Coca-Cola zero sugar is now the fastestgrowing light cola brand in retail, up 47%5, while Diet Coke, the biggest light cola brand, continues to grow6. Outside colas, Fanta Zero is growing in popularity7 and is recruiting new shoppers into the segment, making it a must

stock for our customers. “In GB, a staggering 4.7 million households buy flavoured colas, bringing in 340,000 incremental shoppers to the cola segment every year8. We’re committed to working with retailers to make the most of this trend through our flavour innovations, which have already been hugely popular. “Last year, we launched Diet Coke Exotic Mango and Coca-Cola zero sugar Peach to support the growing demand for low and zero sugar soft drinks and our light cola flavours are worth over £25 million9. Following on from their success, we are adding two more variants to our light cola portfolio this year – Diet Coke Twisted Strawberry and Coca-Cola zero sugar Raspberry. “Within energy, the Monster Energy Ultra range, which offers five amazing fruit flavours with zero sugar, is helping retailers to cater for those looking for an energy boost without the calories. We have recently introduced Monster Ultra Blue – its sparkling citrus and berry flavour and zerosugar credentials is designed to appeal to millennials looking for a sugar-free energy kick that tastes great. “Whilst getting the range right is extremely important, retailers also need to focus on instore execution to ensure that the shopping experience is clear and straightforward. This includes well-merchandised displays grouping soft drink segments together, crosscategory adjacencies which places soft drinks alongside complementary categories like snacks or sandwiches to drive linked purchases and clear pricing and promotions to grab shopper attention.”

SOURCES 1 2

HIM: CTP 2018 Nielsen w/e 29.12.18 MAT Impulse Shopper research 2015, Kantar Worldpanel Usage // In-home/Carried-Out Kantar Worldpanel: 52we Nov 2018 Weekly Nielsen Data MAT w/e 29.12.2018 Weekly Nielsen Data MAT w/e 29.12.2018 Weekly Nielsen Data MAT w/e 29.12.2018 Kantar Worldpanel Take Home 52w/e 13.08.17 Nielsen MAT Vol & Val 29.12.19 (Total market and impulse)

PUT A NEW

BERRY TWIST ON YOUR SALES

* Nielsen Total MAT Value GB 15/12/18 ** Weekly Nielsen Data MAT w/e 29.09.2018 ÂŠ2019 The Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero and Diet Coke are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company. All rights reserved.

Tap into growing consumer demand for light cola flavours, currently worth almost ÂŁ190m with 25% value growth* Diet Coke remains the no.1 sugar free cola** Coca-Cola zero sugar is the fastest growing major cola brand in GB** Supported by a multi-million pound marketing campaign

To find out more visit www.cokecustomerhub.co.uk or call Customer Hub on 0808 1 000 000

SLR Rewards 2019

News Scotland

NEWS UK LAUNCHES SUN SAVERS RETAIL EDUCATION INITIATIVE News UK is rolling our a nationwide education campaign to retailers on its hugely successful Sun Savers rewards club following a successful trial in Scotland. News UK is rolling out a new nationwide retail campaign across all 12,000 news and magazine retailers in the UK to increase awareness of Sun Savers – the rewards club that puts money back into readers’ pockets. As part of the campaign to further raise awareness on Sun Savers, News UK will be placing new point of sale fixtures in store to demonstrate and clearly communicate the mechanics of the Sun Saver scheme to customers, with the campaign message: Earn Cash, Get Treats, Win Prizes.

What is Sun Savers: Sun Savers is our fantastic rewards club which launched in June 2017, giving readers £5 cash for every 28 unique codes they collect from The Sun newspaper. Sun Savers is all about giving back to our most loyal Sun readers and gives The Scottish Sun readers cash, treats and prizes for scanning daily codes in the paper. There are now nearly 800,000 readers signed up nationwide to Sun Savers.

What do customers have to do for Sun Savers? Collect a unique Sun Code every day from the newspaper. Only one code from each dated paper can be entered. Each unique Sun code needs to be scanned or manually entered on the Sun Savers app or website – don’t forget, you’ll need to register. Once you’ve entered your 28th unique code, you’ll get your hands on £5 cash! Sun Savers offers cash, treats and prizes: Cash – Free fivers when you read the paper. It’s

that simple, every time customers bank 28 Sun Savers codes, they get a real life fiver. Treats – We’ve partnered with brilliant brands to offer Savers members exclusive offers on brilliant days out, as well as goodies like cinema tickets, beauty kits, festive treats and much more. Prizes – Savers members get entered into big prize draws like winning £15k, to having your Christmas paid for. Everyone has a chance of winning if they’re a member.

Sun Savers spend more: Our research has shown that a Sun Savers is likely to spend more on a their week;y shop than a normal newspaper shopper: The average weekly basket in a convenience store by a newspaper shopper is £22 pw. The average weekly basket in a convenience store by a Sun Saver* is £30pw (*Sun Print Reader who regularly uses their mobile to scan codes) The Sun is Britain’s biggest-selling newspaper in print and the most-viewed commercial news operation online. Next year will mark The Sun’s 50th anniversary.

CASH EARN

GET

TREATS

PRIZES WIN

PICK UP AND JOIN SUN SAVERS TODAY

18+ UK residents only (excludes Isle of Man & Channel Islands). Multiple code collect. See full T&Cs at sunsavers.co.uk/terms

News Scotland

“Sun Savers has handed out over £10m in cash to shoppers.” CHRIS HUGHES, NEWS UK

Educational note cards will also be given to retailers and their employees to help explain the benefits of the scheme and how they can support. The News UK field team will also be on hand to offer advice and support in store. The campaign also includes a mystery shopper competition that retailers can enter by visiting www. newsretail.co.uk and answering three simple questions on our Sun Savers scheme to be in with a chance of winning a holiday, plus 50 x £50 runners up vouchers. The campaign trial in Scotland last month saw News UK’s field team speak with over 1,200 stores – with over 90% of them being educated in the scheme. News UK estimates that the £5 cash reward Sun Savers offers – which is earned after customers purchase 28 papers and scan the codes inside – has driven additional sales of over £4.5m last year alone. News UK Head of Retail Marketing Chris Hughes said: “Our research shows that a Sun print reader who regularly enters Sun Savers codes spends an average of £30 a

week in convenience stores. That’s £8 per week more than other newspaper shoppers. In this educational scheme we hope we can continue to prove the value of Sun Savers to both retailers and readers as we aim to create a network of retail advocates to promote the scheme in store and drive sales.” Since its launch in 2017, Sun Savers has built a growing membership of over 800,000 members and has handed out over £10m in cash to members.

SLR Rewards 2019

IS IT FREE FOR CUSTOMERS TO JOIN SUN SAVERS?

Absolutely. There is no cost to get involved. But customers do need to purchase The Sun newspaper to collect and scan the unique Sun Savers codes to get their fivers.

WHERE DO CUSTOMERS FIND THE SUN SAVERS CODE?

Customers can find the unique code printed inside The Sun on the Sun Savers page every day. It will contain a mix of letters and numbers.

WHEN AND HOW CAN CUSTOMERS CLAIM THEIR MONEY?

Customers will receive £5 for every 28 unique codes they enter. Once they have entered 28 codes they can claim their cash by clicking on the ‘cash out’ button in the app. They will need to add their bank details or link their PayPal account.

DO THE SUN SAVERS CODES EXPIRE?

Each unique paper code must be entered within 5 weeks or it will expire. Customers can enter codes from passed dates.

DO CUSTOMERS NEED TO ADD THE SUN SAVERS CODES CONSECUTIVELY?

Simply – no. Codes do not need to be added consecutively. If customers don’t bank any codes for 12 months all codes that are in their Sun Savers account will be removed – so they need to keep scanning codes!

WILL CUSTOMERS NEED WIFI TO BE ABLE TO ENTER THE SUN SAVERS CODES? To be able to enter a code customers will need either a wifi, 3G or 4G connection. If they’re unable to access any of these networks they will need to wait until they have a connection to enter codes or cash out.

3.2m

There are vapers in the UK

SCOTTISH BRANDS RETAILER OF THE YEAR

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

3 TRENDS ARE DRIVING SHOPPER BEHAVIOUR THESE 3 TRENDS WILL DRIVE FUTURE CATEGORY GROWTH

HEALTH & WELLBEING

TASTE & FUN

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

THESE 3 TRENDS TRANSLATE INTO 6 CATEGORIES

Covering all soft drinks choices that shoppers are looking for HEALTHY REFRESHMENT Water and water plus products have an important functional role

TASTY HYDRATION Low calorie products with the health benefits of water and the great taste of a fizzy drink

ON THE GO

EVERYDAY ENJOYMENT

Nearly 1 in 3 purchases is an energy drink so choice and flavours are important

The backbone of the fixture needs a good range of great-tasting fizzy and still choices

CONNECTING CULTURES

ADULT SOCIAL

Vibrant section to tap into growing demand for exotic flavours

Indulgent treats and options for those that avoid alcohol

AT THE HEART

EGOR AT

PUTTING THE SHOPPER

OF YOUR BUSINESS

SI ON

RIGHT RANGE & LAYOUT ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL Remember to adapt your range to offer local favourites.

SCOTLAND Allocate more space to flavoured carbonates which generate more ‘Drink Now’ value than Colas. Key brands driving this are IRN-BRU, Barr Flavours and Red Kola. Consider 750ml glass bottles which are a favourite!

CHILLER TRIAL IN SLR’S WOODLANDS STORE DELIVERED 22.8% INCREASE IN GP%* JUDGING POINTERS

ARE YOU A SCOTTISH BRANDS CHAMPION? - Provenance is obviously important in today’s c-store. - How well do you leverage the power of local, regional and nationally sourced products. - What do you buy? - How do you engage with shoppers around what to stock? - How do you buy it? - How do you merchandise in-store? - How do you communicate to shoppers? * Woodlands EPOS data following soft drinks chiller relay July 18

Hotlines

Product News & Media Watch

Alpen Create Weetabix Alpen’s latest muesli caters for the 25% of shoppers who dislike raisins, and taps into the growing trend for more personalisation at the breakfast table. It is available from wholesalers now in outers of six, with an RSP of £2.99 for a 1kg pack. The Alpen brand will launch a £1m marketing campaign in the spring. For more information, visit the Weetabix corporate website at weetabixfoodcompany.co.uk.

Walkers Trending Tastes PepsiCo Walkers has expanded its range with the launch of new ﬂavours BBQ Pulled Pork and Spicy Sriracha. Both are available now across multipack and single serve formats. A TV and digital marketing campaign supports the launch, as well as in-store activation, POS and sampling. For more information telephone 0800 274 777 or complete the form on the Walkers trade website at countsformore. co.uk/contact-us.

Lucozade Energy Apple Blast Lucozade Ribena Suntory Lucozade Energy has added new ﬂavour Apple Blast to its permanent range, available now in 380ml and 500ml bottles. The launch will be supported as part of a farreaching marketing campaign later this year. The ﬂavour first rolled out last August as part of the brand’s partnership with the Lara Croft franchise.

Espresso Monster warms up cold coffee segment Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) is expanding its Monster Energy portfolio with the launch of a new ready-todrink (RTD) coffee drink range, designed to appeal to both coffee drinkers and en-ergy drink lovers alike. Rolling out nationwide in March, Espresso Monster is a blend of real brewed coffee and Monster energy. Available in a premium textured ink 250ml can (RSP £1.99, outers of 12), the two variants are Espresso & Milk and Vanilla Espresso. The launch will be supported by POS material and off-fixture displays. The product launches into the RTD coffee sector, which is set to more than double over the next 10 years. Simon Harrison, Vice President of Commercial Development at CCEP, said Espresso Monster had already proven extremely popular following a retail trial at the end of 2018. “The product is unique as it is the only cold coffee drink on the market with caffeine content that can rival a hot coffee,” he added. For more information, retailers should call 0808 1 000 000 or email connect@ccep.com.

Otis Cracked Egg Muffin Aryzta Food Solutions Touted as an “Easter treat” and available now, the Otis Cracked Egg Muffin (RSP £1.49, case size 28) is supplied frozen for thaw and serve and features a moist chocolate chip muffin with a vanilla cream centre, finished with a white chocolate cream cracked egg decoration. POS materials including posters and shelf barkers are available. For more information phone 0845 437 9593 or email retail. ordersGB@aryzta.com.

L&B Blue Bright Air Filter Imperial Tobacco L&B Blue Bright Air Filter combines a recess in the filter tip with a firmer filter structure. Imperial says this gives the impression of a smoother, better-quality smoking experience for existing adult smokers looking for premium features at the value end of the market. It is available now in King Size 20s with an RSP of £8.70. For more information contact your Imperial sales rep or visit imperialbrandsplc.com.

Bebeto reduced sugar lines Kervan Gida Bebeto has revealed three new products with 30% less sugar that will launch officially in summer 2019. Rainbow Laces, Strawberry Laces and Strawberry Pencils will be available in shelfready outers of 12 with RSPs of 39p each or 3 for £1. To order, call Kervan Gida on 01243 530550 or email uk.sales@kervangida.com.

for all the latest product news, head to www.slrmag.co.uk/category/product-news/ 48

SLR | MARCH 2019

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Feature

Chocolate

TOP TIPS Confectionery is one of biggest food and drink categories in convenience[12] and the category is the most impulsive[13], so availability and display are really important. The main confectionery fixture should be easy to shop, in a highly visible location. Follow the basics below to maximise sales in the category and capture the attention of shoppers. FOCUS ON THE BESTSELLING LINES Q Have a range that covers all need states: selfeat, sharing and gifting confectionery Q Place best sellers in the bestselling area Q Use manufacturers’ point of sale material Q Make the most of brand investment – have displays in store when consumers will be most aware of products as a result of advertising or media investment Q Don’t forget the basics; keep fully stocked and keep the display tidy Q Group products with similar attributes adjacent to each other For more information on how to maximise your confectionery sales, go to: deliciousdisplay.co.uk

SLR | MARCH 2019

CHOCOLATE EVOLVES ALONGSIDE CONSUMERS As the tastes and demands of chocolate consumers evolve, so too must the range offered to them by retailers if sales are to be maximised.

espite the growing trend towards healthier consumption and increasing legislative pressure, confectionery remains one of biggest food and drink categories in convenience as well as being the most impulsive category of all [CTT, 2017]. And long may it continue as there is still a place for indulgent treats as part of a wider balanced diet. Chocolate will forever be an affordable, everyday treat and sharing formats, like bags and tablets, are now key with bags being the fastest growing standard chocolate segment [Nielsen, Oct 2018]. Susan Nash, Trade Communications Manager at category leader Mondelez International comments: “Mondelez is helping drive growth through its Cadbury and Green & Black’s brands and we have recently introduced new size £1 promotional pricemarked packs within our chocolate bags range.” The new £1 (RSP) 95g PMPs are now available across some of the company’s best-selling bags: Cadbury Dairy Milk Giant Buttons, Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel Nibbles, Cadbury Twirl Bites, Cadbury Bitsa Wispa and Terry’s Chocolate Orange Minis.

STAY ON TREND The premium market is the fastest-growing chocolate segment that is incremental and is bringing in new, higher value shoppers. To capitalise on this popularity, Green and Black’s, which is growing at 11.1% [Nielsen, May 2018], launched two new singles bars last summer: the Green & Black’s Truffle and the Green & Black’s Praline. The tablets segment is also growing (up 3.2% [Nielsen, Oct 2018]). Building on the success of Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo in tablets, the brand

brought a new twist to the market in 2018 – Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Sandwich. The launch has already driven £2.6m RSV sales since its launch in February 2018 – and the PMP format aims to build on this success.

LIFE STAGES “Research has identified that as we go through different life-stages, our tastebuds change,” says Nash. “This is true for many foods such as olives and coffee, and some consumers increasingly look for a richer tasting chocolate with a higher cocoa percentage vs milk chocolate.” To capitalise on this, Cadbury Darkmilk was launched, made with 40% cocoa. This new tablet combines a robust hit of cocoa combined with a creamy and smooth taste. The range launched with two variants – Cadbury Darkmilk Original and Cadbury Darkmilk Almond and a was recently bolstered with a third variant, Cadbury Darkmilk Salted Caramel – plus two new single 35g bars to help drive impulse sales. These singles will also be available in a PMP format, which will help standout on shelf while boosting customer trust with the convenience of clear pricing. January this year saw the return of an old favourite, Cadbury Bournville Orange. First launched in 1927, the bar is now a permanent offering for the brand to tap into the trend for orange chocolate. Cadbury Bournville is also now available as a PMP which will ensure stand-out on shelf and boost customer trust.

www.slrmag.co.uk

O T D E T T I M M CO

S R E L I A T E R R OU SINCE 1977

“I chose Nisa and have stayed with them because of the wide range of chilled and ambient products available just a click away, with the best prices in the market and great promotions for our customers. I’m so glad to be a part of Nisa as availability of stock is great with great delivery services.

I joined Nisa as an independent retailer many years ago, then I moved my store under the Nisa brand fascia in 2016, when we rebuilt the whole new building and we designed our store with Nisa’s outstanding designing and merchandising team. Recently we’ve also had a great chance to try Co-op’s best-selling own-label range which has increased my shopping basket.”

Join the family... visit www.join-nisa.co.uk

I’m looking forward to what’s to come in the future with Nisa. Mahmood Saleem, Nisa Local, Ardeer Services, Stevenston, Scotland

Forecourts

Feature

ROAD TO SUCCESS JET UNVEILS ITS NEW LOOK

Forecourts are very much back in fashion in local retailing with many of the leading players working hard to evolve their offering to cater for the modern forecourt shopper looking for the best of all worlds.

he forecourt market is arguably more competitive than it has been in a long time with more and more of the key players upping the ante in terms of their offering to forecourt retailers across Scotland. Gone are the days when the fuel side and retail side were two separate parts of the business: these days the two elements have merged to provide a high quality, seamless experience to an increasingly sophisticated and demanding shopper. Nisa Format Manager Janine Abbott explains: “With the ever-evolving design concepts within the market place, stores should have suitable equipment and the right look and feel to enhance the customer shopping experience. “Good flooring and lighting play a key part and the correct energy saving lighting and lighting level give the store the required atmosphere. Adding feature lighting in the food-to-go and counter areas enhance these parts of the store and give a more premium feel.” But it’s not just the look and feel that matter these days, believes Abbott. Shoppers are used to the experience of shopping a well laid out convenience store and expect the same experienced in a forecourt store. “It is more than likely that the consumer’s shopping mission will be pre-determined before they enter the store, for instance,” she says. “So it is important the flow of the store enables the consumer to navigate and find

www.slrmag.co.uk

what they are looking for quickly and easily. By doing this and having the correct range, in the correct location there should be no lost sales.” The pressure to drive up basket spend and impulse sales is just as prevalent in the forecourt sector as it is in the mainstream local retailing sector. “It is important to tempt the consumer into purchasing other items they didn’t come in for and drive additional sales,” says Abbott. “Implementing bespoke or off-the-shelf impulse units in the right place enables this.” With more than 40 years of experience at giving independent retailers the tools they need to compete and profit in the retail landscape, Nisa is well equipped to deliver solutions that deliver. Abbott again: “Retailers can rely on a strong retail-focused team of specialised managers to support them and help grow their business. When it comes to forecourts Nisa has supported many fantastic new developments over recent months with a raft of impressive stores being launched. “At Nisa we recognise the importance of working closely with retailers when discussing the overall look in terms of finishes and colours within a store, and feel it is important to let them bring their own personality to their store. Our Format and Development team works closely with every retailer to discuss ideas that work for them and bring them into reality.

JET has unveiled a prototype of its new look at JET Abbeyside in Selby, North Yorkshire, one of the fuel brand’s new companyowned sites. The new design has been developed in response to dealer and consumer feedback and incorporates an array of improvements, including an angled canopy with additional LED lighting, clearer signage, branded premium fuels and an innovative pole sign with clear pricing of all products. Overall the new image creates a welcoming environment and offers a refreshed contemporary look that is still distinctively JET. The prototype image will initially be piloted on JET’s company-owned sites before a further trial at a number of JET’s independently-owned sites later this year. Mary Wolf, Managing Director UK Marketing at Phillips 66 Limited, comments: “We are proud of JET’s UK heritage, and we are dedicated to remaining a strong, reliable brand that is competitive in the market. We’ve listened to the consumer, and to our dealers and have developed a new image that is modern and inviting, and provides a safe, friendly, clean environment for consumers. “By strengthening our brand and reimaging our forecourts we will support our dealers to better compete in today’s challenging fuel market.”

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Forecourts

“It is important to first establish the format and location that the forecourt trades within, as this will establish what the focal points will be.”

GULF GROWTH Certas Energy, the UK’s largest fuel supplier to independent forecourts, continues to grow its Gulf network in Scotland. The company recently added Ballinluig Services and Grill, a petrol station and truck stop off the A9 at Pitlochry, to its portfolio. The site moved to Gulf in February after 49 years with BP. Ballinluig proprietor Claire Bridges explained: “We prefer continuity but moving to Gulf is good for the business and our customers as it allows us to deliver a more competitive offering, along with a vibrant new look and feel.” Claire felt that after almost five decades with BP it was important that her new partner also had a strong and respected brand with quality products. She said: “Gulf’s strengths include a proactive retail team that understands the values of a rural filling station serving its community. That’s of huge significance as we look to future-proof our operation and strengthen revenues. In addition, Gulf’s cross-acceptance card offer means that we now accept Shell’s Fuel Card and the BP Routex Cards along with all major credit, debit and fuel cards including Key Fuels and UK Fuels.” Located 20 miles north of Perth, Ballinluig Services has been serving truckers and the haulage industry since March 1970 when Claire’s father, Clive Bridges, opened the business with three pumps and a recovery workshop to fix HGVs. When a bypass was built in 1983, he then established the Motor Grill to meet a growing need for a rest stop on the main trunk road to the Highlands. A forecourt, canopy and mini supermarket were also added and today the 2ml forecourt is a popular one-stop shop for motorists and shoppers with coffee and food to go, an ATM www.slrmag.co.uk

and full convenience range. To coincide with the re-branding, new LED forecourt canopy lighting was installed to improve illumination and reduce costs. Certas Energy’s Retail Director Richard Billington admits to being delighted at securing such a high-profile site as vindication of the company’s investment in all aspects of the Gulf brand. “We are adding real substance and innovation to our offering, allowing us to further differentiate Gulf from its competitors as we strive to protect and grow the revenues of our dealers,” says Billington. “We anticipate further network expansion in 2019 as we unveil a range of exciting initiatives over the coming months. We currently have a network of 109 sites across Scotland from the Borders to the Isles, most of which are situated across the central belt. These enable us to use our size and scale to offer options to our dealers to help them grow their profitability through tried and tested initiatives, run on our own sites. “The Dealer market is our core business and we believe we have the right solution to futureproof the business of almost any dealer in Scotland. That could be through a competitive supply arrangement, buying the site or by way of a lease arrangement where we take on the business and provide the owner with a regular income. Nothing is off the table and we have the funds, the flexibility and agility to move quickly.”

Feature

SUCCESS IS AT HAND WITH GRIPHERO With fuel pumps being 11,000 times dirtier than toilet seats and petrol containing the Group 1 human carcinogen, benzene, it’s vital that forecourt operators offer their shoppers protection when dispensing fuel. Data from GripHero suggests that 82% of drivers still struggle to find forecourt hand-protection, but an innovative solution from the company offers an eco-friendly, ultra-practical solution to that problem that offers a wide range of benefits for both retailers and shoppers. GripHero’s range of solutions build disposable gloves into the fuel pump handle itself, making them unmissable and exceptionally convenient for the shopper. The solution can be built into every nozzle on the forecourt and the clever solution helps reduce waste by dispensing a single unit at a time. The company says GripHero efficiently and effectively helps prevent driver exposure to notifiable diseases and organisms while the materials used are 100% recyclable, oxo-biodegradable and compostable. “In the UK, an average fuel nozzle can be handled by over 200 people each week, each gripping it solidly for up to 3 minutes,” says a GripHero spokesperson. “So if you fill up weekly, it’s like giving a long hand shake to 200 people who haven’t washed their hands.” The company cites research carried out in 2011 by Kimberley Clark Professional and similar research by travel company Busbud in 2016 into the most unhygienic surfaces that people can touch. Right at the top of the list is the fuel pump handle (along with the fuel pump ATM-style buttons used to select fuel and pay at the pump) with over 70% of handles carrying the germs which pose a high risk of developing a serious illness. For this level of risk to health, prevention is far better than attempting to cure, making forecourt hand-protection an important issue. GripHero also highlights how research has shown that if a customer has sticky, dirty and smelly hands as a result of filling up, they are less inclined to buy food and drinks when they subsequently enter your store. In 2017, GripHero commissioned a survey of 1,000 drivers throughout the UK to understand their opinions on the use, availability and impact forecourt hand-protection has on their experience: Q 82% of people struggle to find disposable hand-protection at garages and forecourts Q 74% of drivers actively hunt for hand-protection or ask forecourt attendants for hand-protection or a wet-wipe Q Nearly two-thirds of drivers are unaware that fuel nozzle handles pose a risk to health that could lead to the transmission of serious illness Q Just under three-fifths of drivers are unaware that petrol contains Group 1 carcinogens in it Q Almost identical numbers of drivers would wear hand protection for petrol as they would for diesel Q When asked if drivers would use hand-protection if it were located directly on each and every fuel nozzle handle, 91% would use it always or occasionally Q 41% would travel up to 2 miles further to use a forecourt with hand-protection and a further 25% would be willing to pay 1p extra per litre for this Q 72% of vehicle owners would be more likely to make impromptu purchases – like snacks and coffee – than they currently do, if they knew they could keep their hands clean while filling up

MARCH 2019 | SLR

Candy

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LOSING THE SUGAR Once known as sugar confectionery, the category has largely been rebranded as ‘candy’ to reﬂect the focus on reducing or eliminating sugar content – but the NPD keeps on coming which is great news for retailers and shoppers.

ot so very long ago, the category that we now generally refer to as ‘candy’ was referred to sugar confectionery. That was before the days that sugar became a dirty word and it seems very clear that much of the focus of manufacturers big and small these days is on producing low or no sugar options. This approach makes sense for several reasons: evolving consumer demands, existing and proposed legislation and, not least, a growing interest among the industry in the health of the shoppers that make the local retailing sector possible in the first place. The good news is that suppliers are getting behind the evolution and are arguably the key driving force behind the rapidly changing face of the candy fixture in a typical Scottish local retailing outlet. Neil Thornton, National Account Controller at Fini Sweets, says: “The candy category is one of transition with manufacturers currently looking at sugar reduction, alternative sweeteners and more portion-controlled packs with appropriate weight. “There are an increasing number of lines highlighting ‘Sugar Free’, ‘30% Sugar Reduction’ and offering customers guilt-free confectionery consumption. There has also been an increase in the number of ‘free from’ confectionery, particularly gelatineand gluten-free products which suit a vegan, vegetarian or coeliac diet.” According to Thornton, the candy category as a whole is slightly down on a MAT basis by both value and volume across Europe, a development he believes to be driven by consumers buying less but buying into more premium lines and dietary specific options.

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“There is also an increasing number of consumers that are looking to buy products from companies that can demonstrate fairness, transparency and integrity,” he adds. Fini Sweets has risen to this challenge, producing what he calls “a vast ‘free from’ range of products that satisfy many dietary requirements from gluten-free to vegan or vegetarian”. The company has also evolved its packaging solutions to enable portion control for shoppers looking to enjoy ‘little moments of fun’. He comments: “We have resealable pouch packs enabling the sweets to remain fresh and portion controlled. We are focusing on creating unique and novel confectionery experiences that offer little moments of fun. Confectionery can be a part of a balanced diet and a permissible treat for all occasions.” Another candy manufacturer positively embracing the shift to healthier treats is iconic Scottish producer Golden Casket in Greenock. The company will be launching a new ‘Less Than 250 Calories’ range of hanging bags in April. The range will provide the ideal lowcalorie complement to the company’s hugely popular range of £onepounders. The initial ‘Less Than 250 Calories’ range will comprise 10 ‘guilt free’ bags including gums, midget gems, boiled sweets and crumbles. The range means MARCH 2019 | SLR

Stock up for Easter

Hunt the big yellow bags!

There’s one for everyone Fort Matilda Industrial Estate, Greenock, Scotland, PA16 7QF Phone: 01475 721099 • Fax: 01475 784644 www.goldencasket.co.uk www.millionssweets.co.uk • enquiries@goldencasket.co.uk

OnePounders

Candy that shoppers in need of a treat can have one with a clear conscience. As the company points out, the fact that the bags contain fewer than 250 calories means that shoppers don’t even need to share them! Summer this year will see the launch of a new range of 30% less sugar products from confectionery brand Bebeto. The range will include three products – Rainbow Laces, Strawberry Laces and Strawberry Pencils – all with 30% less sugar. The products will be supplied in attractive, shelf-ready packaging and are high in fibre and with no artificial colours, sweeteners or flavours. Stuart Johnston, Managing Director of Kervan Gida UK, commented: “In order to make sure our categories have plenty of healthier options, we’re delighted to reveal three new products with higher fruit content as well as containing 30% less sugar than our current best-selling range. We see the development of reduced sugar products as a necessity in today’s health conscious market, although we do recognise that our products are treats and will continue to be seen as such.” The reduced sugar sweets will be available with an RSP of 39p each or 3 for £1. Kids candy supplier Haribo has unveiled a new seasonal campaign which invites shoppers to ‘Hunt the Double Yolker’ in limited edition bags of Starmix. With premium UK Forest Holidays up for grabs, shoppers have until 21 April 2019 to find one of 20 random ‘Double Yolkers’ that have joined the five iconic pieces in its top selling bags of Starmix. Claire James, Trade Marketing Manager for Haribo, comments: “Hunt the Double Yolker is Haribo’s biggest ever seasonal campaign, developed to drive excitement and sales as we count down to the Easter occasion. “Hunt the Double Yolker is simple and fun! It complements our seasonal offering, which caters for those customers looking for a tasty alternative to chocolate and reinforces our association to traditional Easter hunting in a distinctly Haribo way.” The product is available now and the promotion is being supported by in-store activation that has been designed to drive category sales for retailers. Candy giant Mondelez International is also moving with the times and has been hard at work recently

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updating and expanding its ranges. Susan Nash, Trade Communications Manager, says: “Candy innovations from Mondelez are driven by consumer research and analysis of trends, to tap into consumers’ changing needs and habits in order to drive sales for retailers.” That thinking has driven the evolution of one of the UK’s most popular candy brands, Maynards Bassetts, over the last 18 months. The brand has brought innovations and a host of new flavours to the sector with Gummies and Jellies in the small bag sector plus Wine Gums Mocktails, Jelly Babies Tropical, and Wine Gums Tangy, which have been highly incremental to the category. Wine Gums Tangy alone, for example, brought in £1.6m incremental RSV in its first year [Kantar, Jul 2018].

Launches like Maynards Bassetts Soft Jellies Wild Safari also helped bring younger adults into the category to boost these incremental sales too. Most recently, Maynards Bassetts announced its first ever sour Soft Jelly product – Soft Jellies Fizzy Fish. Designed in the shape of fish to tap into consumers’ playful sides, each bag contains a selection of flavours including consumer favourites orange, strawberry, blackcurrant and lime, made with natural colours and flavours. The company’s portfolio also includes the Trebor brand, the UK’s number one mint brand with a 35% share of the mints and gums market in the UK [Nielsen, Sep 2018], a figure which is nearly double its nearest rival. The brand has been developed recently with the launch of its first ever hard-boiled, sugar-free candy – Trebor Cool Drops. Recently launched in a handy 28g flip-top box in two flavours, Trebor Cool Drops Sugar Free Extra Fresh and Trebor Cool Drops Sugar Free Lemon, the innovation aims to bring new consumers to the category to drive incremental sales with a new candy that has less than 100 calories per pack. MARCH 2019 | SLR

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Soft Drinks

‘LOW AND NO’ DRIVING SOFT DRINKS AGENDA It’s been a busy period for soft drinks of late with a wave of low and no sugar NPD, new initiatives and media campaigns – all of which is great for generating excitement and sales in-store.

t will come as little surprise to learn that it’s the low or no sugar agenda that continues to shape the soft drinks sector in Scotland and further afield as manufacturers work hard to deliver exciting, engaged products and initiatives exciting, that tap into the growing consumer demand for less sugary drinks. The birth of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy has helped fuel this trend, of course. Ed Jones, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at Vimto Soft Drinks, sums it up: “Consumers are increasingly looking for healthy options, as more and more consumers

become aware of what they are putting in their bodies. As a result, retailers need to make sure they that can offer consumers great tasting and low calorie, low sugar sports and energy drinks. Stocking brands that you know will sell allows you to focus on a core set of SKUs and ultimately drive sales.” But Jones adds a small but vital caveat to that statement: “While health is important, taste remains at the forefront of the category.” The core of that message is shared by all of the major players in the soft drinks category. Here’s a roundup of some of latest developments…

LUCOZADE RIBENA SUNTORY

VIMTO VIM2O

LUCOZADE

Vimto recently celebrated its 110th birthday and has learned a few things over that time about the importance of keeping pace with evolving shopper tastes. Its range has been developed and expanded in recent times with products like Vim2o, a still spring water drink, ﬂavoured with the unique taste of Vimto that contains No Added Sugar and is aimed at healthconscious people who don’t like the taste of plain water, but want to make sure that they stay hydrated without compromising on taste.

Following a reformulation, the Lucozade Energy range now contains less sugar, and its core brands are also available in very low or zero-sugar alternatives in the form of Lucozade Zero and Lucozade Sport Low Cal.

VIMTO REMIX The company also updated its No Added Sugar Vimto Remix range with a Watermelon, Strawberry and Peach variant. All Vimto RTDs are available in a 500ml sports cap format, making them the perfect alternative to full-sugar traditional sports drinks.

LRS encourages retailers to focus on the big brands that deliver the biggest sales, as Matt Gouldsmith, Channel Director, Wholesale says: “To mirror what shoppers will be looking for, space in the soft drinks chiller should be allocated according to what sells best. The bulk of each segment should be made up of the biggest brands, including the UK’s number one energy brand, Lucozade Energy, category-leading sports drink Lucozade Sport and shoppers’ favourite juice drink, Ribena.”

SLR | MARCH 2019 19

RIBENA The Ribena range has also been reformulated to cut sugar while the Ribena Light options offer consumers a range of choice. Gouldsmith recommends retailers consider PMPs to help demonstrate value-for-money in store.

LUCOZADE SPORT FITWATER Following its launch in 2017, Lucozade Sport Fitwater is helping retailers grow their bottled water sales with a new functional offering. The drink contains four key electrolytes to help replenish consumers, including magnesium that contributes to electrolyte balance and a reduction of fatigue, as well as calcium which helps normal muscle function.

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Soft Drinks

COCA-COLA EUROPEAN PARTNERS For CCEP, it’s all about growing the core and ‘adding more’ these days, as Amy Burgess, Senior Trade Communications Manager explains: “For retailers, offering a wide choice of different products, including a range of ﬂavours and variants, as well as pack formats, is the key to making the most of soft drinks sales. Especially important is keeping a wide selection of low or zero sugar drinks, and retailers should constantly review their soft drinks range as manufacturers innovate new lighter options to meet rising demand for healthier options.” The soft drinks giant has unleashed a whole host of new products in the last month or so, including Soft Drinks Tax-exempt additions to its Capri-Sun, Fanta and Monster Energy ranges. You can read more about Fanta Grape Zero, Capri-Sun Cherry and Monster Energy Ultra Blue in the Product News section on page 23.

DIET COKE TWISTED STRAWBERRY & COCA-COLA ZERO SUGAR RASPBERRY The company’s range of light colas has been expanded with the launch of two new ﬂavours. Diet Coke Twisted Strawberry has a tangy and exotic taste while Coca-Cola zero sugar Raspberry offers consumers a palettepleasing fruity ﬂavour. The launch will be backed by a £7m marketing campaign spanning out-of-home, digital and TV. More than two million consumers will have the opportunity to taste the new variants through sampling activity throughout the year.

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BARR SOFT DRINKS

RED BULL

Adrian Troy, Marketing Director at Barr Soft Drinks, advises retailers to “ensure that they get the balance of categories right in their chillers, with the three biggest key drivers being Sports & Energy, Flavoured Carbs and Water” and re-iterates the importance of “offering shoppers all three variants of the Irn-Bru brand prominently to attract shoppers to the fixture”.

Red Bull has added new flavour Coconut Berrry to its Editions range. This has a light, summery flavour profile, through an initial coconut taste, which blooms into a fruity berry finish that’s fresh, floral and creamy. It is packaged in a premium white 250ml can – a first from Red Bull. It is available in both Energy (plain and price-marked at £1.29) and Sugarfree (plain and £1.25 PMP) variants.

IRN-BRU Barr Soft Drinks says that recent retailer Epos data shows that by giving the total Irn-Bru brand more prominence in your store, all three variants will benefit and drive your total category sales.

BARR FAMILY RANGE The Barr Family range is Scotland’s most popular range of ﬂavours growing at +25% [IRI, Dec 2018].

RUBICON New Mango Zero Added Sugar sparkling is available in 500ml 99p PMP and 2-litre plain pack PET formats. The launch brings some “really good news for retailers” according to Troy: “After sampling, 75% of consumers who don’t currently buy Rubicon said they would purchase the new variant.”

YOU DESERVE

Highest ever brand sales value in our History. Now worth £87.4m!

Brand sales +14% YOY, growing +6% points faster than the category

Source: Nielsen Value Sales, Total Coverage, MAT 26.01.19

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Outperforming the market in Squash, Flavoured Carbonates and Juice Drinks www.vimto.co.uk

MARCH 2019 | SLR

UTC

THAT INFLATION’S PURE PHENOMENAL He may have left the industry, but former SLR Editor Kevin Scott just can’t kick the retail obsession that seeps into your bones. He was in touch with UTC recently to bring the auld yin’s attention to a phenomenal deal in an unnamed Glasgow c-store. That’s right,

MICHELIN STAR-ISATION PUZZLER

Never having been much of a pet man, UTC has limited patience for the trend towards what he dismissively refers to as the ‘Michelin Star-isation’ of pet food. As he puts it in his own inimitable way: “When I was a wean dugs were happy enough eating their own spew. And we were happy to watch them, because there was only three channels of crap TV and nae internet.” So a press release about new range of Pedigree Wraps launched by Mars Petcare for the nation’s four-legged friends got the full hairdryer treatment when it landed in the auld boy’s inbox. Pedigree Wrap is, allegedly, made with 40% real chicken and “safe chopped beef rawhide, with no added artificial ﬂavours or colourants”. Senior Brand Manager Carmen De Vos explained the insight behind the new product as follows: “As our relationship with our pets becomes more emotional, owners want to have more special moments of bonding and connection. Our new product gives dogs a differentiated experience that starts with an irresistibly chewy chicken wrap, followed by a deliciously munchy stick.” And it only costs two and half quid a packet. UTC’s subsequent amusing if somewhat off-colour rant on the subject of pampered pooches covered everything from food banks to memories of having to eat Spam pieces 17 days in a row as a boy. It is, unfortunately, unprintable.

SLR | MARCH 2019

£3.99 a can for original recipe Irn-Bru, making it roughly the same price as a pint of foaming ale. The old school hand-written neon POS was merely the icing on the cake.

I SMELL... PISH

“Scents and aromas are a powerful thing,” began the press release, somewhat ominously. If you’ve ever followed UTC into the bog at SLR Towers you’ll know this to be true. However, it turned out the release was punting scented candles and contained many assumptions the auld yin suggested were erroneous. Such as “aromas can become a mirror of your personality”. Or how people “choose candles to reflect their personality traits”. Having waded through a swamp of what UTC termed “new-age pish”, he finally got to the point of the release: an online retailer called OnBuy.com had “studied the stars and put together a list of candle scents you should burn based on your zodiac sign”. And if you ever needed any more evidence for the fact that zodiac signs are indeed a load of new age pish, you need do no more than check out the candle recommended for UTC. (Strawberry Buttercream, if you’re interested). He’s a Libra you see and, according to the release, Libras are “known for their charming and lovable personalities”. In all of his many years on this planet, no-one has ever accused the auld yin of being either charming or loveable. The case for the prosecution rests. www.slrmag.co.uk

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