SLR March 2025 Edition

DELIVERING SUCCESS

Retailers reveal how they’ve revved up home delivery.

FAMILY AFFAIR

Veteran retailer launches store with daughter ABOVE AND BEYOND AWARDS

Shortlist revealed GRAND SLAM PGNJ Group opens burger restaurant

04 Food To Go PGNJ Group’s plans to launch a new fast-food franchise for c-stores edge closer with the opening of its first Slamburger restaurant.

05 Home Delivery Booker unveils a new low-cost rapiddelivery ordering platform for its symbol retailers.

06 Crime In-store abuse hits a record high, with Scottish shopworkers subjected to nearly 4,000 violent attacks in a year.

07 New Stores Forecourt operator Highland Fuels opens its third Morrisons Daily site, north of Glasgow in Balfron.

08 News Extra Trading Standards Disastrously low staffing levels in some council areas threatens the livelihoods of responsible retailers.

16 Product News belVita has a cool new promotion and everyone is digging the Minecraft movie.

18 Off-Trade News Fierce Beer unveils an Iron Brew flavour and Jameson launches a new Triple Triple expression.

INSIDE BUSINESS

20 The Big Interview John Murray The veteran retailer returns from retirement to embark on a new store project alongside daughter Nicole.

24 SLR Awards With the deadline for entries now passed, it’s time to meet our judging panel.

28 Above and Beyond Awards We reveal which unsung retail superstars have made this year’s shortlist.

30 Hotlines The latest new products and media campaigns.

51 Under The Counter An unsuspecting Harrison Ford wanders into a metaphorical minefield... and he’s wearing a kilt.

32 Retail Technology From aiding operational efficiencies to improving the shopper experience, retailers that spend on technology are reaping the rewards.

38 Tobacco By keeping tabs on the latest tobacco launches and trends, retailers can make the most of this crucial category.

44 Refrigeration Retailers have been upgrading their refrigeration to cut energy consumption, improve food quality and create a better shopping experience.

46 Confectionery Keeping an ear to the ground and honing in on pockets of growth can help your sweetie sales soar.

Retailer-led support group launches

Peer support group Retailers 4 Retailers had its first meeting in February and is running regular video calls where retailers can seek advice in a safe space. The next virtual meet-up is scheduled for 7pm on 3 March and further calls will be scheduled for every second Monday.

“Our hope is to develop a support system so you no longer need to feel alone,” said the group. “Because let’s face it, no-one understands what it’s like other than another retailer.”

Follow Natalie Lightfoot, Londis Solo Convenience owner, on LinkedIn for further details.

ACS publishes recycling regulations guidance

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has released guidance for retailers to help them prepare for the new Simpler Recycling Regulations, coming into force on 31 March 2025. Visit acs.org.uk to download the guide.

Supplier linkups help Unitas outperform market

Unitas Wholesale has credited supplier collaborations with aiding its 2% growth in retail in 2024, highlighting “standout partnerships” with PepsiCo and Suntory. TWC data showed that Unitas had outperformed the convenience market in Biscuits (+82%), Confectionery (+9.1%) Crisps, Snacks and Nuts (+2.2%), Soft Drinks (+6.8%), Vape and reduced risk (+32.5%) and RTDs (+9.2%). Boss John Kinney said Unitas had returned an increase of 17% in revenue for its members during 2024.

Co-op offers member price savings on Deliveroo

Co-op is now offering the same member price benefits for online orders via Deliveroo as in store. The price savings have been introduced across approaching 100 key lines and everyday essentials, with average savings of almost 20% on products and up to 28% on some.

PGNJ’s plans for in-store Slamburger franchise edge closer

Glasgow-based PGNJ Group opened its rst Slamburger restaurant last month, and was on the cusp of opening its 12th store on Clyde Street as SLR went to press.

e opening of the restaurant, which cost nearly half a million pounds, marked the rst stage of the company’s plan to launch Slamburger Express – a fast-food franchise for the convenience channel.

e rm owns the franchise for Slamburger in Scotland and Ireland and hopes to roll out a franchise model for c-stores and forecourt operators next year.

“ e idea for getting into this brand is to merge the two businesses,” Director Jay Javid told SLR.

“I know 30 retailers who have spent hundreds of thousands on food to go and it doesn’t work – people want brands and value. e Slamburger menu goes from AM to PM, it’s good food at cheap prices.”

TECHNOLOGY

By housing two businesses under one roof, he claimed he could pretty much half the rent. “ e annual rent for the restaurant costs £30,000, while the rent for the new store is around £27,500, so if we put [Slamburger] into the store, there’s no cost in the rent and that’s the biggest killer,” he says.

Jay opened a standalone restaurant to test the concept and claimed the response had been “bonkers”.

He added that the group’s new Clyde Street store, which represents an investment of £350,000, was set to launch imminently. “ at store is ready, it just needs to be signed o by the council, then we’ll get the alcohol licence,” he claimed. “We need a building completion certi cate to apply for section 50 and apply for a full licence. It’s always a bit daunting going to council, but we’d done our research and it wasn’t an overprovisioned area.”

NearSt tech lets delivery apps display stores’ live inventory

Local retailers using Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat delivery platforms can utilise a new technology designed by NearSt, to automatically connect their in-store inventory to the apps using their existing EPoS systems. The technology creates multiple revenue and time-saving advantages for retailers and the first business to trial the app has seen delivery sales grow 913%.

Pricewatch Group – operating stores under Morrisons Daily, Nisa, Gulf, and BP brands – was the first retailer to leverage NearSt’s real-time local inventory feeds with delivery platforms, starting in September 2024.

Since then, Pricewatch has seen significant results including a 913% sales growth across last-mile platforms (first 11 weeks); a 233% increase in Just Eat sales alone; and 59 hours per month saved in menu management

Unitas pays tribute to industry pioneer Dudley Ramsden

Founder of DB Ramsden & Co and the Today’s Group and co-founder of Nisa, Dudley Ramsden, has died at the age of 81.

Unitas Wholesale released a statement on behalf of the Ramsden family paying tribute: “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our great friend, father and grandfather Dudley Ramsden.

“A pioneering force in the modern wholesale and convenience sector, Dudley’s remarkable in uence on independent retail shaped the industry for decades. He was instrumental in establishing the Ramsden Group of companies, Nisa Retail, and the Today’s Group wholesale buying group, leaving an enduring legacy that continues to support independent businesses across the UK.”

PEOPLE Nisa co-founder dies at 81

Booker unveils delivery app for symbol retailers

Booker symbol retailers are to have access to a new rapid delivery ordering platform called Scoot, which can help them deliver local groceries within 30 minutes.

e low-cost ordering platform is currently being trialled at Raven’s Budgens in Abridge, Essex, and three more stores will join the pilot, before it is rolled out further across Budgens, Premier, Londis and Family Shopper from April.

Scoot connects shoppers with their local participating independent retailers, facilitating the processes of ordering, payment, and picking, leaving retailers solely responsible for organising the delivery, whether they handle it inhouse or use a third party.

Retailers within Booker’s symbol groups that sign up to Scoot will

SERVICES

receive a launch support package worth over £2,800 – including point of sale, digital assets and thermal delivery bags. All stores can take advantage of marketing support including targeted social media adverts, and a contribution towards a full promotional wrap for their delivery vehicle.

Colm Johnson, Managing Director for Booker Retail, said: “We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to help our customers grow their business, so we are incredibly proud to announce the launch of our new delivery platform, Scoot, to support them in doing just that.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for our retailers to increase their basket spend, store sales and connect with new and existing shoppers in their

Scotland’s first 24hr delivery service is an overnight success

Night time sales are o to a ying start for Girish’s Premier Barmulloch in Glasgow, which last month became the rst c-store in Scotland to operate a 24-hour delivery service.

Owner Girish Jeeva, winner of SLR’s 2024 # inkSmart Innovation Award, initially hoped to build up to a breakeven target of 20 orders a night. But straight away, he was surpassing 25 orders. “I’m just as surprised as anyone that we are actually doing these numbers and good basket spend as well,” he told SLR, highlighting an order for over £64.

He explained that adding the service made sense as he was already employing sta to work overnight. “We introduced a night shi about four months ago where someone will come into the store at night once the shop is closed and just do all the [shelf] lling and have the shop ready for the morning.”

Order numbers are expected to rise even further thanks to a marketing campaign in partnership with Snappy Shopper, featuring a cartoon avatar of Girish in his delivery car.

To nd out more about Girish’s operation, as well as how other retailers are maximising the delivery opportunity, read our cover story on page 12.

local communities. e feedback from our pilot test has been really positive and we look forward to welcoming more retailers to the platform over the next few months.”

Goran Raven, Director for Budgens Abridge, said the new delivery service “is not only appealing to my existing customer base, but it will also help me recruit new customers. is is a fantastic opportunity and a big win for me.”

COMMUNITY

Spar Clynne Condorrat to provide life-saving kit for 31 schools

Generous Spar Clyne Condorrat has financed the installation of LifeVac devices in 31 schools throughout Cumbernauld and Kilsyth in collaboration with equipment supplier Hazkit.

LifeVac is a regulated, non-invasive suction medical device with a patented one-way safety valve designed to dislodge choking obstructions in children when first aid fails or cannot be performed.

Whitelees Primary School in Cumbernauld was the first recipient of the new life-saving equipment, which is the result of a year-long endeavour.

To date, LifeVac Europe reports more than 3,300 lives have been saved by LifeVac.

MADL helps more than 360,000 people

Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally (MADL) charity has supported more than 360,000 in 2024, donating over £1m, spread across 1,340 individual donations, to small charities and community groups nationwide. These contributions bolstered food pantries, enhanced opportunities for children, strengthened community bonds, and provided much-needed winter support.

Biffa proceeds with £166m DRS legal claim

Waste management company Biffa has been given the green light to sue the Scottish Government for £166m over its dealing of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The decision was made by Judge Lord Clark at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in January.

Dundee retailer and Snappy hit delivery record Rapid delivery platform, Snappy Shopper, has celebrated a record-breaking December, alongside customer Hayat’s Premier Store in Dundee, which reached a milestone of more than £200,000 worth of deliveries during the month. Snappy marked its most significant growth since 2020 with £14m monthly Gross Merchandise Value for December and 42% year-on-year growth in weekly trading volumes, with an average order value of £29.

Bestway and James Retail

forge new partnership

High-profile retailer Jonathan James has agreed a new long-term partnership with Bestway Retail, which will see his 40-strong c-store business, James Retail, convert to Costcutter and Costcutter on-thego formats. Bestway Retail and James Retail have been working closely together since Bestway’s acquisition of Conviviality Retail in 2018.

Girish and Snappy Shopper step it up

So long, John

John Farrell, the Scottish Wholesale Association’s (SWA’s) Member Development and Liaison Officer, has announced his retirement. Farrell joined the trade association in 2020 and his efforts helped double its wholesale membership and ensured that 95% of Scotland’s food and drink wholesale sales were represented by the SWA. His career in wholesale began in 1990 at CJ Lang, and his 35 years in the industry includes a stint as Retail Operations Manager at Landmark Wholesale.

ShopMate partners with DNA Payments

The Retail Data Partnership has teamed up with DNA Payments to integrate a seamless and efficient payment solution into its EPoS system, ShopMate Pay. ShopMate Pay will be available to existing and new ShopMate customers who will benefit from a unified approach for all their payment and EPoS needs.

Hogmanay and Burns Night drive grocery spend

Take-home grocery sales in Scotland rose by 6.3% over the four weeks to 26 January 2025 compared to the same period last year, Kantar has found. Alcohol sales surged, with total spending up 19.6% and volume up 19.5%. Beer and cider increased by 47%, with spirits up 30.3%. Meanwhile, one in four households bought haggis in the four weeks, with an additional 16,000 packs sold compared to the same period in 2024.

InPost Newstrade lowers base charge

InPost Newstrade – formerly Menzies Distribution – has announced that it is to decrease the base charge to support retailers with lower sales. It is also introducing a mechanism to make Carriage Service Charge more proportionate to category sales by adjusting the newspaper and magazine percentage sale contributions.

Scottish shopworkers subjected to nearly 4,000 violent attacks in a year

e number of violent and abusive incidents in UK retail has surged 50% year on year, equating to 170 incidents a day in Scotland, with nearly 4,000 violent attacks on Scottish shopworkers in the year 2023/24, according to the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC).

In addition, the cost Scottish retailers £170m last year, claimed SRC, which based its calculations on data from the latest British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) Annual Crime Survey.

e survey recorded 2,000 violent and abusive incidents in UK retail a day, up from 1,300 the year before. is is the highest rate ever recorded and more than three times what it was in 2020, when

ILLICIT

there were 455 incidents a day. Incidents included racial or sexual abuse, physical assault or threats with weapons. ere were 70 incidents per day which involved a weapon, more than double the previous year.

Meanwhile, retail the cost Scottish retailers £170m as UK incidents reached an all-time high of 20 million (over 55,000 per day). Many more incidents were linked to organised crime, with gangs systematically targeting stores across the country, stealing tens of thousands of pounds worth of goods and rotating around multiple stores.

Unsurprisingly, the amount spent on crime prevention is also

at a record high, with UK retailers investing £1.8bn on measures such as CCTV, more security personnel, anti-the devices and body-worn cameras, up from £1.2bn the previous year. is takes the total cost of crime to an eye-watering £4.2bn, up from £3.3bn.

e Scottish Government recently announced an extra £3m in funding for Police Scotland to tackle retail crime, but concerns have been raised that this does not go far enough.

Ewan MacDonald-Russell, Deputy Head of the SRC, said:

“Shockingly, retail crime continues to skyrocket. e cost Scottish retailers £170 million last year. at leads to customers having to face both higher prices and more inconvenient shopping as retailers have to mitigate the costs and shrinkage resulting from this criminal behaviour.

“It’s not acceptable that retail sta in Scotland have to operate in this climate of fear. Whilst the recent Budget announcement of £3 million to help tackle retail crime is a good start, the reality is a much greater e ort is needed across the criminal justice system to get this situation under control and protect workers and customers.”

Thousands of illegal cigarettes seized in Glasgow and Dundee

An inspection of local premises in Springburn in the north of Glasgow and a separate operation in Dundee have both uncovered thousands of illicit cigarettes and vapes.

e Springburn initiative saw 31,420 illegal cigarettes and 1,088 illegal vapes seized by Local Community O cers from Maryhill and Glasgow City Council Trading Standards Department. e inspection was carried out following concerns of youths being sold illegal vapes.

Police Scotland Greater Glasgow said that sanctions would be placed on the businesses, as well as potential nes of up to £10,000.

Meanwhile, ve shops in Dundee were found to be in possession of illegal tobacco products during an intelligence-led operation by Dundee City Council Trading Standards teams, working alongside sni er dogs Rose and Boo.

O cers seized almost 9,000 cigarettes and 1,750g of tobacco, as well as 42 non-compliant, oversized vapes. e initiative was carried out as part of Operation Cece Scotland, where Trading Standards work with HMRC to tackle the illegal tobacco trade.

HMRC can impose nancial sanctions for noncompliance with Tobacco Track and Trace regulations, while Trading Standards can report any criminal breaches to the Procurator Fiscal.

TRADE Clampdown on rogue traders

Highland Fuels unveils third Morrisons Daily

e Stirlingshire village of Balfron has welcomed the arrival of a new Morrisons Daily store on the site of a former workshop and car dealership, with a forecourt due to open in the coming weeks. is marks the third Morrisons Daily to open in collaboration with Highland Fuels, with a strong pipeline of further developments planned for the future.

e site, which has been operated by Highland Fuels for three years, has undergone a complete transformation with the new store featuring modern

NEW STORES Nisa retailer helps community

ttings and a product range encompassing fresh produce, daily essentials and popular local lines. ere’s also a comprehensive food-to-go o er, including Rollover hot dogs, a Skwishee machine, Pret co ee and a bakery supported by Aulds.

Allan Murdoch, Retail Director at Highland Fuels, said: “We are delighted to be open and provide the community of Balfron and the surrounding area a new quality of retail convenience together with Morrisons Daily.

“ e accompanying forecourt services will open in a few weeks’ time, enabling the community to purchase fuel locally without incurring a long drive to the nearest retailer.

“It is so exciting to bring this project to fruition in what is a wonderful community. We have been based in the local community centre for the duration of the redevelopment and have already engaged with many members of the community who are very much looking forward to the store opening. We are also delighted to have established new employment for 13 roles for those within the community that we serve.”

Ashok Pothugunta reopens Gargunnock village store after fire

Nisa retailer Ashok Pothugunta has revived a store in the village of Gargunnock, near Stirling, three years a er it was damaged by a devastating re. e initiative to revive the shop was led by Gargunnock Community Shop Limited and saw 259 investors contribute a total of £65,415 through a community share o er. e campaign exceeded expectations, demonstrating the strong commitment of residents to save their only local store.

Christine Phillips, Chair of Gargunnock Community Shop, said: “ e successful share o er and Ashok’s appointment are pivotal moments for Gargunnock. We are grateful for the community’s support and eager to see Ashok’s vision come to life. is is a signi cant step toward revitalising our village and providing essential services.”

Ashok, who operates stores in Fife and England and opened a

store in Marchmont, Edinburgh, last summer, has been appointed as the new tenant.

He said: “I am honoured to take on the store in Gargunnock and be part of such an inspiring community e ort. My goal is to create a welcoming space that caters to local needs, o ering a wide range of high-quality products and services. With Nisa’s support, I’m con dent we can make this store a hub for the village.”

POST OFFICE Consultative Council of postmasters informs PO strategy

The Post Office’s (PO’s) Consultative Council of postmasters – part of the strengthened postmaster voice within PO – met for the first time last week to inform the strategic direction of the organisation.

The Council’s remit is to provide a representative postmaster perspective on strategy, culture, funding and governance.

Going forward, the Council agenda could include topics such as banking hubs, the Government’s Green Paper on the future of PO, technology strategy or new product development.

Card spend grows in January

Credit and debit card spending grew 1.9% year-on-year in January – the highest uplift since March 2024, but remaining lower than the latest Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) inflation rate of 3.2%. Supermarket spending increased for the first time since August 2024 (up 1.0% YoY) but was outpaced by nonessential growth (2.7%).

Mark Bicoe joins C-Store Collective

Former Booker Retail Development Director Mark Biscoe has joined the C-Store Collective in an Associate capacity.

“We are delighted to have secured Mark’s services for our growing client list,” said the C-Store Collective. “He will be a great addition to the team that helps our retailer partners and brand clients #DIG (Drive efficiency, Improve profit and Grow sales).”

GroceryAid reveals Barcode Festival headliners

Industry charity GroceryAid has announced that this year’s Barcode Festival will be headlined by Chase and Status. Barcode tickets are selling fast, so book now at barcodefestival. co.uk for your chance to see a very special headline DJ set from the duo featuring incredible guest vocalists Takura and IRAH at Kenwood on 3 July 2025.

New Sugro partership fuels member savings

Sugro UK has expanded is procurement services to members through a new partnership with Xpress Fuel. Members will be able to save an average of between 10% and 15% on fuel by using Xpress Fuel cards across their delivery and sales fleets. Bulk fuel deliveries offer a more streamlined process for members to purchase at competitive pricing.

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

Convenience Matters with the SGF

Scotland is home to hundreds of wonderful communities built around their local shop. Whether it’s a rural village, a thriving town or in the heart of the city, c-stores provide lifeline services, local access to essential goods, local jobs, and an economic boost.

However, no matter how important they are to locals, stores – like any business –must be viable. That means being able to provide the products people want, alongside essential services that, to be frank, don’t always deliver a meaningful return.

So, it is with disappointment that we see ever-more restrictive regulation from government, targeting the very items that keep shops viable and facilitates those local services. Placing an evergrowing administrative burden on well-meaning compliant retailers and intensifying the recent escalation of illicit trade and retail crime.

While the noticeable lack of enforcement rewards the rulebreakers. Not to mention the billions lost to HMRC.

That is why SGF says it is now imperative that our governments consider the unintended consequences of the avalanche of regulation hitting local shops. The Scottish and UK economies are incredibly delicate at the moment, and every new regulation should be approached with caution.

This year alone, we could see tighter controls on vapes and tobacco, drinks, meal deals, snacks and confectionery. On top of higher employment costs, and obstructive business rates.

It’s time we started talking about education over regulation, about enforcing the laws we already have, about promoting vibrant business, and about delivering for our communities.

Which? uncovers shocking Trading Standards staffing disparity

Disastrously low resources in some councils threatens livelihoods of responsible retailers.

A vast chasm between Trading Standards (TS) sta ng numbers in di erent parts of the UK has been revealed by consumer watchdog Which?, which highlighted “woefully inadequate sta ng levels”.

Orkney Islands Council ranked as the higheststa ed Trading Standards in Scotland and the secondhighest in Great Britain, based on Which? Freedom of Information requests to more than 187 councils across Scotland, England and Wales.

e City of Edinburgh Council had the lowest sta numbers in Scotland with a pitiful 2.25 per 100,000 people. East Lothian Council wasn’t far behind with just 2.58 sta per 100,000 people, while Glasgow City Council was the third-worst-sta ed in Scotland with 2.73. e average number of Scottish Trading Standards sta per 100,000 people is 6.19.

Across the UK, En eld in North London fared worst of all with 0.43 sta per 100,000 people, while City of London Corporation had the most sta at 51.6, followed by the Orkney Islands Council (20.89)

e impact of funding cuts on the action taken to protect consumers is evident at En eld Council, which cut its Trading Standards team from four o cers to 1.5 in 2023 – leaving the reduced team of sta responsible for enforcing almost 300 pieces of legislation.

En eld managed one prosecution and six seizures of products in the nancial year 2023/4 but no routine inspections, test purchases or cautions, re ecting the limitations imposed by slashing sta numbers in Trading Standards departments.

e best-sta ed areas per head of population were mainly rural, with three Scottish authorities and six Welsh in the top 10. is may be because of di erences in the approach of devolved governments as well as demographic and geographical issues, added Which?.

e Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has previously said that spending on trading standards services has been cut by more than 50% over the past decade and sta ng levels have fallen by 30%-50% over the same period.

About two-thirds of trading standards services that answered Which’s question about allocating resources said that low sta ng levels meant they could not investigate tip-o s at least some of the time. ey are facing a constant battle in choosing where to focus resources, and some say they are having to deprioritise traditional areas of work and routine inspections.

HOW WELL STAFFED IS YOUR

e Association of Convenience Stores expressed concern regarding the gures.

Chief Executive James Lowman said: “Without properly

and

DELIVERING BIG TIME

It wasn’t that long ago that home delivery looked like the magic bullet that the local retailing sector was looking for. Sparked into life by a wee company from Dundee called Snappy Shopper, home delivery promised very significant additional weekly sales, ridiculous basket spends, access to new customers from outside the natural catchment area of your store and very little impact on in-store sales.

There were stores in Dundee doing £20k and £30k a week in home delivery sales and all you needed was an app to manage the orders, a Facebook page to promote the service, a driver or two and a rudimentary system for picking and packing orders.

Covid only served to accelerate the trend, sparking a wave of incomers like Getir, Gorillas, Gopuff and all the rest.

Then the wheels started to come off. Getir and Gorillas pulled back out almost as quickly as they had piled in and, a little incomprehensibly, so too did many local retailers.

It’s not easy to understand why our sector seemed so reluctant to embrace this once-in-a-career opportunity to transform stores sales. And I do mean transform. Some stores do more in home delivery than they do in-store. Daniall Nadeem at Spar Motherwell Road did £8k of home delivery sales in a single day during Storm Éowyn, as a very recent example.

So it all went a little quiet but, as our cover story this month discusses, there are some stirrings again as home delivery seems to be back on the table. Progressive Glasgow Premier retailer Girish Jeeva has introduced 24-hour delivery – and it’s doing really well – and Booker has introduced its own home delivery platform for its various symbol groups. Scotmid is ramping up its home delivery service with a partnership with West Lothian-based platform Scoffable and even Waitrose has just agreed a new deal with Just Eat to accelerate its convenience ambitions.

In a sense, home delivery should belong to local retailers. Home delivery is convenience on steroids. We should own this space, and our cover story helps show you how you can do just that. It’s moderately complex to do it well – but the rewards more than justify the effort and planning.

ANTONY BEGLEY, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

EDITORIAL

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

Deputy Editor Sarah Britton sbritton@55north.com

Features Editor Gaelle Walker gwalker@55north.com

Web Editor Findlay Stein fstein@55north.com

ADVERTISING

Sales & Marketing Director

Helen Lyons 07575 959 915 | hlyons@55north.com

Advertising Manager Garry Cole 07846 872 738 | gcole@55north.com

DESIGN

Design & Digital Manager Richard Chaudhry rchaudhry@55north.com

EVENTS & OPERATIONS

Events & Circulation Manager Cara Begley cbegley@55north.com

Scottish Local Retailer is distributed free to qualifying readers. For a registration card, call 0141 22 22 100. Other readers can obtain copies by annual subscription at £50 (UK), £62 (Europe airmail), £99 (Worldwide airmail).

55 North Ltd, Waterloo Chambers, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6AY Tel: 0141 22 22 100 Fax: 0141 22 22 177 Website: www.55north.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/slrmag

DISCLAIMER

The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of 55 North Ltd.

Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher.

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

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

Scottish Local Retailer is produced monthly by 55 North Ltd.

©55NorthLtd.2024 ISSN1740-2409.

Meet Allwyn’s Local Retail Champions Regional Winners!

Fiona & Vince Malone from Tenby Stores: “We’re delighted to be able to expand our home delivery service to include more vulnerable members of our community.”

16 winning National Lottery stores, voted for by the public for their outstanding local community support, each won £5,000! Here are some examples of how the winners plan to spend their prize...

Sheraz Awan from Westerhope Convenience Store: “We’re planning to expand our community shop and the free food offered for those in need of our support.”

DELIVERING SUCCESS

We speak to three retailers about what they are doing differently to grow delivery sales.

BY SARAH BRITTON

With the rapid delivery market thriving, companies are falling over themselves to get a bigger bite of the cherry. Back in August, Booker announced a strategic partnership with home delivery service Snappy Shopper, and last month the group introduced its own Scoot platform for symbol members, which is currently being trialled at four retailers, before rolling out in April.

Meanwhile, Scotmid announced in November that it had partnered with West Lothian-based delivery platform, Sco able. e partnership began last June with a trial in three Scotmid stores, where Sco able’s platform tested customer demand and operational e ectiveness. Following the trial’s success, the service will give coverage to 68 stores across the country.

Not to be le out, Waitrose agreed a multiyear partnership with Just Eat in order to accelerate its convenience plans. Glasgow and Stirling Waitrose sites were two of the rst stores to o er deliveries back in October, and in total 229 stores will o er the service.

With the opportunity quite literally ripe for the picking, we speak to three retailers with established delivery services about how they are making a success of their operations and how they intend to expand their o er in 2025.

17% of consumers have used rapid home delivery

Source: Mintel UK Online Grocery Retailing Market Report 2024

STORM BREWS UP BUSINESS

59% of consumers now do some online grocery shopping

Source: Mintel UK Online Grocery Retailing Market Report 2024

As we’ve already seen with Covid, there’s nothing like an emergency to boost delivery sales. So when Storm Éowyn wreaked havoc at the end of January, retailers were yet again there for their communities.

Customers of Spar Motherwell Road in Bellshill snapped up the service, and the store managed 250 deliveries in a day – that’s £8,000 worth of sales! Owner Daniall Nadeem claimed that the store’s operational efficiency enabled it to complete the challenge with minimal disruption. “We had multiple drivers out and multiple pickers,” says Daniall. “The way that we’ve set it up now is that if it’s five deliveries of it or if it’s 200 deliveries, the level of service is still the same.”

Demand for deliveries was also through the roof at PGNJ Group, which uses Just Eat and Snappy Shopper platforms. “That storm was mental,” says Director Jay Javid. “We had a 300% increase in delivery orders.”

The firm was forced to close nine of its stores during the storm. “I told them it was too dangerous to open,” says Jay. “But because we had the delivery facility, we managed to salvage sales.”

Girish Jeeva of Girish’s Premier Barmulloch also reported record-breaking orders on the day of the storm.

“We tripled our delivery sales on that day,” says Girish. “We’ve got a team of nine drivers and four of them were more than happy to be on all day. Because we had enough drivers on the road, we were able to cope well.”

Their efforts were rewarded with a heartfelt ‘Thank you’ post on Facebook, as well as generous gifts in recognition of their hard work.

STORE: GIRISH’S PREMIER BARMULLOCH

DELIVERY

PLATFORM: SNAPPY SHOPPER

DELIVERIES AS A % OF TURNOVER: 20%

GROWTH GOAL: £5,000 A WEEK

Having introduced Snappy Shopper in 2022, Girish’s Premier Barmulloch in Glasgow has built up a large delivered customer base and turns over up to £18,000 a week. Owner Girish Jeeva invested in two fully wrapped cars last summer, covered not only with branding, but with a lifesize photo of the retailer himself to promote the service.

Keen to grow sales further still, last month saw the launch of a 24-hour delivery service, which he claims is the rst of its kind in Scotland.

He explains that o ering the service was a calculated risk because he had already introduced a nightshi at the end of 2024 as a means of tidying and lling the shop ready for the morning, so adding one more member of sta to the shi to handle deliveries seemed a sensible next step.

His delivery platform provider, Snappy Shopper, was delighted at the prospect. “As soon as I approached them, they were really, really happy,” he told SLR. “ ey said it’s something that they’ve been wanting to do, but they didn’t know if anyone would be willing to give it a shot.”

Girish also oated the idea on Facebook, running a poll to see whether customers were open to the idea and 140 people voted in favour of the service. “To get that sort of reaction made us think it’s going to work out, plus it’s a new audience, not a regular customer that will order at that time of day,” he says.

BROADENING APPEAL

Girish believes that extending his delivery hours will give him access to a new shopper. “It helps us target a new audience. It

might be people that nish work late and can’t get their groceries elsewhere because shops will be closed,” he says. “And we’re going to be covering a lot of new areas because there aren’t any other stores open at night and that can also secure people to reorder in the daytime as well, so it’s like a new way of gaining customers and also a new target audience.”

If his rst Friday night orders are anything to go by, it appears Girish’s thoughts are correct. He shared a receipt with SLR, showing a single order for over £64, which included items, such as broccoli, sugar, kitchen roll and bananas – clearly not the type of impulse order you might imagine coming in at 2.30am.

Girish wasn’t expecting to see instant results. “ e way we look at it is if we do 20 deliveries between 10pm, when the store closes, and 6am, when the store reopens, it basically pays for the two sta members that are working the night shi ,” he told SLR ahead of launch. “At the moment, deliveries account for 20% of our business, so we think £5,000 a week from the nighttime is more than achievable.”

But the services’ performance has already far exceeded expectation, with 25 orders received during a so launch. “ e fact we surpassed that [20 deliveries goal] on a traditionally quiet day, with a signi cant upli in orders overnight, is a fantastic result. It strongly suggests there’s a real demand for this service, and that there are de nitely people out there who will bene t from the convenience it o ers. We’re optimistic and excited to see how these positive results continue as we move forward. excited to see how these

Faraz Iqbal of Linktown Local in Kirkcaldy, Fife, set up his delivery service during lockdown and never looked back. “Deliveries now account for between 15 and 20% of our business,” he says.

Having previously operated online ordering through Zeus Labs, Faraz switched to the Flash app delivery platform last July. Flash is the brainchild of Leon Whittaker, son of Justin Whittaker, who owns MJ’s in Oldham. e Greater Manchester store achieved weekly sales of £30,000 on delivery, before rolling the model out to the rest of the UK, so Faraz feels con dent that the app is a good choice.

e app markets itself to consumers as “the cheapest grocery delivery service in the UK”, with no service charges or hidden fees, and prices always the same as those in-store.

One of the bene ts of the app that appealed to Faraz is that the rm guarantees retailers their own territory. “I’ve got my own brand, and I like not to compete with others,” he says. “You can go onto my website and download an app that only I have in the area.”

Another reason why he made the switch was due to the improved payment facility. “It’s got Apple Pay and Google Pay, so it’s a little bit more advanced – shoppers don’t need to put their pay details in every time, so it’s easier for the customer.”

Customer service has been a top priority for Faraz when developing his delivery business. “ e challenges with deliveries are getting them out quick, and availability,” he says. “You’ve got to make sure when you’ve not got something that you phone the customer.”

He explains that you have to go the extra mile to look a er a delivery customer. “It’s another level of customer service. Instore, customers are there in person to choose what they want and pick up di erent lines [if what they want isn’t available]. When it’s online, we can’t see what you have and what you don’t have, so you have to check: ‘Was there anything you didn’t nd?’”

STORE: LINKTOWN LOCAL

DELIVERY PLATFORM: FLASH

DELIVERIES AS A % OF TURNOVER: 15-20%

GROWTH GOAL: DOUBLE DELIVERY SALES

IT’S GOOD TO TALK

Linktown Local’s online orders aren’t synched up to EPoS, though speci c products can be switched o from the app manually if they are out of stock. However, the system isn’t foolproof. “People can sometimes order things we don’t have,” says Faraz. “A common example is our Stephen’s Bakery items –the cakes and pies etc. ey’re in everyday but sometimes we’ll get fresh strawberry tarts and they’re gone by 10am, and you’ll get an order in a erwards. It’s very hard to be instantly turning things o .”

e store takes a personal approach to communicating such issues with customers. “We’ll ring them to explain and ask if they’d like anything else,” he says. “ e multiples will just put something else in the delivery and customers don’t like that.

ey’ll get something that they don’t want. We get a lot of good feedback about our phone calls. We go out of our way to make sure the customer is kept up to date.”

Faraz is currently looking at di erent options to grow his delivery business, which currently delivers to addresses within a three-mile radius of the store. “I don’t think I’ll go further out in terms of the delivery area, but I’ll market to more customers with lea ets, banners outside the store front and posters,” he says.

“Demand is de nitely growing; people want more deliveries because it’s more convenient for them. I think we could probably double our delivery turnover.”

STORE:

SPAR MOTHERWELL ROAD BELLSHILL

DELIVERY PLATFORM: SNAPPY SHOPPER

DELIVERIES AS A % OF TURNOVER: 35%

GROWTH GOAL: UNLIMITED!

Speedy deliveries are central to Spar Motherwell Road in Bellshill, which has just purchased a second delivery vehicle and will shortly be adding a third. “For us, 9596% of deliveries are done within 30 minutes,” says owner Daniall Nadeem. “ e remainder is between 30 and 45 minutes, and maybe 2% is between 45 minutes to an hour. I think we’ve got to give ourselves a real pat on the back for that. It’s our point of di erence.

“We might not be the cheapest out there but what we do have is a solid infrastructure and we do have a solid process in place.” is solid process, says Daniall, means “that a customer can order from us in con dence and be certain that what they’ve ordered is what they’re going to get, and they’ll get it in a timely manner”.

Every morning and night, the team carries out a full gap scan of the store, and at the same time they carry a hand-held device for Snappy Shopper, which updates the app.

“Our availability is always high at 98 or 99%,” says Daniall. “On an odd week where we might have some supply challenges due to supply chain, it might drop to 96 or 95%, but I’ve never seen our availability fall below that.”

He keeps a very close eye on sales to gain a thorough understanding of which lines are selling through which channels. “We continue to carry out analysis every week of our range from in store to online,” he says.

He states that being exible and o ering as much choice as possible is vital. “We like to make things as easy as possible for the customers. So we’ll actually sell mobile top-ups online. For gamers who have Xboxes and PlayStations, you can actually buy

a voucher online. We’ll send you a hot co ee. We’ll send you a packet of mushrooms. Anything that’s in our four walls; we will try our hardest to get it to you.”

TECH TACTICS

He claims that the investment in technology never stops. “It’s been a £10,000 investment over the last two years where we’ve begun to notice the power of our social presence and the power of home delivery,” Daniall says.

“We’ve got handheld pickers, which we use for accuracy on orders,” he says. “So the handheld pickers scan the barcode of the product and the packer then knows that it’s actually the correct product. So previously we were just doing it by description and now we have an extra step which helps packers and improves the accuracy on orders.

“We also have an AI system, which allows us to check back on orders if there’s any issues with bagging or if a customer hasn’t received a certain item.”

All of the store’s delivery checkout points are separate to the shop oor to increase e ciency. “It’s almost like a store within a store,” he explains. “We still pick from the shop oor, but everything is scanned and bagged from the back.”

Sta are also encouraged to review the bigger picture. “We’ve got our PC hooked up to a television, which allows sta to track the delivery performance,” says Daniall. “It allows us to see any reports, allows us to see the areas we’re delivering into. It’s almost like a mind map and it allows us to see the areas that we’ve just taken on and how we’re performing and if we need to do more advertising in those areas.”

Deliveries already generate £25,000 a week, but that’s only the beginning for Daniall, who claims that “the sky’s the limit” when it comes to earnings potential. “You look at the amount of chimney pots that are around,” he says. “You know those customers are buying their food from somewhere… I don’t think a max number can be hit. I think it can be consistently grown year on year.”

Find wedge, win wedge

Jacob’s has launched Find A Wedge to Win A Wedge, an onpack promotion that runs across its Mini Cheddars core range multipacks and 45g grab bags. Shoppers who find a triangular Mini Cheddar in their pack can win one of 10 prizes of £10,000 each. Furthermore, a B2B Win A Wedge campaign is currently live in wholesale until this month, where retailers can win a share of up to £350,000 when they buy and scan the multipacks.

Pringles fires up c-stores with Flame Grilled PMP

Pringles has launched a new Flame Grilled Steak flavour, exclusive to the convenience channel. Combining the brand’s usual crunch with an on-trend rich and smoky steak taste, the new flavour is available in cases of 6 x 165g packs, price-marked at £2.99. The launch will be supported with in-depot POS complemented by wholesaler activation packages.

Lavazza launches intense new decaf blend

Lavazza has launched a new decaf coffee blend to address misconceptions about decaffeinated coffee. The new intense blend is made using a natural decaffeination process that employs carbon dioxide to remove caffeine at a molecular level, preserving the flavour and aroma of the coffee beans. This ensures the decaf blend retains a full-bodied taste and aroma, similar to caffeinated blends.

Elfbar unveils twin-flavour reusable vape

Elfbar has launched Dual 10K, a reusable prefilled pod device that offers a dual flavour experience. It features two 1ml pods prefilled with different flavours, each complemented by a 5ml refill container. A switch toggles between the two flavours. Once empty, the prefilled pods and containers can be replaced. Twenty editions and 40 flavours are available, including fruit- and tobacco-flavour options.

REAP THE REWARDS OF RETAIL TECH – P32

BISCUITS Retailers can also win prizes in Mondelez competition

BelVita promotion has Finland trips up for grabs

Breakfast biscuit brand belVita has launched a new promotion, giving shoppers the chance to win a trip to Finland – o cially the Most Positive Place on the Planet.

Running across a number of the brand’s leading SKUs, including belVita So Bakes, belVita Duo Crunch and belVita Breakfast, the promotion mirrors belVita’s ‘Positive Energy’ brand identity and messaging. It is intended to give consumers something to look forward to in the depths of winter. Shoppers need to purchase any belVita pack and scan the QR code for a chance to win. Four lucky entrants will bag a Finland trip, worth up to £6,500. A ra of other instant-win prizes is up for grabs every day, including 90 wellness days and 1,000 £50 cash prizes.

SOFT DRINKS

e promotion runs until the end of May 2025 and is supported by a multi-channel marketing campaign that includes digital and out-of-home advertising alongside in-depot POS materials.

Fanta adds three new flavours to Zero Sugar range

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has added three fruity flavours to its Fanta Zero Sugar range with the launch of Fanta Zero Apple and Fanta Zero Raspberry, plus limited-edition Fanta Tutti Frutti Zero Sugar.

Fanta Zero Apple and Fanta Zero Raspberry are available now in various sizes, including 330ml cans, 500ml and 2-litre rPET bottles, and multipacks. Tutti Frutti Zero Sugar will launch in mid-March in a sleek can format.

A multi-million-pound marketing campaign

supports the new flavours, featuring influencer, out-of-home, social media and experiential activities. Cconvenience retailers can visit My.CCEP.com to request POS kits.

Retailers also have the chance to win prizes for their sta and store. One lucky retailer will receive 15 x £50 Amazon vouchers for their sta and a stock prize worth £200. e winner will also get the opportunity to have a Mondelez International team member run sampling in their store for up to four hours.

With a closing date of 31 May, retailers simply need to register or log in to their account on Snackdisplay.co.uk to enter.

Nancy Moore, Brand Manager for belVita at Mondelez, said: “ e promotion has tested very positively with consumers, so retailers should be sure to stock the full range of participating belVita products to make the most of this unique promotion.”

SNACKS

PopWorks pairs up with Bridget Jones

PepsiCo’s popcorn crisps brand PopWorks has launched its first-ever on-pack promotion, to celebrate the release of Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy. Running until 23 March across PopWorks’ Sweet & Salty and Sweet BBQ 85g sharing bags, the promo gives shoppers the chance to win a luxury getaway, movie merch and gift vouchers.

PepsiCo is supporting the campaign with PR, digital, social and influencer activities, alongside point-of-sale marketing.

Brands really dig new Minecraft movie

A number of brands are hoping to strike gold by teaming up with A Minecra Movie, which hits cinemas on 4 April.

Oreo has released four special edition cookies as part of a partnership with the lm. ese are embossed with familiar Minecra symbols: the pickaxe, diamond, sword and creeper.

If consumers bite the cookies into squares, they can scan the symbols to access a themed AR online experience and have the chance to win exclusive movierelated prizes.

In keeping with Minecra ’s square theme, Doritos has turned its triangular-shaped chips square to celebrate the movie’s launch.

Actually, it’s hasn’t. However, an on-pack promotion gives shoppers

SOFT DRINKS Four £10,000 girders up for grabs

the chance to win up to £10,000 if they uncover a digital square Doritos chip in a competition accessed via an on-pack QR code. Other prizes include cinema tickets and movie merchandise.

Potato supplier Albert Bartlett also hopes to dig up new business with a movie-themed promo.

Again, on-pack QR codes give shoppers the chance to win Minecra plushies and caps, Xbox consoles and the grand prize of a UK adventure holiday for four.

Shoppers can strike gold in Irn-Bru competition

As part of an £8m brand investment in 2025, Irn-Bru has unveiled a POS-led campaign that gives consumers the chance to win a solid gold girder.

ere are four of the 18-carat girders, each worth a whopping £10,000, up for grabs in the competition, which runs between 3 March and 29 April. ousands of other prizes are available, including gold-plated keyrings and charms, and digital coupons for free cans and bottles of the nation’s favourite juice.

A POS kit is available from Irn-Bru.co.uk/Goldengirder to help retailers create a bit of in-store theatre and maximise the sales opportunity.

Win lunch every day for a year with Walkers

Walkers is giving shoppers the chance to ‘Win Lunch Every Day For A Year’ with the return of its on-pack promotion of the same name.

Lynx freshens up range

Unilever’s male toiletries brand Lynx has added a new range, Sunset Fresh, to its core portfolio. The new fragrance is available in multiple formats – body spray, anti-perspirant, stick and shower gel – to appeal to a wide range of shoppers. The fragrance profile has been designed to resonate with Lynx’s core audience of 11–34-yearolds. The launch will be backed by a £2m marketing campaign running from July to September.

Frisps added to KP’s price-marked range

KP Snacks has expanded its price-marked pack portfolio with the launch of Frisps Cheese & Onion £1.25 PMP. The launch comes with PMPs accounting for 39% of CSN purchases. The PMP segment within CSN is worth £368.8m, with KP’s range alone worth £122m. It spans the value spectrum from Space Raiders 40p PMP to Hula Hoops Big Hoops, the brand’s topperforming PMP SKU.

Burts reveals Herb Roasted Chicken flavour

British snack producer Burts is preparing to launch new Herb Roasted Chicken handcooked chips this month. The new variant will join the brand’s core range and will be available in 40g and 150g pack sizes. It features real chicken seasoned with a blend of sage, parsley, rosemary, and thyme. It is also gluten free and contains no added MSG, artificial colours, or artificial flavourings.

Alpen relaunches in bid to revitalise muesli category

Consumers can enter by scanning the QR code on POS which will take them to a promotional website. e prize pot will refresh every two weeks so that shoppers are encouraged to keep entering.

Consumers can enter two weeks so that shoppers are encouraged to keep free a

Back for the fifth year in a row and live until 30 March, the promotion runs across Walkers Core, Walkers 45% Less Salt and Walkers Baked ranges and is supported with a new TV campaign.

A total of 8,470 prizes are up for grabs including, of course, free lunch every day for a year.

Alpen has rolled out a new recipe and redesign across its muesli range, backed by a £2m investment into its first major marketing campaign in four years. The relaunched range features a new and improved non-HFSS recipe that includes 30% more fruit. New packaging and branding boasts vibrant, natural illustrations that lean into the nutritional benefits of muesli.

SNACKS

Jack & Coke wins Product of the Year award

Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola RTD has been crowned the winner of the Pre-Mixed Spirit category at the 2025 Product of the Year Awards, which are decided by a panel of 8,000 shoppers. Since launching last March, the drink and its sugarfree variant have generated more than £55m in sales.

Booze-free wine

Non-alcoholic wine brand Bolle Drinks has launched its first still wine in the UK. The 0% Chardonnay has an RSP of £14.99 is less than 0.5% ABV. Made from a blend of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Sylvaner grapes, the wine is produced by re-fermenting the de-alcoholised liquid to create its flavour, aroma, and mouthfeel. It is available from Vinozero, HT Drinks, or from Bolle Drinks’ website.

WHISKY

BEER Fierce Beer unveils new flagship brew

New iron brew beer ‘tastes just like the juice’

Aberdeen-based Fierce Beer has added a new Iron Brew avour to its Beer Coolers range.

Bright orange in colour, Fierce Iron Brew (ABV 4.5%) bears a striking resemblance to Scotland’s other national drink in avour. In fact, during a sampling session, one participant commented: “ at tastes just like the juice, is that what you’ve actually poured us?”

Fierce Iron Brew joins the awardwinning brewery’s Beer Coolers range as agship beer. Other avours in the range include Fierce Iced Tea and Fierce Lemonade.

Harrison Ford is the face (and legs) of Glenmorangie

Glenmorangie has launched ‘Once Upon a Time in Scotland,’ a new global campaign starring movie legend Harrison Ford.

The Star Wars and Indiana Jones actor brings his trademark wry humour to the fore in a series of 12 episodic films shot in the north-east Highlands.

The series goes behind the scenes as Ford journeys to Glenmorangie’s Highland home, to discover the skill and craftmanship that goes into making its whisky.

Viewers see the actor enjoy the authentic Scottish experience – from getting to grips with the nuances of Scottish pronunciation and kilt etiquette, to bonding with locals over a dram – all shot in an unconventional, deliberately ‘off-script’ style.

The films’ locations include the Glenmorangie distillery in Tain, Ardross Castle, and the dramatic landscapes surrounding Loch Glass.

The real Glenmorangie distillery team appear alongside Ford while the brand’s flagship whiskies, Glenmorangie Original 12 Years Old and Glenmorangie Infinita 18 Years Old, also take on starring roles.

Harrison Ford commented: “The whole process of filming was full of unanticipated joys – little unexpected moments. It’s a tribute to Glenmorangie’s sensibilities that they let us be less than totally serious. I think [the series of films] has a certain charm to it, because it’s unpretentious and just amusing.”

e trio was inspired by global trends moving towards more accessible beverages, with a target market spanning both cra beer and RTD drinkers.

All three are made using Scottish water, malted barley, a hint of hops and specially selected avourings. Lower in calories and carbs than a regular beer, they are also gluten free and vegan friendly.

Dave Grant, Fierce Beer founder and Managing Director, said: “Picking Scotland’s favourite so drink as our new Beer Cooler avour seemed like the obvious choice.”

Jameson launches Triple Triple Chestnut Edition

RTDs Pop singer’s new range replicates bar serves Served

Pernod Ricard has unveiled the latest addition to the Jameson range of Irish whiskeys, Jameson Triple Triple Chestnut Edition, which launches in time for St Patrick’s Day (17 March).

Made in Midleton Distillery, County Cork, the new expression is a blended whiskey that is triple distilled then matured in both exbourbon and Oloroso sherry casks. It then undergoes a nishing period in specially selected sweet chestnut wood casks. e chestnut cask contribution adds velvety notes of

unveils full-strength cocktails collection

Served, Ellie Goulding’s RTD brand, has launched a range of super-premium full-strength cocktails targeting at-home drinkers.

e new range speci cally targets consumers looking to replicate bar serves at home and includes Lychee Martini, Strawberry Daiquiri, Espresso Martini, and Cosmopolitan.

All four are 14.9% ABV and come in 125ml tactile cans with an RSP of £3.90. ey are designed to be shaken in the can before pouring into glassware to “deliver a perfect bar serve every time”.

Each cocktail is made using Served Founders Reserve spirits and natural, sustainably sourced ingredients.

e range recently won two gold (Lychee Martini and Cosmopolitan) and two silver (Strawberry Daiquiri and Espresso Martini) awards at the Pre-Mixed & RTD Masters 2024.

e launch comes with the premium RTD cocktail category surging 82% year on year, the fastest growth of any category within total alcohol.

Dean Ginsberg, co-founder of Served, commented: “We are delivering genuine innovation to the super premium cocktail category with new cocktails not currently on shelf.”

to ee, cacao and toasted almonds. e triple cask maturation process is a core element of the Triple Triple series.

Bottled at an ABV of 40%, Jameson Triple Triple Chestnut Edition has an RSP of £29.

Ian Peart, Commercial Director for Pernod Ricard UK, commented: “Jameson Triple Triple expands the brand’s premium portfolio to o er a fresh take on its signature smoothness at a price point that sits between Jameson Original and Jameson Black Barrel.”

Premium spirits and liqueurs distributor Drinks One has added the Spanish liqueur brand Cream Heroes to its portfolio.

The range of tequila-based cream liqueurs includes Mariachi El Mango, Capitán Fresón Strawberry, Pancho Sandía Watermelon, Lupita Pasión Passion Fruit and Lily Cafeton.

All are 17% ABV and come in 70cl bottles with a £15.95 RSP.

The brand draws inspiration from “the lively and colourful traditions of Mexico”.

Retailers can email info@drinksone.com with any trade enquiries.

Fruit fusion wines roll out Worcester-based Independent cider maker Celtic Marches has launched two new fruit fusion wines, in Juicy Peach and Juicy Peach & Cherry flavours. Both are made using Italian white wine blended with natural fruit flavours and have a 5.5% ABV. The new wines are designed to tap into the growing demand for low- and no-alcohol alternatives. Both are available now in 70cl bottles with a £6.75 RSP.

New Chair for Portman Group

Drinks industry watchdog The Portman Group has named Nick Baird as its new Chair.

A former senior diplomat and business leader, Baird has a wealth of experience with a career spanning 30 years in government – including a stint as Ambassador to Turkey – and several more in the private sector. He replaces Philip Rycroft, who has stepped down after five years in post.

Stills go in at Eden Mill

Independent Scottish distiller Eden Mill has installed the wash and spirit stills at its new distillery, as the brand gets ready to start production on the University of St Andrews’ Eden Campus. The two hand-crafted copper stills were designed to produce a light, floral and grassy new-make spirit. Commissioning will begin this month, kicking off the process of fine-tuning the new-make spirit before filling the first casks of the new distillery.

Suntory Global Spirits UK begins operations

Suntory Global Spirits has launched its first standalone commercial business in the UK, led by Nick Temperley, MD for UK, Ireland & Eastern Europe and supported by a management team with decades of experience in consumer goods. The launch will significantly increase Suntory’s UK headcount across its central London head office, with additional sites in Scotland and other key locations.

WHISKEY New expression is triple distilled then triple matured

LIQUEURS Cream Heroes hit UK

A NEW DIRECTION

Veteran north-east retailer

John Murray has returned from retirement to join his daughter, Nicole, as they embark on a new project together.

BY SARAH BRITTON

With over 30 years’ experience in the convenience sector, running his own chain of stores throughout the Highlands, before setting up Highland Food & Drink Club in 2020, John Murray had stepped back from retail in recent years.

However, once you’ve been bitten by the retail bug, it’s tough to leave and his retirement was short lived. John returned to the scene last summer, becoming a director at NRM Retail, to support his daughter, Nicole, who set up the business in 2020. e company currently operates two Spar stores in Dornoch and Golspie and has just opened a third site less than a mile away from the latter, situated halfway between Caithness and Inverness on the A9.

With this being John’s 16th store over the years, you might think he’s a little jaded, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. “It’s the rst shop since leaving Dover that you’ll be able to get food at without leaving the main road,” he enthuses. “It’s a brilliant location; there’s a car park and the sea behind it so you’ll get campervans in the summer.”

is is in fact John’s second crack of the whip, having previously leased the property for around nine years. “I had this site 24 years ago on my own and this time round I’m with my daughter,” he says.

e plan was to open it on a shoestring and get a feel for the place, before making any major investment. “We’ve basically opened it on the cheap for now to see what’s working and what’s not before we do a re t,” he explains.

So far, John has invested £10,000. “All the equipment is already there, we just needed new lights and an EPoS system,” he says. “ ere’s no point in bells and whistles. Normally, I’d do the shop up rst, but because this one is di erent in its o ering I was more tentative about how it would work.”

A FOCUS ON FOOD TO GO

e reason he’s apprehensive is because the store marks a new direction for the business. “We’re not going to make it a stereotypical Spar, but

we are supplied through CJ Lang wholesale,” he says. “Like many retailers we are going more into food to go. We’re all needing the higher-margin products. Energy costs are ridiculous. Wages are ridiculous. It’s di erent times,” says John.

He claims that in order for local stores to make ends meet, they need to be selling products at a higher margin – “30% is the new 20%” – but he’s not there just yet. “We’re running at 26%,” he says. “I would like the new store to be working at 35%. We’re not bothered about high sales there, we’re more interested in margin.”

Taking the Ronseal approach, John has opted to call the store Food2Go. And true to its name, sales are skewed towards on the go. “Fi y per cent of our sales have been food to go and that’s not including sandwiches,” he says.

He is keen to prepare sandwiches and wraps on site, but food labelling legislation means there are strict rules in place when preparing food instore. “It’s not as easy as I thought it would be because of Natasha’s Law,” he says. Sourcing a supplier has also been tricky.

“We have found a [labelling] solution, but we’d have to use their bread, which is frozen,”

he says. is isn’t ideal as he wants to work with fresh bread, but in the meantime, he has sourced sandwiches from supplier Tastebuds in Alness. e shop has also introduced a freshly made daily soup with avours including Lentil, Tattie & Leek, and Sweet Potato & Coconut. Plus, there are hot rolls, pastries, potato dogs, pizza, chicken and burgers sourced from Williamsons Foodservice, Fife Creamery and Country Choice.

Going forward, the plan is to expand into store-made meals. “We want to do a David’s Kitchen-style food-to-go o er, making our own ready meals,” says John. “We’re looking at making a development kitchen in Spar Dornoch to supply the new store and [Benview] Spar in Golspie.”

e store opened on 6 January. “It was the worst possible time to open a store, but getting the lease sorted out took longer than hoped,” he says. “We’ve just dipped a toe in the water, but the rst few weeks have been positive.”

Due to the time of year and the type of shop it is, John has gone for a so launch, gradually

amping up the opening hours. “We opened from 6am till 2pm to start with and stayed closed on Sunday. Now we’re on to stage two – opening from 6am till 6pm and closed on Sunday. is month, we’ll start opening until 8 or 9pm and we’ll open on Sundays.”

e store has received a warm reception so far. “Caithness people are loving it, it’s a regular stop o because it’s halfway to Inverness,” says John.

“It’s not easy to access food on the move without deviating from the main road. I’ve had people shaking my hand at 7am saying ‘ ank you for opening the shop’. ey really missed

it. e workmen leave early, they haven’t had breakfast and they fancy co ee and food.”

John’s rst target is to get turnover to £15,000 at 35% margin by October. “We’re on track to hit that goal at the moment.” Further down the line, there is the opportunity to grow sales further, with Spar believing the site has the potential to achieve a turnover of £25,000.

It’s early days yet, but John is eager to see where the journey takes him. “I love seeing growth,” says. “ at’s what’s always excited me about the retail journey. I’ve never driven business for money, it’s always been for growth and success.”

SLR AWARDS 2025: MEET THE JUDGES

With the entry deadline for the SLR Awards 2025 now passed, it’s time for the judges to do their magic and we have a fantastic lineup of experienced, expert judges to help us with the paper judging this year.

The entry deadline for the SLR Awards 2025 is now behind us and we have a vast collection of fantastic entries from stores right across the country to digest and analyse. To help us do that, we have once again recruited a fantastic panel of industry experts to help us with the paper judging.

As always, we have pulled together a panel with extensive retail experience and expertise to help us really do justice to the many outstanding entries we have received across all categories. So, it gives us great pleasure to introduce the paper judging panel for the SLR Awards 2025…

Q James Bielby, Chief Executive, Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD)

Q Jamie Buchanan, Programme Director, SGF Go Local

Q Eddie Lynagh, industry veteran

Q Kathryn Neil, Programme Director, SGF Healthy Living Scotland

Q Chris Noice, Communications Director, Association of Convenience Stores (ACS)

Q Karen Peattie, Freelance Journalist and local retailing expert

Q Jonathan Rons, Founder and Director, C-Store Collective

Q Peter Steel, former Director of McCurrach UK and Chair of GroceryAid Scotland

OUR SPONSORS

GIRDERPLUSGOODIES & FREE IRN-BRU

SCAN HERE TO GET POS

TIME TO UNVEIL OUR IN-STORE HEROES!

SLR’s Above and Beyond Awards are back with a bang for 2025 with a fresh batch of awe-inspiring heroes to celebrate.

It’s here! A er weeks of reading through astounding entries and making a great many emotional calls, SLR is proud to present our shortlist for e Above and Beyond Awards 2025.

Much like our shortlisted superstars, this year’s awards really have it all. From employees who have carried out Astonishing Acts of bravery in the face of distressing situations, to Business Boosting supervisors, whose creative concepts have materially bene tted their stores, the class of 2025 have truly bowled us over.

Many of this year’s shortlisted individuals and teams have also spearheaded new and innovative forms of community support that are sure to inspire others.

e unique achievements of each and every one of our shortlisted heroes will be celebrated at a very special lunch in Glasgow’s Corinthian Club on 12 March – where our category winners will also be revealed.

INDEPENDENT STORE COLLEAGUE

Q Reece Beattie, Supervisor, Baba’s Kitchen (Costcutter)

Q Alison Chisholm, Manager, Blackadder Mini Market (Premier)

Q Lynsey Mann, Supervisor, Premier Girvan

COMPANY OWNED STORE COLLEAGUE

Q Denise Burns, Manager, Spar West Kilbride

Q Kyrie Davidson, Manager, Spar Kincaidston

Q Claire Fleming, Manager, Spar Saltcoats

Q Kelly Holmes, Manager, Spar Keith

Q Val Lee, Manager, Spar Ballindean Rd, Dundee

BUSINESS BOOSTER

Q Sohaib Ali, Supervisor, Premier Ali’s Tranent

Q Reece Beattie, Supervisor, Baba’s Kitchen (Costcutter)

Q Amy Bennett, Supervisor, Baba’s Kitchen (Costcutter)

TEAM AWARD

Q Spar Balintore, Tain

Q Spar Bighty Avenue, Glenrothes

Q Spar Cranhill, Glasgow

Q Premier DUSA, Dundee

Q Premier Aramark, Leuchars

Q Londis Solo Convenience Store, Baillieston

UP AND COMING STAR

Q Sohaib Ali, Supervisor, Premier Ali’s Tranent

Q Amy Bennett, Supervisor, Baba’s Kitchen (Costcutter)

Q Michael Dunsmuir, Sales Assistant, Spar Portland St, Troon

LONG SERVICE AWARD

Q David Love, Supervisor, Baba’s Kitchen (Costcutter)

Q Kathleen O’Rourke, Supervisor, Spar Muirhouse, Motherwell

Q Hasrit Qadir, Manager, Jaz’s Premier Grangemouth

Q Tanya Wilson, Manager, Spar Eastriggs

ASTONISHING ACT

Q Salman Javeed, Spar A&J Stores Alloa Rd, Stenhousemuir

Q Alix Kegg, Londis Solo Convenience Store, Baillieston

SPONSORS

PREMIERE SCOTTISH WHOLESALER

tel: 0141 554 7633 email: sales@greencity.coop

We’ve got your grocery supply needs covered with a catalogue of 5000+ organic, plant-based, Fairtrade, free-from lines and FMCGs – including soft drinks, sweet and savoury snacks, dairy-free milks, chilled foods, speciality artisan products and seasonal gifts, alongside a comprehensive range of high-quality kitchen ingredients, store cupboard essentials and eco-friendly cleaning products – all delivered free* to customers in mainland Scotland and the North East of England. browse our range and apply for a trade account at www.greencity.coop

Tic Tac Two Ferrero

The latest sugar-free addition to the Tic Tac range offers two flavours per double-sided pellet. It launches in three flavour combinations –Raspberry & Lemon; Strawberry & Lime; and Fresh & Mild Spearmint – and is available now with an RSP of £1.70 per pack. The launch comes with Tic Tac ranking among the top five brands in the pocket sugar confectionery category and contributing £8m in sales.

Crispy Minis

Caramelised Biscuit

Weetabix

Celsius raises temperature in Sports & Energy category

HFSS compliant, Caramelised Biscuit is the third permanent flavour within the Crispy Minis product range, which already includes Fruit & Nut and Chocolate Chip. It has an RSP of £3.49. The launch will be supported by shopper marketing activities, paid media, and influencer campaigns. These will take place between March and April.

Monster Juiced Rio Punch Coca-Cola EP

American energy drinks brand Celsius has become widely available across the UK, thanks to an exclusive sales and distribution partnership with Suntory Beverage & Food Great Britain and Ireland.

Celsius comes in four fruity flavours: Peach Vibe, Fantasy Vibe, Cosmic Vibe and Sunset Vibe. All four all available in 355ml plain (RSP £1.85) and £1.79 price-marked packs.

With vitamins C, B12, B6, and B5, as well as zero sugar, Celsius is designed to support the body’s natural functions while limiting fatigue.

Magnum

It also contains 200mg of caffeine per 355ml can –or 282mg per 500ml of liquid – the same as a can of Prime. For comparison, Monster, Relentless, Rockstar and Red Bull all contain 160mg per 500ml.

The launch will be supported with a number of activations across the UK, including F1 campaigns and collaborations with big-name brand ambassadors.

The brand is the fastest-growing, third-largest energy drink in the US, with over $2.7bn in sales and contributing to 28% of category growth.

The 10th Juiced flavour comes in plain and price-marked 500ml cans, as well as four-can multipacks. Inspired by a dessert popular in Rio de Janeiro, it combines the Monster Energy blend with papaya, vanilla ice cream and blackcurrant. The can features the colours of the Brazilian flag with nods to Rio. POS materials and digital assets are available via My.CCEP.com.

The new two-strong range is made using a new technique to mix ingredients in a marbled pattern. This creates a multilayered texture with swirled flavours and sauce for a rich and varied taste experience. The range launches with two flavours: Double Cherry and Double Hazelnut. Both are available in multipacks of 3 x 85ml (RSP £4.25) and 85ml singles (RSP £2.30).

The latest addition to PepsiCo’s Extra Flamin’ Hot portfolio, Doritos Dinamita is available exclusively across the wholesale and convenience channels in cases of 20 x 65g packs price-marked at £1.25. The launch introduces the brand’s rolled tortilla chip format to the UK for the first time and is supported by an impulse shopper marketing campaign.

Milky Way Crispy Rolls, which disappeared from shelves in 2022, are back alongside two brand-new countlines: Twix Crispy Rolls and Bounty Crispy Rolls. Milky Way Crispy Rolls combines chocolate, a creamy centre and crisp wafer; Bounty Crispy Rolls features a creamy coconut filling and milk chocolate coating with coconut shavings; and Twix Crispy Rolls has a caramel cream filling to tell it apart from the other two variants.

Doritos Dinamita Pepsico

Utopia Unilever

Milky Way Crispy Rolls Mars Wrigley

Jacob’s Mini Cheddars

‘Cheesy Specials’ pladis

Two new limited editions – Jacob’s Cheese & Red Onion Mini Cheddars and Jacob’s Cream Cheese, Garlic & Herb Mini Cheddars – are available in multipacks of 6 x 23g bags (RSP

£1.89). A 90g £1.25 PMP is also available to indies. The new variants join the core line-up of Original, Red Leicester and Smoky BBQ flavours.

Pepsi Treats Carlsberg Britvic

Tango Strawberry Smash Britvic Carlsberg

A sugar-free blend of strawberry and pineapple flavours, Strawberry Smash is the latest NPD in Tango’s annual rotational flavour series and available for a full year. It comes in 330ml cans, 500ml bottles (including price-marked packs), two litre and multipack (8 or 24 cans) formats. Tango is the UK’s secondmost-purchased fruit-flavouredcarbonates brand, with more than 5.3 million buyers.

Goooood gracious

Biona Ginger & Turmeric Paste Windmill Organics

Goodfella’s new marketing campaign shows what happens when a pizza eater shouts “Goooood!” – setting off a chain reaction that ignites an interplanetary, multidimensional celebration of the brand. This somewhat farfetched message will be spread via TV, VOD, OOH, Twitch, radio, PR, social media and gaming. And that’s just in this dimension.

In for a treat

The new Pepsi Treats range of zero sugar flavoured colas includes Strawberries ‘N’ Cream and Cream Soda flavours. Both come in 500ml plain and price-marked packs; multipacks of eight cans; 330ml cans; and a 1.5-litre format exclusive to Strawberries ‘N’ Cream. The launch is supported by POS, free case promotions, and a comms campaign targeted at recruiting new Gen Z shoppers into cola.

Cadbury Dairy Milk

‘Made to Share’ Mondelez

The 12-strong range of limitededition designs for Cadbury Dairy Milk 180g and 95g PMP bars is available now. Bars offer a lighthearted way to spread positivity with front-of-pack designs posing questions such as ‘Who Pays the Subscription?’, ‘Who Drove?’ and ‘Who Cooked?’ The launch is supported by out-of-home, social media and PR activities.

The new ready-to-use paste is available now, with an RSP of £3.19. Catering to both convenience and wellness trends, it gives gives consumers no need to peel or chop, so simplifying their meal prep for dishes like Indian- or Malaysianinspired curries. Ginger can help aid digestion and reduce inflammation while turmeric helps protect the body’s cells from damage and can lower cholesterol.

Fibre One has launched its latest campaign and brand visual overhaul, ‘Your Treat Should Treat You Better’. Fronted by the brand’s Chocolate Fudge Brownies, the campaign tells shoppers that, when temptation strikes, they can still treat themselves without compromise. The £230,000 campaign includes online shopper media and in-store activities.

Häagen-Dazs Stickbars

General Mills

Flavours include Salted Caramel, Cookies & Cream and, exclusive to Co-op, Macadamia Nut Brittle. There are two combinations of ice cream and sorbet: Mango & Passionfruit and the Tesco-exclusive Raspberry & Peach. The launch is backed by a six-figure marketing campaign. Three-packs are available now with an RSP from £4.25. Singles (RSP £2.65) will be available to order from next month.

Have a shot of this

Plenish has launched its biggest marketing campaign to date, ‘Give it a Shot,’ which spotlights the health and lifestyle benefits of the wellness brand’s range of health shots. The campaign includes out-of-home advertising, paid social media across Instagram and TikTok, sampling activity, shopper marketing and events.

Tea-rific

‘Start Your Day the PG Way’ is a new multichannel campaign from PG Tips that aims to engage tea drinkers and highlight the morning tea occasion. It runs across TV, video on demand, and social media. An associated on-promotion gives tea jennies the chance to win prizes including £1,000 and a year’s supply of tea.

Cheerios back on screen

A new £5m media campaign for Cheerios is predicted to reach more than 24 million UK parents and 93% of households with kids. Running throughout the year, the campaign includes the brand’s first TV appearance since 2019 alongside radio, video on demand, YouTube, social media and out-of-home activities.

INVEST IN THE BEST

From aiding operational efficiencies to improving the shopper experience, retailers that spend on technology are reaping the rewards.

BY SARAH BRITTON

UK convenience stores invested a whopping £1bn in their businesses over the past year, and technology was the h-highest area of investment, according to the Association of Convenience Stores’ 2024 Local Shop Report.

When you realise the di erence that specialised kit can make to a business, it’s not hard to understand why it is so appealing.

Take Electronic Shelf Edge Labels (ESELs), which provider MHouse describes as “the secret weapon your store needs,” providing “promotional agility at your ngertips”.

CHECK OUT THE CHANGES AT SCOTMID

The Scottish convenience chain has invested £3.5m on a series of hardware and software upgrades to its kiosks. Shops will benefit from new tills, printers and scanners, which will provide faster and more efficient transactions. The firm is also installing new customer screens and assisted checkouts.

The changes will be made depending on the individual needs of each store, while ensuring that a strong service offering remains for customers who prefer manual checkouts. The firm claimed that, over time, self-scan tills had become an integral part of the shopping experience due to improvements in technology and customer familiarity. It stated that today’s customers expected quicker transactions and sought more choice on how to shop at the checkout.

“Since the introduction of self-scan tills, perspectives have evolved,” says Scotmid. “Initially seen as a supplementary option for customers, self-scan tills have, over time, become an integral part of the shopping experience due to improvements in technology and customer familiarity. Today’s customers expect quicker transactions and seek more choice on how to shop at the checkout.

“The introduction of new assisted checkouts is part of Scotmid’s broader strategy to respond to customer preference, providing greater convenience and flexibility. These checkouts will reduce wait times, increase transaction efficiency, and streamline the checkout process. Additionally, the new kiosk infrastructure will help optimise store layouts, improving overall store flow and enhancing the customer experience.”

The work, which will be rolled out across Scotmid’s Food and Semichem stores, is being delivered by Pan Oston/4POS, a leading provider of retail technology.

Margaret Anne Clark, Chief Operating Officer (Services) at Scotmid, says: “Digital transformation continues to play a pivotal role in the evolution of the retail industry. We’re excited to be launching this major programme of enhancements for the benefit of our store colleagues and customers, to create a seamless, efficient, and modern shopping experience.”

The programme of works is scheduled for completion in late 2025.

Spar Shields Road in Lanarkshire recently took the leap, installing an MPOS till and ESELs from MHouse, and achieved an incredible £7,000+ increase in yearly pro ts. e twoday task of carrying out promotional changes every three weeks is now a 15-minute job and the elimination of paper-based price labels and signage resulted in annual cost savings of £1,500. In addition, the store attained a consistent 1% margin upli in bottom line.

Asda has also been investing in ESELs, carrying out a trial at its Manchester Oxford Road Express store in conjunction with Vusion Group.

“Our store manager was particularly pleased with the price changes taking 15 seconds that morning!” says Projects & Propositions Manager Anthony McCarron.

Blakemore Retail has already seen success with Vusion Group’s ESELs, deploying over 570,000 four-colour labels at Spar stores in England and Wales last year and becoming the rst UK retailer to roll-out this technology at scale in the country.

“ e integration of four-colour ESELs and the powerful VusionCloud Platform revolutionised the way we manage and display prices and promotions,” says Matt Teague, Managing Director at Blakemore Retail. “It’s a transformative step in elevating our customer experience, optimising our operations and delivering on our commitment to innovation and excellence.”

Vusion explains that technology is changing the future of the retail sector. “Digitisation isn’t just a buzzword,” states the rm. “It provides retailers with the opportunity to future-proof their stores and business models, all while saving money and managing their resources optimally.

From small shops that need to maximise their employees’ time to large retail chains looking to centralise their pricing strategy, ESELs can bene t everyone.”

Henderson Technology hit a key ESEL milestone last year. e rm installed its rst ESEL at a Eurospar in Balleymoney in 2019 and, ve years later, it installed its one millionth digital label at Filco Supermarkets in Wales.

Darren Nickels, Retail Technology Operations Director at Henderson Technology, says: “ESELs are playing a crucial role in shaping the future of retail. It allows stores to innovate and adapt to changing consumer needs, whilst at the same time provides customers with a seamless shopping experience.”

e rm marked another major achievement in December with its 1,000th installation of its EDGEPoS EPoS platform, which took place at LA Foods in London.

takes,” Tabrez explains. “ e reduction printers and digital handsets have also been invaluable additions.”

Installing a capable EPoS system was of course a no-brainer for Mhouse co-founder Asif Ashraf when embarking on his fourth store last summer. Asif wasted no time in tting Spar Airdrie on Clark Street, out with an MPOS EPoS system.

“Not only did our intuitive interface and advanced EPoS system features minimise wait times drastically but they also improved customer satisfaction,” says MHouse. “As a result, the streamlined checkout experience contributed to a positive perception of the store and encouraged repeat purchases.”

What’s more, the system was able to boost sales by helping the store create e ective promotional displays. “By aiding the creation of eye-catching promotional displays and attractive product bundles, utilising the system’s capabilities, the store was able to e ectively highlight featured products, encourage cross-selling, and drive sales. ese strategic promotional e orts, moreover, aided the store’s success and helped generate additional revenue,” says MHouse.

Company CEO Faisal Sattar says: “EPoS systems have evolved into comprehensive business tools that not only process transactions but also provide actionable insights into customer behaviour.”

He predicts that over the course of the year, till technology will become even more advanced.

“In 2025, we expect to see a deeper integration of EPoS with AI-driven inventory management, predictive analytics, and even sta scheduling, ensuring that the convenience channel remains both competitive and customer-centric,” concludes Sattar.

77% of retailers have EPoS systems Source: ACS Local Shop Report

e system was implemented across the business’ 13 stores and instantly transformed how the retailer operates. e decision to implement EDGEPoS across all 13 stores was an easy one for the business to make.

Co-owner Tabrez Hussain said: “We chose EDGEPoS because we wanted a system that could make our store operations more streamlined and automated. e self-checkouts, suggested ordering, and electronic shelf edge labels were particularly appealing.”

Since adopting the tech, LA Foods has witnessed signi cant improvements. “Features like automated ordering save time we can now spend on other tasks, such as regular stock

Proud sponsor of the SLR Awards

We recognize the outstanding achievements of local retailers across Scotland x

500K+ SuperPLOF master product database

Informed decision-making: Work smarter, not harder with reports that focus on the 20% of products that generate 80% of sales.

Increased profit margins: Utilize our tools to smartly adjust prices, reduce costs and boost your bottom line.

Datalinks with major suppliers

Seamless integration: Integrate with credit card terminals, cig gantries, Snappy Shopper, Amberstone Security Veesion & more.

MHouse can take your convenience store to newer heights.

Want to know how? Get

LEARN MORE

NATURAL WAY TOTOROLL ROLL TO ROLL THE

*EPOS Data (May, 2024)

LIGHT THE WAY FORWARD

By keeping tabs on the latest tobacco launches and trends, retailers can make the most of this crucial category.

BY SARAH BRITTON

Scottish and UK governments have made no secret of their wishes to stub out smoking, but the percentage of adult smokers in Scotland still stands at 13.5%, the highest percentage in the UK constituent countries, according to the O ce For National Statistics. By honing their tobacco o er around top sellers and evolving trends, retailers can ensure they meet the needs of this important customer base.

Value remains the overriding trend across the category. “With more consumers looking for ways to reduce spending amid soaring household costs, we’re seeing a shi towards lowpriced propositions across the entire tobacco category,” says Andrew Malm, UK Market Manager for Imperial Brands, noting that the trend is particularly prevalent in Scotland.

Imperial Brands has upped its game in the value sector, which the rm claims has expanded by 5% over the past year and currently represents 30% of the UK cigarette market.

Last November saw the introduction of Imperial Brands’ Paramount cigarettes,

which promise exceptional value without compromising on quality.

Packs have an RSP of £12, but the company initially o ered additional support to retailers, enabling them to sell the product at £11.50 or less if they wished to.

Paramount features premium, full- avour Virginia sun-cured tobacco, meeting the needs of the majority of cigarette smokers: 90% of cigarettes sold in the UK are Virginia blends and 83% use full- avour tobacco.

e brand is available in both king-size and super king-size formats.

e UK launch follows Paramount’s successful debut in Germany, where it is currently the fastest-growing cigarette product. Paramount has also launched successfully in a number of other European markets.

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES

In another bid to o er better value to consumers, Imperial Brands released a new pouch size for its bestselling premium

Golden Virginia Original hand-rolling tobacco at the end of last year.

e new 40g pouch, which has an RSP of £33.70, o ers an alternative to the established 30g and 50g sizes, and rolling papers are included with all pack sizes.

e company claims that the move is a response to continued price in ation and costof-living pressures. It follows other 40g pouch size introductions across the market and is designed to help consumers strike a balance between cost and value.

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) is also tapping into the value market with a price repositioning of its Mayfair Gold ready-made cigarettes. Previously, a pack of 20 had an RSP of £13.30, but this has now been reduced to £12.50. Since its launch in October 2023, Mayfair Gold has climbed its way up the ranks, achieving pole position as the UK’s fastestgrowing new brand in 2024 [Circana Marketplace, Ext Independents and Symbols,

RECHARGE POD kit RECHARGEABLE BATTERY, REPLACEABLE PODS

*Puff count is a maximum estimate of 1 second puffs per pod. Actual number of puffs may vary depending on individual usage and flavour.

TO 1000* PUFFS, £5.99* * THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS NICOTINE. For existing adult smokers and vapers only. 18+ only. Not a smoking cessation product. © Fontem 2024

**Based on ITUK RRP as of July 2024. For the avoidance of doubt , retailers are free at all times to determine the selling price of their products.

ASCENDING ACCESSORIES

SALES

The £41m Tobacco Accessories market is positively thriving in Scotland, with double-digit growth of nearly 17% [Total Market Ext IRI Marketplace 52 wks to 22/12/24].

The Scottish Tobacco Accessories market is worth almost £41m, up 16.9% year-on-year

Source: Total Market Ext IRI Marketplace 52 wks to 22/12/24

One of the major contributors to this growth is Roll Your Own specialist Republic Technologies UK – the company behind household names like Swan, Zig-Zag and OCB.

Scotland’s £12.3m papers sector [ibid] continues to perform well, with value sales up 10.8% [ibid] on last year, and Republic Technologies is increasing its presence in this sector by offering consumers more choice within its fast-growing, environmentally-friendly OCB range.

“Shoppers still want quality and value, which OCB delivers, but the plus point for the range is its environmental credentials which offer a clear point of difference vs most other papers, and this is really resonating with roll-your-own purchasers,” says Gavin Anderson, Sales & Marketing Director at Republic Technologies.

Organic and chlorine free, OCB Rice Papers are made from a blend of rice and organic hemp. The unbleached, ultra-thin papers deliver a premium rolling and slow-burning experience in a natural, brown paper. With 32 papers per pack, OCB Rice is available in both Slim (RSP, £1.10) and Slim & Tips (RSP, £1.73).

Republic Technologies is also underlining its environmental credentials in Scotland’s £5m filters sector [ibid] with the rollout of Just Paper plastic-free Swan filter tips.

In a category-boosting first for tobacco accessories, innovative Just Paper Swan Filters provide consumers with an experience that is similar to traditional cellulose acetate filters, but with a much lower environmental impact

The Swan Just Paper range features a ‘flipa-tip’ design which dispenses loose extra-slim filters, without the use of plastic rods. Each box contains 120 filters, with 10 boxes per outer, with an RSP of £1.45 per consumer unit.

“Choice, innovation and quality are well established drivers of the tobacco accessories category and the Just Paper range delivers in each of those areas. Significantly though, the range has advanced the development of filter tips by offering roll-your-own consumers a product which not only delivers on performance, but which also has a significantly reduced impact on the environment,” adds Anderson.

Volume YTD to 10/11/24, based on new brands launched in the past 12 months]. is has generated an impressive retail sales value of £94.4m [Circana Market Place, Value Sales, Mayfair Gold, Total UK, September 2023 to November 2024], claims JTI.

e adjustment to pricing means Mayfair Gold is JTI’s most a ordable ready-made cigarette o ering, giving retailers the opportunity to stock a trusted, premium Virginia blend tobacco brand at a competitive price.

e RSP reduction is especially timely as the Ultra Value segment continues to lead in market share growth, now comprising 17.9% of the total tobacco market [Circana Market

Place, Volume Share, Total Tobacco Category, Total UK, over the last 12 months to November 2024 (based on slope calculation)]. By o ering Mayfair Gold at the RSP of £12.50, retailers can capitalise on this upward trend, meeting consumer demand while enhancing their sales potential.

Mark McGuinness, Marketing Director at JTI UK, says: “We’re incredibly pleased with the performance of Mayfair Gold since its launch, and this price repositioning further strengthens its appeal. With a reduction on the RSP of 80p per pack, we are making the brand even more accessible to shoppers, while providing retailers with an excellent opportunity to increase sales.”

He adds: “As costs continue to rise and consumer budgets tighten, we remain dedicated to o ering retailers top-quality products at the most competitive prices, ensuring they can maximise their pro t opportunities.” is price repositioning follows the successful introduction of Mayfair Gold Rolling Tobacco into the Ultra Value category in September 2024, underscoring JTI’s ongoing commitment to innovation and meeting consumer preferences.

CIGAR INSIGHTS

Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) UK

concurs that demand for value is fuelling the market. “ e cost-of-living crisis has of course helped shape the category over the last few years, meaning value brands and smaller pack sizes have o en been in demand,” says STG UK Head of Marketing, Prianka Jhingan. “So it’s no surprise that price remains important because that search for value can still be a motivating driver of purchase for adult smokers.”

But just because you are o ering good value to cigar customers, doesn’t mean you can’t make a decent margin.

“When it comes to pricing, I think it’s always

The Cigarillo category is now worth nearly £150m and accounts for over 56% of all cigar volume – not bad going for a subsegment that only started five years ago in the UK.

Source: IRI MarketPlace, Value and Volume sales, w/e 22-12-2024

important for retailers to o er a range of cigars with di erent price points to meet di ering consumer needs,” she says. “But in general, I would suggest they follow manufacturers’ guidance on pricing, as our recommendations a ord value for the consumer, whilst giving exceptional margins for them, typically three times higher than those from cigarettes.”

e cigar category is experiencing solid growth, claims the company. “Our latest data shows the total cigar category to be worth just under £324m, which is a year-on-year value growth of 8% [IRI MarketPlace, value sales, w/e 22-12-2024],” states Jhingan.

You don’t need a large range of cigars in order to capitalise on the category, she observes.

“Tobacco remains an important category for convenience retailers to get right, not only for the revenue it brings into their till, but as a driver of footfall and repeat business from regular customers and the associated basket spend which goes with that,” says Jhingan.

“Whilst traditional tobacco sales have been in decline for some time now, what’s le is still huge and of course many consumers have been transitioning over to next-gen products such as vapes or nicotine pouches, which have also become an increasingly important part of the

BERRY EXCITING NEWS

GET READY FOR CHANGE

When assessing the outlook for the tobacco sector in 2025, a key influencer will be upcoming legislation, in particular the Tobacco & Vapes Bill.

The bill passed its second reading in November at the House of Commons where 415 MPs voted for, while just 47 voted against it.

The bill is currently at the reporting stage, after which a third reading will take place.

“The main aim of the Bill is to create the first smoke-free generation while making vapes less appealing to nonsmokers,” says Andrew Malm, UK Market Manager for Imperial Brands. “For retailers, this is the time to prepare and mitigate the impact – especially given the importance of tobacco as a contributor to retailers’ revenue.

The company advises retailers to check up, or refresh their memories, on the No ID No Sale Guidelines. “These offer advice for staff training – crucial to ensure your teams are doing the right things and on the use of a Refusals Register,” says Malm. “In addition, the free retail packs offered contain POS merchandise such as Statutory Tobacco Notices and Age-Related posters along with ‘Scan Me’ and ‘No ID No Sale!’ badges and shelf wobblers.

“Alongside this, we’d always advise retailers to check their supply sources rigorously and to continue to be wary of potential suppliers offering products which may be illicit.”

Retailers may also wish to refer to the Scottish Grocers’ Federation’s guide for retailers selling vaping and tobacco products, which has recently been updated with all the latest information.

mix. So, with cigars, we always say that the right range is always more important than a big range, as well over 90% of sales come from the top 10 brands.”

When it comes to what is driving growth in cigars, it’s certainly a case of good things coming in small packages. “ ere’s no doubt it’s cigarillos which are the current success story within cigars,” she says. “ is segment within the cigar category only really started ve years ago, but sales are now worth nearly £150m and they account for more than half of all cigars sold

There’s a fresh and fruity new addition to the cigarillo segment with new Signature Action Mix cigarillos.

in volume terms [IRI MarketPlace, value and volume sales, w/e 22-12-2024].”

Jhingan claims that over the last 18 months or so, distribution has improved, causing a sales spike for STG UK’s Signature Action cigarillo brand. “It’s currently worth over £6m and its sales have grown by over 50% since last year, with consumers appreciating the great avour and cheaper price point,” she says. “ is current growth in cigarillo sales shows no signs of slowing, so we expect this positive performance to continue throughout this year and beyond.”

Containing two capsules, the new launch combines the flavours of Berry and Mint, offering consumers the best of both. Available in 10-packs, Signature Action Mix cigarillos have an RSP of just £5.85, which is lower than competitor brands, but still offers an attractive margin for retailers. The new line will be a key focus for STG UK’s growing sales force, who will be targeting over 10,000 convenience stores in the coming months to talk to them about the launch, as well as offering them branded merchandise. There will also be promotions in the wholesale channel for both Action and Action Mix, as well as a significant trade comms campaign to support the launch too.

STG UK’s Signature Action brand launched just five years ago and sales are growing by over 50% year-on-year.

Prianka Jhingan, STG’s UK Head of Marketing, says: “We know many adult smokers continue to look for features they used to enjoy with cigarettes such as flavour, click filters and smaller pack sizes, so these new Signature Action Mix cigarillos should really hit the spot. The continued positive performance of the Cigarillos category is showing no sign of slowing, so we’d urge retailers to get behind this exciting launch and enjoy those profitable sales.”

CHILLER CHAMPIONS

Retailers have been upgrading their refrigeration to cut energy consumption, improve food quality and create a better shopping experience.

BY SARAH BRITTON

There’s no stopping the march of time and, as April looms, retailers must accept the reality of increased wages and Employers’ National Insurance Contributions. But while some cost rises are out of your control, it makes sense to minimise those that are within your grasp.

Considering refrigeration is by far the biggest energy guzzler in food retail, it makes sense to curb its seemingly insatiable appetite by investing in energy e cient technology.

e Motor Fuel Group (MFG) fuel station in Seaford, East Sussex, did just that, thanks to e Jordon Group, which replaced two old refrigeration cabinets with new, highly e cient closed-door display chillers.

Additionally, the rm retro tted four existing cabinets to enhance their e ciency. “All the equipment was upgraded with RDM technology, enabling e cient and precise monitoring,” explains the company. “ is ensures that the forecourt operates at optimal e ciency, contributing to a more sustainable environment.”

e rm claims that the upgrade “perfectly illustrates” how even minor asset management and refurbishment e orts can signi cantly impact energy reduction and sustainability.

EQUIPMENT FAILURE

Meanwhile, DoubleCOOL has been working its magic at Brunel Costcutter in Uxbridge West London, which is operated by Brunel University.

e 1,600sq shop is open for 15 hours a day midweek and processes 750,000 transactions a year. is high throughput was putting an immense amount of pressure on the store’s existing chillers and, during hot spells over the summer, the 25.6m of Arneg open chillers were breaching the temperature threshold recorded by the data loggers and frequently setting o the chiller alarms. is, alongside chiller breakdowns, was causing frustration for customers, stress for sta and creating food wastage, plus concerns over food quality.

In August 2024, the store sought advice from Costcutter, which suggested retro tting DoubleCOOL acrylic fridge doors to the problematic chillers. A site survey was undertaken, and a proposal was made to install 41 swing doors to the open chillers. Recognising that the bene ts of the DoubleCOOL solution outweighed the capital cost, purchase approval was gained from the university.

During mid-October, the DoubleCOOL team tted the doors over a weekend when the store was less busy, to minimise impact on shoppers.

By Monday morning the store opened as usual, with warmer aisles and sleek fridge doors, which led to some customers to think that the chillers were brand new.

REMARKABLE RESULTS

Since installation, the store hasn’t experienced any chiller breakdowns, fridge temperatures have remained constant, food wastage has reduced, and customers are happy to shop without the annoyance of chiller alarms ringing.

“ e installation of DoubleCOOL doors has truly revitalised our chillers,” says Arnaud Leudjou, Head of Retail at Brunel University.

“Before we made this upgrade, the temperature of our chillers would uctuate unpredictably relative to varying weather conditions, making it challenging to keep our chilled food items within the necessary legal temperature limits, especially on hot days.

“However, since the installation, we’ve experienced a remarkable stability in our chiller temperatures. Both our sta and customers have noticed another bene t: the doors help maintain a more comfortable temperature on the shop oor. I am also eager to see how this improvement will positively a ect our utility consumption rates moving forward.”

Doors on fridges can reduce energy costs by up to 60%

Your customers appreciate ultimate freshness and a responsible approach to environmental issues. If you’re operating open chillers, you could lower your energy costs by up to 60% by retrofitting DoubleCOOL fridge doors. Lower your energy bills, extend the life of your existing chillers, reduce your carbon footprint and delight your customers.

Retrofit double pane acrylic doors on fridges

Transparent, robust and shatterproof

50% lighter than glass and zero maintenance

Doors open to 170o and feature soft close hinges

From our very first communication with Zoe through to the final installation with Dallas, we cannot fault DoubleCOOL – the whole experience has been faultless. We were looking for an energy saving solution and to help our shop chillers hold their temperature – the doors we had fitted have far exceeded our expectations, and we can already feel the benefits both in our energy bills and in temperature control. We cannot thank the DoubleCOOL team enough, and highly recommend their services.

Megan Stacpoole Cheerbrook Farm Shop

TAP INTO TREAT TRENDS

Keeping an ear to the ground and honing in on pockets of growth can help your sweetie sales soar.

BY SARAH BRITTON

The vibrant confectionery market remains a cornerstone of sales for independent retailers, valued at £2bn and growing +4.4% in the convenience channel [Circana data to 30th November 2024]. “ is growth highlights the category’s resilience as consumers continue to gravitate towards well-loved and trusted brands,” says Andy Mutton, Managing Director at Storck UK, which owns the Werther’s Original, Riesen and To fee brands. “ is emphasises the need for retailers to prioritise a strong confectionery range with recognisable favourites that cater to diverse tastes and occasions.”

In the convenience channel, the sugar category has seen value sales exceed £665m, growing at a rate of +3.1% [ibid]. “ is growth is being driven by the continued popularity of sharing formats and multipacks, which re ect evolving shopper preferences for value and convenience,” says Mutton. “As these segments ourish, retailers have an opportunity to adapt their strategies to further capitalise on this trend.”

e sugar confectionery market is seeing polarisation in performance, with premium brands and value players enjoying strong double-digit growth [ Circana All Outlets MAT data to end of November], he observes. “ is

trend highlights opportunities at both ends of the pricing spectrum, as consumers seek either a ordable treats or premium indulgences. Brands such as Werther’s Original are ideally placed to tap into the demand for value options, o ering a high-quality treat at an a ordable price point.”

Sharing bags continue to dominate the sugar confectionery category, accounting for £430m in sales in convenience, growing by +6.5% in value [Circana All Outlets excl. Discounters MAT 30th November 2024]. “As consumers spend more time at home and seek a ordable treats to share with family and friends, this segment remains a crucial focus for retailers,” says Mutton.

FREEZE DRIED PHENOMENON

One confectionery trend you can’t fail to have noticed is the rising demand for freeze-dried sweets, which became incredibly popular last year. In fact, there had been 122 million related TikTok posts as of August 2024.

Faraz Iqbal of Linktown Local in Kirkcaldy, Fife, had initially been wary of freeze-dried sweets because he questioned their lack of labelling. “A lot of that freeze dried stu isn’t 100% – it’s just put into a bag, all mixed up with no labelling, barcodes or traceability.”

100% of our cocoa is sourced through independently managed sustainability standards, such as Rainforest Alliance, Cocoa Horizons, Fairtrade and others.

Discover more: ferrero.com/uk/en/about-us/quality-at-heart

However, that changed when retailer Amrit Singh, who runs H & Jodie’s Nisa store in Walsall in the West Midlands, began manufacturing and supplying Freezy freeze-dried sweets through his H & Jodie’s wholesale business.

Faraz made his rst order of Freezy packs back in July. It promptly sold out and he has been ordering them ever since. “It’s all properly labelled,” says Faraz. “People from all over have been coming in for them.”

Racetrack Pitstop has also been riding the freeze-dried wave. Having sold plenty of Tubbees-branded packs in their stores, the rm decided to invest in equipment to make the popular confections in-house. “In life as you get older you need to be able to embrace everything and any new trend needs to be analysed and sourced if possible,” says Racetrack founder Vikas Sud.

Kervan Gida also hopped on the trend towards the end of last year with its three-strong FreezyCrunchy range. “Using technology developed by NASA to prolong the life and reduce the weight of food eaten by astronauts in space, the sweets are rst frozen, and once icy, a vacuum removes all moisture, creating a light, crispy texture that people love,” states the rm. “With the moisture removed, the avour is intensi ed; there’s truly nothing else like it on the market!”

Spar was the rst in the convenience channel to stock the range, which comprises Peach Rings, Watermelon, and Marshmallow Twist variants in 35g resealable pouches.

HEALTHY APPETITE

Another factor impacting confectionery trends is HFSS legislation, already in force in England

SUMMER PLANS

Mentos has announced that it will roll out a £1m summer media campaign later this year spanning PR, OOH social, influencers, VOD and eye-catching in-store POS. The campaign is designed to drive further awareness and engagement, ensuring that “Yes to Fresh” continues to be a compelling call to action for consumers and retailers everywhere.

Mentos Discovery single rolls delivered £1.3m in value sales in 2024 [Circana 52 w/e 28 Dec 2024], while Mentos Duo Packs are valued at an impressive £14.7m [Circana All Outlets & KWP Discounters | 52 w/e 28 Dec, 2024 | Gum], with Pure Fresh Gum alone worth £9.6m [ibid].

and sure to come north of the border at some point. Baileys Chocolates claims that chocolate bars with added cereal, fruit or nuts generate sales of over £67m (Statista 2024). “ is is continuing to grow, which could be down to the changing regulations on high fat, salt and sugar products,” says Alison Robson, Marketing Manager for Baileys Chocolate. “Brands are keen to develop their ranges to include products that are HFSS compliant and are higher in protein and bre.”

ACTING ON IMPULSE

Hancocks has plenty of advice on how to adapt your confectionery offer to encourage impulse sales.

“Merchandising is a key factor in triggering impulse purchases and providing customers with quick grab-andgo items,” says Head of Marketing Kathryn Hague. “Having creative and innovative displays is key for driving impulse sales. Ideally, you’ll want to have displays that are compact and space saving like our eight-bag fixture add-on. This is perfect for maximising shelf space you already have in store as it integrates with your existing displays.”

She adds: “Till point displays are also great for encouraging impulse buys as well as aisle-end displays.”

Her impulse must-stocks are Warheads popping candy (RSP 99p) and American brand PEZ dispensers, which come in a range of much-loved children’s characters and have a RSP of £2. She also recommends the Bonds price-marked sweets bag, which appeals to customers because of the clearly marked affordable prices.

In response to this, Baileys Chocolates has expanded its range to include other indulgent options and launched the Baileys Caramelised Nut Mix. e mix of roasted almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, and cashews, combined in a caramel coating with a hint of Baileys liqueur, is high in bre and delivers indulgence without compromise. e product’s exemption from HFSS allows the brand to merchandise Baileys Caramelised Nut Mix in a wider range of xtures throughout stores where legislation applies.

“Consumers are still keen to enjoy these more indulgent products that sit outside of the HFSS regulation, but brands should work hard to make sure that their customers deem the product ‘worth it’,” adds Robson.

Storck agrees that retailers impacted by HFSS have an opportunity to focus on products that fall outside the scope. “Retailers can drive confectionery sales with non-HFSS products by o ering popular classics such as Werther’s Original, available in sugar-free range,” suggests Mutton. “Being non-HFSS, these products can be placed anywhere in-store, allowing retailers to maximise shelf visibility and capitalise on consumer demand for healthier options from trusted brands.

Werther’s Original Sugar Free is made with real butter and fresh cream. e sugar-free range is valued at £5.1m and commands 57% of the sugar-free market share [IRI All Outlets. 52 we 02.11.24 (excl. Mints)]. Products in the range include Butter Candies, Chocolate Flavour Butter Candies and Creamy To ee variants. “ ese options are perfectly positioned to meet the growing consumer demand for healthier treats,” states Mutton. By capitalising on growth areas, retailers can ensure that sugar confectionery remains a sweet spot for sales, he adds.

BLADESCUNNER SHOT BLASTED

Readers will have no doubt seen in OffTrade News (p18) that Harrison Ford is the star of a new series of adverts for Glenmorangie.

Scotland’s kiltmakers, who proceeded to get their knickers in a knot – if they were wearing any, that is – because they felt bilked out of a bit of business.

Plenish, a healthy shots brand (no, we’ve got no idea what that is either), has launched a marketing campaign called – oddly enough – ‘Give it a Shot’.

The Star Wars and Bladerunner movie legend had a grand time making the ads, commenting: “The whole process of filming was full of unanticipated joys.”

Also unanticipated, but less joyful, was the furore Ford’s clothing in the commercials caused.

It turns out that the Indiana Jones actor swapped his fedora and leather jacket for a kilt – and keep this to yourself – that was made in England. And by a company that specialises in skateboarding apparel, no less.

Jings, crivvens, help ma Boba Fett! (Wee Star Wars joke there.) Cue consternation among

One tartan skirt supplier seemed to suggest that, since Glenmorangie is made from fine Scottish water, any kilts used in its promotion should be made from fine Scottish wool. You can’t fault the logic. Because there isn’t any.

PACK BACK

To prove this, Plenish sent UTC a picture of one of its out-of-home adverts sited next to possibly one of the most complicated-looking traffic signs ever screwed onto a pole.

Under The Counter responded to this affront with a healthy shot of something that can’t be reprinted in an august journal like SLR. And then shuffled off to the bog. Also It yourself – that was made in made

You can’t fault the logic. Because

Another, who was both disappointed and annoyed, sniffily said: “Skateboarding and whisky drinking don’t go together.”

The Auld Boy has always thought that signs should communicate information quickly in an easy-tounderstand manner. However, much like Walt, this one disney.

Not for the first time, Under The Counter found himself talking mince recently.

No surprise there then. Ba dum tish.

Actually, the Auld Boy was talking about mince, specifically, Iceland’s decision to bring back plastic trays to pack ground-up cows and pigs in.

Like many a retailer, the frozen food giant switched to vacuum packs six months ago, in a bid to keep meat fresher for longer, reduce waste and cut its plastic consumption – thereby boosting its sustainability credentials with shoppers.

All well and good, apart from the fact that mince shoppers appear to put style over substance; rather than buy purple-hued

Really? Under The Counter was fairly sure the pilot of the Millennium Falcon, who has also crash-landed an aircraft onto a golf course in real life, could easily pull off a frontside ollie without spilling a single drop.

It’s been a while since UTC last straddled his penny farthing but, as far as he could garner, the sign advises cyclists to hop onto a traffic island then cut across two lanes of traffic, no doubt killing themselves in the process. No bad thing, non-cyclists might conclude.

Anyway, one of UTC’s crueller coworkers thought the sign looked like the Auld Boy himself, shuffling off to the bog with a newspaper under his arm – albeit with a small bicycle strapped to his leg.

easily pull off a frontside

meat, they would prefer to shove sustainability right up the circular economy.

As is the way these days, Joe and Janette Public took to social media to complain that the mince looked “unappealing” and “horrible”, and the packs “made the meat mush”. The Auld Boy’s unvarnished personal opinion is that vacuumpacked mince “looks like something that should get chucked into a hospital incinerator”.

So, he was flashing his falsers with glee when Iceland itself took to social media to declare: “You asked, we delivered. The classic mince packaging is back!”

Despite the deployment of an exclamation mark, this is not exactly the Second Coming, nor even the return of the Cabana bar, but a small victory for people power all the same. And one that got UTC wondering if he should start a campaign to bring back Cabanas.