SLR May 2016

E-cigs and EUTPD2 l SGF Retail Crime Seminar I Fascia Guide I Euro 2016 False front.indd 1

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£6 MILLION BRAND INVESTMENT IN 2016 ORIGINAL AND BEST WITH A STRONG NEW LOOK

STRENGTHEN YOUR SALES

* Kantar Worldpanel, Value Sales, Take home non-alcohol brands, MAT to 24.05.15, Total Scotland

MAY 2016 | ISSUE 157

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FASCIAS FLYING

Fascia members growing quickest of all – so is it time to join one?

E-CIGS: IT’S TIME TO GET THEM RIGHT

SLR retailer seminar gets to the bottom of the massive untapped opportunity that is the e-cigarettes category

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EURO 2016

Cashing in on a Scotland-free event

BATLEYS JOINS SGF

Wholesaler gets involved

SUMMER SOFTIES

Boost soft drinks sales this summer

Final places remaining at SLR Rewards 2016 Dinner! But you’d better be quick...

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May 2016

Contents

Contents ISSUE 157

NEWS p6

p7

p8

p10

p12

p20

p22

Older generation out of touch with contactless Almost one third of people never make a contactless payment because they don’t trust it.

Mars Food reveals healthy ambition A new global ‘Health and Wellbeing Ambition’ has been launched to promote healthier food choices.

Retailers grab share of £6bn chilled foods opportunity Kerry Foods is launching a new digital platform to grow the £3.7bn chilled food category to £6bn.

Amazon to deliver fresh food across UK A fresh food delivery service is reported to be launched by Amazon in the UK this month.

News Extra Price of groceries 40% cheaper than a year ago Research also revealed the cost of a basket of 35 popular products has dropped.

Product News Burton’s Biscuit Company relaunches its £9.6m Cadbury Animals brand and John Smith launches its first new beer in 22 years.

Off-trade News Orkney craft distillery in pipeline, Edinburgh Fringe joins Caledonia Brewery, and more from the drinks world.

INSIDE BUSINESS p24 SGF Retail Crime Seminar SGF’s recent hustings event attracted a top class panel of speakers from all the main political parties. p26 2 Minutes of Your Time Susan Nash The Trade Communications Manager at Mondelez International discusses a new £6 million Cadbury campaign set to revolutionalise the singles market. p32 Woodlands Local In the latest from SLR’s own store, we trial new products on shelf. p34 Hotlines New Capri-Sun flavour, new Heinz Beanz varieties, and more new products arriving.

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FEATURES p36 Fascia Guide With the Scottish symbol sector in growth, find out the benefits of joining a symbol group. p50 Sugar Confectionery Methods for growing your sugar confectionery offer. p58 Summer drinks With the weather improving during the summer months, shoppers increasingly host barbeques and other events where alcohol is a popular choice. p60 Soft Drinks This category is one that is constantly in flux, and retailers must be able to adapt their range to meet shoppers’ needs. p64 Euro 2016 With many brands getting involved in sponsorship, along with the growing appetite for consumers to make something of events throughout the year, retailers are well placed to profit. p68 Oral Health The oral health category is being driven by the popularity of sugar free gum due to the role it plays in preventing tooth decay. www.slrmag.co.uk

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ON THE COVER p16 E-cigs and EUTPD The new EUTPD rules are set to make a huge impact on the local retail industry, and SLR hosted a seminar last month to examine that opportunity in detail.

MAY 2016 | SLR

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News TECHNOLOGY The older generation do not trust the latest contactless technology

Bestway teams up with Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Bestway has chosen The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) as its charity partner for its annual Royal Ascot Charity Race Day on 17th June. Like Bestway, the DofE is also celebrating a landmark year having been established 60 years ago by HRH Prince Philip. The charity is committed to providing young people aged 14-24 the opportunity to develop skills and prepare them for life and employment.

Zameer Choudrey CBE, Chief Executive of the Bestway Group, said: “At Bestway, we have worked with the DofE for over 20 years and know first-hand the incredible work they do in preparing young people for their futures.”

Nisa grows fresh produce sales Nisa Retail has launched a new

Older generation out of touch with contactless Despite the huge surge in the number of payments made using contactless technology, almost onethird (31%) of people never make a contactless payment because they don’t trust it.

That’s the main finding of a UKwide survey conducted by Future Thinking and Toluna.

Unsurprisingly, it is the younger generation who are the keenest to embrace the latest payment method with only 22% of under-35s never paying by contactless.

This sits in stark contrast to the over-55 age group, where almost half of respondents (43%) said they are against the concept of contacless technology.

Future Thinking’s Senior Research Director Noreen Kinsey, thinks things are only going to get worse for the

baby boomers.

“As with all new technologies there is still some reluctance, particularly amongst older age groups, who may be further isolated as we move towards mobile pay and other tech-

enabled purchase solutions.”

The survey also found men to be more wary of the tech than women, with 35% of men never paying by contactless compared to 29% of females.

wholesale fresh produce service, with the intention of giving its retailers a competitive fresh produce offer to take on the market.

Nisa members now have the opportunity to purchase a selection of loose produce in larger quantities, improving cost efficiency and profit margin in the process.

Launched on 7th March, the initiative has already seen volume increases on fresh produce of 17%. In addition the new service has opened the door to Nisa fresh produce for 65 new members who had previously not taken it.

One Stop revamps POS One Stop has launched a new look and feel across its promotional materials and website. Previously using their logo format to hold offer messages along with a plain white background, One Stop has moved to using the key promotional colours of yellow and red to ensure standout in store. It has also introduced new fonts and a new button to

SGF Bestway joins the company

Bestway joins SGF Bestway – one of the UK’s largest independent food wholesale groups with 63 Bestway and Batleys branches – has agreed to become a member of the Scottish Grocers’ Federation.

Bestway operates Best-One, a thriving and forward-looking convenience store symbol group, which will significantly increase SGF’s membership and allow the two organisations to work together for the benefit of their members.

SGF Chief Executive, Pete Cheema, said: “This is a major step forward for the independent convenience store sector in Scotland and for SGF. We extend a warm welcome to every Best-One retailer in Scotland. This means that every major symbol group is now a member of SGF and we are now genuinely the authoritative voice of the

industry in Scotland.”

James Hall, Symbol & Club Director at Bestway Wholesale added, “Over the past year, Bestone has seen significant growth in Scotland with sales up by 15%.

Scotland is a major growth area for the group and we are proud of the support we offer members in all areas of retailing. In joining the SGF, I believe that members will benefit significantly from being part of a proactive and forward-thinking trade body. Additionally, the Bestway Batleys Rewards Card is extending the number of products on offer and reducing the frequency of visits required to be in with a chance of winning a free shopping trip. The Rewards Card offers Bestway and Batleys customers the chance to win one of their monthly shops free in addition to picking up free or discounted stock.

BUSINESS

Today’s Group appoints Digital Business Development Controller

The Today’s Group has appointed Mark Bottomley (pictured) as Digital Business Development Controller for the Group.

Bottomley’s role will be to focus on digital activation in both the wholesale and retail environments, working with the team to develop work that is already in place following the Group’s recent partnership agreement with BigDL, the app-based platform targeted at consumers via the BigDL app and the Plan for Profit app aimed at independent retailers and wholesale members.

highlight key messages.

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06/05/2016 17:29:17

News CHILLED Kerry Foods new programme allows retailers to grow the £3.7 billion chilled food category to £6 billion by 2018

Retailers grab share of £6bn chilled foods opportunity Kerry Foods is taking its Building a Nation of Chilled Experts programme to the next level with the launch of a new digital platform to help retailers grow the £3.7bn chilled food category to £6bn by 2018.

Kerry Foods launched its industry ‘blueprint’ in 2015 to help convenience store operators optimise their chilled food sales and its new website – www. chilledexperts.com – will now make it even easier for retailers to access the latest category advice, chilled food insights, planograms, competitions and information on Kerry Foods’ leading brands whenever they need it.

The new website will also provide a handy, easy-to-use tool to help retailers analyse their current level of chilled foods retailing expertise,

and discover changes they can implement in order to advance their chilled foods offer to reach one of three levels of chilled sales excellence – Get Chilled Fit (Level 1), Build a Basket (Level 2), and Destination Chilled (Level 3).

Ian Garrett, Convenience Sales Controller at Kerry Foods, said: “We know that the opportunity for growth in the chilled market is huge and with products available for every shopper mission, including Food To Go, Top Up, or Meal for Tonight, Kerry Foods is well-placed to help retailers to drive incremental sales. Our ambition is to take retailers on a chilled retailing journey that could turn the number one food category in convenience into a £6 billion proposition by the end of 2018.”

“We have seen that those

retailers that have implemented the Building a Nation of Chilled Experts programme have already seen up to a 40% rise in basket spend, and our website should allow even more retailers to replicate this success for themselves,” adds Garrett.

The Kerry Foods new trade website is now live at www.chilledexperts. com.

NFRN concern over Times and Guardian price hikes The NFRN has expressed further concern at a new round of price increases at the Guardian and The Times that will result in the percentage profit margins reducing at retail level.

NFRN National President Ralph Patel said: “Whilst these price increases will put some extra pennies into our members’ tills, the reality is that the percentage margin is being reduced on a fixed price product and this will lead members to further question why retailers are picking up the tab for an inefficient and monopolistic supply chain that is struggling to justify its online ventures.”

Patel warned that declining sales and increasing operating costs meant that the newspaper category was becoming less important to many retailers.

PayPoint launches Xbox digital vouchers PayPoint has added Xbox to its range of digital vouchers, allowing consumers to top

HEALTH Mars aims to create and promote healthier food choices

Mars Food reveals healthy ambition Mars Food has launched a new global ‘Health and Wellbeing Ambition’ to create and promote healthier food choices and to encourage consumers to cook and share healthier meals with others.

The Health and Wellbeing Ambition will roll-out over the next five years and will focus on five main areas: improving nutritional content; providing consumers with more nutrition information to help them make more balanced choices; inspiring consumers to cook and eat healthy meals with friends and family; exploring new formats and opportunities to offer products in more places at affordable prices; and providing Mars Food Associates opportunities to improve wellbeing through nutrition education, cooking facilities, and healthier food

options.

Fiona Dawson, Global President of Mars Food, Drinks, and Multisales, said: “As a busy mum myself, I know how tricky it can be to find healthy meals which everyone in the family will enjoy, and of course, they often need to be quick and easy to prepare.”

up their Xbox Live account or purchase credit as a gift.

Vouchers are available in values of £5, £10, £15 and £20, and can be purchased using cash.

Lewis Alcraft, Commercial Director at PayPoint said: “Digital vouchers are the perfect solution for consumers who either don’t have access to a debit or credit card or who simply prefer to pay in-store with cash.

“We are committed to working with the biggest and most popular consumer brands to help encourage customers through the doors of our retail partners.”

The addition of Xbox further bolsters PayPoint’s digital

SPORT

category which also currently

Landmark aims for summer sporting success

includes Skype, Spotify,

Landmark knows big sporting events mean big business for retailers and, with its latest promotion, it’s providing retailers with all they need for 2016’s summer of sports.

In addition to the usual annual big hitters like Wimbledon and the FA Cup, this year’s sporting calendar looks set to be dominated by the European Championships taking place this June.

Landmark Wholesale is providing retailers with all they need to give their customers the best sellers for a summer of sport with The Match, its latest promotion.

paysafecard.

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News.indd 7

PlayStation, Nintendo and Further brands will be added in coming months, enabling retailers to capitalise on the downloadable content and online entertainment trend.

MAY 2016 | SLR

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06/05/2016 17:29:18

News SUPPORT Costcutter

Grocery prices at record low Popular grocery items have dropped in price by as much as 40% compared with a year ago according to mySupermarket. co.uk. Research conducted by the shopping and comparison website also revealed the cost of a basket of 35 popular products has dropped in price again – costing £82.78 last month.

This is the lowest price recorded since the mySupermarket Groceries Tracker was launched in December 2014. In April last year the same basket cost £86.69.

Broccoli was 39% cheaper in April 2016 compared with April 2015, along with onions (18% drop), bananas (15% cheaper) and fresh peppers (16% drop).

‘Pop to One Stop’ Marketing Campaign launches One Stop has launched a new

Supermarkets Group has launched a new support package to help retailers drive sales

Costcutter launches new support package Costcutter Supermarkets Group has launched a new support package to help retailers drive sales and grow their businesses.

Created following a successful pilot programme last year, the ‘Your Sell More Toolkit’ gives retailers an easy to access selection of new tools and ideas they can adopt, each designed to increase footfall, enhance customer satisfaction and boost sales.

Launched to the Group’s 2,600 retailers this month and officially unveiled at Pro-Retail, the extensive toolkit focuses on four key activities to drive sales in store.

These are: More from your range, More from your store, More from your customers and More from your team.

From launch retailers will have access to new online training

packages to help them train their staff on key topics including health and safety, food hygiene and age restricted sales.

Other initiatives include new category advice packs for 36 core product categories, ‘Made Easy’ guides for key trading periods including summer and Euro 2016 and new entertainment packages to help retailers engage with their customers.

Daniel Quest, Retail Director for Costcutter Supermarkets Group, explained that the toolkit launches with some brand new initiatives to help retailers drive footfall and increase sales, including category guides, online training and social media support.

He continued: “It also simplifies and streamlines some of our most popular and most successful existing

support packages, to give our retailers much easier access to the tools that best suit their store and needs.

“We’ve designed every element of the toolkit to be quick to read, quick to implement and quick to benefit from.

“The toolkit will provide a continuous stream of support activity throughout the year with every initiative designed to make a positive difference.”

The Your Sell More Toolkit is accessed via the Group’s dedicated ActivHUB retailer portal and the programme will continue to grow with new initiatives launching throughout the year.

The initiative comes at a lull in the retail calendar when summer sales have not taken off yet.

marketing campaign ‘Pop to One Stop’ aimed at elevating its position in the fresh and chilled category and becoming the go-to local neighbourhood convenience store appealing across all occasions; inspiration for dinner tonight, topping-up on daily essentials and a saviour when a staple ingredient has run out.

The new campaign comes as the business continues to focus on the development of the food for later and food for now missions across their estate.

New growth for organic food sales in Scotland In the 52 weeks to 31 Jan 2016 Kantar Worldpanel has reported growth of 2.6% and around £52.6m spend on organic food and drink products in Scotland.

This comes at a good time for organics, with the Soil Association’s 2016 Organic Market Report showing steady growth of 4.9% across the UK. The UK’s organic market is now worth £1.95bn and the Soil Association is expecting this to break through the £2bn mark

NEWSPAPER Trinity Mirror title, the New Day closes down

The New Day closes down

Independent newsagents have expressed disappointment at the news that Trinity Mirror has ceased production of its New Day newspaper.

NFRN Chief Executive Paul Baxter said: “It was an extremely bold move for Trinity Mirror to launch a new national newspaper in such a challenging market place and we applauded the publisher for that.

That’s why our members were happy to lend their full support from day one.

“We completely understand that for Trinity Mirror it had to be a viable product and why it has taken this decision to close the title.”

The majority of the newspaper’s 25 staff will lose their jobs, with the remainder being absorbed by the Mirror newspaper.

The paper was launched in February and was said to be politically neutral and aimed at “timepoor” readers.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Britvic backs community causes Britvic has named charities The Wildlife Trusts and Sported as its new long-term community partners.

Each charity will benefit from a combination of corporate support, employee volunteering support and fundraising initiatives. In 2015, Britvic’s employees raised over £288,000 for a wide variety of charities, with previous corporate partner Cancer Research UK receiving £100,000 over a three year period.

Sported supports over 3,000 local sports groups across the UK and collectively, its members delivering over 100 different sporting activities to reach, engage and transform the lives of over 450,000 young people.

Funding and volunteer support from Britvic will help Sported extend its services to even more community groups, and support sporting opportunities for disadvantaged young people that are inclusive and accessible to all.

There are 47 individual Wildlife Trusts across the UK.

later this year.

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News SCOTTISH WHOLESALERS ASSOCIATION SWA workshop hailed as a success

SWA trains retailers to negotiate Q Nisa had a “positive” fourth quarter (14 weeks to 3rd April 2016), recording sales of £327.5m – a growth of 4.9% compared to the same period last year. The improved performance was aided by an improving offer along with an increasing number of new store openings. In Q4, Nisa recruited 111 new stores, including 41 in the symbol group and 70 across Independent & Specialist.

Q The Co-operative Group is proposing to cut political donations by a quarter in a move that could indicate a scaling back of support for the Co-operative party, a Labour-aligned political group that backs MPs, including the

An intensive residential workshop designed to help ambitious wholesalers adopt new skills and attitudes to help with their personal development as well as achieve their company’s commercial goals has been hailed a resounding success by delegates and the organisers.

The Scottish Wholesale Association sponsored seven individuals to participate in The Gap Partnership’s Complete Skilled Negotiator, a much-lauded threeand-a-half day programme which focuses on understanding the appropriate way to negotiate in any given circumstance and encourages different thought processes and behaviours.

This advanced training programme – known as GAP II – followed the trade association’s previous Essential Negotiator sessions in association

with The Gap Partnership. These workshops also looked at structure, process and behaviours but worked at building confidence as well as identifying an individual’s strengths and weaknesses.

Lloyd Barrett, client director of GAP, praised the Association for providing such a high level of training to its members: “The group made a quantum leap forward in their understanding and approach to planning as well as executing

the deals they do with all of them planning multiple initiatives they wanted to action as soon as they got back to work.

According to Sandie Holmes, principal consultant at the Association’s training partner, 121 HR Solutions, the delegates were “bowled over” by the experience and keen to put into practice the new skills they had learned and introduce different attitudes to their negotiations. “This was a seriously intensive workshop which continued at the end of each day as delegates were set ‘homework’ tasks,” she explained.

“Even though they had successfully completed the Essential Negotiator they were venturing into the unknown and it was great to see everyone rising to the challenge and thinking on their feet.”

shadow health minister, Luciana Berger. The Co-op board sought approval for political donations or subscriptions to be capped at £750,000 — down from the £1m approved last year.

Q The Scottish Government’s Retail Sales Index — published this month — shows that in the first quarter of 2016 the value of retail sales in Scotland nudged up 0.1%, after a decline in the final three months of last year. David

EPOS RMS Scotland hosts EPoS training day

Free EPoS training day for retailers RMS Scotland has attracted UK retailers to Selkirk for the free EPoS training day they are organising.

It takes place on Wednesday, May 18th at Ettrick Riverside business centre.

This free training day is specifically designed to give retailers the opportunity to understand how the unique functions of their EPoS till system can dramatically improve their company operations and profitability.

Today’s modern retailer with multiple shops and on-line stores face an increasing array of EPoS challenges that can have a large impact on the efficiency and all-important profitability of the business.

For retail business owners to receive the most out of their investment in their RMS EPoS management system they must have first class in-depth user training.

Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “The resumption of growth – albeit meagre – in the headline value of retail sales in the first quarter of this year is encouraging.”

Q Britain’s retailers have been hit by a sharp 1.3% drop in March sales as shoppers cut back on food and clothes in the latest sign that households are nervous about the economic outlook. The figures from The Office for National Statistics said that sales were up by 2.7% on the year, much lower than the forecasts for

ONLINE Amazon to launch fresh food delivery service

Amazon to deliver fresh food across UK A fresh food delivery service is reported to be launched by Amazon in the UK this month as the online retail giant continues to challenge ‘the big four’ supermarkets and convenience stores.

Supplier Bol told The Grocer magazine that Amazon Fresh would begin selling its chilled meals from May 18 in the UK. Amazon is reported to have been trailing deliveries across the capital from its depot in east London.

Amazon Fresh has been delivering perishable goods across the US since 2007, and the company extended its Amazon Pantry service for longer-life groceries and household products last November.

An Amazon spokesperson said the company did not comment on rumour and speculation.

The new service comes in the wake of Amazon signing a deal with Morrisons, allowing shoppers in the UK to buy fresh food through its website for the first time.

SYMBOL STORES

Spar launches new radio service A new Broadband radio service for retailers has been introduced by SPAR in a move to drive sales.

The new in-store SPAR Radio will bring listeners pop music, creative advertising, and seasonal or event themed content. It will also feature charity updates, ‘take over’ shows in partnership with suppliers, and the option for personalised content specific to areas or stores to better target local customers.

Laura McNally, SPAR UK Senior Marketing Manager said: “Basket spend has been growing healthily for some time, and this year, we are keen to focus on generating even better footfall.”

4.4% growth.

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News Extra

Grocery | Prices Fall

NewsExtra THE LATEST FROM E-CIGS AND EUTPD2 RESTRICTIONS – P16 SALES Grocery prices are now 40% cheaper than last year

Convenience Matters with the SGF Since at least the beginning of 2016 SGF has been lobbying against the Scottish government proposals to implement a Deposit Return System (DRS) for Scotland.

Although nothing has actually been put to the Cabinet yet, the government’s main environmental agency, Zero Waste Scotland, has been very busy commissioning various feasibility studies into DRS with the aim of making recommendations to Ministers.

Such systems are intended to boost recycling rates and reduce litter. However, in our view independent retailers simply do not have the space to cope with the anticipated high levels of returned containers: the reverse vending machines which are used in some countries are expensive to install and maintain; the machines themselves take up very valuable selling space in-store. We now know from the recently published SNP manifesto that they will give “further consideration” to the potential benefits of introducing DRS. No surprises there but what was perhaps surprising was the statement in the manifesto that if elected the SNP will bring forward a Circular Economy and Zero Waste Bill – the clear implication is that this could be the legislative vehicle for imposing a Deposit Return System. At our recent hustings event it was clear that one of the key issues was ‘cumulative impact’: the realisation that over a period of time the constant flow of legislation and compliance is making trading conditions and sustainability much more difficult. Where will it end? If DRS was to be implemented (and if we felt that politicians simply hadn’t listened) could this be the line in the sand where retailers said enough is enough?

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Price of groceries 40% cheaper than a year ago

Popular supermarket items have dropped in price by as much as 40% compared with a year ago according to mySupermarket.co.uk.

Research conducted by the shopping and comparison website also revealed the cost of a basket of 35 popular products has dropped in price again – costing £82.78 in April.

It’s set another lowest price record since the mySupermarket Groceries Tracker was launched in December 2014.

Broccoli was 39% cheaper in April 2016 compared with April 2015, along with onions (18% drop), bananas (15% cheaper) and fresh peppers (16% drop).

Prices are also down from the month

before with onions 12% cheaper than in March 2016, fresh peppers down 7% and both broccoli and deli bacon and ham 6% cheaper.

The only product to rise higher than a few percentage points compared with March was baked beans (up 4%).

Overall, shoppers are now 4.5% better off than they were a year ago – a significant figure according to mySupermarket’s Managing Director Kim Ludlow.

In April 2015 the same basket cost £86.69. mySupermarket’s Groceries Tracker monitors the cost of the same 35 most commonly bought grocery products on a monthly basis. www.slrmag.co.uk

06/05/2016 16:51:19

This communication is for the information of tobacco traders only. ÂŁ6.99 is the recommended retail price (RRP). Both price-marked packs and non price-marked packs are available. All on-shelf prices are selected by the retailer alone.

BY 2080 A CIT Y WILL BE BUILT ON THE MOON

UNBELIEVABLE?

Smoking kills

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Comment

DON’T LET THE E-CIGS OPPORTUNITY PASS YOU BY Big opportunities don’t come along in local retailing these days. Lots and lots of problems and challenges come our way, every week in life – but not big opportunities. Which is why I don’t feel too uncomfortable dedicating this leader column to what I see as a gilt-edged opportunity for local retailers: e-cigarettes.

Ever since we started seriously thinking about this new and fast growing category in our Woodlands Local store in Falkirk I’ve grown increasingly confident that this category could be the answer to at least some of our prayers for a category that potentially delivers the holy grail of high volume and high margin.

Margins at the minute are between 40% and 70% and yes, as time goes by, these will no doubt be eroded, but you have to admit that there’s a lot of room for erosion there and we would still be left with big margins. I also accept that it’s cash you take to the bank, not percentages, but most products in the category still retail for reasonable prices, even if it’s not quite the best part of a tenner that a packet of cigarettes now command.

The e-cigs retailer seminar that we hosted last month with blu and Imperial Tobacco confirmed in my mind that this category is going to play a massive role in our futures – but only if we are ready and willing to grasp it.

According to Nielsen the UK market is up 23% in the last year and they even go as far as to suggest that at some point in the next 20 years e-cigs sales will match those of tobacco. This is a huge category, and one that local retailers should own. EUTPD2 is likely to decimate the specialist vape shops and online sales, which only plays into our hands.

And for those of us with a conscience, there’s also the undeniable health benefits. The BHA has already declared that vaping is 95% safer than tobacco and an increasing body of research seems to suggest that the only truly questionable substance in well made e-liquids – nicotine – isn’t significantly dangerous in the quantities consumed by smokers.

There’s no denying it’s a complicated, fractured and confusing category – but we shouldn’t allow that to stop of us from understanding it, harnessing it and turning it into profit in our tills.

It’s our own fault if we don’t.

EDITORIAL Publishing Director Antony Begley 0141 222 5380 | abegley@55north.com Editoral Assistant Émer O’Toole 0141 222 5387 | eotoole@55north.com Web Editor Findlay Stein 0141 222 5389 | fstein@55north.com

ADVERTISING Advertising Manager Susan Dignon 0141 222 5384 | sdignon@55north.com Special Project Sales Manager Donald Stephenson 0141 222 5387 | dstephenson@55north.com

DESIGN Senior Designer Richard Chaudhry 0141 222 5300 | rchaudhry@55north.com Designer Lisa Deakin 0141 222 5388 | ldeakin@55north.com

CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS Events & Operations Manager Cara Begley 0141 222 5381 | cbegley@55north.com Events & Operations Assistant Chloe Buchanan 0141 222 5383 | cbuchanan@55north.com Scottish Local Retailer is distributed free to qualifying readers. For a registration card, call 0141 222 5381. Other readers may obtain copies by annual subscription at £50 (UK), £62 (Europe airmail), £99 (Worldwide airmail).

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

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

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

Scottish Local Retailer is produced monthly by 55 North Ltd.

ANTONY BEGLEY, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR © 55 North Ltd. 2016 ISSN 1740-2409.

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www.slrmag.co.uk

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25/04/2016 11:29

E-Cigs and EUTPD2

Cover Story

E-CIGS: THE NEXT BIG UNTAPPED OPPORTUNITY? The new EUTPD2 rules are set to make a huge impact on the local retailing industry, but for the burgeoning e-cigs category the new rules could present a massive new opportunity for retailers.

SLR hosted a seminar in Glasgow last month to examine that opportunity in detail.

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

SPEAKERS Mireille van Engelen, Blu

Jenni Roberts, Blu

Lindsay Keating, Imperial Tobacco

Natasha Kendall, Nielsen

W

hy aren’t retailers making more of the potentially enormous new e-cigarettes category?

Lucrative new opportunities like this don’t come along every day, especially with products almost tailor-made for the local retailing market, so why are so many retailers so reticent to really get behind the category?

That was the question that led SLR to host an interactive seminar for retailers last month that we hope will be the catalyst for far more of Scotland’s retailers to fully embrace a category that we believe could become one of the most important in independent retailing before very long. And we’re not alone. Research giants Nielsen estimate that at some point in the next 20 years e-cigarettes sales will match those of tobacco. Yes, the opportunity is potentially that big.

The event took place at Glasgow’s plush 200SVS venue and saw over 40 of Scotland’s top retailers gather to hear from our partners for the event, blu and Imperial Tobacco, as well as from Nielsen themselves. The seminar was the most comprehensive examination of the new category ever to take place in Scotland.

£15M Value of vaping in Scotland

22%

E-cig sales growth last year

150%

Growth of blu in last 12 months

DATES YOU NEED TO KNOW

CHAIRMAN Antony Begley, SLR

Q 20 May 2016 The introduction of advertising and promotion restrictions Q 20 Nov 2016 The production of all non-compliant stock must cease (affecting size, ingredients, consistency of dose and packaging with health warnings) Q 20 May 2017 The sale of non-compliant stock is no longer allowed

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SLR | MAY 2016

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Much of the reticence of retailers to really get behind e-cigarettes is clearly down to confusion surrounding the new EUTPD2 rules which come into force this month, although the real effects of the legislation won’t be felt by retailers until May 2017.

As such, the seminar was the perfect chance to clarify the rules and regulations for both e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco products – but the primary focus of the day was on examining the opportunities that the new regulations bring for retailers, and working out how to capitalise on them.

“Yes, EUTPD2 is going to bring challenges for retailers in Scotland but we firmly believe that the legislation will improve the quality of products available leading to increased consumer trust,” said Marc Michelson, SVP of Communications & Public Affairs at blu, one of a delegation who came over from blu’s head office in Amsterdam to attend the event.

DROPPED BALL The reality is that the local retailing trade has dropped the ball when it comes to e-cigarettes. The specialised vape shops and online retailers have been free to mop up the lion’s share of the market by engaging with customers, responding to their needs and delivering what they want. Meanwhile, local retailers look on from the sidelines with most either doing nothing or bringing in low quality product ranges and merchandising them poorly – then wrongly concluding that e-cigarettes “don’t really work in their store”.

And I include our own Woodlands Local store in that bracket. We were very late to the e-cigs party too but www.slrmag.co.uk

06/05/2016 09:54:46

E-Cigs and EUTPD2

Cover Story

“We believe the EUTPD2 Legislation will improve the quality of products available, leading to increased consumer trust.”

MARC MICHELSEN, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS, BLU

MAXIMISING SALES 1 Stock a strong range

THE SIZE OF THE OPPORTUNITY Q In the last two years the e-cigarette market has increased by 22% (Nielsen) Q There are now over two million adult smokers who use e-cigarettes (TNS Tracker) Q The retail sales value of e-cigarettes in the UK last year was almost £158m (Nielsen)

Q 2-3 of the top selling brands Q Stock the three key product types – disposables, rechargeables and tank kits.

Q Stock refills in a variety of flavours – tobacco, menthol, blueberry,etc Q Stock and actively sell accessories – clearomisers should be replaced every 2-4 weeks

2 Make your range visible Q Use counter top displays to enable consumers to see and interact with products Q Use back wall if counter space limited or for stock

3 Provide consumer product information to help them choose 4 Train staff to be able to guide shoppers to the right products and upsell 5 Promote slow selling lines to clear stock www.slrmag.co.uk

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06/05/2016 09:54:53

Cover Story

E-Cigs and EUTPD2

did finally begin to get our act together late last year when we worked with blu to create a comprehensive range of products and formats and present them well. We chose not to use the counter-top unit but instead used a full shelf behind the till to carry a complete range covering three of the top brands: blu, E-Lites and Vivid.

On the back of that activity, which we covered extensively in SLR, we received countless calls from retailers asking for advice on how to manage the category in their own stores. Most of them admitted to finding the category baffling. They told us there were too many products, formats, strengths and brands to get their heads around. It was clear that we needed to help proactive retailers get to grips with the category – and our response was to launch last month’s event.

EUTPD2 E-CIGS: KEY CHANGES & TIMELINE Under the new legislation the following rules will be in place from May 2017: Q E-cigarettes will be required to have health warnings covering 30% of the pack Q There will be a 10ml maximum volume for e-liquid bottles, and a 20mg/ml maximum concentration of nicotine in e-liquids Q E-liquids in cartridges and single-use devices will be subject to a 2ml maximum volume Q E-cigarettes that are granted a medical licence will be subject to different regulations Despite the new legislation however, retailers will still be able to: Q Continue to sell e-cigarettes and accessories Q Actively display e-cigarettes and accessories and these don’t need to be behind the counter Q Promote e-cigarettes and accessories Q Advertise in consumer and retail brochures Q Put up posters in and around their stores Q Have display units for products Q Advertise and sell on retailer websites

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ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW The general concept for the seminar was to provide retailers attending the event with everything they needed to know to enable them to return to their stores and implement a full e-cigarettes range, confident that the range would cover all shopper requirements.

The day began with an in-depth explanation of the various products and formats, given by blu Vice-President of Communications Mireille van Engelen who made it clear that the future of e-cigarettes lies in the ‘tank’ formats: tanks that can be refilled by the customer with e-liquids. Disposables and cartridge based systems still have a role to play but the future is all about tanks, and accompanying accessories such as clearomisers and chargers which can bring regular incremental sales.

Just as intriguing for the audience was the detailed market presentation given next by Natasha Kendall, UK Tobacco & Vaping Lead at Nielsen.

Natasha’s presentation went a long way to convincing all retailers in the room that the

potential in e-cigarettes is big. Very, very big.

Some of her key stats included the fact that the market is growing at 22% with the Scottish market alone already worth £15m. Scotland is also growing quicker than anywhere else in the UK. The vast majority of the market is now the so called ‘open’ tank-based systems and this is likely to continue to be the case.

The fastest growing flavours of e-liquid are now non-tobacco flavours with mint (up 22%), fruit (up 110%) and sweet (up 88%) the fastest growing flavour groups. Tobacco has grown only 7%, albeit from a much bigger base.

As for the major e-cigarette brands, only two are in growth: Vivid (up 42%) and blu (up 150%). It’s also clear from the Nielsen data that the growth in the category is coming from the established brands and not from NPD. Interestingly, some 72% of those using e-cigarettes consider themselves tobacco and e-cigarette ‘dualists’, so will buy from both categories.

MAXIMISING SALES With such huge potential, the key for retailers is in optimising in-store activity to grab the biggest slice of the new pie. Let’s not forget too that current margins are between 40% and 70% on e-cigarettes, the category is in strong growth and the likelihood is that many vape shops will close come May 2017.

When that day comes, vapers will be looking to buy their favourite products somewhere and convenience stores are the natural first choice. The question is whether or not local retailers will be ready when that opportunity comes knocking.

In the meantime, don’t forget that retailers can still sell actively display e-cigarettes and accessories anywhere in-store; they can still promote e-cigarettes and accessories anywhere in-store; and they can still advertise them in and around the store with posters, POS, merchandising units and more. www.slrmag.co.uk

06/05/2016 09:54:57

W E N

FULLY FLAVOURED FLAT CRISPS ® Registered Trade Mark.

AVAILABLE IN MULTIPACKS AND HANDYPACKS

6311 Thick Cut A4 trade ad (HP&MPs).indd 1

08/04/2016 10:07

News

Products

BISCUITS

Cadbury Animals relaunch Burton’s Biscuit Company is set to re-launch its £9.6m Cadbury Animals brand, with new pack designs, an improved biscuit recipe and its biggest ever on-pack promotion with Chessington World of Adventures Resort.

The new packs, rolling out from early May across Cadbury Animals and Cadbury Dinos, will feature updated artwork on inner packs, cases and shelf-ready packaging, an improved biscuit recipe featuring a stronger chocolate flavour and lighter textured biscuit, as well as new biscuit character shapes.

The brand is also teaming up with Chessington World of Adventures Resort for an on-site experiential campaign and on-pack promotion set to run on 6-packs of Cadbury Animals from April to October.

In addition to being able to claim a ‘Kids Go Free’ voucher on-pack until October, shoppers will be able to enter into a prize draw online (April to September) for the chance to win a VIP Family Adventure with an overnight stay at the Chessington Resort.

A playbook will also be available for download via the newly launched Cadbury Animals website (www. cadburyanimals.com) featuring games, jokes and facts.

Mandy Bobrowski, UK & Ireland Marketing Director at Burton’s Biscuit Company, said: “This is an exciting time for Cadbury Animals, and the first time in 10 years that the brand has undergone a re-launch of this size and scale. Our partnership with Chessington World of Adventures Resort is our biggest ever on-pack promotion for Cadbury Animals.”

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ProductNews THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE DRINKS WORLD – P22

Hop House 13 LAGER In the latest move from Guinness’ The Brewers Project, a new campaign has been launched for Hop House 13

Guinness is rolling out a new ATL campaign for Hop House 13, the latest innovation from The Brewers Project. The new seven figure campaign will see the first TV advert for Hop House 13 air in the UK, designed to build excitement and awareness around the innovation.

Hop House 13 is a premiumcrafted lager brewed with Guinness yeast, Irish barley and the best of hops from both Australia and USA. Following a successful launch in Ireland last year, Hop House 13 is now available on draught in over 1,000 premium on trade outlets in GB including Greene King, Stonegate and Novus Leisure outlets in the on-trade, and throughout the off-trade.

The ATL campaign has been designed to drive awareness of the launch and showcase the quality and craftsmanship of Hop House 13. It will see the first TV ad to run in GB for Hop House

13, which will run for five weeks.

The film traces the journey of Hop House 13 Lager from its creation in the pilot brewery at St James Gate, Dublin to celebrating people’s first sip of this delicious lager in Hop Store 13 – the historic building which inspired the name of the new lager.

The TV ad will be supported with added amplification on YouTube to maximise consumer reach, as well as utilising social media platforms to showcase Hop House 13 as an accessible option

for consumers looking to explore the growing beer category.

Stephen O’Kelly, Marketing Director at Guinness, said: “The launch of Hop House 13 and our supporting campaign is positioned to help licensees maximise the opportunity and drive incremental sales as a result.

The Guinness endorsement also enables licensees to tap into the strength of 256 years of brewing passion and heritage whilst making the most of a name that’s trusted by 94% of consumers.”

ALE

Tanning room only Former footballer Robbie has stripped down and sprayed up to drive awareness of John Smith’s Golden Ale. To celebrate the launch of its first new beer in 22 years, the brand opened the John Smith’s Golden Tanning Pub. The pop-up offered men a chance to sample the new brew whilst receiving a gold spray tan.

The activity also marked the start of a four-week-long advertising campaign, that covers 1,000 sites nationwide.

www.slrmag.co.uk

06/05/2016 18:42:53

PREPARE TO OBEY THE

MOUTHS OF THE NATION

No.1 supplier of chocolate singles in the market*

*Nielsen UK Total Coverage MAT TY 23.1.2016, Mondelez Single Eat

1 million Cadbury singles sold every day*

TV advertising reaching 98% of 16-34 year olds

News

Off-Trade

Off-TradeNews FIND OUT THE ROLE ALCOHOL PLAYS IN EURO 2016 SALES ON P64 CIDER Magners launches new campaign set to shake up the apple cider category

Maxxium reveals new premium Jim Beam expression Beam Suntory has released new premium expression Jim Beam Double Oak, which Maxxium will introduce to the UK this month. A permanent addition to Maxxium’s portfolio, Jim Beam Double Oak is a new take on Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

Pimm’s extends Cider Cup range Pimm’s has introduced three new flavours to its Cider Cup

Magners’ new cider campaign Magners is set to rejuvenate the drinks market once again as it introduces a new campaign to shake up the apple cider category.

The Magners bottle will be relaunched this month, along with new packaging across all cans and draught formats. To further drive excitement, Magners will also be the first major cider brand to use an innovative rip top closure, negating the need for a bottle opener and therefore helping support impulse purchases across the growing convenience channel.

Magners’ research shows that consumers are suffering from flavour fatigue in the cider market. Apple still accounts for 76 per cent of the cider category – but research has shown young adults find the category boring.

Andy Cross, Brand Director at Magners, said: “We want to make apple cider exciting again by bringing a new attitude and tone of voice that will invigorate the category once more.

“We know that Magners is still loved by consumers but we also know they have been enticed into new brands and flavours in recent years. This campaign is about reminding them Magners is still the original through our new campaign, ‘Hold True.’

We’re investing heavily in the Magners brand with our new creative and innovative packaging and we can’t wait to see what consumers think.”

Magners has also announced a four year extension of its partnership with Celtic Football Club.

range – Summer Fruits, Mango & WINE

Passionfruit and Plum

BEER

& Red Apple. The new variants

Black Wolf Brewery installs new bottling line

Campo Viejo moves out of the red

A £200,000 investment has financed the installation of a new state of the art bottling line and packaging facility in Black Wolf Brewery.

The new facility has the capacity to bottle all of Black Wolf’s beers, and will be used to contract bottle for other small- to medium-sized brewers and drinks manufacturers. The line will be in place later this month.

The new bottling line will enable beer and other products to retain the highest quality during the bottling process. Bottling at Black Wolf Brewery will be carried out under stringent hygiene conditions, and the beer will be sterilised using micro filters to ensure the flavours created in the brewing process are maintained.

The line will be able to bottle small to medium quantities of beer, and use different packaging sizes and formats, giving the brewery much greater flexibility in the range of beers which can be produced and bottled.

There are also environmental benefits of the investment as it will reduce the carbon footprint of the brewery significantly, by cutting out all of the transport of Black Wolf beer to other bottlers, and it will use less energy because there will be no need to pasteurise the beer.

The project is going ahead thanks to the assistance of a £45,000 grant from Scottish Enterprise.

Andrew Richardson, a Director of Black Wolf Brewery, said: “This is a big investment for us which will give us far greater flexibility so that we can produce different speciality beers.”

Rioja brand Campo Viejo is introducing its first ever ViuraTempranillo Blanco, launching exclusively in the UK. The new white wine will be available to the impulse and convenience channels at an rrp of £9.35.

Carlotta Colkin, Campo Viejo Senior Brand Manager at Pernod Ricard UK, said: “This is a huge step forward for the brand. We know that consumers trust Campo Viejo as we already have the number one Spanish red wine brand in the UK, and will be aiming to replicate that success on the white wine fixture too.”

The new blend will be amplified in-store with a tailored suite of in-store POS to drive awareness.

follow the successful launch of Pimm’s Cider Cup Strawberry & Cucumber in June last year.

Buds Twist-Offs Budweiser has become the first major beer brand in the UK to introduce twist-off bottle caps.

Twist-offs have been a feature of Budweiser’s American offering for decades, and research in the UK has revealed a strong consumer appetite for the serving benefits twist-offs provide.

Orkney craft distillery Plans for an Orkney craft distillery have been revealed.

Stephen and Aly Kemp from Kirkwall are seeking planning permission to build a distillery, visitor centre and shop. The distillery will produce the Kemps’ own variety of gin – Kirkjuvagr – which has been in development over the past few months.

Production of Kirkjuvagr Gin will initially be carried out on mainland Scotland.

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www.slrmag.co.uk

06/05/2016 16:49:50

Off-Trade

News

WINE Cairn O’Mohr wins big at BBC Food & Farming Awards

Cairn O’Mohr’s award success Perthshire-based berry wine producer Cairn O’Mohr is toasting it’s recent success at The BBC’s annual Food & Farming Awards.

Cairn O’Mohr, with it’s portfolio of small-batch berry wines, saw off competition from over 400 producers, and was the only Scottish company represented in the final trio in the ‘Best Drinks’ category.

The awards, established in 2000, celebrate the finest in small-scale food and drinks production and farming across the British Isles. The drinks category included entrants spanning pioneering brewers and cider-makers, to distillers and winemakers.

The awards ceremony, held in Bristol on Thursday 28th April, brought together finalists from across the UK. The event, hosted by BBC Radio 4 Food

Programme presenter, Sheila Dillon, was held in a marquee in front of Bristol City Hall, as part of the Bristol Food Festival.

Identifying a growing market for berry wines, husband and wife team Ron & Judith Gillies established their winery in 1987. Cairn O’Mohr produces a range of still and sparkling wines using locally-sourced fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, brambles and elderberry.

On reaching the finals, co-owner Ron Gillies said: “We are delighted to have made it into the final trio for this year’s awards. We were in great company of such a wide group of dedicated drinks producers from across the UK. It’s an honour to represent Scotland, with Perthshire renowned worldwide for its fruit crops”.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival teams up with Caledonia Brewery The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is teaming up with Edinburgh’s Caledonian Brewery in a new three-year sponsorship deal that will help thousands of visitors navigate their way across Edinburgh during the annual Fringe Festival.

Win a trip to the Australian Open with Jacob’s Creek Jacob’s Creek is offering wine lovers a chance to win a trip to the Australian Tennis Open 2017.

The winner will also meet Novak Djokovic and visit the Jacob’s Creek vineyard. Running for six months from now, special neck

LAGER Heineken launches a new campaign accross its Kronenbourg brand

Kronenbourg’s Alsace-tians Rekorderlig launches CIDER

new cider cocktails

Heineken is demonstrating the supreme taste credentials of its premium lager brand Kronenbourg 1664 with a new integrated campaign starring Eric Cantona, following his memorable turn in last year’s #LeBigSwim campaign.

The campaign kicked-off this month with a 60-second TV advert premiere on C4. As well as starring in the commercials Cantona will be appearing on new limited edition packaging of Kronenbourg 1664.

In celebration of the new ‘Alsace-tians’ activity, Kronenbourg 1664 opened the ‘Bar D’Alsace-tian’; the world’s first bar staffed entirely by dogs on 6th May. The four-legged staff of professionally trained Alsatians wore customised dog harnesses with a miniature wooden barrel mounted at the front to deliver a Taste Suprême of Kronenbourg 1664 directly to customers at their tables.

Ifeoma Dozie, Beer Brand Director at Heineken said: “We’re delighted to bring Kronenbourg fans a new chapter in the tale of a Taste Suprême, and once again featuring the inimitable brand ambassador Eric Cantona. The Alsace-tians and ‘Bar D’Alsace-tian’ take the Kronenbourg story in a completely new direction – demonstrating in a brilliantly creative way the personality, premiumness and supreme taste credentials of Kronenbourg 1664.” www.slrmag.co.uk

Off Trade.indd 23

A new range of Rekorderlig Cider Cocktails has been launched, available in packs of 12 x slim 250ml cans in the wholesale channel.

Rekorderlig will launch three new cocktail variants combining Rekorderlig Cider with spirits and other fruity ingredients. The new cocktail range will be the first of its kind in the category and will occupy a unique position in the sector offering a truly modern, premium cider cocktail. With a 5.5% ABV, the new range showcases the versatility of Rekorderlig Cider and is set to support cider fans in their flavour journey.

Market research suggests that the introduction of Rekorderlig Cider Cocktails will add a new dimension to the category. The range is set to appeal to a more premium driven consumer than existing products on the market, offering Rekorderlig Cocktails an opportunity to command a unique position in the sector.

tags will be featured on selected Classic bottles until the end of September.

Super Bock comes to UK Portugal’s leading beer brand, Super Bock will launch in the UK. The brand has won major listings with supermarkets, as well as with major, wholesale, convenience and cash & carry retailers. Owned by Unicer, the largest beverages company in Portugal, Super Bock has grown to become the best-selling Portuguese beer in the world since its first brew in 1927.

MAY 2016 | SLR

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06/05/2016 16:49:51

Inside Business

SGF | Retail Crime

PUSHING RETAIL UP THE POLITICAL AGENDA

SGF’s recent hustings event attracted a top class panel of speakers from all the main political parties which included Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Conservative economy spokesman Murdo Fraser.

T

here’s no question that for the Scottish local retailing industry to achieve its full potential in future, it must have its voice heard at the highest levels. Much of the responsibility for forcing local retailing up the political agenda lies with the Scottish Grocers’ Federation and in recent time the Federation has done an impressive job of driving awareness of the industry’s position and challenges among the top politicians in Scotland.

The latest evidence of this was last month’s hustings event held in Edinburgh which attracted a top class panel of speakers from all the main political parties which included Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Conservative economy spokesman Murdo Fraser. The event also saw the launch of the SGF manifesto for Holyrood 2016.

A key area of focus for SGF in 2016 has been retail crime: in February the Federation published its first retail crime report and standards charter for safer businesses.

The report showed that almost a quarter of convenience stores experience violence and abuse on a daily basis. This – and several recent cases of shocking violence against retailers – has led the Federation to call for shop workers to be given the same legal protection as emergency workers. The 24

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SLR | MAY 2016

Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act of 2005 made it a specific offence to hinder, obstruct or assault someone in the provision of an emergency service. An attempt in the Scottish Parliament to extend this to shop workers was defeated in 2010.

During some forceful questioning on this issue, John Swinney indicated that a new SNP government would be willing to consider further legal protections for shop workers.

Jeremy Purvis for the Liberal Democrats admitted that, while he had not supported the attempt to bring this forward in 2005, six years on he now thought the time was right to reconsider the issue. Murdo Fraser stated that, because of the evidence from SGF, the new Parliament should look again at retail crime. Speaking on behalf of Scottish Labour, Daniel Johnston said that as a retailer himself he knew how serious this issue was, and that he would support legislation to protect shop workers.

SGF Chief Executive Pete Cheema commented: “We very much welcome the consensus that has emerged from our hustings event about the importance of retail crime and the need to look at the most effective ways in which we can protect shop workers. The cross party support we have seen here will be vital in ensuring we get the legislation retailers need”. www.slrmag.co.uk

05/05/2016 12:39:40

Retail Crime | SGF

www.slrmag.co.uk

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Inside Business

MAY 2016 | SLR

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05/05/2016 12:39:53

Inside Business

2 Minutes | Susan Nash

Susan Nash With the continued popularity of hanging bags, the hugely important chocolate singles market arguably hasn’t been receiving the attention it deserves – but that’s set to change with a new £6m campaign from Cadbury.

WHY IS CADBURY COMMITTING SUCH A BIG SPEND TO THE CHOCOLATE SINGLES MARKET?

FACTFILE Susan Nash is Trade Communications Manager at Mondelez International, owner of the Cadbury brand.

Quite simply, chocolate singles is the most impulsive confectionery category of all and we feel that as the number one supplier in the UK we have a responsibility to drive that category for retailers. We see a massive opportunity for retailers in Scotland to grow the category and deliver extra sales. That’s why we’re spending £6m in marketing on our Obey Your Mouth campaign to develop the category. To put that in context, this campaign is as big as the campaign that went on around the Olympics in terms of in-store activation and particularly POS.

WITH THE MASSIVE GROWTH OF HANGING BAGS, IS IT TIME THAT A LITTLE MORE FOCUS WAS SHIFTED ONTO THE HIGH MARGIN SINGLES CATEGORY? Hanging bags have been important for the wider confectionery category but we have a long term commitment to driving category growth in the core chocolate singles category. That’s why we have created this three-year plan which will bring more shoppers into the category and increase purchase frequency across Scotland and the rest of the UK.

TELL US MORE ABOUT THE OBEY YOUR MOUTH CAMPAIGN It’s a multi-channel campaign that’s aimed at two distinct audiences: 16s to 24s, and over 25s. We see these two groups as representing two very significant opportunities for retailers. The younger audience, the Generation X as they are known, have only ever known a world with Google in it – they don’t remember the iconic ads that we produced for brands like Crunchie. We want to bring that generation into the category. Meanwhile, we also want to appeal to our core audience of over 25s and remind them of everything they love about chocolate singles.

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HOW WILL THE CAMPAIGN ROLL OUT? We are taking a mission-based approach to the campaign, essentially. The huge growth of the On The Go mission represents a massive opportunity for retailers because chocolate singles don’t feature in the typical On The Go basket as often as they could or should.

ARE RETAILERS MISSING OUT ON ON THE GO SALES THEN? We believe so. There’s lots of pastries and buns being sold as part of On The Go missions, but we haven’t succeeded as an industry yet in getting chocolate singles to feature as prominently in those missions as they could. Chocolate singles are so impulsive and shoppers’ tastes and choices change in the moment, so we see a huge untapped market for retailers if they can get chocolate singles in front of shoppers at the point of purchase during an On The Go shopping mission.

WHICH BRANDS WILL YOU BE FOCUSING ON? The ‘hero’ brand for each period of the three-year campaign will rotate, but we will be featuring Crunchie, Twirl, Wispa, Double Decker and Boost. There will be Crunchie TV ads for the first time in 16 years this month and we’ll be supporting that with outdoor, in-store, POS and PR activity.

SO WILL WE BE THANKING CRUNCHIE IT’S FRIDAY AGAIN? That would be telling…

HOW DO RETAILERS CASH IN? It’s simple, really. Just make sure that you get chocolate singles in front of the shopper when they are in your store on an On The Go shopping mission. Use the free POS and the strength and impulsivity of the brands will do the rest. www.slrmag.co.uk

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SLR REWARDS 2ND JUNE GRAND CENTRAL, GLASGOW

WHO’S HEADING TO ATLANTA, GEORGIA? This year’s Scottish Local Retailer of the Year will win a trip to the NACS Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in October.

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www.slrmag.co.uk

06/05/2016 18:29:36

SLR REWARDS

2ND JUNE GRAND CENTRAL, GLASGOW

IT’S NEARLY

PARTY TIME!

It’s been a long and tiring journey for everyone involved, but the SLR Rewards 2016 are almost upon us! We know how hard retailers work to put their entries together; we know how hard they work to have their stores in such great condition too. We also know how hard our judging panels work, firstly in sifting through hundreds of paper entries to create shortlists, and secondly to physically drive to literally every single shortlisted store for a visit.

In total the judging panel, headed this year by SLR Publisher Antony Begley and Editorial Consultant Karen Peattie, covered more than 3,500 miles in under a month!

That’s a lot of miles, but it was worth every one of them to see some truly amazing stores in a year that has been characterised by fantastic creativity and innovation from retailers all across Scotland.

But the time is almost upon us to announce who this year’s winners will be – and what brilliant Rewards they will all be picking up for their efforts. Remember, SLR Rewards is the only awards programme in the UK convenience retailing industry to offer valuable Rewards to every single category winner. We are quite simply the most Rewarding programme in the business.

The event is now almost fully sold out – but we have just a few places left so if you are still interested in coming along and haven’t secured a seat yet, then give our Events Manager Cara a call on 0141 222 5381 or email her at cbegley@55north.com.

OUR ON THE ROAD HEROES SLR would like to thank all of the Sponsors who joined Antony and Karen on the road this year as they visited every single store on the shortlist, from Orkney to the Borders, from Benbecula to Inverurie.

The SLR Rewards simply wouldn’t be the same without our store visits so a huge thank you must go to:

Q Harry Bennet, UBUK Q Gavin Ingram, Kellogg’s (Pringles) Q Stevie Ramage, AG Barr Q David Dick, CCE Q Naomi Hassall, Maxxium UK Q Wallace McGown, Muller Milk & Ingredients Q Nick Preater, PayPoint Q Brian Condie, Wrigley Q Jenni Roberts, blu Q Scott McCulloch, News Scotland

WWW.SLRAWARDS.COM www.slrmag.co.uk

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Q Katy Watt, Heineken UK

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WOODLANDSlocal

Inside Business

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Woodlands Local | Monthly Update

MOMENTUM BEGINS TO GATHER FOR THE REWARDS CLUB

Our hard work over several months in trying various methods to entice our customers to join the Woodlands Local Rewards Club is paying off as membership tops the 100 mark and is growing faster than ever.

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

I

t was clear to us on day one that the biggest challenge of implementing our shopper engagement system at Woodlands Local would be the simple challenge of getting our customers to sign up for membership. We knew that fine well, but the challenge turned out to be even more daunting that we had anticipated.

But after several months of making the sign up process simpler and easier for all, we have finally struck on a reliable solution. Or, to be fair, Melissa in the store struck upon the solution and, within a week, added 20 new customers and is confident of adding dozens more in coming weeks.

The whole point of the system is to capture customer transactional data and send out personalised messaging – but that is only possible when we have a significant body of members.

With over 100 now, we are doing well. We calculate that we have around 850 ‘very regular’ customers so we are beginning to make a decent dent in that number and are aiming to hit 200 in the next month or two.

COMMS PROGRAMME Despite the fact we have low member numbers we have started our programme of generic communications, sending special offers and deals to members. We are achieving huge open rates – over 60%, which is enormous compared to industry averages of way below 10% – so we know that the messages are being well received.

And we’re also starting to see very significant numbers of Member transactions in-store now.

Members clearly understand the value of being in the club and are keen to take advantage. All we have to do is share that message and we should see membership numbers grow increasingly quickly.

HEALTHY ENDEAVOURS REWARDED Woodlands Local’s efforts to ensure its customers have healthier options in-store was rewarded last month when the store was awarded with a special commendation by Healthy Living Scotland.

Gerry and Melissa are pictured proudly holding the award.

www.slrmag.co.uk

06/05/2016 17:14:31

Woodlands Picks | Woodlands Local

Inside Business

WOODLANDS PICKS

In a brand new initiative from SLR’s own store, we will be trialling the latest products on the market to give local retailers an indication of how the biggest product launches can be marketed in store. Here’s Woodlands pick of the best products on shelf at the moment.

What? Hellman’s BBQ and Hot Sauces Why? Hellman’s new range of sauces is set to reinvigorate the UK dressings market just in time for barbeque season.

Marketing support: The £10m campaign ‘Grilltopia’ will break in May, with activity planned across TV, digital, OOH and PR. RRP: £1.69 – £1.89 Woodlands thought: Each of the new sauces offer something completely unique, introducing a global palate of flavours sourced from around the world, including Jamaican Habanero, and Japanese Sticky Grill. Exciting flavours always go down well with our customers.

What? Calvé Peanut Butter Why? The Peanut Butters are produced by Unilever and enjoy a loyal market in the Netherlands, where the brand has 98% grocery store penetration and is a household name.

Marketing support: The Calvé brand will be supported by public relations and social media campaigns during its launch in the UK and Ireland.

RRP: £2.35 smooth; £2.45 for the Crunchy and Light varieties.

Woodlands thought: With the UK peanut butter market worth in excess of £65m and growing, it seems only right to offer more than one choice to the customer.

What? Chocolate Covered Millions Why? This new launch adds more choice to the lucrative sugared confectionary category. Available in single bags, the product is great for a till point impulse item.

Marketing support: Social media RRP: 60p Woodlands thought: The Millions range is already a great seller in the shop, so this extension is great news as it gives us even more choice for our hungry customers.

What? Stoats Porridge Sachets and Rustic Scottish Oat Muesli Why? According to belVita research, one in three people in the UK are regularly skipping breakfast, so it is worth selling quick to make breakfast products to attract on the go consumers.

Marketing support: The launch is supported with PR activity.

RRP: Original Porridge Sachets- £2.39; Cranachan Porridge Sachets and Hedgerow Fruit Porridge Sachets- £2.99; Rustic Scottish Oat Muesli- £3.99.

Woodlands thought: With the recent drive for healthier food options in c-stores, these porridge sachets and muesli will be popular with on the go customers looking for healthy breakfast options.

What? Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Why? The consumer trend for convenient healthy meals continues to grow in importance. According to Kantar, over 11 million people in UK UK are watching what they eat and one in five people are looking for a healthier frozen ready meal and this product meets this demand.

Marketing support: The launch is supported with marketing and PR activity.

RRP: £1.99 Woodlands thought: With the recent rise in American foods in the UK, this is set to sell well in c-stores.

What? Captain America Cheestrings Why? Following its Star Wars partnership, Cheestrings is teaming up with Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War to continue its battle for supremacy in the growing £208m cheese snacking category, and retailers are advised to stock up ahead of demand.

Marketing support: Kerry Foods will support the promotion with a £1m integrated campaign, including TV, for four weeks from 26th April, and in store activation.

RRP: £1.50 Woodlands thought: Consumers increasingly looking for on the go snacks, or snacks for lunchboxes and cheesestrings will fulfil this demand.

www.slrmag.co.uk

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Hotlines

Product News & Media Watch

Capri-Sun Mango Passionfruit Coca-Cola Enterprises A new 330ml Mango Passionfruit variant and a new pack design have been launched by CapriSun to attract more young adults to the brand. Capri-Sun is also encouraging consumers to ‘Sqeeze the Day’ with an on-pack promotion where they submit their own bucket list entry online. The brand will also be the Official Drink Partner of the Colour Run this summer.

Refreshers Sour Apple chew bar Swizzels The Refreshers range has been expanded to include a tangy Sour Apple flavour chew bar. The new variant is a vibrant green colour and has a “zingy flavour with a fun fizzy sherbet centre.” It joins Swizzels’ two other Refreshers flavours, Original Lemon and Strawberry, first launched nearly 60 years ago. The Refreshers range comprises the top selling chew bars in the market.

New-look nuts KP KP Nuts is looking to boost category growth with a packaging upgrade and new look. The new design offers upgraded packaging, with the golden rays that surround the KP logo enhanced to give stronger stand out on shelf. In a response to demand, a re-close label on larger packs (270g and 450g) has also been introduced. The brand has launched its Chilli flavour in a new 50g pack and introduced a £1 PMP range, available across its Original Salted, Dry Roasted, Salt & Vinegar and Chilli variants.

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Rustle up more food-to-go sales with Kepak Kepak Convenience Foods has launched a new, Rustlersbranded hot food-to-go unit.

The pre-programmed unit, complete with condiment tray, waste bin, large prep space with a wipe-clean surface and small footprint to maximise floor space, retails at £550 plus VAT. The microwave-only option retails at £140 plus VAT. “We’re confident that the Rustlers hot food-to-go unit, which can be used to heat any microwaveable product, will be a focal point in-store.

It will enable retailers to offer hot food-to-go products 24 hours a day without any of the operational and staffing costs associated with a hot food counter,” said Kepak Convenience Foods’ Channel Director Angela Daulby.

Research has suggested that one in four shoppers would pay more for lunch if hot food was available and that one of the key improvements shoppers want from lunch-to-go is more hot

Quick Chips McCain McCain Micro Chips has a new name – McCain Quick Chips – and an updated pack design. This moves the product’s focus away from the microwave and towards its offering as a quick-cooking, quality product. McCain Marketing Director, Mark Hodge, explained: “In an increasingly hectic society, consumers want food solutions with short cooking times, and the product’s new name McCain Quick Chips really highlights that benefit.”

food options.

Kepak recommends siting the unit close to the front of store chiller cabinet or with other drinks/food-to-go facilities, which signposts a dedicated food-togo area in-store. It also enables retailers to offer hot food-to-go as part of a soft drink meal deal, or with a hot drink if stores offer them, driving traffic into store at peak times such as lunch.

Both the complete Rustlers hot food-to-go unit and microwave come with free POS and shelf trays.

“In trials, retailers have recorded sales uplifts of up to 200% soon after installation, with payback from just four months. It shows that the easyto-use Rustlers hot food-to-go unit works very hard in the relatively small amount of floor space that it occupies,” added Daulby.

Orders can be placed by phoning Kepak on 01772 688300 or emailing microwaves@kepak.com

Mushroom and Lamb Stock Pots Knorr

Knorr has extended its range of Stock Pots to include two new flavours: Mushroom and Lamb. The new variants are gluten-free and will be supported by a £1.5m marketing investment. With vegetarianism on the rise, the new Mushroom Stock Pot will provide an additional option to traditional vegetable flavoured Stock Pots and cater to the ever increasing number of vegan and vegetarian shoppers.

£1 PMP Robinsons Britvic Soft Drinks is launching a limited edition new PMP for its squash, Robinsons.

Launched specifically with independent retailers in mind, Robinsons 1L single concentrate is available at £1 through the wholesale channel while stocks last. The PMP is available across a wide variety of flavours including Orange; Apple & Blackcurrant; Summer Fruits; Pineapple; Mango & Passion Fruit; and Orange & Pineapple, the newest addition to the PMP format.

www.slrmag.co.uk

05/05/2016 12:42:51

Product News & Media Watch Cake twin packs Premier Foods

Limited edition royal packs Unilever

Premier Foods is investing in the ‘On the Go’ cake sector with the launch of brand new pack formats and a dedicated 10-strong Cake on the Go team to drive new growth opportunities for its Mr Kipling and Cadbury Cake brands. The new Cake on the Go range is available now across all channels and includes Mr Kipling twin pack slices in three best-selling flavours; Angel, Chocolate and Lemon Layered.

Limited edition summer muffin Aryzta Food Solutions

To mark the Queen’s 90th birthday, Unilever has launched limited edition packs for Persil and Stork.

Available across Persil’s Small & Mighty range of liquids, the Persil LEPs feature a gold label with a crown image incorporated into the design. The packs will also carry a golden dosing ball to add a touch of royal class to the bestselling laundry variant.

Easy Choc Milk Chocolate and Easy Ice Dr. Oetker

Aryzta is launching a limited edition CDF Strawberry & Cream Muffin. The new product, available from June (rrp £1.09), is a light, strawberry-flavoured muffin with white chocolate chunks, real pieces of strawberry and a creamy vanilla frosting. The Strawberry & Cream Muffin ships in cases of 30 and will be supported with POS.

Dr. Oetker Baking has cooked up two new product ranges which it hopes will cause a stir in the Home Baking category. Dr. Oetker Easy Choc Milk Chocolate (150g, rrp £1.79) is described as being “ideal for no hassle baking with kids” and melts in the microwave. Similarly, Dr. Oetker Easy Ice (100g, rrp 79p) is the only ready to use glace icing on the market and offers bakers a simple and versatile finish.

MEDIAwatch

Hotlines



Dreamies launches ripping new campaign Mars Petcare brand Dreamies has launched a new campaign called Pack attack to showcase photos and videos of destroyed packs of cat treats. Bizarre as this sounds, the internet is awash with content uploaded by cat owners showing their pets going to extreme lengths to get their paws on the odd snack or two.

Foster’s taken to the cleaners with new ad Heineken has released a new advert for Foster’s, ahead of an on-pack promotion. The ad tells the story of a young man who works in a drycleaners while trying to decide what to do with his life, and aims to raise awareness amongst Foster’s target audience ahead of the busy summer trading period.

New One Stop campaign pops up One Stop has launched a new marketing campaign ‘Pop to One Stop’, aimed at elevating its position in the fresh and chilled category. This is One Stop’s biggest-ever marketing campaign, supported by a yearlong communications plan across multiple channels including social, in store POS and print material.

Cif cleaning up with on-pack promo Peri Peri Beanz and Smokey Bacon Beanz Kraft Heinz

Convenience-only tubs Häagen-Dazs

Two new varieties have been added to the Heinz Flavoured Beanz range, which is now worth £9m. Peri Peri Beanz and Smokey Bacon Beanz will join existing flavours BBQ, Curry and Fiery Chilli. The Peri Peri pack features chilli, garlic and lemon as the traditional ingredients of this popular seasoning. The product also contains peri peri chilli flakes for added bite.

Luxury ice cream brand HäagenDazs has launched a new range of 300ml tubs across its bestselling flavours exclusively to the convenience channel. Rolling out as a £3.50 PMP, the new 300ml range is available in Vanilla, Strawberry Cheesecake, Cookies & Cream and Salted Caramel variants.

Cif is launching ‘The Before and After’ Project – a social mission to help celebrate and renovate community spaces. The mission will be supported by digital, experiential and social activity, as well as an on-pack promotion instore. From May to July, Cif will also be giving shoppers the chance to win a pair of tickets to climb the O2 Arena.

Another crackin’ duet from Jacob’s Jacob’s has turned to the world of reality TV for the latest instalment of its Crackin’ Duets campaign, which sees Mark-Francis Vandelli and James ‘Arg’ Argent engage in a lip sync battle at the United Biscuits factory in Harlesden. The Made in Chelsea and The Only Way Is Essex stars mimed to classic dance tune ‘Ride on Time’ by Black Box.

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

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Feature

Fascia & Franchise

Listen to the

Symbols

The symbol sector is growing in spite — or perhaps because of — the continuing migration of supermarkets into the increasingly valuable symbol space. In Scotland, sales in symbol stores were up 3.9% last year, compared to just 0.5% in unaffiliated stores.

C

onvenience stores are well-placed to facilitate the rise of the ‘little and often’ shopping mission, and there is no doubt that the increase in symbol groups has led to increased sales across the convenience sector.

For retailers who are currently unaffiliated, there are massive benefits to joining a symbol group, and likewise, for retailers who are currently with one group, there has never been a better time to shop around.

The most recent IGD figures show that there are 15,173 symbol stores in the UK, up 1.6% on the previous year, while unaffiliated stores are -0.7% to 15,173. While the discounters grow market share and supermarkets expand into the convenience space, independent retailers are becoming more reliant on their wholesalers and the symbol offerings they provide.

This guide to what fascias and franchise operations have to offer is an ideal introduction to what is out there — and for retailers looking to join a symbol group, the next dozen pages will provide you with a brief overview of what is available from many of the major groups.

According to the 2015 Local Shop Report, there are 5,602 convenience stores in Scotland, with annual sales in excess of £3.7bn. Scotland has more shops per head than any other part of the UK with one shop for every 946 people. The vast majority of shops in the convenience sector are owned and operated by small business owners

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BY ÉMER O’TOOLE

or ‘independents.’ Together independents operate 75% of the shops in the sector.

The ‘symbol’ groups are predominantly groups of independent retailers trading under a common customer facing brand – familiar symbol group brands include Spar, Costcutter, Londis, Nisa Local, Premier, Mace and Best-one. There are more than 16,000 UK shops run by independent retailers that choose to trade in this way. In the UK, independent retailers (non-affiliated and symbol) continue to make the biggest contribution to the overall sales of the sector, in addition to having the highest number of stores by a significant margin.

In short, it’s a good time to join a group. The last couple of years has seen diversification within the sector, with many groups now offering multiple options to retailers depending on their store’s demographic and size. The premium My Costcutter from Costcutter Convenience Stores being one example, while at the other end Booker’s Family Shopper has managed to blur the line between c-store, discounter and pound shop. The market has also been shaken up by franchises. The launch of One Stop in Scotland has created an option that was never previously available, and so competition intensifies. One Stop has launched nine stores in Scotland over the last year. The Tesco subsidiary has opened company-owned and franchise stores, which gives independent retailers an entirely new concept. With huge buying power and

insight into shopper habits, One Stop is set to grow in Scotland.

The ‘pros’ column for retailers considering joining a symbol group is undoubtedly packed. There are more fascias than ever before; major symbol groups have launched different fascias for different types of stores, in different areas. There is more precise targeting that provides retailers with exactly the type of business support they need.

This understanding that one size simply does not fit all has allowed certain groups to expedite their growth and their store numbers. Benefitting from the buying power of a group is the single biggest advantage cited by retailers, but beyond that there is the marketing support – with more groups spending big in this area and TV campaigns becoming more prominent. Independent retailers can see their brand appear on primetime TV slots, something no unaffiliated store could dream of.

What is clear is that there is more on offer for retailers than ever before. The other great trend in convenience retail at the moment is convenience retail itself. In the 12 months to April 2015 the convenience market generated £37.7bn in sales, in the UK. This represents a year-on-year increase of 5.1%. Convenience is set to be one of the fastest areas of growth in the grocery industry over the next five years and symbol groups would argue that for any retailer to take full advantage of this growth, the support on hand from a symbol group is a must.

www.slrmag.co.uk

06/05/2016 10:41:39

Fascia & Franchise

Feature

5,602

BestOne

convenience stores in Scotland.

Costcutter Nisa OneStop Premier Spar

34%

of UK convenience stores are owned by symbol groups.

TOP REASONS FOR JOINING A SYMBOL GROUP Q Wide range of products Q Promotional activity Q Regular communication Q Marketing in trade press Q Recognised brand above the door Q IT and HR support Q Dedicated trade website Q Buying power www.slrmag.co.uk

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1.6%

increase in symbol groups in the UK in the last year.

MAY 2016 | SLR

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Feature

Fascia & Franchise | Premier

PREMIER NUMBER ONE FOR A REASON Premier is the UK’s number one symbol group with over 3,200 stores nationwide. The group is committed to delivering more profits for retailers and a better shopping experience for consumers.

Premier has delivered double digit growth for fourteen consecutive years.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL PREMIER ON

01933 371246

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P

remier continues to advertise on TV. Premier is advertised every day which will be seen over 100 million times. The TV advert features Premier’s famous Mega Deal promotions along with retailers to emphasise the local aspect of Premier Store.

As well as this, retailers also benefit from a full promotional programme covering all categories of fresh, frozen, grocery and

impulse to ensure great value for shoppers to drive footfall into stores. This market leading promotional package, along with own-label and price-mark-packs, really drives the value message to help Premier retailers grow their business.

Premier works hard to ensure that retailers have the best choice of products to suit their individual store. This includes both Euro Shopper, Booker’s entry level exclusive ownbrand and Happy Shopper, the mid-tier option. This is complimented by working closely with branded suppliers to ensure the best choice of price marked packs so shoppers can clearly see the great value available.

Backed by Booker, the UK’s leading food & drink wholesaler, Premier retailers can take advantage of delivery at cash & carry prices, as well as having the ease and convenience of shopping at any Booker branch. ‘Spend & Save,’ where retailers can save up to 4% on their non-tobacco purchases, is also popular with Premier members as this delivers real savings and adds to their bottom line. Premier does not operate any membership or joining fees and installs the fascia and imagery free of charge. A wide range of additional services such as recycling, energy savings, free Epos and drop shipment are also available that have been specifically created to add value and keep operating costs low for Premier members.

The group continues to go from strength to strength and its relentless focus in increasing choice, lowering prices and improving service has helped Premier members deliver fantastic convenience stores. www.slrmag.co.uk

05/05/2016 12:25:57

70305 R

“I joined Premier because of the fantastic team that supports my business. My Development Manager, Merchandisers and my local Booker branch all help me grow my profits!�

Peter Saleem - Premier, Blyth

FOOTFALL UP! SALES UP! PROFITS UP!

www.premier-stores.co.uk

70305 Fascia.indd Retail39Extress Retailer Profile.indd 1

Call us today on 01933 371246 05/05/2016 22/04/2016 12:25:58 16:45

We invest *

in your store

* ex VAT. Subject to terms and conditions of contract.

Full store refit ** 2 lane EPOS & back office systems 1 week’s training in store for you and your team Project managed by us Keeping you ‘safe and legal’ **co-investment may be required.

MARKET-LEADING PROMOTIONS STATE OF THE ART SYSTEMS

Our investment includes:

An exciting store launch

Better sales & profit

EASY retailing WORKING TOGETHER We work with you to help grow your sales and profit.

next stop ONE STOP

Contact us so we can help you today.

It feels great to be part of a team of experienced retailers. Come and join us!

Call us today

01543 363003 @1StopFranchise

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or visit our website openaonestop.co.uk

05/05/2016 26/04/2016 12:25:59 11:03:19

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11:03:19

Asif and Kashif Mahmood The Mahmood family were with a symbol group for 30 years before becoming a One Stop Franchise.

In a time of tough competition with business costs continually rising due to things like the Living Wage, the need to keep offers fresh, margins at a profitable level, consumer perceptions improving and to be able to expand the product range, Asif and Kashif needed to look at a new partner to help them grow into the future.

“Do not let the fear of losing your independence lead you to losing your business to the competition. You should consider joining One Stop and let the competition lose theirs.”

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR DECISION? “With product volumes up by over 35% and sales up by 15-20% and rising, in the same competitive environment where sales were previously sliding, One Stop Franchise and the model they offer speaks for itself!”

WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE TO BECOMING A FRANCHISEE? “The move to One Stop was fairly straightforward, going through a transition period prior to refit, the actual refit stage and then being a fully-fledged franchise store. The back office teams and sales support at One Stop are phenomenal, the level of expertise they exhibit in their fields is exemplary. The whole team work collectively as a tight knit team and are there for you when you need them.”

“The back office teams and sales support at One Stop are phenomenal, the level of expertise they exhibit in their fields is exemplary...”

AFTER BEING WITH YOUR SYMBOL GROUP FOR SO MANY YEARS WHAT MADE YOU COME ACROSS TO ONE STOP FRANCHISE? “Our decision to join was not taken lightly, rather over many months, sleepless nights and after meeting existing franchisee’s we felt we had a much better chance of not only staying in business but running a profitable business for years to come if we joined with One Stop. One Stop’s stores look fresh and modern, whilst the ranges are very comprehensive. Above all, each store represents ‘value’ in a tough convenience market and the power of the One Stop brand with the link to Tesco, was very much considered to be the way forward.”

promotions across their choice of local convenience stores.”

HAS ONE STOP MADE A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR LIFE?

“…product volumes up by over 35% and sales up by 15-20% and rising…”

WHAT’S BEEN THE CUSTOMER REACTION? “Customers are loving the refreshed, tidier store look and feel and commenting on the improved choice within the range and the fantastic prices, including the best ever

“Some processes have been simplified to a level we did not think possible. Do not let the fear of losing your independence lead you to losing your business to the competition. You should consider joining One Stop and let the competition lose their business. We are hoping that we will now be able to spend more time away from the store and focus on other business interests with the confidence in knowing that our store can now run smoothly without our permanent presence.”

CALL US TODAY Our Store Support team are just a phone call away.

If you’d like to be part of our award-winning franchise we’d love to hear from you.

Who knows, you could soon be the proud owner of a shiny new store with industry-leading technology at your fingertips and more time on your hands thanks to our £50,000 contribution to a store refit!* *ex VAT. Subject to terms and conditions of contract.

Fascia.indd Untitled-1 341

01543 363003 or visit our website at

openaonestop.co.uk @1StopFranchise

05/05/2016 26/04/2016 12:26:01 11:03:20

Feature

Fascia & Franchise | Costcutter

R

#

THE PERFECT PARTNERSHIP WITH COSTCUTTER SUPERMARKETS GROUP There are many reasons why 2016 should be the year you open a store with Costcutter Supermarkets Group.

THE RETAIL EXPERTS With more than 2,600 stores and £5 billion buying power, our scale gives you the competitive advantage needed to thrive locally. It’s the sort of buying power other Symbol Groups would love to have. It means we can drive prices down across all ranges – from tobacco and alcohol, to chilled, fresh and grocery goods. And as more and more retailers join, our buying power goes from strength to strength.

MOST CONVENIENT RETAILER Whether value, range or service, we score the best in a recent poll of shoppers. Our stores tap in to the shopper needs of today with 10,000 lines, including our award winning Independent own brand, fulfilling every shopper mission. Whether customers want to grab a spot of lunch, a fresh coffee, pay a bill, pick up a parcel or fill a basket for tonight’s dinner, our stores are super convenient and great value for money.

AMAZING BRANDS

To find out more reasons why you should join Costcutter Supermarkets Group call us on 01904 488663 or visit www.16reasons.co.uk

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Simply Fresh and Costcutter have brand awareness of up to 93% so put our name above your door and see your sales soar. No matter what your type of convenience store or local market, we have a retail brand for you. We’re here to help you succeed and we will help you create an exciting and contemporary retail environment and provide advice on how to merchandise your stores for maximum sales effect. What’s more, we make it easy for you

to do business with us. Our pricing is simple, transparent and incredibly competitive with no membership or missed order fees, no surcharges and competitive rebates.

THE MOST DIGITALLY ENABLED GROUP With two-thirds of adults in the UK owning a smartphone and 90% of 16-24 year-olds having one a strong social media presence is key to reaching shoppers. We have taken the lead on social media and proximity marketing in the convenience sector, helping our retailers to engage with their customers and drive footfall and sales in their store.

LEADING EDGE RETAIL TECHNOLOGY We place technology innovation at your fingertips and transform modern retail with state-of-the-art systems that make life easier.

We offer the latest in-store technologies that shoppers demand like easier payments via Apple Pay and Contactless. Our cutting edge Activ Technology systems, including ActivCPoS, ActivOC and retailer portal ActivHUB, have been developed to make your ordering process hassle free and our ActivMOBILE app allows access to all of this information on the go.

KEEPING YOU INDEPENDENT We’ll actively help you to run your store, your way, and protect your independence. Our retailers get the power of our brands and group strength, but run their stores the way they want to, offering the best of both worlds. www.slrmag.co.uk

05/05/2016 12:26:04

111715

Reason

4

#

/16

The Most Digitally Enabled Symbol Group From strong social media to proximity mobile marketing, we help you engage with your shoppers.

Discover more reasons for us to talk‌ Call 01904 486 543

20

16 Reasons to talk

or visit 16reasons.co.uk

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01/04/2016 11:39

Feature

Fascia & Franchise| Nisa

CHOOSE NISA FOR THE COMPLETE RETAIL PACKAGE

Number of stores in Scotland:

82

stores in Scotland. ........................................

Year-on-year growth in store numbers:

UP 2.2% on the previous year

Nisa offers Scotland’s retailers the complete package to enable them to grow and develop their businesses, regardlesss of the size or location of the store.

N

isa provides a complete retail support package comprising a strong retail-focussed team, an enhanced category management system, a bespoke staff training facility under the Retail Academy banner, and a comprehensive marketing package incorporating bespoke leaflets, POS material, instore radio and national advertising.

Nisa knows community involvement is key, and our members are able to support their local area through Nisa’s Making A Difference Locally charity.

In the last year, Nisa has developed its Store of the Future 2 store format with retailers averaging double digit sales uplifts post conversion. The analysis behind the development of the new formats was based on careful consumer research examining shopper missions by location and demographics.

Nisa’s flexible model provides an unbeatable breadth of range, with a 98% availability rate.

This is supported by Nisa’s award winning own label range, Heritage, which provides retailers with over 800 SKUs which have been reformulated and repackaged to ensure great quality products at affordable prices.

Through Nisa membership, retailers can also source local products and have them delivered direct to store but invoiced centrally.

This is all delivered by Nisa’s industry leading supply chain: 99.9% of deliveries are made on the day and 95.2% successfully made on time.

Perhaps most important of all is Nisa’s

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unique mutual model. Nisa is owned by its members so retailers also earn rebates and can enjoy surplus profit share and dividend payments.

product information.

Q Delivery tracking app – to track deliveries in real time and see when it will arrive at store.

JOINING REQUIREMENTS:

Q Secure site where retailers can track and manage their Making a Difference Locally charity fund accruals and create requests for payments to be made to local causes.

Q Joining the Nisa group is made as stress free as possible with support from skilled staff in all areas of retailing.

Q Minimum case drop sizes are 100 chilled & frozen and 300 ambient per week. The requirements for Loco is a minimum of a five year contract. Nisa can deliver up to sixdays-a-week.

Q Retailers need to have an existing business with an acceptable balance sheet or a startup business and a sound business plan.

Complete the form on http://www.joinnisa.co.uk/join.aspx to join or call our development team on 0800 542 7490.

MADL CHARITY SITE

EPOS Q Epositive Evolution is a new web based EPoS solution that allows in-store operations to be managed and fully integrated into Nisa.

Q Covers POS, stock control, delivery management, ordering and pricing.

Q Includes mobile app to check sales, cashier performance, voids, ordering plus much more.

Retailers can operate under four symbol fascias: Nisa Local, Nisa Extra, Loco and dualbranded. Alternatively retailers can trade under their own fascia.

TECHNOLOGY: Order Capture System: an internet based member portal that offers a variety of services: Q Order capture – place orders directly on the site or via an integrated EPoS system.

Q Deals – place advanced orders for deals.

Q POS generator – create dynamic POS material directly from the site.

Q Mobile app: to view current deals and www.slrmag.co.uk

05/05/2016 12:26:05

10932_N

JOIN US FOR A

WITH NISA, IT’S GOING VERY WELL. ITS RANGE IS UNPARALLELED SO I CAN COVER ALL THE BASES.

“We’ve been Nisa members since day one when I bought the shop. This was largely to help cater for both old and new customers.

For that, I needed a large range of products to pick from at a cost which made me as competitive as I could be.

I married Nisa’s suggested range with what the store already stocked. I wanted to make sure I was giving the existing customer base what it was looking for. New customers have provided the opportunity to stock more indulgent lines.

2016

Range: “ Product range of

13,000

skus enhanced with 100s of promotions

Ordering is simple and fully automated – we place orders online and they turn up two days later. I came from the wholesale sector, so I know what it’s like, and I can’t fault Nisa at all for availability and the way it delivers to retailers.”

Colin Smith

NISA MEMBER SINCE 2014

To find out why joining Nisa is as easy as 1-2-3 visit www.join-nisa.co.uk Fascia.indd 45

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Feature

Fascia & Franchise| Best-One

DELIVERING THE BEST IN SYMBOL Best-one sales in Scotland continue to grow by 15%.

Best-one award-winning retailers Bruce & Donna Morgan of Browlies.

B

estway Batleys managed symbol group has had an exceptional year in Scotland increasing sales by a massive 15% continuing its impressive position of the country’s fastest growing major symbol group.

The group is investing heavily in both business development and sales personnel to ensure that members receive the best possible service to help them develop their stores.

As symbol director James Hall explains, “You can go into any of the multiple operators’ convenience store formats, take away their corporate colours and not see any distinguishable difference in terms of range or layout. Sadly this is also happening more in symbol. Symbols should be creating an identity for stores – not making them look all the same. At Best-one we treat every 46

SLR | MAY 2016

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store differently as one size does not fit all.

Yes, all symbol operators want compliance but I believe this can be achieved without limiting the entrepreneurial decision making of members. Our investment in sales and business development personnel means that we have greater face to face communication and engagement with members. All Best-ones will now be receiving two calls per month – one sales call and one business development call – which will give us a greater understanding of their business and consequently how we can help the increase their sales.”

Best-one’s sales in Scotland continue to rise despite the group’s rationalisation to 155 stores. Destination categories such as chilled and fresh are driving this growth with sales of chilled in to Best-one stores in April more than doubling over the corresponding period

in 2015. Eighty percent of all chilled and frozen products are available as singles to Best-one retailers meaning members can offer the breadth of range required from a modern convenience store but without the added expense of having to invest in depth of range.

Scottish delivery hubs can also now deliver up to three times per week to members if required minimising wastage and guaranteeing longer shelf-life.

Best-one members receive the most competitive wholesale pricing and rich monthly consumer promotions to engage shoppers. Added to this is the most generous rebate scheme in the sector, My Rewards, which gives members the opportunity to earn up to 5% cashback on their purchases with the average payout per qualifying retailer being over £7,500 per year.

James Hall concludes “There are Bestones all over Scotland from Aviemore in the north to Berwick in the south and we have the infrastructure and expertise to really make a difference to members’ sales. However for Best-one it’s not a numbers game – it’s about creating a retail brand that shoppers relate to and engage with. We are confident that Bestone offers retailers the best possible symbol solution based on fact-based decision making and backed up by unparallelled support making it the obvious choice for retailers who wish to grow their business.”

For more information on Best-one, contact your local Batleys depot, visit www.best-one. co.uk, email equiries@best-one.co.uk or call 020 8453 8353. www.slrmag.co.uk

05/05/2016 12:26:07

Be em

*So

“I’m better off by £30,000 a year since switching to Best-one” Darren Briggs Award-winning forecourt retailer

l Best-one sales are growing at 15% year on year in Scotland with Chilled sales up 50%.* l Over 150 stores nationwide. l Frequent BDE visits to help you drive sales and cut costs. l £7,500 average payout to members participating in the My Rewards rebate scheme Make the change and share in Best-one retailers’ success

Best-one, The Bestway Group, Abbey Road, Park Royal, London NW10 7BW Tel: 0208 453 8353 email: enquiries@best-one.co.uk www.best-one.co.uk *Source: Best-one sales Feb 2016 v Feb 2015

SUMMER SUMMER SUMME SUMM

BRING ON BRING BRING BRING ON ON ON BRING ON SALES SUCCESS WITH SALES SUCCESS WITH SALES SALES SUCCESS SALES SUCCESS SUCCESS WITHWITH WITH

SPAR BRAND SPAR SPAR SPAR BRAND BRAND BRAND SPAR BRAND ContactContact Marketing onContact 01382 Contact Marketing Marketing on512000 01382 Marketing on512000 01382 on 01382 512000 512000

Contact Marketing on 01382 512000

www.facebook.com/ www.facebook.com/ www.facebook.com/ www.facebook.com/ www.spar.co.uk www.spar.co.uk www.spar.co.uk www.spar.co.uk @SPARintheUK @SPARintheUK @SPA SPARintheUK SPARintheUK SPARintheUK SPARintheUK Fascia.indd 48

05/05/2016 12:26:09

R MMER MER ER Get ready for

SUMMER

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AWARD

WINNERS

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/ Channel: SPAR UK SPAR Channel: Channel: UK SPAR Channel: UK SPAR UK intheUK @SPARintheUK @SPARintheUK Fascia.indd 49

05/05/2016 12:26:09

Feature

Sugar Confectionery

SWEET SALES

Sugar confectionery is an impulse-led category. In fact, recent research reveals that 80% of confectionery purchases are influenced in store. Retailers should focus on the big brands, as well as promotions, in order to drive impulse sales.

BY ÉMER O’TOOLE

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06/05/2016 18:30:17

Feature

14% growth in the sugar free market over the last two years.

Sugar Confectionery

T

he move to take sugar confectionery off the checkout has undoubtedly affected the market. This combined with a change in focus by leading brands to prioritise bags and pouches over the core singles has resulted in an increased average price per unit.

“Shoppers have always known that there is sugar in confectionery, unlike other products which may have surprising sugar content levels or masquerade as healthier options.

Confectionery as an occasional treat is how many consumers enjoy this category and we support this”, says Mark Roberts, Trade Marketing Manager at Perfetti Van Melle (PVM).

IRI market research shows the sugar confectionery market is still growing at 0.5% per year, and the sugar free market has grown

WRIGLEY’S MERCHANDISING ADVICE 1

Visibility is key and popular confectionery items should be located at eye level to take advantage of incremental sales.

2

Availability is crucial. Remember to re-stock each morning and prior to peak traffic times. A fully stocked display will help maximise your profit potential and guarantee repeat visits from customers.

3

In order to ensure shoppers are aware of the choice and range on offer, it is important to keep a clear and tidy confectionery display – this will also make restocking easier.

4

Use cross category promotions to encourage additional purchases, such as ‘buy a sandwich, drink and confectionery for £3.’ Single price

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point ‘Big Night In’ promotions are growing in popularity, allowing shoppers to satisfy all of their needs in one go. This includes ‘dine in for two’ meal offers and in store deals which include a DVD, Confectionery Pouch, e.g. Skittles or Starburst, and drink for a reduced cost.

5

Rotate stock regularly so that older stock is sold through first ensuring less wastage.

6

In order to raise sales and capitalise on early consumer demand it’s vital that independent retailers champion new products in store.

7

Make the most of your confectionery display by using eye-catching POS materials to encourage customers to buy on impulse.

by 14% over the last two years. PVM offers sugar free Chupa Chups lollipops.

It is worth monitoring trends and consumer behaviour to determine what categories to focus on. For instance, IRI market research shows that sharing bags are in major growth and represents the longest portion of value sales in the market. Wrigley added a new flavour to the Skittles range with the launch of Skittles Tropical this year. The hanging bag format includes a £1 PMP. Skittles Tropical is expected to deliver +1.5% fruit confectionery category growth. A fast growing flavour trend, tropical has been mirrored in other categories and is performing exceptionally well with value growing year-on-year, reveals Wrigley research.

According to Wrigley, 47% of customers are spending less money on out-of-home entertainment, and 50% are eating out less.

As a result, Big Night In remains a key sales opportunity within the sugar confectionery category, as consumers are more conscious of their spending. Sharing packs are a must stock, so shoppers can graze over a longer period or share with friends, instead of consuming them all in one go. Ideal for sharing as part of a Big Night In, the new Bertie’s Jelly Mix celebrates fun and Britishness. It features a quirky assortment of jelly sweets in fruity flavours and shapes, including bow ties and teapots. Wine Gums, Jelly Babies and Liquorice Allsorts are also ideal for the Big Night In shopping mission and all contain natural colours.

Dan Newell, Confections Marketing Manager, says: “A complete night in solution is crucial. Remember to focus on products that

www.slrmag.co.uk

06/05/2016 18:30:17

PREPARE TO OBEY THE

MOUTHS OF THE NATION

For great confectionery advice visit www.delicious display.co.uk

19 million Crunchie singles sold a year*

STOCK UP NOW *Nielsen UK Total Coverage MAT TY 23.1.2016, Mondelez Single Eat

Sugar Confectionery

Feature

“Building a clear display and having cross-category promotions will certainly encourage incremental purchases.”

DAN NEWELL, CONFECTIONS MARKETING MANAGER AT WRIGLEY

SKITTLES BOTTLE The Skittles bottle format taps into the growing consumer demand for confectionery products to enjoy on the go. The neat red container is designed to stand out on shelf, with an easy to open re-sealable lid ensuring people can enjoy Skittles when on the move. With TNS magazine research showing bottles as the second most impulsive confectionery purchase format (55%), this innovative new pack offers a great sales opportunity for retailers. Wrigley says sales so far demonstrate that Skittles Bottle is 50% incremental to the category.

RUN THE RAINBOW Skittles is joining the ‘happiest 5k on the planet’, as it partners with The Colour Run UK. Wrigley is investing over £6m in media for Skittles this year and The Colour Run is one of the key activities for 2016. As the sponsor of the event, Skittles will be taking over the red Color Zone — the first colour station on the 5km route — providing runners with their first taste of the rainbow, showering them in red powder as they pass through.

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are ideal for sharing such as Starburst ‘Tear and Share’ Pouches, which are great as they are individually wrapped and offer a variety of flavours for everyone to enjoy. Building a clear display that communicates the ‘Big Night In’ occasion will also draw shoppers into the fixture and cross category promotions will certainly encourage incremental purchases.”

Don’t forget about mints. Millar Pan Drops Mint Imperials and Dark Chocolate Creams are bestsellers in convenience stores. Millar has a limited number of display stands available for retailers who carry a number of lines from the range, and are looking to make an impact in store. Retailers who are using these at the end of an aisle, close to the checkout, are driving impulse purchases, and doing particularly well. PVM says the Smint brand holds a 31% share of the sugar free mints category. Mentos NOWMints are now available in two new flavours: menthol and sweet mint, and PVM says these are ideal for busy commuters seeking on-the-go refreshments. Trebor Softmints Lemon Mint was launched last year, and the new variant offers a unique flavour and aims to continue to drive incremental sales within the mints category.

According to recent research by PVM, sharing at home represents 56% of the occasion market. Stocking a fun and eyecatching range of sharing bags can increase shopper spend, and encourage them to buy into the occasion. Fruittella core sharing bags are growing at 4.8% in total market compared to an overall sector increase of 1.2%. PVM invested over £1.5m in the brand in 2015, and sees the sharing category as a major area for growth in 2016.

The trend for fruit flavoured sweets is still popular and this is expected to continue throughout 2016. The total fruit confectionery category is currently worth £619m, according to Nielsen market research. Tic Tac, currently growing at +7.5%, is set to create excitement in-store with the addition of special edition Tic Tac Popcorn. Following the successful launch of Tic Tac Mixers, which is now worth £1.9m, the product will be available for retailers to include alongside their core Tic Tac range, driving incremental sales and offering a new flavour experience for shoppers. www.slrmag.co.uk

06/05/2016 18:30:19

W E

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Unique Drumstick and Refreshers flavours now available as Bon Bons Now the fastest growing Bon Bons brands Already the most widely distributed Bon Bons brand The Bon Bons category is seeing consistent double digit growth (up +19% year on year)*

STOCK UP NOW! * Source: IRI total marketplace value data to 03.01.16

Feature

Sugar Confectionery

WIN £200 WORTH OF CHEWITS Chewits has teamed up with Scottish Local Retailer to offer retailers the chance to win five cases of Chewits.

Chewits is an iconic brand and last year celebrated 50 years of supplying the nation with their favourite chew. Standing the test of time, Chewits is recognised by 94% of consumers, loved by shoppers young and old and boasts over half a million fans on Facebook. Creating fun, earning trust and encouraging active lifestyles are at the heart of the Chewits brand.

With Kids Confectionery being one of the biggest categories in Total Sugar and growing ahead of the market, Chewits is perfectly positioned for success. The range is suitable for vegetarians and contains a clean recipe, an increasingly important issue for health conscious shoppers. There has never been a better time to add this must-stock classic to your confectionery fixture.

The Chewits core range has something for everyone. As well as being pocket money friendly with an rrp of 35p, the Strawberry, Blackcurrant, Orange, Fruit Salad and Cola flavours are instantly recognisable. And who could forget the famous brand mascot, Chewie the Chewitsaurus, who’s guaranteed to stand out to consumers on fixtures.

We’ve told you what a winner the Chewits range is, but don’t take our word for it… Enter for the chance to put them on your counter and watch them fly off your shelves.

To enter, please complete your details below and send to Chewits Competition, SLR, Waterloo Chambers, 19 Waterloo St Glasgow, G2 6AY, or email eotoole@55north.com. Good luck!

THE CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES IS FRIDAY 10TH JUNE 2016

“Retailers should monitor trends and shopper behaviour to determine which categories to focus on to build success.”

MARK ROBERTS, TRADE MARKETING MANAGER AT PERFETTI VAN MELLE

47% of consumers are spending less money on out-of-home entertainment.

Ts&Cs: This competition is only open to readers of SLR. Only one entry per store is permitted. Entries received after the closing date will not be considered. The prize is not transferable and the judges’ decision is final.

As a category that is largely led by impulse purchases, offering consumers’ value for money is a key sales driver within sugar confectionery.

Wrigley extended its popular range of PMPs last year for its best-selling sugar confectionery brands Skittles and Starburst, with the introduction of four additional hanging bags with a £1 price flash. The £1 price point is a key sales driver for the convenience channel, as it provides consumers with the assurance that their purchase is good value. Wrigley has seen an increase in sales of 49% in its PMP hanging bags since their launch.

Sugar confectionery is a top-selling category in convenience. It is worth focusing on bestselling lines, ensuring shelves are fully stocked, and making the most of brand investment to keep customer satisfaction high.

REFRESHERS LAUNCH HITS SOUR NOTE

Name:

Swizzels has extended its Refreshers range to include a Sour Apple flavour chew bar. The bar adds to the traditional range, with an added kick that Swizzels says will keep up with consumer demand for sour flavours. The Refreshers Sour Apple bar is Swizzels’ first count-line chew bar that is suitable for vegetarians, opening up new markets for the Refreshers range.

Company/store name: Address:

Daytime phone number: Email Address: Twitter: Would you like to continue to receive a copy of SLR?

YN

Signature:

Date:

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06/05/2015 14:10:35

Feature

Summer Drinks

SALES SOAR WITH SUMMER DRINKS With the weather getting better during the summer months, shoppers increasingly host barbeques and other events where alcohol is a popular choice. Convenience stores are well placed to meet this demand.

BY ÉMER O’TOOLE

A

lcohol will be a key sales driver as we approach the summer months. Cider has a long standing association with summer and so retailers should plan accordingly.

Across the independent trade many purchases are bought for consumption within one hour so it is vital that the best-selling lines are clearly merchandised in the fridge and given the appropriate amount of space. Cider should always be stored chilled to help fast purchases and cater to the nature of impulse customers, especially during the summer months.

Magners Original is the ideal refreshment to be enjoyed with friends on long, hot days.

“Established cider brands are always top sellers during the warmer months and retailers should focus on key, well-known lines during this time. Weather has a major impact on cider sales – but it is important that we work towards a category that can offer something for every drinker, throughout every season – ensuring well-rounded sales throughout the year”, says Matthew Jamieson, Brand Manager at Tennent Caledonian Breweries.

Jamieson adds that drinkers are now favouring a more authentic taste, and

attention is moving back towards the apple segment – which currently owns 64% of the value and 75% of volume in the total offtrade market, according to Nielsen data. It is predicted that this renewed interest in apple will be a primary focus for the cider category this summer.

Capitalising on the trend for flavoured spirts, fruity variants are also popular in the rum category. Malibu’s Strawberry Kiwi variant was launched this year and is available in a pre-mixed, ready to drink can. The Strawberry Kiwi flavour replaces Mango and joins the existing line up that features Malibu Coconut Rum with a choice of Pineapple, Cola and Diet Cola.

“Our pre-mixed cans range has exceeded expectations since launch in 2011,” explains Joanna Alexander, Marketing Manager at Pernod Ricard UK. “The Malibu Pineapple variant alone has generated double digit value and volume growth in the last year, at 21.1% and 23.4% respectively. Our consumers love new products, especially innovative flavours.

We expect Malibu Strawberry Kiwi to continue the positive momentum of the ready-to-drink sector, which is helping us to extend our footprint in impulse and convenience.”

ABSOLUT TURNS THE NIGHT ELECTRIK WITH LAUNCH OF NEW LIMITED EDITION BOTTLES Absolut has launched its latest limited edition bottle, Absolut Elecktric. The striking bottles are available in two metallic colours- blue and silver. Adam Boita, Head of Marketing, Pernod Ricard UK, comments: “The Electrik bottle exemplifies Absolut’s mission to transform an ordinary night into the extraordinary. It’s also the first time we’ve launched a set of two collectable bottles, using a bold and minimal design to bring a feeling of energy to our iconic bottle.”

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05/05/2016 12:38:29

NE W

REFRESHING JUST GOT REFRESHED. • Striking new packaging launching Summer 2016 • From the UK’s No.1 bottled apple and pear cider* • Supported with multi-million pound media campaign

*Source: Nielsen Scantrack Total Coverage MAT 27/02/16 / CGA Brand Index MAT 23/01/16

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19/04/2016 13:26

Soft Drinks

Feature

LET’S GET FIZZICAL

The soft drinks category is one that is constantly in flux, and retailers must be able to adapt their range to meet shoppers’ needs. With Neilsen data estimating the value of soft drinks at £1.331bn in independent retailers and symbol groups in the UK, it is a key sales driver.

BY ÉMER O’TOOLE

BRITVIC’S TOP TIPS Q Stock the right range Stock a wide range of branded soft drinks from carbonates, juices & juice drinks and water to cater to all types of shoppers and occasions. Take advantage of growing segments such as iced tea to grab the attention of consumers looking for more choice. Stock leading kids’ brands such as Fruit Shoot help to drive sales among parents looking for healthier soft drink options Q Great merchandising Shoppers may be in a hurry as they pick up last minute items, so group sub-categories together to make it easier for shoppers to find what they are looking for. It is worth segmenting the chiller into four areas – carbonates, stills, energy & vitality and water & water plus Q Drive NPD Shoppers want to discover new things, so make sure new soft drinks are highlighted in the chiller and with additional point of sale around the store to signpost the latest additions to your range Q Stock up Ensure your shelves are fully stocked at all times, especially during busy periods, to prevent shoppers going elsewhere when they can’t find their favourite soft drink Q Make the most of food occasions Soft drinks are the most frequently purchased with food-to-go items, when 39% of shoppers will also buy a soft drink, compared to 24% alongside confectionery. To increase the number of items bought for on-the-go consumption, offer meal deals or snacking promotions across the food and soft drinks categories Q Offer value PMP’s are a great way of reassuring shoppers that they are getting the best value for money. Research also shows that 50% of customers trust pricemarked-packs more than plain packs.

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he soft drinks category is growing, up 1.1% a year. Choice is a key driver behind the category, particularly with the rise of health conscious consumers who are looking for more options to suit their individual lifestyles.

Retailers are advised to stock energy drinks, bottled water, flavoured milk and adult soft drinks, as well as carbonated drinks to gain the best sales.

Instant consumption juice drink formats remain a popular choice for busy on-thego consumers making impulse buys. This popularity has driven growth in the CCE portfolio of juice drinks, with Oasis and Capri-Sun continuing to perform well. “As we move forward in 2016, we expect soft drinks to remain a popular choice for shoppers, driven by well-known brands offering broader choice and innovative new flavours and pack formats”, says Donna Pisani, Trade Communications Manager at CCE. Shoppers are increasingly looking for quality products at low prices from their c-store so retailers should help deliver value to their consumers by focusing on price-marked packs and deals. Coca-Cola’s 500ml bottles are available in £1 PMPs, 69p 330ml cans, and 1.75l bottles priced at £1.69.

Consumers are often shopping in convenience stores to pick up a last-minute purchase, and soft drinks can sometimes be an impulse buy. CCE research reveals that focusing on PMPs can have a direct impact on helping retailers to achieve incremental growth, with 11% of shoppers claiming that they are most influenced by PMPs when deciding on a particular product to buy in a convenience store.

Meal deals which see discounts offered when a soft drink is purchased alongside a sandwich or a snack, or with evening meal components, are another great way of billion is the value of the soft drinks category in convenience stores and symbol groups.

“Shoppers are looking for price and convenience when making purchase decisions, and the summer season offers key sales.”

NIGEL PAINE, GB COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR OF OUT OF HOME AT BRITVIC

meeting the demands of onthe-go shoppers and those planning a night in, while also giving a high perception of value. Retailers can maximise the potential of these offers by stocking all of the products that are eligible for the deal together, complete with POS materials signposting the meal deal. This will increase the convenience for the shopper, whilst also enticing them to take advantage of the offer. Within carbonates, energy continues to be the biggest sector, according to AG Barr. Both Relentless and Monster Energy are available in £1 PMPs, helping to drive their growth in c-stores.

An increasing number of consumers are switching to soft drinks as an alternative to alcohol. More than one in five adults (21%) don’t drink alcohol at all, and 40% of women either don’t drink alcohol or are trying to cut down, according to YouGov research. www.slrmag.co.uk

06/05/2016 16:48:30

SET FOR SUMMER? STOCK UP TODAY ON THE UK’S NO.1 SQUASH BRAND1

• £5m multi-channel campaign in June & July • Proud partners of Wimbledon, watched by 29 million Britons in 20152 • Robinsons no added sugar is consumed in more households than any other low sugar soft drink3 1. Nielsen Scantrack, Total Coverage, Squash category value sales, 52 weeks to 09.04.16 2. AELTC 2015 3. Kantar Take Home Purchase Panel, Household Penetration %, 52 w/e 27.03.16. BRV331641_16 ROBINSONS and the Robinsons Arch device are registered trademarks of Robinsons Soft Drinks Limited. Every bottle of Robinsons orange squash contains a minimum of 10% juice from concentrate.

BRV331691 SLR Wimbledon Trade Ad A4 V00.indd 1

04/05/2016 16:45

Feature

Soft Drinks

Additionally, there are those who choose not to drink alcohol for religious or health reasons. Adult soft drinks like Schweppes, Shloer and Appletiser are a popular choice for at-home social occasions, following an 8.5% increase in future consumption over the last year, according to weekly Nielsen data.

Consumers tend to visit smaller stores with a specific reason in mind, such as topping up their big weekly shop, planning an impromptu night in, or looking to pick up something to be consumed on-the-go. It’s important to make the soft drinks category easy for shoppers to navigate by merchandising products so they can be located quickly and efficiently.

Retailers should consider displaying soft drinks alongside other products that are popular for nights in, such as accompanying

8.5%

increase in consumption of adult soft drinks over the last 12 months.

COC0770_Oasis_RTD_SummerFruits_Ad_HDPS_AW3.pdf

snacks, helping to maximise the convenience for mission shoppers who are looking to get everything they need in one place.

Additionally, secondary sighting is a great way to help boost sales in-store by appealing to mission shoppers by highlighting the products they need. Once the main display has been utilised, retailers could benefit from showcasing products in other areas, such as close to the entrance of the store, aisle ends or adjacent to the till queuing lane to help attract shoppers’ attention and prompt purchase.

Don’t underestimate the importance of chilled drinks. Chilled availability is the key driver for soft drinks sales, particularly between April and August – the really critical summer months. Shoppers consume 12% more soft drinks during the summer with Water, Fruit Drinks and Other Flavoured Carbonates benefitting most. Retailers who adapt their ranges to reflect this variety, particularly in the chiller, will benefit significantly. Open deck chillers will encourage people to buy more soft drinks as they are easier to shop and they enable you to display a large choice of chilled products. However, you can make soft drinks work for you from the main fixture as well.

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Take Home products account for 24% of sales and remain hugely important as they are higher value items which encourage footfall and loyalty. It’s worth keeping stocks high during this time, with as wide a range of products as possible. Retailers should also look out for any new or limited edition products, as well as those being backed by marketing spend, helping to maximise their incremental growth.

As consumers become increasingly health conscious, brands have focused on lower and zero calorie ranges.

CCE has invested £15 million on reformulation since 2012, helping to reduce the average calorie content in its sparkling drinks by 5.3%. Coca-Cola Life contains 45% less sugar and calories than regular colas. Made with a blend of sugar and stevia plant extract, Coke Life aims to appeal to those wanting to reduce their sugar intake and who want a naturally sweetened product but do not want to switch to sugar free cola.

Soft drinks shoppers are looking for value, choice and chilled options when they go to their local convenience store, so it is crucial to offer this to see sales soar.

STOCK

THE EASIEST

YOU’LL MAK

(AND TOMORROW, AND THE NEX

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Soft Drinks

Feature

“Ensure that your soft drinks fixture is located in a high football area between the door and the till.”

Adrian Troy, Head of Marketing at AG Barr

RUBICON PRISMA PACKS

K OASIS,

ST DECISION

© Oasis is a registered trade mark of Atlantic Industries.

Rubicon is enabling retailers to capitalise on rising demand for ‘on the go’ soft drinks with the launch of new 330ml resealable cartons (known as prisma packs) across three of its leading juice drink brands – Rubicon, KA and Sun Exotic. The move comes as ‘on the go’ shopper missions are shown to be driving the growth of the juice drinks category with 68% of sales now coming from single serve formats. The ‘drink now’ juice drinks market is currently a huge retailer opportunity, worth £320m and growing at 3%, faster than the overall soft drinks category. “As people’s lifestyles get busier, more and more shoppers are seeking refreshment while on the move,” says Adrian Troy, AG Barr’s Head of Marketing.

MAKE TODAY

THE NEXT DAY AND THE NEXT DAY...)

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Feature

UEFA Euro 2016

THE KEY TO EURO 2016 SALES UEFA Euro 2016 is a massive opportunity for retailers with more matches to capitalise on than ever before. In-store theatre has a huge influence on sales, so engaging with brands at the forefront of events like this is crucial.

BY ÉMER O’TOOLE

A

ccording to him!, 44% of people are planning to watch Euro 2016, and with many people opting for a Big Night In at the last minute, it is a key opportunity for retailers.

Additionally, seven in 10 shoppers choose c-stores over supermarkets when buying for events like this so there is a huge opportunity to gain sales.

Major sporting events such as UEFA Euro 2016 are an opportunity for retailers to boost sales of food that’s on trend and can be prepared in next to no time. Kepak is urging retailers to use micro-snacks as part of a meal deal, particularly around major sporting events like Euro 2016 that are guaranteed to attract large, in-home TV audiences.

The range includes Rustlers Flame Grilled Quarter Pounder, Flame Grilled BBQ Rib, and the Rustlers Flame

RETAILERS SET TO SCORE WITH COCACOLA TICKET GIVEAWAY As an official sponsor of Euro 2016, Coca-Cola is helping retailers ahead of the tournament with an on-pack promotion offering football fans the chance to attend its most anticipated matches.

The ‘Win Tickets’ promotion will appear on 90 million packs of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero and Diet Coke, including 500ml, 1.25L and 1.75L bottles and 330ml can multipacks.

There will be 504 winners who will receive four tickets each – 2,016 in total – plus £400 to help cover the costs of travel and accommodation.

Every promotional pack will feature a 10 digit code which can be entered at www.coke.co.uk/tickets and fans can enter to win tickets for specific matches on different days, ensuring that they’re in the running for the games they’re most interested in attending. Lucky winners will be selected in daily prize draws taking place between 11th April and 30th May. Among the prizes on offer are chances to see matches involving home nations England, Wales, Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland, as well as a selection of other high-profile matches including the quarter finals.

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Grilled Chicken Sandwich, which is popular with female shoppers. Completing the line-up is the Rustlers Flame Grilled Deluxe (Bacon Cheeseburger), the Rustlers Southern Fried Chicken Hot Sub, which has brought the mass market Subway format into micro-snacking, and the Rustlers smoked Pepperoni Panini.

“Sports fans watching at home don’t want to miss any of the action and are looking for food and drink that can be prepared and served quickly and conveniently. That’s where microsnacks such as market-leading Rustlers come into their own,” says Angela Daulby, Kepak Convenience Foods’ Channel Director. “And the beauty of the Rustlers range is that all products can be cooked in less time than it takes to boil a kettle or for managers to deliver a halftime team-talk.”

When it comes to drinks for sporting events, beer is an obvious place to start. New limited edition packs have been launched by Carlsberg, featuring a mix of the brand’s classic green with shards of the tournament’s official colour scheme of red, blue and white.

Alongside the limited edition celebratory packaging, Carlsberg has also created thousands of UEFA Euro 2016 branded retail display units, PoS kits including fixture lists, and field sales support teams will be www.slrmag.co.uk

06/05/2016 18:25:09

L AU N C H I N G M AY 2 0 16

AMSTEL IS A FAST-GROWING PREMIUM LAGER, ALREADY DRUNK BY 6M PEOPLE IN THE ON TRADE1 It commands a +20% RRP premium vs Classic Lager, driving value for retailers through trade up2 In May, Amstel will be re-launched into the Off Trade at scale and supported by huge ATL communications reaching 4M consumers 10 times in 2016

Brewed in the UK 1 Alcovision MAT data to 31/12/2015 2 CGA MAT data to 23/01/2016

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Feature

UEFA Euro 2016

63%

of 18 to 34-year-olds expect to eat and drink more while watching Euro 2016.

44%

of people are planning to watch Euro 2016.

making visits in the run up to and throughout the tournament, to provide retailers with unrivalled access to UEFA Euro 2016 creative assets, to help create a sense of theatre and excitement to support sales. As such an important sporting event for the nation, consumers will be planning ahead to watch the games at home, often hosting friends or family. With this in mind, retailers should be working with brands now to ensure they’re ready for the tournament, utilising PoS materials and getting stock orders in early.

Tournament themed displays work very well to generate excitement, prompting sales and repeat visits to stores.

With Coca-Cola Enterprises’ research revealing that one in five adults are now choosing not to consume alcohol, it’s clear that soft drinks provide a major opportunity for independent retailers to increase their sales to those enjoying nights at home. CocaCola is an official sponsor of both Euro 2016 and the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games, continuing its longstanding reputation for sponsoring the biggest sporting events and promoting an active lifestyle. As well as regular Coke, Coca-Cola’s range includes Coca-Cola Zero and Coke Life, which contains 45% less sugar and calories than regular full sugar cokes. For sports fans looking for a premium soft drink to take home, Appletiser bottles are a good choice for retailers.

The sparkling

PARTNERS FOR GROWTH’S ADVICE FOR RETAILERS Q Keep key categories well stocked and always have the bestsellers available.

Q Bring in new flavours or products to encourage trial and extra sales.

Q Offer multi-buys and cross-category deals.

Q Use promotional material outside the shop to tempt shoppers in.

Q Flag up offers on social media.

Q Build excitement with themed in-store displays, including BBQ and meal solutions.

Q Tailor promotions, with something for everyone: meal solutions for couples, multi-buy promotions for groups, ‘treat for myself’ offers and family-oriented deals.

Q Use on-street promotional material to highlight ice cream – on a warm day, this can boost sales by 42%.

Q Think about using the sporting occasion as a springboard for a community event.

100% fruit juice brand is available in Apple and Apple & Pomegranate variants, and its provenance appeals in particular to impulse buyers. Aditionally, sharing formats are a frontrunner for these occasions.

Preparation is key to those all-important sales when it comes to sporting events.

Capitalising on promotional deals, creating a themed fixture and offering deals and promotions will lead to success.

CELEBRATE EVERY GOAL WITH BABYBEL Mini Babybel will kick off the UK’s exciting summer of sport with its ‘celebrate every goal’ campaign exclusively on its Mini Babybel nets. The million pound investment will centre on a new online game where consumers can take part in their own tournament.

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www.slrmag.co.uk

06/05/2016 18:25:10

WE’RE GIVING YOUR

WIN

CUSTOMERS A CHANCE TO

1000s

504 PRIZES OF 4 TICKETS + £400 TO BE WON (2016 TICKETS TOTAL) SEE PROMOTIONAL PACKS FOR DETAILS

STOCK UP NOW

OF TICKETS FOR UEFA EURO 2016 ™ GB, CI & IoM. 16+ (u18s need parental consent & must be accompanied by an adult to the game). Promotional packs only. Normal exclusions apply. Internet required. Codes valid + daily draws between 11/04/16 & 30/05/16. 504 prizes of 4 tickets + £400 to be won (2016 tickets total). Bonus draw on 30/07/16 for a chance to win 1 of 500 official replica UEFA EURO 2016 TM match balls. See full T&Cs at coke.co.uk/tickets. Promoter: Coca-Cola Great Britain, 1A Wimpole Street, London, W1G 0EA © 2016 The Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Diet Coke and The Coca-Cola Contour Bottle are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.

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01/04/2016 12:40

Feature

Oral Health

GET YOUR TEETH INTO TOP SALES

The oral health category is being driven by the popularity of sugar free gum due to the role it plays in preventing tooth decay. NPD, offering a wide range and stocking the bestsellers will be the key to success in this category.

BY ÉMER O’TOOLE

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ew research published in the British Dental Journal revealed significant potential cost savings on dental treatments if people chewed sugar free gum after eating. The research

by York Health Economics Consortium and Peninsula Dental School, Plymouth University, with support from Wrigley, found that if all 12-year-olds across the UK chewed sugar free gum three times a day the NHS could save up to £8.2m every year – the equivalent to 364,000 dental check-ups. With this expert advice in mind, it is important retailers understand that gum is a must-stock at the till point, to help capitalise on oral care advice, and increase their sales success in this highly impulsive category.

Consumers are looking for a convenient way to keep their teeth clean and healthy after eating and drinking, when brushing isn’t possible. As a result, bottle formats of gum and mints are seeing increasing success, with the trend towards snacking at work and eating and drinking on the road being key to their performance. Wrigley’s pellet bottle formats

meet this demand – they’re ideal for desk or car and a great oral care solution for those who graze frequently throughout the day.

Wrigley’s ‘Eat, Drink, Chew’ strategy aims to encourage consumers to chew sugar free gum whenever they eat or drink to help remove lingering food and keep teeth clean. As chewers increasingly look for a convenient addition to their oral care routine, it’s important for retailers to understand that gum is a healthy option to stock at the till point.

The trend for fruit flavoured sugar free gum is also performing well. Last year, two new soft-chew flavours were introduced into the Extra range – Strawberry and Bubblegum.

The flavours are designed to increase penetration by attracting new younger shoppers to the category and to tap in to the growing consumer trend towards oral care and fruit flavoured products.

The total gum category is worth £284m, according to Nielsen market research, and by optimising your gum sales you will grow total front of store profits.

TOP GUM MERCHANDISING TIPS

NATIONAL SMILE MONTH

Oli Morton, Wrigley UK Sales Director, gives his five simple steps to help successfully manage gum sales: Q Availability is key as gum is more impulsive than any other confectionery line so remember to re-stock each morning and prior to peak traffic times.

Q Stock the best-sellers such as Extra Peppermint, Extra Spearmint, Extra White and Airwaves.

Q Champion new products e.g. Extra Ice Spearmint, Extra White Bubblemint and Airwaves Extreme to capitalise on early demand. The Extra White Bubblemint bottle is performing exceptionally well since its launch and is in +37% value sales growth, while the single format is in +3.8% growth.

Q Multiple gum sitings e.g. next to a second till point, confectionery aisle or dental section to drive additional purchases and ultimately maximise sales.

Q Offer a wide choice of pack formats and flavours to meet different consumer demands e.g. stock bottles, stick and pellets, as well as a variety of flavours.

The British Dental Health Foundation’s National Smile Month takes place from the 16th of May to 16th June this year, and retailers are encouraged to get involved to help drive sales of oral health products. National Smile Month is the UK’s largest and longest-running oral health campaign, and Wrigley is sponsoring the event for the fourth year running.

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05/05/2016 12:38:04

UTC

ANYONE FOR A GROWLING GRUNTER? UTC was wandering along Dumbarton Road when he stumbled on the growling grunter. The growling grunter had always been his pet name for Mrs UTC, you see, so you can imagine his taken abackness.

Turns out that his missus hadn’t launched into a new high street business venture after all, much to his relief… but someone else had. A young American gent by the name of Jehad Hatu had decided to flee the States and the Weetabix-haired Trumpmeister to set up a craft beer off licence business in Glasgow. Now if there’s one thing UTC prides himself on, it’s encouraging the next generation of retail entrepreneurs.

So, perking up somewhat and out of the kindness of his heart, he thought he’d show his support for Jehad’s new venture by popping in and sampling some of the young entrepreneur’s wares. Least he could do, he said.

THERE’S ONLY ONE CAPTAIN MORGAN! Having been a lifelong fan of the mighty Hamilton Accies, Under The Counter has a natural affinity with plucky underdogs who can go decades without achieving anything even remotely noteworthy – so he was chuffed to bits to see Leicester City stick one on the chin of their many fabulously rich and glamorous rivals by storming to English Premiership victory. Anyway, just as surprising as Leicester’s victory was the speed with which rum brand Captain Morgan got in on the act by launching a special limited edition bottle of their own in honour of Leicester City captain Wes Morgan. No point in missing a good PR opportunity, after all.

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MY KINGDOM FOR MORE COUNCILLORS

He loves a pointless study with dubious findings does UTC, so his gob was resoundingly smacked when he saw a new study from the Electoral Reform Society Scotland which carried out a poll and discovered that three quarters of Scots want more Local Councillors.

His will to live is frail at the best of times so there was major concern at SLR Towers when UTC was found ashen-faced and shaking while reading the press release.

He never got beyond the first line of the release, concluding that he wanted nothing more to do with anything that involved more Local Councillors.

The SLR team could only it down to a bad experience in his past that he wasn’t keen to share. Or just an understandable dislike of Local Councillors.

APPLE PAY OR GRAPEFRUIT PAY

Now, UTC has indulged Fraserburgh PR tarts Brewdog for many a long year, which hasn’t always been easy, but the auld yin remembers what he was like when he was young so he’s not one to judge. Well, not usually. But the latest bit of failed headline-grabbing drivel emanating out of Scotland’s number one real ale company just took the biscuit. Or the citrus fruit.

To celebrate the launch of their Elvis Juice beer, Brewdog is allowing customers to buy a pint with….a grapefruit. It can only be assumed it’s a dig at ‘corporate behemoth’ Apple and their Apple Pay system which, frankly, hasn’t been setting the heather alight either.

He does like their beers, we’re assured, but the PR stunts are making the beers more and more difficult to swallow for him.

CAN A MAN NOT HAVE A PISH IN PEACE?

There’s surely some line in the sand where advertising must not go, and for UTC that line is firmly on the entrance to the gents lavvies.

He was appalled to learn of a new ‘branding opportunity’ which sees TV screens installed above the taps in pub bogs. Words could not describe how UTC felt about this idea. So you’ll just have to imagine it for yourself.

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To stock up with a new beer that’s as exciting as its name isn’t visit keithbrewery.co.uk or call Andrew Chapman on 01542 488006 now.

Please enjoy responsibly

Keith Brewery Ltd. Passionate about beer, not marketing.