SLR May 2021 edition.

MAY 2021 | ISSUE 217

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TENNENT’S AND THE RED T ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF C&C GROUP PLC.

@TennentsLager

SLR Awards 2021 confirmed for October 27! p28

*SOURCE: A.C. NIELSEN SCOTLAND IMPULSE 25.01.20. BASED ON AVERAGE STORE SIZE. TENNENT’S AND THE RED T ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE C&C GROUP

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1:A.C. Nielsen 25.01.20

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DAVID JINKS

Poundland home delivery trial implications

TRULS HAUG

Tomra and Viridor partner for DRS bid

KING MAKER

Ex-Sainsbury’s boss Justin King joins Snappy Shopper as investor and advisor.

+

BEER FOR THE PEOPLE

Cold Town Brewery in profile

HMRC CRACKDOWN

Track & Trace in the spotlight

SCORE THIS SUMMER

Football frenzy to drive sales

SLR Awards 2021 confirmed for October 27! p28

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May 2021

Contents

Contents ISSUE 217

NEWS p6 p7 p10 p11 p12 p14 p16 p22 p24

Tradeshows SPAR Scotland announces a virtual event.

Trading Scotmid turns in a ‘strong’ performance during the pandemic, with profits up by nearly £1m.

Retail Crime Politicians of every hue agree more robust policing is required to solve problem.

Refits Scotmid opens new look Barnton store.

Online Retail Amazon’s ‘triple threat’ to convenience.

Crime NFRN calls for government funding to improve smaller retailers’ security systems.

News Extra Post Office A landmark ruling quashes the convictions of wrongly accused 39 Postmasters.

Product News Coke floats its new look.

Off-Trade News Could a new plan to save the hospitality industry lead to a rise in off-trade prices?

7

14

28

32

41

70

INSIDE BUSINESS p26 Local Producer Focus Lees of Scotland The Coatbridgebased confectioner celebrates 90 years of trading. p28 SLR Awards The SLR Awards has been fully reformulated to deliver an exciting new awards for a new era. p30 Profile Cold Town Brewery p33 Track & Trace New HMRC checks will ensure businesses in the tobacco supply chain are properly registered. p34 Opinion David Jinks, ParcelHero Will a Poundland trial trigger a wave of new entrants in the home delivery stakes? p36 Research Weekday shopping is growing, says News UK. p37 Research IGD’s latest Eating In vs Dining Out report. p39 Healthy Living Tesco’s major new commitment to offering a wider range of “affordable, healthy, sustainable food” will be extended into Booker. p40 Hotlines The latest new products and media campaigns. p70 Under The Counter The Auld Yin is tickled to see his boss proved wrong and by a new café in deepest, darkest Airdrie.

FEATURES p42 Breakfast Brits have eaten an additional 660 million breakfasts in-home since the start of 2020, offering local retailers a huge opportunity to grow sales and profits. p46 Sports & Energy The last year has seen big growth in sales, particularly in larger format packs and multipacks. p50 Euro 2020 Scotland’s qualification will add spice – and sales – to this year’s European Championships. p56 Sustainability Viridor and TOMRA team-up to bid to run Scottish DRS counting and sorting centres. p58 Vaping The vaping category has yet to fulfil its early promise, but still doesn’t receive the attention it merits. p62 Cigars Why has a huge upsurge in UK sales of larger cigars over the last year not been seen in Scotland? p64 Forecourts A rapid-fire roundup of some of the latest forecourt news from across Scotland and beyond. p66 Price-marked Packs The role of PMPs in local retailing has grown enormously in importance over the last year.

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ON THE COVER p20 Fast-growing Snappy Shopper attracts the attention – and cash – of ex-Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King.

MAY 2021 | SLR

5

News SYMBOL GROUPS SPAR plays it safe with online event

Sustainability skinflints A survey of over 2,500 adults in the UK carried out by margarines

SPAR Scotland announces virtual tradeshow and welcomes Kincardine retailer

and spreads producer Upfield found 23% UK want to make positive environmental changes to their food purchasing habits, regardless of cost. The number jumps to 50%, if it means not spending more. The survey also found 59% of 18 to 34-yearolds are particularly interested in making environmentallyconscious choices when food shopping.

Quorn signs Climate Pledge Quorn has underscored its green credentials by becoming the first meat alternative brand to sign The Climate Pledge. Signatories agree to measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis, implement decarbonisation strategies in line with the Paris Agreement

SPAR Scotland will host a virtual tradeshow on 23 September 2021.

During the event the company will update suppliers, retailers and colleagues on its ongoing plans to further develop its business in a post-pandemic world.

The event is themed ‘One Family, One Vision’. There will be suppliers exhibiting, presentations from SPAR Scotland and key supplier partners, a live Q&A session and deals on the day for retailers. Motivational speaker and former Royal Marine Andy Grant is already booked to speak. Each delegate will receive a ‘survival kit’ to help them get through the event, in a fun way.

Led by SPAR Scotland boss Colin McLean, the sessions during the live event will provide actionable

steps retailers can take to increase sales and profit and learn about the latest initiatives the company is planning.

In addition, there will be oneto-one video meetings set up with independent retailers and company-owned store managers.

Suppliers will have an opportunity to increase the distribution and volumes of key products with a new platform for securing orders developed for this year.

News of the tradeshow came as the symbol group welcomed Mohammad Mahmood to its growing family of independent retailers.

The 900sq ft store on Elphinstone Street in Kincardine is his first with SPAR.

Mohammad bought the premises last September and has worked to fully refit the store, retaining the existing Post Office and adding Smokin’ Bean Coffee. He plans to add F’real frozen milkshakes and Fwip ice cream soon.

An existing SPAR retailer recommended the symbol group to him.

and neutralise any remaining emissions to achieve net-zero annual carbon emissions by 2040 – a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement’s goal of 2050.

Bells ring changes Pie and pastry manufacturer Bells Food Group has announced the appointment of David M Bell as Chairman. He is a third-generation member of the Bell family and has worked in the business for over 40 years.

He takes up the appointment following the death of John Bell.

David Bell said: “It is a great honour to be appointed Chairman of such an iconic Scottish company and brand. We have a great team at Bells.”

No time to waste for Barr Barr Soft Drinks plans to be carbon net zero by 2040. Under its ‘No Time To Waste’ initiative, the business has set out its ambition to be totally carbon neutral 10 years ahead of the UK’s proposed 2050 deadline.

It also said Irn-Bru and Rubicon will be in 100% recycled plastic (rPET) bottles by spring 2022.

The company will then roll-out 100% rPET bottles across all brands by 2023.

6

SLR | MAY 2021

CHARITY Donation benefits hungry children and adults

APPOINTMENTS

As part of its ongoing commitment to community outreach, Bestway Wholesale has donated over 80 tonnes of self-raising flour to The Felix Project this year.

The Felix Project uses surplus food to help people in poverty and need. The charity is based in London, with a warehouse close to Bestway Wholesale’s head office.

The flour has been sent to hundreds of charities across the city including Freedom’s Ark, a community church in Tottenham operating a food hub in response to the Covid-19 pandemic; Newham Muslim Safety Forum, which distributes free food parcels in the local community; and Hope for Humanity, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people in the UK and internationally.

Dawood Pervez, Managing Director at Bestway Wholesale said, “We chose to donate the flour to this wonderful charity because as we know it will help many other

Home delivery app Snappy Shopper’s parent company, the Snappy Group has announced the appointment of Justin King as Senior Adviser.

After making a “significant” investment in the business during its recent Series A fundraising round, it is understood King will also join the company’s Board as NonExecutive Director.

Other participants in the Snappy Group’s initial seed rounds included Kelvin Capital, Scottish Enterprise and Mercia Asset Management.

King was Sainsbury’s CEO from 2004 and 2014, leading the business through a major turnaround followed by nine years of profit growth. Before joining Sainsbury’s, he was Head of Food at M&S. He held many high-profile roles in a 30-year career.

See page 20 for more on the story.

Bestway gives 80 tonnes of flour to food poverty charity charities across London right in the communities that Bestway serves.

Frighteningly, 1.5 million adults and 400,000 children go hungry and we need to do everything we can to help make this change.”

Richard Smith, Supply Manager at The Felix Project added: “Bestway’s flour arrived during the height of lockdown and has been brilliant for the charities and communities we support. We encourage any organisation with surplus food to get in touch with The Felix Project and don’t let it go to waste.”

Industry veteran Justin King joins Snappy Shopper

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News FINANCIAL RESULTS Boss praises staff for going ‘above and beyond’

Scotmid delivers ‘strong’ pandemic performance Scotmid Co-op Society has reported a £6.4m trading profit for the 53 weeks ended 30 January 2021, compared to £5.6m for the year before.

Turnover for the year was £409m, a year-on-year increase of £24m.

Scotmid boss John Brodie said changes in consumer behaviour during the pandemic resulted in an increase in local essential shopping in Scotmid stores: “Customers visited less frequently, spent more each visit but the costs of operation were significantly more than usual. I was heartened by the overwhelming appreciation we received from our communities for Scotmid’s front-line colleagues and support teams.”

However, like many other nonfood retailers, Scotmid’s Semichem business was negatively impacted

Scotmid CEO John Brodie

by the pandemic due to low footfall on high streets and a long period of closure in the first wave.

Scotmid Funerals conducted more funerals but at a reduced income per funeral due to safety and social distancing restrictions, while the Society’s property portfolio was hit by a reduction in rental income during the crisis.

The Society helped hundreds of local community groups and larger charities to alleviate hardship through a Covid Community Fund.

A free home delivery service to

those shielding was made available with its charity partner Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and a range of larger projects were supported with a focus on homelessness, food banks and mental health.

Brodie continued: “I am very proud and thankful to the colleagues across all parts of the business that have gone above and beyond during the crisis.

They have clearly demonstrated our core purpose in such difficult circumstances.

“Financially, it was a tougher second half to the year with the cost burden increasing but with the benefit of our diverse set of businesses, backed up by government support, we have successfully co-operated together across all levels in the Society to deliver a strong year-end result.”

Jisp and NFRN hit 100 store mark One hundred NFRN members have now signed-up with Jisp.

The all-in-one shopping app launched its partnership with NFRN last May, when six stores trialled its delivery and collection services. Since launching with Jisp, the Fed retailers have seen an increase of over 400% in sales as well as an over 500% increase in items per basket, compared to the industry average.

Hellmann’s puts squeeze on virgin plastic use Unilever’s Hellmann’s brand has started moving its full UK ‘squeezy’ range to bottles made with 100% recycled plastic. The move will save approximately 1,480 tonnes of virgin plastic every year once the full range has switched. New packs will feature a ‘New 100% Recycled Bottle’ logo on the front. The full range will have moved across by the end of 2022.

IN-STORE SERVICES ACS welcomes extension to use of cashback

Cashback without purchase on the way The Government has He commented: “A agreed an amendment number of useful trials to the Financial on extending the use Services Bill which of cashback without will enable shops purchase are underway, ACS Chief to offer cashback to and there is still much Executive James customers without more we need to learn Lowman making a purchase. about how this can The amendment to the House of be offered securely and viably Lords Financial Services Bill, tabled for retailers. We shouldn’t view

by Conservative Peer Lord Holmes cashback without purchase as a of Richmond, will remove an full replacement for a properly existing requirement for retailers to functioning and funded ATM register with the Financial Conduct network.”

Authority to offer cashback without Supplying cashback without an in-store purchase within the purchase will not be mandatory same transaction. for any retailers. The change will In its written submission to a come into force two months after HM Treasury call for evidence on Royal Assent of the Bill, which is the future of the UK’s cash system, expected shortly.

ACS called for the Government Lord True, speaking on behalf to ensure that retailers are not of the Government in the Lords obligated to offer this service and said: “Where the service is offered, those who do must be guaranteed customers will be able to walk fair remuneration. into a local business that wishes With more than two-thirds to participate, such as a corner of convenience stores already shop, café or pub, and withdraw offering cashback, ACS boss James cash without having to make an Lowman welcomed the extension. accompanying purchase.”

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CHARITY

New date for Barcode Festival

General Mills names new Sales Director Simon Fisher has joined General Mills as Sales Director for Northern Europe. The appointment comes as the food company plans for significant growth across its World Foods, Ice Cream and Snacking

GroceryAid has pushed back the date of its popular Barcode Festival to Thursday 2 September.

This will give the industry charity more time to prepare in the wake of the national “unlock” date of 21 June.

The event – carried over from 2020 – was originally scheduled for 8 July.

The date change follows “overwhelming” feedback from GroceryAid’s supporters. It also means Barcode 2021 will be run as safely as possible.

The venue, Magazine in London, remains unchanged and the festival will be headlined by Dizzee Rascal, Becky Hill and Scott Mills.

business. With over 20 years’ experience in sales, Fisher has held multiple senior roles, most recently as Digital Transformation Director at Unilever.

Green Cuisine goes for gold Birds Eye has become an official supporter of Team GB ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which are set to finally commence on Friday 23 July 2021. The collaboration will see Birds Eye’s Green Cuisine brand become the official plant-based supporter of Team GB. It will be supported by a marketing campaign that includes a new TV ad, on-pack promotions, in-store and social media activity with Team GB athletes.

MAY 2021 | SLR

7

SHINE A LIGHT ON SOFT DRINKS

Making sure shoppers can find the drink they want, in the format they want, is crucial. Lawrence Ryan from Suntory Beverage and Food GB&I (SBF GB&I) joined Bal Ghuman at his AK Convenience Store in Shrewsbury to find out how small changes can help customers have a simpler shopping experience.

THE RETAILER

THE STORE

BAL GHUMAN PREMIER AK CONVENIENCE, SHREWSBURY

LAWRENCE RYAN SALES AREA MANAGER, SBF GB&I

“Our store sits on the busy corner of a main road through a residential suburb, surrounded by thousands of chimneypots. We have very priceconscious customers and so 90% of the lines in my store are price-marked.

“Bal’s range is great, with drinks to cater for every customer. His range is eye-catching, and his knowledge of who comes through his door means he knows what his customers want.

“Soft drinks are the second biggest category in my shop. Sports and energy drinks are my biggest sellers, followed by colas and flavoured carbs.”

“He could give more prominence to the biggest sellers to better ‘signpost’ his range, and there is room to think about the need states of his shoppers."

THE OPPORTUNITY

£8,5001 85.5%2

IS THE AMOUNT EACH STORE COULD MAKE OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS BY DELIVERING AGAINST KEY NEED STATES. OF SALES COME FROM THE FIVE MUST-STOCK SEGMENTS – CARBONATES, ENERGY, WATER, JUICE AND SPORT.

LESSONS FOR YOUR STORE

1.

MAKE THE BEST SELLING DRINKS EASY TO FIND

2.

BLOCK BREAKFAST DRINKS TOGETHER, NEAR MORNING GOODS

1 SBF GB&I Category research, 2020 2 EXT IRI, MarketPlace, GB, latest 52 week data ending 21.02.21

3.

RANGE DRINKS BY FORMAT

THE RESULTS

72%

RISE IN SALES OF SOFT DRINKS CANS, BASED ON DATA FROM THE PAST FOUR WEEKS

100%

RISE IN SALES OF BOTTLED WATER, BASED ON DATA FROM THE PAST FOUR WEEKS

THE CHANGES WE MADE

1.

MAKE THE BEST SELLING DRINKS EASY TO FIND

BEFORE

AFTER

Cola is one of Bal’s most popular categories, but his cans were tucked into the bottom corner of his display.

We moved these higher up in the display, so they are easier to see, and double-stacked to give more prominence.

2.

BLOCK BREAKFAST BEFORE

AFTER

DRINKS TOGETHER, NEAR MORNING GOODS

To encourage linked purchases we moved Bal’s dairy-based and coffee drinks closer to his morning goods to encourage cross-category purchases and increase basket spend. This will also give prominence to Bal’s bottled water range.

3.

BEFORE

AFTER

TO SEE MORE OF BAL’S SHOP AND FOR ADVICE FOLLOW @SUNTORYBF_GBI ON TWITTER AND LINKEDIN

RANGE DRINKS BY FORMAT – SITE ALL CANS TOGETHER Bal has a great range of cans, but it was spread across two decks of his chiller. We re-ranged them together, to help shoppers find the format they want more easily.

News CRIME Politicians agree on something for once

Spar pops up in Yorkshire Spar has embraced the popup shop trend with its first temporary store, created to help keep the village of Haworth serviced while its 2,500sq ft store undergoes a refurb. Branded Spar Express, the unit offers a reduced range of everyday essentials including fresh meat and dairy, fruit and veg, bakery, ambient, pet and household goods, with a one-in, one-out service in operation in keeping with Covid-19 safety guidelines.

Asda takeover still on track EG Group has proposed to offload 27 forecourts so its deal to buy Asda can go ahead without an in-depth investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). This follows the CMA’s provisional finding that the deal raises concerns about a lack of competing petrol stations in 36 areas of the UK.

Better policing key to tackling retail crime, say leading Scottish politicians More robust policing is required to tackle retail crime, five leading Scottish politicians have agreed.

The call to better protect shop owners and their staff came in a digital hustings organised by the Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN).

The hustings took place on 19 April, ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections on 6 May. Taking part in the debate were Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar; SNP candidate for Edinburgh Eastern and the Minister for Community Safety Ash Denham; Scottish Cabinet Secretary for the Economy in the last parliament and the Conservative candidate in West Scotland region Maurice Golden; MP for Edinburgh West and the Liberal Democrats’ spokesperson

for the Treasury and Trade Christine Jardine; and the Scottish Greens’ candidate in the Highlands and Islands Anne Thomas.

Admitting that retail crime was “a massive issue”, Sarwar said this was exacerbated by police failing to engage when small value items were stolen. He described policing efforts as “not good enough”, adding that too many women and BAME shopkeepers felt targeted.

“Too many people have to live in fear at work because of the colour of their skin, accent or sex,” he said.

Denham called for more education and more reporting of incidents to raise awareness of the scale of the issue.

Citing poverty as one of the factors behind retail crime, Thomas called for “better, more responsive policing”.

Jardine blamed the frustrations of young people, citing their lost job opportunities and lost education.

She also said the Liberal Democrats would reform business rates.

Thomas also called for a review of business rates and said the Scottish Greens would look to introduce a windfall tax on online retailers.

According to Golden, business rates were no longer suitable in a digital age. The system was unfair, which was why the Conservatives would look to review them.

Sarwar also called for reform, saying there was a need to address the imbalance between online retailers, the larger supermarkets and independent retailers.

Other topics covered were the impact of Brexit, independence and whether shop staff should be given priority Covid jabs.

The CMA provisionally welcomed the proposal. EG Group currently operates 395 UK petrol stations, while Asda has 323.

MFG powers ahead Motor Fuel Group has appointed Energy Assets Networks as an infrastructure partner to help deliver its nationwide ultrafast electric vehicle charging network. A £400m spend will see MFG install 3,000 ultra-rapid 150kW and 350kW EV charge points at 500 UK sites by 2030.

As battery technology develops, the 350kW chargers will eventually deliver charging times

NEWSTRADE The Fed and PayPoint make up

PayPoint keen to restore relationship with NFRN PayPoint boss Nick Wiles has vowed to reinvigorate his company’s relationship with the NFRN after meeting its National President Stuart Reddish.

Afterwards, Reddish described the meeting, which took place on 7 April, as “positive and constructive.”

He added that PayPoint and the NFRN would work together on ways to help members make and save money and make it easier to do business together.

Reddish said: “The meeting was called so the NFRN could share our members’ concerns. Mr Wiles listened carefully and stressed that he was keen to restore the

Nick Wiles, Chief Executive NFRN

relationship between PayPoint and the NFRN. “I will now be working on a plan that meets with the Federation’s ethos to help make and save members money and make it easier for them to do business with PayPoint.”

The meeting was a follow up to one earlier in the year after PayPoint announced it was increasing its monthly service fee to its retailers by 1.4%. This increase took effect from this month.

similar to filling up at the pump with petrol or diesel.

Fifty not out Addo Food Group, owner of the Wall’s Pastry and Pork Farms brands, celebrated the 50th work anniversary of a colleague at its Palethorpes factory last month.

Alan Burton joined the chilled savoury pastry manufacturer straight after leaving school in 1971 as an operative in the company’s washroom. He then worked his way up the business

HOME DELIVERY

Ocado buys £10m stake in driverless vehicle tech firm Online grocer Ocado has teamed up with autonomous driving software company Oxbotica to build self-driving vehicles for itself and other retailers who use its tech solutions.

The vehicles could include self-driving forklifts and delivery vans, as well as robots to take deliveries to front doors.

Ocado, which has a track record of supplying third party retailers around the globe with the kit to build their own online platforms, bought a £10m stake in Oxbotica as part of the deal.

Alex Harvey, Ocado’s Head of Advanced Technology, said: “We want the entire end to end operation, ultimately, to be autonomous – from the receipt of stock to the warehouse all the way through to the customer’s door.

“From a customer’s perspective you open your door and outside you will see an autonomous van or another autonomous vehicle pull up outside your house, and most likely an autonomous robot will get out of that autonomous vehicle, will collect your groceries, and hand them to you.”

and is now a team leader in the hygiene department.

10

SLR | MAY 2021

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News REFITS Major overhaul for Edinburgh store

Scotmid opens new look Barnton store Scotmid has reopen its Barnton store in Edinburgh following a major refit.

A sales floor increase in size from 2500sq ft to 3000sq ft has allowed an enhanced customer offering such as an expanded Cook frozen range and extended foodto-go range.

This includes new breakfast lines; made in store filled baguettes; toasties and burritos; chicken and wing tubs; pizza sandwiches; and made to order 12” pizzas.

The fit out saw the replacement of the shop front windows and doors and the removal of the suspended ceiling to open up the height and space within the sales area and enhance the overall look and feel of the store.

The renovation also included the latest Scotmid branding and design as well as:

Scotmid’s garden centre partnership blossoms Scotmid Co-operative and Caulders Garden Centres have teamed up to launch a pop-up, ‘Caulders at Scotmid’ at the convenience retailer’s Uddingston store, to provide the area with a range of gardening supplies until the end of June.

The pop-up garden centre is selling an assortment of gardening goods to help the local community enter full bloom, including seasonal bedding plants, vegetable plants, houseplants, firepits and chimineas, garden décor, compost, fertilisers and more.

Q New LED lighting Q New ventilation and air conditioning systems Q State of the art Hauser refrigeration cabinets run on energy efficient refrigerant gas Q Bakery cabinets, digital screens, self-cleaning oven, pizza bench, bakery equipment Q Extensive food-to-go range including Costa

Q Self-scan and traditional tills with in-built customer screens Q Internal ATM Q COOK frozen foods Q New signage and graphics Q Dark grey ceiling and walls and new Amtico flooring Q Wi-Fi, Safe i, mood media sound system, security tagging, CCTV, security alarm and fire alarm installations.

For more information please go to

*Nielsen Total Cverage including discounters, Value, MAT 16.05.20 **Standard packs are also available, retailers are free to set their own prices

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MAY 2021 | SLR

11

News ONLINE RETAIL Could internet giant muscle in on grocery?

Paysend and Plaid partner Paysend has teamed up with open finance platform Plaid to give customers a

Amazon a ‘triple threat’ to convenience retailers, says TWC

more streamlined experience when connecting their bank accounts to Paysend’s money transfer app. Adding Plaid’s Open Banking capabilities into Paysend’s platform paves the way for new products and services that will increase the speed of the payment process even further and reduce customer friction points.

Pallet power Midland Pallet Trucks has revamped its bestselling electric pallet truck. The new MIDEPT18 Heavy Duty Fully Electric Pallet Truck features a robust and hardwearing chassis with corrosive-resistant yellow paint that makes it easy to spot on any warehouse floor. The new model also features a larger 0.85kw brushless motor which increases the load capacity to 1800kg for heavier duty users with large consignments.

Tate & Tyle top targets Tate & Lyle has exceeded its 2020 environmental targets, set using a 2008 baseline.

Greenhouse gas emissions, generated by on-site energy use, were reduced by 25% (target of 19%), and waste to landfill was reduced by 37% (target of 30%).

These environmental benefits are equivalent to the carbon captured by nearly one million acres of forest and 1,700 fewer bin lorryloads taken to landfill.

Fresh produce supply chains go digital Business improvement and standards company BSI has joined a new Innovate UK project as a consortium partner to help digitise the UK’s fresh produce supply chains. The two-year Trusted Bytes initiative, led

by Produce Logistics, will see the use of digital technology to facilitate the flow of goods across international borders and increase efficiency for the UK food sector.

12

SLR | MAY 2021

Amazon would be the UK’s sixthlargest supermarket if current shoppers swapped just one grocery shop per month, according to the inaugural TWC Trends Spring 2021 Report.

Intelligence and technology consultancy TWC’s consumer research identified that Amazon could make a substantial share steal of the grocery market and that supermarkets may start to lose dominance especially with the younger generation and more affluent shoppers. It also highlighted that the online delivery trend that is here to stay and will only get bigger, with convenience stores needing to increase their participation to combat Amazon growth.

The report reveals the very latest perceptions, thoughts and behaviours of 1,200 consumers in retail convenience, hospitality, food service and wholesale. TWC said it was put together in response to

a market gap for straightforward sentiment research and opinion mining on current and future trends and, as part of the report, the opinion mining has been overlaid with incisive interpretation and calls to action.

Tom Fender, Development Director at TWC, commented: “We are delighted to present the first TWC Trends report which has allowed us to dig into what is happening in the market – and most importantly why – and identify emerging future trends.

WHOLESALERS Advice on Impulse, Grocery, Non-Food, Chilled & Frozen published

Unitas plans for profit with new category guidance Unitas Wholesale has launched its first two Plan for Profit category guides for 2021.

One focuses on the core range for the Impulse category while the other advises retailers on what to stock in Grocery, Non-Food, Chilled & Frozen.

Tracey Redfearn, Plan for Profit Category Controller commented: “The category guides feature the key products we advise retailers to stock in order to maximise their sales and profits within these categories. Each guide in the series is compiled using information provided by our supplier partners, industry experts and member wholesalers, which means that through Plan for Profit we truly offer a credible core range tailored to the needs of the independent retailer.”

New for 2021, the Grocery, NonFood, Chilled & Frozen guide now includes a recommended range of chilled & frozen products available from Unitas’ preferred supplier partner Eden Farm with scannable barcodes for ease of ordering.

Retailers will find insights in each guide including ‘Confectionery’, ‘Sweet Snacking’, ‘Soft Drinks’, ‘Hot Beverages’, ‘Biscuits’ and ‘Toiletries’ to help them better understand and grow these categories in-store.

Price-marked and VAT exempt (zero rated) products are also highlighted throughout the guides.

Printed copies of both guides are available in selected Unitas Wholesale member depots. Online versions of the guides and the core and extended product range can be accessed via the Plan for Profit website and app.

“Here at TWC, we believe that although Amazon is discussed a lot as a threat to our channel, the fact that 72% of the population has an account really emphasises that threat. And now, it is now a double threat with the launch of Amazon Fresh and a triple threat with its investment in Deliveroo.

“What we are most impressed with is the knowledge Amazon has on its customers. This is something which many people in retail overlook. It is the fuel of their engine!”

MULTIPLES

Asda shuts instore bakeries Asda plans to cut 1,200 jobs by closing its in-store bakeries, as a growing number of customers make the switch to speciality breads and bagels from more traditional loaves.

The supermarket currently makes bread in-store from scratch but is switching to a central bakery that will supply pre-baked products to stores.

It will begin a consultation with affected staff, as many of whom as possible will be moved to other roles with redundancy “the last option”.

The move means the supermarket will be able to bake fresh products several times a day, rather than once a day in-store.

Tesco made a similar decision last year.

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News CRIME Government urged to take action

Wholesaler complaints process ‘fit for purpose’ A revamped and streamlined Press Distribution Charter was relaunched last month alongside a dedicated new website (pressdistributioncharter.co.uk).

Members of the Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) played a key role in the review of the Charter, which National President Stuart Reddish said was now “fit for purpose and better reflects today’s marketplace”.

Record first quarter for Nisa’s charity Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity saw a record first quarter in terms of partner

NFRN calls for funding to improve security systems for smaller retailers The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) has said smaller retailers need financial support from the government to help protect them against rising violent crime.

The Co-op recently spent £140m to improve security in its stores in a bid to protect staff from an increasing number of physical attacks.

The NFRN said that, for most independent retailers, the cost of updating CCTV and other security systems is prohibitive.

NFRN National President Stuart Reddish said: “Shop workers

have been more vulnerable to mistreatment and abuse throughout the course of the pandemic, particularly given they have had to enforce social distancing and the wearing of face masks.

“Despite this increased risk, the current security systems of small retailers are not always sufficient to capture occurrences or the extent of crime in their stores. As a result, shop owners, workers and customers are being left vulnerable and unsafe.

“Shop owners and workers have worked in direct contact

with the public under extremely challenging circumstances during the pandemic, and small retailers are important aspects of the community within which they trade.”

Reddish concluded: “We are calling on the government to introduce financial support to help retailers cover the costs of upgrading their CCTV security systems, so that they are able to sufficiently capture evidence of any violations of the law in their stores and can provide maximum protection for their staff and customers alike.”

engagement, with Nisa retailers donating their highest ever Q1 total. Nisa stores supported good causes with 585 donations from January to March 2021, totalling £264,470. This sum is

SYMBOL GROUPS Retailers happy with franchise model

One Stop celebrates its “nearly 100%” renewal rate

biggest-ever donated by retailers via MADL during a Q1 period and also the highest number of individual donations made.

Co-op to hand back furlough support The Co-op is to repay £15.5m of the money it received in Government support during the Covid-19 pandemic. The money equates to the amount it claimed in furlough payments during 2020. However, it will not return Business Rates relief as it “took this Government support in good faith, not expecting to have to pay the money back and made forward-looking business decisions on that basis.”

Pastorfrigor gets an ‘A’ Pastorfrigor’s Genova Overview refrigeration range has achieved an A rating in the new ecodesign energy label scheme which now has a straightforward A to G scale, doing away with A+, A++ and A+++ ratings.

The difference in consumption between A- and C-rated units can be as much as three times the energy used. The Essex-based company said this was a first for a UK refrigeration business.

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One Stop has announced that “nearly 100%” of franchisees have renewed their contracts for another five years.

Having started franchising in 2013, One Stop has seen steady growth in the sector with over 200 franchise stores opening and now 94% renewing again.

One Stop Stores has over 900 company and franchise neighbourhood stores across Great Britain and employs more than 10,500 colleagues.

One Stop’s franchise model offers franchisees a brand-new state of the art Epos system, promotions and an extensive level of support, including a dedicated business development manager.

John Miller, Head of Franchise, said: “The number of franchisees

who have renewed their contracts shows real confidence in our brand. We are offering them the best franchise model on the market and these ongoing renewals demonstrate One Stop’s long term trusted partnerships.

“We view our franchisees as an extension of our own team. We want to be there to help, support and guide the franchisee’s business into profitable growth and be a more successful and sustainable business together. There is very much a mutual benefit.”

One Stop franchisee Gaz Bains commented: “One Stop gives excellent margins on promotions and this drives people into store.

Thanks to the regular deliveries we also don’t need to keep masses of stock.”

NEWSTRADE

Mourinho joins News UK for Euro 2020 News UK has signed Jose Mourinho for the Euros in a deal that will see the Special One create exclusive content for The Sun, The Times, The Sunday Times and talkSPORT. Mourinho will have regular columns throughout the summer in The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times across the tournament, alongside other content.

As well as the columns in the print edition, Sun Online readers will also get to watch Mourinho provide pre- and post-match video predictions and analysis of the Euro’s biggest matches.

On top of several talkSPORT slots, he will also be a part of The Game Euros podcast from The Times and host a special Times+ readers event.

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News Extra

Post Office | Horizon scandal

NewsExtra BOOST YOUR BREAKFAST SALES – P40 POST OFFICE Court of Appeal overturns convictions

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

Convenience Matters with the SGF In-store crime is an issue which has continued to cause concern during the pandemic.

Several indicators suggest that the problem got worse over the course of two lockdowns, with abuse towards staff being the biggest concern.

Backed by the Scottish government, SGF has launched a campaign to encourage retailers to report every incidence of retail crime.

One of its aims was to pave the way for the new Protection of Workers Act, which comes into force on 24 August. The new legislation is a massive step forward, but it simply won’t work if shop staff fail to report retail crime. The first phase of the campaign has just wrapped up and generally it has been very well received by the sector.

One of the most important aspects of the campaign has been to secure a ‘business pledge’ from most of our key co-op and symbol group members that they will encourage and support their retailers and staff to report incidents of in-store crime. We hope that this will be a tangible legacy of the crime campaign.

The next phase of the campaign will be focused on the implementation of the new Act and ensure that retailers understand what it means. How Police Scotland responds and adapts to this operationally is clearly a crucial issue. We have begun discussions with them at a senior level to tie them into supporting the campaign.

This is the first time ever that the Scottish government has given us some resource to deal with the retail crime problem. This, together with the new Act, could be the start of a genuinely new and genuinely effective approach to dealing with an issue that causes the industry so much pain.

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SLR | MAY 2021

Landmark ruling gives justice to Postmasters After years of campaigning and legal wrangling, 39 Postmasters given criminal records because of faulty accounting software see their convictions quashed. In an ironic twist, the former Post Office boss in charge during the Horizon scandal resigns from the Boards of two companies as the PO appoints two Postmasters as Non-Executive Directors.

Thirty-nine former Postmasters wrongly convicted for theft and false accounting because of faulty bookkeeping software provided by the Post Office have been cleared at the Court of Appeal.

The ruling also said the convictions were “an affront to the public conscience”. This means the Postmasters can now sue for malicious prosecution, leaving the Post Office potentially facing a massive compensation pay-out.

The judgement is the latest chapter in a long-running saga which started when the Horizon IT system, developed by Fujitsu, was rolled out across the Post Office network in 1999. Horizon was meant to take care of transactions, stocktaking and accounting but Postmasters were soon complaining that the software was mistakenly reporting discrepancies in takings.

Between 2000 and 2014, 736 Postmasters were prosecuted by the Post Office – one a week, on average – over alleged shortfalls that sometimes ran into thousands of pounds.

The prosecutions ruined the lives of many involved, with job losses, divorce, reputational damage and bankruptcy common. A number pleaded guilty to false accounting to avoid more serious theft charges. Some lost their homes. Some went to prison. At least one is said to have committed suicide while others have died before seeing justice.

It took 20 years of campaigning to have the cases reconsidered and in December 2019 High Court judge Mr Justice Fraser ruled in the Postmasters’ favour, paving the way for convictions to be overturned. He said there was a “material risk” that shortfalls in Post Office branch accounts were caused by Horizon.

The Post Office agreed to pay out £58m. After legal fees, 555 postmasters received a share of £12m – around £20,000 each.

Paula Vennells, who was Post Office CEO from 2012 to 2019, stepped down from a number of high profile roles after the convictions were quashed. She

Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells.

had been a non-Executive Director for Morrisons and homewares retailer Dunelm. An ordained Church of England minister, she is also giving up her regular parochial duties.

In a statement, Ms Vennells said: “I am truly sorry for the suffering caused to the 39 subpostmasters as a result of their convictions which were overturned.”

“It is obvious that my involvement with the Post Office has become a distraction from the good work undertaken in the Diocese of St Albans and in the parishes I serve.

“I have therefore stepped back with immediate effect from regular parish ministry, and intend to focus fully on working with the ongoing Government inquiry to ensure the affected subpostmasters and wider public get the answers they deserve.”

Former Nisa boss Nick Read took over from Vennells at the Post Office, after she resigned just before the 2019 ruling. From the get-go he has been determined to “reset” the organisation’s relationship with Postmasters.

At that time, Alan Bates, Founder of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance, praised Read for his “leadership, engagement and determination” in helping to end the dispute.

Now, as part of that reset, two serving Postmasters have been elected to the Post Office Board as NonExecutive Directors for the first time in the company’s 360-year history.

They are Saf Ismail, who operates six post offices in the north-east of England, and Elliot Jacobs, who runs seven post offices in and around London.

In a speech to Post Office staff Read heralded a replacement for the Horizon system: “Our new ways of working with Postmasters will be underpinned by a new IT system which will be more user-friendly, easier to adapt for new products and services, and cloud-based to ensure easy maintenance and ready interoperability with other systems.” www.slrmag.co.uk

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Comment

IS JUSTIN THE KING MAKER? The meteoric rise of Dundee-based home delivery platform Snappy Shopper over the last year or so is nothing short of remarkable and the latest development surely marks a tipping point for the business that was nothing more than a novel, apparently quirky idea just a few short years ago.

The fact that former Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King fancies the business enough to plough a chunk of his cash and a lot of his time into it speaks volumes about how far the company has come in such a short space of time.

Not bad going for a company started by a lawyer with a good idea, too much energy and boundless conviction.

I have very fond memories of taking a call from Snappy Shopper co-founder Scott Campbell back in maybe 2017 or 2018. I had never heard of him at the time, nor Snappy Shopper, but recall vividly that he was very animated about the idea and he was keen to get a speaking slot at one of our #ThinkSmart retail tech events to share the concept with retailers.

I distinctly remember it taking me a little time to even understand the concept and wondering why shoppers would want a convenience store to deliver products to their homes. Surely the point of convenience stores was that they were already convenient? But Scott seemed utterly sure that it was the future. I, on the other hand, was less convinced.

At any rate, we offered him a slot to speak and, as far as I’m aware, it was the first time anyone from Snappy Shopper had ever spoken in public. Fast forward a few years and a coronavirus pandemic later, and the former Sainsbury’s head honcho wants a big piece of the action. The company is now valued at somewhere between £50m and £65m. It appears that Scott was absolutely right.

Home delivery is indeed the future. But while King’s money may be welcome, it’s his retail experience and contacts that will prove most beneficial. Doors that have been hard to open in the past will, undoubtedly, fly off their hinges these days. King is, by all accounts, a very astute businessman and what he will be able to bring the company is almost beyond measure.

The home delivery sector still has an element of the wild west about it at the moment, but it’s beginning to look like the major players are emerging and jostling for position. Snappy Shopper’s latest coup should ensure that it will more than retain its place at the top table.

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

ADVERTISING Sales & Marketing Director Helen Lyons 07575 959 915 | hlyons@55north.com Advertising Manager Robert Aitken 0141 222 5302 | raitken@55north.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scottish Local Retailer is produced monthly by 55 North Ltd.

© 55 North Ltd. 2021 ISSN 1740-2409.

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SLR | MAY 2021

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Cover Story

Snappy Shopper Investment

KING MAKER Ex-Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King has made a “significant investment” in Dundee-based home delivery platform Snappy Shopper and has become a Senior Adviser to the company.

“I have been hugely impressed by the Snappy Group’s affordable solution, leadership team and rapid growth. The company is championing the needs of businesses in their local community.”

JUSTIN KING

FASTFACTS

The Snappy Shopper app Q Consumers can order groceries from their local convenience store and have them delivered by the store’s own drivers to their homes from as little as 30 minutes Q Retailers can increase revenues significantly with average basket spend more than trebling online compared to in-store Q Snappy Shopper enables retailers to maintain their in-store value proposition online by limiting the charges that lead to consumers facing higher prices when ordering Q The company currently serves retailers from most major players and has partnership agreements with several regional Co-ops, Nisa and Spar.

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SLR | MAY 2021

F

ast-growing home delivery platform Snappy Shopper has announced that former Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King has made a “significant investment” in the Dundee-based business and will also be serving as a Senior Adviser to the company’s management team.

The business envisages King joining the Board as Non-Executive Director following a Series A fundraising round that has recently been launched.

One of the UK’s foremost food retailers, King ran Sainsbury’s between 2004 and 2014, leading the business through a major turnaround followed by nine years of profit growth. Before joining Sainsbury’s, he was Head of Food at Marks & Spencer and is currently an M&S NonExecutive Director and a member of the Public Interest Body of PwC. King commented: “I have been hugely impressed by the Snappy Group’s affordable solution, leadership team and rapid growth. The company is championing the needs of businesses in their local community. Its proprietary technology provides local businesses with an affordable delivery solution which enables them to compete in this fast-changing market segment. This not only caters to the trend for top-up shopping but also an increasing desire by consumers to access and support local enterprises.

“This is an exciting and pivotal time for the business, and I believe that I will be able to add significant value. I look forward to working with the management team as the business continues its expansion and grows its market share further within the thriving UK convenience market and beyond.”

King will bring this wealth of retail understanding and business experience to the Board of the Snappy Group, as the Company seeks to grow the services it provides to local retailers and hospitality organisations.

The Snappy Group’s Series A fundraising will enable the company to continue its rapid expansion in convenience and hospitality. The Group has gone from strength to strength, www.slrmag.co.uk

Snappy Shopper Investment

having grown from 220 business partners in 2019 to 1,150 today. More than 700,000 consumers use the platform across the UK and annualised Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) approached £100m for the year ended March 2021.

Mike Callachan, co-founder of Snappy Shopper, said: “We are very excited to have been able to attract Justin’s interest and investment.

Justin is one of the UK’s most successful business leaders and brings a wealth of experience within the retail and FMCG sector, which will be invaluable as we expand further.

“Prior to the pandemic, the Snappy Group was already established in both hospitality and grocery home delivery. The lockdown has served to accelerate the online trend, but we strongly believe that the shift in consumer behaviour will persist in the long term. While we expect the rapid rate of growth in deliveries to slow slightly as lockdown eases through the summer months, the online market is a long way from maturation. www.slrmag.co.uk

Cover Story

“Our mission is to give communities on demand access to the products of local businesses. In this context, our platform is based on genuine partnerships and the principle of mutual benefit. The platform therefore evolves to suit their needs and I believe our flexibility, commitment and commission structure differentiate us from our competitors.”

MAY 2021 | SLR

21

NEW

Product News MAKE SURE YOU’RE READY FOR THE EUROS – P48 BISCUITS pladis takes fusion cuisine to a whole new level

McVitie’s rolls out new Jaffa Jonuts TAKE A BITE OF OUR

Snacking giant pladis has made what it’s calling a “first-to-market fusion” of its McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes with the humble doughnut, to create McVitie’s Jaffa Jonuts.

The new product – which is the biggest format innovation for the brand in the last two years – comprises a doughnut-shaped ring of light sponge with a layer of crackly dark chocolate on top, and a tangy, gooey, orange-flavoured filling.

As well as launching sharing boxes of four Jaffa Jonuts (4 x 43g, RSP £1.99), McVitie’s is also rolling out an individually-wrapped Jonuts snack pack (43g, RSP 60p), with the intention of driving impulse sales.

The launch will be supported by a £2.1m marketing campaign, as part of The Year of Jaffa Cakes. This will include activity across out-of-home, digital, social, PR and shopper marketing activity – all of which will help the brand to reach 85% of its audience over nine times.

McVitie’s Jaffa Jonuts will first appear in Tesco from 16 May, before a wider rollout from the end of June.

Emma Stowers, Brand Director for McVitie’s at pladis UK& said: “Now that the nation is no longer bound to the confines of their homes, we expect to see a resurgence in on-the-go snacking. Our McVitie’s Jaffa Jonuts individual packs are perfect for these occasions – and 93% of consumers agree.”

SNACKS

Walkers: to crisp or not to crisp?

Walkers has reignited the crisp sandwich debate with its new #crispIN or #crispOUT campaign, which encourages consumers to voice their opinion on their lunchtime and sandwich habits.

The campaign is running across TV, social and PR channels until 20 June and includes social media content from A-list celebrities.

As well as being inspired to create their own #crispIN or #crispOUT sandwiches at home, consumers will have the ability to experience the choice in Subway stores across the UK. For a limited time, customers can choose Walkers Ready Salted Crisps as a topping on any sub, wrap or salad to create a #crispIN meal.

Philippa Pennington, Marketing Manager at Walkers, said: “We all know that sandwiches and crisps are a match made in heaven, but there remains a very real, very heated debate about whether you should enjoy your crisps in or out of your sarnie!”

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www.slrmag.co.uk

NEW SOFT DRINKS Coca-Cola strips down branding

Coke floats new look The Coca-Cola Company has unveiled a new design for the Coca-Cola trademark that brings Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke closer together.

The new design is simplified, removing extraneous elements to deliver global consistency to the trademarks as part of the ‘One Brand’ strategy that launched worldwide in 2016. The new design also raises the Coca-Cola logo to the top of the label.

When the brand’s original and universally-recognised red colour is paired with white script, it is for CocaCola Original Taste. When paired with black script, coupled with other details such as black bottle caps, it is Zero Sugar, while Diet Coke will also sit within the

Coca-Cola trademark design family, with its signature silver background and red logo.

The intention is to provide a simple and intuitive navigation system that carries across all variants. The updated design will be led by Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, which also features a new recipe intended to bring it even closer to that of CocaCola Original Taste.

MINTS Mondelez brand marks 100 years

TOBACCO

Trebor is marking a century of trading with its new ‘Big 100’ promotion.

The campaign gives shoppers the chance to win a range of prizes up to £10,000 – including daily £100 giveaways – through offpack activity. The £100 prize winners will also receive limited-edition, Big 100 packs of Trebor Extra Strong Mints.

To get involved, Mondelez advised retailers to display bespoke Big 100 POS in-store alongside their mints and gums range to encourage shoppers to enter. Retailers can request Big 100 POS and find further confectionery information and advice at deliciousdisplay.co.uk.

The Big 100 promotion is also supported by a comprehensive marketing campaign that will reinvent and revive the brand’s ‘minty bit stronger’ tagline.

The brand is also marking its centenary by sharing the stories of independent retailers who, like Trebor, were established in 1921.

The Big 100 promotion is live until 21 May, with prizes to be won every day.

JTI has cut the price of its Kensitas Club Rolling Tobacco in Scotland with RSPs of £11.95 for 30g 3-in-1, giving the range the lowest RSP for a 3-in-1 rolling tobacco product in the UK, as well as £19.60 for 50g pouch formats.

With Kensitas Club Scotland’s fastest-growing cigarette brand, JTI’s move reflects consumer demand for value RYO tobacco, which is currently leading the RYO Price Sector.

Retailers can benefit from a 15% POR offer in selected wholesalers.

For more information on Kensitas Club or any other JTI product, retailers should speak to their local JTI Sales Representative or call the help desk on 0800 163503.

Trebor celebrates centenary in a big way

www.slrmag.co.uk

JTI drops Kensitas Club Rolling Tobacco price

TAKE A BITE OF OUR

News

Off-Trade

Old Mout, new flavour Heineken has expanded Old Mout’s range of fruit ciders with the addition of Old Mout Watermelon & Lime (ABV 4%), available now in a single 500ml bottles. Like the rest of the range, the new variant is made from natural flavours, is gluten-free and vegan-friendly. The launch is supported with an extensive digital media plan on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube as well as support for the trade with bespoke POS launch kits.

Carling gets shirty Carling has teamed up with Umbro to give people the chance to win one of 10,000 limited-edition retro-style football shirts. Consumers can get their hands on one by finding special golden cans, which are hidden in multipacks. The promotion is dual-branded and clearly communicated on 10-can and 18-can multipacks.

Off-TradeNews ARE SCOTLAND’S RETAILERS MISSING OUT ON CIGAR SALES? – P60 ECONOMIC RECOVERY Would 15p on a can of beer save the hospitality industry?

‘Pub relief’ plan would see prices in off-sales rise

Former Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has called on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to raise the duty on alcohol sold in off-sales by over a third in a bid to “save our pubs”.

According to think tank the Social Market Foundation (SMF), a 34% increase would allow a 75% reduction in duty levied in pubs and other hospitality venues and still be “revenue neutral” to the Treasury.

Translated into prices, the cost of a pint of beer in the pub could fall by 36p (or 10%), whereas the price

of a can of beer in convenience stores would rise by 14p (or 15%).

The SMF said the changes could boost pub sales by 100 million pints a year and see overall alcohol consumption fall by 5.7%.

MacAskill, MP for East Lothian, suggested that reducing alcohol duty would boost hard-pressed licensees who are not able to fully reopen their pubs and bars in Scotland until 17 May and even then, businesses will still be under strict coronavirus restrictions.

The Scottish Licensed Trade Association has thrown its weight

behind the move. Spokesman Paul Waterson said: “What the Social Marketing Foundation has proposed is a ‘pub relief ’ that allows pubs, bars and other licensed premises to claim back a percentage of the duty costs that they face. This would have the benefit of ensuring that the duty rebate is passed directly to pubs.

“A cut in alcohol duty would certainly go a long way to helping the industry come back to life as the furlough scheme ends and businesses start the long fight back to viability.”

It is supported by a host of POS material and a social media campaign with Joe Football.

Dram expensive Loch Lomond Whiskies has unveiled a 45-year-old single malt, the first of three releases in its Remarkable Stills Series which celebrates the company’s straight neck pot stills. Distilled in 1973, the liquid was matured in American oak casks, before finishing for a year in a first-fill oloroso sherry cask. Only 200 numbered bottles (ABV 42.2%) have been released at the

CIDER

Heineken gives cider drinkers an inch Heineken UK has launched Inch’s – a sustainable apple cider made from 100% British apples.

It is available now in 500ml bottles, 4 x 440ml cans and 10 x 440ml cans.

Heineken UK’s biggest-ever cider launch, Inch’s has been created to recruit younger consumers who prefer to buy brands that have a social and environmental commitment to the category.

The launch is supported by a multimillion pound marketing spend that includes TV, video-on-demand, online video and social media activity, as well as a national sampling campaign, focusing on the premise that the brand goes more than the extra inch for a better cider.

bargain price of £3,450 each.

Stindt’s new stint with Jaegermeister Mast-Jaegermeister UK has named Christian Stindt as Marketing Director. Stindt joined the business in 2009 working in the global public affairs team.

In 2012, he joined the Regional Management Western Europe team and has since managed a variety of markets, most recently Spain and Italy. Under his watch, the volume of Jägermeister sold in the latter grew by more than 20% over three years.

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SLR | MAY 2021

WINE TWE brand chases new audience with packaging refresh

New look for Blossom Hill Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has launched a brand-new pack design for its Blossom Hill range.

The brand has refreshed the labels across the entire portfolio, with a more modern and sophisticated feel, that aims to recruit new and younger consumers into the wine category and attract new audiences to Blossom Hill. Packs include a nod to each varietal through the colour palette and introduces a contemporary take on the classic Blossom design.

In 2022 Blossom Hill will celebrate 30 years in the UK wine category.

CIDER

Lockdown drives off-trade cider boom, says Westons

The national lockdown resulted in the biggest year on record for the off-trade cider category, according to the latest edition of Westons Cider’s annual Cider Report.

The full or partial closure of hospitality outlets skewed sales significantly, with the off-trade accounting for 63% of cider value and 83% of the volume during 2020, compared to 35% and 62% the year before, while the on-trade suffered a corresponding reverse.

Convenience cider sales predictably boomed, up 19.0% and ahead of the 17.9% growth seen in the total grocery market. In convenience, the crafted cider subcategory reached triple digit growth.

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

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Off-Trade

News

Michelob’s ultra marathon Michelob Ultra has announced a summer marketing push as it seeks to extend its UK market share. The brand is BEER Scotland’s favourite lager gears up for a summer of football

Tennent’s kicks-off its biggest ever off-trade promotion

Tennent’s Lager is celebrating a renewed partnership with the Scottish FA by launching its biggest-ever off trade activity across more than one million promotional packs.

Launching this month, consumers buying promotional 10-, 12- and 15-packs of Tennent’s will have the chance to win one of over 4,500 prizes including personalised Tennent’s football tops, mini footballs, captain’s armbands and vouchers for the Tennents.co.uk online store.

Consumers can scan a QR code on promotional packaging which

will take them to a microsite where they can enter the competition.

They’ll find out immediately if they’re a winner and what prize they have won.

Iain Telford, Senior Marketing Manager at Tennent’s, said: “Our new on-pack celebrates the Summer of Football that lies ahead and we’re looking forward to standing with the rest of Scotland in cheering on our national team in their biggest season in 23 years.

“As the Original Supporter of Scottish football, we wanted to help fans combine their favourite lager with their favourite sport and we

know they’ll be excited to get their hands on the great prizes that are up for grabs.”

The brewer recently put the gloves goalkeeper David Marshall wore to make the penalty save that put Scotland through to the Euro 2020 finals on display at its visitor centre in Glasgow.

strengthening its ties with keepfit fans through its #UltraMiles campaign. This will turn runners’ hard-earned road miles into airmiles by offering plane tickets to destinations which match the distances they’ve ran as prizes.

Michelob found the average British runner recorded 484 miles in the last 12 months.

Click for craft beer A new website and app have launched to make it easier for c-stores to improve their craft beer offer. Lion Little World is designed to give customers a simple seamless end-to-end experience. As well as a userfriendly ordering interface, it also offers educational content on the craft industry and training modules. The platform’s AI also recommends products that

GIN Pernod Ricard rolls out trio of premixed gins

Beefeater launches new RTDs Pernod Ricard has unveiled three brand new Beefeater readyto-drink (RTD) cans.

Beefeater London Dry Gin & Tonic, Beefeater Pink Strawberry Gin & Tonic and Beefeater Blood Orange & Tonic all have an ABV of 4.9% and are available now in 25cl slimline cans (RSP £2).

The new Beefeater RTD cans were trialled in May 2020 in markets including Australia and Ireland. For the UK launch, they have been given a new look and feel to align with the brand’s new packaging across the range.

The launch coincides with a multi-million-pound campaign that runs until the end of August. Spearheaded by TV, video-on-demand and online video, the campaign also includes digital, e-commerce, in-store and in-bar support.

RTD cans are growing +14.7% in value across the total off-trade and that figure grows in convenience to 38.6%. The gin category is also experiencing double-digit value growth in the off-trade (+24.4%) and this more than doubles in convenience (+53.5%), a channel where RTDs perform well due to the on-the-go occasion.

Chris Shead, Off-Trade Channel Director for Pernod Ricard UK, said: ”Beefeater’s target audience of 25-34-yearolds are always looking out for the latest trend and keen to socialise with quality drinks either at home or outdoors.

“The new Beefeater RTD cans will help support them in this quest.”

WINE

SPAR boxes clever with new wines SPAR has unveiled four new wines for summer including two new bag in a box SKUs – a first for the symbol group’s ownlabel wine range.

Available now in 2.25 litre boxes are SPAR’s popular Crisp White and Fresh Rosé. The boxes are equivalent to three bottles of wine and are priced at £14.99.

The launch is supported with instore POS and digital activity.

SPAR has also rolled out its own Picpoul de Pinet from Languedoc, which will sit under its existing Regional Selection range.

The wine, which comes in a distinctive embossed bottle, hits shelves at £6.99 from 20 May until 9 June, when it will be available for £7.99.

SPAR’s fourth new wine is the Seashell Bay Sauvignon Blanc. Part of SPAR’s Exclusive range, it is sourced from the South African winery, Journey’s End. Seashell Bay is launching at £5.99 on 20 May until 9 June 2021 when the normal RSP of £6.99 kicks in.

will be a good fit for a specific retailer’s store.

Single farm single malt Speciality Brands has launched Waterford Distillery’s Grattansbrook 1.1 (ABV 50%, RSP £70), a Single Farm Origin Irish single malt. The whisky is the first release from the 2015 harvest of Taberna barley from Grattansbrook farm in Co. Kildare. Waterford’s Single Farm Origin series explores Irish “teireoir”, focusing on different types of barley, grown in different areas of Ireland with various microclimates.

Molson hits plastic target Molson Coors has removed plastic rings and introduced a fully recyclable and sustainable cardboard sleeve for can multipacks for all its major brands in the UK. The move sees the company hit its target to remove all single-use plastic from Carling and Coors packaging by the end of April 2021, following the introduction of recyclable cardboard largeformat multipacks in 2020.

www.slrmag.co.uk

MAY 2021 | SLR

25

Inside Business

Local Producer Focus | Lees of Scotland

LEES OF SCOTLAND HITS

90!

This is a milestone year for Lees of Scotland as they proudly celebrate 90 years in business.

T

he business was founded in Coatbridge in 1931 by grocer’s son John J Lees, who accidently created its macaroon bar when trying to produce a smooth chocolate fondant version. The product has since become a Scottish icon. Lees of Scotland is known for manufacturing a range of delicious confectionery including Teacakes, Snowballs, Jaffa Bars, Coconut Ice Bars and a wide range of Meringue products, and of course, for the ‘Lees Lees, more if you please’ jingle.

Employing 250 people, Lees operates out of a modern 80,000sq ft factory in Coatbridge. The business has gone from strength to strength and overcome some challenges along the way. Not least navigating through one of the biggest crises the manufacturing industry has ever seen.

Clive Miquel, CEO at Lees of Scotland said: “It’s a wonderful milestone to reach. The success and longevity of the business is down to its innovative nature, and community. Scotland is famous for its food and drink and we are very proud to be a part of that.

“This year is a chance for us to express our appreciation to our loyal customers, business partners, friends, and colleagues for their continuous support. A time to reflect on the past and look toward the future.”

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SLR | MAY 2021

The dedicated new product development team at Lees of Scotland is committed to regularly improving its product offering for retail and wholesale customers, ensuring the company is one of the most exciting food manufacturing businesses in Scotland, constantly investing in new equipment and technology.

Shevaun Thomas, new product development manager at Lees of Scotland said: “Innovation is extremely important to us. Breaking into new areas with new products, that’s our focus.

You need to innovate to stay ahead. We have launched a number of new products in the last year and have a lot more to come. We’re always trying to come up with new flavours, new shapes, new designs.”

There has been a greater focus on dietary sugar levels in recent years, and Lees is mindful of the issue, and when it comes to the confectionery side of the business, it’s a case of everything in moderation.

Lees’ Scottish provenance sets it apart from other brands and it has stayed true to its roots since day one, gaining a significant customer base and loyal commercial partners along the way.

For Lees, it’s all about big nights in and time spent with family and friends sharing their

favourite snacks. Lees offer a range of products such as sharing tubs of Mini Snowballs, which are perfect for any night in and can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Over the past few years Lees has watched the free-from trend grow as an increasing number consumers become more health conscious and aware of food allergies and intolerances.

However, tasty sharing treats don’t have to be full of calories. Each Mini Snowball contains only 50 calories and no artificial flavours. Lees Meringues are also low in calories, gluten-fee and zero fat.

Lees of Scotland’s Premium Meringue Nests remain a firm favourite amongst Slimming World members across the UK with only 2.5 syns per nest. The meringue nests contain only 53 calories and are fat free. Lees also offer a chocolate alternative, Meringue Shells with a delicious Dark Belgian Chocolate base and, newly created Strawberry and White Chocolate Meringue Shells. All variants are suitable for vegetarians. These versatile products are often a staple for those looking for a quick and easy dessert and can be accompanied by fruit and freshly whipped cream or as topping for DIY sundaes and Eton Mess. Perfect as we move towards summer and picnic season. www.slrmag.co.uk

More than meets the eye!

B awarrand eness Our delicious snowballs and teacakes have been family favourites for 90 years. Following 2019's TV campaign, awareness is at its highest level ever, with 76% of Scots surveyed saying they liked Lees Snowballs and 44% buying Lees products every month.

There’s never been a better time to stock up.

Scotland loves Lees 01236 441 600

sales@leesofscotland.co.uk *Source: JLral. Post TV Campaign Evaluation- Sept 2019 **Refers to Scots who viewed the 2019 TV ad

76%

**

of Scots like Lees Snowballs

Inside Business

SLR Rewards 2021

A NEW AWARDS FOR A NEW ERA NEW AWARDS FOR NEW NEW AWARDS AWARDS FOR FOR

AWARDS CATEGORIES GROUP CATEGORIES

Q Symbol / Fascia/ Franchise Group of the Year Q Symbol / Fascia/ Franchise Community Initiative of the Year Q Symbol / Fascia/ Franchise Innovation of the Year PRODUCT CATEGORIES Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q

Biscuits Retailer of the Year Confectionery Retailer of the Year Food-to-Go Retailer of the Year Forecourt Retailer of the Year Fresh & Chilled Retailer of the Year Lottery Retailer of the Year Newstrade Retailer of the Year Off-Trade Retailer of the Year Scottish Brands Retailer of the Year Soft Drinks Retailer of the Year Vaping & Nicotine Replacement Retailer of the Year

A Virtual festival of Excellence

A NEW NORMAL A NEW A NEW NORMAL NORMAL

Reflecting the monumental changes in the local retailing landscape over the last year, the SLR Awards has been fully reformulated to deliver an exciting new awards for a new era full of opportunity.

IN-ACTION CATEGORIES Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q

Community Retailer of the Year Covid Hero(es) of the Year Home Delivery Retailer of the Year New Store of The Year Post Office Retailer of the Year Refit of The Year Responsible Retailer of the Year Team of the Year Sustainability Retailer of the Year #ThinkSmart Innovation Award Unsung Hero of the Year Young Scottish Local Retailer of the Year Scottish Local Retailer of the Year

ENTRIES OPEN SOON ENTRIES OPEN ENTRIES SOON OPEN SOON

Event: November Event: November Event: November 20212021 2021

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT EVENTS@55NORTH.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION FOR FOR CONTACT MORE MOREEVENTS@55NORTH.COM INFORMATION INFORMATION CONTACT CONTACT EVENTS@55NORTH.COM EVENTS@55NORTH.COM

WWW.SLRAWARDS.COM WWW.SLRAWARDS.COM WWW.SLRAWARDS.COM WWW.SLRAWARDS.COM @SLRMAG@SLRMAG@SLRMAG @SLRMAG

SLR Rewards 2021

Inside Business

QUALITY AT A LOW PRICE

EVENT: 27TH OCTOBER

A NEW, LOWER RRP FOR KENSITAS CLUB!

WINNERS CELEBRATION: NOVEMBER

T

he local retailing landscape has changed almost beyond recognition over the last year – and it looks likely that when we do finally emerge fully from Covid, the world will be a very changed place.

Our commitment and resolve to continue to shine a light on the outstanding achievements of the sector remains firmly in place.

The SLR Awards 2021 – our second Virtual Festival of Excellence – will be our homage to an exceptional industry that has shone brighter than any other in the last year.

To reflect the changed nature of local retail over the last year, we have refreshed our list awards categories and added several new categories.

We are delighted to launch the 2021 SLR Awards with a new and improved Call For Entries Brochure and entry process making it easier than ever to enter and ensure that you have the opportunity to have your achievements over the last year recognised.

SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “2020 was a year like no other and while the world threatened to fell apart, local retailers were the heroes in the front-line ensuring that it didn’t.

Selflessly and resolutely serving communities across Scotland, local retailers kept villages, towns and cities supplied with all that they needed when many other sectors

www.slrmag.co.uk

WHAT TO STOCK 3-in-1 Kensitas Club 30g, £11.95* – the lowest RRP for a 3-in-1 RYO product in the UK*!

simply couldn’t.

“That effort, commitment and passion deserves special recognition – and that’s exactly what we intend to do at the new and refreshed SLR Awards 2021.

“With very little clarity available in terms of what lies ahead, we have committed from day one to deliver this year’s SLR Awards in a virtual format once more. It’s not how we would ideally want to do the awards as nothing beats getting together with retailers, suppliers and wholesalers and sharing a beer and a chat – but the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues in this industry must remain our number one concern.

“With that in mind, we intend to produce another Virtual Festival of Excellence and build on our learning from last year. Everyone has had to learn new ways of working and adopt new strategies for coping with an enormously changed world, and we at SLR are no different. Remaining agile and being able to adapt to changing circumstances has been key for us just as much as it has been for you.

“But our ultimate goal remains exactly the same: to recognise and reward the local retailing industry in Scotland. And there’s a lot to celebrate after the year that was 2020. A heroic effort deserves heroic recognition and this year’s awards will see us recognise and reward our winners, but it will also be a celebration of this entire, unbelievable sector.”

3-in-1 Kensitas Club 50g, £19.60* – offers much greater value!

WHAT RETAILERS SAY DAN BROWN

Retailer, Nisa Local Pinkie Convenience Store, Edinburgh

“Kensitas Club has always been a popular choice in my store. It is a high-quality product, at a great value price, which is why it does so well. I have been able to offer the 3-in-1 format which has gone down really well as it gives the customer everything they need in one handy pouch. It’s also been great to see the recent lower RRP too, as it gives me another reason to stock, and another selling point for my customers.”

WHY STOCK Kensitas Club offers Scottish retailers a competitive product which taps into the growing value sector.

To find out more speak to your JTI Rep or visit JTI Advance

*You are, of course, at all times free to sell JTI’s products at whatever price you choose.

20993_CLUB_93x265mm_COLUMN_SLR.indd 1

MAY 2021 |22/04/2021 SLR 292:14 pm

Inside Business

Local Sourcing | Producer Profile

CRAFT BEER FOR THE PEOPLE

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

Cold Town Brewery’s beers were first created to be sold in their own chain of pubs but proved so popular they quickly decided to start selling them in the off-trade.

T

he story of how Edinburgh’s Cold Town Brewery came into being is a fascinating one and, as so many things do, it all started in a pub. “It began when we decided that we wanted to brew our own lager to serve in our pub estate,” explains Cold Town Director Euan Bain. “It was literally an idea that came to us over a couple of pints and the back of a fag packet. For various reasons, we wanted to be able to offer our own beer that was really well made with high quality Scottish ingredients but that was also sessionable – and that was incredibly important to us. A lot of craft beers can be quite challenging for many consumers and we wanted to create a craft beer for the people.”

Fast forward six months and the company had bought a 6,000sq ft site in Edinburgh and was ramping up production. That was back in 2018 but Bain rapidly began to see another opportunity opening up for him.

“Within a year of starting to brew our own beer we realised that we had a really good liquid and by the second year it was the best-selling line in every pub we operate,” he says. “We started to 30

SLR | MAY 2021

www.slrmag.co.uk

Producer Profile | Local Sourcing

Inside Business

“A lot of craft beers can be quite challenging for many consumers and we wanted to create a beer for the people.”

EUAN BAIN, DIRECTOR

www.slrmag.co.uk

MAY 2021 | SLR

31

Inside Business

Local Sourcing | Producer Profile

realise that we were onto something and began that the beer could have an appeal beyond our own estate.”

That though process culminated in the installation of a brand-new state of the art canning line in October 2020.

Bain breaks into laughter at this point. “I know what you’re thinking,” he says. “Great timing, eh? Trying to launch a brand new range of beers into the off-trade for first time is hard enough without having to do it during the worst pandemic we’ve ever seen. And I will admit that it was like trading through treacle at the end of 2020 and the start of this year, but I’m confident that we’re on the cusp of major growth now.”

Cold Town didn’t sit twiddling its thumbs through 2020, however. Bain moved to recruit drinks industry veteran Graham Storey in October last year to spearhead the company’s drive into the convenience market, and it’s the convenience market that is the key focus for Cold Town.

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Storey has decades of experience, predominantly with global beer and wine businesses, but latterly with Alva’s Harviestoun Brewery running the retail and e-commerce side of the business.

“I really like the company, its range of beers and its plan,” says Storey. “But in terms of how to bring those plans to life, it was a blank sheet of paper and I liked the idea of helping build a brand new company and take it forward.”

Storey accepts that his first five or six months in the job were hard going, but believes that he’s now beginning to see the benefit of all those hard yards that he put in. “The back end of last year and start of this one was a lot of shoe leather, visiting retailers up and down the country, presenting the products and talking to them about the brand.

The rest of the time it was death by Zoom calls, which was hard because I’m a real people person and I like getting in front of people.”

Over that time, Cold Town also expanded its range and the company has now brewed over 20 different beers including pale ales, IPAs, pilsners, and Berliner-weisse sour beers, all under the watch of Head Brewer, Ed Evans.

“The one thing they all have in common,” says Bain, “is that they’re beers for beer’s sake.

They’re all approachable, easy to drink and honest. We don’t do stunts or gimmicks, we just make great tasting beer for the people.”

The shoe leather paid off and Cold Town’s core range is now available via JW Filshill while Dunn’s offers its range of specialist beers. Cold Town beers are also available online via Amazon, Liquid Vault and Flavourly as well as in a number of retail outlets including eight Margiotta Food & Wine stores across Edinburgh, Woodwinters in Bridge of Allan and Edinburgh and The Cave in Glasgow.

“It’s been a long, hard clog to get here but we’ve tried to do it right all the way through the process and it’s starting to feel like we’re on the edge of something special,” concludes Bain.

“We’ve gone from selling just a few cases a week at the very outset to selling pallets and pallets worth every week – and it’s only going in one direction.”

www.slrmag.co.uk

Track & Trace

Inside Business

HMRC CRACKS DOWN ON TRACK & TRACE HMRC has introduced new checks for Tobacco Track & Trace codes to ensure that all businesses are properly registered.

H

MRC has introduced new checks on the codes that are given to businesses to ensure that they are registered properly for the UK track and trace system.

Businesses that are involved in the tobacco supply chain have an economic operator ID (EOID) code for their business, and a facility ID (FID) code for each site.

Over the coming weeks, any codes that aren’t recognised by the track and trace system will generate a warning, allowing businesses time to investigate by logging any issues with the ID Issuer website here.

The eight-week grace period runs from 3 May to 27 June 2021. At the end of the grace

period, messages containing codes that fail the new checks will generate an error message.

Retailers that receive an error message must take action to correct the error before continuing to move tobacco products through the supply chain.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “We have worked extensively with HMRC to support retailers with the implementation of the tobacco track and trace system since its introduction in 2019, and we hope that this is another step toward only legitimate businesses being involved in the tobacco supply chain. We welcome the eight week grace period, which should give businesses time to investigate any issues with their codes.”

Inside Business

Opinion | Home Delivery

CHAIN REACTION? Will Poundland’s home delivery trial trigger a fresh wave of new entrants in the home delivery stakes, asks ParcelHero’s David Jinks?

T

he discount retailer Poundland is trialling online sales, which leaves only a few High Street chains holding out against the move online. It won’t be long before every UK store joins the e-commerce revolution.

The discount store chain has launched a trial home delivery service to 18,000 staff and selected guests, it recently announced. Poundland has been planning the service since last July and the 34

SLR | MAY 2021

real surprise is that it has resisted online sales for so long.

The retailer mothballed 120 stores last year due to the impact of Covid on High Street shopping. Its eventual recognition that combined in-store and online sales are essential now leaves Primark standing virtually alone as a major High Street chain whose website is still only a shop window. Primark has just reported its profits have collapsed by 90%.

The pandemic has taken its toll on our town centres and there’s no going back. Our latest research shows that 17,500 chain stores have closed forever since Covid hit the UK and 46% of shoppers told us they will never return to their former High Street spending habits. High Street pureplay retailers such as Poundland and B&M must join the revolution or be lost along the way.

Poundland has belatedly woken up and smelled its discounted coffee. Although the initial trial is low-key, it is taking e-commerce seriously and recently revealed it will be trialling a series of online models this year. This will include in-store click & collect, monetising its own website and using a shared marketplace to keep operating costs down.

For now, it is just a limited trial of 2,000 lines for staff and guests, including food and general merchandise. However, expect to see a far greater selection when the service is launched nationally; we believe that is likely to be within months.

Poundland has cleverly embraced the future of the High Street by turning to the “dark side” of retail, opening a so-called “dark store” to fulfil its e-commerce orders. It has closed one of its three stores in Cannock, in the West Midlands, and converted it into a dark store: a shop with staff but no shoppers, using it as an online fulfilment centre.

We believe the High Street store of tomorrow will have no customers, no stock on its shelves, or will have dedicated areas solely for robot pickers. www.slrmag.co.uk

Inside Business

Research | News UK

CONSUMERS ‘EAGER’ TO RETURN TO HIGH STREET New research from News UK reveals that the majority of shoppers still prefer bricks and mortar retail and that weekday shopping is growing.

I

n positive news for the retail sector, research from News UK has revealed that the majority of UK consumers still prefer to shop in bricks and mortar stores following many months of a major shift to online shopping.

The research highlights that 56% of The Times and The Sunday Times’ readers and 65% of The Sun’s readers want to see products in person before making a purchase.

CHANGING SHOPPING HABITS The pandemic has also changed consumers’ shopping behaviour. Most notably, it has driven a shift in when consumers are shopping throughout the week, with weekend shopping becoming less popular. As working habits have changed and more people are working from home, the percentage of people shopping during the week has risen from 29% pre-pandemic to 41%.

RETAIL AND THE COMMUNITY Interestingly, almost eight in 10 of those surveyed agreed that online shopping is having a negative impact on the high street and local communities. Similarly, 79% agreed that there will always be a role for the in-store experience and that the high street offers a sense of a community.

In further optimistic news for independent retailers, 87% of The Times and The Sunday Times’ readers are interested in seeing more 36

SLR | MAY 2021

independent shops on the high street whilst 70% of The Sun’s readers are wanting more local markets.

RETAIL COMMUNICATIONS Finally, when asked about what communications they would most like to see from retail brands post-lockdown, nine in 10 readers of The Sun are looking for discounted offers and 86% of The Times and The Sunday Times’ readers want to know what services are available. Meanwhile, 80% of all readers are keen to know what is being done to ensure a Covid-safe shopping environment.

Susie Powell, News UK’s Retail Director of Advertising Sales said: “The research shows our readers’ strong desire to return to shopping in stores and it is striking how many want to see retailers looking to the future with optimism. It is heartening that they believe there will always be a place for an in-store experience, so now is the time to give consumers exactly what they are looking for – an engaging and exciting retail environment.”

News UK Retail Director of Sales Neil Spencer said: “The result of this research is clear: News UK readers value independent retailers. It’s good news that our readers intend to keep driving footfall to independent stores. Newspaper shoppers visit convenience stores more frequently than non-newspaper shoppers and spend more in supermarkets, further driving incremental basket value for all retailers.” www.slrmag.co.uk

IGD | Reserach

Inside Business

RETAIL AND FOODSERVICE ‘WILL GROW IN 2021’ IGD’s latest Eating In vs Dining Out report reveals that both retail and foodservice will grow in 2021, taking the entire industry almost back to its preCovid levels.

T

he entire UK food and drink market will expand by 12% in 2021 with both retail and foodservice set to grow this year, according to the latest Eating In vs Dining Out report produced by insight and analysis providers IGD, in collaboration with foodservice consultant Peter Backman.

The forecasted increase is driven by strong retail growth from January to March and foodservice sales which will begin to strengthen from July onwards as pent-up demand for socialising boosts the sector. Foodservice will grow by 54% (£18.6bn) vs 2020, says the report.

dining both in and out of home and will give the market as a whole a significant boost. The value of retail is up £1.8bn on 2020 and £14.5bn on 2019.

According to the report, the key to unlocking opportunity for both retailers and operators is understanding the K-shaped recovery and its influences on shopper behaviour.

The recovery will see higher income households who have accrued substantial savings – estimated by the Office of National Statistics to be a significant pot of over £100bn – sit in stark contrast to lower income households who face a financial challenge due to the

“Some of this growth will impact retail, but elevated levels of home working, at-home social gatherings and financially stretched shoppers who are unable to divert spend to eating out, will see the retail sector continue to grow.”

FASTSTATS: Q Food and drink industry forecast to grow 12% in 2021, taking it to 97% of its 2019 pre-Covid level Q Foodservice to be boosted by 54% (£18.6bn), reaching 71% of 2019 levels Q Retail value to increase by £1.8bn Q Total forecasted value of food and drink market is £195.4bn in 2021

www.slrmag.co.uk

Some of this growth will impact retail, but elevated levels of home working, at-home social gatherings and financially stretched shoppers who are unable to divert spend to eating out, will see the retail sector continue to grow.

Nicola Knight, Senior Retail Analyst at IGD, said: “The latest industry growth forecasts, combined with the Office for Budget Responsibility predictions for a slightly quicker than expected economic recovery, are reassuring for both retailers and operators.

The reopening of the eating out sector and lifting of social restrictions will increase social

ending of government support and rising unemployment, which will be particlarly prevalent in younger people.

Knight continues: “Discount is likely to be the fastest growing channel in retail as financiallychallenged shoppers look for value.

Yet, on the flipside, more affluent shoppers, particularly amongst older age groups, will be looking to trade-up on both every day and occasion products, to utilise their disposable income. Retailers will need to pay close attention to pricing strategy and product innovation to keep shoppers engaged and loyal.”

MAY 2021 | SLR

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NEW AWARDS FOR NEW NEW NEW AWARDS AWARDS AWARDS FOR FOR FOR A NEW NORMAL A NEW A NEW A NEW NORMAL NORMAL NORMAL ENTRIES OPEN SOON ENTRIES ENTRIES OPEN ENTRIES OPEN SOON OPEN SOON SOON

Event: 27th October Event: Event: November Event: November November 2021 2021 2021 Winners celebration: November

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT EVENTS@55NORTH.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION FOR FOR CONTACT MORE MOREEVENTS@55NORTH.COM INFORMATION INFORMATION CONTACT CONTACT EVENTS@55NORTH.COM EVENTS@55NORTH.COM

WWW.SLRAWARDS.COM @SLRMAG WWW.SLRAWARDS.COM WWW.SLRAWARDS.COM WWW.SLRAWARDS.COM WWW.SLRAWARDS.COM @SLRMAG@SLRMAG @SLRMAG @SLRMAG

Tesco/Booker | Healthier Range Commitment

Inside Business

TESCO EXTENDS HEALTH COMMITMENTS TO BOOKER Tesco has announced that its major new commitments to offering a wider range of “affordable, healthy, sustainable food” will be extended into Booker.

“This new commitment will ensure that every customer – wherever and however they shop with us – will have even greater access to affordable, healthy and sustainable food.” www.slrmag.co.uk

H

aving set out the latest steps in its efforts to make Tesco stores “the easiest place for customers to shop for affordable, healthy, sustainable food”, Tesco has announced that these commitments are now being extended to Booker “to further improve access to healthy alternatives for Booker’s business customers.”

The definition of ‘healthy’ products adopted

by Tesco is based on the UK Government’s nutrient profiling model.

The supermarket’s health ambitions include commitments to: Q increase sales of healthy products as a proportion of total sales (including both own brand and branded sales, and across its large and convenience stores, and online) Q increase sales of plant-based meat alternatives Q make products healthier through reformulation.

These commitments have been welcomed by responsible investment charity ShareAction which is now withdrawing a proposed AGM special resolution.

Since the publication of its UK & ROI commitments, Tesco says it has continued its engagement with ShareAction and will continue to do so on their shared ambition to help customers eat more healthily.

Booker’s commitments on health, also recently published, reflect the unique nature of its business model within the Tesco Group, as a wholesaler that provides products for resale by other businesses, and does not sell to consumers directly.

Booker’s health commitments therefore focus on providing a greater choice of healthier products, through extending plant-based ranges, making existing products healthier, and offering healthier alternatives.

It also commits to a new tool and an accelerated roll-out of labelling, which will give its business customers the health and nutrition information that they need to support shoppers

in making well-informed choices about what they eat and drink.

Booker’s commitments on health are: Q To set up an online portal that provides a recipe management, allergy and nutritional tool for its business caterers Q To offer business customers a range of plantbased products Q To accelerate the roll-out of front-of-pack nutritional information on Booker’s retail products, consistent with the policy applied to Tesco products Q To make products healthier by seeking to improve the health profile every time it reviews a product, and to offer a healthier alternative in all key categories.

Sarah Bradbury, Tesco Group Quality Director, commented: “We want to make it as easy as possible for customers to shop for healthier food. We’ve already set broad and ambitious commitments for our UK & ROI business, where we have the greatest scale and our work is most advanced.

“However, we also have stretching plans for the wider Tesco Group, including Booker, and this new commitment will ensure that every customer – wherever and however they shop with us – will have even greater access to affordable, healthy and sustainable food.”

Simon Rawson, Director of Corporate Engagement at ShareAction, commented: “Investors are increasingly recognising the importance of people’s health, including the role that supermarkets play in shaping our diets.

Following our engagement over the past year, we warmly welcome Tesco’s new commitments to support healthier diets. The Healthy Markets investor coalition is looking forward to continuing our engagement with Tesco, other retailers and with food manufacturers. The food industry has a unique opportunity to help us improve health and resilience in society as we begin to build back from the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

MAY 2021 | SLR

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Hotlines

Product News & Media Watch

Rubicon Spring Pineapple Passion Barr Soft Drinks Rubicon Spring Pineapple Passion is available in cases of 12 x 500ml plain and £1 price-marked packs (PMPs). Also new is Rubicon Raspberry & Pineapple Sparkling, which Barr said was the first soft drink in the UK to combine raspberry and pineapple, is available in cases of 24 x 330ml plain and 69p PMPs; 12 x 500ml plain and 99p PMPs; and 6 x 2L £1.49 PMPs.

Rustlers reveals food-to-go Cook in Box range

Fruittella Fruit Jellies Coins Perfetti Van Melle These new free-from soft jellies are available now alongside new Fruit Jellies Duos. Both have a £1.39 RSP, and are made with real fruit juice and offer a mix of popular flavours in each bag. The sweets targets shoppers with diverse dietary needs by boasting sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free credentials, with no artificial colours or flavours.

The brand’s ‘sweetened by nature’ strapline features prominently on packs.

Capri-Sun Multivitamin Squash Coca-Cola European Partners Capri-Sun Multivitamin Squash is available now in fully recyclable, 1L packs made from 100% recycled plastic in the Squash category’s top two flavours: Orange and Apple & Blackcurrant.The launch is supported by a £3m marketing campaign fronted by a new TV ad which will air throughout the summer on social media and video-ondemand.

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Following the launch of its new range of food-to-go equipment, Rustlers has unveiled Cook in Box, a new hot food-to-go format that lets shoppers heat a fully assembled burger without opening the pack, eliminating any messy preparation. The box also acts as a product carrier to enable easy consumption on the go.

“Together with our new range of food-to-go solutions, Cook in Box creates a low cost, low wastage approach for retailers who want to offer hot food across all day parts,” said Ross Davison, Convenience Controller at Kepak Consumer Foods.

Rustlers All Day Breakfast Sausage Muffin is available in the new format, served with cheese and brown sauce (RSP £2.50).

The Laughing Cow Blends Bel Group Described by Bel Group as “an innovative category first,” The Laughing Cow Blends is a creamy cheese spread blended with chickpeas & herbs that looks to tap into trends for health, protein and flavour exploration. It is available now in 133g packs of eight individually-wrapped triangles (RSP £1.40). The 36 kcals per portion spread contains no artificial flavours, preservatives or colours and is naturally rich in calcium, Vitamin E and protein.

New to the Rustlers range, and available exclusively as ‘Cook in Box’, the Supreme Cheese Melt burger topped with Rustlers’ signature sauce (RSP £2.50) caters for lunchtime and evening shoppers.

“Following the recent launch of the food-to-go equipment solutions in the convenience channel, we are rolling out the innovative Cook in Box product to enable retailers to optimise their hot food offering in store,” added Ross.

“We are confident that the new Cook in Box range will create a significant new growth platform for us and our convenience customers.”

Retailers interested in Rustlers’ food-to-go solutions can book a consultation by emailing foodtogo@kepak. com.

Lucozade Zero cans Suntory B&F GB&I Recently-launched Lucozade Zero Tropical, the brand’s first ever flavour exclusive to the Lucozade Zero range, and Lucozade Zero Pink Lemonade are both available now in cases of 24 x 330ml cans, price-marked at 65p. The launch will be supported by a comprehensive marketing campaign that includes outdoor advertising, PR, digital and social media advertising, which will kickoff during the summer.

Sour Sparks Haribo To meet the growing demand for vegetarian sweets, Haribo has launched Sour Sparks, available in plain and £1 priced-marked 160g packs. Big enough to bite into twice, the lightning bolt-shaped pieces come in three colour and flavour combinations: cola & lemon, apple & cherry and raspberry & pineapple.

Each bite gives a longerlasting bolt of sourness from inside the jelly.

www.slrmag.co.uk

Product News & Media Watch Tic Tac Coca-Cola Ferrero



Regional Mini Cheddars pladis

Tic Tac has brought back its biggest-ever limited edition flavour, Coca-Cola, after the success of last summer, when 600 packs per hour were sold. It will be available throughout summer 2021 in T1 (18g, RSP 62p), T100 (49g, RSP £1.41) and T200 (98g, RSP £2.70) formats. The launch is backed with in-store POS displays.

To find out more visit the Ferrero trade website yourperfectstore. co.uk.

A new trio of limited-edition variants – Ploughman’s Cheshire Cheese, Strathdon Blue Cheese and Dragon’s Breath Chilli Cheddar – spotlight regional cheeses from England, Scotland and Wales. The new range is accompanied by a brand redesign and comes in multipacks of 6 x 25g (RSP £1.79).

The launch is backed by PR, social media and shopper marketing activity.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel Mondelez Mondelez has launched its popular Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel bar in a new 60p price-marked pack, available now. Cadbury bars sell at a rate of two per second in the convenience channel and Caramel is the brand’s best-selling Dairy Milk flavour, putting the new countline in a prime position to help retailers rack up impulse sales. To find out more, call Mondelez on 0870 600 0699, email retailer.services@mdlz. com or visit deliciousdisplay.co.uk.

Kinder Bueno Coconut Ferrero Ferrero has responded to significant consumer demand by bringing back its coconut-flavoured twist on the original Kinder Bueno. The limited-edition was last available in 2017, when its run over the summer delivered almost £1m RSV in three months of sales. It has now returned in both plain and 60p price-marked packs. Point of sale displays are available from the yourperfectstore. co.uk trade website.

Hotlines

Add a little fruitiness Ahead of what will hopefully be a hot summer, Tetley Cold Infusions has launched a new digital campaign spearheaded by double Olympic gold medal winner Rebecca Adlington. The campaign includes social media, video-on-demand and influencer activity, under the strapline ‘simple, natural flavour – add a little fruitiness to your water’.

Find your different Vimto has unveiled ‘Find Your Different’, a £5m marketing campaign that is the brand’s biggest yet. Activity includes TV, video-ondemand, digital, proximity media, mobile and shopper marketing. It follows on from the ‘I See Vimto In You’ campaign and highlights the notion that “life is a discovery and a celebration of what you love”.

Get your ding back Mars Wrigley has launched a new TV campaign for its Extra chewing gum brand.

The tongue-in-cheek ad features several characters in memorable lockdown moments ‘re-entering the real world’. The campaign has rolled out under Extra’s ‘Get Your Ding Back’ tagline, which promotes confidence and making positive connections with others.

More Laughs, Less Pain Frozen Veggie Cheese, Leek & Potato Pie Pukka Pies

JPS Players Easy Rolling Tobacco Imperial Tobacco

This 400g twin-pack is available now with an RSP of £2.75. A new recipe sees diced leeks and potatoes in a creamy, cheddar sauce encased in Pukka’s crumbly and crisp shortcrust pastry. The pies heat straight from the freezer in the microwave in just four minutes and have The Vegetarian Society’s stamp of approval.

This tobacco has a more vibrant colour and lower levels of moisture, making the blend easier to handle and to roll. The new range is available in 30g and 50g, with RSPs of £11.95 and £19.60 respectively.

Each pouch includes a set of quality rolling papers.

Panadol has launched a new marketing campaign, ‘More Laughs. Less Pain,’ that encourages consumers to laugh more, the idea being laughter can help increase tolerance to pain. It is supported by widespread marketing and digital activity, including out-of-home experiences and online advertising.

Let There Be Fruit Robinsons’ new £6.4m ‘Let There Be Fruit’ campaign encourages shoppers to liven up their tap water. Running through to September, the campaign features the entire Robinsons portfolio and includes radio, digital, out-ofhome and in-store activity, all spearheaded by a new TV ad that sees sees the brand back on screens for the first time in four years.

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

MAY 2021 | SLR

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Feature

Breakfast

BREAKFAST BOOMING! Brits have eaten an additional 660 million breakfasts in-home since the start of 2020, offering local retailers a huge opportunity to grow sales and profits.

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he pandemic has triggered a transformation of buying patterns for consumers and the breakfast occasion is no exception. “We have seen that breakfast consumption has grown over the past year, with fewer shoppers skipping their first meal of the day,” says Matt Goddard, Wholesale Trading Director at PepsiCo. “Brits have eaten 660m additional breakfasts in-home since the start of 2020 [Kantar].”

That’s great news for retailers, and great news for PepsiCo brand Quaker, as Goddard explains: “The hot cereals segment has helped fuel this growth, with oats providing a versatile breakfast option all year round, whether being enjoyed as a warming bowl of porridge, or as an overnight oats option, which we see becoming popular with shoppers in the spring and summer.”

CHANGING BEHAVIOUR To get to the bottom of the nation’s everchanging feelings, habits and behaviours, PepsiCo commissioned a shopper sentiment study. It found people are now eating breakfast two hours later, and a third of people are spending more time making it. Additionally, consumers are considering the health benefits of what they eat and drink more, which is likely to see segments that are natural and unprocessed experience growth.

“As a natural, raw ingredient, Quaker Oats lends itself to scratch cooking solutions, helping shoppers 42

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get creative with their breakfast at the start of the day,” comments Goddard. “Adding additional ingredients to their oats helps to keep the first meal of the day, healthy, tasty and exciting.

Retailers should therefore stock across our range of Quaker Oats.”

Another key impact of the pandemic has been an increase focus on value, as Goddard says: “In a recession, people are likely to turn to brands they trust for good value, so value in 2021 is all about stocking brands that people know and love. We saw our total Quaker PMP range grow by almost +17% last year [Nielsen, Sep 2020], so it’s fair to say that we can expect demand from retailers to continue.

“To cater for this, Quaker has launched a new price-marked pack format for its Porridge to Go range, available in two flavours: Golden Syrup and Strawberry and Raspberry & Cranberry. Shoppers are increasingly looking for convenient, on-the-go breakfast options that their shoppers can enjoy as part of a busy morning.”

BEAN COUNTING The continued importance of coffee in the breakfast occasion has led Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) and Costa Coffee to apply insights from Costa’s coffee shop business to launch two new Costa Coffee RTD variants.

Choose the real Costa taste. In a can.

STAY CHILLED. NEW

NEW FOR 2021 VANILLA LATTE COSTA RTD COFFEE DOUBLED IN SIZE IN 2020*

THE RANGE ADDED £3.7M INCREMENTAL SALES TO THE CATEGORY IN 2020*

08

5 449000 276018 CARAMEL LATTE

05

5 449000 276025 LATTE

07

5 449000 292087 VANILLA LATTE

To find out more email connect@ccep.com, call 0808 1 000 000 or visit my.ccep.com Coffee

2021 Costa Ltd. All rights reserved. Coffee from Rainforest Alliance farms. Find out more at ra.org Source: *Total Coverage MAT Value Nielsen Total GB Week Ending 26.12.2020.

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Breakfast

Costa Vanilla Latte and Costa Flat White are available across convenience and wholesale channels and, like each variant in the range, the aluminium can format is 100% recyclable.

Costa Vanilla Latte is a proven coffee shop favourite and is now available in a convenient 250ml can format. Vanilla is one of the biggest flavours in Costa Coffee retail and accounts for six million over-the-counter servings every year.

The Vanilla Latte offers consumers an authentic coffee experience with less milk and 30% less sugar than competitors.

The Costa Flat White RTD combines a double shot of espresso with creamy milk, with just 76 calories per 200ml can. Flat White RTD coffee sales have more than quadrupled over the last year.

CONTINENTAL SHIFT Paul Baker, Founder of St Pierre Groupe, believes that the temporary closure of coffee shops, cafés and restaurants in the first lockdown has had a lasting impact on the way we consume breakfast and brunch.

He comments: “More people have been, and will continue to, replicate their favourite out 44

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of home dishes at home and make recipes that they have discovered during the lockdown. This trend has helped drive sales in the morning goods category – particularly for St Pierre which lends itself to elevated breakfast meals thanks to its range of tasty brioche loaves and rolls, as well as its delicious Belgian waffles and croissants.”

Baker says consumers have also become more experimental with their flavours and are seeking out new ingredients as a result. “Research from Hearst shows that, during the lockdown, 33% of people cooked a new cuisine, which, combined with the fact that meal occasions have changed so much, has meant that bolder flavours have started to become popular with breakfasts,” he says.

“For example, adding ‘heat’, which was previously not often considered for breakfast, will become more commonplace. St Pierre is a bread carrier that offers an upgrade, so if you’re thinking about chilli dogs for brunch, its light sweetness in taste works well with both bold and traditional flavours at any time of day.

“Take-home value sales of hot beverages also jumped and this has had a long-lasting impact on sales, with consumers continuing to recreate the café experience at home. The St Pierre individually wrapped range, which comprises of Butter Croissants, Chocolate Filled Croissants, Brioche Waffle, Millionaires Waffle, Pain au Chocolat and Caramel Waffles, complements the take-home coffee trend perfectly. It also provides attractive margins for Scottish retailers, meaning it can work effectively as part of or alongside a hot drink fixture. The fresh, individually-wrapped bakery products can be consumed with any meal occasion, providing a strong sales opportunity. The items also have the added benefit of an extended shelf-life, which helps to reduce the risk of wastage in-store.”

HOT CONVENIENCE For shoppers looking for a quick, convenient, tasty hot breakfast, Rustlers says its All Day Breakfast Sausage Muffin is the perfect solution.

Monisha Singh, Shopper Marketing Manager at Kepak Consumer Foods, comments: “The Rustlers All Day Breakfast Sausage Muffin is the No.1 breakfast product in the impulse channel and since launching in 2018 and is already worth £2m within the impulse channel growing at 21.9% YoY [Nielsen, Mar 2021].

“The product meets shopper demand for a quick and convenient hot breakfast solution, making is a must-stock for retailers wanting to build their breakfast offering. It is ideally suited to be part of a breakfast meal alongside a hot drink.

Retailers can position themselves as a daily destination for shoppers by delivering meal deal options throughout the day, offering shoppers value for money with more than half choosing a deal because it is a cheaper option.”

www.slrmag.co.uk

Feature

Sports & Energy

SUNTORY ENERGY TOP TIPS We recently worked with independent retailer Umesh Patel of UP1 News, Silvertown, East London, to find out how small changes can help to grow soft drinks sales: BLOCK YOUR SOFT DRINKS BY CATEGORY It’s important to group the same types of drinks together. After putting all flavoured carbs together in one block in the chiller, sales in this category grew 7.1%. This will also help shoppers find what they want more easily.

WITHIN EACH CATEGORY, ARRANGE BY FORMAT Range formats within each category together so they flow smoothly. Putting colas together, for example, and then segmenting this section further into cans and formats, will improve the ‘shopability’ of the category by making it easier to find the right format.

BLOCK ENERGY BY CATEGORY AND HIGHLIGHT YOUR TAKE-HOME OFFER Energy and sports drinks account for 30% of total soft drinks sales in convenience [IRI, Nov 2020], so it’s an important segment of any retailers’ chiller, with drinks satisfying different shopper needs. By blocking sports and energy by need state – starting with stimulants, flowing into sports, then energy and finally natural energy, customers will be able to easily find the right drink for the right occasion.

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Big shift

IN ENERGY SALES The last year has seen big growth in energy drink sales, particularly in larger format packs and multipacks, as consumers spent more time at home – a big opportunity for retailers.

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he popularity of energy drinks has shown no sign of waning in recent times with the Covid-19 pandemic helping to ensure yet more growth as consumers spent more time at home.

At an entire soft drinks category level, around a quarter of shoppers are now consuming more soft drinks than before, says Matt Gouldsmith, Channel Director, Wholesale, Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I. But the most striking trend has been a shift towards take-home drinks such as larger formats and multi-packs.

“This shift in behaviour is reflected in the growth of our drink-later range, as we’ve seen an increase of 9.1% [IRI, Nov 2020] in Lucozade Energy’s drink-later portfolios,” he explains.

To meet this demand, Lucozade Energy has launched a 1.45L bottle, price-marked at £2.

This new format launch will also be joined by a Lucozade Energy 12x330ml cans pack.

“LRS Research indicates that 64% of consumers would buy a larger serve pack if it were available – making our new 1.45L bottles perfectly placed to help retailers meet the increased shopper demand for take-home formats,” says Gouldsmith. www.slrmag.co.uk

LUCOZADE, LUCOZADE ENERGY and the Arc Device are registered trade marks.

**Recommended retail price

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Sports & Energy

“As lockdown restrictions continue to be reviewed, we’d advise retailers to pay close attention to the needs of their shoppers and adapt their soft drinks range accordingly.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, category leader Red Bull agrees that larger format packs represent a big opportunity for local retailers in Scotland.

A Red Bull spokesperson said: “Across 2020 multipacks and larger formats became the perfect in-home solution for soft drink consumption.

With the value of Red Bull multipacks growing +52% YTD, with penetration growing by 31.9% in the last 52 weeks [Nielsen, Mar 2021], now is the perfect time for retailers to stock up.”

The company does warn retailers, however, not to lose sight of the importance of single formats.

“Whilst multipack formats have seen increased popularity, and on-the-go sales over the last year have experienced decline, Red Bull hasn’t lost customers with single formats still growing by 12% YTD [Nielsen, Mar 2021].”

ROCKSTAR REBOOT One brand aiming to make waves this summer is Rockstar. The brand is being fully relaunched this month with a bold new pack design, reformulation of its original flavour and a multipack to capitalise on the increasing demand for take-home formats.

The move is the first major one since the brand was acquired by PepsiCo late last year and UK distribution moved to Britvic from Barr Soft Drinks.

The refresh aims to recruit new shoppers into the energy drinks market by “making the brand more accessible to a wider audience through a bold and more premium design”. The activity will be supported with digital, in-store and out of home activations.

Already a well-known and recognised brand in the UK and the third-biggest energy drink in

the world [Euromonitor, 2020], Rockstar is also reformulating its Original flavour to further improve taste and will include the additional benefit of Vitamin C. The brand’s pack redesign also includes strong flavour messaging, positioning it as the ‘go-to’ energy drink at a time when stimulants account for 78% of the total soft drinks value growth in the last three years [Nielsen, Mar 2021].

Phil Sanders, Out-of-Home Commercial Director at Britvic, comments: “The impactful new look includes our price-markedpack cans, which are essential for convenience retailers as they allow stores to offer value to their customers. We have also seen more people doing their main shop at their local convenience store, so the take-home four-pack offer will allow shoppers to purchase Rockstar for drinking later too.”

The entire range will be available in a 500ml format, with Rockstar Original also being available in the take-home four-pack. The relaunch will be supported from 14 June via the brand’s new international platform ‘Life is your stage’ – which will include a digital campaign, in-store, out-of-home, and digital points of sale.

‘Life is Your Stage’ debuts with three pieces of content that celebrate the grit and determination of those powering through their daily hustle.

The films follow the stories of three go-getters, sharing their hard work, passion, progress, and what helps them succeed.

FLAVOUR FOCUS Suntory is also focused on the importance of both NPD and flavours in energy, as Gouldsmith explains: “We know how important new drinks are to the soft drinks category and we’ve continued to build on our portfolio with innovative flavours. Most recently, Lucozade Energy introduced a new addition to its range – Lucozade Energy Raspberry Ripple. Raspberry Ripple is an iconic and nostalgic concept among British consumers, and we’re confident that the combination of such a great-tasting flavour and the Lucozade Energy brand will be a hit with shoppers.”

As well as this, Lucozade Energy Citrus Chill launched last year. Available in 380ml PMP and standard packs, the new lemon & lime flavour alone has already added £1.73m [IRI, Nov 2020] in category sales.

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www.slrmag.co.uk

Sports & Energy

ADDING

£5m RY *

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MORE CHOICES. MORE SALES.

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Meanwhile, Barr Soft Drinks has been busy with the launch of its latest big can energy offering: Rubicon Raw. “We’ve launched Rubicon Raw to meet the needs of today’s developing Energy consumers,” says Adrian Troy, Marketing Director at Barr Soft Drinks.

“We have invested heavily throughout the development of Rubicon Raw to understand the Energy consumer better, and what’s relevant in their lives today. They adopted the category as young adults, but many have matured and evolved as consumers since then, and they’re calling out for something new.

“The average age of an energy drinker is older than one might think at 31, and their needs are moving on. They are life maximisers, people who want to get the most out of life. Energy drinks fuel that lifestyle.

“Flavour remains really important to energy drinkers, they are looking for more than functionality, they want a great tasting product.

Eight of the fastest growing Energy SKUs are flavoured, four of which are juice based [IRI, Oct 2020]. The No. 1 reason consumers like Rubicon Raw is that it’s made with 20% real fruit juice, which together with caffeine from green coffee beans and B-vitamins provides a big energy hit that is full of flavour.”

The Rubicon Raw range comprises three variants - Raspberry and Blueberry, Orange and Mango and Cherry and Pomegranate, with natural flavours and no artificial colours.

The launch is being supported by a £1.5m consumer, social and shopper marketing campaign designed to raise awareness and encourage trial.

In line with Barr Soft Drink’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the Rubicon Raw outer case will be wrapped in 100% recycled film, which has around half the carbon footprint of its virgin plastic equivalent.

The levy free 500ml Rubicon Raw range is available in plain pack (RSP £1.29) and a £1.29 PMP with a range of in-store and in-depot POS to signpost the category and engage shoppers at the fixture.

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TH

E C AT E G O

*NIELSEN SCANTRACK, SPORTS & ENERGY, LATEST 26 WEEKS TO W.E. 16.01.21

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Feature

Euros

GET SET TO SCORE WITH THE EUROS

For the first time in approximately 400 years, Scotland has qualified for the finals of a major tournament which will add spice – and sales – to this year’s European Championships.

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he European Championships, better known as The Euros, kicks off next month – and for the first time in what seems like an eternity, Scotland will be there.

That provides retailers with a whole month of great opportunities to boost sales and grow profits, particularly as the vast majority of fans will be unable to physically attend matches, thanks to Covid restrictions, so instead will be enjoying the matches with friends and family – barring any late Covid-related problems in the near future.

Originally scheduled for last year, the Euros is now full steam ahead for 2021 and begins on the evening of Friday 11 June.

Big football matches traditionally create big sales uplifts and The Euros will be awash with big matches, none bigger than the EnglandScotland match on Friday 18 June.

If all goes well, June could be one long big night in and that could mean increased sales in virtually every category, but, particularly in products such as beer, cider, soft drinks and

TENNENT’S THINKS BIG

Famed for its ‘anybody but England’ ads over the years, Tennent’s is taking a slightly less confrontational tone this summer but has still unveiled its largest ever off-trade promotion in time for a summer of football.

The brand is celebrating a renewed partnership with the Scottish FA with a promotion featured on more than one million packs of Scotland’s favourite lager.

Launching this month, consumers buying promotional 10-, 12- and 15-packs of Tennent’s Lager will have the chance to win one of over 4,500 prizes including personalised Tennent’s football tops, mini footballs, captain’s armbands and vouchers for the Tennents.co.uk online store.

Iain Telford, Senior Marketing Manager at Tennent’s, said: “Our new on pack celebrates the Summer of Football that lies ahead and we’re looking forward to standing with the rest of Scotland in cheering on our national team in their biggest season in 23 years. As the Original Supporter of Scottish football, we wanted to help fans combine their favourite lager with their favourite sport and we know they’ll be excited to get their hands on the great prizes that are up for grabs through our new on pack.”

RETAILER COMPETITION WIN IRN-BRU PANTS!

Irn-Bru is giving local retailers the chance to kick off their summer sales with special football packs from the number Scottish grocery brand – and two lucky SLR readers will each win £50 worth of Irn-Bru, plus five runners up will each receive an Irn-Bru footy pack including a branded football shirt, two footballs and two pairs of lucky pants.

Football tournaments provide a major profit opportunity for retailers with sales of soft drinks increasing by as much as 18% [IRI]. Most football fans will not be able to attend matches this summer and instead may be watching the football at home – so these packs will help fans feel part of the occasion.

To enter, simply email your name and store details to raitken@55north.com or send them to Susan Kosminski, SLR / IRN-BRU offer, Barr Soft Drinks, 2nd Floor, Mansell House, Aspinall Close, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 6QQ. Entries close on Monday 28 June.

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www.slrmag.co.uk

Euros

Feature

ALL UK FINAL The Euros isn’t the only major footballing event happening this summer as Liverpool and Chelsea face off in the final of the UEFA Champions League.

To mark its ongoing sponsorship of the Champions League, PepsiCo has launched a heavyweight marketing campaign aiming to “create smiles across the nation”.

Rolling out from this month, four limited-edition flavours join the Walkers crisps line-up, combining popular football-match foods with tongue-in-cheek footy pun names: Steak and Ale Pie-nalty, Hot Shot Hot Dog, Chicken Tackle Masala and Sour Cream and Sweet Chilli Kicker.

An on-pack promo is also rolling out across Walkers MAX and Doritos, offering shoppers over half a million chances to win cash prizes.

Promotional packs feature a QR code that will direct consumers straight to a Facebook Messenger chatbot where footballer Paul Pogba will be challenging fans to get ready with Doritos, Walkers and Pepsi MAX for a more animated and interactive entry experience.

JOSÉ SIGNS FOR NEWS UK The Special One, José Mourinho, is News UK’s star signing for the Euros and will be reaching audiences via exclusive content for The Sun, The Times, The Sunday Times and talkSPORT in an extensive integrated deal.

He will have regular columns throughout the summer in The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times across the tournament to provide exclusive insight for readers.

Mourinho will be writing regular columns for The Sun throughout the Euros 2020, bringing his unique viewpoint to the nation’s favourite paper, providing expert analysis to key matches, giving his predictions, and entertaining readers. Sun Online readers will also get to watch him provide preand post-match video predictions and analysis of the biggest matches, including all England games.

Jose Mourinho said: “The Euros will be a fantastic tournament and The Sun, The Times, The Sunday Times and talkSPORT will capture all the excitement for fans across the country, I can’t wait to get started.” www.slrmag.co.uk

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Euros

IRN-BRU SPECIAL PACKS

Barr Soft Drinks is aiming to help drive retailer sales this summer with special football packs for Irn-Bru, the number one Scottish grocery brand, encouraging shoppers to celebrate the footy.

The football packs will be supported by a strong social media and PR campaign plus high impact in-store displays and POS. They will be available in a number of pack formats (both regular, XTRA and sugar free), including 500ml big cans, 2 litre PET bottles, 18 x 330ml and 24 x 330ml multipack cans.

snacks. In this year’s tournament, early matches take place in major cities all over Europe with much of the later stages, including both semifinals and the final, to be staged here in the UK at Wembley Stadium in London.

There is bound to be lots of domestic interest too, as England and Wales have also qualified and will each play a minimum of three matches, more if they progress through the tournament.

And with major football nations like Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Holland also taking part, there is bound to be plenty of excitement throughout the month-long tournament as well as the growing excitement of the knockout stages leading up to the final itself.

Kick of times are scheduled for afternoons, early evenings and evenings (2pm, 5pm and 8pm) so there is plenty of time to prepare for the big matches in-store – see our fixture guide for more details.

So now is the time to stack building those stacks, creating some football theatre in-store and hammering social media to drive shoppers to your door so you can score this summer, even if Scotland don’t.

To help you prepare, we’ve highlighted a few pieces of activity that are likely to help set the tills ringing in June and early July.

MAX SALES Pepsi MAX will also be helping drive sales this summer with an on-pack promo.

To celebrate its continued sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League, the Pepsi MAX onpack is offering over half a million customers the chance to win instant cash via a QR code, to the value of £10, £20 or £100, the promotion will help drive sales among both new and existing shoppers.

Pepsi MAX will feature some of the world’s top football stars on each promotional pack, and for the first time will feature a female footballer on-pack, following sponsorship rights being extended to the Women’s UEFA Champions League and the wider Women’s game.

The promo packs started appearing on shelves this month and are available until the end of July, in both take home and on the go formats, including main packs; 330ml cans, 500ml and 2L bottles.

A QR code on pack gives shoppers the opportunity to win cash prizes, taking the consumer directly to a Facebook Messenger chatbot which will tell them if they have won a prize, offering a more interactive experience. It is supported by a full marketing campaign featuring TV, social (including TikTok and Snapchat), in-store and online activity.

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SLR | MAY 2021

www.slrmag.co.uk

TENNENT’S AND THE RED T ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF C&C GROUP PLC.

@TennentsLager

Feature

Euros

Euro 2021 Fixture Guide

Round of 16 matches Saturday 26 June 17.00 and 20.00 Sunday 27 June 17.00 and 20.00

Friday 11 June

Turkey v Italy 20.00

Monday 28 June 17.00 and 20.00

Saturday 12 June

Wales v Switzerland 14.00 Denmark v Finland 17.00 Belgium v Russia 20.00

Tuesday 29 June 17.00 and 20.00

Sunday 13 June

England v Croatia 14.00 Austria v North Macedonia 17.00 Netherlands v Ukraine 20.00

Monday 14 June

Scotland v Czech Republic 14.00 Poland v Slovakia 17.00 Spain v Sweden 20.00

Quarter Finals Friday 2 July 17.00 and 20.00 Saturday 3 July 17.00 and 20.00

Tuesday 15 June

Hungary v Portugal 17.00 France v Germany 20.00

Semi Finals

Wednesday 16 June

Finland v Russia 14.00 Turkey v Wales 17.00 Italy v Switzerland 20.00

Tuesday 6 July 20.00

Thursday 17 June

Ukraine v North Macedonia 14.00 Denmark v Belgium 17.00 Netherlands v Austria 20.00

Friday 18 June

Sweden v Slovakia 14.00 Croatia v Czech Republic 17.00 England v Scotland 20.00

Saturday 19 June

Wednesday 7 July 20.00

Hungary v France 14.00 Portugal v Germany 17.00

Spain v Poland 20.00 Sunday 20 June

Italy v Wales 17.00 Switzerland v Turkey 17.00

Monday June 21

Ukraine v Austria 17.00 North Macedonia v Netherlands 17.00 Finland v Belgium 20.00 Russia v Denmark 20.00

Tuesday 22 June

Czech Republic v England 20.00 Croatia v Scotland 20.00

Wednesday 23 June

Sweden v Poland 17.00 Slovakia v Spain 17.00 Germany v Hungary 20.00 Portugal v France 20.00

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SLR | MAY 2021

Final Sunday 11 July 20.00

www.slrmag.co.uk

Feature

Sustainability

VIRIDOR AND TOMRA

JOIN FORCES FOR DRS BID Viridor and TOMRA have partnered to bid for the design, build and operation of the Scottish deposit return scheme counting and sorting centres.

R

ecyling business Viridor and reverse vending machine specialist TOMRA have formed a partnership which brings extensive recycling expertise and experience together in a bid for the design, build and operation of the Scottish deposit return scheme (DRS) counting and sorting centres.

Deposit return schemes for beverage containers play a vital part in preventing littering and driving sustainable recycling outcomes in more than 40 jurisdictions worldwide. It is acknowledged as a highly effective way to secure high community participation and high return rates. The deposit, being reimbursed in full, offers a financial incentive for consumers to return used containers for recycling.

The counting and sorting centres represent a critical part of the infrastructure required to underpin the efficient and accurate function of the DRS. Viridor is one of the UK’s biggest recycling and resource management companies with significant Scottish investments and TOMRA is a recycling infrastructure company operating across more than 80 global markets.

Viridor and TOMRA believe that Scotland has demonstrated a leadership position in the development of a circular economy through the DRS initiative. This policy will drive collection rates on drinks containers to levels in excess of 90%, reducing littering and contributing to net zero climate goals, when introduced in 2022.

Viridor Director of Business Development (Polymers) Luke Burgess said: “Viridor, 56

SLR | MAY 2021

has a long history of investing in Scottish recycling infrastructure, and the DRS offers the opportunity to supplement that investment and contribute to green job creation and the development of a truly circular economy. We are delighted to build on our relationship with TOMRA, the world leader in the provision of equipment for deposit return schemes, to work with Scotland to develop a smooth transition to a sustainable future.

“TOMRA has extensive global experience in operating counting and sorting facilities and the partnership will add this to Viridor’s experience of working with Scotland to deliver its recycling, resource management and wider environmental goals. This experience and commitment to the goals of the Scottish circular economy means we have a very strong offering to make. The successful implementation of DRS in Scotland

is of paramount importance if we are to reach the recycling goals of the Plastics Pact, a target that Viridor, a founding member of the Pact, is committed to helping to achieve.”

TOMRA Collection Solutions UK & Ireland Managing Director Truls Haug said: “The TOMRA Viridor partnership is formed under the shared vision to facilitate a modern, costeffective and best practice Scottish deposit return system, acting as a catalyst for sustainable recycling outcomes, delivering key sorting and counting centre services to the deposit operator. Our partnership forms a unique and complementary mix of global and UKbased experience, enabling a compelling ‘fitfor-purpose’ service offer – which if accepted could be deployed in due time for scheme commencement. We are inspired by the progress made to date and the opportunity ahead of us.” www.slrmag.co.uk

Let’s create a great recycling experience.

LY EVER YM BAL O L I G

1M IL

E PURCHASE AR D ES

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

TE NU

PLASTIC BOT TL ON LI

The deposit return scheme (DRS) is due to come to Scotland in July 2022.

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

Source: Global Packaging Trends Report by Euromonitor International (2017)

Feature

Vaping

VAPING: THE FORGOTTEN £1BN CATEGORY?

W

ind back just a few years and vaping was all set to be The Next Big Thing. The category was in stellar growth and the noise around it was deafening. The arrival of US giant JUUL into the UK market saw media frenzy reach fever pitch and local retailers across the country got busy refitting their stores to add shiny new vaping fixtures.

Fast forward to today and the category has slipped from the limelight and sales growth has declined. The menthol ban did spark some improvement, but not the explosion many predicted. Most of the key players have retrenched and the wave of NPD and new entrants seen in the first few years is now barely a ripple. So, what’s gone wrong with vaping?

“The vape category is currently worth around £1bn in the UK [ECigIntelligence, Jul 2020]”, says Duncan Cunningham, UK Corporate Affairs Director at Imperial Tobacco & blu.

Remarkably, only around 30% of that £1bn goes through traditional retail outlets, the rest going through online and specialist vapeshops. With so many similarities between the traditional tobacco category and the vaping category, it seems clear that independent retailers have missed an opportunity here – but could the pandemic have a positive impact on vaping sales through local retailing?

“Whilst it is still too soon to know what the full impact of the pandemic will be, there are some trends emerging that could be shaping convenience store sales in the vaping category,” says Cunningham.

“Overall, pod-mod systems like myblu are becoming increasingly popular thanks to their ease of use and flexibility. Whilst open 58

SLR | MAY 2021

The vaping category has yet to fulfil the promise it showed just a few short years ago, but as a £1bn category in the UK, it arguably still doesn’t receive the attention it merits from local retailers.

systems have traditionally dominated the vaping category, making up 81% of the market the introduction of pod-mod devices in recent years has seen closed systems continue to trend upwards, regaining its share of the category back towards 20% [ECigIntelligence, Jul 2020].”

For many vapers, pod-mods represent the closest experience to traditional cigarettes while, for retailers, the transaction is familiar.

Consumers simply purchase new pods as they need them. Clean, simple and convenient.

JTI’s Gemma Bateson, Head of Reduced Risk Products, agrees that pod-mods are where local retailers should be focusing their attentions.

“Closed tank devices, or pod mods, are currently the fastest growing vaping segment in the UK, as well as the biggest segment within the category for value sales [IRI, March 2021],” she says.

“Last year in traditional retail, according to the same data, the vaping category was worth £307m, with growth of 21.6% YoY, making it a key profit driver.”

Bateson also points out that, of that £307m, JTI’s Logic brand accounted for £37m of sales, with growth of 27.9% YoY. “Our premium pod device, Logic Compact, offers a modern and convenient alternative to traditional vaping products,” she says. “Assembly couldn’t be easier, with pre-filled e-liquid pods that click magnetically into place, making it easy to experiment and switch between different flavours and strengths.

“Vapers are looking for convenient and easyto-use devices that allow them to experiment with various strengths and flavours to find the right fit.”

Key to finding the right strength and fit over the last year or two has been the growth in

nicotine salts – nicsalts – which have grown to become the preferred liquid for pods.

Nicsalts result in nicotine being absorbed into the body faster than normal e-liquids, more closely replicating the experience of smoking a traditional cigarette.

“This appeals to adult smokers looking to switch for the first time, or those who have tried vaping in the past and haven’t been completely convinced,” says blu’s Cunningham.

The range of myblu Intense Liquidpods features nicsalts and is available in a number of flavours in 1.6% nicotine strengths. For vapers keen to try different tastes, the range includes everything from Golden Tobacco and Menthol to Blueberry and Strawberry Mint. www.slrmag.co.uk

Vaping

Feature

“Last year in traditional retail, the vaping category was worth £307m, with growth of 21.6% YoY, making it a key profit driver.”

GEMMA BATESON, JTI

“The myblu device combines the performance demanded by experienced vapers with the ease-of-use appreciated by new entrants to the category,” says Cunningham. “The device’s hassle free Liquidpods allow vapers to switch between flavours in seconds via a simple one-step ‘click and go’ system.”

JTI also offers a range of nicsalt products in a range of flavours, as Bateson explains: “Last year, Logic Compact Intense, a range of refill flavour pods with nicotine salts, were introduced to offer a smoother and more intense flavour delivery.

The range includes menthol flavours www.slrmag.co.uk

such as Peppermint, Polar Menthol and Berry Mint. The pods are compatible with the popular Logic Compact device.”

The company also expanded its Logic EPIQ range last year to include both nicotine salts and High VG 70/30 e-liquids, with the nicotine salt range (18mg/ml) including Peppermint and Berry Mint flavours, and the High VG 70/30 liquids (3mg/ml) available in Mint Royale. With an RSP of £2.99, the new additions offer an enhanced vaping experience at a value price.

Bateson believes that the pandemic offers fresh opportunities

to local retailers to grow sales in the category.

“As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, many customers have started shopping locally or online, in part because they are less willing to go far from home for their products,” she says.

“Therefore, there is an opportunity for retailers to retain customers of vape products that might shop elsewhere (such as specialist vape stores) under normal circumstances.”

Consequently, customer service has a particularly crucial role to play at present, given the in-store restrictions in place. Many consumers won’t wish to handle products before they buy and may also be inclined not to ask questions at the till point to avoid queues building up behind them, which can be intimidating.

With this in mind, retailers need to be prepared to proactively offer them advice at the till point and help shoppers feel at ease by providing knowledgeable answers to their questions that really showcase their understanding of the category.

“Now more than ever, investing in education is key to retaining new and existing vape customers,” concludes Bateson. “If retailers don’t invest in training their staff on the products on offer, there’s a strong chance they’ll miss out on sales. However, if they make sure their staff know the products well, so they can talk comfortably to shoppers and are equipped to answer any questions they may have, this will pay off massively in terms of sales and repeat visits.”

MAY 2021 | SLR

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Feature

Cigars

TIME TO THINK BIG?

One of the most interesting developments in the cigar category over the last year has been a spike in UK sales of larger cigars, a spike not replicated in Scotland – so are retailers missing a trick?

W

hen most local retailers contemplate the cigar category, their first thought is probably around miniature cigars.

And, to be fair, the category has been dominated for a very long time now by miniatures – hardly a surprise since they account for over 70% of cigar volumes [IRI, Mar 2021] – but this train of thought may lead them to miss a growing opportunity: larger cigars.

“Henri Wintermans Half Corona, for instance, had an astonishing 2020,” says Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Country Director Alastair Williams.

“That’s down to a combination of factors such as more people working from home, people having more time on their hands and some fantastic weather last summer.

These, and other factors, meant there were more opportunities for cigar smokers to enjoy a Half Corona when they might otherwise just have chosen a small or miniature cigar.”

Whatever the reason, the “astonishing 2020” that the product enjoyed is borne out in the latest market data from IRI. At

62

SLR | MAY 2021

a UK level, medium and large cigars grew by an eyebrow-raising 18.7% by value on an MAT basis to the end of March. Even more impressive is the finding that in the quarter to the end of March, medium and large cigars were showing value growth of 21.5%.

But here’s the thing: that sudden spike in larger cigar sales across the UK isn’t replicated in Scotland. IRI data for the same period shows that in the quarter to the end of March, medium and large cigar sales only grew by 7.8% in Scotland.

Granted, 7.8% growth in any tobacco category is remarkable, but why does Scotland lag so far behind the UK growth figure of

21.5%? And does that represent an opportunity for Scottish local retailers?

STG’s Williams certainly thinks so. “We know that it’s still miniature cigars that are the category drivers but the pleasing performance of Henri Wintermans Half Corona across the rest of the UK strongly suggests that Scottish local retailers could be missing a trick. While we can have no idea about what lies ahead in terms of the impacts of the pandemic, the increasingly impressive performance of the larger cigars sector indicates that demand is there – and retailers that are able to meet that demand will benefit. Cigars offer far bigger margins than factory made cigarettes and provide local retailers in Scotland with another opportunity to grow their profits by meeting what is clearly a growing demand for larger cigars.”

Interestingly, the total cigar market in Scotland over the last quarter has been very positive, growing by 5.2% by value on an MAT basis. That’s a remarkably resilient performance and clear proof that the category is in very good shape.

And Williams’ parting advice for retailers?

“Miniature cigars and value are still the key drivers in the category in Scotland so brands like Signature and Moments are must stocks to meet that demand for great quality at great prices,” he concludes, “but if you don’t stock Henri Wintermans Half Corona, I would urge you to find some room on the gantry.” www.slrmag.co.uk

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Feature

Forecourts

FORECOURT DIGEST A rapid-fire roundup of some of the latest forecourt news from across Scotland and beyond.

Gold adds Oomph Major brands including M&S, Pizza Express, Halfords and Expedia have now been added to Gulf Retail’s forecourt loyalty platform, Oomph, with discount offers, E-code savings and cash back available in-store and online across a huge range of big-name retailers. In addition, participating customers can now enjoy free online educational courses across a wide variety of subjects along with POWR, an evidence based digital well-being tool that promotes health, reduces stress and improves contentment.

Gerry Welsh, Retail Marketing Manager, explains: “When Oomph was launched our immediate goal was to come to market with a fresh and exciting loyalty scheme that would be embraced by our Dealers and could evolve in line with consumer trends.

Participation in Oomph by Gulf retailers and their customers is increasing exponentially, and our latest add-ons strengthen an already powerful offering.”

EG DEAL MAKER EG Group, which operates 395 forecourts, is offering to sell off 27 of its sites to help its owners complete the deal to buy Asda without an in-depth inquiry by the competition authorities.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provisionally found that the deal raised a number of local competition concerns over the supply of fuel in 36 areas UK-wide. Unless these concerns were addressed, the CMA said, it would move from its initial phase one inquiry to carry out a detailed phase two inquiry.

EG Group owners Zuber and Mohsin Issa and TDR Capital have subsequently offered to divest 27 filling stations and the CMA intimated that this, or a modified offer, “might” be accepted by the CMA. The EG Group owners have stated that there has already been “significant interest” from potential buyers for the 27 sites.

Following the CMA’s announcement, the Issa Brothers and TDR Capital released a statement saying: “Over the course of the past 10 days, we have

been working constructively with the CMA to offer remedies to address the CMA’s competition concerns.

Today, we are pleased to confirm that the CMA has indicated it has reasonable grounds to believe the proposed remedies are acceptable, enabling us to arrive at a conclusive outcome for the acquisition of Asda in Phase 1.

“As is usual in cases such as these, the CMA now has a period of 40 days to work through the detail of the proposed divestitures and therefore we are restricted in the level of information we are able to provide on specific sites.

“However, we have been comforted by the significant interest we have already received from potential buyers during this process, demonstrating the strong growth potential of our forecourts and the liquidity in the market. Over the coming months, we are confident that we will be able to agree a sale to suitable operators to take over all identified sites, and we will share more information in due course.”

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SLR | MAY 2021

According to the new Lumina Intelligence UK Forecourt Market Report 2021, fewer than one-in-10 forecourt shoppers cite fuel as the main reason for their visit, as the coronavirus pandemic reinforces the importance of the convenience store offering within a forecourt.

The report found that over a quarter of forecourt shoppers (26%) were on a planned top-up mission, and identified the most popular categories purchased on

this mission as bakery (45%), chilled foods (excluding milk) (44%), fresh fruit and veg (35%) and tinned or packaged grocery (32%).

Besides planned top-ups, the report also found the key missions that are driving shoppers to forecourts are: Q Food-to-go – 16% Q Newsagent – 11% Q Top-up (distress) – 9% www.slrmag.co.uk

Feature

PMPs

THE PRICE IS RIGHT T

The role of price-marked packs in local retailing has grown enormously in importance over the last year as shoppers seek our reassurance that they’re getting value for money.

he subject of price-marked packs (PMPs) has long been a fairly sensitive one with many retailers preferring control over their prices (and margins) and others prepared to sacrifice that control for the prospect of increased sales.

That debate took a twist last year however with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and a very deep and rapid shift that saw shoppers seeking out value like never before.

PMPs don’t necessarily ensure value, of course, but they do tend to reassure shoppers that they’re not paying over the odds for a product.

“Research shows that PMPs offer a number of advantages for shoppers and retailers alike, and therefore are an important part of a store’s offering,” says Susan Nash, Trade Communications Manager at Mondelez International.

“For shoppers, PMPs offer reassurance they are not being overcharged, while contributing to an overall positive price perception. For retailers, the perception of improved value, convenience and trust from their customers make stocking PMPs a good option – with a fifth of shoppers even going as far as to say they would choose a particular convenience store if they knew it stocked PMP products [HIM, 2018].”

That has only grown in importance during the pandemic and Mondelez now offers its widest-ever range of PMPs across all categories, which includes a number of bestsellers, to allow retailers to help stand-out on shelf with the convenience of clear on-pack pricing.

“The nation’s favourite chocolate is helping retailers drive sales in the singles category with the launch of the popular Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel bar in a new 60p PMP, available now,” says Nash. “More than a third of all bars in independent and symbol stores are Cadbury bars. Caramel is the best-selling Cadbury Dairy 66

SLR | MAY 2021

Milk flavour – and the PMP format aims to build on this success.”

In fact, Cadbury Dairy Milk singles PMP packs achieve a better unit rate of sale than the non-price-marked packs.

Alongside its singles bars and tablets, £1 PMP 95g chocolate bags are available across Mondelez’s bestsellers in the segment which include Cadbury Dairy Milk Giant Buttons, Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel Nibbles, Cadbury Twirl Bites and Cadbury Bitsa Wispa. Smaller packs with price-marks include singles available for Cadbury Dairy Milk Freddo, Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons, Cadbury Chomp and Cadbury Fudge.

Cadbury Darkmilk is offering retailers the option of a 55p PMP format too while Trebor Softmints and Trebor Extra Strong roll packs are available as a PMP, and recent launch sugar-free Trebor Cool Drops are available in a PMP box for independent retailers to help drive stand-out on shelf and encourage trial.

“PMPs help retailers build a sense of confidence and trust with shoppers,” says Victoria Gell, Fruity Confections Portfolio Director at Mars Wrigley. “Mars PMP singles are growing at 7.9% YTD [Nielsen, Oct 2020].”

Launched in March 2020, Skittles Giants are available in a 125g PMP bag, retailing at £1.

Softer on the inside and bigger on the outside, they are three times the size of a standard Skittle, delivering more mouth-watering fruity flavour in one sweet.”

Mars Wrigley is also highlighting its PMP gum range, as Marta Gil, Brand Director Extra Gum, says: “We are looking to continue to grow the gum category with the launch of our £2 PMP EXTRA sugarfree gum 46 pellet bottle across our best-selling core flavours: Peppermint and Spearmint. An exclusive format for the retail channel,

the bottle format continues to tap into the growing demand for keeping teeth clean and breath fresh after snacking on the go.”

It’s a similar story in soft drinks. “We know that price-marked soft drinks are growing more quickly than non-price-marked packs in the channel, with price-marked packs seeing 16% growth versus an increase of 6% from plain packs [IRI, Jan2020],” says Matt Gouldsmith, Channel Director, Wholesale, Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I. “Price-marked packs account for 74% [IRI, Jan2020] of total soft drinks sales in symbols and independents, so we know how important it is to offer a competitively priced range.”

With take home and multipack formats growing under lockdown, Suntory has reduced the on-pack price of some of its most popular drink-later products, including Ribena 600ml squash and Lucozade Energy 1L format drinks.

Reduced to £1.50, these drinks tap into the continued popularity of PMPs, and the growth in sales of drink-later formats.

Recently, Lucozade Energy also introduced a new addition to its range – Lucozade Citrus Chill – in 380ml PMP and plain packs.

“Offering PMPs of well-known brands provides shoppers value for money across favourites they would be looking to purchase on a regular basis,” says Phil Sanders, Out of Home Commercial Director at Britvic.

“For example, retailers can stock our £1.49 price-marked 900ml bottles of Robinsons Orange, Apple & Blackcurrant and Summer Fruits squash. www.slrmag.co.uk

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Feature

PMPs

“We have also updated our 500ml PMP offering to a competitive single price point of £1, across the whole no added sugar range including Pepsi MAX, Pepsi MAX Cherry & Raspberry, Diet Pepsi, 7UP Free and Tango. This temporary move will allow retailers to clearly communicate value to their shoppers, at a time when this is so important as a result of the pandemic. The exciting new Tango Sugar Free Dark Berry flavour will also include this £1 PMP.”

“Cadbury Dairy Milk singles PMP packs achieve a better unit rate of sale than the nonprice marked packs.”

Even tea isn’t immune to the PMP effect, as Parminder Walia, Category Development Manager for Tetley, explains: “For retailers, PMPs are a way to demonstrate value for money and to bring attention to your offer. They are not suited to everything, but high volume like everyday black teas and decaf, the mainstay of any good tea offering, are definitely right for price mark.”

And it’s no surprise which brand leads the pack. Walia says: “Within black everyday tea, Tetley 80s PMP is the top selling SKU with close to 14% volume share [Nielsen, Feb 2021], Tetley decaf dominates sales in Impulse with Tetley decaf 40s and Tetley decaf 80s the top selling SKUs both in plain and price-marked packs.

“The smaller pack of Tetley Decaf 40s PMP £1.75 is a good basic stock ideal for infrequent buyers and to tempt first time trial. A larger pack as part of a healthy sales drive, like Tetley 80s PMP £2.85 would work well here too.”

WIN A VAN WITH WALKERS PMPS! Walkers is partnering with Bestway to offer retailers the chance to win a Ford Transit Courier Leader Van 1.5L. All retailers need to do is buy one case of PepsiCo’s £1 PMP line-up (excluding Doritos) to be automatically entered into the prize draw. One case is equal to one entry.

Red Bull advises that its core range is the essential product range to stock and is available in both PMP and non-PMP formats, and includes Red Bull Original 250ml, 355ml, 473ml and Red Bull Sugarfree 250ml. Red Bull’s Editions range also consists of both PMP and non-PMP cans with flavours including Tropical, Coconut & Berry, Red Edition and the latest Summer Edition in a Cactus Fruit taste all available.

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The campaign closes on 17 June and will feature indepot materials and retailer-targeted advertising.

The move follows Walkers’ recent decision to offer shoppers 20% extra free across is £1 PMP range.

Helping independent retailers offer greater value to shoppers, a “20% Extra Free!” flash is included on nine of Walkers most popular PMP snacks SKUs including Quavers, Wotsits, Monster Munch, Squares and French Fries.

www.slrmag.co.uk

UTC

MAKING A MUG OF US...

Never known as a man to have the proper respect for his superiors, UTC was fair tickled recently to see Snappy Shopper co-founder Scott Campbell making a mug of SLR editor Antony Begley – quite literally.

Scott is the man in the pic. Why does it say “It appears Scott was absolutely right” on his mug, you ask? Well, keen readers of SLR’s digital title The Week In Retail will recognise the line from a comment piece that Antony wrote on Snappy Shopper. The gist was that, several years ago, Scott and Antony had a conversation where Scott enthused about home delivery was a ground-breaking idea that had a massive future in convenience retailing – and Antony was less convinced.

UTC gleefully pointed out that it wasn’t the first time that his editor had gotten something horribly wrong, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

Scott assures us that “his team mate the mug for him”. We, on the other hand, have our doubts about that...

COPY-CATERPILLARS UTC has been avidly following the amusing Twitterstorm that surrounded M&S’s decision to try and do what many have tried and failed to do before: take Aldi to task for blatantly ripping off branded products. The running battle between Colin and Cuthbert, the caterpillar cake heroes, has been rumbling on for weeks and the Auld Boy has lost endless hours following Aldi’s on-form social media team take M&S to the cleaners.

He has been less impressed, however, but the increasingly desperate attempts by countless hangerson to try to hijack the story with their own, invariably entirely unamusing attempts to grab some of the limelight.

The latest example is the Just Love Food Company which has just launched its very own copy-caterpillar cake: Archie. The latest character to join the fray is, apparently, vegan and he has been registered with The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark. Somewhat unconvincingly, Ericka Durgahee, Marketing Manager at The Vegan Society, commented: “The world has been missing a vegan chocolate caterpillar cake.”

Has it though? Has it really?

JUST WHAT IS LURKING ROON THE BACCHIALDI’S While social media largely passed the Auld Yin by for a while, he’s slowly turned into a bit of a fan. So much so that’s he’s not above lifting posts direct from Twitter that he thinks his legions of adoring fans might appreciate.

This is a fine example of the genre. Many thanks to Becky Brynalf for pointing out that in deepest, darkest Airdrie, that round the back of an Aldi in the Lanarkshire town, there’s an Italian cafe called Bacchialdi’s.

You couldn’t make it. Well, maybe Ms Brynalf did. UTC couldn’t be bothered verifying the story.

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www.slrmag.co.uk

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

Grocery colleagues have access to:

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

- Charles Wilson, GroceryAid President

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

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

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

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