RETAIL
THE WEEK IN
COVID-19
RESTRICTIONS OVER BY JUNE
BORIS BACKS EARLY END CHARITY
GROCERYAID DAY NEARLY HERE
ARE YOU READY FOR TUESDAY? RESEARCH
COKE AD DESCRIBES THE INDESCRIBABLE COSTCUTTER A DONE DEAL HFSS SYMBOL SHOCKER
RURAL SHOPS A COVID ‘LIFELINE’ ACS REPORT REVEALS VITAL ROLE OF RURAL STORES
+ SCOTLAND’S DRS ADMINISTRATOR UNVEILED Symbol Partner:
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Issue 44 Wednesday 24th February 2021
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THE WEEK IN RETAIL
EDITOR’S COMMENT SHARE YOUR NEWS AND VIEWS WITH ME AT ABEGLEY@55NORTH.COM
WHAT TO MAKE OF THE ROADMAP DRAWN ON SHIFTING SAND? So, as of 21 June, all will be well with the world once more, will it? If Boris is right – and let’s hope for once he is – then it would be a very welcome development for all concerned. But on the balance of probability, history and common sense, it just doesn’t seem likely, does it? Free and clear and out of the woods in under four months? The joint recent roadmap announcements by Boris and Nicola were pretty standard fare for the pair, very much in line with their past approaches to the situation. Boris full of exuberant and unwarranted optimism and a penchant for pseudo-Churchillian phrasing and Nicola full of grim caution, stern warnings and harsh realities. Boris talks of “a one way road to freedom” and his “cautious but irreversible” plan. He ends with his projection that England could be fully out of restrictions of all kind by 21 June. Nicola talks of not wanting to provide “false clarity” and steers clear of providing an end date for all restrictions because she would “pretty much be making it up”.
You can understand the PM’s desire to offer a bit of hope to the nation, but you can equally understand the FM’s desire not to be offering false clarity, or false hope. Politics aside, I suspect many people would prefer a cold, calculated and realistic path out of this epic saga, even if it takes a little longer, rather than ‘fight them on the beaches’ bravado and bluster. I also suspect many people would agree that, at this point, we don’t need our flagging spirits rekindled as much as we need a clear roadmap out of Covid-19. A clear roadmap that is credible and which provides a platform for us to start planning for the future. So much has changed, so much will continue to change – even when Covid-19 is gone – that we all need to be able to start working together again to rebuild an economy in tatters, and for that we need clarity. Genuine, true clarity. As for 21 June? I wouldn’t go organising any big knees-ups just yet.
ANTONYBEGLEY ANTONYBEGLEY ANTONYBEGLEY
ANTONY BEGLEY, EDITOR
WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 44 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 3
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M E D I A PA RT N E R S
RETAIL
THE WEEK IN
PA RT N E R S
Entry deadline Friday 26 Feb 2021 Awards presentations take place April 2021. Full information & entry online www.scottishretailfoodanddrinkawards.com Follow us on Twitter @ScottishRFD
CONTENTS
WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 44 WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK
6
12 THIS WEEK’S NEWS IN BRIEF
Scotland’s DRS scheme administrator is created and Bestway completes its takeover of Costcutter.
8 COVID-19 UPDATE
A ROUND-UP OF THE LATEST
RURAL SHOP REPORT
SUSTAINABILITY
Rural shops have become even more important during the Covid pandemic, according to this year’s ACS Rural Shop Report.
Some of the latest initiatives from retailers, wholesalers and suppliers who are all investing in the sustainability agenda.
19 CHARITY: GROCERYAID DAY
27 OUT THE BOX: RECOVA-19
CORONAVIRUS-RELATED NEWS. 11 LEGISLATION: HFSS PROMOTIONS BAN
14
IT’S GROCERYAID DAY NEXT TUESDAY
A NEW APP AUTOMATICALLY UPDATES
AND IT’S NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU TO GET
PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND WITH A
INVOLVED. FIND OUT HOW.
COMPANY’S COVID TEST RESULTS.
SYMBOL GROUP RETAILERS WILL BE
21 PICKS OF THE WEEK
29 BEFORE YOU GO...
DISADVANTAGED BY THE GOVERNMENT’S
PROPOSED HFSS RESTRICTIONS.
TWITTER.COM/SLRMAG
A LOOK AT THE LATEST NEW PRODUCTS AND MARKETING CAMPAIGNS.
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SLRMAG
IF YOU’VE EVER INHALED BURNING WHEELIE BIN FUMES, THIS IS FOR YOU.
WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK
WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 44 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 5
NEWS DIGEST
THIS WEEK’S NEWS FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/
UNITAS FOCUSES
DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEMES
Wrigley to publish the latest
SCOTLAND’S DRS SCHEME ADMINISTRATOR CREATED
editions of its Plan for Profit
THE ORGANISATION THAT WILL BE IN CHARGE OF RUNNING THE
‘Focus On’ mini category
DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME IN SCOTLAND HAS BEEN FORMED.
Unitas Wholesale has teamed up with PepsiCo and Mars
guides. The latest guides focus on the Snacks and Gum & Mints categories. All are available for free at participating Unitas member wholesalers and on the Plan for Profit website and app.
£30K GIVEAWAY Spar Scotland is launching its second Community Cashback campaign next month to give away a further £30k to groups and charities who provide a variety of worthwhile
Drinks producers, retailers and trade associations have united to form Circularity Scotland, a not-for-profit scheme administrator for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). If approved by the Scottish Government, the company will seek to work with companies throughout the supply chain – producers, retailers, hospitality and wholesalers – to help deliver a scheme that is ultimately expected to collect more than 90% of drinks containers in Scotland. The scheme is scheduled to go live on 1 July 2022.
INITIAL MEMBERS INCLUDE: ACCOLADE WINES; ACS; BARR SOFT DRINKS, BBPA, BSFDA, BRITVIC, BUDWEISER, COCA-COLA EUROPEAN PARTNERS, CO-OP, HEINEKEN, HIGHLAND SPRING, LIDL, M&S, MORRISONS, NATURAL SOURCE WATERS ASSOCIATION, NFRN, SAINSBURY’S, SGF, SWA, SUNTORY BEVERAGE AND FOOD, TENNENT’S OWNERS C&C GROUP AND TESCO.
services to communities around the country. Twenty four charities benefitted from the first Community Cashback campaign held last October.
FESTIVE CHEER Coventry Nisa retailer Rav Sandhu has donated a wide range of unsold Christmas confectionery to his local hospital and a number of local schools. University Hospital Coventry and Sidney Stringer Academy Secondary School were among those to benefit from the donation.
LOTTERY DEBATE REKINDLED The National Lottery needs to be “dragged into the digital age,” according to the Chairman of a company bidding to take over from current operator Camelot in 2023. Sir Keith Mills, of Sazka, also claimed the money raised for good causes has plateaued and said he worried that “unless the National Lottery is reinvigorated it will go into a decline”. Camelot, which has run the National Lottery since its inception in 1994, has disputed this, noting that it runs Europe’s largest online lottery by
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revenue. Since a restructuring in 2014 it has increased contributions to good causes by 14%. Mills, inventor of the Air Miles and Nectar Card loyalty schemes, also headed up London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. Responding to his comments, NFRN National President Stuart Reddish said: “Taking the Lottery online makes no sense at a time when the British public have been rediscovering the benefits of shopping at their local convenience stores.”
NEWS DIGEST
THIS WEEK’S NEWS FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/
BOOKER RECALL
MERGERS AND AQUISITIONS
BESTWAY COMPLETES COSTCUTTER DEAL
Booker is recalling its Discover the Choice Chicken Tikka Masala with Pilau Rice 450g product as a small number of
DAWOOD PERVEZ WELCOMES COSTCUTTER INTO THE BESTWAY
the packs have been found
FAMILY AFTER REGULATOR GIVES TAKEOVER THUMBS-UP.
to contain Chicken Korma instead, a recipe containing
Bestway Wholesale has completed the acquisition of Costcutter Supermarkets Group (CSG) from Bibby Line Group, following FCA approval. The business is now being run by Bestway Wholesale MD Dawood Pervez following the departure of CSG CEO Darcy WillsonRymer last week. Pervez commented: “It is with immense pleasure that we can formally welcome CSG into the Bestway family and we are delighted that the expected FCA approval has come through so quickly.”
almonds, a common allergen. The affected packs have 4 March use by dates. Return affected packs to Booker or Makro for a full refund.
JACKPOT WEEK The integration of the two businesses will be led by Naser Khan, COO of Bestway Wholesale (pictured). The acquisition takes Bestway Wholesale’s annual turnover to almost £3bn.
More than £190m is up for grabs this week in the National Lottery with yesterday’s EuroMillons jackpot worth £180m, the biggest ever jackpot, and a further £13.4m ‘Most Be Won’ Lotto draw today.
NISA EXPECTS 500 SNAPPY RETAILERS IN 2021 Nisa has announced that more than 50 Nisa stores have signed up with Snappy Shopper since the symbol group formed a partnership with the home shopping app last September. Nisa expects a further 250 to 500 stores will be using the app by end of 2021. Close collaboration between the two businesses has enabled Snappy Shopper to quickly identify suitable Nisa stores. “We have been working with Nisa to identify stores with the potential to succeed with the Snappy Shopper app,” said Andy Batt, Head of Group Development at Snappy Shopper. “We have also taken the Nisa team through the onboarding process, so retailers are supported in every way through the process.” Every Nisa store joining Snappy Shopper benefits from an onboarding, launch and sales ramp up process, which sees operations and marketing teams working hand-in-hand to ensure stores reach their full sales potential as quickly as possible.
CRIMINAL SPEAKER Minister for Crime and Policing Kit Malthouse has been confirmed as a speaker at the ACS 2021 Crime Seminar, taking place virtually between 10 and 11.15am on 23 March. The event will feature the launch of the 2021 Crime Report and provide the opportunity to hear about best practice from industry experts. To book your place click here.
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NEWS SPECIAL
COVID-19 UPDATE FOR ALL THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/
FOOD BANK DEAL
QUINN’S HITS 6K COVID DELIVERIES
Baby and toddler food
NORTHER IRISH SPAR GROUP QUINN’S HAS DESPATCHED OVER
company Piccolo, backed
6,000 HOME DELIVERIES UNDER COVID USING THE APPETITE APP.
by Prue Leith, is running a ‘One for you, One for mum’ campaign with Waitrose until the end of this week. Every pouch purchased through Waitrose will be matched and gifted to a food bank. So far the campaign has seen the brand donate over 50,000 meals to vulnerable families.
BE KIND CALL With the prospect of nonessential stores reopening on 12 April, retail trade union Usdaw is calling on customers to follow the rules and respect shopworkers, and for retail staff to be prioritised for
Quinn’s Spar Group, which owns two Spar stores in Cookstown, Co Tyrone in Northern Ireland, is celebrating served over 6,000 home deliveries in 10 months since setting up the dedicated service for the local community. Martina Kilpatrick, co-owner, began home deliveries in April last year for those living in the area. She said: “We introduced Appetite shortly after the initial national lockdown in April 2020. The service was established as a community service during the lockdown for the vulnerable and selfisolating and for those who wanted the local service they were used to from visiting the Quinn’s group of stores. The service grew quickly, peaking at over £21,000 in May with average
basket spends of £54. Around 90% of Appetite users are new customers. Appetite is one of the only worldwide home delivery, click-andcollect and food-to-go apps that can be fully linked with Henderson’s EDGEPoS EPoS system, ensuring live stock reporting on the app and on EDGEPoS back office at the same time.
vaccination. Incidents of abuse towards shopworkers doubling during lockdown.
RECORD ONLINE SALES The latest ONS Retail Sales data for January shows that the proportion of retail sales that were completed online
BAG CHARGES SUSPENDED FOR DELIVERIES The requirement to charge for single use carrier bags used for certain types of delivery and collection has temporarily been suspended in Scotland until 31 May 2021, in response to the Covid-19 outbreak and at the request of retailers. The exemption from the requirement to charge will apply to: Q grocery deliveries, no matter how the order is placed Q collection of groceries ordered in advance (for instance click-and-collect services offered by supermarkets) Q both the collection and delivery of takeaway food.
reached a record high. Wider retail sales plunged at the fastest rate since the pandemic broke last year as January blues were heightened by further lockdown restrictions.
It should be noted that this does not prevent any retailer continuing to charge for SUCBs used for these purposes if they choose to do so, and does not affect the wider charge or the existing exemptions from it. The minimum price of a single use carrier bag is set to increase from 5p to 10p from 1 April 2021.
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NEWS SPECIAL
COVID-19 UPDATE FOR ALL THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/
IT’LL ALL BE OVER BY 21 JUNE... MAYBE
CUSTOMER COUNTING TECH
PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON HAS UNVEILED HIS ROADMAP OUT
B
OF THE PANDEMIC WITH A PLAN THAT COULD SEE ALL RESTRICTIONS LIFTED IN JUNE.
oris Johnson has unveiled a new four-step plan to ease England’s lockdown that could see all social contact restrictions lifted by 21 June. That would only happen if strict conditions are met, however, but Johnson said his plan aimed to be “cautious but irreversible”. Under the roadmap: schools will reopen on 8 March; outdoor gatherings of six people from two households would be permitted from 29 March; non-
essential shops and hospitality could open on 12 April; and two households would be allowed to meet indoors from 17 May. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon took a more cautious approach, with a plan to revert to a ‘levels’ system of restrictions by the end of April. Non-essential shops and hospitality may begin to re-open from 26 April, and stay at home restrictions could be lifted on 5 April.
As the Government rolls out asymptomatic testing for businesses with essential workers or with employees who are unable to work from home, Bestway Wholesale has implemented Lateral Flow Testing – available for all its staff who are needed
to ensure groceries reach retailers and customers, working out of all depots and office locations. Dawood Pervez, Managing Director for Bestway Wholesale, commented: “All of our staff are encouraged to be tested at the local Borough Council offices during work time, every two weeks. So far, we have been able to identify four asymptomatic members of our team. In these positive cases, (which were all in the same area), we have a rigorous policy of self-isolation, cleaning premises, and safeguarding other colleagues.”
TECH SOLUTIONS
BESTWAY ROLLS OUT LATERAL FLOW TESTS FOR ALL
Digital signage software pioneer Navori Labs has launched Aquaji, an AI-driven marketing analytics software that counts unique visitors and gathers demographic data, length of stay, wait time and attention span KPIs over segmented time slots. The solution helps retailers understand consumer habits and profiles, and create new opportunities for growth and profitability through stronger visitor engagement. Aquaji identifies and recognises each visitor while protecting visitor anonymity using face and body detection and coding instead of facial recognition. Find out more here.
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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:
LEGISLATION
HFSS PROMO BAN NFRN
HFSS PROMO BAN ‘UNFAIR AND INCONSISTENT’ FOR SMALLER SYMBOL SHOPS THE NFRN HAS EXPRESSED DEEP CONCERN ABOUT GOVERNMENT PLANS TO INCLUDE SYMBOL GROUP RETAILERS’ SMALLER STORES BUT NOT UNAFFILIATED INDEPENDENTS IN ITS PROPOSED HFSS RESTRICTIONS.
I
n its response to the Department for Health and Social Care’s consultation into restricting promotions of unhealthy foods, the NFRN has argued that proposed changes to how retailers can site and promote high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products are “unfair and inconsistent”. Under the new policy, all stores over 2,000sq ft with more than 50 employees will no longer be able to place HFSS products at store entrances, checkouts, end of aisles and designated queuing areas. However, the Government is proposing that the regulations should also apply to ‘symbol group’ independent retailers. NFRN National President Stuart Reddish said including symbol group retailers would be “unfair and inconsistent” with current government policy. He said this would create a “false division” between symbol and unaffiliated independent retailers, to the disadvantage of those who have chosen to trade under a fascia. Reddish commented: “A ridiculous situation will occur where two stores in similar locations, with similar levels of staffing and of similar size and product ranges, are treated differently solely on the basis of the sign above the door.” The NFRN also called on the government to delay implementing any changes until April 2023 at the earliest.
COVER STORY
2021 ACS RURAL SHOP REPORT RESEARCH
RURAL SHOPS A ‘LIFELINE’ FOR ISOLATED COMMUNITIES THE ASSOCIATION OF CONVENIENCE STORES HAS URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF RURAL SHOPS AND ENSURE THAT THEY
T
ARE NOT LEFT PLAYING CATCH UP WHEN IT COMES TO BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.
he 2021 ACS Rural 79% Shop Report has actively revealed how crucial the UK’s 17,000+ rural shops are to engaged their communities, with findings in local communities showing that throughout 2020, rural consumers have increasingly used their local shop for a wider range of products, and one in five reporting that they depend on their local shop more now than a year ago. More than a third of the UK convenience sector is made up of rural shops, often trading in isolated 17,000+ locations with no other businesses nearby. Between rural stores them, these shops provide local, flexible and secure in the UK employment for over 126,000 people – employment that fits around other commitments like caring for family members, studying, and childcare. ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “Rural
“The message from this year’s report is that rural shops have become even more important during the Covid pandemic.” 12 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 44 / WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2021
COVER STORY
2021 ACS RURAL SHOP REPORT RESEARCH
STUDY TOUR As part of the Rural Shop Report launch, ACS Chief Executive James Lowman took part in a virtual study tour with Christine Hope from award-winning rural shop Hopes of Longtown. They discussed how the business has responded to the pandemic, tailoring the store’s offer to its customer base, and how the shop works with local suppliers.
126,000
shops have been absolutely essential to their employees communities over the last year, helping customers to shop safely and putting in place new services like home delivery to support those who aren’t able to get out to stores. The message from this year’s report is that rural shops have become even more important during the Covid pandemic – retailers now have even closer relationships with their customers, are employing more people, are taking part in even more community activity, and offer a range of wider and more powerful range of services than ever.” Additional key findings from this year’s report include: Q Rural shops provide local, flexible and secure employment for over 126,000 people Q Rural shops have invested over £197m in their businesses over the last year Q Four out of five (79%) rural shops are actively engaged in their communities, with almost half of rural shops (42%) making donations to a local food bank over the last year Q 21% of rural shops now provide a home delivery service of groceries in their local area. Lowman continued: “Rural shops are investing in technology and services to improve their businesses, but we need more support from Government to ensure that rural shops are not left playing catch up through no fault of their own.” The full report is available here.
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SUSTAINABILITY
GREEN ROUND-UP ZERO WASTE
DOING GOOD IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS RETAILERS, WHOLESALERS AND SUPPLIERS CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA. THE WEEK IN RETAIL BRINGS YOU SOME OF THE LATEST INITIATIVES FROM ACROSS THE INDUSTRY.
RETAIL
COMMUNITY STORE TARGETS ZERO WASTE
A
family of experienced London local retailers are playing their part in sustainability and zero waste with the addition of a refill station in their newly fitted Nisa store in Edgware. LA Foods, operated by the Hussain family, recently launched its 12th store in 3,000sq ft premises, converting a run-down vacant unit in the middle of a parade of shops. The family has installed a zero-waste refill station, a
first for them and a concept that is also new to the people living locally. Haroon Hussain said: “The store as a whole is a slow burner, and sales will grow steadily over time. We have a great range and are offering shoppers everything they need as well as a few new ideas for them to try.” With a strong focus on fresh and chilled, the retailers decided the refill station complemented their offer and acts as a real point of difference.
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The refill station currently offers foodstuffs including nuts, grains, seeds and cereal; shoppers have already been enquiring about other lines such as cleaning products. “It seems to be a big hit and is certainly a talking point,” says Haroon. “It is perhaps a bit of an unusual concept for the type of demographic we’re serving but I think once our customers get used to the idea it will really take off.”
SUSTAINABILITY
GREEN ROUND-UP ZERO WASTE
WHOLESALE
T
SCOTTISH WHOLESALE TARGETS NET-ZERO EMISSIONS
he Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) has embarked on the first phase of an ambitious project designed to help members and the wider wholesale sector become greener and more sustainable, and ultimately decarbonise the wholesale food supply chain and achieve net-zero emissions by 2045, if not before. As part of ongoing efforts towards mapping a plan to decarbonise the supply chain, the SWA will focus on distribution fleets – with a particular focus on Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) and Electric Vehicle (EV) technologies – in this first phase of the Decarbonisation of the Wholesale Industry Project. The environmental impact of members’ cold storage facilities will also be researched ready for phase two which will look at energy and buildings. The SWA has recruited a graduate from Strathclyde University for an initial 12-week placement to carry out the first phase of the project. Jessica Palmer will investigate areas of high pollution and energy consumption within the wholesale industry, with a particular focus on distribution fleets
and cold storage facilities, identifying and recommending how these could be made more sustainable and environmentally efficient. Colin Smith, SWA Chief Executive, said: “We’re hugely excited to be driving this vital project. Through our Decarbonisation of the Wholesale Industry Project, we have the opportunity to be the first organisation in the UK to investigate and implement the private commercial use of HFC technology and/or EV technology at a sector-wide level. “As a result, the Scottish wholesale industry could become Scotland’s first
‘commercial testbed’, particularly for HFC. Carrying out this project on an industry scale will generate bigger benefits to our members than if they do it alone – not only in time and cost savings, as we are conducting the research on their behalf, but also in hopefully being able to attract funding. “Jessica’s report will provide members with a reference tool which will enable them to make calculated investment decisions for the future decarbonisation of their businesses as well as contributing data towards the creation of a wholesale industry netzero transition plan for 2045.”
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SUSTAINABILITY
GREEN ROUND-UP ZERO WASTE
SUPPLIERS
THERE’S A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR PLASTIC – BUT WE ALL MUST TAKE ACTION
A
lpesh Mistry, Sales Director at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, says: “After two years of development, you may have spotted our new and redesigned Ribena bottle which is available to order across our core 500ml range now. Although Ribena’s bottles have been made from 100% recycled material (rPET) since 2007, the new design features a reduction in the plastic sleeve which eliminates 202 tonnes of plastic and creates a bottle that is fully bottle-to-bottle recyclable. In short, there is no reason that the Ribena bottles on your shelves can’t be made back into another bottle. “Designed and tested to work within the current UK recycling infrastructure, the new bottle is a large step towards achieving SBF GB&I’s ambition to source all our bottles from 100% sustainable materials by 2030. “Our ambition is a sustainable future for plastic. Plastic is versatile and lightweight, and it’s convenient for consumers and the retailers who sell products packaged in it. What’s more, the lifetime carbon emissions of recycled plastic beverage bottles are lower than those of glass or metal cans. As a society we have historically used plastic poorly, but we are confident that it’s possible to turn this around and move to a world where plastic is used responsibly. “To do so, it is vital bottles are recycled and that the recycled material is then used to manufacture new bottles – a truly circular system with minimal waste. Businesses like ours need to invest and innovate to improve the recyclability of the plastic we use. We need to educate and encourage shoppers to recycle – our new Ribena bottles have a series of ‘recycle me’ prompts on the label, for instance.
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“We believe plans to introduce deposit return schemes will help to significantly improve the situation. Right now, the Scottish Government plans to introduce a scheme in 2022, with England and Wales set to follow suit by 2024. In an ideal world, to maximise effectiveness governments need to work together to ensure their schemes align and can work with each other. Anything else is likely to lead to confusion from consumers and cause disruption to your business. “Of course, beyond Government action, there is always more that companies can and should be doing to be more sustainable. We are working to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across our entire supply chain by 2050. We are also reducing the amount of plastic used in our supply chain, adding to the 2,947 tonnes of plastic we have already saved since 2015. “Right now, it is essential that we all play our part in minimising the waste our society produces.”
SUSTAINABILITY
GREEN ROUND-UP ZERO WASTE
PLADIS BINS BLACK PLASTIC
P
ladis has unveiled a collection of new sustainability initiatives including the total removal of problematic-to-recycle black plastic from its product portfolio. The new measures, which come just over two years since its commitment to the UK Plastics Pact, include: Q The removal of all non-recyclable black plastic from the pladis UK&I on-shelf product portfolio by June 2021 Q The elimination of all PVDC film by June 2021 Q A continued commitment to prioritising the development of sustainable packaging solutions across bestselling lines, reducing CO2 emissions from transportation. “As part of our commitment to the UK Plastics Pact, we’ve been working hard to transition our rigid plastic trays from black to recyclable cloudy rPET, which contain a minimum of 30% recycled content,” explains Sylvain Cuperlier, Head of Sustainability at pladis.
“We’re pleased to announce that the last black trays were produced in late December and we will complete this transition by the summer, after which there will be no more pladis-produced black plastic in the market. This will save 80 million plastic trays from landfill every year.” The company has also increased the amount of ‘Recycle Ready’ monopolymer film used across the business - it now represents 64% of all packaging film – and has removed 35% of PVDC film, cited by the UK Plastics Pact as a ‘problematic plastic’, with the remaining 65% due to be eliminated by June 2021. In addition, pladis has overhauled the packaging for many of its bestselling lines. “Shoppers will have noticed the changes we’ve been making as they purchased their favourite festive biscuits in the lead up to Christmas,” continues Cuperlier. “Last year we made some important adjustments to our bestselling McVitie’s Victoria assortment, including downsizing the card outer and incorporating a fullyrecyclable cloudy plastic tray. “By swapping the traditional black tray for a recyclable alternative, we were able to save over 60 tonnes of plastic from landfill over the festive period. These changes reflect our commitment to tackling plastic waste in response to the British public’s justifiable concerns about packaging and sustainability. “We’ve reduced height and board grade on outer packaging for our Jacob’s Mini Cheddars brand, meaning during transportation, we can fit more boxes on every truck. By removing trucks from the road, we’ve been able to reduce our CO2 emissions by 127 tonnes per year. Similarly, through making changes to the cases which package our McVitie’s Nibbles and Flipz products, we’ll be removing 84 tonnes of CO2 from our supply chain annually. “We’ve also redesigned our Jacob’s caddies and our new, fully-recyclable caddies will be in store later this year.”
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WANNABE BAKER? RELAX...
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GROCERYAID DAY 2 MARCH 2021
#GROCERYAIDDAY GET INVOLVED IT’S GROCERYAID DAY NEXT TUESDAY AND IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO GET INVOLVED. HERE’S HOW...
N
ext Tuesday sees the industry charity GroceryAid host its annual awareness day, and it’s not too late for you and your business to get involved. Here are six easy ways your company can help. Everything you need can be found in Digital Materials when you visit the website. 1. Organise a company communication 2. Follow GroceryAid on social media & share 3. Organise a social media post from your company’s channels 4. Change your colleagues’ screensavers to GroceryAid 5. Change your email footer to feature GroceryAid 6. Subscribe to the GroceryAid newsletter
GET MOTIVATED, RAISE AWARENESS, RAISE CASH As part of its annual GroceryAid Day on 2 March, the industry charity’s Scottish branch is inviting everyone to join a motivational talk by former Royal Marine Commando Hon Col Dr Andy Grant between midday and 1.30pm.
After such a difficult year for so many industry colleagues, it’s vital GroceryAid reaches as many people as possible to make sure they know that help is there if they need it. And if you do get involved, don’t forget to email a picture to GroceryAid at news@ groceryaid.org.uk
Organiser Scott Black, Branch Treasurer, says: “Andy’s story is truly inspirational and I hope that as many people as possible in the trade in Scotland and further afield take an hour or so out of their day to hear it. We are not selling tickets – all we ask is that you make a donation of whatever amount you feel you can afford.” You can donate here.
TO FIND OUT MORE, CLICK HERE
TO JOIN TH EVENT, C E LICK HERE
WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 44 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 19
NPD AND MEDIA
PRODUCTS OF THE WEEK SPECIAL – COCA-COLA TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM
COKE SEEKS TO EXPRESS THE INDESCRIBABLE
COCA-COLA HAS LAUNCHED A NEW MEDIA CAMPAIGN THAT “GOES BEYOND WORDS TO EXPRESS THE INDESCRIBABLE EXPERIENCE OF DRINKING A COKE”.
Coca-Cola has launched a new media campaign
out-of-home advertising, shopper activation,
to give “new drinkers a way to describe its beyond-
PR and an ambitious digital and social media
words sensation”. The company says it wants to
approach where fans are invited to recreate
share with everyone what a Coke experience is
the dance and express their own Coca-Cola
all about with a new TV ad bringing to life the first
experience on their own social media channels.
sip of Coca-Cola and the expressions customers
As an extension of the campaign and rolling
use to convey its taste and experience of
out across European markets over the coming
upliftment and enjoyment.
months, an evolved Coca-Cola Zero Sugar will
Featuring an original track by Tyler, The Creator, the new ad aims to “interpret this
be launched, offering consumers a sleek, brandnew packaging design.
indescribable experience” and “encapsulating
The campaign continues the company’s
that undefinable experience”. Check out the ad
‘Open’ platform, which aims to inspire and uplift
to see whether you think they’ve succeeded.
people to being open to new possibilities and
The campaign will be launched via TV, online video and radio advertising, as well as interactive
experiences while remaining optimistic amongst ongoing challenging times.
WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 44 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 21
NPD AND MEDIA
PICKS OF THE WEEK SPECIAL – BRITVIC TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM
BRITVIC LAUNCHES ‘PUB CLASSIC’ EXCLUSIVELY IN WHOLESALE
BRITVIC IS TAPPING INTO THE GROWTH IN HOME MIXERS SALES WITH THE LAUNCH OF ITS ‘PUB CLASSIC’ TONIC WATER EXCLUSIVELY IN WHOLESALE IN 850ML BOTTLES.
Britvic has launched its branded tonic water into convenience for the first time, with the pub classic available exclusively to wholesale in an 850ml bottle. The move will help retailers capitalise on the rising demand for traditional mixing products at home, which are up 58% as a result of the pandemic [IRI, Aug 2020]. Mixers growth continues to outpace total soft drinks, as gin sales have surged and the trend for drinking mixers without the addition of alcohol has also grown. The new launch offers retailers the chance to encourage shoppers to trade up from own-label. Britvic Indian Tonic Water is available now, to the wholesale and convenience sector, and will be rolled out further in mid-March. It is available in an 850ml format in Classic and Low Calorie. Phil Sanders, Out of Home Commercial Director at Britvic, comments: “Although private label traditionally dominates the segment from a volume perspective (44%), branded mixers are adding more value with over three times the price per litre (£1.80 vs £0.50) [IRI, Aug 2020].”
FASTFACTS Q Case Size: 12 Q Pack Size: 850ml Q Variants: Classic and Low Calorie Q RSP: £1.65
22 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 44 / WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2021
NPD AND MEDIA
PRODUCTS OF THE WEEK SPECIAL – SNICKERS TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM
IT’S A DONE DEAL BETWEEN SNICKERS AND JÜRGEN MARS WRIGLEY HAS CONFIRMED A CAMPAIGN WITH FOOTBALL MANAGER JÜRGEN KLOPP FOR A NEW FOOTBALL-FOCUSED SNICKERS CAMPAIGN.
Mars Wrigley has announced that Snickers is teaming up with managerial titan Jürgen Klopp for a brand new football-focused campaign. In an ad filmed in 2019, which you can see here, the two-time Men’s Coach of the Year swaps a football pitch for a more modest table football arena. Pintsized players but, as Jürgen finds out, the same super-charged emotions. Turns out, as we all know, that ‘You’re not you when you’re hungry!’ But it’s nothing that a Snickers bar can’t take care of. Speaking about the partnership, Jürgen Klopp said: “My family and I have
“My family and I have always loved Snickers.” [ Jürgen Klopp ]
always loved Snickers, and it’s hard for me to turn down a game of football, so I was really looking forward to this partnership from the very first moment.” Kerry Cavanaugh, Mars Wrigley UK Marketing Director, said: “Jürgen brings the same energy and passion to the Snickers campaign as he would to a top of the table clash, and that’s why he is the perfect person to front the next instalment of our popular ‘You’re not you when you’re hungry’ series.”
WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 44 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 23
NPD AND MEDIA
PICKS OF THE WEEK TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM
DANONE PLANTS
DRUM ROLL...
KESTREL FLYING
MARKER
Swizzels has unveiled a new
Scottish beer Kestrel has
Danone is to acquire Earth
Drumstick Chocolate bar, the
announced an international
Island, a US pioneer in plant-
first time it has entered the
marketing push around a new
based foods. Earth Island
chocolate bar category in its
TV documentary series telling
produces dairy-free cheeses
90 year history. The company
the story of The Flying Kestrel,
and plant-based salad
has adapted its Drumstick lolly
the company’s transformation
dressings, as well as its most
flavour and combined it with
of an abandoned 1930s Riley
famous line – Vegenaise – an
milk chocolate.
Kestrel car into a land speed
egg-free mayonnaise brand.
RSP: £1 PMP
record breaker.
MAGNUM DOUBLES UP
SAUCY LAUNCHES
UNLEASH THE BEAST
Magnum is adding to its
Keejays is adding two new
McCoy’s has unveiled a new
premium Doubles range with
sauce concentrates to its
creative brand platform with
the Magnum Double Gold
Goldfish Brand range: Sweet &
the launch of a £2m McCoy’s
Caramel Billionaire. Inspired
Sour and Piri Piri. The two new
Fire Pit ATL campaign. The
by Millionaire’s Shortbread,
sauces are the company’s first
new creative will run across
the product is available in tub
venture into non-curry-based
all McCoy’s brand advertising
and stick formats, as well as in
concentrate sauces and have
and features a mischievous
multipacks.
eight servings per pack.
‘beast’ who represents extreme
RSPs: £2 to £4
RSP: £2.65
flavour cravings.
24 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 44 / WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2021
NPD AND MEDIA
PICKS OF THE WEEK TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM
100 POUNDER PROMO
CORNER PMPS
STIG ON WHEELS
Rustlers is rolling out a ‘100
Müller is targeting growth in
In its biggest ever on-pack
Pounder’ on-pack promo
wholesale and convenience
promo, Wagon Wheels is
offering shoppers the chance
with the launch of PMPs on
giving consumers the chance
to win £100 when they buy
Müller Corners. The £1 PMP
to enjoy a ‘money can’t
a Rustlers Quarter Pounder.
range is available from 1 April
buy’ track experience with
The promo runs until 22 April
and consists of a two-pack of
Top Gear’s The Stig. The
across 2.7 million packs and
Müller Corner Strawberry and
instant win promo involves a
will be supported by in-store
a two-pack of Müller Corner
temporary name change for
and online activation.
Vanilla Chocolate Balls.
the brand to Stig On Wheels.
NEW LOOK WEETOS
TANQUERAY ROAMS
SCOTT’S REFRESH
Weetos is unveiling a fresh
FREE
Scott’s is launching a refreshed
new look next month featuring
Diageo has unveiled new
look across its classic oats
a ‘Loved by kids, approved by
Tanqueray 0.0%, an alcohol-
ranges to highlight the
parents’ sticker. The refreshed
free spirit made using the
authenticity and heritage of the
packaging also outlines
same blend of botanicals used
brand. The revamp sees typical
the brand’s sustainability
in Tanqueray London Dry gin.
Scottish humour brought to
credentials, with all cocoa
It is also a low-calorie option,
life on pack, with additions
used for the cereal certified as
with only 6kcals per 50ml.
including Scottish phrases and
sustainable by UTZ.
RSP: £16
their English translations.
WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 44 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 25
Let’s create a great recycling experience LY EVER YM BAL O L I G
1M IL
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Get in touch to find out more: tcs.uk@tomra.com
TE U N
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NOW THAT’S A GOOD IDEA…
OUT THE BOX RECOVA -19
AUTOMATED COVID TEST RESULT REPORTING WITH ALL 50+ EMPLOYEE BUSINESSES IN ENGLAND NOW LEGALLY REQUIRED TO INFORM PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND OF COVID-19 TEST RESULTS, A NEW PORTAL SOLUTION HELPS AUTOMATE AND STREAMLINE THE PROCESS.
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? Automated, streamlined reporting of Covid-19 test results to Public Health England (PHE).
HOW DOES IT WORK? Cambridge based start-up ReCoVa-19 has developed a simple, effective way for companies and organisations to fulfil the legal obligation to inform PHE of all Covid-19 test results.
LEGAL OBLIGATION? The government announced earlier this month that access to Covid-19 tests would be extended to all businesses with more than 50 employees; the legal duty to inform PHE of all test results (whether positive, negative or inconclusive) becomes the responsibility of the company.
HOW DO RETAILERS WITH MORE THAN 50 EMPLOYEES DO THAT? That’s the problem. At the moment there is no centralised mechanism for reporting, putting the onus on companies and testing laboratories to develop accurate systems of reporting themselves. And they’ll need to be GDPR compliant.
THE NEW SOLUTION HELPS? The ReCoVa-19 app’s patient management portal has the capacity for confidential paperless handling of all data and submission to PHE, without the need for any further input from the company or the lab handling the samples. The
portal contains all the relevant information PHE require, while remaining fully GDPR compliant. There is also the option for companies to utilise ReCoVa-19’s own highly accurate lateralflow and RT PCR testing service, alongside development of a bespoke Covid-19 testing and wellness programme for optimal protection and monitoring of staff. Existing users of the programme include the University of Cambridge and some of the UK’s largest pharmacy groups.
WHAT ARE RECOVA-19 SAYING? Director, Andrew Halliday comments: “Recova has agreed a process with PHE and the laboratories they work with to provide the legally required notification of test results directly. The portal enables the labs to focus on their testing and provides companies with the reassurance they are meeting legal requirements.”
WHERE CAN WE WE FIND OUT MORE? Employers or business owners can find more information about the ReCoVa-19 programme here or email info@ recova-19.com to discuss their individual needs.
“The legal duty to inform PHE of all test results becomes the responsibility of the company.” WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 44 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 27
BEFORE YOU GO
RETAIL RANDOMS GOLDEN EGGS / BURNING BINS
GOLD CREME EGG, ANYONE? YOURS FOR £31K
We all know that some shoppers like to trade up to more premium offerings around major seasonal opportunities like Easter, which is presumably why somebody has just paid £31k for a Creme Egg. To be fair, it’s not your average Creme Egg. It’s made of 22ct gold and was apparently made in the 1980s by Garrard, the Queen’s official jeweller, for a nationwide treasure hunt competition run by Cadbury at the time. The Cadbury’s Conundrum egg was one of 12 hidden around the UK which could be found by solving clues.
BURNING BINS TO GET HIGH? STOP ARSON ABOUT... We had to check it wasn’t April already when we received a press release from waste removal specialists Divert.co.uk the other day. It concerned the return of ‘Britain’s stupidest craze’: burning bins to get high. Many retailers will no doubt have suffered from some reprobate setting fire to one of their bins, no doubt putting it down to malevolence. But apparently there’s a darker side to it. Myth has it that burning wheelie bins and sniffing the fumes has the same effect as highs from recreational drugs.
You’ll be amazed to learn that sniffing burning wheelie bins doesn’t, in fact, get you high. Wheelie bins are made from high density polyethylene, which releases carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into the air when set alight. So it’s more likely to kill you than get you high. Regardless, there are apparently some bin-burning connoisseurs out there who believe that different colour bins giving different highs. The class A top doggy is apparently the brown bin which is highly prized among bin-burning aficionados.
WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 44 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 29
R E T A I L L I A RET TH E W EE K IN
EEK THE W
IN
W IN FE RR ER O VA LE NT IN E’S JE T AD DS 10 PR IZ ES AS CO NA SI TE S RE D BU LL DI GI PL AN OG RA M TA L M IN G
COKE S U N V E IL IT E D2C S HANDS N FR N 25K O U T £1 RY C A D BU NUTTY GETS
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