The Week In Retail Issue 47

RETAIL

THE WEEK IN

COVID-19

EDGING BACK TO ‘NORMAL’

END OF RESTRICTIONS IN SIGHT? LOCAL SOURCING

WHAT’S ON YOUR DOORSTEP?

STEPHEN BROWN URGES RETAILERS TO GO LOCAL LABOUR BACKS CRIME BILL SWIPII TARGETS BIG GROWTH WATCH THE LATEST TV ADS

HOME DELIVERY

WHAT’S GOING ON WITH HOME DELIVERY?

“ONLY 7% OF INDIES DELIVERING”

+ 200 COMPANIES BACK GROCERYAID DAY Commercial Partner:

Brought to you by:

Issue 47 Wednesday 17th March 2021

Symbol Partner:

SUMMER CHOICES. SUMMER SALES. 5M

£

TO

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RED

ADDED

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LL 250ml BU

*SPORTS & ENERGY CATEGORY. SOURCE: NIELSEN SCANTRACK, SPORTS & ENERGY, LATEST 26 WEEKS TO W.E. 16.01.21).

THE WEEK IN RETAIL

EDITOR’S COMMENT SHARE YOUR NEWS AND VIEWS WITH ME AT ABEGLEY@55NORTH.COM

WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER Emotional or financial support is one of those things that most people probably never think about – until they need it. But when they do need it, it’s a very pressing need. So it was really encouraging to learn that over 200 companies took part in this month’s GroceryAid Day, the industry charity’s annual awareness day.

Even more encouraging was the fact that over 6.25m people saw the campaign. This is proof that under boss Steve Barnes the charity is making real in-roads into tackling what can be a very difficult issue for a lot of people to even talk about. GroceryAid has done a fantastic job of reinventing itself and making itself more relevant, with outstanding events like the Barcode Festival as well as a raft of fantastic initiatives to support industry colleagues who need help.

And let’s be honest here, sometimes we all need a bit of help. A possible positive to the uniform horror of Covid has been a shift towards a more caring, more open society where it’s no longer embarrassing or shameful to say that you could do with a bit of help, whether that’s a pep talk from a boss, somebody to listen to you when you’ve got stuff that’s weighing you down – or whether it’s far more serious than that. And GroceryAid does deal with some very serious situations indeed.

Unsurprisingly, more people than ever have relied on the support services GroceryAid can offer over the last year – so it’s critical that the charity gets the help and funding it needs to allow it to keep delivering that support. Everyone in our industry deserves to feel that they are part of a fantastic industry that looks after its own.

I must declare a bit of personal interest here as I sit on both the Scottish GroceryAid committee and the national independent retailing strategy group.

One of the most pleasing things to witness over the last 12 months has been how well GroceryAid has reached out to the independent channel. The charity always had a remit to support independents, but I’m not convinced that many independent retailers knew that. For too many years, it was seen as purely ‘grocery’ – which to many retailers means supermarkets.

So the success of GroceryAid Day was fantastic to see, and it’s only the beginning. In tough times like these, our industry needs a safety net and a shoulder to cry on. I would encourage everyone to make sure that their colleagues are aware of the charity, just in case they ever need any of the many services on offer – and I would encourage everyone to support the charity’s work in whatever way they can.

ANTONYBEGLEY ANTONYBEGLEY ANTONYBEGLEY

ANTONY BEGLEY, EDITOR

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021 / ISSUE 47 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 3

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

CONTENTS

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021 / ISSUE 47 WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK

6

10 THIS WEEK’S NEWS IN BRIEF

14 HOME DELIVERY

LOCAL SOURCING: STEPHEN BROWN

The Shadow Home secretary backs shopworker protection calls and ATM withdrawals plummet £37bn.

A new Lumina Intelligence report suggests only 8% of convenience stores offer a home delivery service – a figure much lower than previously thought.

Spar Scotland’s head of food-to-go says it’s time for local retailers to check out the products that are on their doorstep.

8 COVID-19 UPDATE

16 SUSTAINABILITY: PACKAGING REDUCTIONS

22 OUT THE BOX: SWIPII

12 TECH: HOME DELIVERY

KP SNACKS UNVEILS THE LATEST UPDATE

CASHBACK APP SWIPII PLANS TO

TLM AND JISP TEAM UP SO EVOPOS USERS

ON ITS DRIVE TO REDUCE ITS CARBON

QUADRUPLE ITS BUSINESS NETWORK AND

CAN OFFER SEAMLESS HOME DELIVERY.

FOOTPRINT.

HELP FUEL THE SHOP LOCAL REVIVAL.

13 INDUSTRY SUPPORT: GROCERYAID DAY

17 PICKS OF THE WEEK

25 BEFORE YOU GO...

OVER 200 COMPANIES BACKED THE CHARITY’S ANNUAL AWARENESS DAY.

TWITTER.COM/SLRMAG

A LOOK AT THE LATEST NEW PRODUCTS AND MARKETING CAMPAIGNS.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SLRMAG

CORONA BEER PUTS A BRAVE FACE ON WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN A HELLISH 2020.

WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021 / ISSUE 47 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 5

NEWS DIGEST

THIS WEEK’S NEWS FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/

CRIMINAL TO MISS IT ACS is encouraging retailers to book their place at the ACS’ 2021 Crime Seminar, taking place virtually between 10am

RETAIL CRIME

SHADOW HOME SECRETARY BACKS SHOPWORKER PROTECTION CALLS

and 11.15am on 23 March. The

SHADOW HOME SECRETARY NICK THOMAS-SYMONDS HAS RAISED

event will feature the launch

THE ISSUE OF ATTACKS ON SHOPWORKERS DURING A COMMONS

of the 2021 Crime Report, as

DEBATE ON THE POLICE, CRIME, SENTENCING AND COURTS BILL.

well as speakers including Minister for Crime and Policing Kit Malthouse. For more information and to book your place click here.

GREGGS ON A ROLL Greggs says it has had a “better than expected start to 2021” after posting a pre-tax loss of £13.7m in the year to 2 January with like-for-like sales down 36.2% year on year.

The company made a profit of £108.3m the previous year

Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds has raised the issue of attacks on shopworkers in a House of Commons debate on the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, pledging the Labour party’s support as the Bill went through its second reading.

The Shadow Home Secretary said: “Research has shown that, during the pandemic alone, one in six of our shopworkers has been abused on every shift, with 62% of UK shopworkers experiencing verbal abuse and almost

being threatened by a customer. There have been awful examples of attacks on other frontline workers, who have been spat at, punched, verbally abused and intimidated.

“Labour is calling for wider measures to protect the pandemic heroes, extending protections to shop workers as well as other frontline workers. There is widespread support for this, with the additional protection for shop workers supported by organisations such as the Federation of Independent Retailers.”

and says it will open 100 new stores in 2021.

A BIG DEAL Nisa’s Big Deal promotion has returned to Nisa stores this month, helping retailers drive sales and footfall with big value treats. The deal allows shoppers to buy two Co-op Thin & Crispy Pizzas and a 4-pack of San Miguel (or San Miguel 0%) for just £5.

COSTCUTTER EXTENDS SIMPLYFRESH DEAL Costcutter and SimplyFresh have announced that they have agreed the terms of a new rolling supply contract that will help SimplyFresh ramp up its plans to help develop its existing retailers and attract new ones.

The deal will run for at least two years and will see the Costcutter team, now part of Bestway Wholesale, expand the support it provides direct to SimplyFresh retailers.

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NEWS DIGEST

THIS WEEK’S NEWS FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/

DEATH OF CASH

ATM WITHDRAWALS PLUMMET £37BN

JTI BACK ON ROAD Because of the improving Covid-19 situation and updated national guidelines, JTI’s salesforce resumed its field

THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WITHDRAWN FROM UK CASH MACHINES

sales activities on Monday.

HAS FALLEN BY £37BN IN THE LAST YEAR AND FREE-TO-USE ATM

This follows a detailed

NUMBERS HAVE DROPPED BY 4,000.

review of the situation and JTI has carried out a full

New data from Link, which oversees the UK’s cash machine network, has revealed that the amount of money withdrawn from ATMs in the UK has plummeted by a whopping £37bn since Covid kicked in a year ago.

The number of visits to ATMs fell by 43% compared to the year before, with drops of up to 80% in some areas, although the average amount withdrawn during each transaction shot up from £67 to £84.

The data also showed that there are new 4,000 fewer free-to-use ATMs taking the total number of free withdrawal ATMs in the country down to 41,000 with further reductions expected.

risk assessment to keep its

PERNOD RICARD TO ADD AGERESTRICTION LABELLING

Women in Wholesale is

Pernod Ricard has announced this week that it will add age-restriction labelling to all of its products, three years ahead of schedule. The company announced last year that it intended to add this labelling as part of its membership of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, which also includes Diageo and Brown-Forman among its members, but had targeted 2024 as launch date.

The move is one of more than 150 initiatives that the drinks giant has developed to promote responsible drinking.

training. The two-day online

employees and trade partners safe.

TSG GETS APPY Home delivery and click & collect solution Appy Shop has teamed-up with EPoS and service provider TSG UK. The partnership lets TSG retailers seamlessly integrate with the Appy Shop platform. The first sites offering the service are expected to go live in the coming weeks.

MENTAL HEALTH working with Aiding Mental Health to offer one-third off the cost of Mental Health First Aid course usually costs £300 but WIW will host a ‘Closed Group’ session at a discounted rate of £200 + VAT per person.

Members can register their interest here.

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021 / ISSUE 47 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 7

NEWS SPECIAL

COVID-19 UPDATE FOR ALL THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/

CAFÉ CLICK AND COLLECT Morrisons is offering a new click & collect ordering service for its in-store cafés, even though they are closed.

ACS BRIEFS MPS ON NEED FOR TOUGHER PENALTIES

Customers can order from the

STIFFER SENTENCING NEEDED TO CURB ATTACKS ON

menu via contactless with their

SHOPWORKERS, SAYS TRADE ORGANISATION

mobile device, chose their store and pay by card or Apple Pay before collecting the items.

RECOVERY IN THE DARK The Chancellor’s new Recovery Loan Scheme for business will come into existence next month but businesses still have no idea who will be eligible. The current Covid lending schemes draw to a close at the end of this month, but the finer detail of the Recovery Loan Scheme

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) briefed MPs ahead of the Second Reading of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, calling for tougher sentencing to address attacks against shopworkers.

The Bill includes plans to introduce tougher sentencing for attacks on emergency workers and reforms to the Out of Courts Disposals system to address repeat offending. In its briefing, ACS made two key recommendations: Q Introduce tougher penalties for attacks on shopworkers using the same principles that apply to attacks on emergency workers

Q Ensure that the new approach to diversionary and conditional cautions address repeat shop thieves, often motivated by addiction, which is the number one trigger for violence.

Commenting on the briefing, ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “Violence and abuse against shopworkers has significant and long-lasting effects on those involved, causing not only physical injury but significant emotional impacts and leaving members of staff afraid to return to work.”

is yet to be announced.

ASTRA DISASTER? Several European countries are experiencing a fresh surge in coronavirus infections, while some have also suspended use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine over safety concerns.

The European Medicines Agency stood by its decision to approve the vaccine reiterating that there is “no indication” the jab causes blood clots.

COVID DEATH TOLL HITS 125,000

More than 4.2 million cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK and over 125,000 people have died, according to the latest government figures. These figures include only people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus.

A further 5,294 confirmed cases across the UK were announced yesterday but the average number of new daily cases has fallen significantly in recent weeks.

Last week’s figure was 5,766.

More than 24 million people in the UK have now had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

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NEWS SPECIAL

COVID-19 UPDATE FOR ALL THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/

‘INDICATIVE’ RELAXING DATES RELEASED FOR COVID RESTRICTIONS

T

SCOTTISH

GOVERNMENT UPDATES

ITS TIMETABLE

STARBUCKS ROLLS OUT TECH FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED CUSTOMERS

FOR THE

RELAXING OF COVID RESTRICTIONS.

he Scottish government has unveiled its latest timetable for the route out of lockdown, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon outlining “indicative” dates for easing restrictions, subject to progress on infection rates.

The ‘stay at home’ order is set to lifted on 2 April, replaced by a ‘stay local’ message while a wider range of retailers, including garden centres will be permitted to reopen on 5 April. Click-and-collect will also resume for non-essential retail.

All remaining shops will be permitted to reopen on 26 April, as will hospitality venues that are able to serve outdoors with limits of six people from three households set.

There will also be a partial resumption of indoor hospitality – food and nonalcoholic drinks can be served until 20:00 for groups of up to four people from no more than two households. Contact details will still need to be collected.

Sturgeon’s hope is that by 1 June, all Scotland can move to Level 1, the lowest category of the five tier system and life will return to something resembling ‘normal’.

Thorntons is to close all its 61 shops, putting 600 jobs at risk – but has reportedly failed to advise its 100+ franchisees of the decision and has provided no clarity on what will happen to them.

Franchisees pay £7k a year and have insisted that they have no intention of closing their businesses, but have yet to receive proper advice from the chocolate giant on what happens next and how they will be affected.

TECH SOLUTIONS

THORNTONS STORE CLOSURES LEAVES FRANCHISEES IN THE DARK

Starbucks has started offering a free service called Aira in the US which connects blind and low vision customers with trained visual interpreters who provide access to information through its smartphone app.

As well as helping shoppers become more independent, the app has also proven effective at helping shoppers navigate the protocols and changes implemented in-store because of coronavirus.

It has also minimised the need for physical contact with surfaces and has helped with social distancing challenges.

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021 / ISSUE 47 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 9

COVER STORY

HOME DELIVERY LUMINA INTELLIGENCE

HOW WELL ARE RETAILERS DELIVERING? LAST YEAR’S ACS SHOP REPORT FOUND THAT TWO THIRDS OF INDEPENDENT RETAILERS OFFER SOME SORT OF HOME DELIVERY SERVICE, YET A NEW REPORT FROM LUMINA INTELLIGENCE SUGGESTS THAT ONLY 8% OF STORES OFFER ONE.

MOST POPULAR TECH SOLUTIONS: Q Barcode scanners (41%) Q Supplier apps (13%)

H

ome delivery has been arguably the biggest game changer to come out of the coronavirus outbreak so it came as little surprise to discover in last year’s annual ACS Shop Report, almost 70% of stores offer a home delivery service of some kind. Intuitively, that felt a little high – but believable. A new report from Lumina Intelligence, however, suggests that only 8% of stores actually offer home delivery. That’s a major discrepancy.

It’s probably down to how you define home delivery, as so many stores dropped products off to vulnerable shoppers during lockdown that the service become pretty much ubiquitous.

10 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 47 / WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021

Q Supplier loyalty schemes (8%)

Lumina’s UK Wholesale Market Report 2020/21 found that while only 8% of UK convenience stores currently offer home delivery, for those that do, it is a significant revenue stream equating to 7% of total sales on average.

Online grocery delivery has grown phenomenally throughout the pandemic, with demand for delivery from supermarkets outstripping supply during spring 2020, creating an opportunity for convenience stores to offer ‘on demand convenience’ services. Whilst some retailers have set up their own delivery services, many have turned to third party providers, with Snappy Shopper coming through as the most popular, ahead of Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Appy Shop.

COVER STORY

HOME DELIVERY LUMINA INTELLIGENCE

Commenting on the findings, Alice Dolling, Senior Insight Manager at Lumina Intelligence says: “2020 saw an acceleration in online shopping that we could never have predicted. Nearly onein-five shoppers changed their primary method of grocery shopping to online, highlighting the opportunity available.

As demand increases, convenience stores have a great opportunity to drive greater basket spend and expand the potential catchment area of their store by offering delivery.”

HALF OF RETAILERS EMBRACING NEW TECHNOLOGIES

“Only 8% of UK convenience stores offer home delivery but for those that do it is a significant revenue stream equating to 7% of total sales on average.”

The report also highlights that nearly half (48%) of convenience store retailers have used new technologies when shopping online with a wholesaler or in depot since the pandemic began. The most popular tech solutions used were barcode scanners (41%), supplier apps (13%) and supplier loyalty schemes (8%).

Dolling adds: “The pandemic has placed significant strain on retailers, who have faced incredibly high demand and footfall over the last year.

As a result, efficiency has been key to ensure they remain in their stores as much as possible. Barcode scanners and apps are great ways of streamlining the shopping process for retailers. Furthermore, this behaviour is now second nature and will likely continue once restrictions ease.”

PANDEMIC HAS LITTLE IMPACT ON WHOLESALE ROUTE TO MARKET The report identifies the channels retailers use to purchase

stock, which has not changed significantly overall despite the pandemic. Whilst there has been a long term move in favour of online/ delivered route to market, delivery slots have been limited and many retailers have opted to go to the depot to ensure availability for their customers, therefore maintaining the importance of the depot in retailers’ purchasing behaviour.

On average, just over half of a retailer’s stock is purchased from a wholesale depot and just over a quarter from wholesale websites.

The remaining proportion of stock is sourced from a combination of wholesaler apps, supermarkets, online retailers and sales reps/vans.

The top three reasons for retailers not using online wholesale regularly are: Q Don’t feel comfortable going/ navigating online Q Minimum order requirements Q No convenient delivery options

Dolling comments: “Digital investment is key for wholesalers, but they must understand the needs of retailers to maximise its potential.

Site taxonomy and ease of navigation are key to a positive user experience.

Meanwhile, with more retailers conducting distress top-up missions through the delivered channel, this could indicate an opportunity for a premium subscription for faster delivery or loyalty schemes offering a lower minimum order requirement.”

Find out more about the Lumina Intelligence UK Wholesale Market Report 2020/21.

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021 / ISSUE 47 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 11

TECH

HOME DELIVERY JISP / TLM

TLM INTEGRATES WITH JISP

F

TLM AND JISP HAVE TEAMED UP TO ALLOW EVOPOS USERS TO BENEFIT FROM JISP’S HOME DELIVERY, CLICK & COLLECT AND SCAN & GO SOLUTIONS.

ollowing a series of successful pilots, TLM Technologies’ evoPOS and evoBackOffice now fully integrate with Jisp, the contactless shopping application. The integration means evoPOS users can offer their customers Home Delivery, Click & Collect and Scan & Go shopping.

Aaron Bishop, CTO of Jisp, said: “EPoS integration is the one of the most important parts of working with convenience retailers, which is why TLM Technologies is the perfect strategic partner for our company.

“Their back-end optimised system combined with our front-end customer engagement creates an exclusive solution that any small business can take advantage of. Jisp provides a 400% increase on the average basket spend through our Home Delivery and Click & Collect services, so we look forward to building a stronger relationship with TLM to increase sales for all convenience stores across the UK.” Among the stores to take part in the pilots was Hylands Service Station, a thriving community hub in Bookham, Leatherhead. Up to 70% of the store’s customers are now nonfuel. Investing in technology to provide the right systems and customer service has been key to this shift.

Danyal Shoaib, Owner of Hylands Service Station, said: “By integrating Jisp with our evoPOS, we now have the infrastructure and systems in place to offer delivery, not just to the elderly and vulnerable people but to anyone who

wishes to use this service. It’s really popular – we can offer delivery within hours or the same day locally.”

Integrating Jisp to evoPOS and evoBackOffice means that Jisp has visibility of real-time stock levels and all transactions are posted in real-time back into evoPOS, so the site can reconcile all sales from all channels in a single system.

Adrian Felton, CTO, TLM Technologies, said: “Bringing store technology to our independent convenience and fuel customers that was thought deliverable only by the large supermarkets is what evoPOS is built to do, both through its native features and functions but also through its ability to integrate with best-in-class applications such as Jisp.

“Convenience and fuel retailers who gained significant extra convenience custom during lock-down need to retain this new customer base as pandemic restrictions ease.

Offering technologies and customer service in-line with the large supermarkets is one way to do this.”

“Investing in technology to provide the right systems and customer service has been key to ensuring that up to 70% of the store’s customers are now non-fuel”.

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INDUSTRY SUPPORT

GROCERYAID DAY CHARITY

OVER 200 COMPANIES BACK GROCERYAID DAY INDUSTRY CHARITY GROCERYAID HAS REVEALED THAT OVER 200 COMPANIES BACKED ITS ANNUAL

O

AWARENESS DAY EARLIER THIS MONTH, REACHING WELL OVER SIX MILLION PEOPLE.

ver 200 companies took part in GroceryAid Day on 2 March with the ‘We’re Here’ 2021 campaign reaching

many colleagues.

This year GroceryAid adapted activity and assets ensuring that the industry could still reach colleagues whether they were working onsite or remotely. GroceryAid’s printed materials were featured in over 500 depots, factories and stores, and the digital assets created a great impact across the trade.

The campaign reached 6.25 million people, which was a staggering increase on the year before. Many more grocery colleagues now know about the charity and the help available to them because of the campaign.

Supporters all played their part – from bake-offs, head shaves, motivational speakers & GroceryAid Day backgrounds for virtual team meetings – to share the support that is available to them through the charity.

“Thank you to the many organisations who supported GroceryAid Day this year, our annual reach out to the industry to help us raise awareness,” said Steve Barnes, GroceryAid Chief Executive. “Thanks to the industry’s efforts our welfare team is already seeing the impact with potential beneficiaries making contact who had not heard about GroceryAid and the support available before. We knew this year was going to be a challenging year for people

to take part so notwithstanding that, what was achieved was simply incredible.”

Jane Hill, Fundraising Director for GroceryAid, added: “GroceryAid Day 2021 really is a brilliant benchmark for how awareness for the charity has grown in recent years, and how despite the unprecedented times the grocery industry always leans in.”

GroceryAid has seen a steady increase in applications and calls to its Helpline since the start of the year, from numbers that had already increased since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is important that as many grocery colleagues as possible know about the support that is available to them 24/7 365 days a year. The GroceryAid Helpline, website and live chat is available for colleagues in the form of emotional, practical and financial support. Please keep raising awareness for your industry charity throughout the year, this will mean colleagues in need can get the support who may have otherwise been missed.

VISIT WWW.GROCERYAID.ORG.UK | 24/7 HELPLINE: 08088 021 122

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021 / ISSUE 47 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 13

DESTINATION STORES

LOCAL SOURCING STEPHEN BROWN, SPAR SCOTLAND

TIME FOR RETAILERS TO CHECK OUT WHAT’S ON THEIR DOORSTEP CONVENIENCE RETAILERS IN SCOTLAND SHOULD BE LOOKING A LOT CLOSER TO HOME FOR FANTASTIC QUALITY PRODUCTS THAT CAN HELP SET THEIR STORES APART AND DRIVE SALES, SAYS

W

SPAR SCOTLAND’S HEAD OF FOOD-TO-GO, STEPHEN BROWN.

hile convenience retailing has been one of the very few industry sectors to have benefitted commercially from the Covid-19 pandemic, the increased focus on local retailers means that competition has intensified and retailers are having to work harder than ever to give shoppers reasons to visit their store rather than someone else’s.

One of the most effective ways of doing this is by stocking a broader range of locally sourced products, says Spar Scotland’s Head of Food-to-go, Stephen Brown.

Brown is one of the most well kent faces in the Scottish convenience retailing sector, having spent decades in the industry with the David Sands, Scotmid and Spar Scotland businesses – and for the vast majority of that time he was heavily focused on local sourcing. In other words, he knows his stuff.

“The world has changed in the last year, we all know that,” he says. “And convenience retailing has changed too. The focus on becoming ‘destination stores’ is more intense than ever, and a great way of becoming a destination store is by offering a differentiated range.”

What exactly does he mean by that? “In the past, convenience stores offered broadly similar ranges and competed mainly on issues like price,” he explains. “Over the past year, more and more retailers are realising that one of the best ways to drive footfall and sales is to offer shoppers a

14 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 47 / WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021

differentiated range, a range of products that shoppers can’t easily find anywhere else in the area.”

And one of the best ways of doing that, he believes, is by taking a fresh look at local sourcing.

“One of the most effective things local retailers can do is take a closer look at what’s available on their doorstep,” he comments. “The pandemic has helped drive this trend as the global supply chain came under real pressure and many

DESTINATION STORES

LOCAL SOURCING STEPHEN BROWN, SPAR SCOTLAND

retailers were forced to find alternative sources for the products they needed just to keep stock on the shelves. For many, that meant turning to local producers and suppliers. While it started out as a stop-gap solution to maintaining availability, most people I speak to tell me that their experiences of working with local suppliers, many of them small suppliers, has been nothing but positive.”

Has that been his experience at Spar Scotland? “Absolutely. We work with over 160 local suppliers and have sourced locally for a long, long time but there’s no question that we had to rely on local producers more heavily in the last year and I would have to say that, in the main, that has been a very rewarding and enlightening experience.

“For one thing, when you work with local suppliers, it tends not to be a straight transactional relationship where the only thing you talk about is price. When you talk to a company that puts its heart and soul into its products, you’re tapping into huge reserves of experience and passion. That often translates into something tangible like better, more

tailored ranges in-store, sometimes even bespoke products just for the store, as well as a wealth of practical advice and support that you just won’t get from a global supplier.”

Brown also believes that shoppers have been changed by the pandemic and are more interested in all the things that local sourcing can deliver.

He explains: “Many shoppers now want to support small local stores, small local suppliers and just do their bit for the local economy. Sustainability is also an important issue for many shoppers so products with a bare minimum of food miles tick a lot of boxes.”

There is also the important issue of quality, as Brown explains: “In Scotland we’re blessed with, in my humble opinion, the best soft fruit on the planet, the best fish and seafood you can buy and so on.

“So there are plenty of good reasons why stocking local products will help drive footfall and sales for retailers. The demand is there.

“My advice to local retailers would be to take a fresh look at what’s on your doorstep and you might surprise yourself with what you find.”

“The focus on becoming ‘destination stores’ is more intense than ever, and a great way of becoming a destination store is by offering a differentiated range.”

SCOTTISH RETAIL FOOD & DRINK AWARDS 2021 Spar Scotland is sponsor of the Small Producers category at this year’s inaugural Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards. The Awards were created to help get more of Scotland’s fantastic food and drink onto more retail shelves in Scotland.

Judging for this year’s awards kicks off next week and will see hundreds of products judged by a panel of more than 50 highly experienced, expert judges representing all aspects of the Scottish food and drink industry.

The winners of the awards will be announced at a virtual ceremony on 29 April.

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021 / ISSUE 47 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 15

£1.25M

sales generated by our top retailer in 12 months (1)

17.6K

av. weekly delivery sales by top 10 stores in January (2)

£27.74

average basket spend vs £7.60 industry average (3)

Fully supported onboarding, sales ramp up and dedicated Account Manager to help you succeed call: 0333 900 1250 email: contact@snappyshopper.co.uk web: retailers.snappyshopper.co.uk

(1)

12 Months to 31st January 21 /

(2)

Sources: Lumina UK Convenience Market Report 2020 /

(3)

Sales W/C 31st January 21.

SUSTAINABILITY

KP SNACKS PACKAGING REDUCTIONS

KP UNVEILS PACKAGING PROGRESS ON GLOBAL RECYCLING DAY

K

KP SNACKS CHOSE GLOBAL RECYCLING DAY TO UNVEIL THE LATEST UPDATE ON ITS DRIVE TO REDUCE ITS CARBON FOOTPRINT.

23%

REDUCTION IN HULA HOOPS PACKAGING

14%

REDUCTION ON POPCHIPS AND TYRRELLS

33K

FEWER PALLETS HANDLED PER YEAR

P Snacks has announced large-scale packaging reductions as it strives to meet its sustainability goals via the company’s Taste for Good responsible business programme.

Packaging for Hula Hoops has been cut by almost a quarter (23%) – equal to 11 tonnes of plastic – whilst popchips and Tyrrells packaging are both down by 14%, or the equivalent of 23 and 43 tonnes respectively.

KP’s move to cut plastic usage includes further plans for packaging reductions across a number of the brands in the KP Snacks stable this year. Investment in new equipment that packs the products in a more efficient way has resulted in the ability to cut around 142 tonnes of packaging across Nik Naks, Space Raiders and Skips. Meanwhile, a further 144 tonnes will be saved thanks to packaging reductions in popchips sharing bags, Hula Hoops six-packs, Butterkist, and Hula Hoops Puft.

The reduction in packaging also has a knockon effect for KP Snacks’ wider environmental impact. It allows the business to handle 33,000 fewer pallets per year and significantly reduce the number of journeys made by its lorries.

Mark Duffy, MD at KP Snacks, commented: “We’re always looking for new ways to reduce our impact on the environment, and sustainability is one of the four key pillars of our Taste for Good programme. Our pacKPromise is our three-stage plan to reduce our packaging impact on the

18 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 47 / WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021

environment. In addition to reducing the amount of packaging we use, we’ve also introduced a partnership with TerraCycle, so that all of our snacks’ packs can be recycled at any of 500 dropoff locations across the UK. Our ultimate aim is to make all of our plastic film packaging 100% recyclable by 2025 and we’re well on our way to achieving this. While our packaging has reduced, people can rest assured that the same great tasting snacks are inside.”

As part of KP Snacks’ increased focus on doing business responsibly, the company has recently appointed Nicola Robinson to the newly created role of Head of Sustainability, reporting to CEO Mark Thorpe. Robinson will lead KP Snacks’ sustainability agenda, ensuring that it has the right strategy and initiatives to succeed in this critical area.

She says: “My new role is a strong signal of the importance KP Snacks will be placing on their sustainability performance going forwards.

There is already a significant amount of impactful sustainability work embedded throughout the business, and I’m looking forward to building on this so that people can continue to enjoy snacks that not only taste great, but also do good long into the future.”

All KP factories have been zero waste to landfill since 2012 and KP Snacks is committed to reducing its total waste by at least 5% each year. To find out more please visit kpsnacks.com/ ourtasteforgood.

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK SPECIAL – FLORETTE TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM

FLORETTE INSPIRES SHOPPERS WITH COLOURFUL NEW CREATION LEADING PREPARED SALAD BRAND FLORETTE HAS LAUNCHED A NEW RAINBOW CRUNCHY SALAD FEATURING A DONATION TO THE NHS.

Florette, the biggest brand in the UK’s £598m

the salad, which will feature at the heart of our

leafy prepared salads market [Nielsen, Dec

new marketing campaign.”

2020], is aiming to inspire and motivate shoppers

The NPD will be supported by a £1m

towards great-tasting, healthier food choices

marketing investment, including ATL, shopper

with the launch of a new flavourful and colourful

marketing, in-store activation and a digital

bagged salad.

campaign enhancing visibility, alongside social

Rainbow Crunchy has been created to bring

media and on-pack recipes to inspire shoppers.

standout to the fixture with a colourful crunchy

“We put flavour, taste and insight at the

assortment of mild leaves, including escarole

heart of every innovation and this product is no

and radicchio and vibrant crunchy vegetables

exception, bringing high purchase intent among

such as carrot and candy striped beetroot.

ABC1 shoppers,” adds Clark.

The new product will launch with a charitable

“We’re also really proud to be able to support

on-pack partnership, with Florette pledging a 2p

NHS Charities Together. Even without the

donation to NHS Charities Together for every

extra challenges of Covid-19, the charity works

pack sold.

tirelessly to make a big difference to millions of

The partnership follows Florette’s previous

families when they need it most. As a nation,

collaboration with Diabetes UK that raised over

we’ve relied on the NHS more than ever before

£61,000 to support the charity’s invaluable work.

in the last 12 months; this partnership goes just a

Hazel Clark, Head of Marketing at Florette UK,

small way towards saying thank you.”

comments: “Even the most enthusiastic salad

Research shows one in five households

eaters get stuck in a rut on occasion and make

purchase leafy salads annually [Kantar, Dec

do with basic salads, which, whilst nice

2020] with over 90% of shoppers looking

enough, aren’t exciting. They need

to lead healthier lifestyles [IGD, Dec

help and inspiration to create food that

2020].

they will love to eat.

“Our

in-house

Rainbow Crunchy will launch on 12 chefs

have

developed recipes to perfectly pair with

April in Sainsbury’s stores, before rolling out market-wide.

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021 / ISSUE 47 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 19

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK SPECIAL – TYRELLS TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM

KP LAUNCHES “TYRRELLBLY TASTY” TV CAMPAIGN

KP SNACKS IS BACK ON TV THIS WEEK SUPPORTING ITS TYRRELLS HAND COOKED ENGLISH CRISPS RANGE WITH A £1M SPEND UP TO AND OVER THE EASTER PERIOD.

KP Snacks is backing its Tyrrells brand around

for consumers looking for a premium sharing

Easter with the launch of a new £1m TV campaign

experience across all occasions but particularly

this week. The “Tyrrellbly tasty” campaign

this Easter.”

focuses on the flavour credentials of the hand

The range includes vegetable crisps and its

cooked English crisps range, once again taking

latest addition – Nut Medley – alongside its best-

old Pathé footage with larger than life ingredients

known hand cooked potato crisp range. Worth

and packs inserted in a humorous way.

£52.6m and growing in value +5.9% MAT in the

The advert aired for the first time on Monday

UK, the brand has a 16.4% share of Premium

and will run until 18 April to drive awareness and

Crisps and Snacks with value sales growing

trial of Tyrrells over the key Easter sharing period

9.9% YTD in the premium sharing segment

and promote the taste and flavours of the range.

[Nielsen Scantrack, Jan 2021].

With its English provenance and passion for quality, the range is available in a variety of flavours and offers shoppers something to enjoy for all their special sharing occasions.

Kevin McNair, Marketing Director KP Snacks, says: “We are thrilled to introduce another ad that is really focussed on our amazing taste. We think this latest piece of creative highlights just how confident we are in the delicious taste of our products and how they are the perfect snack for you to treat yourself, family and friends, in a fun and engaging way. Quality is at the heart of the Tyrrells offering, making it the perfect product

20 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 47 / WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK SPECIAL – JACOB’S MINI CHEDDARS TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM

JACOB’S WELCOMES VIEWERS TO CHEDDAR TOWN JACOB’S HAS UNVEILED A NEW TV AD FOR ITS MINI CHEDDARS BRAND AS PART OF A NEW £4.5M CAMPAIGN.

Jacob’s has kicked-off a new £4.5m ATL

Christopher Owen, Marketing Controller at brand

campaign for its Jacob’s Mini Cheddars brand.

owner pladis UK&I.

‘Welcome to Cheddar Town’ launched via a new

“By bringing the brand to life through the

TV ad first aired on Channel 4 last Friday as part

characterisation of Jacob’s Mini Cheddars’

of a seven-week campaign and will be supported

signature real-cheese flavours, we’re able to

by social media activity.

build strong quality and taste associations and

The campaign will also sponsor ‘Friday nights in on 4’. This will see the snacking brand run a

land one of Jacob’s Mini Cheddars’ USPs – baked with real cheese.”

series of bespoke idents run across Channel 4’s

The campaign follows the launch of Jacob’s

high-performing Friday night schedule for six

Mini Cheddars Sticks, which saw the brand

weeks, during some of TV’s biggest shows.

move beyond its iconic circular crackers for the

Aiming to further bolster brand relevancy

first time ever and target even more consumption

among 25 to 45-year-olds to accelerate growth,

moments – such as the evening sharing occasion

the new animated TV creative delivers a dose

– with bigger, bolder flavours.

of Jacob’s Mini Cheddars’ sunshine alongside

Owen adds: “Mini Cheddars Sticks are now

contrasting humour, all-the-while encouraging

also available in Co-op and Morrisons, and we’re

consumers to enjoy ‘a moment of Cheeky

continuing to build on the success of the launch

Cheesy pleasure’.

by spotlighting them within the ‘Welcome to

Jacob’s will continue to build on the ‘Welcome

Cheddar Town’ campaign – just in time for the

to Cheddar Town’ platform through a series of

range also hitting Asda and Sainsbury’s shelves

sponsorship creatives and social media assets,

over the following weeks. We’re excited to create

which spotlight different products from the

a buzz around the product – as well as the entire

Jacob’s Mini Cheddars range and incorporate a

brand – at a time when trusted, heritage brands

variety of cheesy characters.

are proving more popular than ever before.

“This new campaign marks the start of a huge year for Jacob’s Mini Cheddars where we’re

“We’d encourage all retailers to stock-up on Jacob’s Mini Cheddars core SKUs and NPD

aiming to reignite brand love by playing on

to drive incremental sales – particularly

the distinctive bright and fun nature of the

among younger shoppers – at a time when

brand with a playful new TV creative,” says

brand awareness will be top-of-mind.”

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021 / ISSUE 47 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 21

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK SPECIAL – UNILEVER ICE CREAM RANGE TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM

COOL SALES WITH NEW WALL’S RANGE UNILEVER, THE UK’S NUMBER ONE ICE CREAM MANUFACTURER, HAS ANNOUNCED THE LAUNCH OF A NEW RANGE OF WALL’S ICE CREAM PRODUCTS IN TIME FOR SUMMER.

Leading ice cream manufacturer Unilever has expanded its range of products with the launch of a new range of Wall’s ice cream lines to help retailers cash in on what will hopefully be another scorching summer. The range includes two convenience-exclusive products.

Joining Wall’s most popular brands, the new variants include: a soft-serve Cornetto featuring 50% recycled plastic lids, a brand-new flavour and shape from Twister to join Unilever’s Responsibly Made for Kids range and Cornetto GO, an ice cream sandwich which provides a tasty on-the-go snack.

These innovations are included on Wall’s new POS material which includes everything from outdoor signage to branded parasols and flags to help retailers spread the news of the NPD. In line with Unilever’s sustainability plans, all POS is produced from recycled material or produced as recyclable, giving retailers peace of mind that every unit or board is made in a more responsible and sustainable way.

Jennifer Dyne, Ice-cream Brand Experience Director, Unilever UK&I comments: “We know shoppers are looking for innovative products and flavours but also expect these to make a positive difference to the world – with our new launches this year, ice cream lovers are going to be delighted with the choice that is on offer this summer season from their favourite brands.”

22 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 47 / WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021

CORNETTO SOFT

New Wall’s Cornetto Soft brings the experience of the traditional ice cream van and soft-serve ice cream into the home with the packaging lids created using 50% recycled plastic.

RSP: £3 (STICK MULTIPACK)

CORNETTO SOFT CHOCOLATEY

Available exclusively in the impulse channel, the ice cream stays soft even when in the freezer and is topped with chocolate sauce and served in a wafer cone, complete with the iconic chocolatey flavour tip too. The multipack range is also available in two flavours: Strawberry and Salted Caramel.

RSP: £1.60 (STICK)

WALL’S TWISTER PEEK-A-BLUE

Made with fruit, Twister Peek-A-Blue contains a mix of melon, strawberrylemon and apple-blueberry, delivering a refreshing, fruity flavour.

The new Twister has a clear logo on pack to help parents make informed decisions about the nutritional content. It adheres with Unilever’s responsible marketing to children principles, with no more than 110 calories and a maximum of 12g of sugar per portion.

RSPS: £1.10 (STICK) / £2.79 (STICK MULTIPACK)

CORNETTO GO

Another impulse exclusive, Cornetto Go is an ice cream sandwich which can be enjoyed on-the-go to help drive more snacking and convenience occasions this year. The ice cream sandwich is covered with rich, cocoa biscuit filled with smooth vanilla ice cream and pieces of cocoa cookie.

RSP: £1.40

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM

BIRTHDAY PACKS

LATTE LAUNCH

PROTEIN POWER

Imperial Tobacco has launched

Weetabix On The Go has

Müller Yogurt & Desserts is

two new formats and a

unveiled a new limited edition

targeting growth within the

limited-edition design for its

Caffé Latte variant. The

chilled desserts category with

Lambert & Butler RYO range.

drink contains 37.5mg/100ml

the launch of Müller Rice

Launching exclusively into the

of caffeine, meaning it’s

Protein. The product contains

independent channel, packs

a convenient two-for-one

14g of protein per pot, more

are available in 30g and 50g

combination of breakfast and

than double the protein content

formats.

coffee.

within the existing core Müller

RSPs: £12.80 / £21

RSP: £1 PMP

Rice range.

ORANGE EXPERIENCE

BACK IN BLACK

CHICKENDOGS

Yazoo has revealed its latest

Ginsters and Guinness

Spar Scotland launched the

limited-edition flavour: Choc-

have joined forces to launch

new Chicken Hotdog from

Orange. It launches from the

Ginsters Smoky Steak &

Rollover in 100 stores around

end of this month in standard

Guinness Slice. The recipe

the country on Monday. It is

and price-marked packs of

was developed by Cornish-

exclusively available from all

400ml. It combines the brand’s

born, award-winning head

CJ’s food-to-go counters and

signature chocolate milk with

chef, Chris Eden – a long-

a number of independent Spar

sharp, sweet citrus tones.

standing Ginsters chef partner

stores for six weeks.

RSPs: £1.15, £1 PMP

RSP: £1.80

RSP: £2.20

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021 / ISSUE 47 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 23

NOW THAT’S A GOOD IDEA…

OUT THE BOX SWIPII

CASHBACK APP AIMS TO FUEL LOCAL SHOP REVIVAL SWIPII, THE CASHBACK APP, HAS ANNOUNCED PLANS TO QUADRUPLE ITS BUSINESS NETWORK AS IT SEEKS TO HELP LOCAL RETAILERS FUEL THE SHOP LOCAL REVIVAL.

6.6K

APP INSTALLS

1,200

AVERAGE MONTHLY ACTIVE USERS

16.7K+

SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS [DATA: 2019-2020]

“The Swipii app has 26,500 registered users and, despite lockdown, 33% of them still made at least one cashback qualifying transaction each month throughout 2020.”

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? Cashback app Swipii wants to help local retailers “rebuild their businesses post lockdown” and “fuel the local shop revival”.

DO LOCAL RETAILERS NEED TO REBUILD THEIR BUSINESSES? Well, it’s been a bumper year for most local retailers but anything that helps them maintain and grow their businesses even further is no doubt welcome. The app is also being pitched, however, at all those non-essential

24 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 47 / WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021

stores that have been forced to close during lockdown.

HOW CAN SWIPII HELP? The VC-backed Glasgow-based business plans to quadruple its business network with its “big brand tech and instant cashback offering powering a levelling of the playing field between small local and large online retailers”.

Swipii says it can help local businesses attract, reward and retain customers.

Launched in 2018, Swipii has helped local businesses generate spend of £440k to date. Even during lockdown,

NOW THAT’S A GOOD IDEA…

OUT THE BOX SWIPII

Swipii’s personalised offers have seen businesses increase customer spend by 16%.

throughout 2020 with the average cashback amount earned per user being 4.1%. Swipii customers have saved between 1-30% on transactions in 2020, with one Swipii user cashing out £55 on a single balance withdrawal.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Swipii believes other solutions connecting consumers and local businesses are “outdated, clunky and ineffective”, with small businesses mainly relying on paper stamp loyalty cards. Even big high street retailers loyalty programmes have limited effectiveness, says the company, as represented by the £4.5bn worth of loyalty points lying dormant unredeemed across Tesco Clubcard, Nectar and Boots Advantage schemes.

Swipii doesn’t rely on separate loyalty cards but simply saves users money by providing cashback incentives when they shop locally with their normal bank card through seamless cardlink technology. Users can get up to 25% off every time they spend, just by using their normal debit or credit card.

Customers earn between 1% and 25% on every purchase they make instore. No messing around with QR codes, tracking links or a different loyalty app for every business they visit.

There are no contracts, monthly subscriptions or set-up fees and retailers only pay when Swipii has driven extra revenue to their business.

WHY THE NEW GROWTH STRATEGY?

When existing customers download the app, they get added to your marketing pool and will be targeted with smart push notifications alerting them to extra cashback offers, which brings repeat transactions.

The company feels the time is right for smaller, local businesses to capitalise on the consumer shift to local buying from smaller stores and to buying online. Swipii intends building on these favourable market conditions by extending its offering throughout the UK and building what it calls “the world’s largest local marketplace”.

WHO USES THE APP?

WHAT IS SWIPII SAYING?

The app is currently used by almost 100 businesses, mostly in Scotland’s central belt, but the company is currently working to roll out the service to hundreds more businesses as high streets begin to reopen. Swipii is working with a number of British BIDs on this.

Louis Schena, Swipii co-founder and CEO, says: “Local independent businesses form the backbone of our economy. The unfortunate truth is they are decades behind online businesses and big corporations when it comes to the technology they have. Our mission is to level the playing field as markets open up.”

AND CONSUMERS? The Swipii app has 26,500 registered users. Despite lockdown, 33% of them still made at least one cashback qualifying transaction each month

HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE?

Email hello@swipiicard.com, call 0800 368 7416 or visit swipii’s website.

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021 / ISSUE 47 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 25

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:

BEFORE YOU GO

RETAIL RANDOMS CORONA BEER / LIQUORICE EASTER EGGS

IF YOU THINK 2020 WAS A TOUGH YEAR FOR YOU...

You’ve got to hand it to the good folks at Corona beer. While everybody has suffered under coronavirus, very few can claim to have suffered in quite the same way as the The Most Unfortunately Named Brand On The Planet.

As was probably wise, the marketers clearly decided to just hunker down, cross their fingers and hope that it would all be over soon.

So it’s strangely satisfying to see that they have clearly retained a sense of humour despite the mother of all poundings that they took in 2020. Cheers!

LIQUORICE AND MARMITE There aren’t many products that inspire the sort of love it or ‘absolutely cannot stand that damn stuff ’ reaction that Marmite is famous for eliciting. But liquorice is probably one of them.

So the jury’s out on this range of confectionery from a Danish mob called Lakrids. We give you... the chocolate coated liquorice Easter egg.

You have the choice of two options: the Twisted Banana Easter Egg or the Crispy Caramel Chocolate Coated Liquorice Easter Egg. We could tempt you with long-winded descriptions about how each egg is lovingly made with the finest ingredients, but we’re guessing that you stopped reading at ‘liquorice’.

And they’re a snip at just £24 a pop.

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021 / ISSUE 47 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 27

R E T A I L L I A RET TH E W EE K IN

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BUDGET 2021

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CH AN CE LLO R’ BU DG ET PL AN S S RE VE AL ED

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W AL KE RS’ 20% FR EE ‘G IF T’ AN OT HE R CO-OP TR IA LS SNAP PY GO IN G LO CA L IN IR EL AN D

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IS T R A D M IN

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Issue 44 ay Wednesd ry rua 24th Feb 2021

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+ WATCH POPCHIPS’ FIRST EVER TV AD Issue 45 Wednesday 3rd March 2021

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