RETAIL
THE WEEK IN
COVID-19
GOVERNMENT TACKLES ‘PINGDEMIC’ NEW MOVE TO PROTECT SUPPLY CHAIN LEGISLATION
HFSS PLANS POSTPONED
NEW RULES DELAYED BY 6 MONTHS
HOME DELIVERY
NEW BIRDS EYE TV AD HARRY MAGUIRE GOES GRASSROOTS NEXT-GEN BODYCAMS
+
SNAPPY RETAILER HITS £1.25M
DELIVERY GROWTH FUELLING MONSTER SALES
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Issue 66 Wednesday 28th July 2021
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T H E W E E K I N R E TA I L
EDITOR’S COMMENT SHARE YOUR NEW S AND VIEW S W IT H M E AT ABEGLEY@ 55N ORT H .C OM
The long and winding road out of Covid The entire year and a bit of the Covid-pandemic so far has been characterised by a lack of clarity, a lot of apparently seat-of-the-pants decision making and a constant struggle to tread the fine line between keeping people safe while trying to ensure that the economy doesn’t entirely collapse. So it’s no surprise that the road out the back end of the pandemic looks set to be similarly long and winding. If you’re in hospitality you probably reckon that the government has erred far too far in one direction at the cost of the collapse of an entire industry. If, like most readers of The Week In Retail, you’re in local retailing, it seems that the sector has not only survived but has thrived under the pandemic. OK, it hasn’t been pretty at times and there have been mountains to climb aplenty, but at least we got to keep our doors open and do what we do best. As we see some light at the end of the tunnel however, we’re still encountering complex challenges on a weekly basis. The latest headline-grabbing example is the snappily titled ‘pingdemic’. Once again, health concerns are pitched squarely against commercial and economic concerns.
Essentially, the government has once again decided to rewrite its own rules to help ensure that the food supply chain doesn’t fall apart. With the well publicised HGV driver challenges, massive problems in wholesale and enormous consumer demand for food and drink, the supply chain is already creaking at the seams. Have a look in your local supermarket and the chances are you’ll see the consequences of that in the form of bare shelves. If you’re a retailer then you’re probably also suffering from availability issues of your own at the moment. The pingdemic challenge is another fiendishly tricky one. On on hand you have trade bodies like the NFRN demanding that local retailers be included in the new rules to allow shops to meet staffing challenges. On the other you have trade unions up in arms about how their members face increased risks to their lives if the rules are bent to allow them to avoid having to self-isolate. It’s easy to understand both points of view and it’s another reminder that the legacy of Covid will endure for some time yet.
ANTONYBEGLEY ANTONYBEGLEY ANTONYBEGLEY
ANTONY BEGLEY, EDITOR
WEDNESDAY 28TH JULY 2021 / ISSUE 64 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 3
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CONTENTS
WEDNESDAY 28 JULY 2021 / ISSUE 66 W W W.SLR M AG.C O.U K
6
10 THIS WEEK’S NEWS IN BRIEF
Food prices ‘continue to fall’ and the Scottish Grocers’ Federation puts the miles in for GroceryAid.
20 THE ‘PINGDEMIC’
SUSTAINABILITY
The UK Government brings in new rules to tackle the ‘pingdemic’ issue and provide protection for the food supply chain.
EV charging stations, new sandwich packaging and plastic-free grocery stores all feature in our roundup of the latest sustainability news.
9 Covid-19 update
15 Legislation: HFSS restrictions
26 Picks of the week
13 Tobacco: illicit trade
promotions and in-store siting of high fat,
2021-22 Finance Bill to tackle the illicit
salt and sugar products gets pushed back.
tobacco market. 14 Business intelligence: food-to-go
The implementation of restrictions on
New legislation will be introduced in the
19 Home delivery
retailers are now doing £500k a year, with
the second half of 2022, but recovery is not
the top retailer delivering sales of £1.25m.
consistent across sub-sectors, says IGD.
TWITTER.COM/SLRMAG
marketing campaigns. 31 Out the box: body-worn cameras
More than 20 of Snappy Shopper’s partner
Food-to-go will return to pre-Covid levels in
24 Symbol spotlight: Nisa
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SLRMAG
A look at the latest new products and
The latest generation of bodycams combine live audio and video streaming with GPS data to enhance worker safety.
33 Before you go...
Our latest Retail Randoms.
WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK
WEDNESDAY 28TH JULY 2021 / ISSUE 66 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 5
NEWS DIGEST
THIS WEEK’S NEWS FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/
POUNDLAND GOES FREE
FOOD PRICES
Poundland will roll out free
Food prices ‘continue to fall’
from ranges in more than 300
Despite concerns around the respect of increased pricing, the latest BRC-
stores across the UK, following
NielsenIQ Shop Price Index for July 2021 says food prices continue to fall.
a successful trial. The range consists of more than 30 items, including daily essentials, snacks and treats from leading brands.
PARALYMPICS GAME Papa John’s, an official partner of ParalympicsGB, has launched a virtual race to raise funds for ParalympicsGB throughout the month of July. The challenge will see Papa John’s employees, customers and Paralympic legend David Weir see how many times they can travel from London to Tokyo and back again.
FORECOURT FOCUS The ACS’ Power, Mobility and Convenience conference, will take place virtually on 14 Sep. This conference will explore the future of power and mobility. Confirmed speakers include: Department for Transport’s head of low carbon fuels Verena Leckebusch, BP’s Tom Callow and Rontec’s Michelle Levett.
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Despite growing concern over the possibility of accelerating food prices after Brexit and the pandemic, the July 2021 BRC-NielsenIQ Shop Price Index shows that food deflation has continued, and has gathered pace. The latest figures suggest food deflation accelerated to 0.4% in July from June’s deflation of 0.2%. This is the fourth consecutive month when food prices fell.
Fresh food prices fell for the eighth consecutive month, with deflation accelerating to 1.0% in July from 0.7% in June. Only ambient food prices grew, although inflation eased to 0.5% this month, down from 0.6% in June. This is the lowest rate of inflation for the category since January 2017. At a total level, shop price deflation accelerated to 1.2% YOY this month compared to June’s decrease of 0.7%.
SGF gets the miles in for GroceryAid The SGF and Healthy Living Team are currently undertaking a challenge to raise funds for the Scottish arm of GroceryAid. The team plan to walk, run, cycle or swim the distance between the SGF head office in Edinburgh to the GroceryAid head office in Sandhurst, a total of 383 miles throughout the duration of the Olympics. To make a donation, click this link.
NEWS DIGEST
THIS WEEK’S NEWS FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/
HFSS LEGISLATION
HFSS restrictions bumped back
LOCAL SHOP REPORT Retailers can book their place
The UK government has pushed back the planned implementation of HFSS
at the launch of the 2021 Local
restrictions by six months to Oct 2022.
Shop Report, which takes place in Birmingham and as a
The Department of Health and Social Care has postponed the introduction of promo and location restrictions on high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products until October 2022. The measures include restricting where in a store HFSS products can be located and restricting volume promos such as multibuys and
BOGOFs for HFSS products. The regulations only apply to businesses with more than 50 employees but symbol group retailers are classed as larger businesses so they are in scope of the regulations. All stores below 2,000sq ft are exempt. For more on this story, click here:
Parfetts launches new app Parfetts has launched a new app that will enable retailers to order next day delivery up to midday of the day before. Customers can also use the app to manage click-and-collect orders and review previous purchases. Users can choose a range of scanning options including multiple scan which
saves time by allowing each product scanned to count as one case. The app also comes with touch and face ID login features and is push notification enabled. Parfetts trialled the app with 25 retailers and the data will be used to refine the app around customer needs continually.
Government plan to tackle crime The government has unveiled a new plan for cutting crime and tackling the underlying causes of repeat offending. The ‘Beating Crime’ Plan outlines the government’s plan to deliver change which aims to reduce crime, including neighbourhood crime and drug-related crime, through prevention, deterrent and enforcement and references challenges faced by local shops.
The plan recommends: Q Everyone in England and Wales has access to the police digitally. Q Improving the responsiveness of local police to 101 and 999 calls. Q Increased use of electronic monitoring for serious acquisitive offenders. Q Encouraging prison leavers to turn their backs on crime by securing employment.
virtual event on 8 September. The event will explore the findings of this year’s report and feature a panel session with a group of leading convenience
MARKETING GUIDE The Retail Mutual has created an in-depth guide to help independent retailers get the most out of their digital marketing to attract more customers and increase sales. The guide is available on www.theretailmutual.com/ downloads.
DAVINA SAYS THANKS The Sun newspaper’s Who Cares Wins awards, which celebrate and thank key workers, the NHS and healthcare heroes will be presented by TV presenter Davina McCall. The starstudded ceremony will take place in London later this year and be broadcast on Channel 4 and All 4.
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NEWS SPECIAL
COVID-19 UPDATE FOR ALL THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/
Pingdemic driving footfall down
M&S PREPS SAME DAY CLOTHING DELIVERY
New data shows that the ‘pingdemic’ is leading to less movement and shopping.
The so-called ‘pingdemic’ has resulted in a significant slowdown in people moving around and visiting stores, new research reveals. Data from mobility research business Huq Industries shows how the UK’s ‘pingdemic’ is leading to a significant slowdown in people both moving around and visiting shops. Across the UK as a whole in July, average retail footfall has fallen by 2.83% and mobility by 5.5%. The data found that in 210 of the UK’s 325 local authority regions, retail footfall has fallen off since the start of the pingdemic, and in 221 of them in terms of overall footfall. The City of London local authority area has seen the highest rate of ‘pings’
in July to date, reaching 6.14% of the population, and has also seen mobility drop by 13.1% and retail visits fall by 5.68%. Parts of the North East have seen a pronounced fall in activity this month. Newcastle upon Tyne has seen mobility drop by 13.4% and retail footfall decline by 7.06%, while North and South Tyneside have seen mobility fall by 9.3% and 7.8%, respectively. Footfall in shops in those local authority regions have plummeted by 11.99% and 14.62% respectively.
Marks & Spencer is due to become the first major UK retailer to unveil a nationwide same-day delivery service for clothing. The company believes the move shows how bricks and mortar retailers can use their stores as an advantage in a digital age. The company is also rolling out a new Click &
● Find out everything you need to know about the Pingdemic on pages 10-11.
Collect option alongside a mobile-friendly returns process. Available in 78 stores, customers can now process collections
Trade union Unite Scotland has criticised the announcement by the Scottish Government on workers suspected of contracting Covid not being required to self-isolate, stating that it could lead to a new spike in the pandemic. The Scottish Government has removed the blanket requirement for close contacts to self-isolate as long as they’re double vaccinated and take a PCR test.
James O’Connell, Unite industrial officer, said: “There has been a growing number of cases of the delta variant in Scotland and we can’t allow this to spiral out of control. While we understand there is a need and desire to return to normality, we have got to remember that vaccination is not immunisation. Unite’s members are extremely worried that we could see a new spike in hospital admissions.”
TECH SOLUTIONS
‘Vaccination is not immunisation’
or returns using selfserve digital screens.
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C OV E R
PINGD
COVI
T
Government moves to ‘protect food supply chain’
he UK government has moved to protect the food supply chain from the so called ‘pingdemic’, but stopped short of including shopworkers in the new rules. Fully vaccinated key workers - including those at food manufacturers and the supply chain - will be able to leave self-isolation in exceptional circumstances to prevent serious disruption to “vital public services”. The ruling will only apply to workers who are fully vaccinated and only so that they can attend work. Workers who attend work in these exceptional circumstances will need to take a PCR test as soon as possible followed by daily LFD tests before attending work each day of their self-isolation period. If they test positive or start to show symptoms they must immediately self-isolate and will no longer be able to attend work. Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “Throughout this global pandemic, critical workers across the country have been doing the extraordinary by delivering vital services – from policing the streets to keeping our transport links open. “These individuals form the backbone of many of our most vital services and, as we learn to live with this virus, it’s right we do everything in our power to protect services
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from disruption by allowing our fully vaccinated critical workers to keep doing their important work.”
CRITICISED The omission of shopworkers from the new rules has been criticised by some retailers and trade bodies. The Petrol Retailer Association (PRA) said the rules should be extended to forecourt workers. Gordon Balmer, the Executive Director of the PRA, has said: “We are aware of some fuel supply issues as a result of workers who are part of the supply chain including terminal staff, tanker drivers and forecourt staff who have either contracted Covid-19 or, more often, pinged to self-isolate.” “Our members have been working with their fuel suppliers to ensure that fuel supplies remain resilient and the PRA has been discussing this issue with government officials to ensure further steps are taken to prevent any shortages. In addition to fuelling essential services and commercial activities, petrol stations are at present experiencing increased demand for fuel due to holidaymakers staycationing around the country.” In addition, the government said daily contact testing will be rolled out to critical workplaces in the food supply chain so that
contacts who would otherwise be lating can instead take daily tests.
PRIORITY TESTING
Priority testing sites have been id with industry for urgent impleme this week, including the largest supe distribution centres, with rollout to h of sites, with up to 500 sites in scop Javid said: “Throughout this glo demic, workers in our food and drink have overcome enormous challen done everything they can to keep ou stocked and our fridges full. “As we do everything we can t chains of transmission, daily contac
S T O RY
DEMIC
ID-19
The food supply chain is still under threat from the truck driver shortage with some retailers offering drivers a £1,000 signing-on fee
self-iso-
dentified entation ermarket hundreds pe. obal pannk sectors nges and ur shelves
to break ct testing
of workers in this vital sector will help to minimise the disruption caused by rising cases in the coming weeks, while ensuring workers are not put at risk.” In response, the British Retail Consortium’s chief executive Helen Dickinson, said: “We welcome the government’s rapid response to this unfolding ‘pingdemic’, which has impacted shops and distribution centres. Retailers are working closely with government to identify hundreds of key distribution sites that will benefit from the new daily contact testing scheme. It is absolutely vital that government makes up for lost time and rolls out this new scheme as fast as possible.
“Disruption is limited at the moment, and retailers are monitoring the situation closely. Government will need to continue to listen to the concerns of the retail industry in the coming days and must be prepared to take further action if necessary.” The food supply chain is, however, still under threat from the truck driver shortage. Trade body, the Road Haulage Association, says the UK is currently short of around 100,000 truck drivers. As a result, some retailers – including Tesco – are reportedly offering drivers a £1,000 signing-on fee to tackle the shortage.
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L E G I S L AT I O N
TOBACCO ILLICIT TRADE
T
Tough new sanctions to tackle illicit tobacco trade New legislation will be introduced in Finance Bill 2021-22 to tackle the illicit tobacco market.
ougher sanctions to tackle the illegal tobacco trade are to be introduced by the government. Legislation will be introduced in Finance Bill 2021-22 to amend the Tobacco Products Duty Act, giving HMRC the power to make regulations in order to: Q issue financial penalties up to £10k for holding or possessing products that do not comply with the UK’s tobacco track and trace requirements. Q make liable to forfeiture, subject to certain conditions, any tobacco track and trace compliant tobacco products where they are found alongside product that does not comply with track and trace requirements. Q withdraw a retailer’s tobacco track and trace ID, subject to certain conditions, where they persistently contravened the rules, restricting or curtailing their ability to purchase illicit tobacco in the UK. The plans follow a consultation launched at the end of last year which sought views on the tobacco track and trace system, applying new sanctions for tobacco smuggling and extending the powers of trading standards officers. HRMC said: “These proposals are expected to have a negligible impact on compliant businesses or civil society organisations as they will incur a one-off cost to familiarise themselves with the changes. This measure makes no change to the requirements on legitimate business under the tobacco track and trace system and there are expected to be no continuing costs. “This measure is designed to support action against the illicit tobacco market and associated criminality and to reduce
associated harm to individuals, communities and legitimate business. Customer experience is expected to remain broadly the same as there is no change in how compliant businesses interact with HMRC.” The Association of Convenience Stores has welcomed the move. Chief Executive, James Lowman, said: “The illicit market is extremely detrimental to legitimate retailers and we welcome the introduction of tougher sanctions to help eliminate illicit sellers from the market. “We encourage trading standards officers and HMRC to broaden their outlook on sources of illicit and non-duty paid tobacco products to address and enforce against those trading illicit tobacco in communities, such as criminals selling on streets and from private dwellings.” The legislation is subject to consultation.
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BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
FOOD-TO-GO IGD FOOD-TO-GO REPORT
Food-to-go recovering ‘faster than expected’ Food-to-go will return to its pre-Covid levels in the second half of 2022, but recovery is not consistent across sub-sectors, says IGD.
T
he food-to-go channel will be worth £15.6bn at the end of 2021, which is 82.5% of its 2019 value, new research reveals. The annual food-to-go forecast report from IGD forecasts the sector will return to its pre-Covid levels in the second half of 2022, six months earlier than expected. Nicola Knight, senior analyst for food-to-go, said the result bettered expectations: “By 2026, the market will be worth £22.7bn which is 20.5% more than 2019. This will be the outcome of five years of growth at above pre-pandemic levels, following significant contraction in 2020, and will predominantly be driven by foodservice operators.” However, recovery is not consistent across sub-sectors, the report finds. Foodservice food-to-go operators have been the main driver of the growth, increasing market share from 77% in 2019 to 79% in 2021. In retail, the share of the food-to-go market is forecast to reduce to 21% in 2021 from 24% in 2019. This will gradually
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increase to 23% by 2026 as momentum starts to return to retail food-to-go. Knight said: “In 2021, retailers have faced increased competition from foodservice operators who adapted quickly to changing consumer habits and demands. And, due to the decrease in demand and shift in shopping habits, retailers reallocated space to other categories. While larger stores have benefitted from consolidated shopping missions, smaller stores have experienced a greater dip in sales but, conversely, are likely to recover more quickly as some pre-pandemic behaviours return.” She concluded: “Whilst there have been some new product launches and major projects that were delayed due to the pandemic are now beginning to appear in stores, the challenge for retailers now is whether they can close the gap in market share. It will depend on how far consumers return to pre-Covid habits and how fast retailers adapt to changes in behaviour that stick.”
L E G I S L AT I O N
OBESITY STRATEGY HFSS RESTRICTIONS
HFSS restrictions delayed for six months The UK government has pushed back the planned implementation of restrictions on promotions
T
and in-store siting restrictions on high fat, salt and sugar products.
he Department of Health and Social Care has delayed plans to introduce promotional and location restrictions on high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products in stores until October 2022. The measures, which are part of the government’s wider Obesity Strategy, include: Q Restricting where in a store HFSS products can be located, so that retailers would not be able to put these products: Within two metres of a checkout area, within two metres of a designated queueing area, in an end of aisle display, and at the entrance to the store.
Q Restricting volume promotions such as multibuys and ‘buy one get one’ promotions for products deemed to be in scope of the HFSS regulations. The regulations do not apply to businesses with fewer than 50 employees, but the proposals treat symbol group retailers as larger businesses so they are in scope of the regulations. All stores below 2,000sq ft, regardless of ownership, are exempt from the location restrictions in the regulations. Incidents of non-compliance will result in an ‘improvement notice’ being issued, which if not followed, could result in a fine. ACS chief executive, James Lowman, commented: “The extension to the timeframes ahead of implementation is welcome, but it’s still not a lot of time to make significant changes to stores when retailers are rightly still focusing on keeping colleagues and customers safe during a pandemic. We urge the government to look again at the implementation dates and put in place a more sensible timeline to allow retailers to prepare.” Lowman added: “Forcing shops to change their store layouts is an extreme measure that cannot achieve significant public health gains given that the convenience store sector accounts for less than a quarter of the grocery market. This is another significant burden on small shops, and there’s a growing sense that the government are throwing every idea and policy intervention at the problem without a clear idea of what will be effective.” NFRN national president, Stuart Reddish, said: “The last 18 months have been hard enough, without this extra burden on retailers. At least the government has listened to some degree regarding the timing of the new legislation by delaying it for six months.”
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£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.
PART OF THE BESTWAY WHOLESALE FAMILY
Scottish Grocers’ Federation
SERVICE
HOME DELIVERY SNAPPY SHOPPER / BEELIVERY
Snappy Shopper partners cash in
More than 20 of Snappy Shopper’s partner retailers are now doing £500k
H
a year with the top retailer delivering sales of £1.25m
ome delivery platform Snappy Shopper has reported that more than 20 independent retailers are averaging over £500,000 a year in sales, with the top retailer achieving delivered sales of more than £1.25m as a result of joining the app. The platform has been adopted by more than 900 UK independent retailers as it enables a retailer to tap into a customer base beyond a store’s physical catchment area. Spar Renfrew has made more than over 20,000 deliveries. Owner Saleem Sadiq said: “Shoppers have learned to live and think differently and that’s why the Snappy Shopper app has been a blessing especially to vulnerable people or those living on their own. We have really engaged with our online community, making sure that when they can’t come to us, we can go to them. We have been there for customers through the whole pandemic journey and our relationship with them has cemented our position in the community. “Everyone is getting used to online shopping and we have been doing exceptionally well with the Snappy Shopper app.
We have maintained a rhythm of over 250 deliveries a week since lockdown rules were eased and it is all incremental sales. The functionality of the app is great both for retailers and customers. It is very easy to use,” he added. Mike Callachan, Chief Spar Renfrew retailer Executive of The Snappy Saleem Sadiq is a Group, said: “The pandemic Snappy customer. did accelerate the use of digital services and when we were all encouraged to stay-at-home it propelled demand for the Snappy Shopper app. “We knew, from our experience before the pandemic, that retailers would continue to be successful once restrictions were relaxed. We are seeing our partner sales continue to grow at a record pace as shoppers do more of their shopping online from their local independent retailer.”
On-demand grocer looks for 50,000 drivers Beelivery, the on-demand grocery delivery business, is looking to recruit 50,000 new drivers. The expanding business is looking for new drivers nationwide, but particular areas of focus for new recruits include Dorchester, London, Cambridge, Harrogate, Salisbury, Shrewsbury, Darlington, Inverness, and Hereford. Beelivery has also launched a £2m TV and digital campaign to help customers understand the benefits of on-demand
services and support the recruitment drive.
Lee Parkinson, co-founder and chief executive of Beelivery, said: “We recently secured a £4.5m investment which demonstrates growing demand within the convenience market. We are investing this money to accelerate the business and further drive demand, which in turn means higher earnings for new and existing drivers.” Beelivery aims to double its team over the next two years as it seeks to gain 450,000 new customers.
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TRENDW
SUSTAIN
NEWS D
Regulator calls for further action on EV charging The Competition and Markets Authority is concerned about the choice and availability of chargepoints at motorway service stations.
T
he Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has set out measures to ensure a national network of electric vehicle chargepoints is in place ahead of the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. The CMA is concerned about the choice and availability of chargepoints at motorway service stations, the roll-out of on-street charging by local authorities is too slow, and rural areas risk being left behind with too few chargepoints due to lack of investment. The CMA’s key recommendations are that: Q UK government sets out an ambitious National Strategy for rolling out EV charging between now and 2030. This must sit alongside strategies from the Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland governments, building on the work already being undertaken by all governments. Energy regulators should also ensure that it’s quicker and cheaper to connect new chargepoints. Q Governments support local authorities (LAs) to boost roll-out of on-street charging – including defining a clear role for LAs to manage the roll-out in their area
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and providing funding for the expertise needed for this to happen. Q UK government attaches conditions to its £950m Rapid Charging Fund, which it is planning to use for grid upgrades at motorway service stations, to open up competition so that drivers have a choice of charging provider at each service station. Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the CMA, said: “There needs to be action now to address the postcode lottery in electric vehicle charging as we approach the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. “Our recommendations will promote strong competition, encourage more investment, and build people’s trust, both now and in the future. The CMA has also opened a competition law investigation into EV charging along motorways and will continue to work with government and the industry to help ensure electric vehicle charging is a success.” The CMA has also launched a competition law investigation into long-term exclusive
arrangements between the Elec Highway – a ChargePoint provi – and three motorway service op ators – MOTO, Roadchef and Ex The regulator is concerned that th
W AT C H
NABILITY
DIGEST
ctric ider perxtra. hese
Fully-recyclable sandwich packaging to be trialled in UK supermarkets The UK’s first full recyclable sandwich packaging is being developed with Co-op and Sainsbury’s.
arrangements make it difficult for other operators to provide competing chargepoints at motorway service stations, resulting in drivers losing out on the benefits of competition.
Greencore Group, a UK manufacturer of convenience foods, is working with Co-op and Sainsbury’s to develop a fibre plastic-free recyclable sandwich skillet. The packaging, developed in conjunction with ProAmpac and believed to be the first of its type in the world, will have a plastic-free window and be made entirely from paper-based material. packaged in the new skillet will have the same shelf life as if they were packaged in a traditional skillet due to the level of moisture resistance the skillet provides, sandwiches Subject to successful trials, which commence in September 2021, and the proposition meeting all parties’ performance criteria, roll-out of the new packaging will begin later in the year. Greencore expects to make these new packaging techniques available to the wider UK market. Andy Wright, Head of Sustainability at Greencore, said: “Consumers are increasingly aware not just of the importance of their own health but also of the impact their food has on the health of the planet. Developing a
fully recyclable sandwich skillet is one of the key ways we can reduce waste and help our customers do their bit to protect the environment. Breige Donaghy, director of delicious food at Co-op, added: “We’ve worked closely with Greencore from the start on the development of the compostable sandwich packaging and implemented the first trial of its use in our pop-up store at Glastonbury Festival in 2019 with great success. “The trial aligns with Co-op’s ambition to reduce the use of virgin plastic and how we’ve also worked to ensure that all of our own-brand packaging is now fully recyclable. We’re looking forward to seeing the new packaging on shelves this autumn and are confident it will resonate with our members and customers.”
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TRENDW
SUSTAIN
NEWS D
Plastic-free grocery store recognise
T
The Refillery plastic-free grocery store in Edinburgh has been nominated for the Food Hero Scotland campaign for its sustainab
he Refillery, Edinburgh’s largest plastic-free grocery store, has been nominated for the Food Hero Scotland campaign. The non-profit campaign, #FoodHeroScot, is supported by STV’s £1m Green Fund which aims to champion the efforts of sustainable Scottish SME businesses by raising their profile and communicating with consumers, while encouraging Scots to reduce their own carbon footprint. The campaign will release 10 mini documentaries featuring businesses or social enterprises that will be shared on the #FoodHeroScot website and publicised through a media campaign delivered by STV, as part of their Green Fund commitment. The 10 winning businesses that will receive more than £25,000 of in-kind support packages, including marketing and PR, to highlight their sustainability efforts. The Refillery opened in Edinburgh in January 2019 with the aim of making plastic free
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and ethical shopping as accessible to as many people as possible. The store has saved more than 500,000 pieces of plastic in just 30 months and any food that’s past its best goes in their free bin, Too Good To Go, or gets distributed among local charities. It also supports local suppliers and works with
them to create plastic free produc supply systems. The retailer launched a franchi October 2020 and launched its fi in Corstorphine in May 2021. Th have plans for a third store in Edi launched in September 2021.
Central England Co-op helps customers r Central England Co-op has launched a recycling scheme to help customers dispose of hard to recycle plastics. Most of the retailer’s more than 240 stores, based across 16 counties, have a collection point that enables people to recycle film and soft plastics, which are currently not collected by all council services. The collection points will enable people to deposit items such as crisp packets, sweet wrappers, plastic film, pet food pouches and
plastic bags, which will then be back via Central England Co-op’s distr network and responsibly recycled. Luke Olly, energy and enviro lead, said: “We have worked wit retail co-ops to provide a netw in-store collection points for film a plastics. Providing collection points ically for these types of plastics wil customers to easily recycle items currently not collected through
W AT C H
NABILITY
DIGEST
Ferrero unveils new sustainability goals Ferrero has published its latest sustainability goals and has also begun to define new commitments and targets to further reduce its carbon footprint by 2030.
ed
bility efforts.
cts or circular
ise business in first franchise They currently inburgh to be
In its 2020 sustainability report, Ferrero outlined ambitious targets is to continue to significantly reduce the Group’s carbon footprint: Ferrero will reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% globally by 2030, using 2018 as the base year. Ferrero will also reduce Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions intensity by 43% per tonne of product produced at a global level, using 2018 as the base year. The report reveals that Ferrero achieved its goal of sourcing 100% sustainable cocoa beans through independently managed schemes and 100%
recycle film and soft plastics
ckhauled ribution
onment th other work of and soft s specifll enable that are council
services, while doing this in a co-operative manner means all the communities the co-op serves can benefit from this process, helping to provide a nationwide solution to this difficult problem.”
certified cane sugar through governance group Bonsucro and fair trade organisation Altromercato. The company also bought 100% green electricity for its factories in Europe in fiscal year 2019/2020, and 71.5% of the electricity purchased globally was from renewable sources. In 2019 Ferrero announced a commitment to make 100% of its packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025, as part of its support for the circular economy. As of 2020, we have achieved 82.9% and we continue with our strong commitment to fulfilling this journey, Lapo Civiletti, chief executive of the Ferrero Group, said: “As we close out our 2020 goals, we are proud to have met our target to source 100% sustainable cocoa through independently managed standards. We have now extended the target to include outsourced chocolate to provide full transparency of our cocoa supply chain. We continued to source 100% RSPO certified segregated palm oil and we are developing a transition roadmap for the newly acquired Companies toward our responsible sourcing standards.”
‘Half of consumers’ buy on ecocredentials More than half of consumers (52%) are making our purchasing decisions based on the eco-credentials of brands, new research reveals. A survey of 2,000 UK adults by media agency Hearts & Science through YouGov shows that 21% of consumers have consciously stopped buying a particular brand or product because of concerns over its impact on the environment. When it comes to the weekly shop, 36% of shoppers say they’ve no longer bought a food and drink brand due to its lack of eco-credentials, with 33% doing so for household essentials. People are making an effort to be more ecofriendly in how they shop: 55% use their local high street to avoid transport emissions, and 9% now shop at zero-waste/refill stores.
WEDNESDAY 28TH JULY 2021 / ISSUE 66 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 23
PROMOTED
NIS
SYMBOL S
Fresh Thinkin
Nisa’s new Fresh Thinking partner proposition and a fully update even more compelling reasons to join the r
N
isa is proud to work with multi award-winning stores including Pinkie Farm, Ardeer Services, and Greens of Markinch, to name a few, making Nisa the proven partner of choice for many market-leading, independently-minded retailers in Scotland. And with a record number of retailers moving to Nisa Retail in 2020 and those investing in new and upgraded stores enjoying average sales uplifts of 11%, there has never been a better time to join us. Retailers get access to best in class support through Nisa’s new partner proposition, Fresh Thinking, including retail expertise and thought leadership to help continually improve customer experience through instore solutions, category insights, store format innovation and expert account management teams. In addition, Nisa’s new rebate model is set to launch on 28 June. Built on simplicity and fairness, Fresh Rewards gives independent retailers the opportunity to unlock up to 5.5.% rebate with additional benefits available for those with a Nisa fascia store. Retailers can see how much rebate they could earn by visiting the Nisa website. Fresh Thinking also provides Nisa partners with access to convenience and symbol expertise through an in-house Insight team to help retailers truly understand their customers and their marketplace, access to planograms, marketing support, central helpdesks and expertise and the Co-op promotional plan. With recent industry recognition including
our Symbol/Franchise Group of the Year win at the Retail Industry Awards and the Grocer Gold Awards accolade for Symbol/Franchise Retailer of the Year, retailers can depend on award-winning support, access to an extensive product range comprising more than 13,000 SKUs and over 2,400 Co-op own brand products – all delivered by Nisa’s industry-leading supply chain. Retailers have the option to operate under a symbol fascia: Nisa Local, Nisa Express or Nisa Extra; or dual branded, whereby a Nisa partner can maintain their own local identity whilst also benefiting from the strength of the Nisa brand. Alternatively, a retailer can choose to trade under their own independent fascia. The latest format, Nisa Express, offers a dedicated fascia option for retailers operating in spaces up to 1,000sq ft. A choice of three format design options – food centric, forecourt and essentials – helps to accommodate the individual demographic and shopping missions of each store, with formats and ranges that are tailored for the specific market. The Nisa format team works closely with partners and shop fitters to create the ideal solution for each individual location, and retailers can benefit from the bespoke service Nisa offers with an added incentive of a 10% saving on all new refits until the end of the year.
“Built on simplicity and fairness, Fresh Rewards gives independent retailers the opportunity to unlock up to 5.5.% rebate with additional benefits available for those with a Nisa fascia store.”
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D F E AT U R E
SA
SPOTLIGHT
ng from Nisa
ed rebate model launching later this month offers independent retailers ecord number of retailers aligning with the group.
Nisa provides a complete retail support package which comprises a strong retail focused team, an enhanced category management system, a bespoke staff training facility and a comprehensive marketing package incorporating social media and PR support, leaflets, point of sale material, a personalised Nisa FM radio network and national advertising. A comprehensive support structure is provided to ensure retailers continue to push their business forward. Support comes from a strong field team including retail development
managers, regional retail managers and fresh food development managers, as well as an induction team dedicated to supporting new partners during their first 90 days with Nisa. Partners can also support local causes through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity, which has raised more than £12.5m for UK communities to date. ● To Join Nisa complete the form or contact our development team on 0800 542 7490.
WEDNESDAY 28TH JULY 2021 / ISSUE 66 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 25
NPD AND MEDIA
PICKS OF THE WEEK – JJ WHITLEY TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM
JJ WHITLEY UNWRAPS NEW £3.5M MEDIA SPEND Campaign sees vodka brand appear on TV screens for the first time. JJ Whitley Vodka has launched a £3.5m campaign,
including gold medals at both the International
which celebrates the brand’s Russian provenance,
Wine & Spirit Competition and San Francisco
while also paying homage to its British heritage.
World Spirits Competition.
The campaign focuses on the brand’s best-sell-
Simon Jackman, senior global marketing man-
ing variants – JJ Whitley Artisanal Russian Vodka,
ager for white spirits at Halewood Artisanal Spirits,
Raspberry Vodka - and its recently launched Artisanal
said: “It’s fantastic to see such strong growth for
Russian Gold Vodka. It will also see the brand go on
the JJ Whitley Vodka range over the past couple
TV for the first time as sponsors of Sky One’s ‘Nights
of years, and our new ATL campaign is now set
In’ programming throughout August.
to further drive brand awareness over the next six
The activity also includes placements at a number
months, celebrating both its rich distilling heritage
of high impact out-of-home sites across the country,
and quality Russian liquid. As the vodka category
as well as digital activity and print advertising in
continues to be the UK’s largest spirits category,
consumer and trade publications.
with flavoured variants also seeing significant
Production of the JJ Whitley Vodka range moved
growth, the range is perfectly positioned to help
to a £5m vodka distillery in St. Petersburg, Russia in
retailers tap into the significant sales opportunity.”
2019, in order to enhance the provenance and quality
The campaign kicks off this week and will be
of liquid. Since then it has won numerous accolades
26 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 66 / WEDNESDAY 28TH JULY 2021
running throughout July until December.
NPD AND MEDIA
PICKS OF THE WEEK – BIRDS EYE TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM
BIRDS EYE LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN Birds Eye has launched a new £2.3m campaign to highlight the freshness, taste and sustainability of its products.
Birds Eye has unveiled a brand new £2.3m
Mike Sowerby, General Marketing Manager for
campaign across its fish portfolio to highlight the
fish at Birds Eye, said: “This campaign will reinforce
freshness, taste and sustainability of its products
the benefits of eating responsibly sourced fish as
The ‘Get On Board’ campaign, which is live
a part of a balanced diet. The campaign aims to
now, will include products from across the Birds
encourage shoppers to up their intake of fish to
Eye fish range, encouraging people to increase
meet NHS guidelines, with the reassurance that
their fish consumption. Dietary guidance from the
they are choosing fresh and great tasting frozen
UK government states that consumers should each
fish from Birds Eye.”
aim to eat at least two portions of fish a week, yet
Sowerby said the brand was proud to be trans-
the average in the UK is currently just 1.3 weekly.
parent about where and how it sources its fish.
The campaign emphasises how freshness is
This is supported on pack by a fish tracker tool
locked in ‘from sea to plate’, with product shots
that enables shoppers to trace the fish from their
visibly demonstrating the quality and taste deliv-
pack via a QR code.
ered by the Birds Eye range.
He concluded: “With our Captain Birds Eye icon
The new campaign will span TV, digital, on pack
at its heart, this campaign will help to bring more
and in-store POS advertising, initially running into
shoppers to frozen fish by demonstrating its key
September.
benefits and overcoming popular misconceptions.”
WEDNESDAY 28TH JULY 2021 / ISSUE 66 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 27
NPD AND MEDIA
PICKS OF THE WEEK – WOW HYDRATE TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM
HARRY MAGUIRE GOES BACK TO HIS ROOTS England footballer Harry Maguire has teamed up with sports drink brand Wow Hydrate and Tesco to give back to grassroots football. Sports drink brand Wow Hydrate, which supplies
Maguire said: “Grassroots is where the love for
low-calorie protein waters with added vitamins, has
the game all starts. It’s all about enjoyment, and
teamed up with England and Manchester United
you enjoy it when you’re playing well. But to play
player Harry Maguire for its new campaign.
well, you need to be fuelled up.
The Harry Hydrates Grassroots campaign will
“I’ve joined forces with Wow Hydrate and Tesco
provide grassroots football teams across the UK
to help hydrate grassroots football clubs. It’s been
with free drinks to ensure that they are hydrating
a hard year for grassroots teams, which is why I
effectively both on and off the pitch.
want to do everything I can to give back. I wouldn’t
When grassroots clubs sign up to the initiative,
be where I am now without it.”
they will also be in with a chance of winning a full
Wow Hydrate’s co-founder, Neil Young, added:
year sponsorship for their team, plus a training
“As a brand, we are proud to support sports across
session with Maguire.
all levels.
To introduce the initiative, which runs until 30
“We are delighted to have teamed up with Harry
August, Maguire surprised Brunsmeer Athletic FC
Maguire and Tesco on this initiative, who will be
Under 8s – the first football team he ever played
helping us to spread awareness of the importance
for – during their training session.
of healthy hydration.”
28 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 66 / WEDNESDAY 28TH JULY 2021
NPD AND MEDIA
PICKS OF THE WEEK TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM
WIN £5K!
ECHO REFRESH
LET THE FUNSHINE
PepsiCo is giving retailers
Echo Falls is unveiling a new
Malibu is inviting consumers to
the opportunity to win £5,000,
look for its Fruit Fusions 5.5%
‘Let The Funshine’ with a new
with another 10 x £500 prizes
and 9.0% portfolio. Fruit Fusions
campaign celebrating the in real-
up for grabs, as part of its first
5.5% will feature a silver capsule
life awkwardness that’s surfaced
trade-exclusive juice activa-
colour, while the 9.0% colour will
as the world starts to open up
tion. The campaign is running
vary depending on the flavour.
again. The digital campaign runs
across hero SKUs from its Trop-
An enlarged ABV call out will run
until the end of August across
icana and Naked portfolios until
across the entire range.
YouTube, Instagram, Facebook,
mid-September.
RSPs: £4.25 / £6
Snapchat and digital display.
OLYMPIC GIN
MINI RITTERS
Stirling Distillery has launched
Ritter Sport has launched a new
BROTHERS BLOOMING
a limited-edition gold-flaked gin
portion-controlled Mini impulse
Brothers Cider has announced
named OlympiGIN in celebration
range, its first-ever countline.
another strong year with value
of the Tokyo games and made
The range includes Ritter Sport’s
sales growing at 48.4% YOY [IRI,
using Stirlingshire nettles and
top-selling milk chocolate vari-
Mar 2021]. The brand launched
Japanese yuzu. Limited to 500
eties: Cornflake, Whole Hazel-
four variants during the pan-
bottles, it will be sent to British
nuts, Alpine Milk Chocolate and
demic including Pink Grapefruit,
and Northern Irish Olympic and
Butter Biscuit.
Honeycomb and Toffee Apple
Paralympic gold medal winners.
RSP: 60p / 2-for-£1.
Alcohol Free.
WEDNESDAY 28TH JULY 2021 / ISSUE 66 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 29
Let’s create a great recycling experience. LY EVER YM BAL O L I G
1M IL
E PURCHASE AR D ES
Get in touch to find out more: tcs.uk@tomra.com
TE NU
PLASTIC BOT TL ON LI
The deposit return scheme (DRS) is due to come to Scotland in July 2022. Make it easy with TOMRA, the global leader in reverse vending technology.
Source: Global Packaging Trends Report by Euromonitor International (2017)
NOW THAT’S A GOOD IDEA…
OUT THE BOX BODYCAMS
Body Worn Cameras The latest generation of body worn cameras combine live audio and video streaming with GPS user location to enhance worker safety.
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
can be monitored as they happen, enabling faster decisions on the most appropriate and effective course of action. The video files are automatically uploaded, stored and managed securely in the cloud, where they can also be edited.
Bodycams.
HAVEN’T THEY BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE? Yes, several retailers already use them, but the latest generation of body worn cameras combine the benefits of live audio and video stream functionality with GPS user location all in a single, compact device. Bodycams have been proven to enhance worker safety, particularly lone workers, by accelerating response decision-making and improve speed of response when incidents do occur in-store. They can also help prevent incidents from escalating and provide powerful evidence capture.
HOW DO THEY WORK? The body cams are linked direct to alarm receiving centres (ARCs) where operators can respond to issues in real time. According to lone worker solutions specialist Reliance Protect, their new VB400 bodycam overcomes many of the problems of traditional safety devices and smartphone apps which are usually audio only. This means SRC staff have to interpret events as they unfold only through what they can hear. Lone workers are sometimes also given body worn cameras to act as incident deterrents and
31 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 66 / WEDNESDAY 28TH JULY 2021
WHAT’S RELIANCE PROTECT SAYING? to capture evidence, which means that they have to carry two devices which can be awkward and cumbersome.
AND THE NEW GENERATION SOLUTIONS OVERCOME THIS? Exactly. The VB400, for instance, combines live audio, video and location information for when users want to raise the alarm and have the incident monitored and escalated for response. If the user doesn’t want to raise an incident to be monitored, they can also just use the camera to capture video evidence.
WHAT’S THE KIT LIKE? Small, high definition (1080p), 12 hour battery life, pre/post record options to capture interactions leading up to and after an incident, GPS, Bluetooth. Neat. Live stream footage can be accessed by Reliance Protect’s ARC, where incidents
Lone Worker Services Director, Chris Allcard, says: “Local retailers are at a heightened risk from theft, violence and assault. Audio functionality and associated location information has been well established within lone worker safety solutions for many years but combining it with live video presents a far more effective solution for understanding what’s going on before, during and after an incident. Giving the user the option to just record video for evidence, or raise an alarm with a live stream gives the user the best of both worlds. Not only do body worn cameras offer a more comprehensive way to gather evidence, they act as an overt deterrent when an individual exhibits aggressive behaviour.”
HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE? Visit or email protectsales@reliancehightech.co.uk.
The revolution will be digitised! Home delivery | Integrated Epos | Digital loyalty | Frictionless solutions | Customer data | Amazon Fresh and much more
CLICK TO READ ‘ T E C H & D ATA I N L O C A L R E TA I L’ NOW! One of the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic has been a huge acceleration of the adoption of technology in the local retailing sector across the UK. While home delivery was the undoubted star of the 2020 tech boom, there are countless other examples of technology being used to either save money or make money. So, with that in mind, we present our retailer’s guide to tech, data and why the revolution will be digitised. We hope you enjoy it and that it helps you improve your business.
BEFORE YOU GO
RETAIL RANDOMS
Stickers on apples a ‘fruitless waste’
Have you ever wondered why the bother putting those annoying little stickers on apples? No, neither had we. Presumably they’re for what passing as branding in the world of fresh produce, but they’re really just a harmless nuisance, aren’t they?
Not according to waste disposal experts BusinessWaste. co.uk whose PR department seems to spend a lot of time finding weird angles to hang environmental stories on. According to the company, more than 100 million of those wee stickers head to landfill every week. They’re not all on apples of course. Apparently only about 29 million apples are sold every week in the UK. But those little non-biodegradable, non-recyclable stickers also find their way onto everything from bananas to avocados.A ‘fruitless waste’, the PR team snappily called it. And they apparently surveyed 2,600 consumers and 94% of them said the stickers were a waste.
Drygate sticks its neck out with ginger beer for giraffes As world firsts go, it’s a wee bit niche. Glasgow-based Drygate Brewing Co has unveiled “the first ginger beer in the world to support giraffe conservation”. We haven’t been able to verify the truth of this claim, but we’re prepared to accept that it’s probably true. Launched in partnership with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Gingeraffe is a 4% ABV alcoholic ginger with 10p from the sale of every 330ml can going to the giraffes. Announced on World Conservation Day, Drygate also released a rather odd image of a dystopian new bar decorated with giraffe skeletons which “paints a bleak future for giraffes if left unchecked”. The bar won’t open until 2050. The year hasn’t been plucked out of thin air, but is
when many conservationists predict that wild giraffes will be made extinct. Check it out here.
WEDNESDAY 28TH JULY 2021 / ISSUE 66 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 33
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:
