The Week in Retail 70

RETAIL

THE WEEK IN

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

IN-STORE GROCERY SALES RISE

EVENTS AND WARM WEATHER BOOST SHOPWORKERS PROTECTION

PROTECTIVE POWER

LANDMARK RETAILER PROTECTION LAW COMES INTO FORCE IN SCOTLAND

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Issue 70 Wednesday 25th August 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

Where Scotland leads others must follow This week saw the momentous introduction of the new Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) Act 2021 in Scotland.

The legislation makes assaulting or abusing retail staff a standalone offence, with tougher sentences for perpetrators, and it’s about bloody time.

Retail workers play a vital role serving our communities, which has been clearly demonstrated during the pandemic, and should not have to tolerate any form of abuse, threats or violence as part of their job.

And where Scotland leads others must now follow. Similar protections to retail staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must be introduced.

Shopworkers deserve to be valued and respected; they deserve the protection of the law.

But I don’t know what it’s going to take to get through to the UK government on this matter – shopworkers union Usdaw has tried and tried – in June MPs voted down the introduction of a new clause in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill that would have made attacking a retail worker a separate offence.

The union has written to chancellor Rishi Sunak calling on him to intervene ahead of a “perfect storm” that could further devastate high streets across the UK. And more than 65 leading retailers and industry bodies wrote to Prime Minister Boris

Johnson calling on him to take urgent action to tackle violence and abuse towards retail workers.

Usdaw also collected more than 100,000 signatures on a petition calling for government action on the issue. However, when the petition was debated Home Office Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Chris Philp, declined to offer government support for a change in the law to better protect shopworkers.

And the trade associations have also tried to persuade ministers that legislation is needed to protect the retail staff that have a crucial role in our communities, but’s like banging your head on a brick wall.

It’s so depressing to read every day about retailers and their staff being abused and attacked. It’s frustrating that initiatives, such as the ‘Be Kind’ campaign, are needed to stop violent and aggressive incidents towards shopworkers.

Maybe having a knife, gun or needle shoved in his face – like so many shopworkers have had to endure– would prompt some action from Boris Johnson.

LIZ WELLS, DEPUTY EDITOR

WEDNESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2021 / ISSUE 70 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 3

CONTENTS

WEDNESDAY 25 AUGUST 2021 / ISSUE 70 W W W.SLR M AG.C O.U K

6

10 THIS WEEK’S NEWS IN BRIEF

19 SHOPWORKER PROTECTION

CHARITY

Scottish retailers welcome a landmark law and in-store grocery sales rise at the expense of online.

A law to protect shopworkers in Scotland came into force this week, with staff urged to report all incidents.

Scarborough-based Proudfoot Group celebrates a landmark fundraising donation made through Nisa’s Making A Difference Locally charity.

9 Covid-19 update

17 Sustainability

21 Sustainability

The latest coronavirus-related news.

12 Retail Sales

front-of-pack eco scoring system.

road freight.

18 Deposit Return Scheme

22 Wholesale

boost in June from the start of the Euros.

Tomra signs an agreement with a major

grocery retailer to supply RVMs.

24 Picks of the week

Zapp to open a pop-up shop at festival.

16 Forecourts

The SWA moves closer to zero-emission

Food sales fell last month, after getting a

14 Home Delivery

Retailers and food giants help develop a

A Birmingham JET site gets rebuilt.

TWITTER.COM/SLRMAG

Unitas unveils a new ‘Focus On’ guide.

20 Merchandising

26 Out the box

Eight Nisa stores take part in a Pladis

‘Better Biscuits’ initiative.

29 Before you go...

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SLRMAG

Deliveroo does deal with Boots.

WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK

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NEWS DIGEST

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

DELIVEROO GOES CAMPING

LEGISLATION

delivery services to campsites

Scottish retailers welcome landmark law

and caravan parks in 10 key

Scotmid and the SGF react to new legislation to protect shopworkers.

Deliveroo has expanded its

areas of the UK after a surge in camping staycations. Brits can find a range of grocery food items and essentials on the Deliveroo app from local supermarket and convenience partners.

POST OFFICE UNVEILS ID APP Post Office customers can now collect parcels and letters from branches using an app on their phone to show their ID, instead of having to bring a document such as a passport or driving licence with them. The new Post Office EasyID app is free

The new Protection of Workers Act, which gives shopworkers in Scotland greater protection if they are assaulted or abused, has been welcomed by retailers.

The introduction of the law was welcomed by the Scottish Grocers’ Federation, which has launched its Don’t Put Up With It Campaign to encourage everyone in retail to take a zero-tolerance stance and contact police.

SGF Chief Executive Pete Cheema said: “The Protection of Workers Act will give confidence that these crimes are taken seriously and those responsible will be brought to justice. To ensure that, we need to get even tougher on trouble and report every crime in Scotland’s shops.”

Scotmid’s Director of Retail Operations, Gavin Randell, added: “The Protection of Workers Act sends the message loud and clear that there is no place for violence and abuse in Scotland’s shops. We will be reporting every crime to the police.” ● Read more reaction to the Protection of Workers Act.

to download from Android Play or the Apple App Store.

TESCO COLLECTS SOFT PACKS Tesco’s larger UK stores will introduce soft plastic packaging collection points after overwhelming customer support during a 171-store trial earlier this year. The supermarket expects to collect more than 1,000 tonnes a year, which it will recycle into products and packaging.

Independent retailers welcome Express announcement Publisher Reach has decided to include pro rata terms for newsagents as part of new price increases for its Express news titles.

From Monday coming, 30 August, the price of weekday editions of The Express will increase from 75p to 80p.

The Saturday edition will go up from £1.20 to £1.30, while the price of the Sunday Express will also increase by 10p, from £1.80 to £1.90.

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Retail margins will remain at 20% of the new prices, as follows: Monday to Friday Express 16p; Saturday Express 26p; and Sunday Express 38p.

John Howard, Circulation Director for Reach, said: “In the last 16 months, the support that our business has received from the news trade has been magnificent. As we hopefully return to normal trading, all elements of the newspaper supply chain will benefit.”

NEWS DIGEST

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

BUSINESS RATES CONSULTATION

TRADING

In-store grocery sales up as shoppers enjoy short summer heatwave

ACS has responded to a Treasury consultation on

The increase comes at the expense of online grocery sales, data reveals.

business rates, welcoming

UK supermarkets experienced 50 million more in-store visits in the past four weeks ending 14 August compared with the same period last year, with store sales rising to £7.7bn, new research reveals.

The data from NielsenIQ shows that this is at the expense of online grocery sales, which have fallen by 10% year-onyear, reaching £1.1bn in sales.

NielsenIQ figures shows that confectionery (+9.6%), convenience foods such as delicatessen (+9.5%), bakery (+8.1%), and soft drinks (+5.5%) experienced growth. However, frozen food (-4%) and beers, wines and spirits (-6%) saw sales decline, but this is due to having exceptional double-digit comparatives during the same period last year.

Mike Watkins, NielsenIQ’s UK Head of Retailer and Business Insight, said: “Food retail sales have been helped by events and warm weather in recent

frequent revaluations and

the proposed move to more using business rates to better incentivise investment. ACS said a move to three-yearly revaluations would act as a better indication of how rateable values are tracking against the property market.

ACTION URGED OVER DRIVERS Logistics UK and the BRC have written to the Department for Business, Energy and

weeks but with the summer holidays soon coming to an end, retailers will need to keep their fingers crossed for an improving consumer sentiment to drive spending, particularly as we head into Q4, which could be a more challenging period with equally high comparatives.”

Industrial Strategy to outline how to overcome the driver shortage. The bodies anticipate the problem will worsen in the coming months with the new school year starting, businesses returning to their workplaces, and the build-up to Christmas beginning.

Access to cash pilots to be extended The Access to Cash Action Group has announced the rapid rollout of ‘cashback without purchase’ to thousands of smaller shops and the extension of shared Bank Hub pilots.

Link and PayPoint will now introduce ‘cashback without purchase’ to stores over the coming months following a successful pilot.

In addition, the Bank Hub pilots currently running in South Lanarkshire and Essex will be extended until at least April 2023.

These offer a counter service run by the Post Office alongside face-to-face access to community bankers representing those banks with the most customers in the area.

DEMAND FOR CASH EXAMINED Cash handling supplier Volumatic has released a new white paper about consumer demand for cash acceptance during the pandemic. It can be downloaded for free.

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NEWS SPECIAL

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

Meat processing firms tackle staff shortages

A TOUCH-FREE FUTURE

Companies in the sector currently have about 14,000 job vacancies which could threaten meat supply.

ImageHolders, a specialist in selfservice kiosks, has unveiled a gesturecontrolled touchless kiosk in response to the pandemic.

Research reveals that 80% of consumers think public touchscreens are unhygienic, so the tech could help restore public confidence.

The touchless selfservice kiosk is powered by a hand tracking

On Temporary Licence programme.

The programme lets inmates in open prisons gain work experience to help them in their transition back into the community.

Tony Goodger, of the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, told the BBC: “They [prisons] have got offenders and prison-leavers, we have got members who need labour. It seems sensible to bring the two together.”

He said that many prisons taught inmates food safety skills, which would aid them in finding work in the industry.

The food manufacturing industry has also looked to employ former armed service personnel. However, the number of people taking up jobs has been low.

camera. Users can type, select, scroll and navigate a kiosk display using mid-air gestures and without having to

TECH SOLUTIONS

Meat processing firms are set to employ prisoners and ex-inmates to help fill labour shortages caused by Brexit and the pandemic, media reports suggest.

The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers told the BBC the industry had about 14,000 job vacancies currently and the British Meat Processors Association said the current level of vacancies represented about 15% of the industry’s workforce.

Meat industry leaders held talks with the government earlier this week to discuss options of how businesses could link up with prisons to fill vacancies.

One option could see businesses linking up with prisons that contain prisoners who are part of the Release

touch the screen, which reduces the risks of spreading germs and bacteria building up.

The technology can distinguish 27 distinct hand elements, including bones and joints, and track them even when they are obscured by other parts of the hands.

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LEGISL

PROTECTION OF

USD

Landmark retaile comes into for

R

Union urges shopworkers to report incidents to

etail workers in Scotland are now better protected as the new Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) Act 2021 has come into force.

The law makes assaulting or abusing retail staff a standalone offence, with tougher sentences for perpetrators.

Paul Gerrard, Co-op’s Director of Campaigns and Public Affairs, said: “We applaud the new legislation in Scotland.

Co-op has long supported the new bill; it sends a loud and clear message that criminal behaviour – violence and abuse against shopworkers – will not be tolerated.”

Retail trade union Usdaw is now urging shopworkers to report incidents to ensure the legislation can have an effect on ever-increasing incidents.

For this new legislation to have a real impact, we need to make sure staff report incidents of violence, threats or abuse to their manager.

Tracy Gilbert, Usdaw Tracy Gilbert, Usdaw’s Scottish Regional Secretary, said: “For this new legislation to have a real impact, we need to make sure staff report incidents of violence, threats or abuse to their manager. We are aware that some retail workers may feel it won’t make a difference, but my message to shopworkers is absolutely clear: report it to sort it.

“We are working with the Scottish government, police and retailers to promote the new law. We want criminals to understand that assaulting and abusing shopworkers is unacceptable and will land them with a stiffer sentence. Our hope is that this new legislation will result in retail staff getting the respect they deserve.”

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Usdaw’s Freedom from Fear campaign week runs until 29 August, highlighting the violence, threats and abuse retail workers experience daily, with statistics from its annual survey.

Preliminary results from nearly 2,000 UK retail staff show that in the last 12 months: 92% have experienced verbal abuse, 70% were threatened by a customer, 14% were assaulted, and one in five victims have never reported an incident to their employer.

L AT I O N

F SHOPWORKERS

DAW

er protection law rce in Scotland

o ensure the new legislation can have an effect.

Ireland. Retail staff across the UK have a crucial role in our communities and that role must be valued and respected, they deserve the protection of the law.”

The British Retail Consortium is also calling on the UK Government to implement the same legislation in England and Wales. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill will go to the Lords with its second reading on 14 September and the BRC is calling on peers to use this and the following debates as an opportunity to give retail staff the protection they deserve.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retail workers in Dundee are now better protected than those in Doncaster. It is incomprehensible that despite Holyrood’s decisive action, the UK government has so

It is incomprehensible that despite Holyrood’s decisive action, the UK government has so far failed to provide the same protections to shop workers in the rest of the UK. Helen Dickinson, BRC

General Secretary Paddy Lillis added: “It has been a terrible year for our members, with over 90% of shopworkers suffering abuse, more than two-thirds threatened and one in seven assaulted. We are saying loud and clear that enough is enough, abuse should never be part of the job. We continue to campaign for the UK government to follow MSPs’ lead by extending similar protections to retail staff in England, Wales and Northern

far failed to provide the same protections to shop workers in the rest of the UK. “Given retail workers are required by law to ask customers for age verification, it is only just that they should be protected by law when this leads to violence and abuse. Retail workers have done an incredible job supporting us throughout this pandemic; they should not have to go to work fearing for their safety. We have campaigned long and hard for retail workers to receive better protections through a standalone offence, and we will not stop until our asks are met.”

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BUSINESS IN

RETAIL SALE

ONS /

Grocery sales dip aft

ONS figures show food sales fell last month after Euros

F

ood store sales volumes fell by 1.5% in July 2021, down from an increase of 3.9% in the previous month when sales were boosted by the start of the Euro 2020 football championship, new research reveals.

The Office for National Statistics says the fall is broadly in line with data on UK spending on debit and credit cards, based on CHAPS payments made by credit and debit card payment processors that also reported a fall in spending on staples between June and July alongside an increase in social spending, which may be linked to the further lifting of hospitality restrictions in July.

However, food store sales volumes are still 4.9% above their pre-coronavirus pandemic levels in February 2020.

CHAPS payments reported a fall in spending on staples between June and July alongside an increase in social spending

Meanwhile, automotive fuel sales volumes fell by 2.9% over the month, its first monthly fall since February 2021, according to the ONS figures. Heavy rainfall in early July impacted road traffic volumes and as a result automotive fuel sales volumes are now 6.7% below their pre-pandemic February 2020 levels.

Richard Lim, Chief Executive of Retail Economics, said grocery sales had returned to levels more in keeping with long-run trends as consumers started returning to pre-pandemic behaviours.

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He added: “Online sales remained considerably higher than pre-pandemic levels, with the prospect of a permanent shift in shopping habits gaining weight.

Retailers continue to pivot business

m to

of m

NTELLIGENCE

ES FIGURES

/ GNS

ter Euros

Consumer confidence remains stable

s boost.

models and restructure in order to align o this new reality.”

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive f the British Retail Consortium, commented: “The fifth consecutive month

of rising sales is a testament to the perseverance and innovation of retailers who continue to constantly adapt to the changing Covid landscape.

“Unfortunately, the lifting of many social restrictions in July did not bring about the anticipated boost in sales compared with the previous months, and the wet weather appeared to have dampened consumer enthusiasm for shopping.”

She added: “Retailers are keen to see growth continue throughout the second half of 2021, yet there are headwinds looming on the horizon. Challenges in global shipping and the shortage of UK lorry drivers are creating some disruption for consumers and additional costs for retailers. In October, the UK will introduce new checks on products of animal origin being imported from the

UK consumer confidence decreased to -8 in August, from -7 in July, the highest since February 2020.

GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index – which is conducted among 2,000 people aged 16-year-old and over – reveals that two measures of confidence were up on July’s figures, two measures were down, and one measure stayed the same.

Joe Staton, Client Strategy Director at GfK, said: “Against a backdrop of cooling headline inflation and soaring house prices, the UK consumer confidence index is stable at -8 this August.

Importantly, expectations for our personal financial situation for the coming 12 months are holding up and this positivity bodes well for the economy.

“Interestingly, this month the fivepoint fall in the major purchase index is

The lifting of many social

counterbalanced by the five-point rise

restrictions in July did not

in the savings index, suggesting that

bring about the anticipated

consumers could be considering switch-

boost in sales compared with

ing into saving rather than spending.

the previous months.

Indeed, UK consumers have built their

Helen Dickinson

savings to record levels during Covid.

“With the economy continuing to

EU, adding more costs to the system.

Government must take action on these issues, increasing the number of HGV driving tests taking place and ensuring new EU-GB documentation checks are as light touch as possible.”

open up and GDP bouncing back, the overall picture for the economic health of the nation is looking good. There are compelling reasons here to be cheerful as we begin to put the hardest pandemic months behind us.”

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SERVICES

HOME DELIVERY ZAPP / WOLT

Zapp to open first pop-up c-store

O

Delivery platform becomes grocery delivery partner of London music festival.

nline convenience store Zapp has been chosen as the official convenience and grocery delivery partner of All Points East music festival, which is held over two weekends in London’s Victoria Park.

The partnership includes a number of activations, including the first pop up Zapp Convenience Store, Zapp VIP Area, and ticket giveaways. The partnership will be supported by an advertising campaign and on-site advertising.

The pop-up store will operate as an on-site click and collect service, delivering festival essentials directly to the event.

Festival goers can use the Zapp app to shop on-demand from a selection of specially curated products, from sun-cream and waterproof ponchos to tampons and

other pharmacy products, which will be quickly picked and packed for collection at the store.

Steve O’Hear, Zapp’s Vice-President of Strategy, said: “We are proud and excited to be partnering with one of the leading

London festivals, helping to deliver the return of live music. At Zapp, we want to be there for our customers day in and day out, making sure they have everything they need to truly enjoy the moment, such as seeing their favourite artists perform live.”

Wolt poised to enter the UK?

There are signs that Wolt, the European technology company known for its delivery platform, might be about to launch in the UK after advertising for the service was spotted at a Premier League match at the weekend.

The platform, which has over 50,000 restaurant and retail partners across more than 200 cities, currently operates

in Azerbaijan, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Earlier this year, Wolt closed a $530m round of financing, which took its total financing to $856m.

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A spokesperson told The Week in Retail: “Things move really fast in this business. However, I haven’t heard any specific plans about us launching in the UK. What I do know, though, is that a lot of the countries, we operate in, are very keen on watching Premier League football.

And I will assume that is the reason why you came across our advert.”

SERVICES

HOME DELIVERY ZOOM 1HR DELIVERY

Zoom reaches 100k Co-op orders in a month

Z

Delivery company wants to support independent retailers with a same-day, last mile delivery service.

oom 1hr Delivery is celebrating its fulfilment of more than 100,000 orders for the Co-op this month.

The delivery service, which launched in 2017, landed the Co-op deal last year and now covers areas across the UK from Carlisle to Falmouth and throughout Wales. The service enables Co-op customers to choose from 4,500 products via an online ordering system and they can track their deliveries in real time.

Founder and Chief Executive Kevin Williams said: “We are delighted to reach this milestone in such a short space of time. We cannot underestimate the value of this partnership to our customers over the last 10 months. Our strategy of focusing on underserved areas within the UK has enabled the Co-op to offer a same day delivery service to customers who, arguably, need it the most.

“We look forward to growing our delivery coverage with the Co-op to an impressive 268 stores by the end

of September, to become the largest last mile delivery partner and will work tirelessly through the winter months to continue to serve customers new and old.”

Zoom plans to branch out to retail later this year, supporting independent retailers with a same-day, last mile delivery service.

Zoom 1hr Delivery recently moved into a new head office in Shrewsbury, with a national driver fleet delivering around the country in branded vehicles. It plans to branch out to retail later this year, supporting independent retailers with a same-day, last mile delivery service.

Earlier this year, the business used crowdfunding platform Seedrs to attract investors, raising almost £600,000. It plans to use the funds to expand its delivery fleet, improve its website, and expand its team.

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FORECOURTS

REFURBS JET

JET Millpool rips it up and starts again

J

The refresh includes a new Spar store with food-to-go.

ET Millpool, located on the A435 south of Birmingham, has reopened following a full knockdown rebuild transformation with new forecourt and retail facilities.

A newly-branded Spar store offers a selection of food-to-go options, including a Costa coffee machine, Daily Deli products including hot food-to-go, 24/7 opening hours, ATM facilities, and an extended parking area with increased capacity.

The renovation work also included new pumps, an extensive range of JETbranded fuels, and new AdBlue facilities.

Jet Retail UK – a wholly-owned subsidiary company of Phillips 66 – bought the site in January 2020 from UK Forecourts.

Wayne Oakes, District Manager at Phillips 66, said: “This is a complete transformation of the former site – from new fuels, to the

bold forecourt branding and new in-shop services – there’s little that hasn’t been considered. We look forward to the opening and celebrating the new look Millpool.”

JET Millpool Service Station Operator, Siva Balasingham, added: “We love everything about the new site. The bright colours and LED lights really stand-out, especially when you view the forecourt at night and we are excited to offer more fuel options than ever before. Customers have been coming in asking when we will be open. We’re looking forward to a fantastic new chapter in the Millpool journey.”

Earlier this month, the family-owned Hertford Road Service Station re-opened

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“From new fuels, to the bold forecourt branding and new in-shop services – there’s little that hasn’t been considered” Wayne Oakes, Phillips 66

as a JET-branded site. The site in Enfield was closed for two-months during which time the height of the canopy was raised by a metre and the buildings re-modelled to provide 2,000sq ft of retail space.

JET Newton Park, on the outskirts of Darlington, also underwent a refurb including a new Spar with food-to-go, a larger HGV loading area, and new pumps.

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

ECO-LABELLING FOUNDATION EARTH

Eco-labelling drive gathers pace Retailers and food giants have signed up to help Foundation Earth develop an optimum environmental scoring system.

P

epsiCo, Danone and Starbucks have teamed up with Tesco, Lidl, Waitrose, Aldi and Morrisons in joining the Foundation Earth industry advisory group, as moves to introduce front-of-pack environmental scores gather pace.

The new additions to the group, which already includes Nestlé, Tyson, Co-op, Sainsbury’s and M&S, have signed up to help Foundation Earth

develop an optimum environmental scoring system to be rolled out at scale across Europe.

Work will begin next month to bring together the best of the world’s two leading systems – Enviroscore and Eco-Impact

PepsiCo’s Gloria Gabellini said: “We

believe that consumers have the right to transparency from producers, and we want to give them easy-to-understand information to help them make sustainable choices.”

Work will begin next month to bring together the best of the world’s two leading systems – Enviroscore and Eco-Impact – for measuring and communicating food and drink’s environmental impact.

Lidl unveils eco-score trial in Scotland Lidl GB plans to roll out new labelling across key categories for sustainability across its 105 Scottish stores in October.

The retailer will apply Eco-Score labelling to more than 50 of its own-label products and will support the initiative with wider communication in stores.

Eco-Score independently assesses various factors including production methods, biodiversity impact, packaging and carbon footprint. Products also score better when they are certified to schemes like Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance.

The new labelling system will give shoppers a better understanding of the environmental consequences, at a glance.

Amali Bunter, Head of Responsible

Sourcing and Ethical Trade at Lidl, commented: “We know that shoppers want more support in understanding the environmental impact of the products they buy day-to-day and

Eco-Score will do just that.“The trial will help customers in our 105 Scottish stores road test the new traffic light system and ultimately make greener shopping choices in the process.”

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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME TOMRA COLLECTION UK & IRELAND

Mults plough on with DRS plans despite lack of clarity

Tomra has signed an agreement with a major grocery retailer to supply reverse vending solutions across its Scottish stores, despite a lack of clarity on when DRS will be implemented.

R

everse vending company will see a deposit added to eligible Truls Haug, Managing Director of TOMRA Collection UK and drinks containers.

TOMRA UK & Ireland says: “Since the Ireland has signed an agreeWhile contractual restrictions mean legislation was announced, we have been ment with an un-named major grocery Tomra cannot disclose the name of the preparing to supply the Scottish market retailer to supply reverse vending soluwith reverse vending technology and retailer at this point, the company said tions across its Scottish stores. are at the ready to deliver the The news comes as retailers The deposit return scheme, designed systems needed for all sizes of across Scotland get ready for retailer prior to the commenceto increase high quality recycling and reduce the country’s deposit return litter, will see a deposit added to eligible ment date. scheme (DRS) to go live on 1 “Retailers across the coundrinks containers and is set to start July 2022 – and despite growing 1 July 2022 try are making preparations and uncertainty as to whether the the signing of this agreement implementation date will be postponed. the deal marks a major milestone as with a major retailer, across its Scottish The scheme, designed to increase Scotland’s retailers prepare for the legportfolio, is testament to that. Tomra is high quality recycling and reduce litter, delighted to be selected for this work islation to come into effect. and looks forward to creating a great recycling experience for shoppers.

“We also look forward to our continued work with retailers and stakeholders to execute a successful scheme, which will see huge benefits to Scotland’s environment in the years to come.”

Tomra has a number of live trials underway across the country in outlets ranging from independent convenience Tomra has stores to large grocery chains. a number of live The company is the world leader trials underway in reverse vending, operating in some across the country in a number of 60 markets with approximately 80,000 outlets. installations across the globe.

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CHARITY

MAKING A DIFFERENCE LOCALLY PROUDFOOT GROUP

Proudfoot stores reaches £100k charity landmark The Scarborough-based retail chain is celebrating a fundraising milestone donation made through Nisa’s Making A Difference Locally charity.

S

carborough-based retailer Proudfoot Group is celebrating a fundraising milestone donation this month after recently supporting a number of local causes.

The independent supermarket group, which operates four stores in the area, has to date donated more than £100,000 to almost 200 local charities and other good causes through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally (MADL) charity.

The charity raises funds in Nisa-affiliated stores from the sale of Co-op and Heritage own-brand products. Funds are also raised via in-store collecting groups and musicians, gallery space stronger relationships with good causes tins and coin spinners, such as those for local artists, and meeting space for and the local community, and enables situated in Proudfoot stores. The charity us, as an independent retailer, to support community groups. has raised almost £13m to date some very worthy local groups and supported charities and other Proudfoot raises funds in Nisa-affiliated in need of extra funding. good causes with around 15,000 stores from the sale of Co-op and Heritage “I have had the pleasure of own-brand products. Funds are also raised seeing first-hand the differdonations.

Proudfoot’s latest donation was via in-store collecting tins and coin spinners ence our donations can make of £5,000 to Scalby and Newby and am delighted that we have Village Trust, to help complete a new, Proudfoot stores have also supported been able to support some fantastic inifully accessible front entrance to the good causes with over £65,000 in funds tiatives and services with these funds Temperance Hall in Scalby. With the raised via the carrier bag charge in its over the years – huge thanks to our new access in place, plans are afoot to wonderful customers who make these stores. use the upstairs space to create a regular Valerie Aston, Proudfoot Direcdonations possible and for their conpop-up cinema, rehearsal space for local tor, said: “MADL allows us to develop tinued support.”

WEDNESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2021 / ISSUE 70 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 19

MERCHANDISING

BISCUITS NISA

N

Nisa takes the biscuit with Pladis The initiative sees retailers trial new planograms alongside refreshed ranges.

isa Retail has teamed up with snacking company Pladis to help retailers increase biscuit sales and help maximise their biscuit fixture through range optimisation and merchandising recommendations.

The Better Biscuits initiative, which is running across eight Nisa stores for eight weeks throughout July and August, sees new planograms implemented alongside refreshed ranges with results analysed.

Store managers will also feed back any learnings to help other Nisa retailers benefit from the trial’s successes.

Pladis, whose brands include McVities, Jacob’s, Go Ahead and Carr’s, has

predicted the biscuit category’s value could reach £3bn by the end of 2021.

Claire Parker, Marketing Manager for Category Growth Wholesale, said: “Biscuits is an important category in convenience with the largest penetration across all snacking categories and bought by 99% of households. It also has the highest frequency within snacking, bought almost 10% more often than chocolate, confectionery and crisps.”

Parker added: “The team at Pladis is incredibly knowledgeable and a joy to work with. They have taken time to really understand our business and worked closely with us to ensure that our Co-op

20 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 70 / WEDNESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2021

branded offering is correctly represented within the category and that any local lines which are important to an individual store are included in the planograms.”

Charlotte Prain, Category Development Manager at Pladis, said: “Partnering up with Nisa to trial the new Better Biscuits category initiatives and recommendations for 2021 has been fantastic.

“After a tough year, the 5 Steps to Better Biscuits will help retailers to get back to basics, with range recommendations for the best-selling biscuits, optimised planogram layouts by fixture size and location, and tips and tricks to help drive category sales.”

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

DECARBONISATION SCOTTISH WHOLESALE ASSOCIATION

T

SWA drives sustainable truck trial The trial aims to develop solutions to support the uptake of zero-emission trucks. .

he Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) has joined forces with Arcola Energy to identify the business case for fuel cell technology in the UK’s transition to zero-emission road freight.

The Scottish Hydrogen Fuel Cell Freight Trial (SHyFT) aims to help develop solutions to support the uptake of zero-emission trucks.

Its learnings from field testing battery-electric vehicles in a real-world environment and from undertaking feasibility studies will help to design and develop cost-effective, zero-emission heavy goods The trial will assess the opportunity vehicles and their for zero-emission fuel cell electric vehicles refuelling infrastructure in the UK. with freight operators who are looking The trial will to decarbonise operations in emissionassess the opportusensitive sectors. nity for zero-emission fuel cell electric vehicles with freight A future trial could involve a test operators who are looking to decarbonise fleet of 20-30 trucks, using three existing operations in emission-sensitive sectors refuellers and adding new installations such wholesale food and drink logistics during the trial.

– including cold chain.

The project will also include a total The SHyFT will see Arcola deliver cost of ownership analysis to help opera demonstrator by modelling and inte- ators evaluate sustainability. grating the early adopter vehicle requireProject partners also include Newments into a trial concept design and Cold, the University of St Andrews, BOC vehicle development programme. and Scottish Power.

A future trial could involve a fleet of 20-30 trucks, using three existing refuellers

SWA Chief Executive Colin Smith said: “SWA’s involvement in the SHyFT project puts our sector and members at the forefront of the creation of greener fleets and creates a huge opportunity for members to be the first to transition to fuel cell HGVs.” The SWA is hosting a webinar titled “SWA Fleet Decarbonisation Results & The Hydrogen Opportunities” on 26 August from 2.30pm to 4pm. Speakers include Arcola Energy, giving more detail about the SHyFT project; Scottish Power’s Hydrogen Director Barry Carruthers; and ULEMCo’s Managing Director Amanda Lyne.

WEDNESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2021 / ISSUE 70 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 21

WHOLESALE

UNITAS WHOLESALE ‘FOCUS ON’ GUIDES

OPERATION 18

Unitas focuses on opportunities presented by the return to work and education

MYSTERY SHOP VISITS

help prevent sales to those under the age of 18. Make sure your store is ready and prepared to pass a visit:

TOP TIPS

z Always look at customers to assess their age z If in doubt, ask for ID z Ensure all staff are fully trained to correctly ask for ID at all times REMEMBER: If your store doesn’t correctly ask for ID on 3 separate occasions, you could lose your National Lottery terminal.

Rules & Procedures apply. Players must be 18+.

250935 TNL ATP Op 18 Vertical Column TWIR Advert 265x93 AW1.indd 1

22 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 70 / WEDNESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2021

U

nitas Wholesale has launched new Focus On guidance on the return to work and education and the opportunities that this presents for independent retailers following the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The newly-launched edition of Focus On includes key insights, planograms and information on bestsellers to help independent retailers grow sales across a range of shopper missions including ‘start the day’, ‘on the go’, ‘easy meals’, and ‘lunch boxes’.

Plan for Profit Category Controller Tracey Redfearn said: “As restrictions are eased further, independent retailers are seeing changes in shopper habits, with many now combining working from home and returning to the office for part of the week. These behavioural changes have an impact on the products customers are searching for and we highlight these key opportunities in this new edition of Focus On.” The Focus On series is available to view and download on the Plan for Profit website and app. Printed copies available in selected Unitas Wholesale member depots.

Unitas Wholesale will be launching more ‘Focus On’ guides throughout 2021.

05/08/2021 15:19

NPD AND MEDIA

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

KIKKOMAN UNVEILS SECOND MAJOR TV CAMPAIGN Soy sauce brand is aiming to consolidate its strong market position.

Soy sauce brand Kikkoman has unveiled a new TV

high quality soy sauce like Kikkoman to add that

advertising campaign that is set to hit screens this

distinctive umami and bring a unique depth of

autumn.

flavour to their food. Our record-breaking retail

The company, which enjoyed unprecedented growth during 2020 largely driven by a big increase in more home cooking, is aiming to consolidate its strong market position.

The ‘Cook it up with Kikkoman’ campaign sees the sauce used in a wide variety of ways, from roasting and frying to basting and dipping to enhance the taste of meat, fish and vegetables. The national TV and video-on-demand (VOD) campaign will target a younger ABC1 audience and aims to encourage consumers to try Kikkoman in everyday dishes, as well as in Asian cuisine.

Kikkoman’s campaign, which is due to air from 18 October, will run for four weeks with VOD running for a further two weeks. The commercial will be screened in a 20-second format across ITV, Channel 4 and Skymedia, as well as a host of VOD and online channels including ITV and Channel 4 digital.

In addition, Kikkoman is sponsoring the Food Network channel for two months over November and December 2021.

Bing-yu Lee, Manager of Kikkoman UK, said: “Our hard-hitting above the line campaign this autumn is about reinforcing Kikkoman as a leader among soy sauce brands. During the pandemic many more consumers experienced the stark difference between Chinese-style soy sauces which are mostly processed and contain additives and Kikkoman which is naturally brewed over a long time and contains just four pure ingredients.

“When consumers cook with soy sauce on a daily basis they recognise the importance of using a

24 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 70 / WEDNESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2021

sales during the pandemic took the brand to the number one position in both value and volume.”

NPD AND MEDIA

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

GET EVEN MORE

BLACK IS BACK

BACK OF THE NET!

Golden Wonder’s new ‘Even

Guinness is bringing back its

Cadbury’s Match & Win on-pack

More Fully Flavoured’ range

alcohol-free Guinness 0.0. The

promotion is back for its fifth con-

of £1 PMP sharing packs will

low-calorie option will be availa-

secutive season. The promo,

be available from 26 Sep in

ble later this month in a 4x440ml

which will be appearing on packs

Mature Cheddar & Spring Onion;

can format. The launch will be

through to November, is bigger

Chargrilled Steak; and Crispy

supported with a consumer

than ever with 19 football clubs

Smoked Bacon flavours. The

marketing campaign, including

involved and a bigger prize pot.

launch will be backed with a dig-

a brand-new TV advert.

The promo will be supported by

ital campaign and other activity.

RSP £3.50 to £4.50.

a “significant” marketing spend.

KIWI CRAFTS

LET’S ROLL!

SPOOK-TACULAR

Distributor KBE Drinks has added

The IB Group (Hancocks, World

Frubes has launched a lim-

New Zealand-based craft brewer

of Sweets, Bonds and Bobby’s) is

ited-edition Halloween pack

Yeastie Boys to its world beer

to become exclusive UK distrib-

design.The 9x37g packs are

and cider portfolio in an exclusive

utor for American brand Tootsie

available from October with a

deal. KBE will also take an equity

Roll. Hancocks will be the sole

cut-out Halloween mask and

stake in the business. Initially,

distributor for Tootsie Roll, Toot-

spooky stickers. Flavours include

KBE will focus on driving distri-

sie Fruit Chews, Charms Fluffy

Ghoulish Strawberry, Howling

bution for Big Mouth Session IPA

Stuff, Charleston Chew, Junior

Red Berry, and Scary Peach.

and new lager Superfresh.

Mints and Junior Caramels..

RSP £2

WEDNESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2021 / ISSUE 70 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 25

NOW THAT’S A

OUT TH

DELIVEROO

On-demand hea

Deliveroo extends its on-demand co

Boots has launched on Deliveroo with more than 400 health and beauty products that can be delivered to customers’ doors in as little as 20 minutes.

The pilot is available to Deliveroo customers from Boots stores in Birmingham (High Street), Brighton (North Street), Cambridge (Petty Curry), Croydon (Whitgift Centre), Edinburgh (Princes Street), Leeds (Trinity), Liverpool, (Clayton Square), London (Brent Cross, Croydon Whitgift Centre, Liverpool Street Station and Piccadilly Circus), Milton Keynes (Crown Walk), Newcastle (Eldon Square), Nottingham (Victoria Centre), and Southampton (Above Bar Street).

The companies said the pilot could expand to more Boots stores in the future if the pilot stores are successful.The range available through Deliveroo includes: ● Medicines for minor ailments such as coughs and colds, hay fever and mild pain; ● Bestselling beauty including No7, The Inkey List and CeraVe; ● Toiletries and skincare favourites like tampons, deodorant, and body lotion; ● Baby essentials from nappies to milk formula as well as children’s medicines like Calpol; ● Food and drink options with an assortment of sandwiches, snacks and drinks.

Customers can purchase Boots beauty exclusives such as No7 Restore and Renew Face Cream, No7 Advanced Retinol 1.5% Complex Night Concentrate and No7 Extreme Length Mascara

26 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 70 / WEDNESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2021

through Deliveroo. Boots own-brand ranges, such as Soltan and Staydry, will also be available, alongside bathroom cabinet essentials like plasters, vitamins and hand sanitiser.

A GOOD IDEA…

HE BOX

O / BOOTS

alth and beauty

onvenience offering with Boots UK.

to the same period the previous year and continue on a strong trajectory. Boots offers next day click-and-collect and home delivery for online orders and this new partnership with Deliveroo enables it to provide even greater speed to customers that need it.

consumers, delivered in as little as 20 minutes, and will create more work for riders across the UK.” The new Boots partnership enables Deliveroo to further increase the choice and selection of on-demand convenience products to consumers.

This partnership will mean more choice and selection for our consumers, delivered in as little as 20 minutes, and will create more work for riders across the UK.” Carlo Mocci, Deliveroo

Paula Bobbett, Director of boots. com at Boots UK, said: “We are very excited about this new partnership with Deliveroo and have carefully selected over 400 products for its launch to help our customers get the things they need, when they need them. It will be super handy for times when you need something urgently but can’t leave the house, like if you’re feeling unwell or are looking after your kids. Our online business continues to grow and this partnership offers our customers a way to access our products quickly and easily.”

Carlo Mocci, Chief Business Officer UKI at Deliveroo, added: Over 400 products are “We are delighted to announce available to cusa new partnership with Boots tomers and can be in 14 stores across the country. delivered in 20 minutes.

Boots has seen a conBoots is the UK’s leading health and beauty retailer and the top tinued rise in online sales during the pandemic. Orders consumer choice for high-quality and on boots.com were up 85% between 1 popular products. This partnership will mean more choice and selection for our March 2020 and 1 March 2021 compared

Oliver Guy, Senior Director of Industry Solutions at Software AG, said: “Food delivery has already expanded into grocery delivery, so it’s natural to see it expand into other smaller products where customers have an immediate need.”

He added: “Boots is a great example of an organisation with a very broad footprint of stores close to centres of the population – they have one or more branches in every city, town and large village across the UK. A few years ago, they launched the ability to pick-up high-level cosmetics and other products not normally carried in the smaller community stores.

“Dealing with the ‘last mile’ via a partner like Deliveroo could well be the next step in the journey – with medicines, childcare products and other categories often being urgent requirements that customers are prepared to pay for convenience with.”

WEDNESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2021 / ISSUE 70 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 27

IT

NEW

E L B A L I A V A

NOW

BEFORE YOU GO

RETAIL RANDOMS

Is that a JET forecourt?

There’s been a lot of talk in the world of convenience retailing recently about standing out from the competition by becoming a destination store or having a unique selling point.

Ian Aitkenhead, former owner of Bishopmill Service Station in Elgin, was clearly a man ahead of his time when he snapped up a former RAF Cold War-era Blackburn Buccaneer attack jet for a “few thousand pounds” in 1996.

For the past quarter of a century the plane has been quietly driving footfall to the forecourt, which is currently Esso-branded. As Ian says: “A lot of holidaymakers have called by, it has been very well photographed over the years.”

However, the site’s new owners have other plans for the sizeable chunk of land the 63-foot-long antique occupies and so Ian has put it up for sale on Gumtree for the bargain price of £28,000.

The burning question remains: why in the world did the petrol station switch fuel brand away from JET?

No smoke without fire (extinguisher) Sticking with the petrol station theme, a fouryear-old clip has resurfaced and is currently doing its best to go viral on social media.

The grainy forecourt footage, which a distinct lack of combat aircraft suggests wasn’t shot in Elgin, reveals what happened next after a driver threw common sense out of the window and proceeded to fill up his car while smoking a cigarette.

The store assistant is to be commended for quickly resorting to draconian measures in what was – all joking aside – a potentially lethal situation for all concerned.

He probably realised there was no point in trying to reason with someone who doesn’t know which way round a cap is supposed to sit on your head.

WEDNESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2021 / ISSUE 70 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 29

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