The Week in Retail 74

RETAIL

THE WEEK IN

NISA RETAILER INSTALLS DRAFT BEER

CO-OP’S SECOND FRANCHISE STORE IN SCOTLAND AUGMENTED REALITY

JISP’S TECH PARTNERSHIP WITH NISA

ASDA TRIALS SELF DRIVING VAN FOR HOME DELIVERY

PARTNERS DEVELOP PROMO VOUCHER SYSTEM HOME DELIVERY

CO-OP TEAMS UP WITH AMAZON

GLASGOW WILL GET SERVICE FIRST

HOME DELIVERY

MOTHERWELL MILLION MILESTONE

ONE STOP FRANCHISEE HITS SNAPPY SHOPPER £1M SALES MARK

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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

Pushing the tech boundaries This week has been filled with eyebrow-raising technological advances and success stories in the sector.

Raising eyebrows highest was the news that Co-op has formed a partnership with Amazon.

The deal currently enables shoppers in most Glasgow postcodes to do a full Co-op grocery shop – with same-day delivery – if they have a Prime membership.

The service, which will be expanded to more Prime members across the UK in the coming months, has been criticised by the GMB union, but I’m struggling to see what the problem is. Consumers will love the convenience of having their groceries delivered to their doorsteps within a day of ordering them. Not quite the one hour delivery many independent retailers are achieving, but progress nonetheless.

And being on Amazon will showcase the Co-op brand to new shoppers who will most likely have to turn to their local convenience store when Prime can’t deliver those Co-op own-brand goodies quickly enough. I know I’m not waiting hours on end for my Co-op sweets and biscuits when all I have to do is walk five minutes to my local Nisa or do an order on Snappy Shopper.

The Co-op also confirmed the extension of its partnership with Starship, a delivery robot company launched by the co-founders of Skype, which allows the delivery of groceries in as little as 20 minutes.

The service enables the retailer to dramatically reduce its carbon emissions.

But it’s not just Co-op pushing tech envelopes.

This week also saw Nisa agree a partnership with Jisp to launch augmented reality vouchering system Scan & Save. The system reads product barcodes and offers customers exclusive promotions, which they can save and redeem with their mobiles. The solution will let retailers reduce their carbon footprint through the reduced need for in-store POS. It will also improve communications and grow sales in store. It’s a win-win situation for retailers and their customers.

Then there was the news that One Stop franchisee Adeil Hussain, based in Motherwell, has reached £1m of sales through the Snappy Shopper app. He has racked up a massive 19,660 orders and 800 customers since he started the service in February 2020. That’s an incredible effort and I’m sure his local community can’t thank him and his team enough for introducing the service.

All these stories are great news for the sector, they will help ensure that convenience stores remain competitive in the face of on-demand grocery apps, while making stores more environmentally friendly too. I can’t wait to see what developments the sector unveils this coming week.

LIZ WELLS, DEPUTY EDITOR

WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 3

IT

NEW

E L B A L I A V A

NOW

CONTENTS

WEDNESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 W W W.SLR M AG.C O.U K

10 THIS WEEK’S NEWS IN BRIEF The government makes a deal to get CO2 production restarted and the Co-op teams up with Amazon.

18 RETAIL TECH

SYMBOL GROUPS

Nisa partners with Jisp to launch a new augmented reality vouchering system that sends promotions directly to consumers’ mobile phones.

Nisa Local Earl Shilton in Leicestershire offers draft beer as part of a unique bistro-style customer experience.

9 Covid-19 update

16 Business intelligence

23 Picks of the week

The latest coronavirus-related news.

UK shopping habits are drifting towards

A look at the latest new products and

12 Home delivery

convenience channels while monthly

food sales fall as the hospitality industry

30 Out the box: autonomous vehicles

recovers.

A One Stop retailer using the Snappy Shopper makes £1m in sales.

14 Co-op

20 Sustainability

marketing campaigns.

Asda to trial self-driving vans for last mile delivery.

Mondelez and Britvic increase their

33 Before you go...

store in Scotland and also exhibits at the

recycled packaging and Budweiser pilots

Chelsea Flower Show.

Europe’s lowest carbon footprint beer can.

The Co-op opens its second franchise

TWITTER.COM/SLRMAG

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SLRMAG

Sainsbury’s gets itself embroiled in an apostrophe catastrophe.

WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK

WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 5

NEWS DIGEST

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

VACCINE POLICY POSTERS The ACS has launched new posters to help retailers communicate national vaccination policies to their

CARBON DIOXIDE CRISIS

Government agrees emergency short-term CO2 deal The agreement with the UK’s biggest carbon dioxide producer CF Fertilisers will only last for three weeks.

staff. The posters can be used to encourage colleagues to take up their opportunity to have their flu and Covid-19 vaccinations. The posters are all available to download here.

The government has agreed a short-term deal with CF Fertilisers, which produces around 60% of the UK’s carbon dioxide, to ensure its continued supply to businesses.

The arrangement will allow the company

ALDI TRIALS SCAN AND GO TECH

to immediately restart operations and pro-

Aldi is trialling new checkout-

will provide limited financial support for

In response, British Soft Drinks Asso-

free technology that will

CF’s operating costs for three weeks while

ciation Director General Gavin Partington,

allow customers to scan a

the CO2 market adapts to global gas prices.

said: “With the likelihood that it may take

smartphone app to enter the

The government said it has held discus-

a few days for production to resume, com-

store, pick up their shopping,

sions with the main food producers and

bined with ongoing HGV driver shortage

and simply walk out without the

supermarkets, and it is committed to doing

issues, it’s possible that supply of certain

need to pay at a till. Staff are

whatever it takes to move to a sustainable

products won’t be as abundant as usual over

currently testing the system

market-based solution by the end of the

the next week or so, but this should only be

and further pilots will be carried

three-week period.

a short-lived situation.”

duce CO2, used primarily by the food sector, at its Billingham plant. The government

out by members of the public.

NISA EXPO PREVIEW IS LIVE Nisa retailers are being granted

PayPoint unveils ‘Refer a Friend’ scheme PayPoint has launched a ‘refer a friend’ scheme to reward PayPoint One customers and encourage retailers to sign

early access to its Expo platform, allowing them to test the technology, view stands, and book appointments with suppliers and the Nisa team.

The event, which will be held virtually on 28-29 September, will also feature Nisa’s annual awards ceremony.

6 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 74/ WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021

up to the company’s advanced EPoS offering.

The promotion encourages existing PayPoint One retailers to refer someone to sign up to the PayPoint One service in return for a free month’s service fee credited back to their account. In addition, the retailer that is referred will also be eligible to claim back their first month’s service fee for any new site.

PayPoint’s refer a retailer initiative runs until 29 October 2021.

NEWS DIGEST

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

GREEN CLAIMS CODE

ONLINE SHOPPING

Co-op teams up with Amazon for Prime home delivery partnership

The Competition and Markets Authority has published the

The service will initially be available in most postcodes within Glasgow before being expanded across the UK.

Green Claims Code to help firms understand how to communicate their green

Co-op has unveiled plans to accelerate its e-commerce strategy with a new partnership with Amazon.

Co-op on Amazon will initially be available in the majority of postcodes within Glasgow in addition to surrounding areas including Hamilton and Paisley, before being expanded across the UK in the coming months.

Prime customers will be able to choose from thousands of groceries, including Co-op own-brand products, Co-op Fairtrade selection, and many brands.

John Boumphrey, Amazon UK Country Manager, said: “Our partnership with Co-op is another way for us to provide our Amazon Prime

credentials while reducing the risk of misleading shoppers.

Businesses have until the New Year to make sure their claims comply with the law.

STOPTOBER RETURNS Stoptober returns on 1 October

customers with more choice, value and convenience to shop for their everyday groceries.”

Jo Whitfield, Chief Executive Co-op Food, added: “Co-op on Amazon will offer shoppers a shopping experience, with ease, speed and, choice of great value products, conveniently.”

PVM scheme offers sweet rewards Confectionery giant Perfetti Van Melle (PVM) is urging convenience stores to sign up for its new Loyalty Reward Scheme, which includes a £100,000 giveaway.

PVM has worked with retailers to create a £2m programme that features a range of stocking and merchandising initiatives to help them boost profits and reap other rewards.

The points-based membership scheme will encourage retailers to

display PVM’s best sellers on dedicated merchandising racks, for which they will be rewarded. The more points they collect, the better their rewards will be.

Among the offers are free stock, display solutions, category advice from PVM’s field sales force, and the chance to be entered into a draw for gift vouchers worth up to £1,000.

Retailers will need to stock additional lines, feature POS signposting or add displays, to gain extra points.

for its 10th mass quit attempt.

More than 2.3 million people have attempted to quit since the campaign’s launch 10 years ago. Leading UK health organisations are joining in the call to get smokers to give quitting a go this October.

MORRISONS BINS BANANA PLASTIC Morrisons has pledged to become the first supermarket to remove plastic bags from all the bananas sold in its stores following a 12-week trial.

New paper bands will start to replace the bags that currently package some bananas, removing 45 million single-use plastic bags from Morrisons stores each year.

WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 7

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NEWS SPECIAL

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

Coronavirus changes how we shop

CO-OP GROWS ROBOT FLEET

Cards now account for more than four in every five pounds spent.

Co-op and Starship Technologies are extending their partnership, adding new robots to take their total fleet to 500 autonomous vehicles across the UK, while launching robotic delivery services in five new towns and cities.

The pair will increase the robot fleet by more than 300 by the end of 2021

expected to be making

– from 19.1 billion in 2019 to 16.7 billion in 2020 – but consumers spent on average 20% more per transaction.

The average transaction value increased from £20.16 in 2019 to £24.15 in 2020, the research reveals.

Andrew Cregan, Payments Policy Advisor at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Despite the general movement to card payments, retailers are being punished through the soaring cost of accepting such payments. Parliament needs to urgently intervene in this anti-competitive behaviour by regulating card scheme fees and abolishing interchange fees, both of which ultimately hurt consumers. Card firms are abusing their dominant market position, and this must come to an end.”

deliveries in five new towns and cities, with Cambridgeshire the next location after Coop and Starship first launched the emission-

TECH SOLUTIONS

T

he pandemic is continuing to change the way we shop – how we pay and the number and size of trips – new research reveals.

The British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) latest annual Payments Survey reveals that debit and credit card transactions accounted for 81% of transactions, compared to 78% of transactions in 2019. For the first time debit card transactions accounted for more than half of all transactions (54%).

The pandemic and digital shift mean that cash use now accounts for just 15% of total spending in retail, down from 20% in 2019, although it still accounts for 30% of individual transactions.

In addition, the survey shows the number of transactions fell by 13%

The robots are

free autonomous delivery service in Milton Keynes in 2018, and Northampton in 2020.

Shoppers can choose from more than 3,000 grocery items, which are delivered in as little as 20 minutes through the Starship Food Delivery app.

WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 9

C OV E R

TECHNO

NISA RET

Jisp launches AR solution with Nisa The promotional vouchering system combines augmented reality technology from Scandit with Jisp’s consumer app.

N

isa has partnered with retail technology company Julian Fisher, Chief Executive of Jisp, said: “This is truly Jisp to launch augmented reality (AR) vouchering disrupting technology that will revolutionise the way brands system Scan & Save. advertise their products in physical stores whilst maximising The system combines AR technology from Scandit, a spesales for retailers. With a crowd of marketing and promocialist in mobile computer vision, with Jisp’s consumer app. tional materials taking up space, messaging can be diluted Scan & Save reads product barcodes and presents consumers or, at worse, confuse customers. With Scan & Save by Jisp, with exclusive promotions, which they can then save and chosen promotions are delivered directly to consumers’ redeem with their mobile phones. mobile phones.

The solution will help brands focus on minimising carbon “This technology feeds into our suite of solutions such as footprint and waste through reduced need home delivery, click-and-collect and scan for in-store POS, optimising budgets, Scan & Save will support & go, benefitting brands, retailers and improving commerce/communications consumers whilst at the same time probrands and retailers’ and growing sales in store. Retailers will marketing efforts once the viding fresh opportunities for advertising also be remunerated for each scan and post-HFSS legislation. We are exceptionHFSS (high in fat, sugar and redemption of the voucher, creating an salt) legislation comes into ally proud to be the first UK company to opportunity for brands to incentivise store force in October 2022. provide this service to brands and retailowners and build loyalty. ers of any size and shape.”

Scan & Save will also support brands and retailers’ marketThe symbol group’s Sales Director, Steve Leach, tweeted ing efforts once HFSS (high in fat, sugar and salt) legislation that the technology had received “really positive feedback” comes into force in October 2022. Jisp ensures compliance from the Nisa retailers that had trialled it. with the regulation, as the AR vouchers will only appear to James Taylor, Head of Central Operations at Nisa, comthose customers that are actively looking to purchase a prodmented: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Jisp to trial uct in the HFSS category, and allows brands and retailers to this innovative solution through Nisa partners and look forhyper-personalise their offers by fascia, location and customer. ward to seeing how Scan & Save performs and importantly, The solution will initially be launched in 12 Nisa stores the response it gets from independent retailers and their customers. across the UK and will allow customers to exclusively save “This initiative from Jisp is another example of how forup to 60% on more than 65 products across the store from leading brands such as Mondelez, PepsiCo, Kellogg’s, Molson ward-thinking they are as a business and we’re delighted to Coors, and Nomad Foods. be able to work with them on such an exciting project.”

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S T O RY

OLOGY

TAIL / JISP

Delivering branded promotions at the point-of-sale, Scan & Save will further let brands and retailers deliver personalised campaigns where one shopper will receive an entirely different offer based on their profile and shopping habits in the Jisp app.

Samuel Mueller, Chief Executive at Scandit, said: “Augmented reality is enabling retailers to innovate and evolve their physical stores from being just a traditional point-of-sale

to a more engaging experience by displaying dynamic up-todate information to the customers, thus improving their shopping experience. We are delighted to see the use of our AR technology in Jisp’s industry-first Scan & Save launch, which brings innovation to independent retailers and their customers, while increasing the opportunity for brands to customise their offerings.”

WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 11

HOME DE

MOTHERWELL MIL

ONE S

One Stop franchisee hits Snappy Shopper £1m mark Motherwell store has reached £1m-worth of sales through the delivery service.

O

ne Stop franchisee Adeil Hussain is celebrating after reaching £1m-worth of sales through the delivery service, Snappy Shopper, in under 20 months.

Snappy Shopper allows customers to order their favourite products from their local convenience store for delivery from as little as 30 minutes.

Hussain has been offering the service at his store in Airbles, Motherwell, since February 2020. He introduced the service when Covid was closing in, but as a new concept, things didn’t take off

immediately and he was fulfilling just a couple of deliveries a day.

However, when the first lockdown happened Hussain says things really changed pace, and he hasn’t looked back.

The infrastructure with Snappy Shopper was in place and a couple of orders per Hussain has worked hard to make the Snappy Shopper delivery service a success, talking first-hand to his loyal customers, and using social media to spread the word.

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day turned into 15. This figure increased each week, to 55 deliveries a day and could run anywhere up to 100 a day. He has now racked up more than 19,660 orders and 800 customers.

Adeil commented: “I was very keen to help my local community get their supplies in whatever way helped them the most. We have a lot of elderly people who get their pension from our in-store post office. I was able to chat to them about the delivery options, explaining they could stay at home and their shopping brought directly to them. We had 80% of people subsequently take up the service.

“It hasn’t just benefitted the elderly; many people have been shielding or can’t get out so easily. We deliver to mothers with young children, or people who work from home and can’t run down to the shops.”

Hussain says that even though lockdown has finished, customers keep returning. He said: “This service gives people the freedom to browse. They can look online, see what’s available and take advantage of the offers and promotions, so they can do a more thorough shop.

It’s about creating a sense of normality for them.”

E L I V E RY

LLION MILESTONE

STOP

He works hard to make the Snappy Shopper delivery service a success and, as well as talking to his customers, he also uses social media to help spread the word. Hussain said: “At certain times of the year Snappy Shopper provides us with a map of where sales come from. This then enables us to target areas where we’re not so busy and can let potential customers know what’s available and that we’re there for them.”

John Miller, One Stop’s Head of Franchise, says lockdown has shown what the future of convenience retailing looks like and how customers are preferring to shop. People are working differently; needs are changing and convenience is ever more in demand, he says.

Miller added: “This is a fantastic milestone for Adeil and his team and shows how hard everyone has worked to achieve such profitable sales, whilst,

Snappy Shopper allows customers to order their favourite products from their local convenience store for delivery from as little as 30 minutes.

at the same time, helping so many in the community.

“At One Stop we are committed to providing our franchisees with opportunities like this and work with a number of delivery partners to get our products out to our customers. We spoke with Adeil as far back as 2017 about a home delivery service but the pandemic accelerated this and continues to provide an ideal way for many people to shop.

Congratulations to Adeil for harnessing this enormous growth area and showing what can be achieved in a relatively short space of time.”

People are working differently; needs are changing and convenience is ever more in demand, says John Miller of One Stop

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S TO R E O P E N I N G S

UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN CO-OP

Co-op opens second franchise store in Scotland The University of Aberdeen’s campus store has undergone a £300,000 refit.

T

he Co-op has teamed up with the University of Aberdeen to transform the existing campus store and relaunch it as Scotland’s second Co-op franchise store.

The store, which is located in the Hillhead Student Village, has undergone a £300,000 refurb.

Shoppers can now stock up on essentials and find new everyday favourites, with a range of bakery products, foodto-go, hot food, an enhanced chilled, fresh and frozen range, meal ideas, award-winning wines, ready meals and pizzas, free-from, vegan and plant-based alternatives, and Fairtrade products.

The store also has a Seattle’s Best coffee machine and self-service tills for further ease, speed and convenience. In addition, students who have a Young Scot or TOTUM card will receive a 10% discount.

Calum MacLachlan, Head of Commercial Services at University of Aberdeen, said: “Co-op is the perfect partner for the Hillhead Student Village complex. The quality, convenience and values of Co-op resonate strongly with the

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student population and I’m delighted to be amongst the first UK universities to be partnering with the Co-op on campus.”

Franchisee ORL Group, which also operates the Co-op at Stirling University, added: “The store has been rejuvenated and rebranded following a £300,000 investment and now features an in-store bakery, hot food and a wide range of fresh and student focused meal missions.

We’re really excited to welcome the students of the University of Aberdeen to our brand-new store and look forward to continue exploring new opportunities with the Co-op.”

COMMUNITY

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW CO-OP

Co-op celebrates Communities in Bloom at Chelsea Flower Show

T

Co-op is to exhibit at RHS Chelsea Flower Show for the first time this year.

he supermarket’s garden, titled ‘Communities in Bloom’, will be on show in London on 21-26 September.

The garden, which has been designed to celebrate the supermarket’s ‘horticulture revolution’ in the past couple of years, showcases the two bedrocks of its flower offer: seasonal British blooms and Fairtrade flowers.

The garden, designed by landscape gardeners and Chelsea veterans Sallis & Chandler, is centred around a message of hope, that when communities come together, they can change the world around them for the better. The design focuses on three core elements – access

to food, education and mental wellbeing, and the real difference Co-op’s partnerships with like-minded organisations in these areas can make.

The garden’s centrepiece is a children’s playground, where communities naturally come together, and artworks around the garden have been created by students from Co-op Academy schools and express their hopes for the future.

The design also features an allotment area to symbolise how important sustainable solutions for local communities is.

Gemma Gray, Horticulture Technical Manager at Co-op, said: “We are so proud to celebrate the power of

communities at our RHS Chelsea Flower Show exhibit, working with designers, Sallis & Chandler to weave this into the garden’s design, through the beauty of flowers.

“Where we can, we’ve used Fairtrade and British flowers to support communities at home and around the world. We were the first UK supermarket florist to use 100% Fairtrade roses sourced from Africa and every Fairtrade flower sold supports the flower farmers, pickers and their communities in Kenya.” ● For those visiting the show, the Co-op’s garden is site number GFP 224.

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BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

SHOPPING HABITS NIELSENIQ

UK shopping habits ‘shifting towards convenience’ Shift toward the convenience channel is a result of a gradual return of pre-pandemic consumer habits.

G

rocery spend at convenience stores grew by +3.3% in the past four weeks ending 11 September 2021, outperforming the growth at UK supermarkets, which rose by +0.6% during the same period, new data from NielsenIQ reveals.

NielsenIQ says this shift toward the convenience channel is a result of a gradual return of pre-pandemic consumer

Visits to all stores are up 10% compared with last year but still 6% down on 2019.

habits, as workers slowly return to offices and children are back in schools.

The data shows visits to all stores are up 10% compared with last year. However, visits are still down 6% compared to 2019, showing there is still room for growth. Online’s share of sales remains steady at 12.4%, slightly down compared to the same period last year (13%), with the trend towards smaller online baskets.

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NielsenIQ data reveals that total till grocery sales for the four-week period rose to +1.8% compared to the same period last year. This is an improvement from +1.1% in August 2021 and a +7.3% growth in sales against 2019.

Meanwhile, gorcery shoppers spent a whopping £9.8bn at the major supermarkets in the past four weeks. This figure is well over half a billion pounds (£526m) more than the same period in 2019 (+6%).

Mike Watkins, NielsenIQ’s UK Head of Retailer and Business Insight, said: “UK shopping habits are shifting once again, this time towards convenience channels as Brits return to more impulsive shopping behaviours that correspond with a return to pre-pandemic lifestyles. The warm weather in early September also helped.

“However, there remain some clouds on the horizon as rising energy costs and inflation could hit disposable incomes, whilst availability concerns could present challenges. However, grocers can still expect to look forward to a shortterm boost as some of the incremental spend has not yet returned to the hospitality channels, and shoppers are likely to plan in advance if household budgets are more constrained.”

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

FOOD SALES OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS

F

Food sales sale falling as hospitality recovers

The monthly fall in food sales may be associated with an increase in social spending.

ood store sales volumes fell by 1.2% in August 2021, following a fall of 2.0% in the previous month, new research shows.

The Office for National Statistics said this monthly fall in food sales volume may be associated with an increase in social spending linked to the further lifting of hospitality restrictions since July. This is supported by data from Open Table, which showed a pickup in online restaurant reservations in August.

However, despite the monthly fall, food store sales volumes are still 3.4% above pre-coronavirus pandemic levels in February 2020.

The figures also show automotive fuel sales volumes increased by 1.5% in August as people continued to increase the amount they travel. This is supported

by Department for Transport road traffic data which reported an increase in the volume of motor vehicle traffic during August. However, automotive fuel sales volumes were 1.2% lower than February 2020, before the impact of the pandemic.

The proportion of retail sales online rose to 27.7% in August 2021 from 27.1% in July, substantially higher than the 19.7% in February 2020 before the pandemic, the ONS data reveals.

Karen Johnson, Head of Retail & Wholesale at Barclays Corporate Banking, said: “Looking ahead, we can expect to see sales figures return to some kind of

normality as the nation settles itself into the post-lockdown world.

“It has been great to see consumer confidence remaining strong, and now the whole sector will be hoping that supply issues won’t pose too much of a challenge for meeting demand in the coming months.”

Lynda Petherick, Head of Retail, Accenture UKI, added: “The easing of self-isolation rules, summer staycations and further easing of hospitality restrictions helped maintain a healthy level of consumer spending.

“However, the continued impact of labour shortages and supply chain disruption weighed heavy on the sector, in a month that was characterised by images of bare shop shelves and delayed deliveries.”

The easing of self-isolation rules, summer staycations and further easing of hospitality restrictions helped maintain a healthy level of consumer spending.

WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 17

SYMBOL GROUPS

BEER ON TAP NISA

Nisa retailer installs draft beer The Leicestershire-based store’s new look bistro is driving sales.

N

isa Local Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, has installed draft beer in the bistro at the rear of the store as part of plans to create a unique experience for customers.

Store owner Sukhi Dhami said by putting everything together under one roof they are driving sales, as well as customer satisfaction.

The retailer said: “When we first launched, we designed the eating area as a coffee shop with a barista and offered cakes and light snacks.

“During Covid we closed it down and moved a hot unit into the store and served pastries and pizzas. They

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absolutely flew out and so we decided to expand by offering proper lunches in the bistro and it has just grown from there.”

The bistro has been re-branded and is now known as the Pig on a Fork with new signage and matching menus.

“Now we have added the draft beers it means our shoppers can really treat themselves when they come in and with it all being under one roof it is a unique set-up.

“We think it is something a little bit different to offer. We know lots of the big supermarkets do coffee shops and cafes, but how many offer a nice meal and a drink of wine or a cold beer?”

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

RECYCLED PACKAGING MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL

Cadbury Dairy Milk packaging to be made with recycled plastic The move is part of a broader global commitment to reduce the use of virgin plastic material.

M

ondelēz International has revealed that Cadbury Dairy Milk is to be made with packaging containing up to 30% recycled plastic (rPET).

Cadbury will roll out the packaging innovation on more than 28 million sharing bars in 2022 as part of a broader global commitment to reduce the use of virgin plastic material in its overall plastic packaging portfolio by 5% by 2025.

Mondelēz is already using 75% rPET in its Dairylea Lunchables and Snackers

packaging in the UK and will also begin using recycled plastic in its Philadelphia tubs and lids from next year.

Louise Stigant, UK Managing Director of Mondelēz International, said: “This next step in our journey to reduce our use of virgin plastic in our iconic Cadbury range is a really important one, which I am very proud of.

“We are committed to reducing waste and closing the loop on packaging – keeping valuable materials within the economy and out of the environment.

20 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 74/ WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021

Our increased use of recycled plastic will drive demand for this material and reduce our need to produce new, virgin plastic.”

Earlier this year Mondelēz joined forces with retailers and other FMCG leaders to finance and launch the Flexible Plastics Fund. The fund is designed to drive up UK recycling rates of flexible plastic through front of store collections initially, with the longer-term aim to include this material within UK household collections.

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

RECYCLED PACKAGING BRITVIC

Britvic to move brands to 100% rPET bottles this month

The change will be supported with clear on-pack messaging across selected brands, in-store, and outlet activation.

B

ritvic is to move several its brands to 100% rPET (recycled plastics), across single serve 500ml and 600ml bottles, by the end of September.

Pepsi MAX, 7UP Free, Tango, Lipton, Robinsons Ready to Drink, and Drench will move to rPET packaging, with Mountain Dew following suit in December 2022.

The change will be supported with clear on-pack messaging across selected brands, in-store, and outlet activation via POS materials and a new TV advert from Pepsi MAX.

Tom Fiennes, Commercial Sustainability Director at Britvic, said: “At Britvic, we’ve announced our intention that all bottles produced and sold by us in GB will be made from 100% rPET by the end of 2022. We have already made huge progress towards this goal, but are pleased to confirm the next step in achieving our target, making the change across leading brands and in time for Recycle Week.”

Independent research has found that 80% of Brits think it is important that manufacturers and brands use recycled plastic, with 58% stating they are more likely to choose a soft drink brand that

communicates its use of 100% rPET on-pack, than those that don’t.

Fiennes added: “To further support our trade customers, we’re not only proud to be delivering action, but also helping them to generate sales at point of purchase through the on-pack communications on our move to 100% rPET, and POS materials. We have also invested in a fully integrated single serve campaign, which will lead with Pepsi MAX appearing on social, TV and OOH.” Lipton Ice Tea was the first to make the change, with 100% rPET 500ml bottles on shelves this summer.

WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 21

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

LOW CARBON CANS BUDWEISER BREWING GROUP

Bud pilots beer can with lowest carbon footprint in Europe The cans will be sold across UK retailers as soon as autumn 2021.

B

udweiser Brewing Group has partnered with aluminium producer Rusal, can manufacturer Canpack, and aluminium rolling expert Elval to produce a can with the lowest carbon footprint for an AB InBev beer can produced in Europe.

The pilot will see the production of five million ultra-low carbon Budweiser 440ml cans using new inert anode aluminium technology, produced using renewable electricity. The cans will carry the lowest-ever carbon footprint for an AB InBev Europe can and will be sold in the UK as soon as autumn 2021.

The cans are the result of a partnership among sustainability-minded businesses who have worked together to

pilot the initiative in Europe. The cans will be produced by Canpack UK using 100% renewable electricity and made from aluminium coils manufactured

by Elval. The metal was produced by replacing the usual primary aluminium with an ultra-low carbon primary aluminium produced by Rusal with the breakthrough emission-free inert anode technology. The cans will be filled at Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I breweries in Magor, South Wales, and Samlesbury, Lancashire, which are powered by 100% renewable electricity.

Mauricio Coindreau, Sustainability Director at Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, said: “Like our consumers, we care about climate change, and want

22 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 74/ WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021

to make it as easy as possible for people to choose environmentally-friendly options in their day-to-day lives, whether it’s enjoying a beer brewed with 100% renewable electricity and locally sourced ingredients, or now in a low-carbon can.

“We’re excited about this pilot, made possible thanks to the collaboration with our partners and this amazing technological breakthrough.”

The low-carbon cans will continue to support decarbonisation through their endless recyclability. Three-quarters of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today and decarbonisation is accelerating in the industry, showing consumers can trust aluminium as a circular and low-carbon packaging material.

NPD AND MEDIA

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

GUINNESS PASTE

BOXING CLEVER

Guinness Cooking Paste has

Mackie’s Crisps is to bring a

been designed to be a ‘secret

much-loved Boxing Day tradi-

Hancocks Christmas 2021 range

ingredient’ to bring meals to life.

tion into packet form. ‘Boxing

contains around 600 lines from

The product is suitable for veg-

Day Curry’ is set for a limited

over 50 global suppliers. It fea-

etarians and can be used as a

initial run of 250,000 bags. The

tures new Bonds Candy Stars

stir-in or as a rub for meat and

new 150g share bags will be sold

140g and Reindeer Jellies 140g

vegetables. It comes in a fully

from a range of retailers across

share bags, ‘Festive Mix’ Shaker

recyclable glass jar (200g).

Scotland, to be announced in the

Cup from Bonds, and Bonds

RSP £3

coming weeks.

Sweet Sprinkles.

WARBIES PMPs

GOOD TO BE BACK

BREAD BAG

Warburtons has re-launched its

Whitworths is launching its first

Kingsmill has unveiled its new

range of price-marked packs

TV campaign in more than 40

bread bag to help demonstrate

to offer the best value to cus-

years. ‘Good By Nature’ follows

how a circular economy could

tomers and consumers alike.

the brand’s repositioning over

work for soft plastics. The bag,

The refreshed range includes

the past five years from home

which features 30% advanced

three of Warburtons’ bestsellers:

baking towards a natural-based

recycled content, is moving to

Half White Half Wholemeal and

healthier snacking and eating

recycled material on a 30% mass

Wholemeal loaves (both £1.15),

brand, suitable for multiple con-

balanced basis over the next 12

and 6-pack Crumpets (99p).

sumption occasions.

months.

CHRISTMAS CONFECTIONERY

WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 23

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK – AUNT BESSIE’S TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM

AUNT BESSIE’S REVAMPS ROASTIE RECIPE

The brand has also invested £2.1m to advertise its new and improved roast potatoes.

Andy Dale, Senior Brand Manager for Aunt Bessie’s, said: “Our new and improved roast potatoes are the fluffiest and crispiest we’ve created to date – this isn’t just our view, but the thoughts of consumers too, after testing revealed the new recipe to have significantly higher preference scores versus competing variants.

“Our new roast potato recipe will ensure Aunt Bessie’s continues to play a leading role in driving the performance of the segment over the Christmas period. As the brand leader in frozen roast potatoes, our growth is intrinsically linked to the success of the category, with 71% Aunt Bessie’s has invested in a £2.1m

of our roast potato

extension to its pre-existing advertising

range’s

growth

campaign to feature its new and

incremental to the

improved roast potatoes.

segment, while

The revamped range comes ahead

our roast pota-

of the busy autumn and winter period, as

toes have 94%

Aunt Bessie’s aims to build upon its strong

more incremen-

position as brand leader. At the core of the

tal shoppers

refresh is a new recipe that has allowed

in December

the brand to claim these are the ‘crispiest’

compared to

& ‘fluffiest’ Aunt Bessie’s roast potatoes

the average month. The combination

yet, according to consumers involved in testing.

The new recipe will be accompanied by updated packaging, both of which roll out on core roast potato products this month.

of new recipe and continued marketing support will help to ensure we are front of mind over the festive period.”

Packs of Aunt Bessie’s Delicious Roasties

The TV campaign, which airs from mid-October

that are included as part of recipe revamp are as

through to December, will emphasise the products’

follows: 600g (£1.55), 800g (£2.10) 1.4kg (£3)

improved taste and quality.

and 5kg (£5).

24 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 74/ WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021

NPD AND MEDIA

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

ALPRO UNVEILS ALL-STAR CAMPAIGN

Sports heroes team up with brand to promote the health benefits of soya.

Alpro has kicked-off a new cross-channel campaign,

David Jiscoot, Marketing Director for Alpro UK

backed by sports heroes, to promote the health

& Ireland, said: “This campaign is set to shoot

benefits of Alpro Soya drinks and catch the eye of

further growth for our popular Alpro Soya range

new shoppers.

and show health and sports fans – no matter what

The campaign, ‘Plant-Based for Protein Lovers’,

league they’re in – how they can use the plant-

sees swimming star Adam Peaty, boxing champ Nicola

based power of soya to benefit their health, and

Adams, top footballer Tyrone Mings, and tennis pro

do their bit for the planet too.

Heather Watson join forces as Team Plant-Based.

“Soya has become a bit of an unsung hero in

The sporting stars champion the little-known protein

the world of plant-based in recent years, despite

benefits of soya – described by Alpro as the “unsung

the fact it’s a nutritional knockout that’s full of plant

hero” of plant-based food & drink – and unveil Alpro

protein – and a true plant-based alternative to

Soya as their “secret weapon” for upping their intake

dairy that can deliver on nutrition, with stand-out

of plant-based protein.

eco credentials too.”

The campaign is also playing out across social

He added: “There is still a massive untapped

media, digital and in retail – with Adam Peaty and

opportunity with soya – particularly by driving

Nicola Adams featuring on Alpro Soya 1L packs. Plus,

penetration with new shoppers, whilst also keeping

all four famous faces from ‘Team PB’ will pop up out-

long-standing fans on side – and that’s exactly what

of-home, with a takeover of Westfield Stratford and

this campaign is designed to unlock.”

advertising in Pure Gyms.

The campaign runs to the end of October.

WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 25

NPD AND MEDIA

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

MCINTOSH TAKES THE PING WITH NEW TV AD The ‘When Life Takes the Ping’ campaign launches with an advert, with more to follow later this year and next.

McIntosh of Strathmore, Scotland’s leading ready

a delicious, high-quality meal that adds no extra

meal brand, has unveiled a new campaign.

stress to their day. Let’s face it, life is busy and

‘When Life Takes the Ping’ launches with an advert

challenging enough, and there are some days

featuring a Scottish dad whose happy afternoon car

when good plans just don’t turn out the way you

washing is ruined by a mud-splattered football flying in

want them to. That’s where we come in, with

from the neighbour’s garden. In the end, the microwave

easy, delicious meals that will brighten the most

‘ping’ of his McIntosh meal soothes his nerves, and he

difficult day, and a campaign that will give people

gets his revenge on the troublesome ball.

a good laugh.

The company is marking the campaign with a

“I think we can all relate to Mr Wilson and his

competition, which encourages Scots to discuss their

muddy car, but there will be hundreds of stories

own ‘McIntosh Moments’ – when rubbish things hap-

out there that tell a similar story – of times when

pen on an otherwise good day – to win a hamper of

life goes a bit awry, whether it’s with families,

McIntosh meals and £250 of supermarket vouchers.

kids, pets or at work. Scots are renowned for their

The winning stories of domestic disaster and family

down to earth sense of humour, and we can’t wait

funnies will be brought to life as ‘When Life Takes the

to hear some real life ‘McIntosh Moments’ in our

Ping’ storyboards and shared on social media.

new competition.”

Julie Nisbet, Managing Director of family-run McIntosh, said: “At McIntosh we’re all about giving people

26 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 74/ WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021

More ‘When Life Takes the Ping’ ads will be released later this year and in 2022.

NPD AND MEDIA

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

BEBETO MAKES ITS TV DEBUT

The campaign promotes Bebeto’s new Gummies range.

Bebeto, a confectionery challenger brand from Kervan

Stuart Johnston, Managing Director of Kervan

Gida UK, is appearing in homes across London and

Gida UK, said: “We’re making a major marketing

surrounding counties this autumn in its first-ever TV

investment in our vision for the brand, which is

campaign.

to drive it into the worldwide sugar confectionery

The campaign – ‘Everything’s Bebetter with Bebeto’ – promotes the brand’s new Gummies range, which is made with fruit juice and no artificial colours.

top five by 2023. This autumn’s UK TV debut is a central part of the plan.”

Johnston added: “In April we launched our new

The new advert started a four-week run on Sky on

Gummies 150g range, made with fruit juice and no

10 September. The significant six-figure investment is

artificial colours. We took our best-selling shapes

part of a nationwide marketing campaign, including

and flavours, Big Fizzy Mix, Strawberries, Fizzy

out-of-home advertising, PR, social media marketing,

Watermelons and Big Mix, and mixed, matched and

and consumer sampling.

repackaged them in a bigger sharing bag format,

The focus of the 30-second ad is the four-strong

in line with the strong growth in sharing bags seen

Bebetos Gummies 150g sharing bags range, with

during the pandemic. And now we’re putting them

Fizzy Watermelons, Big Fizzy Mix, Strawberries and

up front in our first ever TV campaign, backed by

Big Mix, which launched in the popular format in April

out of home and social media support.”

2021. The hero flavour in the advert is Gummies Fizzy Watermelons.

Bebeto Gummies 150g range is available now from wholesalers.

WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 27

NPD AN

PICKS OF THE WEEK – NE

TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE

NESTLÉ CONFECTIONERY UNVEILS CHRISTMAS RANGE The ‘When Life Takes the Ping’ campaign launches with an advert, with more to follow later this year and next.

Nestlé Confectionery has unveiled its

bags and blocks with its new Aero

mint fondant. This year the pack will

Christmas range for 2021.

Festive Snowy White Block (RSP

feature fully recyclable paper pack-

KitKat Santa is back alongside the

£1). The block features the same

aging.

new KitKat Festive Friends Bag 220g

white and milk bubbly taste sensa-

The new Christmas Selection box

(RSP £3.50), which comes filled with

tion, with a white centre covered in

(RSP £3) includes some of Nestlé’s

individually wrapped, festive shapes,

milk chocolate. The Aero Dreamy

best-selling singles: KitKat 4 Finger,

and is ideal for sharing. There are 12

White Snowbubbles 80g bag (RSP

KitKat Chunky, Aero Peppermint,

mini KitKat Santas and a mix of 10

£1) also returns for 2021.

Aero Milk, Yorkie, and Rowntree’s

other shapes – including a tree, elf,

Milkybar is also set to unveil its

gingerbread man, snowman and rein-

brand new Milkybar Festive Friends

Meanwhile, Quality Street will

deer – in every bag. The bag joins the

Sharing Bag (RSP £1), which con-

benefit from a £2m media spend,

29g impulse bar (RSP 65p), a 5-bar

tains an array of white chocolate

with advertising appearing on TV,

multipack (RSP £3), and a 55g bag

festive shapes with a creamy white

of individually-wrapped mini Santas

filling and crispy pieces, individually

(RSP £1).

wrapped. Each bag contains seven

In addition, Aero aims to capitalise on consumer demand for seasonal

pieces from an assortment of seasonal shapes.

New for Christmas 2021 is the After Eight Giant Tube (RSP £1.38) filled with bitesize pieces of dark chocolate filled with

28 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 74/ WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021

Fruit Pastilles.

D MEDIA

ESTLÉ CONFECTIONERY

E CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM

video-on-demand, and social media.

eccentrically British design (RSP £6),

also benefit from a design refresh

This year Quality Street will introduce

is ideal for trading shoppers up. A

and will now use 20% less packaging.

a new mix of sweets across its range

PR and social media campaign for

Dairy Box also has a new design,

of formats to include more consumer

After Eight will run across the festive

and the sweet range has also been

favourites, while the tin design fea-

season.

revamped to include Salted Toffee,

tures jewel-like sparkling colours to ensure standout on-shelf.

A new Quality Street 2kg Tin (RSP

In addition, an Orange Truffles fla-

juicier and tangier flavours in the

vour will be available nationally, joining

Orange Surprise and new Strawberry

Salted Caramel Truffles (RSP £5).

Kiss, and new shapes for the Choc-

£18.99) will also be available for the

Also new for 2021 is Aero Bliss

olate Velvet and Cookies & Crème

first time. The Quality Street Purple

Peppermint – velvety, whipped pep-

sweets. The Dairy Box Winter Collec-

One and Strawberry Delight novelty

permint bubbles wrapped in milk

tion (RSP £8) 388g box will also return

gift boxes (RSP £6 each) have had

chocolate. It joins the Aero Bliss

with a refreshed design.

a makeover, which sees them reduce

Mixed Selection, which includes milk

In addition, Black Magic has also

their plastic packaging and move to

chocolate, salted caramel, and praline

been revamped. The pack retains its

fully recyclable cartons.

flavours (RSP £5). The brand will be

iconic colours of black and red, while

After Eight plans to generate more

supported by its biggest media spend

bringing to life the premium values of

buzz this year with its After Eight

to date across the path-to-purchase,

the brand.

Mojito & Mint flavour (RSP £2), which

including out-of-

its hopes will continue to drive the

home advertising,

category’s relevance a with younger

social media, PR,

audience. And the 400g After

and in-store media.

Eight Christmas tin, which

Quality Street

features an eye-catching

Matchmakers will

WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 29

NOW THAT’S A GOOD IDEA…

OUT THE BOX SELF-DRIVING HOME DELIVERY

Asda trials self-driving van for las

The supermarket giant unveils a new partnership that will integrate autonomy into the onl

SO ROBOT VANS WILL BE ROAMING THE STREETS?

L AS T M ILE T R IAL A S D A/WAYVE

The autonomous vans will operate supervision of a Wayve Safety Driv out the 12-month trial, where Wayv will use their capabilities to help t autonomy into the online grocery learn how the technology can shap of last mile delivery.

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? Asda is partnering with next generation autonomous vehicle start-up Wayve to trial autonomous delivery vans as part of its last mile operation.

AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY? Imagine a world where self-driving cars take us to work, pick up our children from school, and bring us our groceries. For that vision to happen, self-driving technology must move forward and become more intelligent. It must be able to adapt to new cities, different terrains, and changing conditions. It must adjust to the unpredictable, the unknown and the never

30 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 74/ WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021

before seen. It must learn to respond in any situation.

THAT’S A LOT OF MUSTS. IS THE TECH UP TO THE CHALLENGE? Wayve’s AV2.0 technology takes a pure machine learning approach and can scale and adapt to any driving condition, anywhere in the world.

HOW WILL THE TRIAL WORK? The trial will begin in early 2022 and Asda will be the first to commercially test the solution, using Wayve’s expertise in deep learning to help navigate complex urban delivery routes in London.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Earlier this month, Wayve appoin Partner Director of Science at Mi

st mile delivery

YOUR DIWALI MUST STOCK.

nted former icrosoft, Dr

Simon Gregg, Vice-President Online Grocery at Asda, said: “We want to explore how autonomous vehicle technology can enhance our operating model as well as the experience for our colleagues and customers. We are pleased to partner with Wayve on this trial.

Over the course of the last year, demand for online groceries has grown significantly, and we continue to push new boundaries in terms of retail innovation and technologies that can help us develop the most sustainable last mile solutions for our business.”

Alex Kendall, Wayve Chief Executive, added: “Last mile delivery represents an ideal first use case for the Wayve Driver, which can navigate the complexities of urban driving and easily adapt to new routes. We are excited to be working with Asda as our first commercial partner. They have a proven track record of delivering innovations in online grocery shopping that improve customer experiences.

This makes them an ideal partner to support the development of autonomous vehicle technology.”

HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE?

D S¹

N

ER

IN A ST O HT RE

e under the ver throughve and Asda to integrate y space and pe the future

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING?

EV

E

Jamie Shotton, as Chief Scientist, bringing his expertise in machine learning to the company.

Shotton has been at the forefront of applied AI research for the past 20 years.

BOU G

line grocery space.

O Y 2 .5 SEC

RED BULL ENERGY DRINK AND SUGARFREE, 250ML 4 PACKS. SEE SALES FLY. STOCK UP TODAY.

SOURCE: ¹NIELSEN SCANTRACK, TOTAL COVERAGE, MAT W.E. 24.07.2021

Drive yourself over to Wayve’s website.

WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 31

A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE REGISTER TO WATCH WWW.SLRAWARDS.COM/REGISTER-TO-ATTEND

Winners Announced 27 October 2021

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT EVENTS@55NORTH.COM

WWW.SLRAWARDS.COM

@SLRMAG

BEFORE YOU GO

RETAIL RANDOMS

Apostrophe catastrophe

My goodness, the sound of tut-tutting must have drowned out the one o’clock

If you fancy yourself as a forecourt operator but are worried you might make a fuel of yourself, you’ll be pleased to discover Gas Station Simulator.

If you’re wondering what gas has to do with forecourts, it’s what our American cousins mistakenly call that well-known liquid, petrol.

The game’s blurb says: “Buy an abandoned gas station and restore it to its full glory. Renovate, upgrade and expand upon the offered services to keep up with your clients demands.”

Sounds great. Shame about that apostrophe missing from the end of

gun when residents in the well-heeled Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh discovered

Life’s a gas ‘clients’ though. One imagines there’s an in-game option to boost trade by opening a Sainsburys,Local at some stage.

that their Sainsbury’s Local had been rebranded as Sainsburys,Local.

Getting an apostrophe in the wrong place is bad enough, if depressingly commonplace, but using one as a comma beggars belief. Just what are they teaching them at sign erectors’ college these days?

One can only assume the poor chap or chapess responsible didn’t have a long enough ladder to get the pesky piece of punctuation in the proper position.

To compound its misery, the supermarket giant responded to a tweet pointing out its error by asking the eagle-eyed sender to confirm the store’s location.

This despite the tweet clearly stating it was sent from Edinburgh, Scotland (not Edinburgh’ Scotland) and including a picture of the offending store with a ‘Bruntsfield Gardens’ street sign clearly visible.

Footfall at the Waitrose branch in nearby Morningside is understood to have doubled in the wake of the howler.

Despite the bad grammar, it sounds like there are worse things to blow £15.49 on. Commenting on pcgamer.com’s forum, a player named Roobarb said: “It’s a solid game and one of the top surprise fun times of the year for me,” before giving it a well impressive 85% out of 10.

Eighty-five per cent out of 10? What are they teaching kids in maths these days?

WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 74 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 33

STOCK UP ON

THE No1 WHISKEY AND COLA BRANDS 1

2

IN CONVENIENCE

For more information about Coca-Cola email Coca-Cola Europacific Partners at connect@ccep.com, call 0808 1 000 000 or visit my.ccep.com.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY Jack Daniel’s and Old No.7 are registered trademarks. ©2021 Jack Daniel’s. All rights reserved.Coca-Cola, Coke, the Dynamic Ribbon device and the design of the contour bottle are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company. ©2021 The Coca-Cola Company. All rights reserved.

Sources: 1.Nielsen; Total Impulse; Value Sales MAT 17.07.21.

2. Nielsen Total Impulse value Sales MAT 17.07.21 (Coke Trademark = Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke).