The Week in Retail 76

RETAIL

THE WEEK IN

SYMBO L GROUPS

NISA CONTINUES SUCCESSFUL RECRUITMENT DRIVE GREATER LONDON SEES MOST SIGN-UPS

FORECOURTS

EG GROUP DIVESTS 27 FORECOURTS PARK GARAGE GROUP AGREES TO BUY SITES

STORE OPENINGS

RAISING THE BAR

DERELICT PUB REBORN AS ONE STOP STORE

+

DELIVEROO’S 10-MINUTE SERVICE IN LONDON GOVERNMENT TACKLES FOOD AND DRINK GREENWASHING REUSABLE TAMPON APPLICATOR LAUNCHES

HARD TEA: WILL TEA-BASED ALCOHOLIC DRINKS BE THE NEXT BIG THING?

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Commercial Partner:

Issue 76 Wednesday 6th October 2021

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T H E W E E K I N R E TA I L

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Time to cut ‘shops tax’?

Now the party conference season is over all eyes are on the Chancellor to see what he will announce in the upcoming Autumn Budget.

With three weeks to go, the retail trade bodies and unions have started outlining what they would like to see Rishi Sunak introduce.

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has called on the government to introduce tax reform measures that will help convenience retailers invest in the future of their business, including the extension of 100% business rate relief to all businesses with a rateable value of under £51,000.

The recommendation would ensure that most of the UK’s 47,000 convenience store retailers would pay no business rates.

The trade body also recommends the introduction of a ‘business growth accelerator’, similar to that which is already in place for retailers in Scotland.

This would delay increases in rates bills for those who invest for two years, allowing time for that investment to pay back instead of giving retailers an additional hit of extra costs up front through increased business rates.

ACS also calls for funding for electric vehicle charging investment infrastructure on petrol forecourts and other on-the-go locations, and the

introduction of a strategically-mapped set of return points for the incoming Deposit Return Scheme that ensures cost neutrality for retailers and takes into account consumer demand.

Meanwhile, the British Retail Consortium is urging the Chancellor to unlock the retail industry’s contribution to the economic recovery from the pandemic by delivering a cut in the business rates burden at the Autumn Budget.

Business rates have contributed to the loss of shops and retail jobs for years, but the need for decisive action has never been greater.

The government is also facing calls from shopworkers’ union Usdaw for a retail recovery plan; a new deal for workers to ensure a minimum wage of at least £10 per hour; reforms to the Universal Credit system; and help for workers to retain job security as new technology significantly changes the world of work.

The 2021 Autumn Budget is due to be delivered on 28 October and its recommendation could be vital for convenience stores as the economy wakes up from the pandemic.

LIZ WELLS, DEPUTY EDITOR

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 3

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CONTENTS

WEDNESDAY 6 OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76

6

10 THIS WEEK’S NEWS IN BRIEF

Price of petrol moves closer to a record high, while consumers start stockpiling for Christmas.

17 NEW STORES

HOME DELIVERY

A new One Stop store in Swansea, converted from a derelict pub, is already taking more than £700 a day on fresh and chilled alone.

Deliveroo launches a new rapid grocery delivery service and on-demand grocer Getir unveils its first TV advert.

9 Covid-19 update

21 Sustainability

30 Out the box: hard tea

14 Forecourts

Weetabix unrolls a new paper wrap, food

EG Group offloads 27 sites to address

and drink industry greenwashing is under

competition concerns and buys bakery

fire, and Li-Lets launches a reusable

brand Cooplands.

tampon applicator.

18 Symbol groups

24 Picks of the week

Nisa recruitment continues at pace and

The tea-based alcoholic beverage sector is just taking off and has huge potential for growth.

33 Before you go...

Staff at an Ikea distribution centre are

A look at the latest new products and

perturbed by cameras in the staff toilets,

independent retailer Ajay Odedra moves to

marketing campaigns, including a light-

and Cristiano Ronaldo pops up on a

Spar.

hearted Halloween TV ad from Fanta.

Cheshire forecourt. Well, his Bentley does.

TWITTER.COM/SLRMAG

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SLRMAG

WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 5

NEWS DIGEST

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

OCADO INVESTS IN TECH FIRM Ocado Group is to invest £10m in technology start-up Wayve.

FORECOURTS

Double pain at the pumps Price of petrol moves closer to record high, while military starts making fuel deliveries..

The collaboration includes an autonomous delivery trial that will see Wayve’s deep learning and camera-based tech fitted onto Ocado vans and tested for 12 months. Wayve will begin an autonomous van trial with Asda in early 2022.

142.48p and diesel 8.68p off the record of 147.93p.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “Drivers have had to endure the average price of petrol going up for 10 out of the last 12 months and now, because of the supply crisis, many have had great difficulty getting hold of it just so they can go about their daily lives.

“While we’ve heard of some smaller retailers taking advantage of the situation by charging very high prices for their fuel, these cases appear to be few and far between.”

Meanwhile, around 200 military tanker personnel, 100 of which are drivers, have been deployed to further relieve pressure on petrol stations and address the shortage of truck drivers.

The government said demand for fuel has stabilised throughout the week.

consistent start times.

The average price of a litre of both petrol and diesel rose in September and are approaching an all-time high, new RAC Fuel Watch data shows.

Unrelated to the current troubles at the pumps, unleaded went up 1.5p to 136.83p, while diesel rose by 2.5p to 139.25p. This makes petrol 22p a litre more expensive than a year ago and diesel 21p dearer (118.10p).

Both fuels are now at prices last seen in autumn 2013, with petrol only being 5.65p off the all-time high of

SAINSBURY’S TO HIRE 22K STAFF

Booker strikes suspended

JJ INCREASES DRIVER PAY JJ Foodservice has increased salaries to £40,000 for truck drivers at its London branches.

Currently, drivers in Enfield, Dagenham, and Sidcup are paid £35,000. The wholesaler is also offering no evenings or weekends, local deliveries, no rotas or shift work, and

Sainsbury’s has launched its biggest Christmas recruitment drive. There will be 14,500 Sainsbury’s and Argos roles available in stores, including 500 customer and trading manager positions, 3,000 online delivery driver positions, as well as 4,500 warehouse and logistics openings.

Drivers employed by Booker Retail Partners at its Thamesmead site, in southeast London, are to vote on a new pay deal.

As a result, the strike action that could have disrupted supplies to more than 1,000 convenience stores in London and the south-east, due to have started on Monday (4 October), has been suspended.

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Unite Regional Officer, Paul Travers, said: “After three days of tough negotiations this week, we have agreed to take the proposals back to the drivers with a recommendation to accept.”

Unite has suspended the threat of industrial action due to have started on Monday, while its members are being balloted. It expects the result to be announced on 11 October.

NEWS DIGEST

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

4-STAR STORE

SHORTAGES

Stockpiling this Christmas

Amazon has opened its first non-food store in the UK.

Survey finds 56% of consumers are worried following media coverage about stockpiling food and drink for Christmas.

More than one-third (34%) of consumers either have or are likely to stockpile food and drink products for Christmas by the end of October, according to new research from marketing consultants Lumina Intelligence.

The survey also found that 56% of consumers are somewhat worried following media coverage on people stockpiling food and drinks for Christmas already, due to concerns about product shortages, as a result of Brexit, Covid, and the lack of lorry drivers.

The shop, in the Bluewater shopping centre, near Dartford,

The results show that those in the youngest (18-24) and eldest (65+) age categories are the least likely to be worried about shortages ahead of Christmas, as a result of shoppers stockpiling.

The categories that consumers are most likely to purchase for Christmas before the end of October are: confectionery (66%), crisps & snacks (57%), tinned & packaged products (55%), alcohol (55%), soft drinks (51%), and frozen (45%).

Blonnie Whist, Lumina’s Insight Director, said: “Retailers need to be prepared for Christmas preparations to start early this year and should expect a bumper year for sales, but also need to communicate clearly with shoppers to ensure purchasing behaviours do not hit the extremes of April 2020 when the pressures on the supply chain peaked.”

most popular and best-rated products. It’s called Amazon 4-star, because every item has been given more than four stars by customers.

ENERGY ADVICE The British Frozen Food Federation has teamed up with Inspired Energy, a commercial energy and sustainability advisor, to tackle the ongoing financial, environmental and supply chain risks facing its members. The pair have created a package of services to help overcome barriers to post-Covid recovery and longterm prosperity.

EXPORT DEAL

Tesco shows convenience growth Tesco Group has reported a 3% increase in sales to £27.3bn in the six months to 28 August, while profits soared by more than 100% to £1.1bn.

Booker sales reached £3.9bn for the six-month period – up 11% year-onyear and increasing 9.1% on pre-pandemic figures.

A Tesco spokesperson commented: “We have a strong presence in the

will sell around 2,000 of its

Nisa Retail has agreed a new

second-fastest-growing food retail channel – convenience.

“This gives us a strong platform from which to accelerate growth through capital-light opportunities to open new space and continuing to add new franchisees and symbol store operators, leaving us well-placed to benefit from the continuing trend towards more frequent top-up shopping.”

five-year contract with food export company Ramsden International. The contract, which sees Ramsden retaining access to more than 16,000 SKUs and exclusivity of export to 2,400 Co-op own label lines, has the potential to deliver £200m of sales over its fiveyear duration.

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 7

Serving our communities and improving people’s everyday lives since 1859.

www.scotmid.coop

NEWS SPECIAL

COVID-19 UPDATE

Covid protocols ‘halt spread of virus’

GOOGLE MAPS GETS CARBON FRIENDLY

New research shows exposure to virus from high-touch surfaces within grocery stores is low.

Google Maps will soon suggest the lowest carbon routes as part of the technology company’s new sustainability policies.

Motorists will be able to select the route with the lowest carbon emissions once factors such as traffic and road inclines are considered. Where comparable journey times are broadly the same, Google Maps will carbon option. The new service will be available

the working day to evaluate the public’s potential contribution to the contamination of the surfaces, The Conversation reports.

The study found that, regardless of the store’s location, the sampling day or time, the location or surface material, all the samples tested negative for coronavirus particles. This means that if the virus was present, it was at such a low level that tests couldn’t detect it.

The results suggest that the risk of exposure from high-touch surfaces within a grocery store is low. This is contingent on retail stores’ enforcement and implementation of physical distancing measures, regular cleaning, and monitoring the health of store staff.

in Europe next year.

Google is also making it easier for online car shoppers to see hybrid

TECH SOLUTIONS

T

he risk of Covid-19 exposure from high-touch surfaces within grocery stores is low if physical distancing guidelines and cleaning protocols are followed, new research by the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, confirms.

High-touch surface areas in retail stores were identified and tested by the university, including payment stations, deli counters, the refrigerated food section, and trollies and baskets. In addition, a variety of surface types including glass and plexiglass separations, metal bumpers, and plastic and metallic handles were tested.

Samples were collected in stores before daily operations and at the end of

default to the lowest

and electric vehicle options, and to compare them against petrol and diesel powered models.

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 9

C OV E R

ONE S

Raising the bar

A new One Stop store in Swansea, formerly the Carriage House pub, is already taking more than £700 a day on fresh and chilled alone.

T

wenty-two-year-old retailer Harman Basainty has converted a derelict pub in Swansea into a stateof-the art 2,000sq ft One Stop store.

The former Carriage House pub closed about 15 years ago and the Basainty family has owned the property for many years, renting it out as a café and takeaway.

However, it never really worked as a successful venture.

Harman and his family are no strangers to retail, having already run convenience stores for many years.

10 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 76 WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021

However, the new One Stop at Rheidol Avenue, Swansea is his first foray into the One Stop offering, as he explains: “The offers and promos are superb for our customers and things are much simpler for us to manage as everything runs through the EPoS system. We know where each product is and what’s on the shelf and it’s proving to be a much more efficient way to run a store.

“What we’re able to offer the local community now is amazing. We’ve never been able to get such a huge range

S T O RY

STOP

of products before and customers can actually do a full shop. The chickens for £5 look really appealing and taste amazing and are so reasonably priced. I just never thought we’d be able to stock this much. I looked at my sales from my old store and we’d take around £1,200 a week on chilled and fresh items. We’re now already selling over £700 a day.”

The new One Stop is located minutes away from the DVLA Head Office, near to three local schools, next to a busy housing estate, and Harman near a new house development. Subsequently there is a lot of passing trade, from teachers getting their lunch to builders popping in for a £3 Meal Deal.

Harman continued: “We’ve got so many great things to attract all our different customers including a fully-fledged open plan 300sq ft Beer Cave, which offers

space and range in a fully chilled environment. It’s actually less labour for us as we don’t need to refill it multiple times like the chiller and of course customers love it as they can pick up beer, wine and multipacks all chilled.

“Customers are also loving our large vending bar we’ve installed which includes Costa – which is available with all the different flavours and syrups, just like their coffee shops. Hershey’s is flying out.

Tango Blast arrives next week, so Basainty that’ll attract customers too.

“Our £3 Meal Deals are certainly very popular and provide such an exceptional choice and the best quality.

We’re starting to get more locals in who buy them for the whole week as the regular retail price would normally be about £7 or £8 for some of the choices. You just can’t beat it.”

What we’re able to offer the local community now is amazing. We’ve never been able to get such a huge range of products before . Customers can actually do a full shop.

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 11

Helping you to make an extra 3% Gross Profit Ease of use

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C OV E R S T O RY

ONE STOP

The store opened three weeks ago – with a huge party with hundreds of guests there to enjoy a DJ, surfing machine, bouncy castle, food, raffles, and an appearance from Iron Man and Spiderman – and Harman is keen to remind people that they are there.

“I’m really active on social media and I create online adverts and events to help market the store and tell people about the promotions and what to look out for. I love coming up with ideas that customers will like,” he said.

“I recently made a promotional video for the store and really concentrated on the quality and detail to help boost store visits and sales. I know people watch it and go: ‘Wow, look at all the things they offer’ and this brings them into store. Lots of people used to drink here when it was a pub and they’ve been intrigued see what we’ve done. Luckily, they’re really impressed with how much

we’ve turned the place around.

“My next focus will be on home deliveries where I’ll be able to offer my customers everything in store but in under 30 minutes, straight to their front door.

Traditionally with larger supermarkets they’d need to wait a week or two to get a slot. Times are changing in

Hats off to Harman and his team who have brought life to what was an iconic building for the local community but had fallen into disrepair.

John Miller, One Stop

convenience retailing and the opportunities are huge. It’s an exciting time for me to have my own business and with One Stop behind me I’m even more confident on where this will take me into the future.”

John Miller, Head of One Stop Franchise, said: “Hats off to Harman and his team who are driving such strong sales and have brought life to what was an iconic building for the local community but had fallen into disrepair. During the building’s major refit into a store, Harman worked closely with One Stop to get all the right ingredients for what the area needed. This has proved very successful and is now evident in the short time he has been open.

“Harman may be young, but he’s worked in his parents’ store virtually all his life. Coming back from school or in the holidays he’d work for them and started full time when he was 16.

At One Stop we’re thrilled to be able to help him develop his business and help him capitalise on his wealth of experience, local knowledge and the respect he’s garnered in the community, driving the family business forward to the next generation. He now employs 12 colleagues, most of them from the local area.” ● One Stop currently has 21 stores in Wales, with more set to roll out in the coming months, and is encouraging potential franchisees to get in touch.

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 13

FORECO

EG GROUP

EG Group divests 27 forecourts The sale addresses competition concerns relating to the acquisition of Asda.

E

G Group has entered into a binding agreement to divest 27 petrol stations, located in the UK, to Park Garage Group.

This follows the Competition and Markets Authority’s June 2021 announcement that it had agreed formal undertakings offered by the Issa brothers and TDR Capital to divest 27 of EG Group’s forecourts to address competition concerns relating to its Asda acquisition.

The CMA found that the deal might lead to higher petrol prices in 36 areas

of the country where the companies’ networks overlap and in auto-LPG in another area.

The sites that had to be sold were: Ashington (NE63 0TQ), Burscough (L40 5XE), Churchill (PE25 2RJ), Dragon (HG1 4PS), Egremont (CH44 0BZ), Reliance (PR8 3BJ), John Adams Way (PE21 6TQ), Kingshill (SN1 4NG), Lakeland (LA14 5LF), Lammascote (ST16 3TA), Maple (SL7 1HH), Northern Gateway (TD15 1QQ), Preston Way (BB2 6BJ), Regatta (RG9 1DR), Rodbourne (SN2

14 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 76 WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021

1DH), Scot Lane (WN5 0PS), South Marson (SN3 4RS), Tibicar (LA3 1PS), Thinford North (DL17 8RU), Turnpike (HP12 4RG), Blackpool (FY3 9TN), Pentre (CF41 7BW) Four Cross (TR10 9AN), Thieves Lane (SY2 6GF), Forfar (DD8 1BF), Rushden (NN10 0FX), and Don (AB24 1XN).

EG colleagues employed at the sites will transfer to Park Garage Group.

Zuber Issa and Mohsin Issa, co-founders and co-Chief Executives of EG Group, commented: “We are pleased that the sites will be going to an established industry operator in Park Garage Group, a family-run business that is growth orientated.”

Balraj Tandon and Sunil Tandon, Chairman and Managing Director of Park Garage Group, added: “The acquisition underlines our commitment to growth and innovation, and will enable our sons, Manoj Tandon and Hemant Tandon, to further build our industry footprint. We would like to thank EG Group for working seamlessly with us on this acquisition.”

OURTS

EG GROUP

EG Group buys Cooplands The group plans to expand the bakery brand into the forecourt and convenience retail channel.

E

EG GROUP BOOSTS PAY ACROSS PETROL STATIONS

G Group is has bought CS Food Group, known as Cooplands, the UK’s second-largest bakery

chain.

Cooplands owns and operates three bakeries that process ingredients and manufacture fresh food distributed to about 180 stores and cafes, predominantly across the north-east of England and Yorkshire.

EG Group says the purchase will “provide a platform to diversify the Cooplands brand into the transient petrol forecourt and retail convenience store channel, alongside the bakery chain’s traditional store formats, through EG Group’s extensive UK network.”

EG Group plans to invest in the Cooplands brand and fresh food offer.

Zuber and Mohsin Issa, Founders and Co-Chief Executives of EG Group, said: “Cooplands has a proven track record in the fresh bakery sector and vertical integration with EG Group will help to further drive our success in foodservice, where we continue to see strong growth opportunities.

“The transaction will broaden the reach of Cooplands beyond the brand’s northern heartlands and bring its muchloved food to more existing and new customers through EG Group’s unparalleled network of roadside forecourts and retail convenience stores.”

EG Group has increased rates of pay across all its petrol stations and foodservice brands in the UK from 1 October 2021.

Every employee aged 18 and above will now be paid a minimum of £9.50 per hour and more experienced colleagues – such as team leaders and supervisors – will be paid a minimum of £10.00 per hour. The changes represent an average hourly wage increase of more than 5%.

Mohsin and Zuber Issa, Founders and Co-Chief Executives of EG Group, said: “Our colleagues have pulled out all the stops and been nothing short of heroic during often very difficult times since the start of the pandemic. It is due to their hard work and dedication that EG has continued to be a growth business, performing strongly over the past 12 months.”

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 15

RRP

PACK OF 10

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No.1 CIGARILLO

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H O M E D E L I V E RY

ON DEMAND GROCERY

D

Hop to it

Deliveroo launches 10 minute service in London

eliveroo has launched a new rapid grocery delivery service in central London with Morrisons.

Deliveroo Hop will operate from delivery-only grocery stores offering consumers grocery in as little as 10 minutes. The service will use Deliveroo’s newly-developed grocery management technology, its logistics algorithms, and its network of more than 50,000 delivery riders across the UK. Deliveroo says its delivery-only grocery stores will offer a better consumer experience including: greater stock accuracy, increased speed, and wider product range.Rapid grocery delivery will sit alongside Deliveroo’s existing and

fast-growing on-demand grocery service, which already delivers from over 4,600 partner grocery stores across the UK. Will Shu, Chief Executive and Founder at Deliveroo, said: “Deliveroo

Hop will enhance our on-demand grocery offering for both consumers and our grocery partners. We are pleased to launch the service with Morrisons, one of our largest partners.”

Getir launches first UK television advert On-demand grocer Getir has unveiled a new above the line campaign, which features its first TV advert.

The ‘You’ve got it’ advert, which launches in a series of peak night spots with a hero 30-second film, will reach an audience of 24 million people. The advert features three characters, who each discover they are missing a vital must-have item, which they order on Getir, whose driver arrives within minutes to save the day.

The campaign will incorporate TV, video-on-demand, outdoor, digital and

audio marketing, with influencer and PR activity. The outdoor campaign will launch in London, Birmingham and Manchester with display ads on hundreds of double-decker buses.

Nic Casby, Head of Marketing at Getir UK, said: “We hope this new creative campaign grabs the attention (and smiles) of both existing and prospective customers, by showcasing our friendly service through playful messaging and catchy jingles. We’re here to celebrate and support our customers in their everyday life moments.”

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 17

SYMBOL

NISA RETAIL

Nisa continues successful recruitment drive

More than 120 Nisa symbol stores have launched so far in 2021.

N

isa Retail has reported further strong store recruitment, with 401 stores signed up to in the 35 weeks to September 2021.

June was the strongest month for store recruitment, followed by March and January, respectively. Greater London saw the most sign-ups geographically, Nisa revealed.

It said that of the 401 new stores signed up this year, 128 have already converted to Nisa’s latest Evolution format.

In addition, more than 120 Nisa symbol stores have been launched so far in 2021, including 14 former Co-ops, compared to 57 symbol stores in the same period last year.

18 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 76 WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021

Steve Leach, Sales Director at Nisa, commented: “The sustained growth in new partners and stores is testament not only to the brilliant team at Nisa, who have gone above and beyond during the past 18 months in continually challenging circumstances, but to the strength of Nisa’s proposition for independent retailers.”

Meanwhile, Nisa has created a role within its retail team structure to ensure “no opportunity is missed” to help drive sales for retailers. The trials manager is responsible for instigating new ideas among retailers, ensuring opportunities are tested, and rolled out efficiently to allow other partners to benefit.

GROUPS

SPAR

Ajay Odedra switches to Spar His Essex-based store has improved its food-to-go offer and added Blakemore’s County Bridge meat range.

I

ndependent retailer Ajay Odedra has moved his Simply Fresh-supplied store in Boreham, Essex, to Spar, with AF Blakemore as his delivered

wholesaler. The move follows the closure of Sainsbury’s wholesale division and the ending of its partnership with Simply Fresh.

Ajay said: “I worked with Spar and AF Blakemore previously so I knew I could rely on their systems and processes.

“The switchover was quick and efficient with supply being switched on within a week. I am looking forward to working with the team at AF Blakemore again.”

The store has added an improved food-to-go offer and Blakemore’s own County Bridge meat range.

Stuart Ware, New Business Manager at Blakemore Trade Partners, said: “We are very happy to welcome Ajay and his team into Spar and we look forward to a long-lasting working relationship.”

More than 60 stores supplied by AF Blakemore have moved across to Spar this year and another 80 stores are due to join within the next six months.

Spar mince pies voted best in UK Spar’s own-label Luxury All Butter Mince Pies have been voted the ‘Best Classic Mince Pie’ for the second year in a row in the BBC Good Food Christmas Taste Awards.

The festive treats were also joint winner in the ‘Best Classic Mince Pie’ category in the olive magazine Christmas supermarket awards 2021.

Myles Mersh, Spar UK Brand Manager, said: “This year our own label

Spar Luxury All Butter Mince Pie is a multi-award winner, winning for two

consecutive years ‘Best Classic Mince Pie’ in the BBC Good Food Christmas Taste Awards and for the first time joint winner of the ‘Best Classic Mince Pie’ category in the olive Christmas supermarket awards.

This cements Spar as the go-to retailer for mince pies this year, the foremost Christmas treat.”

Spar will support the award wins on pack, with POS in store, and on social media.

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

WEETABIX FOOD COMPANY

Weetabix to reach packaging milestone by summer 2022 The company is set to unroll an improved, widely recyclable paper wrap across all its biscuits.

W

eetabix Food Company will hit the milestone of 99% of its packaging being widely recyclable by summer 2022. The company is on track to make 100% of its packaging recyclable ahead of the 2025 deadline set by Wrap for the UK Plastics Pact.

Key changes in the works for Weetabix this year include transitioning the Protein line of it’s On the Go breakfast drinks to the widely recyclable PET bottles it introduced last year. The company has invested in extensive trials to ensure the clear PET bottle is able to keep the nutritional properties of the drink from deteriorating in sunlight. The new bottle

will be 51% recycled content (rPET), reducing its carbon footprint by 7%.

The cereal firm is also set to unroll an improved, widely recyclable paper wrap across all its biscuits, including Weetabix Original, Flavours and Protein. The innovation successfully balances the need to keep the cereal fresh throughout its shelf life with the need to be recyclable at kerbside. The improved paper wrap also has a much smaller carbon footprint, delivering a 20% reduction in emissions compared to existing packaging.

John Petre, Head of Supply Chain and Technical at Weetabix Food Company, said: “Facing down this milestone

of reaching 99% recyclable packaging is a huge testament to the hard work of the team. At this stage all the low-hanging fruit is long gone and the decisions that remain take a lot of hard work and dedication to get the innovations right.”

The news comes as Weetabix publishes its 2021 Sustainability Report, which details progress on all sustainability commitments to date, such as continuing to source all wheat for Weetabix Original within a 50-mile radius of its mills in Northamptonshire and agreeing a deal with UK-based green energy supplier Smartest Energy to supply factories with natural renewable energy.

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 21

S U S TA I N

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

Government tackles greenwashing in food and drink The Environment Agency is aiming to make it simpler for businesses and for the public to understand the environmental performance of companies.

A

project to establish standardised metrics to measure environmental performance of the food and drink sector has been launched.

The Environment Agency – working with the Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap), and the British Standards Institute – is aiming to make it simpler for

businesses and for the public to understand the environmental performance of companies in areas such as greenhouse gas reduction and resource efficiency.

The initiative will help manufacturers to communicate their environmental performance more effectively to the public, minimising the opportunity for greenwashing. It is also hoped that it will incentivise companies toward greener manufacturing processes and business processes helping to tackle climate change.

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Project lead Becca Tremain, of the Environment Agency, said: “Different food businesses have developed and adopted various environmental metrics and it can be time-consuming for food businesses to collect data from different supplier systems. This project seeks to address this challenge by standardising environmental metrics for food businesses that go beyond legal compliance. It aims to provide an effective and efficient solution to enable the automation of environmental performance data transfer across different food businesses.”

The project is being funded by a £195,000 grant from the £3.7m Regulators’ Pioneer Fund launched by The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The project will be working with the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, trade associations, and retailers and food manufacturers – including Sainsbury’s, Nestlé, Cranswick, 2 Sisters and Vitacress – to understand and ensure the feasibility of the metrics.

Business Minister Lord Callanan said: “This project will help keep the UK at the cutting-edge of innovation.”

NABILITY

FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS

Lil-Lets launches reusable tampon applicator

P

The company will cease to manufacture its range of plastic applicator tampons after November 2021.

eriod product brand Lil-Lets has unveiled a reusable tampon applicator, which is made from medical grade material and is free from latex, BPA and phthalates.

The company says the new reusable applicator is easy to clean and sterilise, lasts for years, is slimline and smooth for comfort, has a flexible, rounded tip to ensure easy insertion, has grip lines to help hold and position, and comes with a handy lid and cotton storage bag.

The Lil-Lets reusable tampon applicator is compatible with Lite, Regular, Super and Super Plus Lil-Lets tampons.

The brand will cease to manufacture its range of plastic applicator tampons

after November 2021. This will reduce period plastic waste by over 11 tonnes each year, the company said.

Environmental activist Ella Daish said: “It’s fantastic to see a major brand like Lil-Lets really leading the change in the period industry by not only removing plastic applicators from their products but also stepping into the reusable market with their applicator. We need more companies to follow their lead in taking steps that are better for people and the planet.”

Lil-Lets Senior Brand Manager Abby Smith added: “We listened when our customers had concerns about the environmental impact of our plastic applicator

products, and, following 12 months of product design and testing, we are thrilled to be in a position to make a difference today.”

She added: “It is easy to make the swap and by choosing our reusable applicator you will be saving an average of 286 single-use applicators from being thrown away and possibly ending up in landfill or oceans. So, with one small switch, you can be kinder to the environment.” ● The Lil-Lets reusable tampon applicator will be available to purchase online at an introductory price of £12.99 – with a retail price of £17.99.

Lil-Lets will cease to manufacture its range of plastic applicator tampons after November 2021

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 23

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK – GOOD BOY

GOOD BOY UNVEILS FIRST TV CAMPAIGN

The company is currently the fastest growing dog treat brand in the UK. Dog treat brand Good Boy has launched its first TV ad campaign.

Each variety and flavour of Good Boy real meat

Over the past year, Good Boy has also seen more than £18m year-on-year growth – making it the fastest-growing dog treat brand.

treats are roasted in their natural juices to lock in

Aimee Smith, Communications Manager for Good

the meaty flavour. The range offers options that are

Boy, said: “The growth we’ve seen in recent years

naturally low in fat and salt, grain free and contain

has been phenomenal, but we don’t want to stop

no artificial nasties.

there. We want to show pet-parents that we love their

The campaign, set to hit screens in October, focuses on the joy dogs experience when they get

pups as much as they do, and every dog deserves a delicious and nutritious Good Boy treat.

a Good Boy treat. The brand hopes to harness the

“At Good Boy we’re all about cultivating the

funny side of the UK’s favourite pet with super slow

unconditional love between dogs and their owners

motion action shots of dogs ‘trying’ to catch treats.

and we wanted to capture that on camera in our

The campaign also includes You Tube and Facebook advertising, as well as a PR campaign.

new ad campaign.

“It’s a really fun campaign that captures the

Good Boy has been creating dog treats since

warmth and joy that dogs bring to our lives. Because

1962. The brand has come a long way since then,

as much as treats are used to reward our pooches or

with Good Boy treats enjoyed by two million UK

keep them occupied, bringing them joy with a treat

households.

or two seems like the least we can do.”

Over the past year, Good Boy has seen more than £18m year-on-year growth – making it the fastest-growing dog treat brand.

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NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK – FANTA

FANTA BACK ON TV FOR HALLOWEEN New TV advert is part of a wider marketing campaign.

activation – all of which also highlight the epic prizes on offer via the on-pack activity.

The campaign provides a light-hearted and fun spin on the Halloween season for consumers, but for retailers the message is a serious one: don’t miss out on shopper demand for soft drinks at Halloween, specifically flavoured carbonates, which enjoyed an extra £5.5m in sales last October.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has revealed that its Fanta brand will return to television screens in Great Britain in October for a month in the run-up to Halloween.

The new TV advert is part of a wider marketing campaign designed to capitalise on Fanta’s longstanding popularity during the Halloween season – the brand’s value sales grew by 6.5% in the four weeks to Halloween 2020, when one in four flavoured carbonates purchased in retail was a Fanta.

The ‘In the Name of Play’ advert depicts items in a shop coming to life and giving shoppers a fright – and it ends by encouraging consumers to ‘grab a Fanta and scare yourself silly this Halloween’.

The advert builds on the on-pack promotion that has been live on limited-edition packs of Fanta Orange and Fanta Orange Zero since the beginning of September.

Other elements of the multi-million-pound marketing campaign include paid social media, digital and out-of-home advertising, and high-impact in-store

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 25

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK – MORRIS WHISKY

AUSTRALIAN SINGLE MALTS HIT UK

The distillery uses an original 1930s hybrid copper pot and column still and the whiskies are finished in vintage fortified and premium wine barrels.

Premium spirits distributor Mangrove has brought the Morris Australian Single Malt Signature Whisky and the Australian Single Malt Muscat Barrel Whisky to the UK.

The late Dr Jim Swan was also a key member of the original Morris Whisky team.

Head Distiller Darren Peck has worked under the tutelage of McDougall for the past five years to

Morris Whisky is produced in the Rutherglen

craft the whisky. The first barrels were laid down in

Distillery, north-east of Melbourne, and named after

2017 and each will mature for at least three years.

the Scottish town of the same name.

Mangrove boss Nick Gillett said: “As the demand

At the heart of the distillery is an original 1930s

for new and interesting whiskies from non-traditional

hybrid copper pot and column still, which was

regions continues to explode, Mangrove looks to

restored and repurposed for the creation of single

bring brands into the family which really encourage

malt, and the whiskies are finished in vintage fortified

both the trade and consumers to explore the cate-

and premium wine barrels.

Since production started in 2016, Morris has engaged the services of whisky maker John McDou-

gory. We think Morris is the perfect blend of the old and new world and look forward to enjoying a glass with our customers soon.”

gall, who has worked with Balvenie, Laphroaig and Springbank. He now consults exclusively to Morris

● The whiskies are available now in 70cl bottles

in Australia as Master Distiller.

(ABV 40%) with an RSP of £54.99.

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NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK – WOLF BLASS

WOLF BLASS LAUNCHES £1M UK SECRET ESCAPES CAMPAIGN Treasury Wine Estate invests more than £1m to launch the campaign.

Treasury Wine Estate’s (TWE) premium wine brand Wolf Blass has launched a new campaign in partnership with luxury travel deals company Secret Escapes.

TWE has invested more than £1m in Wolf Blass’ biggest campaign in the UK. The campaign – which is supported across ATL, in store, PR, influencers and social media – gives consumers the opportunity to win redeemable travel credit and prizes worth £1m.

Around 900,000 bottles across the UK have been tagged with prize-winning QR codes as part of the ‘Why Settle When You Can Soar’ campaign. Entrants will have to scan the QR code on the tagged wine bottles to be in with the chance of winning a share of £1m-worth of instant prizes and credits.

Prizes include a selection of once-in-a-lifetime holidays, in partnership with Secret Escapes, including: a luxury boutique hotel stay in L’Anse Aux Epines, Grenada; a Kenya beach stay with safari; a winter Lapland wildlife break with optional igloo; a trip to Sri Lanka and the Maldives; and a stay at a beachfront hotel in Barbados.

In addition, there are five £250 vouchers available to win and redeem on the Secret Escapes site, and

tions, we wanted to give Wolf Blass customers the chance to soar once again and to take part in new experiences.

40,000 winners will be given £25 vouchers to use

“We’ve invested heavily in marketing support for

on an escape of their choice (minimum £125 spend

Wolf Blass and plan to continue taking the brand

to redeem). All entrants need to do is purchase their

from strength to strength, engaging in memorable

Wolf Blass wine of choice and scan the QR code on

activations that put experiences and exploration at

the tagged label.

the forefront of our consumer engagement strategy.”

Ben Blake, Marketing Director Treasury Wine Estates EMEA, said: “As the UK has been under

● The promotion runs from 1 October to 31

lockdown and subject to numerous travel restric-

December 2021.

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 27

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK – OLD EL PASO

OLD EL PASO INVITES UK TO MARK DAY OF THE DEAD Five of the SKUs feature a different skull mask to cut out and collect.

Old El Paso has released nine meal kits and sides

edition packaging across more products than ever

in limited-edition packs to help people across the

before, plus our new landing page with all the tools

country mark the Day of the Dead – the Mexican

you need for the perfect party.

holiday centred on celebrating the lives of loved

“The Day of the Dead celebration is truly aligned

ones that have passed away – by throwing their

with the mission at the heart of our brand – bringing

own fiesta.

people together to inspire the good noise that hap-

Five of the SKUs, which are on shelf now until

pens when we truly connect. And what better way

mid-November, feature a different skull mask to cut

to brighten up a cold dark evening than with family,

out and collect. Each pack also displays a QR code

friends and a fiesta.”

for shoppers to easily access Old El Paso’s special

Day of the Dead SKUs include Old El Paso Tortilla

Day of the Dead landing page, which features reci-

Pockets Mild Kit (375g), Old El Paso 8 Tortilla Pockets

pes, quizzes, and tips to create the ultimate Mexican

(223g), Old El Paso Smoky BBQ Fajita Kit (500g), Old

fiesta at home.

El Paso Cheesy Baked Enchilada Kit (663g), Old El

Activity will be amplified by a six figure media

Paso 8 Regular Tortillas (326g), Old El Paso Tortilla

investment, which includes a TV advert running from

Nachips Original (185g), Old El Paso Stand N’ Stuff

4 to 31 October.

Smoky BBQ Kit (350g), Old El Paso Tortilla Bowls

Jose Alves, Senior Brand Manager at Old El Paso, said: “We’ve gone bigger and bolder with limited

28 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 76 WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021

Sea Salt (150g), and Old El Paso Extra Mild Super Tasty Fajita Kit (476g).

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK

ORANGE CHOC PMP

MATURE RUM

CUSTARD PODS

Cadbury Twirl Orange is now

Distillery Ron Santiago de Cuba

Premier Foods is launching

available in a 60p price-marked

has launched Ron Santiago de

Bird’s Custard Pods which offer

pack. Sales of orange standard

Cuba Añejo 8-year-old (ABV

a convenient way to make lump-

chocolate have grown by 47% –

40%). The liquid is matured in

free custard. The company is

outstripping standard chocolate

white oak barrels and offers hints

also giving its Ambrosia Deluxe

sales – and are worth £25.9m.

of honey, vanilla, cacao and trop-

Range a fresh design and new

Cadbury Twirl Orange 60p PMP

ical fruit. The rum is distributed

recipes. The brand is being sup-

is available now in cases of 48

in the UK by Justerini & Brooks.

ported by a TV campaign and

x 43g bars.

RSP £24

on-pack promotion.

FUNCTIONAL SWEETS

LEGENDARY PROMOTION

HALLOWEEN BAKES

Chewing gum brand Block-

Monster Energy has unveiled a

Fatherson Bakery has launched

head has launched strawberry

new partnership with video game

a range of cakes for Halloween

prebiotic sweets, which contain

Apex Legends. An on-pack pro-

2021. The range includes

prebiotics and branch chain

motion is live now on variants

a 12-pack of Trick or Treat

amino acids to “fuel the body,

from Monster’s core, Juiced

cupcakes on a platter (£7.50), a

gut and mind”. The sweets are

and Ultra ranges. Unique codes

six-pack of chocolate Halloween

available from Booker.

under ring-pulls unlock exclusive

Fairy Cakes (£3), and a £5.50

RSP £1.75.

in-game content.

Toffee Apple Loaf cake.

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 29

NOW THAT’S A

OUT TH

Hard tea

The tea-based alcoholic beverage is a sector that is just taking off and has huge potential for growth.

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? Tae-based booze.

ALCOHOLIC TEA? Yep. Tíos Drinks is a range of premium low calorie, low sugar and vegan readyto-drink sparkling hard teas (alcoholic tea) made with brewed organic white tea, premium alcohol (4.4% abv) and natural ingredients, served in recyclable 250ml cans. The range is a first for the UK market, combining tea with high quality spirits, rum and tequila, for a not-so-guilty pleasure. It currently consists of three flavours that provide teabased twists of three popular cocktails: White Tea Mojito, White Tea Margarita, and White Tea Light & Stormy.

WHO THOUGHT THAT UP? The idea was created by Danish sisters Cecilia and Segolenne Roux and fiancé Mark Andersen, the co-founders of Tíos Drinks. The name Tíos means uncles and is in honour of the family tradition of Margarita night.

TELL ME MORE Hard Tea or tea-based alcoholic beverage is a sector that is just taking off and has huge potential for

30 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 76 WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021

A GOOD IDEA…

HE BOX

growth. The UK hard seltzer market is expected to be worth £75m by 2023, recent figures suggest.

Tíos says it aims to use sustainable materials where possible without compromising on quality or taste. All cans are made of recyclable aluminium and the can labels are compostable. The water used is from a local borehole and the production site is carbon neutral.

Packaging is kept to a minimum and is FSC certified.

The brand is also vegan and has no allergens and the white tea is organic and fair trade. The tequila (from Jalisco, Mexico) and white rum (from Madagascar) are high quality spirits and all extracts – garden mint, lime, lemon and orange – are natural. Tíos uses a blend of natural sweeteners – stevia and erythritol – to maintain a low level of sugar.

possible without compromising on quality and taste.”

I WANT A SECOND OPINION Two Thirsty Gardeners blog said: “Tíos Hard Tea is an excellent alternative to seltzers with a little more punch to the flavour.’’

Cosmopolitan magazine said: “Hard [teas] are the alcoholic, low calorie drink you need to know about.’’

Chatting Food Magazine said: “Perfect with ice, and sunshine.”

HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE? Stick the kettle on and visit the Tíos website.

SOUNDS EXPENSIVE It’s not too bad. The range retails at £2.99 for a single 250ml can or £35 for a 12-multipack.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING? The company said: “We wanted to create an exciting and tasty alternative to the increasingly popular flavoured alcoholic sparkling waters or hard seltzers as well as the sugary, calorific pre-mixed drinks, wines and beers. It’s the best of both worlds perfect for the mindful pleasure-seeker.

“We are transparent about all the products we use, and our aim is to always use sustainable materials where

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / 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

Ikea. I see ya.

Famed for its flat-pack furniture and meatballs of questionable provenance, Ikea has now found itself in a spot of bother after surveillance cameras were discovered in a ceiling void above staff toilets and locker rooms at one of its distribution centres.

Speaking to the BBC, ironically-named former employee Shannon Bodily expressed dismay that her bodily functions may have been caught on camera.“I feel vulnerable, I feel violated,” she quite rightly said.

After their discovery, the cameras were removed quicker than you can say “one of these screws appears to be missing”. However, the Swedish company’s explanation as to why they were there in the first place makes about as much sense

as one of its word-free assembly leaflets.

It commented: “For the purpose of maintaining a safe workplace for all co-workers, surveillance cameras were installed in the

void above the ceilings in the bathrooms and locker areas.”

Just how filming someone peeing adds to workplace safety remains a mystery. As does what goes in the meatballs.

We’re all in it together One good thing about the fuel shortage is that we’re all in it together. Well, almost.

Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is just like the rest of us – the motorists at any rate – in that he’s got a car that needs filling up. He’s actually got closer to 20 cars, worth around £17m in total, but that’s another story.

Unlike the rest of us, the Portuguese soccer genius has staff to take care of life’s menial matters, and so it was that an unfortunate lackey spent the best part of seven hours queuing outside a Shell forecourt in Cheshire waiting to spend a maximum of £30 on fuel. It’s worth pointing out the petrol station imposed the limit, not the £385,000-a-week ball kicker. Given that Ronaldo’s runabout of choice is a £220,000 Bentley Flying Spur,

30 quid’s worth of petrol will be lucky to put 100 miles on the clock, meaning his poor employee is going to spending the best part of the foreseeable future

hanging about garages.

Especially since his quest proved fruitless, and he drove off with just a coffee from the forecourt’s Spar store to show for his trouble.

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 76 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 33

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