The Week in Retail 77

RETAIL

THE WEEK IN

PARFETTS COMPLETES LIVERPOOL EXPANSION

NISA LAUNCHES PRE-SELL EVENT FOR SPRING

JAMES HALL DOUBLES DOWN ON TOO GOOD TO GO

STORE CONVERSIONS

MCCOLL’S OPENS 100TH MORRISONS

FIREWORKS

ACS: ADOPT CHALLENGE 25 FOR FIREWORKS

ROLL OUT IS AHEAD OF TARGETS

BODY PRODUCES ASSURED ADVICE GUIDES TO SUPPORT RETAILERS REALITY TV

STAR TURN ISLE OF GIGHA POST OFFICE FEATURES IN NEW TV SHOW

+ Brought to you by:

GROCERYAID NAMES NEW PRESIDENT Commercial Partner:

Issue 77 Wednesday 13th October 2021

Everything a modern convenience store needs

paypoint.com

PayPoint and Snappy Shopper fast home delivery service PayPoint retailers get 50% off the set-up fee!* Sign up today Scan the QR code or visit snappyshopper.co.uk/paypoint-enquiry-form ** Normal fee £500, discounted for PayPoint retailers to £250. For refund, retailer must exceed £2,000 ex VAT of basket sales in a week within 17 weeks of launch. Further terms and eligibility criteria apply. Please see retailers.snappyshopper.co.uk/terms-conditions/ for more information.

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

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Searching for the light at the end of the tunnel It’s difficult to find an awful lot to be positive about at the moment with a perfect storm of huge challenges all hammering our sector at one, but there was some light at the end of the Coronavirus tunnel this week in the form of big rises in consumer spending, suggesting that shoppers are getting out and about more than they have done for a long time.

New consumer card spending figures from Barclaycard, which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, reveal that consumer spending grew 13.3% in September compared to the same period pre-pandemic - although the report does go on to sound a word of caution around supply chain problems and rising food and energy prices hampering consumer confidence.

The figures show that spending on essential items increased by 14.4% – the highest increase in more than two years. This was driven by supermarket shopping, which soared by 14.7%, as well as a surge in demand at the pumps and climbing petrol and diesel prices that caused the sharpest growth in fuel spend in more than 24 months.

However, the ongoing shortage of truck drivers is also making it more challenging for consumers to find some essentials in supermarkets and grocery stores. Almost half of shoppers have reported seeing empty spaces on the shelves and 18% have

found it harder than usual to find fresh fruit and vegetables. A further 13% have also found it difficult to purchase soft drinks, frozen goods, and fresh fish and meat.

In addition, the data shows that the rising cost of everyday items is also causing 90% of consumers to be concerned about the impact on their finances, and in-turn those who feel optimistic about the economy has fallen month-on-month.

As a result, savvy shoppers are already seeking out value in the purchases they make, and discount stores saw a 29.3% uplift on pre-pandemic figures.

Spending on some non-essential items continued to rise as pubs, bars and clubs continued to be boosted by office workers reuniting at post-work gatherings, and entertainment saw its strongest uplift since before February 2019.

There were plenty of other industry figures released this week that shows the economy is now moving slowly in the right direction and some of these can be seen on pages 18-19.

LIZ WELLS, DEPUTY EDITOR

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 3

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£4.90 THE UK’s £9.60 *

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CONTENTS

WEDNESDAY 13 OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77

6

12

17

GAS DEAL BRINGS CO2 BACK ONLINE

FIREWORKS FURORE

MORRISONS LANDMARK

New Government-led deal alleviates CO2 pressure in time for Christmas.

ACS is urging retailers to adopt a Challenge 25 policy when selling fireworks this year.

McColl’s has opened its 1,00th Morrisons Daily store.

9 Charity campaign

14 Post Office Loyalty Scheme

25 Parfetts Aintree expanded

Retail Trust launches fundraising drive as demand for its services soars.

The Post Office jas launched a new loyalty scheme for parcel senders.

Parfetts has conompleted the expansion of its Aintree depot.

10 Island store stars on TV

18 Shopper confidence falling

27 Bisto back on telly

A remote Scottish Post Office and store has become the star of a Channel 4 series.

Shopper conidence is being hit by the rising cost of living.

Festive favoruite returns to TV in time for Christmas.

13 Aggarwal finalists unveiled

21 James Hall ups Too Good To Go

30 No address? No problem

The shortlist for the first ever Raj Aggarwal Trophy has been revealed.

TWITTER.COM/SLRMAG

Spar wholesaler expands partnership with food waste app.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SLRMAG

Amazon launches gift service based on email and mobile numbers.

WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 5

NEWS DIGEST

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

GREEN HALLOWEEN Sainsbury’s has reduced the amount of plastic used across its range of decorative

CO2 AGREEMENT

New Deal ensures CO2 for businesses CO2 producer Ensus has also reopened its Wiltshire plant after temporary closure for planned maintenance.

Halloween items. The retailer has eliminated plastic lamination from its paper plates and bowls range, redesigned its trick or treat buckets to be made using paper instead of plastic, and has swapped plastic packaging out of some popular items including spooky wreaths, signs and lights.

EXPRESS DELIVERY Asda is to extend its pilot onehour express delivery service to 96 stores. Customers can order from the supermarket’s online range of 30,000 grocery products and have it delivered to them within the hour if they are willing to pay a flat delivery fee of £8.50 and live within a three-

UK food and drinks manufacturers will have access to a sustainable supply of CO2 after a deal was struck with the industry.

Suppliers have agreed to pay CF Fertilisers, which produces around 60% of the UK’s commercial CO2 requirements, a price for the CO2 it produces that will enable it to continue operating while global gas prices remain high.

In September, the government agreed an exceptional three-week arrangement with CF that allowed the company to continue operating while the industry moved towards this agreement.

The deal runs until January 2022 and means that key sectors are ensured supplies of CO2. Environment Secretary, George Eustice, said: “The government has taken decisive action in these exceptional circumstances to allow a deal to be reached which will continue the supply of CO2 to businesses – including thousands of food and drink businesses – up and down the country.

Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, added: “Today’s agreement means that critical industries can have confidence in their supplies of CO2 over the coming months without further taxpayer support.”

In addition, CO2 producer Ensus reopened its Wilton plant in Wiltshire last week following temporary closure for planned maintenance, further securing supplies. The Wilton plant can produce up to 40% of the UK’s CO2 requirements.

mile radius of a selected store.

STOPTOBER CLINIC VPZ, the UK’s largest vaping retailer, has launched a new service this Stoptober to help the nation quit smoking. The VPZ Vape Clinic service will offer smokers a dedicated, one-to-one consultation with its vaping specialists.

Contactless limit to rise to £100 on Friday The contactless card payment limit will rise to £100 on Friday (15 October).

The decision to raise the contactless limit from £45 to £100 was made by HM Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority in August after a public consultation and in discussion with both the retail and banking sectors.

David Postings, Chief Executive of

6 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 77 WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021

UK Finance, said: “The increase in the limit to £100 will allow people to pay for higher value transactions like their weekly shop or filling up their car with fuel. The payments industry has worked hard to put in place the infrastructure to enable retailers to update their payments systems so they can start to offer their customers this new higher limit.”

NEWS DIGEST

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

CARING WASH

FOOD-TO-GO

On the go ‘accounts for one-in-four eating out occasions’

Smartphone payment app GoWash, which works with an expanding network of

Lumina Intelligence research shows ‘out and about’ is the mission that is driving food-to-go occasions.

hundreds of privately owned car washing and valeting businesses, has declared its

More than a quarter of visits made to a foodservice operator in the 12 weeks ended 5 September were consumed on-the-go, new research reveals.

The latest quarterly update to the Lumina Intelligence UK Food To Go Market Report 2021 shows that foodto-go consumers are more likely to be ABC1 (64% vs 36%), aged 25-34 (27%), female (55% vs 45%), and in London (17%) or the South East (12%).

The data reveals that ‘out and about’

is the leading mission (22%) driving food-to-go occasions. ‘A treat’ is the second largest occasion at 14%, providing the opportunity for operators to introduce more premium ranges to drive upsell and increase consumer spend.

The vast majority (78%) of food-led food-to-go visits continue to include savoury food. Options which are easy to eat on the go, such as sandwiches, wraps and burgers are preferred by consumers.

Katherine Prowse, Senior Insight Manager at Lumina Intelligence, said: “Proximity, previous experiences and value for money are the key reasons driving consumers to choose a particular food- to-go outlet. Ease of ordering is the area that satisfies consumers the most. Touchscreen and kiosk orderwill be a key driver for food-to-go growth.”

support of the Responsible Car Wash Scheme (OCWS).

GoWash is encouraging car wash sites joining its nationwide network to achieve RCWS accreditation.

IMPERFECT PACKAGING Aldi is introducing new price cuts on select products in a bid to reduce food waste. All of Aldi’s stores are marking down goods, such as rice, pasta, cereal and tinned food, by 30% if the packaging is imperfect. The time that items are reduced will vary by store.

BOOTS RECYCLES

NI shoppers to ‘Spend it Independent’

Boots is expanding its Recycle

Shoppers in Northern Ireland are being encouraged to support the local independent retail sector with their High Street Spend Local Pre-Paid Card as the £145m scheme begins to rollout.

Economy Minister Gordon Lyons has launched Retail NI’s ‘Spend it Independent’ campaign, which encourages the public to make a special effort to

collects beauty, cosmetic,

use their £100 ‘Spend Local’ pre-paid cards with independent retailers. More than one million applications have been made to date. Retail NI Chief Executive, Glyn Roberts, said: “For every £1 spent in an independent retailer, 70p is recycled around the local economy. By using local traders, you are boosting your local community.”

at Boots scheme, which and wellness empties, to 700 stores. The scheme launched last year in 50 stores and has seen over half a million products deposited. Customers receive a voucher worth £2.50 for every five products they deposit.

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 7

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NEWS SPECIAL

COVID-19 UPDATE

Retail Trust launches fundraising appeal as demand soars

PETS AT HOME INTRODUCES LIVE VIDEO SOLUTION Pets at Home is

The charity has given out more than £1.2m in financial aid and run over 11,000 counselling sessions since the start of the pandemic.

partnering with Go Instore to enhance the digital customer experience through immersive HDvideo technology.

The technology gives customers the opportunity to talk directly to Pets at Home colleagues via video calls.

Chris Holyland, Group Digital Director, said: “Our expert colleagues at Home – they deliver amazing pet care to our

support the appeal by walking, running, swimming or cycling four miles, donating a minimum of £4 then nominating another four people.

Chris Brook-Carter, Chief Executive of the Retail Trust, said: “As a charity, we’re focused on protecting the hope, health and happiness of everyone in retail, but the support we provide simply isn’t possible without the donations the Trust receives and the wider support of the retail sector.

“Together, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create the kind of industry that places the health of its people at the centre of how we operate, and leave a legacy for the next generation of retailers.

customers every day and we’re really excited that this new technology will allow us to bring their passion and expertise to

TECH SOLUTIONS

I

ndustry charity the Retail Trust has begun a fundraising appeal after demand for its services for retail workers rose by nearly 90% due to Covid-19.

The charity has given out more than £1.2m in financial aid and run over 11,000 counselling sessions since the start of the pandemic to help people working in the sector pay their rent and utility bills and provide support to those facing stress, anxiety, and depression.

This follows the loss of 170,000 retail jobs last year as more than 15,000 shops shut down, as well as a huge spike in reports of abusive and violent incidents towards shop and supermarket workers.

The charity is calling on people to

are at the heart of Pets

online customers too.

“We’re able to deliver the same level of expert advice and guidance regardless of how customers interact with us.

We couldn’t be prouder of our store colleagues, so this a perfect solution to continue driving our pet care experience forwards.”

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 9

C OV E R

TELEV

Remote Scottish post office

The population of the Isle of Gigha ne

I

sle of Gigha Post Office and store plays a central role in Channel Four’s new TV series, Murder Island, which features four teams of amateur detectives trying to solve a murder mystery.

The six-part series is based around a murder plot, written by crime novelist Ian Rankin, which will see members of the public take on the role of detective and conduct an investigation. They have one week to compete to solve the murder.

Filming took place at the post office with actors and the wannabe also often popped in to speak with Postmaster Joe Teale and his wife Hannah to tap into their local knowledge of the island.

The production team had to allow the shop and post office to open for set hours each day, so that the community were not inconvenienced.

Isle of Gigha Postmaster, Joe Teale, said: “We had to ensure that the shop could still serve the community. There was lots of filming here. On one particular night there was filming at the post office and outside until 1am in the morning, with lots of action going on. They had huge amounts of lighting, so it looked like it was actually filmed during the day.”

The population of the island nearly doubled when filming took place with 10 actors, teams of wannabe detectives, and production crew.

The Isle of Gigha could not accommodate everyone, even with the island’s hotel and holiday lets, so 42 camper vans had to be brought by boat from the mainland, along with supplies to build a police station for the ‘detectives’ briefings.

Teale said: “When Ian Rankin wrote the story based on a remote Scottish island, he didn’t specifically have the Isle of Gigha in mind, but we have more facilities than many islands, some great buildings and beautiful landscape to provide an

10 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 77 WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021

“We had to ensure that the shop could still serve the community” interesting setting for filming.

“There has been a buzz on the island since we heard that filming was going to take place and chatter amongst the islanders about the murder mystery. We have not seen the series ahead of time so people are wondering which parts of our island will be shown and who they may recognise. The Isle of Gigha community still don’t know who the ‘murderer’

S T O RY

VISION

e features in Murder Island

early doubled when filming took place.

was. We will have to watch the series, like everyone else to find out.” ● The series, made by STV Studios, can be seen on Channel Four on Tuesday at 9.30pm. The first episode was watched by 1.2 million people. ● For more Post Office news turn to pages 14-15.

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 11

LEGISLATION

FIREWORKS

ACS: adopt Challenge 25 for fireworks

Trade body recommends that retailers adopt the ‘Challenge 25’ policy when selling fireworks.

T

he Association of Convenience Stores is reminding convenience retailers to ensure that they are aware of the rules and guidelines that apply to the sale and storage of fireworks.

Retailers must apply for permission to store fireworks from their local trading standards service or fire authority. If permission to store fireworks is granted, then fireworks can be sold within the following dates: ● Between 15 October and 10

November. ● Diwali (4 November) and three

days prior. ● Between 26 and 31 December. ● First day of Chinese New Year

(1 February 2022) and three days prior.

Adult fireworks should not be sold to anyone under the age of 18, this includes all fireworks, except party poppers, throwdowns, caps, and novelty matches.

ACS recommends that retailers adopt the ‘Challenge 25’ policy when selling fireworks.

In addition, new and existing staff must be properly trained and regularly updated on how to sell fireworks.

ACS has produced Assured Advice Guides to support retailers with ‘Preventing Underage Sales’ and ‘Selling Fireworks’. These guides detail the laws and guidelines regarding the sale of some of the products which may be in high demand over the next few weeks and

12 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 77 WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021

months. The Assured Advice Guides are available here. The Office for Product Safety and Standards’ campaign for the 2021 fireworks season also includes guidance on how to purchase and use fireworks responsibly and considerately.

More information is available here.

RETAILER AWARDS

RAJ AGGARWAL AWARD

Finalists are revealed

The winner will be named at the ACS’ Heart of the Community conference in October.

T

he finalists of the Raj Aggarwal Award, a new trophy marking the legacy of independent retailer Raj Aggarwal, have been unveiled.

The trophy will be awarded to retailers who have been exceptional in community retailing and helping their fellow retailers.

THE FINALISTS ARE: ● Nico Ali, Tasa Shops Jarrow; ● Linda & Sophie Williams, Broadway Convenience; ● Julie Kaur Duhra, Premier Jules Convenience. ● The entries were judged by: Sunita Aggarwal – Raj’s wife and Owner of Spar Wigston; Jonathan James – Managing Director of James Convenience Retail; Avtar Sidhu – Owner of Budgens Kenilworth; and James Lowman – Chief Executive of ACS.

Lowman said: “Raj was the epitome of a community-minded retailer and greatest supporter of fellow community retailers and we were delighted to receive so many entries from fantastic retailers for the first year of this award marking his legacy.

“We look forward to hearing from the finalists and announcing the overall winner at our Heart of the Community reception.” The two finalists and the ultimate winner have been invited to attend ACS’ Heart of the Community conference in October, where the winner will be announced at an exclusive parliamentary reception celebrating the positive impact of community retailing.

It is now illegal to sell National Lottery products to anyone under the age of 18

TOP TIPS TO PREVENT UNDERAGE SALES ` Always look at customers to assess their age ` If in doubt, ask for ID ` Ensure all staff are fully trained to correctly ask for ID

ACCEPTABLE FORMS OF IDENTIFICATION ● Passport ● Photo Driving Licence ● Military ID Card ● Or any ID which has the PASS logo, e.g. CitizenCard

NO ID NO SALE Players must be 18+ to buy and play any National Lottery product

Rules & Procedures apply. Players must be 18+.

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WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 13

LOYALTY SCHEMES

POST OFFICE

Post Office launches loyalty scheme for parcel senders Drop & Go customers will be rewarded during November and December at their local branch.

P

ost Office has launched its first loyalty scheme for parcel senders, with financial rewards for users of its fast-track Drop & Go service.

Drop & Go customers increased fourfold in the run-up to last Christmas. The service is popular with small businesses, marketplace sellers, and customers who started ‘bedroom businesses’ during the lockdowns.

Post Office will reward customers that spend £100 or more per month with the Drop & Go service during November and December at their local branch.

There are two ‘reward periods’ – 1-30 November and 1-31 December 2021. Existing or new customers need to spend at least £100 in one or both of the Reward Periods.

Whatever is spent over £100 – regardless of the number of parcels or price of parcels – during each ‘reward period’ will earn the customer a reward that can be redeemed to their Drop & Go account.

Customers will receive confirmation of the value of their promotional reward along with a barcode that can be used in their local branch to apply credit to their Drop & Go account. The loyalty scheme ends on 31 December 2021.

Nick Read, Chief Executive at the Post, said: “The parcel market will see fierce trading throughout the critical Christmas period and Post Office will challenge for increased share with our first ever loyalty scheme for customers.

“Our physical presence in every local

“We are well placed to support small and independent businesses during the busiest time of the year,” Nick Reid, CE | Post Office

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community across the UK, combined with the expert knowledge and advice postmasters provide regarding postage, means we are well placed to support small and independent businesses during the busiest time of the year.”

Post Office is launching a multi-channel marketing campaign, including a partnership with eBay; advertising across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter;

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

POST OFFICE

Cash deposits and withdrawals at post offices on the rise

P

Post Office expects to shortly exceed £3bn in monthly cash deposits and withdrawals for the first time in its 360-year history.

ost Offices handled almost £3bn in cash deposits and withdrawals in September.

Despite the impending increase to contactless payments from £45 to £100 on Friday (15 October), £1.06bn was deposited by business customers in September. This was up 3.1% monthon-month and up 9.6% year-on-year.

Personal cash deposits exceeded a billion pounds for the seventh successive month. In September, £1.22bn was deposited over the counters, which was 3.5% up month-on-month.

In addition, Personal cash withdrawals in September 2021 totalled £685m - an increase of 2.7% on August and up almost 16% year-on-year.

In total, £2.99bn was deposited and withdrawn by personal and business customers in September, the highest ever amount in a single month, and a demonstration of the daily reliance on cash that millions of businesses and consumers have. In August, the figure was £2.90bn.

Martin Kearsley, Banking Director at Post Office, said: “Each month brings news of further bank branch closures, and in many communities across the country Post Office is already the last counter in town. Despite the impending increase in contactless payments, we know that

small businesses in particular recognise the value of cash now more than ever.

We’re preparing for continued increases at our branches as postmasters support local businesses in their community by staying open long hours and weekends, providing a convenient and secure place for businesses and the self-employed to deposit much needed cash takings.”

Post Office expects to shortly exceed £3bn in monthly cash deposits and withdrawals for the first time in its 360year history as banks continue to close branches or announce forthcoming closures.

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 15

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S TO R E C O N V E R S I O N S

MCCOLL’S

McColl’s opens 100th Morrisons Daily The retailer is continuing to roll out Morrisons Daily ahead of the targets.

M

cColl’s Retail Group has opened its 100th Morrisons Daily store, two months ahead of schedule.

The retailer says the roll-out of Morrisons Daily stores is a key component of its strategic focus on foodled convenience, driving incremental sales, and sales-mix improvement across the store.

The conversion of the McColl’s store at 6 Cromwell Road in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, gives local customers a wider product choice and better value, through new lines, and Morrisons own-label.

McColl’s continues to roll out Morrisons Daily ahead of the targets set at its capital raise earlier this year, with a capability to implement six store conversions per week.

The Morrisons Daily conversions have a 2-3 year payback on investment, McColl’s says, and it expects to be operating 350 Morrisons Daily stores across its total estate of more than 1,200 stores

by November 2022.

Jonathan Miller, Chief Executive of McColl’s, said: “We are redefining neighbourhood retail in the communities we serve, putting us in the best possible position to meet customer demand in the future. “Alongside an enhanced customer

offer, we have a proven store conversion blueprint that offers a strong return on investment, delivering double-digit sales uplifts and rapid payback.”

David Potts, Chief Executive of Morrisons, added: “The Morrisons Daily convenience format is proving popular with customers and is a great way for us to broaden the reach of the

Morrisons brand into more and more local communities.

“It’s been a very impressive collective effort by the McColl’s and Morrisons teams who have worked together so quickly and effectively.

“We look forward to hundreds more Morrisons Daily stores springing up across Britain.”

“We are well placed to support small and independent businesses during the busiest time of the year,” Nick Reid, CE | Post Office

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 17

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

Shopper confidence falls with rising cost of living

S

Research reveals consumer confidence declined steadily throughout September.

hopper confidence has declined to its lowest level in a year, according to the latest Shopper Confidence Index from IGD. The data shows that concerns around food price inflation are at their highest since March 2013 and 85% of shoppers expect food prices to get more expensive next year.

The data shows that shopper confidence fell to -9 – from -4 in August – the largest recorded monthly decline.

Confidence declined steadily throughout

September and fell to -14 at the end of the month.

Overall financial confidence has also fallen sharply in the last month with 31% of shoppers expecting to be worse off in the year ahead, the data shows.

Financial confidence across lower income households continues to decrease, with 42% expecting to be worse off in the year ahead, and confidence among higher income households also decreased - with 30% expecting to be worse off in the year.

18 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 77 WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021

The research shows that 21% of shoppers expect to focus more on saving money – a 6% increase on August’s figure.

Confidence is declining across all regions, particularly in the Midlands where the score is 13 points lower than last month, and shoppers aged 35+ are becoming less confident than those aged 18-34.

Simon Wainwright, Director of Global Insight at IGD, said: “Moving forward shopper focus will be on value for money and we will see much wider adoption of the 2021 ‘savvy shopping’ trend as shoppers look to save money, with many switching to private label products, motivated by seeking out savings. The discount channel is forecast to be the fastest-growing grocery channel over the next five years and we will see many shoppers shift their shopping behaviour to make cost-savings from this channel.

“Shopper confidence will remain very fragile for the foreseeable future so retailers and suppliers will need to focus on building loyalty by supporting their customers’ needs by offering value for money.”

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

RETAIL FOOTFALL

Driver shortage dampens footfall recovery The BRC-Sensormatic IQ data shows Scotland saw the deepest footfall decline of all the regions at -19.9%.

U

K footfall decreased by 16.8% in September compared to pre-pandemic figures, but increased 1.2 percentage point on August’s figures, new research reveals.

The BRC-Sensormatic IQ data shows Scotland saw the deepest footfall decline of all the regions at -19.9%.

Wales saw the shallowest footfall decline of all regions for the second consecutive month at -16.2%, followed by Northern Ireland and England at -16.7%.

Footfall on High Streets declined

by 22.6% in September compared to pre-pandemic figures, but was 2.2 percentage points above last month’s rate, and above the three-month average decline of 26.9%.

Shopping Centre footfall declined by 35.6% compared to pre-pandemic figures, 2.7 percentage points below last month’s rate, and below the three-month average decline of 35.1%.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of British Retail Consortium, said: “While footfall at the start of September was

strong, it slowed over the course of the month as increasing rainfall and ongoing fuel and supply issues convinced some consumers to stay home.

“The final week of September saw the worst total footfall levels since the last week July this year, shortly after the last Covid restrictions were lifted, demonstrating the fragility of consumer confidence and how the economic recovery from Covid can be so easily undermined.”

Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, added: “The UK’s footfall recovery is far from tanking when we look across to our European counterparts – while shopper traffic in the UK is down 17% on pre-pandemic levels, the likes of France and Germany are still seeing footfall down by over a third.

“Looking ahead, retailers will be counting on the Golden Quarter to capitalise on Christmas trade as the High Street’s recovery continues – and with our research showing 79% of consumer will start festive shopping between now and the start of December, October and November will be critical months to encourage shoppers back into store.”

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 19

CHARITY

NISA

Nisa brings back Community Champions initiative

N

Two retailers will be recognised each month, with accolades for stores under 3,000sq ft and over 3,000sq ft up for grabs.

isa’s Making a Difference Locally charity is bringing back an initiative that recognises the symbol group’s retailers that go above and beyond for their local community.

The Community Champion initiative will recognise different stores each month with a £250 donation to donate to a local good cause via Making a Difference Locally.

Two winners will be awarded the Community Champion title each month, with accolades for stores under

3,000sq ft and over 3,000sq ft up for grabs.

To be in with a chance of winning, Nisa partners simply need to share how they have made a difference to their local community recently, with images of their charitable activities.

Kate Carroll, Nisa’s Head of Charity, said: “We are delighted to relaunch our Community Champions initiative to celebrate the fantastic charitable efforts of our retailers and look forward to hearing more stories about the invaluable support they provide.”

GROCERYAID NAMES NEW PRESIDENT The grocery industry charity GroceryAid has appointed Allan Leighton, Chairman of the Co-operative Group, BrewDog, and Pizza Express as its President.

Leighton will succeed Charles Wilson who will complete his tenure in December 2021.

Leighton said: “The grocery trade has been a huge part of my life since I was a child, and I was honoured to be asked to take on this vital role. As we emerge from Covid, I plan to work with the GroceryAid team to ensure the charity

is there for all colleagues in those times when they need our support.”

Wilson said: “It has been a pleasure to serve as GroceryAid President for these past two years.

“The charity is very dear to my heart, and I am delighted to be handing over to such a capable successor as Allan. I know he is equally determined that we continue to work with colleagues across the supply chain to ensure we support grocery people in need as effectively as possible.”

20 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 77 WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021

FOOD WASTE

JAMES HALL & CO

James Hall doubles down on Too Good To Go

Customers using the Too Good To Go app can access the service at the retailer’s 150 company-owned stores.

J

ames Hall & Co, Spar’s wholesaler for the north of England, has expanded its partnership with Too Good To Go to reduce food waste across its company-owned stores.

Users of the Too Good To Go app are able to get ‘magic bags’ of miscellaneous surplus stock, close to the end of its shelf life, but still within its best before date at a fraction of the full retail value.

The expansion means customers using the Too Good To Go app can access the service at all 150 company-owned stores in Cheshire, County Durham, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and Yorkshire.

James Hall & Co began trialling the Too Good To Go app in September last year, initially in 10 company-owned stores in Lancashire and Merseyside, before rolling it out wider to 45 stores.

In the past 12 months, the app has helped save 22,393 meals and an equivalent 55 tonnes of CO2.

There have been 280,000 views of the app, and the service has been used by more than 10,000 customers who

have been able to access food worth £10 for an average value of £3.09.

Fiona Drummond, Company Stores Director at James Hall & Co, said: “Since we launched the partnership service 12 months ago, it has brought multiple benefits to our business, including reducing costs and a saving a huge amount of waste food.

“Not only that, it has enabled us to better connect with the communities we serve across northern England who know they can access a healthy, wholesome meal at a reduced price at a G&E Murgatroyd Spar close to them should they need to.”

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 21

T H G I R E H T K C O ST R U O Y H C T A W T H E TO P 1 0

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SYMBOL GROUPS

NISA RETAIL

Nisa launches pre-sell event for spring The range features favourite lines and new products, including an Easter NPD from Galaxy that is exclusive to Nisa and Co-op.

for 2022. It also sets out plans and suggested products for early, mid, and late season, and provides key insights and category management advice.

Printed brochures have been despatched to retailers and the brochure is also available online via Nisa’s order capture system.

Chris Walker, offline marketing manager at Nisa, said: “After Christmas, Easter is the largest retailing opportunity and it’s not just Easter but the whole of Spring that has now become a key trading period in the year.

“There is an abundance of NPD featured in our brochure, including a Nisa and Co-op exclusive, and these products should really drive excitement among shoppers and offer a point of difference to our partners.”

Printed brochures have been despatched to retailers and the brochure is also available online

N

isa has launched its pre-sell event for spring – the second largest retailing opportunity of the year. The symbol group’s range features Co-op own-brand alongside branded options and a selection of

new products, including an Easter NPD from Galaxy that is exclusive to Nisa and Co-op.

This year’s brochure also includes details of ‘Ways to Win’ this season and highlights the all-important must-stocks

NISA HOLDS VIRTUAL WINE TASTING FOR KEY PARTNERS A group of Nisa key accounts partners have sampled festive tipples at a virtual wine tasting.The session, designed to offer insights and tips on what to stock for the all-important trading period, allowed retailers to taste a selection of

wines and quiz buyers and suppliers.

The retailers also received information on topics including Fairtrade products and pairing wines to help drive linked sales in store.

Danielle Sylvester, category controller

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at Nisa, said: “The combination of Co-op own-brand and branded wines worked well in this session, and I believe it provided some great food for thought for partners when it comes to their decisions on what to stock this Christmas.”

WHOLESALE

PARFETTS EXPANSION

Parfetts completes depot expansion at Aintree

T

Parfetts has completed an extensive expansion of its Aintree, Liverpool, depot to create greater capacity for its delivered operations and improve the experience for retail customers.

he wholesaler, which has 4,000 retail club members and over 850 fascia stores, has created a dedicated loading area for delivered operations at the depot. The development has created more capacity, giving visitors to the depot an improved experience.

The project also saw a dedicated picking area developed within the depot, which also creates more room for customers.

The depot has seen delivered operations grow by 40% in the past two years. It now delivers across the North West from North Manchester into the Lake District and down to Stoke-on-Trent and has hired 25 new staff to cope with demand.

The investment follows the company’s

strategy of maintaining a market-leading cash and carry while continuing to grow the delivered arm of the business.

Anthony Fisher-Hibbs, general manager at Parfetts Aintree, said: “The expansion of the depot will create the capacity we need to continue to grow our delivered business while providing a better experience for our visitors. We’ve experienced significant growth through the pandemic as new retailers tried us for the first time and stayed. We aim for turnover to hit £3m a week over the coming months.”

Parfetts current strategy is to extend its

customer reach through delivery rather than acquisition using four key depots as 24 hour delivered hubs in Middlesbrough, Sheffield, Somercotes, and Aintree.

Earlier this year, Parfetts launched an app that allows retailers to order next day delivery up to midday of the day before.

Customers can also use the app to manage click-and-collect orders and review previous purchases. The wholesaler is also continuing to invest in digital channels with a programme of enhancements to its website, customer apps, and growth of social media channels.

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 25

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK – BEBETO

ALL TREATS, NO TRICKS Bebeto launches 750g value party pack for shoppers to ‘create your own’.

excellent value product that’s not to be missed.”

The Halloween launch comes hot on the heels of Bebeto’s six-figure ‘Everything’s Bebetter with Bebeto’ campaign that has taken the brand into homes across London and surrounding counties with its first ever UK TV ad. The significant six-figure investment is part of a nationwide marketing campaign, including out-of-home advertising, PR, social media marketing, and consumer sampling.

The confectionery brand is on a mission to significantly boost brand awareness and market share in the UK. Johnston added: “Having doubled UK turnover every two years since the UK office launched, our vision is to drive the Bebeto brand to become one of the top five sugar confectionery brands worldwide by 2023. A stream of exciting product innovation, new listings and multi-platform campaigns are hugely exciting steps in our journey.”

Kervan Gida’s Bebeto confectionery brand has unveiled a Halloween-inspired product for independent retailers.

The 750g Bebeto Halloween Trick & Mix is a Halal-certified and available to independent retailers via the distributor Bramble Foods. It contains a mix of sweets made with no artificial colours, a scoop for the sweets, and 20 ‘trick or treat’ paper bags and stickers.

The pack is suitable for families celebrating the occasion with a party at home or for shoppers to make up and give out to trick or treaters.

Stuart Johnston, Managing Director of Kervan Gida UK, said: “Bebeto champions ‘life is for enjoying the little things’ and we hope with this new giant Halloween party pack, we can provide moments of happiness for the whole family. We’re confident this stand-out pack will enhance independent retailers’ Halloween offering, providing both retailer and shopper with an

26 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 77 WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK – BISTO

BISTO HITS THE SMALL SCREEN FOR WINTER SEASON The advert is the brand’s first in six years.

Bisto is back on TV with its first new ad creative in

Savan Sabharwal, Marketing Controller for Bisto

six years, as part of a £4m campaign continuing

at Premier Foods, said: “Our latest campaign will

to drive relevancy among a new generation of

help us continue to strengthen brand perceptions

consumers and hero its premium Bisto Best range.

among new and existing shoppers, whilst deliver-

Running until March 2022, the ad aims to generate

ing relevancy and consideration of Bisto Best for a

brand awareness during the key winter season

broader range of meals, particularly among a new

and continue momentum after a strong sales year.

generation of gravy consumers.”

The ad is an evolution of the brand’s former

Sabharwal added: “We know that brands like

‘Togetherness’ campaign, and is set to showcase

Bisto played an important role during pandemic

wider uses for gravy, beyond the traditional roast

mealtimes, as people turned to products they trusted

dinner, to resonate with today’s consumer and mod-

and which could provide comfort during challenging

ern meal occasions.

times. Our opportunity now lies in retaining these new

It takes viewers on a journey through the life-

shoppers and continuing to highlight the broad usage

time of two best friends. The story sees the friends

occasions for the brand. As we head into the key

growing up together, from aged seven up to their

gravy season, our in-store support will also play a key

mid-30s, and concludes where they now have their

role. This will see us activate our biggest Christmas

own daughters who are set to carry on the tradition

yet in terms of displays, to truly get shoppers behind

of sharing their mealtimes.

the brand this festive season.”

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 27

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK – PREMIER FOODS

HALLOWEEN USHERS IN NEW MR KIPLING TREAT The spooky season will also see many favourites returning.

Premier Foods has unveiled its 2021 Halloween

Toffee Whirls, and Chocolate & Marshmallow Slices

range, which sees the return of some familiar sweet

to help keep the party going beyond 31 October.

treats along with the launch of new Mr Kipling

Mathew Bird, Brand Director for Sweet Treats at

Toffee Apple Pies.Recent research reveals that

Premier Foods, said: “With Halloween just around

66% of people say they want to try new flavours at

the corner, consumers will be keen to make the most

Halloween, making way for retailers to refresh their

of seasonal occasions over the coming months.

seasonal ranges in order to drive additional sales.

Shoppers will have more chances to mark this

The newly-launched Mr Kipling Toffee Apple Pies

Halloween with loved ones, be that at home or

are available in a six-pack with an RSP of £1.50.

out and about, so our range of returning favour-

Premier Foods is also bringing back Cadbury

ites, alongside our new Toffee Apple Pies from Mr

Cakes’ Goo Heads, a five-pack of cake bars (RSP

Kipling, offer the ideal treat. The latest addition will

£1) that features a host of spooky characters on

help retailers target an even broader range of con-

each individually wrapped bar, making them perfect

sumers, as the pies and tarts sector is traditionally

for trick or treaters.

enjoyed by post-family shoppers.”

Halloween and Bonfire Night will also see the return of Cadbury Pumpkin Patch Cakes Cadbury

● The Premier Foods Halloween range is avail-

Bonfire Logs, Mr Kipling Fiendish Fancies, Terrifying

able now across all channels.

28 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 77 WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK

PLANT BAR

GREENER PACKS

FREE CUPPAS

Cadbury Plant Bar, a plant-

Fruit Shoot singles and multi-

Tetley has unveiled its first

based alternative to Cadbury

packs are making the move to

on-pack promo in six years, to

Dairy Milk, will be available from

100% rPET and clear bottles

encourage shoppers to “send

November. The 90g bars come

this month. A recipe refresh

your loved one a free cuppa on

in 100% plant-based packaging

and packaging redesign are

us”. The promo, which appears

made from ISCC-certified bio-

included. Alongside its new

on packs of Tetley Original 240s

sourced plastics from renewable

clear bottle, Fruit Shoot will now

and 80s, is being supported

sources.

be preservative-free following a

in-store and in-depot with pre-

RSP: £2.50

reformulation.

filled shippers and shelf strips.

FLAVOURED VODKA

GIN MAKEOVER

CHRISTMAS TREATS

The maker of Boë Gin has

Plymouth Gin has had a make-

Confectionery specialist Bonds

expanded its offering, unveiling a

over to improve its sustainability

of London has released its

new range of vodkas. The range

credentials. The design has elim-

Christmas range. This year’s

launches with three different

inated all single-use plastic and

treats include Pun Boxes and

flavours: ‘Pink’, ‘Azzura’, and

reduced the weight of the glass

a Christmas Mix of the Shaker

‘Dark Fruits’. Each vodka is 40%

by 15% (60 tonnes of carbon a

Cup. The range also includes

ABV.

year). Paper labels and a closure

Toffee Snowballs, Christmas

RSP: £32

made from recyclable PET have

Fudge Sharing bags and new

been added.

Bonds Six Jar Sweet Sprinkles.

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 29

NOW THAT’S A GOOD IDEA…

OUT THE BOX

No address? No pro Amazon has launched a new feature that allows Prime members to instantly send gifts from their mobile devices, simply by providing the recipient’s email or mobile phone number.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Prime members can browse millions of products available to gift on the Amazon Shopping app, and once they find the right gift and add it to their basket, they select ‘Add a gift receipt for easy returns’ and proceed to check out.

In addition, Prime members will now see a new option to ‘Let the recipient provide their address’. They can then enter the recipient’s email or mobile number. The recipient receives a gift message—by email or text—that allows them to accept the gift, and then enter their preferred delivery address from their Amazon account.

Recipients also have the option of exchanging the item for an Amazon gift card which they can then use to purchase something else—without having to notify the gift giver.

WILL IT BE COMING TO THE UK? The new feature will start to roll out to all Prime members in the US shopping from their mobile device beginning 4 October. Amazon has not disclosed whether the service will be launched internationally, but usually where the US goes the UK eventually follows.

30 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 77 WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021

roblem...

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING? ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks, said: “It’s a surprisingly simple idea, and one we can see Amazon.co.uk and other British online retailers adopting quickly as well. With just a little tweaking, it’s a development that should be an option for UK retailers such as Argos and

ASOS. Argos could even offer a “pickup your present” in-store option, “These days our address book is likely to be sat alongside our dusty cheque book far at the back of a little used draw. Yet we have people’s mobile numbers with us constantly in our mobile phones.”

Jinks added: “One word of caution, though. We are all familiar with those existing scam texts that claim you have a parcel waiting, but you need to pay a clearance fee. If new ‘address-less’ sales catch on, we will all have to be on our guard for ‘phishing’ messages inviting us to send details such as our address, and in particular, bank account numbers to top-up gift cards, etc.”

American technology blog The Verge wasn’t keen on the idea. It said: “This sounds like a bad idea that is ripe for abuse by scammers, stalkers, and those who take pleasure in the online harassment of others.”

In response, Amazon has stressed that gifts are only sent when recipients accept them and that they can expire or be deleted at any time. The company said any activity that violates its guidelines - which includes sending unwanted gifts - would be reviewed and the account acted on.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE? You can find out more about the service here

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 31

BEFORE YOU GO

RETAIL RANDOMS

Penny for his thoughts Speed was possibly not of the essence for one Deliveroo ‘driver’ - if that is the right term - recently.

For George Heming, who lives in the Kent coastal jewel of Whitstable, has taken it upon himself to make his deliveries on the back of a penny farthing bicycle.

What makes the feat all the more remarkable is that he made the deliveries not in his home town, but in the sprawling metropolis of London.

Heming said: “Delivering food and riding through London on a penny Farthing really does turn heads!”

You don’t say.

He added: “I learnt to ride the penny farthing inside a large indoor space which was tricky but a whole different story when you’re out on the streets, navigating

London’s rush hour with no brakes.

“The empty bag was quite a weight anyway, so when I reached the restaurant and collected the food, the weight increased further which made it harder to get on and off the penny farthing.

“Luckily, the food made it to the destination in one piece and was still warm!”

What convenience retailers made of George’s mode of transport is not recorded. Perhaps an e-scooter might be a better option for London next time?

and so finds himself on his local forecourt in the dead of night trying to salvage his relationship by picking out a past-its-best

bouquet? You will have to ask the man himself - but you will have to find him first...

In the picture A Banksy painting inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers is to be auctioned.

The painting, titled Sunflowers From Petrol Station, is being sold by fashion designer Sir Paul Smith. The artwork reimagines Van Gogh’s painting as a withered bunch of sunflowers which have shed their petals. It has been valued at between £8.8m and £13.2m by auction house Christie’s.

One question remains: what was Banksy’s motivation - or rather, inspiration - for creating the work? Was it, as we suspect, the artistic equivalent of the man who has forgotten his anniversary

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 77 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 33

THE PLANET’S FAVOURITE BEER BREWDOG IS THE WORLD’S FIRST CARBON NEGATIVE BREWERY

70% of shoppers would be more likely to purchase a beer made in a sustainable way*

* YouGov BrewDog Commissioned Survey – Beer Drinkers – Sept 2020. Unweighted base: All UK adults who drink beer every month (1735)