Cash & Carry Management September 2021 by Cash & Carry Management

p.1 Front Cover Sept 21 no ad_Layout 1 14/09/2021 14:09 Page 1

SPOTLIGHT: GUY SPILSBURY, GWD CONVENIENCE DISTRIBUTION

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR CASH & CARRY/DELIVERED WHOLESALERS

Exclusive!

LWC invests in new areas while upholding on-trade service focus

FESTIVE FORECAST

What do consumers want this Christmas? ALL THIS INSIDE...

Sales/Marketing & Brokerage

Seasonal Special Buying Groups Update

SEPTEMBER 2021

p.3 Contents Sept 21_Ivan Durkin feature 1 real 14/09/2021 14:18 Page 1

Contents

September 2021

This month don’t miss... 07 16

JJ Foodservice invests in new collection bays at its Sidcup site.

The Country Range Student Chef Challenge returns for 2022.

LWC aims to be the best and biggest on-trade wholesaler.

ESSENTIALS 05 06 46

Editor’s Comment Industry News Products & Promotions

FEATURES 12

Spotlight Guy Spilsbury, buyer at GWD Convenience Distribution, a delivered wholesaler based near Halifax.

Behind the Scenes When LWC Drinks, which has 95% of its customers in the on-trade, was hit by the COVID crisis, it invested in new routes to market.

CCM Chefs’ Own-Brand Awards Judging of the awards, which recognise the best wholesalers’ own-brand foodservice products, has now been completed.

Guy Spilsbury, buyer at GWD Convenience Distribution, is proud of his two daughters growing into strong independent women.

In Focus

Promotio n of the month

Bidfood has conducted research into how consumers plan to celebrate Christmas this year.

CATEGORY INSIGHT 22 32 38

Seasonal Sales/Marketing & Brokerage Buying Groups Update Confex, NBC, Sugro and Unitas on the benefits they offer members.

Seasonal events are expected to be back with a bang this year.

Holiday prizes are up for grabs in a new promotion from Nestlé.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

September 2021

p.5 Editor s Comment Sept 21 _Ivan Durkin feature 1 real 14/09/2021 14:11 Page 1

[ EDITOR’S COMMENT ]

Supporting staff in need

ome 3,600 children were supported by GroceryAid’s School Essentials Grant this year – up from 1,300 last year. Recipients of the grants expressed their gratitude. One said: ‘My employer had a GroceryAid poster in the staff canteen, so I decided to apply. As a single parent, working part-time, I find school uniform a struggle to buy. A massive thank you – it is a weight off my shoulders and really appreciated!’ The demand for GroceryAid’s services has increased threefold since the pandemic began, so it was good to hear that the charity’s flagship fundraising event, Barcode Festival, this year was its most successful yet, raising over £750,000 (see page 7). An additional 690,000 people in the UK were plunged into hardship during the COVID crisis, according to the Legatum Institute, taking the poverty figure to more than 15 million. The Big Issue notes that poverty is not exclusive to unemployed people. In-work poverty hit a high just before the pandemic, with experts citing ‘low pay, expensive rent and meagre benefit payments’ as reasons for families being trapped in poverty despite having jobs. Citizens Advice has warned that a third of people on Universal Credit will end up in debt when the extra £20-perweek payment introduced in response to the pandemic is removed next month. Another charity, the Health Foundation,

SPOTLIGHT: GUY SPILSBURY, GWD CONVENIENCE DISTRIBUTION

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR CASH & CARRY/DELIVERED WHOLESALERS

Exclusive!

LWC invests in new areas while upholding on-trade service focus

FESTIVE FORECAST

SEPTEMBER 2021

estimates that the cut could lead to worse mental health and well-being for thousands of families. Poverty is rife, but we often do not know whether our colleagues are struggling, financially or otherwise. If we do suspect that a person is having problems, how do we help? Mental Health First Aid is a training course that teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue. The number of mental health first aiders is rising in the wholesale industry; for example, Filshill now has over 20, who are having a ‘big impact by supporting not only their colleagues but also their friends and family’, reports CEO Simon Hannah. Meanwhile, another Scottish wholesaler, Fáilte Foodservice, has recently become a Living Wage Employer (see page 8), meaning that it has committed to pay a minimum hourly wage of £9.50. CEO Jim Cummiskey says that this is one way he can demonstrate how highly he values his employees’ contribution to the business. The actions by Filshill and Fáilte are examples of how wholesalers are supporting their staff, but even something as simple as putting up a GroceryAid poster at work can evidently help too.

Kirsti Sharratt Managing Editor

NEVER MISS AN ISSUE... Cash & Carry Management is free to cash & carry and delivered wholesale directors, buyers and managers. The magazine is available to other subscribers for just £74 a year or £7 per copy. Overseas yearly subscriptions are priced at £95. Back issues dating back to 2011 are available online.

What do consumers want this Christmas? ALL THIS INSIDE...

Sales/Marketing & Brokerage

Seasonal Special Buying Groups Update

Email mail.winlove@btconnect.com or call (01342) 712100 for more information.

Address Winlove Publications Ltd PO Box 366 East Grinstead RH19 4ZE Tel (01342) 712100 Email mail.winlove@btconnect.com Publisher Winlove Publications Ltd EDITORIAL Managing Editor Kirsti Sharratt Contributor Siobhan Kielty Contributor Kevin Whitlock ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Publishing Director Martin Lovell Media Sales Manager Clare Phillips 4,448 July 2018 – June 2019 Audit Bureau of Circulations Printed by Bishops Printers ISSN 1352-254X All media rates, feature lists and deadlines can be accessed online by visiting: cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

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September 2021

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[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

Booker HGV drivers vote to strike Forty drivers, employed by Booker at its Thamesmead site, have voted unanimously for strike action. This follows a dispute caused by Booker Retail Partners putting in place a temporary pay rise of £5 an hour for the drivers at its Hemel Hempstead depot but then refusing to implement a similar uplift for the drivers at the Thamesmead site. Unite the union is ready to issue notice to the employer for strike action, but wants to allow time for crunch talks with the bosses on 21-23 September. Unite regional officer Paul

Travers said: “This is really ‘smell the coffee’ time for the bosses at Booker Retail Partners. Our members at Thamesmead could not have sent out a clearer message – 100% voting in favour of strike action. “We are holding crucial talks on 21-23 September. If

those talks don’t result in a fair settlement, there will be strikes as our members are up for a long, drawn-out fight for pay justice. “This dispute has been pockmarked by very poor employment relations by the management, with senior executives ‘missing in action’

at critical times and then trying to bypass negotiating procedures by attempting to offer our members a deal that would have ultimately left them worse off. “Any industrial action will deepen the supply shortages that many parts of the retail sector are currently experiencing due to the wider issue of HGV driver shortages. “Unite is dedicated to advancing the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and will fight back against any efforts to diminish workers’ living standards.” a Booker (01933) 371000 a www.unitetheunion.org

New head of trading In-person programme

CJ Lang & Son has recruited Robbie Moore as head of trading. His appointment follows the decision by the current trading director Richard Collins to leave the business on 1 October to move back to be with his family in Yorkshire. Moore joins CJ Lang from Morrisons where he was wholesale buying manager. Before that, he was at Costcutter for seven years. His new role will involve heading up the trading team, ensuring that budgeted wholesale trading for CJ Lang is maintained and developed in terms of volume, value 06

September 2021

and margins. He will also identify sales opportunities, promote maximum loyalty, and ensure that approved store development activities deliver added value. In other news, CJ Lang has invested £1.6 million in a fleet of new vehicles. The first of 12 new trailers were recently delivered to the company’s distribution centre in Dundee. They incorporate the latest Thermo King A400 Advancer Refrigeration units – improving fuel efficiency by around 30% and significantly reducing CO2 emissions compared to the outgoing units, as well as being much quieter. Later this year CJ Lang will take delivery of four new Scania rigid vehicles and five new Scania tractor units. a CJ Lang (01382) 512100

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

The Bestway Retail Development Programme – which includes the Bestway Retail Development Awards – is back with in-person events. The programme is designed to help retailers accelerate growth within their businesses. A two-day event is held in three different locations and consists of seminars and a trade show, which offer an exclusive opportunity for Bestway’s retailers to meet suppliers and learn about emerging trends, new products and marketing activity. This year, the event is scheduled for: 12-14 October, Hilton Glasgow; 2-4 November, Hilton Heathrow Terminal 4; and 7-9 December, Marriott Leeds. Independent retailers who attend the development seminars are also eligible to enter the annual Bestway Retailer Development Awards. They will have six months to put into practice

what they learn at the seminars with the support of suppliers and their Bestway development managers. The winning retailers are selected based on their professionalism, implementation of advice received, and sales figures that demonstrate the improvements they have made. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London in May 2022, where they will receive a share of a £50,000 prize fund. a Bestway Wholesale 0208453 1234

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[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

John Baines to retire Medina acquired John Baines, trading director of Unitas Wholesale, will retire from the business in May 2022. Baines (right) has played a leading role in the buying group since he joined NisaToday’s in 1994. As part of the senior team he was pivotal in working with the executive in the 2012 demerger of Nisa-Today’s and the 2018 merger of Today’s Group and Landmark Wholesale to form Unitas. Baines commented: “I have spent many enjoyable years working in the wholesale sector and have made many friends along the way; however, it is now time for me to spend more quality time with my family.” Unitas MD John Kinney

UK rights Hancocks has become the sole UK distributor for the American candy brand Tootsie Roll Industries.

Tootsie Roll Industries was founded in 1896 with its most famous product, the Tootsie Roll. Hancocks is the sole distributor for six of the brands: Tootsie Roll, Tootsie Fruit Chews, Charms Fluffy Stuff, Charleston Chew, Junior Mints and Junior Caramels. Helen Bradshaw, director of marketing & sales for Hancocks, said: “Tootsie Roll Industries is a big name in the confectionery world and we’re looking forward to launching this range of products to retailers across the UK. American candy is certainly growing in popularity.” a Hancocks (01509) 216644

added: “I have worked with John since I joined Today’s back in 2011 and he has been instrumental in the formation of Unitas. “I fully respect his wishes to retire and thank him for the support he will continue to provide while we recruit his replacement.” a Unitas Wholesale (01302) 249909

Sysco Corporation is acquiring specialist regional wholesaler Medina Foodservice. From sites on the Isle of Wight and in Southampton, Medina Foodservice serves Southern England with a wide range of products and has a particularly long heritage of providing high quality meat and local produce. Medina Foodservice will join another regional wholesaler, kff, and the fresh businesses Fresh Direct, M&J Seafood, Fresh Fayre and Wild Harvest, within Sysco Speciality Group. Medina will continue to be run and operated independently by the current leadership and employees, but with the additional support including investment,

Employee recognition JJ Foodservice has launched ‘Thank You Awards’ to give staff who go the extra mile for colleagues and customers £250 worth of shopping vouchers. “Getting recognition from colleagues is a great way to make staff feel valued,” said Jaz Sandhu, learning & development manager. “We care passionately about our people, which is why we are keen to recognise and reward those making a difference.” Any member of staff can nominate a colleague (or themselves) and there will be one winner every month. People with the most nominations are circulated to the JJ Awards Committee. “Whether you win or not, being nominated is a great way to raise your visibility with our senior management team,” said Sandhu. The winner of the first

official award was Adlene Rezzouk (above), goods receiving manager at the Enfield branch. He received £250 of vouchers, a thank you card from HR and a very long list of why he was nominated by fellow colleagues. In other news, JJ has invested in nine new collection bays at its Sidcup branch – taking the total to 15 – in response to increased demand for order collection. a JJ Foodservice (01992) 701701

expertise and scale of Sysco. Steve Ross, owner of Medina, said: “We’re very proud of how we’ve grown the business over the years. Joining Sysco will provide the support that will help us in the next stage of our development. We are confident that this move is right for our loyal customers, our colleagues, and the family.” a Sysco Speciality Group (01869) 365700

Festival GroceryAid’s industry summer party, Barcode Festival, returned this year with a sellout event that raised more than £750,000 for the charity. GroceryAid CEO Steve Barnes, said: “After the last 18 months, it was wonderful to bring the trade together with smiles on their faces at a unique industry event. “Not surprisingly, the demand for GroceryAid’s services has increased threefold since the pandemic began, which indicates that our support is needed more than ever. The money raised by Barcode will help more colleagues in need.” The next Barcode Festival takes place on 7 July 2022. a GroceryAid (01252) 875925

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

September 2021

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[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

Filshill boosts turnover by 23% JW Filshill achieved a 23% rise in turnover to £191 million in the year ending 31 January 2021. The Glasgow-based wholesaler, which supplies KeyStore convenience stores across Scotland and the north of England and national accounts including the Scottish Prison Service, recorded gross profit of 8.08% during the year, down from 8.4% the previous year due to the effects of the pandemic. Operating profit rose to £2.3 million – 1.2% of turnover – from 0.67% the previous year in what the directors described as a “positive improvement but still highlighting how tight profit margins are in the wholesale sector”. Net assets rose to £15.2 million from £13.6 million the previous year, an increase of 11.8%. Chief financial & operating

Weekly promotions Nisa is launching a ‘One Week Deal’ campaign, starting at the end of September, with 15 special one-weekonly offers running through to the first week of 2022. Each of the deals will feature in the Nisa consumer leaflet and national press adverts, on Nisa FM and PoS, and across digital channels. Hannah Goodwin, seasonal manager at Nisa, said: “We anticipate that shoppers will be actively looking to restock their cupboards with staple lines in the lead up to the Christmas period, and the One Week Deals are perfectly placed for those looking out for a bargain.” a Nisa Retail (01724) 282028 08

September 2021

Simon Hannah: Pleased with the company performance.

officer Keith Geddes commented: “The UK economy has experienced a period of extreme uncertainty due to the ongoing pandemic, and the group has had to adapt to take account of the massive disruption experienced by all sectors. “There were high costs associated with safeguarding employees and customers but we took all necessary precautions. We were one of the first companies in the UK

to make regular lateral flow testing available on site to the entire team.” He added: “The change in consumer behaviours resulted in an increase in demand for convenience retail which helped offset these costs and generated funds to invest in the growth and future of the business.” However, he noted that the pandemic had made it necessary for the business to suspend much of its on-trade and international activity during the year – the business supplies local craft beer and craft spirits to international markets. Simon Hannah, chief executive officer at Filshill, pointed to the group’s acquisition of tonic wine brand Eldorado towards the end of the year, providing an opportunity for the firm to become involved in brand ownership and development.

“We also revisited our overall company strategy during the year and created a 10-year strategy, built by all employees, to provide focus and clarity of direction for the business going forward,” he said. “Our long-term strategy of building strong partnership-based relationships with our customers and suppliers has been critical in us providing essential supplies to communities across the country in challenging times. “The directors are pleased with the company performance and are confident that profits will continue at a satisfactory level going forward.” Early next year, the wholesaler will relocate to a 120,400 sq ft purpose-built distribution centre at Westway Park near Glasgow Airport. a JW Filshill 0141-883 7071

Now a Living Wage employer Fáilte Foodservice has become accredited as a Living Wage Employer. The commitment will see everyone working at the Glasgow-based wholesaler receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.50, which compares to the Government’s minimum wage of £8.91 per hour for over 23 year-olds. In Scotland, more than 15% of all jobs – around 350,000 jobs – pay less than the real Living Wage. Fáilte CEO Jim Cummiskey told Cash & Carry Management: “My staff are working harder than ever to service our customers throughout Scotland, and so by paying the real Living Wage, I can show how

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highly I value their contribution to the business.” Cummiskey added that the wholesaler has invested around £250,000 in extending its fleet with three 7.5tonne trucks and two 3.5tonner sprinters. “We are delivering to more areas more frequently, and these new trucks will enable us to maintain our high service

levels,” he explained. “Service is king for our business.” Fáilte is also spending £120,000 to upgrade its IT systems and digital presence. In recent months, the company has seen a 20% increase in orders placed online. a Fáilte Foodservice 0141548 6170

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[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

Student Chef Challenge After many culinary students missed out on the chance to test themselves in catering contests in 2021, the Country Range Student Chef Challenge has returned for 2022. The competition, which has now been running for over a quarter of a century, involves teams of three fulltime hospitality and catering students from colleges in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Country Range

Student Chef Challenge is run in partnership with the Craft Guild of Chefs, which provides judging and feedback to the students. A prize of an overnight stay, meal and then a spell working at a Michelin star restaurant is on offer to the winning team but the challenge also enables the students and colleges to boost their profiles and generate strong publicity. Country Range Group

marketing manager Kate Bancroft said: “There is no doubt the lack of catering competitions has left a serious gap in the experience and enjoyment of hospitality students. “As a group, it is of paramount importance that we continue to nurture and support the next generation of chefs and the incredible colleges and lecturers working behind the scenes.” The 2022 Challenge has been carefully designed in line with the NVQ syllabus to assess both classical and modern cooking techniques. Each team of three must work together to devise a three-course menu that showcases their technique, knowledge of flavour and teamwork skills. The dishes need to be prepared and presented within 90 minutes. a Country Range Group (0845) 209 3777

Specialist joins the FWD Specialist bakery ingredients and finished goods wholesaler BAKO has joined the Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD). BAKO supplies bakery products and ingredients to 4,000 customers throughout the UK and has business units in Durham (BAKO Northern & Scotland), Preston (BAKO North Western) and Wimbledon (BAKO South Eastern). The group takes pride in being owned by bakers for bakers. BAKO group commercial director David Armstrong said: “Over the past 18 months it has become increasing obvious that the whole industry is becoming even more interdependent,

whether this be in coming together to network or in lobbying government on the key issues we all face. “We have been incredibly impressed from afar by all that the FWD has done on this and look forward to working with our fellow wholesalers on these critical subjects.” FWD chief executive James Bielby added: “We’re very pleased to have BAKO in the FWD family. There are so many issues affecting our

sector at the moment where we need to speak as one to government, and also to suppliers and customers. Adding BAKO to that joint voice amplifies it, and we look forward to working with and learning from the team.” The FWD’s membership now includes 12 stand-alone wholesalers and eight buying groups, which represent a further 600 wholesalers. Their combined turnover was £27 billion in 2020. a FWD (01323) 724952

Director of marketing

Bestway Wholesale has appointed Tim Fairs as director of marketing with responsibility to support strategic growth and innovation across the retail arm of the business. Formerly customer director of McColl’s Retail Group, Fairs (pictured) has also previously held posts with Virgin, Dixons Car Phone Warehouse, and Clinton Cards. In his new role, he will lead the marketing teams across Bestway’s retail fascias – Best-one, Costcutter, Bargain Booze and Wine Rack. a Bestway 020-8453 1234

Two more Sugro UK has two new members: A List Brands and Interstoq. Manchester-based A List Brands has a customer base of independent clearance and discount stores, smaller wholesalers and C&Cs. It is established in toiletries and pet food but has joined Sugro UK to lean on its expertise within the grocery and impulse categories. Interstoq has depots in Oldham and Essex and provides a wide range of confectionery, crisps and snacks, soft drinks and alcohol to wholesalers and retailers. a Sugro UK (01270) 628728

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

September 2021

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[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

Independent judging panel in place With judging of the Scottish Wholesale Association’s Achievers awards now under way, the organisation has unveiled its independent judging panel. In a change of strategy from previous years, the independent judges will collectively review every category to ensure consistency across the awards. Previously, judges with a range of specialisms were assigned specific categories. The panel comprises: a Ton Christiaanse, nonexecutive chairman of Country Range Group and former CEO of Brakes. a Professor Anne Marie Doherty, chair of the Academy of Marketing and head of the department of marketing at the University of Strathclyde. a Professor Leigh Sparks, professor of retail studies and deputy principal of the University of Stirling. a Ylva Haglund, campaigns

New guide Unitas Wholesale has launched a ‘Focus On’ Baby Care Plan for Profit guide in partnership with DCS & P&G. Plan for Profit category controller Tracey Redfearn explained: “We highlight the importance to independent retailers of getting all areas of their baby care category right, helping them to quickly check that they are stocking the brand leaders which is a must to fully engage with the baby care shopper and prevent lost sales. “These key brands account for the majority of baby care category sales in independent convenience.” a Unitas Wholesale (01302) 249909 10

September 2021

Ton Christiaanse, one of the independent judges.

manager for food waste reduction at Zero Waste Scotland. a Alison Nimmo, employer engagement manager at Capita. SWA chief executive Colin Smith said: “I am delighted that our group of experts is on board as their expertise and high standing in their own sectors enhances the credibility of Achievers and brings a fresh perspective to each awards category. “Their involvement will allow us to provide greater

feedback to entrants on benchmarking their performance and practices against their peers and also against other business sectors. One of the aims of Achievers is to apply best practice from others, share information and be inspired to introduce or develop new ideas.” With a 33% rise in the total number of entries and nearly 50% of those from SWA members that have joined the association during the past 18 months, Achievers has struck a chord with wholesalers who want to recognise the efforts and commitment of their staff during a difficult 17 months. As well as shining a spotlight on the efforts of Scotland’s wholesalers, the SWA is recognising the lengths that suppliers and their employees have gone to in supporting businesses and communities throughout the pandemic. As such, there are five awards for suppliers,

in addition to the 12 awards for wholesalers. In other news, the SWA has joined forces with Arcola Energy to identify the business case for fuel cell technology in the UK’s transition to zero-emission road freight. The Scottish Hydrogen Fuel Cell Freight Trial (SHyFT), led by Arcola Energy, has secured funding from the Department of Transport’s zero emission road freight programme for the design of a trial of hydrogen fuel cell trucks, supported by a green hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in Scotland. The SWA’s Colin Smith said: “The SWA’s involvement in the SHyFT project puts our sector and members at the forefront of the creation of greener fleets and creates a huge opportunity for members to be the first to transition to fuel cell HGVs.” a Scottish Wholesale Association 0131-556 8753

Booker redistributes surplus food Booker has joined forces with the charity FareShare and free sharing app OLIO to redistribute its surplus food to vulnerable people across the UK. Following a successful trial with FareShare that was launched in 11 of its depots and two distribution centres in January 2021, Booker will continue to roll out the food redistribution scheme to its branches nationwide. Through the FareShare Go programme, Booker sites are matched with charities and community groups in the local area that collect the items and turn them into food parcels or hot meals for

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the people they support. FareShare organisations will make the majority of collections from Booker sites, typically five days out of the week, while OLIO Food Waste Heroes are lined up to collect on days when the charities cannot, and then this food will be added to the OLIO app for people in the local area to collect.

Booker’s sustainability manager Catherine Marston said: “We are really pleased to be partnering with FareShare and OLIO. Over the past year we have donated the equivalent of over six million meals to local charities and good causes and this will really help us build upon this success. “We are proud to be the only wholesaler to have achieved four Carbon Trust Standards in carbon emissions, waste, water and zero waste to landfill, and are the only wholesaler to hold the Carbon Trust Standard for 12 years.” a Booker (01933) 371000

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p.12 Spotlight Sept 21_Ivan Durkin feature 1 real 14/09/2021 14:12 Page 1

[ SPOTLIGHT ] Guy Spilsbury, buyer, GWD Convenience Distribution always told that buyers went on the same training courses as sales people. It is indeed the other side of sales so it’s a role I’m thoroughly enjoying. What is your favourite film, book and song/piece of music? Classic films like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and the Monty Python films. I like an eclectic mix of music but you can’t beat an anthem like Thunderstruck by AC/DC at full volume.

Easy-going but driven What have been your biggest achievements in work and outside work? Too many to mention, but I took great satisfaction when I initiated the End User team at Barr’s shortly after joining in 2008. The focus had been mainly on wholesale ‘push’, and I implemented a plan for end-user ‘pull’. Outside of work I’m proud of my two daughters growing into strong independent women. Who has been the biggest inspiration to you? In general it has been people who are honest and avoid corporate politics. Having worked in a number of large companies I’ve developed a keen ‘jargon’ sensor, and the people I most admire are those who can cut through it. I always found Guy Gissing (retired wholesale controller at Barr’s) to be a good manager to work with. I should also mention my father who gives sensible, level-headed advice. What were your ambitions when you were growing up? I really wanted to be an airline pilot – probably the result of my dad being an aviation journalist for 30 years. When we were young, a day out meant sitting watching the planes landing and taking 12

September 2021

off at Manchester Airport – I loved it, and I still regularly use the Flightradar app. What are your interests outside work? I’ve always been active, playing rugby when I was young. I enjoy most sports, although these days it’s watching rather than active involvement. I do enjoy running and get out a couple of times a week (I’ve completed four half marathons in recent years). It helps me to relax. I also enjoy real ale, both drinking and making. If I had my time again, I would set up a micro-brewery. How would you describe your personality and what approach do you take in business (and in life)? Easy-going and level-headed. I’m not one to let things build up to high stress levels; however, I’ve always been very motivated and driven to achieve results. The key to success (which has to be measured) is through planning and managing time in an effective way. What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it? Definitely being made redundant following organisation restructure. I found using my industry network essential in changing from sales to buying. I was

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If you won a holiday, where would you go and who would you take with you? With current travel restrictions it’s got to be Cornwall. We’ve had many family holidays to the Roseland Peninsula and I love the place. Obviously, I’d have to go with my wife Nina and two daughters. I’d be in trouble otherwise! What would people be surprised to know about you? I’m a bit scared of swimming in the sea. Although I’m a pretty strong swimmer I was caught in a riptide when I was a teenager and was very grateful to be rescued by a lifeguard. It definitely CCM taught me to respect nature!

Sales to buying Guy Spilsbury completed a degree in geography at the University of Sheffield. He decided he wanted to work with big consumer brands and joined Kellogg’s in the early ’90s, spending nine years in different sales roles. He then moved to Heinz Foodservice in 2003, managing various pub groups, hotel chains and fast-food companies. In 2008 he joined AG Barr as business development manager, initially in the out-ofhome team and then in wholesale. Following redundancy in 2018 he was appointed to his current role of buyer at GWD Convenience Distribution – a delivered wholesaler based near Halifax. GWD is a founder member of NBC.

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pp.14-17 Behind the Scenes Sept 21_Ivan Durkin feature 1 real 14/09/2021 10:15 Page 1

[ BEHIND THE SCENES ]

Aiming to be biggest and best LWC Drinks in investing in new routes to market while also maintaining its focus on excellent customer service in the on-trade, delivered by a team of highly qualified staff.

ith 95% of its customers in the on-trade, LWC Drinks was hit hard by the pandemic. However, founders and joint shareholders Ebrahim Mukadam (MD) and Robin Gray (chairman) have been in the drinks industry since the ’70s when they started running pubs together in Manchester, and they weren’t about to let a global pandemic ruin the business they had built up over the years. They invested in LWC’s infrastructure, put a harder focus on the grocery sector and developed its B2C platform. And now that the on-trade has re-opened, LWC is back delivering a choice of 9,000 lines, including its successful Signature own-brands, to licensed outlets across the UK, backed by excellent customer service from highly qualified staff. Mukadam spoke to Cash & Carry Management about his high regard for the LWC team who have worked so hard during the pandemic and outlined his plans to make LWC the best and biggest wholesale distributor in the on-trade: 14

September 2021

How has the business developed since its formation? We created the Dorbiere Leisure Group in 1979, having seen the opportunity that existed in community pubs situated away from the city centre. That same year, whilst building up our portfolio of pub groups, we started to make the move into distribution. From the back of a small boilerhouse in Salford we began wholesaling drinks on a small level, mainly so that we could supply our own

Managing director Ebrahim Mukadam.

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venues. Over the years the distribution business really started to pick up, and as its own wholesale entity, LWC was officially started in 1989. The 1990s saw perhaps the biggest changes and milestones for us. As we took on more and more wholesale business we soon outgrew our tiny little office space and started renting a slightly bigger space. We are fortunate that this pattern has continued ever since! If we look closer to the present day, every purchase of a depot has marked a significant milestone for us and we now have 14 of them across the UK. The purchase of our London depot some years ago certainly stands out to me as a key moment in our growth journey as the decision to set up a depot there was based on the increase in larger national accounts that we’d started to win as a business. In 2017 we acquired HT White & Co, an on-trade wholesaler supplying licensed outlets in East and West Sussex, Kent and parts of Surrey. It was this

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[ BEHIND THE SCENES ] LWC Drinks: fast facts Turnover: £363 million (2019) Head office: Chadderton, Oldham Number of depots: 14 Number of lines: 9,000 Number of customers: 13,500 Number of employees: 900 Size of delivery fleet: 220 vehicles

acquisition that created our Eastbourne depot – another key milestone for us! Finally, in January this year we relocated our support centre, moving to a site twice the size of the previous one on the outskirts of Manchester. This new site has seen the roll-out of a stateof-the-art warehouse management system – which all depots will eventually adopt – plus a move to much more modern and spacious facilities. I really am so incredibly proud of everything our teams have achieved over the years. None of this would’ve ever been possible without the amazing people we have behind the scenes powering the business. How did the COVID pandemic affect the business and were you able to mitigate losses arising from the closure of the on-trade by launching new services? 95% of our customers are from the ontrade, while 5% are off-trade, and so the pandemic hit the business hard, just as it did the wider hospitality industry. All of our customers closed, many of them permanently. We had millions of pounds

In January, LWC moved to a new support centre twice the size of its former site.

worth of perishable stock on our warehouse floors, and no customers to sell it to. Inevitably, as the size of our business shrank considerably overnight, we sadly had to make a few unavoidable redundancies, but we were incredibly thankful when the Government’s job retention scheme came into force, as this enabled us to preserve many jobs that would’ve otherwise been lost. We have relied heavily on this scheme for the last 12 months. We are also very fortunate that our previous years of sustained profitability enabled us to cover a substantial amount of our ongoing running costs – that still existed despite our closure – and further protected jobs.

LWC has 14 depots across England, located from Sunderland to Cornwall.

However, if we are to try to seek out positives, one thing that the pandemic did do for us was to open our eyes to the opportunities in direct-to-consumer sales and other routes to market. We used the closure of trade to put a harder focus on targeting the grocery sector and invested heavily in our online B2C platform ClicknDrink. Although these avenues existed to us before, it took a global pandemic to make us realise the importance of the opportunity for us in these channels, especially for our brands! Do your depots offer click & collect or cash & carry as well as a delivered service? What percentage of customers use online ordering? Our excellent customer delivery service really is our bread and butter, and this is a model we prefer to stick to. We do offer a click & collect service from our depots for those who would rather pick up their order as and when it’s convenient for them; however our main model is to deliver to the outlet. We don’t operate as a cash & carry but we do have two online ordering portals which help to satisfy both our B2B customers, via the LWC website, and B2C, via our ClicknDrink site. Our direct-to-consumer online ordering portal is fulfilled at the Manchester depot. ClicknDrink processes around 30,000 orders per week and this is fulfilled through courier delivery. Online ordering is a significant focus for us as a wholesale business. Before lockdown, 2% of our sales were coming through our online wholesale

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[ BEHIND THE SCENES ] ordering portal and we were putting a lot of resource in place to grow this further. We have known for a long time that the way people choose to order is moving online and all of our depots are geared up for exactly this, with online champions in each area for support! All online orders are managed and fulfilled by the depot the customer is closest to, so that we never lose that local business feel. We are also aware that a number of customers still prefer to order the traditional way, either by phone or via their account manager – as such, this is something we’ll continue to do until the demand is no longer there. What functions are carried out at the support centre in Manchester? To what extent do the 14 depots have autonomy? All buying, design, marketing, e-commerce, accountancy and IT functions operate out of the Manchester support centre. The support centre is also the home of our bonded hub. Beyond this, our regional depots [located from Sunderland to Cornwall] are able to operate fairly independently, with the guidance and support of our Manchester teams. They have their own profit & loss responsibilities, their own sales teams, their own managers and their own region-specific listings. For example, our Cornwall and Hereford depots will list many more cider brands than perhaps our North East depot, as the demand for local cider brands in those regions is higher.

LWC has UK exclusivity for a number of brands, including Lucky Buddha beer.

What own-brands do you have and how well do they perform? LWC Drinks has many facets, two of the most important being our Signature Brands and Signature Wine ranges. Our portfolio of Signature Brands consist of beer, cider, spirits and soft drink brands that we have either created ourselves – such as Old J Spiced Rum and Agnes Arber Gin – or that we have UK exclusivity for – such as Marlish Water, a sustainable water brand using natural spring water as the base of its drinks, as well as craft beer brands such as Lucky Buddha, Cruzcampo and Bangla. Our Signature Brands are hugely successful as they all offer our customers authenticity, provenance or just something that little bit different. What ties all of our ranges together is the quality that

Old J Spiced Rum is one of the brands that LWC has created.

September 2021

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goes into producing each and every one. The same can be said of our Signature Wine portfolio. Hand selected by our team of wine experts, 85% of the wines in the wine portfolio are our ownlabel, created in partnership with the best growers around the world. Our brands are the success of our business! LWC’s philosophy is ‘not to sell brands on behalf of brand owners, but to buy on behalf of our customers’. How does that work in practice? We have a team of around 145 highly skilled WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) qualified account and wine development managers. It is their job and responsibility to closely partner with their customers to assess what is currently working for them and what isn’t. Our teams will then advise on the latest trends and profit-enhancing products that they feel will have the most impact on their customers’ business. Staying on top of current market trends, and constantly being aware of what is around the corner, is what drives both our buying teams and our Brands teams – but it’s a two-way street. Our account managers feed into our support centre teams with first-hand feedback and insight from the ground, and our support centre teams feed into the sales teams with their own insight and data. Our teams look to CGA data to analyse and evaluate market trends across each category and sector and share their knowledge with the wider business. It’s this constant feedback

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[ BEHIND THE SCENES ] loop that ensures we are always providing the best advice and guidance to our customers. You offer a range of training for your customers. Which are the most popular training courses? Our team of highly skilled wine development and brand activation managers work closely with venues to provide their staff with all the training they need to activate and sell brands. Whether it’s basic wine training, or more technical cocktail training, our teams are there to support our customers with a whole range of levels of training, to ensure they are getting the best out of the brands they are choosing to stock. How have you built up your estate of pubs (Dorbiere)? As Dorbiere was the initial arm of the business, we’ve worked exceedingly hard to grow and develop it. We have evolved our customer offering, branching out to hotels and gastro pubs but never forgetting our humble roots which began with community pubs back in 1979. We now have 43 pubs. Each year, we buy better sites to enhance the business proposition and make executive decisions on selling sites that are underperforming. Through this process, we’ve acquired and have worked on two pubs this year alone – the Traders Taphouse in Chorley which opened in June, and The Market in Farnworth which opened in July. It’s no easy feat buying, refurbishing

LWC offers a wide range of training, from basic wine training to cocktail making.

and reopening pubs in the middle of a pandemic; however we’re confident that the locations, character and potential of these pubs go some way to creating new opportunities, jobs and investment for the local economy as well as providing a much-needed lifeline for the return of the hospitality industry following the effects of the COVID pandemic. What are your plans for the business this coming year and further ahead? We are incredibly optimistic for the future. Times have been tough and our industry has been one of the hardest hit, but we’re confident of a positive future. As trade begins to re-open, we’re looking forward to getting back to what we do best, but we’re also excited to kickstart the business with a renewed focus

A total of 85% of the wines in LWC’s portfolio are its own-label.

on channels beyond the on-trade. Where we perhaps dipped our toes previously, you’ll now see us investing and growing in new areas and new opportunities. How is LWC performing this financial year versus last financial year? Though much of our core business was closed throughout 2020, we continued to invest in our infrastructure – from our new distribution centre and hub to our warehouse management system, all the way through to our recruitment drives across many areas of the business. With the partial reopening of hospitality in April, we were lucky enough to have experienced exceptional customer demand, welcoming over 500 new business partners in one month alone. Pre-pandemic, in 2019, our turnover was £363 million whereas in 2021 we are forecasting a £228 million turnover, taking into consideration a seven-month closure period. In 2022, we’re expecting to make £450 million and our plan over the next five years is to grow the business even further to £700 million turnover. We’re highly focused on growing both the Signature Brands and Signature Wine ranges and the intention is to become the best and biggest wholesale distributor within the on-trade. We’re looking to invest heavily in our online ordering portals – both B2B and B2C – to keep up with customer demand and continue investing in our people, upskilling where possible and continuing our successful apprenticeship and traineeship programmes. CCM

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[ CCM CHEFS’ OWN-BRAND AWARDS ]

‘Despite the pandemic, wholesalers have been investing in their own-brand ranges’

Andrew Green

Jason Gordon

he judging for the CCM Chefs’ as ever, but the gap between certain Own-Brand Awards 2021, products is getting much closer. We saw which recognise the best another large swing towards plantwholesalers’ own-brand foodbased products, and a few who listened service lines, has now been completed! to the feedback last year revisited their The judging panel conproduct and resubmitted, sisted of Andrew Green, and the difference was quite CCM Chefs’ chief executive of the Craft noticeable. Own-Brand Guild of Chefs – the leading “It was good to see a Awards 2021 chefs’ association in the UK; wider range of products, Matt Owens, chairman of the which shows that wholeCraft Guild of Chefs and salers see the importance of development chef of Alliance these awards.” Group; and Jason Gordon, The judging was concatering manager for the ducted in blind tastings, and General Medical Council. feedback will be given on Between them, the judges each product tested. have decades of experience of working Cash & Carry Management’s managas top chefs at leading hotels, restauing director Martin Lovell commented: rants and businesses in the UK. “This is the fourth year of our CCM Commenting on the judging, Green Chefs’ Own-Brand Awards, and we are said: “This year’s awards were as hard once again delighted with the response

Feedback is given on each item.

September 2021

Chefs follow the cooking instructions.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Matt Owens

of wholesalers to our initiative. In fact, we have had the highest number of entries ever. “Despite the pandemic, it is clear from the breadth and depth of entries that wholesalers have been investing in their own-brand ranges.” Several of the products were awarded a ‘Best of the Best’ accolade because of their outstanding taste, texture and appearance. The level of innovation was also high. “The winners of our CCM Chefs’ Own-Brand Awards match or exceed the quality of branded lines, making them a great choice for foodservice operators keen to delight their customers while keeping a lid on their costs,” said Lovell. “We look forward to announcing the winners at our prestigious awards lunch CCM later in the year.”

The hard work is done!

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[ IN FOCUS ]

Bidfood unwraps consumer demands for celebrating Christmas this year

total of 41% of consumers are seeing Christmas 2021 as more important than ever for people to get together and celebrate with loved ones, according to research by Bidfood. Almost half of consumers (47%) say they plan to dine out at least once a week in the run-up to Christmas, and the majority of consumers will be looking for meals under £25, so this will be important for operators to bear in mind when planning food and drink menus. The Bidfood study found that traditional roast dinners and classic favourites will be popular this year, but unique starters and desserts could give consumers the ‘twist’ they are looking for with their Christmas dinner, as 27% are looking forward to trying dishes they wouldn’t cook at home. In line with these findings, Bidfood’s 2021 festive range – which comprises more than 700 products – includes innovations such as cranberry & brie wontons and Premium Selection dark & stormy sticky rum & ginger pudding. New products offered by the wholesaler for this season include vegan buffet sausage rolls, Christmas feast panini, cajun spiced sweet potato roulade, Everyday Favourites shimmering chocolate yule log, and individuallywrapped gingerbread Christmas tree. Bidfood advises foodservice operators to appeal to larger groups by offering suitable seating arrangements, set

menus, group discounts, or individual sharing-style tapas options. It also suggests that they create festive surroundings as over 40% of consumers say it is the decorations that really makes Christmas come alive for them. Laura Mason, senior campaigns & activation manager at Bidfood, says: “The past 18 months have brought about constant change and the need to be agile and adaptable. Knowing that consumer habits will have naturally evolved over this period, we felt it was the right time to conduct research to delve deeper into how consumers are feeling and what they really want this Christmas, to help our customers appeal to their ever changing demands.

“There’s no doubt that people want to celebrate and enjoy time with as many loved ones as possible this year – therefore operators will need to look at ways to appeal to these groups and make their celebrations special within a safe environment.” As far as Christmas Day itself is concerned, the majority of consumers (64%) will be looking forward to spending the occasion in the comfort of their family homes. Despite this, foodservice operators could make the most of the continued rise in demand for great takeaway/delivery options, and even premium meal kits, that have proved so popular since the pandemic began, says Bidfood. For foodservice operators offering this type of service, it is important to bear in mind that price and quality are the most important aspects for 43% of consumers, and therefore ensuring that food travels well will be imperative. To help with this, Bidfood offers a selection of sustainable Vegware packaging – including box containers and cups, some of which have Christmas designs. To back its festive range this season, Bidfood is giving registered customers 2,000 extra points in their Safari loyalty rewards account when they buy 20 different products from the Christmas deals brochure from 1 November to 31 December. In addition, there are 20 prizes of 50,000 points to be won in CCM separate prize draws.

New from Bidfood for this festive season: Christmas feast panini.

Everyday Favourites shimmering chocolate yule log joins the range.

Bidfood offers a selection of festive packaging for food to go.

September 2021

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Drink Responsibly.

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[ SEASONAL ]

Back with a bang After the limits on socialising last year, consumers are ready to embrace new opportunities to celebrate festive occasions. By reading the current climate, wholesalers and their customers can make the most of the 2021 seasonal spend. Siobhan Kielty reports.

hile Halloween spending boosted sugar confectionery sales in 2020, manufacturers are also preparing for a return to large-scale sharing purchasing over the 2021 Christmas period in other convenience-led categories. In spite of the challenges to festivities last year, Mondelez International grew its Halloween market share (Nielsen) and created additional sales for wholesalers and retailers with some seasonal innovation. “As we move closer to normality, it is important that cash & carries take advantage of the full return of the season this year and create some excitement for their customers,” says Susan Nash, trade communications manager. With this in mind, Mini Oreo Spooky Bags have been launched for the occasion. The packs contain eight treatsize bags of Mini Oreo and are ideal for trick or treating and Halloween parties. Also from the Oreo brand is the Spooky Oreo rollpack, featuring a Halloween design. Cadbury Skeleton Fingers are also in this year’s seasonal line-up. In confectionery, Cadbury Treatsize bags are a must-stock for retailers. Adding impact to the category are Cadbury Goo Heads, available in Creepy Skeleton, Pumpkin, Frankenstein, Dracula and Werewolf variants, in multipacks of 40g single serve and 78g Mini Goo Heads bag formats. Cadbury Oreoooo also returns with a 72g bag of Oreo Mini Filled Eggs showcasing Halloween branding. This year, these products are available in recyclable cupboard clip strips for increased purchasing opportunities. “To drive sales, retailers should focus on products that help shoppers cater for the trick or treat and party/gathering opportunities,” Nash advises. “Additionally, enjoy a longer season by stocking a targeted range of best-sellers and new products from the start of October.” Nestlé Confectionery’s sharing bags performed well last year, with strong sales from Milkybar Buttons 103g, Rowntrees Fruit Pastilles 150g, Munchies 104g, Aero Bubbles Peppermint 102g and Rowntrees Randoms 150g. 22

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“Bring shoppers into the season early to encourage the repeat purchase of Halloween confectionery. Driving frequency of purchase is a key opportunity for 2021,” says a Nestlé spokesperson. “There are also opportunities to drive ease of shop by tapping into shopper missions that happen around Halloween, such as ‘big night in’, which can incorporate categories such as soft drinks, beers, wines & spirits, confectionery and crisps into a display to enable shoppers to find everything they need to celebrate in one place.” Kestrel Foods has added to its Forest Feast Halloween range with innovative glow in the dark packaging for two new lines. Witches Pick ‘n’ Mix contains fizzy worms and chocolate pretzels, yogurt raisins and milk chocolate beans, answering the sweet and sour trend. Bonfire BBQ is a savoury mix of BBQ and buffalo flavoured peanuts with dry roasted peanuts and crispy triangles – the flavour profile is a nod to the smoky sweet flavours of bonfire cooking. Both products come in packaging that glows in the dark under UV light and will be supported with a social media campaign throughout October. A Halloween staple is Swizzels, the top seller of variety packs for the occasion (IRI). Its Trick or Sweet bag contains popular brands such as Parma Violets, Refresher Bars, Love Hearts and Double Lollies in eye-catching themed packaging. Meanwhile, the Loadsa, Bumper Bag, Lots of Lollies and Chew Crew variety bags feature an on-pack marketing campaign to win a VIP tour of the Swizzels factory by finding one of five golden Love Hearts rolls inside. “Displaying such promotional packs prominently alongside Halloween merchandising will help to attract retailers looking to engage shoppers and boost sales,” says Mark Walker, sales director. “The non-seasonal packaging also ensures that retailers can continue to sell any surplus stock after Halloween, into Bonfire Night and beyond, making it an attractive range to stock.”

When we stayed in that spooky mansion...

INTRODUCING

A STYLISH NEW RANGE OF REFILLABLE CANDLE LIGHTERS TO LIGHT UP EVERY HALLOWEEN Choice of six metallic colours

Distinctive on-shelf ready packaging (lumière includes clip strip)

Log on to our trade website at republictechnologies.co.uk

Republic Technologies (UK) Limited, Sword House, Totteridge Road, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP13 6DG

rt_candle_lighter_HALLO_c&c_man_v2.indd 1

03/09/2021 14:14

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[ SEASONAL] He adds: “Halloween is the biggest calendar event for sugar confectionery, and it’s set to be huge for 2021 as consumers look to make up for last year’s lack of celebrations, so it’s essential to stock a range of best-selling, well-known brands to entice retailers who are looking to make the most of the festivities.” Significant Halloween investment comes from Perfetti Van Melle, which has launched its ‘All Wrapped Up’ campaign. Running from this month, the campaign features Fruittella and Chupa Chups brands and incorporates social media activity and NPD. The new Chupa Chups lines are Chupa Chups’ Sour Lollies – 10 individually-wrapped cherry, apple and lemon lollies – and a new 300g recyclable tub containing brand favourites such as Classic Lolly and Mini Lolly. In addition, a partnership with TikTok influencers will enable users to engage with the brand under the hashtag #ChupaChupsHalloween. Fruittella is showcasing creativity through a partnership with Craft Factory, encouraging consumers to get involved in activities such as pumpkin carving via Spooky Sunday videos. Resulting content will be amplified on Pinterest, reaching one in three UK mothers.

Haribo highlights the purchasing priorities that may be prevalent this year for the Halloween occasion. “We expect this year to be bigger, better and more inclusive than ever,

‘We expect this year to be bigger, better and more inclusive than ever, with a return to growth for Halloween confectionery’ Claire James, trade marketing manager, Haribo with a return to growth for Halloween confectionery,” says Claire James, trade marketing manager. “Normality should resume this year, with some important hygiene considerations that will support purchase decisions and sales.” Haribo has a 46.8% share of Halloween leveraged sweets (IRI) and has a targeted range this year that includes a selection of impulse treats, particularly strong performers for independents. “Themed treats and offering variety are important trends,” adds James. “At the same time, individually-wrapped products provide protection and allow people to adhere to strict hygiene measures, while also supporting portion control. Together

No.1 sweets ts manufacturer man an nufac urer

STOCK UP on scarily good

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[ SEASONAL] this creates a happy Halloween for retailers, shoppers and those receiving seasonal treats.” The supplier’s range this year includes Haribo Scaremix and TangfasTricks in sharing bags, and Trick or Treat mini multipacks. “Themed products help retailers create store theatre; this acts as a beacon and drives shoppers to key locations in-store,” says James. “But our top-selling yearround products also help our retailers to sell through, while providing the value, volume and variety that consumers demand. Best-sellers in the range include Starmix Minis, Share the Happy and Maoam treats.” She adds: “While ranges and limited editions can appear in store as early as August, shoppers start to buy into sweet confectionery for Halloween six weeks ahead. Last-minute purchases create peak shopper activity in the week counting down to the event, and this is an essential timeline for retailers. Having the right treats is an important factor for convenience retailers, but knowing when to stock is also critical.” KP Snacks’ sharing lines see strong sales during Halloween. Consumers are going to be especially eager to get together this year, and wholesalers and retailers should ensure that ranges cater for this rise in demand. “Encourage trial and boost crosscategory buying among shoppers by positioning nuts and crisps in the beers, wines & spirits aisle, for example,” suggest Matt Collins,

trading director. “Dedicated fixtures and promotional offers that make shopping easy are a good way to drive impulse purchases: 51% of shoppers are more likely to visit their local store if they offer themed promotion.” Carbonates sales also benefit from Halloween purchasing, with one in three shoppers buying soft drinks at Halloween (Platypus Research). “A range of flavours, themed displays and in-store theatre are all vital for maximising retail and cash & carry sales uplift,” says Adrian Troy, marketing director at Barr Soft Drinks. “Barr limited-edition Sour Berry and Sour Apple have been developed to create excitement and buzz around the soft drinks fixture, and will be perfectly placed to draw shoppers’ attention and drive incremental seasonal sales. Limitededition flavours are always very popular with shoppers.” Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) is spearheading its Halloween activity with its Fanta brand once again. “In the run-up to Halloween we’ll be unveiling ghoulish on-pack graphics, and engaging shoppers with a new on-pack promotion with epic prizes, a host of PoS materials to bring

Ind wr ivid Tr per app ual ick fe e ly or ct d – Tr for ea tin g!

treats this HALLOWEEN!

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[ SEASONAL] theatre in-store and a multi-million-pound marketing campaign keeping Fanta front of mind,” says Amy Burgess, senior trade communication manager. From this month, CCEP is using 100% recycled plastic in all on-the-go bottles across the entire portfolio. “Dedicating space in store to products with the strongest sustainability credentials is becoming more important, especially for a young adult audience. It’s the right thing to do for the planet and it’s an increasingly important factor in consumers’ buying decisions – even more so post-COVID,” she adds. With the celebrations expected to be bigger and bolder than ever this season, Republic Technologies UK has identified an additional sales opportunity for wholesalers and retailers. “As there were restrictions in place for many over the seasonal period last year, people will be preparing to celebrate with family and friends. We are recommending that cash & carries use these key sales periods to promote lighters and matches as part of a strong seasonal offer,” says Gavin Anderson, head of sales. “With strong levels of consumer awareness, and a growing appetite among people to make up for lost time by celebrating in style this autumn and winter, we’re confident that we’re giving consumers the choice and performance they’re looking for with our lighters – which are stylish, top quality and affordable.” The manufacturer has introduced stylish new candle lighter ranges, By Candlelight and lumière, along with a range from Zig-Zag. “The UK’s booming candle sector shows no sign of slowing down, particularly during seasonal occasions in the autumn and winter months, presenting cash & carries with a key sales opportunity for candle lighters that can be boosted by the right range and cross-category display,” explains Anderson. While Halloween sees a surge in sugar confectionery, Christmas is a time for the chocolate category to see major activity. Last year, Christmas confectionery experienced value sales of £737 million, a slight decrease from the previous year (Nielsen). However, the gifting occasion specifically saw increased growth. This year, with meeting up back on the cards, suppliers predict a flurry of consumer excitement. Mars Wrigley UK is expecting to see sharing and gifting play a large part in this year’s gatherings. “While the current circumstances remain unpredictable, we know that confectionery remains a staple during the holiday season and have seen it play an ever-important role in providing little moments of joy and pleasure for consumers across the world in recent times,” says Alison Berry, senior brand manager seasons & gifting. 26

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From the Maltesers brand comes new Mint Reindeer, following the trend for mint-flavoured products. In the sharing category, Celebrations has improved its sustainable credentials with a 20% reduction in its plastic packaging. The range now includes tub, pouch and centrepiece formats. And Galaxy Truffles continues to perform well, with Caramel and Orange flavour variants now also available. For counting down to the big day, Mars Wrigley offers the Maltesers Advent Calendar and Galaxy Advent Calendar. Mondelez is bringing back nostalgic products as well as launching NPD. Cadbury Puds were last on the shelves in 2003 and are making a comeback almost 20 years later. The Fry’s selection box is being relaunched with a new product mix that includes Turkish Delight, Fry’s Chocolate Cream, Fry’s Peppermint Cream and Fry’s Orange Cream.

Retailer expectations for the upcoming Halloween occasion Perfetti Van Melle has commissioned research that shows retailers are increasing range sizes, space allocated and store focus for Halloween this year. The study, conducted by KAM Media, interviewed 200 retailers and 300 consumers, ahead of what will be the last Halloween not affected by incoming HFSS regulations. Following a quiet event in 2020, ‘trick or treating’ is firmly back on the agenda for many families; 58% of shoppers with children under 12 are looking to take part and 61% will buy treats to ensure they are ready for the potential pintsized guests. This represents a strong sales opportunity for the 90% of retailers planning to actively engage with Halloween in their stores. 54% of retailers are more concerned about cleanliness and hygiene ahead of choosing which food and drink to stock for Halloween, and twothirds (67%) of shoppers also reported an increase in concern from a sanitation perspective. This goes together with independent field research in which over 80% of independent retailers said they had removed unwrapped confectionery following the pandemic. Over half of retailers (52%) are to begin preparing for Halloween in store a mere two to four weeks before the occasion. With almost a third (30%) of shoppers planning to shop for themed lines up to eight weeks prior to the event, Perfetti Van Melle recommends that stock and PoS are ordered as early as possible.

NEW S M O OTH ORANGE

BOLD NEW LOOK

same smooth taste

UNLOCK NEW SALES Galaxy has grown 3% worth £222M in value sales[1] Orange Chocolate has grown +20% in the last 2 years[2] #2 UK Confectionery Brand[1] £5m media spend and 28 weeks on TV

Sources: 1. Nielsen Data FY 2019 2. Nielsen Data to May 2020

STOCK UP NOW TO MEET DEMAND!

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[ SEASONAL] NPD comes from Cadbury Dairy Milk, with a new limited-edition Dairy Milk Winter Orange variant containing orange nugget inclusions. In the advent calendar sector, Cadbury has introduced an engaging new calendar that enables shoppers to build and decorate their own pop-out Christmas tree during December. Behind every door is a festive decoration to add to the pop-up Christmas tree included in the pack. Also encouraging interactivity is the Freddo Colour Me In Advent, featuring playful and interactive colouring pages. Christmas NPD from Nestlé includes the Aero Festive Snowy White block, with a white centre encased in milk chocolate, and the new Milkybar Festive Friends Sharing Bag. Answering a rising desire for sub-£5 adult confectionery gifts is the After Eight Giant Tube, while flavour innovation comes from the After Eight Mojito & Mint afterdinner mints. Aero Bliss Peppermint is also capitalising on the mint trend, with a launch supported by a brand marketing campaign that includes out-of-home advertising, social media, PR and in-store activity. The pralines segment saw significant growth last year and Ferrero has expanded its Grand Rocher range with Grand Rocher Dark 125g. The launch is supported by PoS and digital assets in grocery and convenience. The company has also relaunched the Thorntons moulded figures range for Christmas 2021, with a new Cheeky Reindeer and Cheeky Elf 90g. “We have developed our seasonal range across Kinder, Ferrero Rocher and Thorntons to provide both individual treats and sharing formats to meet shopper demand for all occasions,” says Levi Boorer, customer development director. “Although our core range may be available all year round, our Ferrero Rocher and Thorntons ranges make great gifts during seasonal occasions.” Festive socialising has also inspired a pack redesign from Valeo Snackfoods. Limited-edition bags of Kettle Chips feature a bow and a blank gift tag to personalise the offering. “We’re so excited to be bringing back our vibrant festive packaging this Christmas, following such a great response to last year’s designs,” says Claire Hooper, head of brands. “The wrapping paper effect offers maximum on-shelf impact and injects the joy and fun synonymous with the festive season.” 28

September 2021

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Social gatherings are guiding shopper behaviour, particularly regarding last-minute changes. “Products that offer an extended shelf life will be a must-stock and they have become increasingly popular with consumers since the beginning of the pandemic,” says Scott Oakes, commercial manager for St. Pierre Groupe. “They provide customers with the flexibility to suit all purposes – if plans change, the product will last without the risk of wastage.” St. Pierre’s Baker Street brand has a range of products suitable for ‘fakeaway’ dining over the Halloween and Christmas periods. The trend, which grew popular over lockdown, looks to be here to stay and for those attempting to recreate a more gourmet experience, the St. Pierre range of brioche burger buns, seeded brioche burger buns, and brioche hotdog rolls and baguettes all have a high-end look and long shelf life. “Our range of brands allows wholesalers to provide a ‘better and best’ option,” says Oakes. During Halloween and Bonfire Night last year, St. Pierre saw a sales uplift of 15% during the week, even with COVID restrictions in place. With social plans returning for this festive season, the company is expecting to exceed that sales boost. Investment by the supplier to support sales includes in-store PoS materials and marketing activity. Molson Coors Beverage Company also notes the premiumisation trend for at-home dining and social gatherings. “In particular, growth has come from more premium brands as shoppers look to trade up,” reports Kevin Fawell, off-trade sales director. “Nearly half of shoppers are more inclined to trade up to premium food and drink options when dining at home (Kantar) and, as a result, premium brands are gaining traction.” The supplier’s Aspall Cyder range meets the growing consumer demand for super premium ciders, while festive flavour options include Rekorderlig Spiced Plum cider. Molson Coors has also launched its Beverage Hub, a dedicated team to support the growing portfolio of brands in emerging categories. “This will be a platform to expand the range of products we offer our customers beyond beer and cider, enabling wholesalers to tap into new consumer trends and drive sales,” says Fawell.

AERO BLISS

QUALITY STREET INTRIGUE 200g Pack

176g Pack

QUALITY STREET 450g Bag

QUALITY STREET INTRIGUE 200g Pack

QUALITY STREET 650g Tub

AERO FESTIVE WHITE BLOCK* 90g Block

MILKYBAR FESTIVE FRIENDS* 57g

SMARTIES PENGUIN* 18.5g

MILKYBAR REINDEER*

AERO SNOWBUBBLES* 80g Bag

17g

AERO FESTIVE ORANGE BLOCK* 90g Block

Nestlé® seasonal impulse +28% in Wholesale & Convenience 2020* *Source: IRI Infoscan, Confectionery Database, Value Sales, 20 weeks ending 26.12.20, Convenience exc Major Mults. ® Reg. Trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. For illustrative purposes only.

pp.22-30 Seasonal Sept 21_Ivan Durkin feature 1 real 14/09/2021 13:02 Page 6

[ SEASONAL ] Wholesaler viewpoint Chris Smith, marketing communications manager at Hancocks, highlights what wholesalers need to consider to boost sales during the festive season. “Ensure that you know exactly what you need to order ahead of the Christmas period to ensure that you are all ready for the festive rush! “Ensuring that products are displayed and packaged well is a great way to maximise sales and appeal to customers visually. A lot of the time over Christmas, customers can feel overwhelmed by the volume of festive themed products. Through clear and attractive PoS you can be sure that your products will turn the heads of customers and translate into sales for the product. “Having open communication with retailers is also a very important way for wholesalers to amplify sales, as we rely on our retailers to place repeat orders.” Ahead of the spooky season Hancocks has added new vegan sweets to its pick ’n’ mix range. Additions include a wide range of BUBS skulls, including Vegan Cool Cola Skulls, Vegan Liquorice Skulls, Vegan Big Sour Skulls and Vegan Mini Sour Skull Mix. Outside of the vegan range, the specialist confectionery wholesaler offers new themed pick ’n’ mix lines including Monster Jellies, Pumpkin Marshmallows, Tongue Painter Jelly Filled Marshmallows and Pumpkin Jellies. Also new to the Halloween range are the Bonds of London Single Halloween Mallow Pops, which come in Halloweenthemed characters like a ghost and a pumpkin. For Hancocks’ Christmas 2021 offering, Bonds Festive Mix Shaker Cup is expected to be in demand among retailers from both their younger shoppers and customers buying for families. The shaker cup includes a mix of Christmas Tree Mallows, Candy Stars and Christmas Candy Canes. Hancocks’ range of American sweets includes an ‘unrivalled selection’ of American festive-themed treats. The company is introducing a Nerds Advent Calendar this year, to appeal to customers who prefer sweet-filled calendars. Also available will be the American Shaker Cup, filled with American favourites including Mini Nerds, Laffy Taffy, Warheads, Tootsie Rolls and Mini Burgers. Festive treats for adult customers come in the form of Bonds’ new Festive Tipples selection. Specially developed for the Christmas season, the NPD features rhubarb gin, mojito and Prosecco inspired gummies. With no alcohol content, these gummies are designed to provide customers with the Christmas spirit without the sore head!

September 2021

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Aston Manor Cider is also expecting a Christmas uplift this year. “We know that cider sales increase at Christmas, which we expect to remain the case this year. An additional half a million UK households buy apple and fruit ciders during the Christmas period versus the summer months,” says Calli O’Brien, marketing controller. “So, for cash & carries, this means that stocking a range of brands, flavours and pack formats is key to maximise this opportunity.” She adds: “From trying new flavours of loved cider such as Crumpton Oaks Cherry & Berry and Dark Fruit, through to branching out from wine into perry with our ‘new look’ Chardolini, consumers welcome the chance to try something new at home, and Christmas is a time where they are more likely to explore different options. “Perry also plays an important role for consumers looking for choice among lower alcohol options. Stocking such products can help cash & carries drive sales through retailers looking to tap into this trend.” No and low alcohol drinks form a significant part of festivities nowadays, with consumers increasingly looking to cut down their alcohol intake while not feeling left out of celebrations. “Whether consumers want a full-bodied red with Christmas dinner, Bucks Fizz with breakfast or a glass of bubbly to welcome in the new year, Eisberg has an alcohol-free option for every event and occasion,” says Dan Harwood, key account manager UK & Ireland at Schloss Wachenheim. “Communicating with your customers and understanding their strategies is really important. For example, independent retailers, bars, pubs and restaurants will be looking for interesting alcohol alternatives to get CCM an edge over larger chains and multiples.”

For further information: Aston Manor Cider 0121-328 4336 Barr Soft Drinks (01204) 664200 Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (0808) 1000 000 Ferrero 020-8869 4000 Haribo (01977) 600266 Kestrel Foods (02838) 350934 KP Snacks (0845) 601 7583 Mars Wrigley UK (01753) 550055 Molson Coors Beverage Company (01283) 511000 Mondelez International (01214) 582000 Nestlé Confectionery 020-8686 3333 Perfetti Van Melle (01753 442100) Republic Technology (01494) 492233 Schloss Wachenheim (0049) 651 99880 St. Pierre Group 0161 946 1355 Swizzels (01633) 744144 Valeo Snackfoods (01491) 827400

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[ SALES/MARKETING & BROKERAGE ]

Help from the experts An outsourced sales and distribution function may be the most effective way for brand owners to harness the current opportunities in the convenience channel.

ervice provider Robinson Young has five decades of FMCG knowledge and experience behind it, enabling the company to provide outsourced sales, marketing and distribution, especially in its core non-food categories, at a time when companies need help to navigate uncertain waters. Over the past year, consumer activity has changed dramatically and many habits are now here to stay. Add to this the recent supply chain issues and rising input prices and it is clear that the next year is going to have its challenges. “Independent wholesalers and retailers will be looking for ways to retain their new customers and compete with grocery, online and discounters, whilst the hospitality operators need great products and price support to try to rebuild their businesses,” explains Michael Robinson, managing director.

‘Supplying the wholesale sector is a vital part of any brand’s success. We are uniquely placed to help brand owners cost-effectively make the most of this growth’ Michael Robinson, managing director, Robinson Young “As a result, they are all going to need, more than ever before, the right products and suppliers who understand and are committed to meeting their needs.” The company is adaptable to changes and tailored to answer the requirements of the sector in a cost-effective way, as it uses its own warehouses and systems to respond to the requirements of brands, wholesalers, retailers and consumers. “We can offer a full brand fostering service or a more bespoke tailored distribution arrangement for specific sectors to suit the needs of the brand owner and make up for gaps in their coverage,” says Robinson. “This can be

especially useful for the wholesale and convenience channels.” Outsourcing the sales, marketing and distribution aspects of commerce enables brand owners to concentrate on their development and manufacturing, allowing them to focus upon their strengths. “The growth of convenience means that supplying the wholesale C&C sector is a vital part of any brand’s success,” continues Robinson (pictured). “We are uniquely placed to help brand owners costeffectively make the most of this growth.” Robinson Young has served the industry for almost 50 years, is highly regarded having won many awards for its service, and has a wealth of contacts and experience to assist product and category growth across non-food. Categories such as health & beauty, household and foodservice, which can be difficult to navigate, will see increased sales through the company’s effective service model. “We can provide focus, insight and passion for non-food brands, delivering excellent sales growth and results in the most cost-effective and efficient way,” says Robinson. “As one of the few companies with a large, dedicated sales team serving the wholesale sector, we are ideally placed to develop strategies for brand owners, while simultaneously helping wholesalers access both the brands and CCM products they need in these unprecedented times.” Robinson Young (01284) 766261

Robinson Young partner brands include: Household: ACE, Masterlock, Velcro.

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Nilco,

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Health & Beauty: Bodyform, Tena, Mancave, Splat, Bristows, Simple, Vosene, Soft & Gentle, Pernaton, Nads, Sleek, Collection, CCS. Catering & foodservice: Enviro, Finesse, Reynolds, Safewrap.

September 2021

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Successfully growing Non-Food brands for over 40 years.

We provide a multi-award winning UK sales, marketing & logistics service for non-food FMCG manufacturers; helping brands and wholesalers grow together. 7R ¿QG RXW KRZ ZH FDQ JURZ \RXU EXVLQHVV FRQWDFW 0DQDJLQJ 'LUHFWRU 0LFKDHO 5RELQVRQ RQ RU HPDLO P URELQVRQ#U\ WP S M A L L

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[ SALES/MARKETING & BROKERAGE ]

A fresh approach Young brands and trend-led products are finding favour with retailers after enlisting the support of a category and insight expert to make their presence felt.

ince lockdown restrictions ended, opportunities in the convenience channel have continued to flourish for agile retailers. SHS Sales & Marketing represents major brands in the sector that enable convenience stores to provide a one-stop service. Covering a broad range of brands positioned within categories including over-the-counter medicines, confectionery, core grocery, household and frozen, the SHS team specialises in areas that show high demand with convenience shoppers. During the past 18 months, shoppers have increasingly relied on their local convenience stores and the prediction is that they will continue using this channel if it can fulfil their needs. It is vital that the convenience channel ensures that trusted brands are well represented on their shelves, and that trends and developments are reflected in retailer ranges.

‘The addition of several new partners to our strong portfolio, combined with the expertise of our teams, means we have an offering that is second to none across the convenience channel’ John Heynen, managing director, SHS Sales & Marketing “It has been a turbulent and uncertain year, but SHS Sales & Marketing has brought its traditional strengths of experience, insight and stability to help depots and retailers maximise the opportunity across a whole range of retail categories and brands, and ultimately deliver strong business growth,” says John Heynen, managing director. Market research has estimated that the wholesale and convenience channel will grow by almost £4 billion between 2022 and 2024 (Lumina Intelligence), driven by an increase in frequency and spend by shoppers.

Insights are a key part of SHS’s impact in the sector and the company highlights the importance of taking seasonality into account. This year in particular, consumers are nervous about winter bugs and Heynen stresses that convenience stores should ensure they have a full range of OTC remedies and first aid products to boost shopper confidence. SHS works with brand owners to help ensure that depots and retailers maintain good availability, as well as highimpact visibility. Other services offered by SHS include frontline resource to give depots and retailers advice on the optimum range, NPD and merchandising, along with business support in the areas of logistics, operations and finance. The service provider has added to its portfolio over the past year with suppliers such as grocery giant General Mills and leading brands such as Meridian. Alongside the range of nut butters, Sustain nut bars are being launched into the channel this year. SHS increases visibility for newer brands and products, and identifies trends that will boost sales for limited-edition lines such as Wagon Wheels Orange and Jammie Dodgers Cherry Burst for Burton’s Biscuits. SHS has also boosted sales for longstanding partners such as Mars and Unilever with its category knowledge. In addition, high-impact promotional activity has been secured through the discounter channel. “The addition of several new partners to our strong portfolio, combined with the expertise and experience of our teams, means we have an offering that is second to none across the convenience channel. We look forward to continuing our substantial support for the channel, and harnessing the power of this offer, for the benefit of our brand owners, CCM wholesalers and retailers alike,” concludes Heynen. SHS Sales & Marketing (01452) 378500

SHS client brands include: Beechams, Bounty Ice Cream, Mars Ice Cream, Skittles Ice Cream, Coleman’s sauces, Finish, Gaviscon, Green Giant, Häagen-Dazs, Harpic, Jammie Dodgers, Maryland Cookies, Knorr, Lemsip, Nurofen, Marigold, Meridian Nut Butter, Maltesers Ice Cream, Nature Valley, Nurofen, Old El Paso, Panadol, Aquafresh, PG Tips, Twinings, Pot Noodle, Strepsils, Terry’s Chocolate Orange, Vanish, Wagon Wheel, Zip Firelighters, Hellmann’s.

September 2021

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Putting some of the biggest brands in the spotlight

SHS SALES & MARKETING We have helped to grow some of the UK’s biggest brands, by using category specialist knowledge and insights across all sales channels. To join the line up call 01452 378500 or visit our website www.shs-sales.co.uk

Part of the SHS Group

allow customers to sell a premium quality product at affordable prices and make a great margin.”

Other examples of Petty Wood using the PMP mechanic recently can be found on Lavazza Coffee and Canderel.

DRIVING SECTOR EXCLUSIVE DEALS With over 200 years of experience of trading within the UK food industry Petty Wood know how to manage change. During the past 2 years we have continued to meet customer needs in response to considerable changes in consumer behaviour. Our decision to build significant stock holding in the UK of our key

brands, allowed us to service unprecedented increase in demand. No more so than in the Cash & Carry Sector where we were able to prioritise customers and significantly grow our share of the trade. As we look forward and face into new challenges and changes to in-home trends we are excited

PETTY WOOD ADVERTORIAL.indd 1

about driving sales through this channel. We continue to listen to our customers and as a result will be driving sales through sector exclusive on pack offers.

In both cases PMP activity was a resounding success. Sales of Lavazza Qualita Rossa doubled in sales and has consistently grown YOY.

As an example we are currently running an incredible £1.99 PMP deal on Sacla Pesto as part of the brand relaunch in this sector.

The brand has 47% share of the Pesto market in the UK which in itself has been the stand out category within the Italian Sauce Market. Bob Cheeseman, Sales Controller and responsible for the Cash & Carry Sector commented: “The feedback from the trade has been exceptional and will

Petty Wood has an unrivalled range of Core Grocery, World Food and Innovation Brands. For more information on the full range download our new brochure at www.pettywood.co.uk or call: 01264 345500.

09/08/2021 14:10

THE BIGGEST RE-LAUNCH IN THE ITALIAN CATEGORY THIS YEAR

New lower price £1.99 PMP

Sacla’ Basil Pesto is No. 3 best selling product in Italian sauce category

Sacla’s share of Pesto is over 47%

Stock up now on the UK’s No.1 Pesto Brand

Source: IRI 52wk value sales w/e 24.04.21

SACLA C&C MANAGEMENT ADVERT.indd 1

09/08/2021 14:12

pp.38-44 Buying Groups 2021_Ivan Durkin feature 1 real 14/09/2021 13:13 Page 1

[ BUYING GROUPS UPDATE ]

Profile: Confex by Tom Gittins, managing director How is Confex presently performing? Although 2020 was tough for the majority of wholesalers, group sales are up by 30.8% so far this year. This is a fantastic achievement considering the pandemic didn’t really take hold across the UK until late March 2020. We are forecasting to maintain our growth to the end of 2021 as consumer spending fuels the economy following the easing of COVID restrictions. What have been your most recent developments? We have developed and launched CORE – our foodservice own-brand with over 300 SKUs available to Confex wholesalers. Members are now using this USP to win new business and also diversify into new product categories. We have relocated our head office to smaller premises. During the pandemic we learnt how well our staff adapted to working from home and so we have now given them the option to continue this, as well as come to the head office as much as they wish. We have seen a huge benefit to employees’ wellbeing and work-life balance whilst not affecting productivity or commitment – in fact our team communication is better than ever. We are proud to have been the first buying group to respond to this new way of working. This move has also enabled us to streamline our head office environmentally. We are very nearly paperless and will continue to make improvements with an end goal of being carbon neutral in the near future.

at Stratford Racecourse on 11 November. We then plan to run our next trade show in March 2022 along with our conference in Croatia next October.

Tom Gittins: ‘Confex continues to lead the way.’

Which services that you offer have been most used by your members during the past few months? We have a very proactive board who continue to drive innovation and development across Confex wholesalers. This autumn will see the launch of our Data Insight service and Food To Go Club. Confex continues to lead the way, and it is all credit to our members when we see our competitors launching member apps, green awards, and sample boxes, which we pioneered. What member events have you held so far this year and what is coming up? We have run a number of successful online events including a virtual trade show, webinars and ‘meet the member’ days. These have been of great value to suppliers and members but we are all excited to get back to our first face-toface event – the Confex Christmas Fair

What are your plans and targets for the next six months? Our members will focus, as always, on service, which will be hard considering the numerous current UK supply chain issues. Confex will be there to help our wholesalers continue to grow and diversify. The autumn will see the continued roll-out of our CORE own-brand range which is now listed in over 50 Confex wholesalers. We will review it in the autumn before looking at range extensions for 2022. We also have member working groups looking into projects on EDI, central payment and D2C. How do you see the future of wholesale and Confex’s role within it? As Confex moves into its 50th year in 2022, we will continue to drive forward, ensuring that independent local wholesale go from strength to strength. What is your group’s USP? We do not have any upfront membership fees. Confex operates on a member levy and profit share model, making us the best value buying group. With 50 years of experience and a dedicated head office team, Confex can offer its members the best support through an extensive promotional plan, extensive online marketing resource, best-in-class communication and an industry-leading CCM central distribution facility.

Head office: Upper Rissington, Gloucestershire Website: confex.ltd.uk Tel: (01451) 824234

Confex fast facts Number of members: 219 Combined member turnover: £2.46 billion Number of new members this year: 7 Number of head office staff: 14

September 2021

Member testimonial: Millennium Group, London “Confex continues to provide us with the tools for growth, as it has done consistently since we started our business. The head office team have unparalleled industry knowledge and Confex wholesalers really work collaboratively in order to keep the

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group ahead of its competitors. The support services that Confex offers, combined with promotions from all the major FMCG suppliers, really are second to none.” Keith Parmar, wholesale manager, Millennium Group

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[ BUYING GROUPS UPDATE ]

Profile: NBC by David Lunt, managing director How is NBC presently performing? We are so pleased that the group has continued to grow in its second year despite the economic impacts of the pandemic. The resilience of members and the group, and the much-valued support from suppliers, have ensured that we have continued to successfully operate and grow stronger, despite the seismic events of the last year. Like many across UK industry we have encountered numerous challenges due to the pandemic, including issues with stock availability and driver and warehouse staff shortages. Despite this, we have been able to grow our membership through shareholding and double the turnover through NDN, our centralised warehousing and logistics solution for members. We have paid over £1 million in rebates, in full and on time to our members, which fulfils our promise to provide access to the best terms possible at realistic volumes for the members. What have been your most recent developments? We have prioritised two aspects of the group. The first is enhancing our IT infrastructure to align the order to cash systems so that we have a seamless process. This gives complete clarity of what we do through our proprietary software – Unleashed and Xero – and allows us to keep track of what is happening across the business. The second aspect we have prioritised is ensuring that NDN is able to support members to get access to great prices at realistic

What member events have you held so far this year and what is coming up? For obvious reasons member events have been on hold – it seems an age since we were last together as a group with our supplier partners. We are hoping to hold a joint member/supplier event as soon as everyone is confident and able to schedule and attend. We will certainly be holding an AGM next month (October) to present our secondyear results to the shareholders.

David Lunt: ‘We have paid over £1 million in rebates to our members.’

volumes, especially as the economy started to open up, and working with our supplier partners to make sure we get access to their brands and get them to their consumers where and when they want them. Which services that you offer have been most used by your members during the past few months? By far the most popular and business critical service has been utilising NDN. This has become a reliable and trusted route to market for suppliers who want to consolidate their supply chain and for members who cannot maintain a direct account. As more and more members return to ‘normal trading patterns’, the bespoke brochure service we provide through our marketing partners, May Marketing, will become more important and have a significant benefit for both members and suppliers.

What are your plans and targets for the next six months? We have three priorities: build the reach and capability of NDN; activate the brand plans for our suppliers into the variety of channels that our members serve; and continue to attract new members that share the philosophy that we have as a member-owned group – collaboration and transparency. How do you see the future of wholesale and NBC’s role within it? The wholesale sector provides critical support for both suppliers and the channels that they serve. We are first and foremost a member-owned company and are dedicated to working transparently with members and suppliers to grow each other’s businesses with a collaborative and unified approach to trading. What is your group’s USP? We are truly 100% member-owned through shareholding, doing the right things for the shareholders and our CCM supplier partners.

Head office: Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire Website: nationalbuyingconsortium.co.uk Tel: (01608) 692410

NBC fast facts Number of members: 41 Combined member turnover: £500 million Number of new members this year: 6 Number of head office staff: 6

September 2021

Member testimonial: Ray’s Supplies, Leicester “I only recently took the decision to join NBC after being a long-term member of another buying group. We had numerous discussions with David and the leadership team and were enthused by the way in which the group worked –

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collaboration and transparency are obvious values that they work to, and we really believe that our membership will make a real difference to our business.” Steffan Allured, partner, Ray’s Supplies

Take control of your supply chain Our aim at NBC is to be the partner for leading FMCG wholesalers and suppliers, and our National Distribution Network (NDN) is an integral part of the services that we provide. NDN provides a ﬂexible and centralised order to cash, warehousing and logistics solution for both members and suppliers. We are able to supply to customers across the UK including Northern Ireland. And as a member of NBC, this service is provided without any membership fees and enables them to take advantage of volume prices for realistic delivery quantities. Since we started in 2019, we have supported over 50 suppliers to get their brands to their consumers, when and where they want them, and sold over £30 million of their brands to our members and customers across the UK.

Why members use NDN £ ONE CENTRAL ORDERING POINT

CONSOLIDATION OF ORDERS

NET PRICING

WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS

UK-WIDE DELIVERY SERVICE

Why suppliers use NDN NDN provides a ﬂexible and centralised order to cash, warehousing and logistics solution for suppliers. The beneﬁts include; • CENTRALISED ORDER TO CASH – JUST ONE CENTRAL ACCOUNT

• CONSOLIDATION OF DELIVERY POINTS

• REDUCTIONS IN CREDIT RISK AND CREDIT MANAGEMENT

• ONE VEHICLE TRANSPORTING GOODS FROM WAREHOUSE TO CUSTOMER

Our suppliers

Join our growing group of forward-thinking members

call 01608 692410 or visit nationalbuyingconsortium.co.uk

LOW MINIMUM ORDER REQUIREMENTS

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[ BUYING GROUPS UPDATE ]

Profile: Sugro by Neil Turton, managing director How is Sugro presently performing? Despite the challenging 18 months that the pandemic has brought, Sugro is currently 12% up on 2019; also, January to July 2021 alone is up by 22% compared to the same period in 2020. For a more consistent and accurate representation of our growth and progress, we are focusing internally on comparisons to the normal pre-pandemic year of 2019, which has seen growth of 47% in July 2021 versus 2019.

capacity. We’re so excited to be hosting our first face-to-face Networking Event since the pandemic began, with this taking place on 6-7 September. It will be a fantastic opportunity for our members to network and build lasting relationships with our suppliers, and give everyone involved a clear view of at least the next six months in wholesale.

What have been your most recent developments? Our most recent development is the introduction of our Member App, which has enabled our members to easily and efficiently market their available products, using a platform which has been created with the end shopper in mind. Members who have signed up to the app have seen significant increases in not only their sales, but also views to their personalised deals pages. We’ve also welcomed two new members into the Sugro family – Interstoq and A List Brands – which have decided to start their buying group journey with us, based largely on our track record of offering a responsive and proactive approach to increasing sales and engagement for our members.

has allowed members to have the luxury of continuing to trade almost as normal. Being able to update the app with current promotions and supplier messaging has meant that there has been no decrease in the consistent marketing required to help members and suppliers to increase their sales. Our expansion into grocery has also meant that over 30 members have been able to expand their horizons in relation to the variety of products they’re able to sell. This has been really positive during a time when the requirement for stocking essential groceries has been particularly important.

Which services that you offer have been most used by your members during the past few months? Our Member App has been by far the most consistently used service over the past 18 months of the pandemic and

What member events have you held so far this year and what is coming up? With all events being moved online throughout the last 18 months, we were lucky to be able to schedule our Networking Event in May in an online

Neil Turton: ‘We pride ourselves on offering the best service.’

What are your plans and targets for the next six months? It’s no secret that there are likely to be significant problems relating to stock availability post-October, and so our absolute focus for the next six months is to ensure that we can effectively manage stock availability for our members, whilst working alongside our suppliers to ensure that there is as little disruption as possible. How do you see the future of wholesale and Sugro’s role within it? While the future of wholesale looks challenging, largely due to multiple supermarkets attempting to take on the role of wholesalers themselves, and the recurring issue of suppliers trying to sell direct to consumers, we’re extremely steadfast in our approach to how we work with our members to help them to increase sales. What is your group’s USP? While we may not be the biggest buying group, we pride ourselves on offering the best service and having the genuine interests of our members and suppliers CCM at the heart of everything we do.

Head office: Nantwich, Cheshire Website: sugro.co.uk Tel: (01270) 628728

Sugro fast facts Number of members: 81 Combined member turnover: £1.46 billion Number of new members this year: 2 Number of head office staff: 22

September 2021

Member testimonial: Interstoq, Chelmsford “Having spoken with three buying groups, we found Sugro UK to be the most responsive, professional and proactive; the head office team really took the time to learn about our business, and we were looking for the longevity that Sugro UK promised. As

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we work towards a more strategic approach to our customer base, we feel that Sugro UK are best placed in terms of offering that extra level of support, and we anticipate a long-standing relationship with them.” Gordon McCarty, MD, Interstoq

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR GREAT TERMS AND PROMOTIONS... Become part of the Sugro Family by joining our Member-Owned buying group today

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01/09/2021 15:15

pp.38-44 Buying Groups 2021_Ivan Durkin feature 1 real 14/09/2021 13:16 Page 4

[ BUYING GROUPS UPDATE ]

Profile: Unitas Wholesale by John Kinney, managing director How is Unitas presently performing? Despite the significant challenges that the industry has seen during the last 19 months we are delighted to report that on the whole Unitas is performing extremely well, finishing the year +9.7% in growth. What have been your most recent developments? Following my appointment as managing director in March of this year, Unitas is currently conducting a full-scale strategic review across all our channels, with a focus on ensuring that we have appropriate strategies and operational practices in place to drive a member-centric agenda that will deliver sustainable growth across the group. We have made a number of internal changes to facilitate an improved service to our members; for example, we have amended a number of the operational practices within the finance department to make sure that members are being rewarded with an improved cashflow situation. Under the direction of Richard Bone, finance director, we have restructured the year-end reconciliations and the way we pay retro payments to ensure it is more beneficial to our members. We have also created a new commercial team whose role it is to analyse the activities the group undertakes to ensure that they are driving real value to our members and suppliers. We are also delighted to have been voted No.1 buying group in the recent Advantage Group survey.

John Kinney: ‘We are delighted to have been voted No.1 buying group.’

Which services that you offer have been most used by your members during the past few months? The Unitas promotional programmes have been heavily engaged with by the membership as we continue to strive to provide great value for our customers in these challenging times. What member events have you held so far this year and what is coming up? During the pandemic, we have been hosting numerous virtual trading meeting with our members and suppliers. We are delighted to be able to host our first (post-lockdown) face-to-face Autumn Trade Event in Liverpool at the end of September. During 2022 we have our annual trade show on 9-10 March; Foodservice Meet the Member on 21-22 June; On-trade Golf Day and Meet the Member on 6-7 July; and Overseas Conference on 16-20 September.

What are your plans and targets for the next six months? Our immediate focus is on supporting our members as they recover from the impact of COVID, especially members trading in the out-of-home arena. We are also supporting all our members through the supply issues currently affecting the sector. The group has an important role in keeping members informed and sharing best practice to mitigate these issues as much as possible. The Christmas trading period will be shortly upon us and we need to ensure we have the stock and promotional activities in place to deliver a great sales trading opportunity for our members. How do you see the future of wholesale and Unitas’s role within it? The wholesale channel continues to be a challenging environment but we have seen a resurgence of shopping locally due to COVID and an appreciation of the convenience channel from consumers. This gives me great confidence in the future of the wholesale channel. The role of the group is to continue to support our members with strong trading terms, excellent promotional programmes, latest category insights and core range support, and support services to reduce costs in their businesses. What is your group’s USP? Being the biggest independent buying group allows us to negotiate competitive trading terms and promotions across all sectors – retail and out-ofCCM home.

Head office: Doncaster, South Yorkshire Website: unitaswholesale.co.uk Tel: (01302) 249909

Unitas fast facts Number of members: 159 Combined member turnover: £8 billion Number of new members this year: 2 Number of head office staff: 53

September 2021

Member testimonial: Y International, Aston “Joining Unitas Wholesale has opened a number of doors for our business in accessing key brands and facilitating the building of direct relationships with suppliers. As well as the purchasing and additional earning benefits we receive as a member, Unitas Wholesale provides excellent

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support through an approachable and experienced team. As a relatively new Unitas member wholesaler, we are already able to quantify the value added to our business.” Nadeem Hashmi, group procurement manager, Y International

Better and stronger together Unitas Wholesale is the UK’s largest wholesale services company working with our supplier partners to negotiate the very best terms on behalf of our 159 member wholesalers

As your ﬁrst choice business partner we harness the collective scale and strength of our membership to negotiate the most competitive terms for our members and their customers. We deliver outstanding service, powerful promotions and an award winning own brand. Through efficiency and effectiveness we support our members in saving more and selling more. If you share the same values and believe you would beneﬁt from becoming part of the Unitas family, contact us today on T: 01302 249909 or visit www.unitaswholesale.co.uk for more information

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p.46 Products Sept 21_Products 2 December revise 14/09/2021 14:13 Page 1

[ PRODUCTS & PROMOTIONS ] PROMOTION OF THE MONTH

Holiday prizes

Eco-conscious

Added stimulation

Nestlé has launched a ‘Win a Sunshine Break’ on-pack promotion on the sharing formats and chilled desserts of some of its biggest confectionery brands including Milkybar, Aero, Munchies, Smarties, Rolo and Rowntree’s. There are five top prizes of a holiday worth £10,000 up for grabs, plus a further prize of £1,000 to be won every day during the promotional period of 13 September to 7 November. Backing the promotion is a media campaign aimed at driving shoppers into stores. This includes out-of-home poster advertising and social media. Nestlé 020-8686 3333

ICB has added two new fruit variants to its Caribbean spiced rum range. The Hawksbill Rum Mango and Pineapple flavours have been crafted using fruits that would have otherwise gone to waste. Amy McLeod, marketing manager, says: “This is another step in the right direction for us and the industry.” Hawksbill will continue to contribute towards the Barbados Sea Turtle Project by donating 10% of profits from every bottle sold to helping to conserve turtle habitats in Barbados. The range also features eco-friendly packaging. ICB (01423) 872747

Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I has introduced the Lucozade Alert stimulation drink range. Available in tropical and cherry flavours, Lucozade Alert contains naturally-sourced caffeine and vitamin B3 which helps to reduce tiredness. It comes in £1.39 PMPs and standard 500ml cans (rsp £1.55), 12 to a case. The launch is being supported by a marketing campaign that includes PR, digital and social media advertising. Head of Lucozade Energy Zoe Trimble says: “We’re delighted to be bringing this new non-HFSS product to market.” SBF GB&I 020-7327 2420

Price reduction

Festive bottle

Refreshed look

Imperial Tobacco has reduced the prices of some of its leading brands to help its customers cater for the growing number of value-focused tobacco shoppers. The rsps of Embassy Signature and Richmond are down to £9.25, while the rsps of Riverstone roll-your-own tobacco have fallen to £11.95 (30g) and £19.60 (50g), joining JPS Players Easy Rolling Tobacco in this new price tier. Tom Gully, trade marketing manager, says: “Demand for value tobacco continues to play a major role in shopper purchasing decisions.” Imperial Tobacco (0117) 963 6636

Gravity Drinks has announced the return of Snow Globe Gin Liqueur for the festive season. The theme for this year’s bottle is ‘An Enchanted Christmas’. Giving the globe a gentle shake and turning on the light at the base of the bottle illuminates the edible gold leaf cascading around the Christmas scene inside. The gin liqueur has an orange and gingerbread flavour and is made with cinnamon, spice extracts and Seville oranges. The 700ml Snow Globe is presented in a gift box. info@gravitydrinks.co.uk

Diageo has unveiled a new look for Guinness Foreign Extra Stout 330ml bottle and 24 x 330ml multipack. The design aligns with the 650ml bottle. The relaunch is being backed with media investment as well as marketing support across London this autumn, including paid-for social media, out-ofhome advertising displayed around the city, and pallet displays in retail stores. Guinness Foreign Extra Stout has also partnered with Caribbean food and lifestyle platform, Original Flava, to produce a selection of recipes that include the stout as an ingredient. Diageo 020-8978 6000

September 2021

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