GROCER ™
At the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry
APRIL 2014
ULSTER
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12-13 – STORE FOCUS: LIDL Stewartstown Road is attracting a wide catchment area following a recent revamp, reports Alyson Magee.
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14 – MY LIFE IN THE GROCERY TRADE: Featuring this month Claire Wade from Premier Bakeries Ireland, sponsored by Robert Roberts.
17 – MASH DIRECT: Many congratulations to this local award-winning family-run business who are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year.
20-31 – SPOTLIGHT ON MARKETING: This special feature includes the much anticipated short-list of entries for this year’s Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards.
39-43 – THE BIG BREAKFAST: Want to know what’s hot in the breakfast market? Ulster Grocer gets the lowdown from some big breakfast brand names. Greer Publications © 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of Greer Publications.
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47 – APPOINTMENTS: Find out who’s recently taken on a new position in our monthly feature sponsored by Sales Placement Ltd.
Contents
Editor: Alyson Magee E: alysonmagee@greerpublications.com Contributors: Brian McCalden Advertising Manager: Karen Graham E: karengraham@greerpublications.com Senior Accounts Manager: Michelle Kearney E: michellekearney@greerpublications.com Art Editor: Karen Donnelly Production Manager: Stuart Gray Accounts: Gerardine Carson Publishers: James and Gladys Greer
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ULSTER GROCER
Volume 49, Number 4 April 2014
www.ulstergrocer.com
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NEWS GUEST COMMENT
Colin McDonald, Chief Executive of the RUAS, looks forward to Balmoral Show 2014
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olin McDonald, Chief Executive of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society, discusses plans for the Balmoral Show’s second year at Balmoral Park. Colin led the move of the Balmoral Show from the Balmoral Showgrounds, Belfast to the Balmoral Park, Lisburn. Now, after what was hailed a major success in 2013, he and his team are getting set for the 146th Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank. “We are looking forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to the Show over the course of the three days. We were extremely encouraged by the support we received in our inaugural year at Balmoral Park and we are determined to build upon that success. At the core of the Show is healthy competition, good sportsmanship, family fun and community spirit. That’s what brings people back year on year, and we have sought to nurture these elements throughout our planning.” “We have made some subtle layout changes to the showgrounds, primarily to improve the flow and the overall experience for visitors. A traffic management plan for the event includes a provision for a new exhibitor and livestock entrance which will help with traffic flow, but we would strongly encourage visitors to consider public transport options when planning their journey to the Show. Translink have introduced special train and coach services. The RUAS will once again provide a complimentary shuttle service operating between Lisburn Train Station and Balmoral Park. Additional public transport information is available at www. translink.co.uk/balmoralshow and this will be regularly updated throughout the three days. Motorists are reminded to adhere to all directions given by PSNI to keep road disruption and delays to a minimum.” “We are fortunate to have such strong support from the local business community. We retained 95% of our sponsors from previous years, despite the challenging economic climate, and have attracted thirteen new sponsors including Kubota, Bottle Green and Horse First. These companies allow the RUAS to put on a world class experience for exhibitors and public alike. We want to thank them for their dedication and commitment which is extremely important to the success of the event. We are particularly indebted to our title sponsor Ulster Bank for their continued commitment to Northern Ireland’s farming and food sector through their support of the Show.” The 2014 Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank takes place at Balmoral Park, Lisburn between Wednesday 14 and Friday 16 May 2014. Further information on the 2014 programme, exhibitors and attractions can be found at www.balmoralshow.co.uk
Cream goes sour for Fivemiletown by brian mccalden
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here was bad news this month for the normally buoyant agri-food sector when 50 jobs were revealed to be in jeopardy. The famous County Tyrone business, Fivemiletown Creamery is in turmoil after shareholders decided to sell it to a company from the Republic of Ireland. The 50 staff were told by management that there will be a 30 day consultation regarding the future of their jobs – a process that will conclude in May. The Board of Directors at the Creamery issued a statement: “[We] regret the likely closure of the milk processing plant in the town and the likely loss of jobs. The Creamery had been in existence on the site for 116 years.” The news broke after negotiations ran into the early hours at the start of April with Glanbia Ingredients Ireland agreeing to buy the milk supply and Fivemiletown cheeses, following a vote by 39 shareholders that effectively ends processing in the town. DUP MEP Diane Dodds has expressed concerns for the future of workers at the Fivemiletown Creamery after reports the company has been sold. The Member of the EU Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, Substitute member of the EU Fisheries Committee said: “The news is very disappointing because it would seem likely that jobs will be lost as a result. My sympathies are with those families who now face a very uncertain future. “Fivemiletown Creamery has been a good employer in the area and is a long-established business. Fivemiletown cheese is also a very strong brand and it is particularly disappointing that this brand could be lost,” she added. Formerly a farmer–owned cooperative, the firm has enjoyed a proud reputation for producing speciality cheeses, butter and milk since 1899 when Fellonburg Montgomery and Sir Arthur Douglas Brooke merged their two farming cooperatives, Fivemiletown and Brookeborough. Back then, the original 95 farmers set the tone and direction for the group by producing high quality butter that went on to win many awards along the way. Fivemiletown Creamery began bottling milk in 1947 and the plant grew quickly to become a major employer in the area. With the rise in supermarket sales, doorstep milk deliveries tailed off and in 1972, the creamery diversified into cheese production.
NIIRTA welcomes 5 hours car parking for £1 pilot for 25 towns
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he Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) has warmly welcomed the announcement by the DRD Minister Danny Kennedy that he is to extend the 5 hours for £1 Christmas scheme for a six month pilot, covering 93 Car Parks in 25 towns. NIIRTA Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said: “This is very welcome news for the 25 town centres and for the retail sector as a whole.” 8 364• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
“NIIRTA has been urging the DRD Minister to extend this successful Christmas scheme to support our members and ensure that town centre car parking is affordable for shoppers, given the competition from free out of town car parking.” “Given that off street car parking is to be transferred to the new supercouncils, this decision sets down a marker for them to continue and indeed build upon this discount scheme.”
Helping local food and drink companies access UK and International markets Export Learning Centre Sign up online to access information, tools and advice on supplying new markets.
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NEWS
Foster: Agri-Food Loan Scheme open for business
Robert Roberts ‘Makes a Splash’
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nterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Arlene Foster has welcomed the first application approved under the new ‘AgriFood Loan Scheme’ (AFLS). The scheme has been developed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and investment, Department of Finance and Personnel and Invest Northern Ireland, along with a number of local banks, in response to the difficulties faced by the agri-food sector in accessing finance. Arlene Foster said: “The first phase of the ‘Agri-Food Loan Scheme’ is open for business and applications are now coming through for approval. We have worked hard to create a ‘one stop shop’ for producers and I commend the participating banks for their commitment in delivering the scheme, and in helping producers to access finance. “The Executive is working to respond to the needs of local businesses and the Agri-Food Loan Scheme is a practical measure which will help firms in this important sector access the finance they need to continue to grow and contribute to the local economy.” The first phase of the ‘Agri-Food Loan Scheme’ is open to poultry meat producers and discussions are ongoing to examine the possibility of rolling it out to other agri-food sectors. The Minister added: “My officials are keen to engage with any agri-food sector business which can demonstrate an integrated supply chain and I would encourage agri-food producers to bring forward proposals to Invest Northern Ireland for further consideration.”
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oberts Roberts (N.I.) Ltd has secured the contract for the exclusive distribution in Northern Ireland of the iconic DANONE Waters UK & Ireland Ltd. The company imports evian®, Volvic® and Badoit® for consumption across the UK and Ireland. Gareth Bradley, Managing Director of Robert Roberts (NI), is delighted to have tied up the distribution deal. “The addition of such a well known brand to our portfolio is enormously satisfying,” said Gareth. “Evian® and Volvic® are huge worldwide brands with great consumer loyalty and this gives Robert Roberts an improved mix of products in the grocery category. “We look forward to supplying the retail and wholesale trade with the full range evian® and Volvic® products to fulfil public demand with a view to introducing even more people to the brands.”
Reach the maximum number of sho
ppers by stocking core range
Look out for new flavours and limited editions in 2014
✴ ✴
Available in:
Strawberry 50cl, 75cl & 1.5l, Lemon & Lime 50cl, 75cl & 1.5l, Orange & Peach 50cl & 1.5l
Available from:
Robert Roberts (NI) Ltd 028 9267 3316 or visit www.robert-roberts.co.uk
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TAYTO NEWS
Fresh look & feel and the best potatoes ever for Tayto N
orthern Ireland’s much-loved and iconic brand is having a spring make-over. Fear not! Tayto fans, Mr Tayto is fit and well and looking even more dapper than usual. His on-pack presence is getting a little bolder with the launch of fresh, vibrant new packaging across the core range, with a major focus on single pack impulse crisps, which just got bigger by 15%. The new look coincides with a peak production period, in which Tayto’s resident potato expert, Roy Dodds, says that the potatoes being used now are frying the best that he can remember. With an estimated £500k marketing investment to support the refresh, Tayto is squaring up for an exciting year in 2014. The refresh comes after one of the company’s most significant market research projects in recent years. Tayto has taken customer feedback on board and come up with a new look and feel that customers have been looking for – and a bigger serving size to meet demand. Elly Hunter, Marketing Director with Tayto explained the move. She said, “The impulse crisp market in Northern Ireland is worth £11m a year, but right across the market, sales
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have been steadily dropping. We spent a lot of time with customers finding out what the issues are and what it is that they love about the Tayto brand. “The new Tayto packs not only look different, they feel different. We have introduced a thicker foil pack, which gives a premium feel in the hand and ensures much greater impact when they’re stacked on shelf. “The next move we have made is to increase the single pack serving size by 15%. Our consumers told us that they wanted more crisps in a bag. We have seen a trend of customers switching across to buying bigger Sharing bags of crisps instead of single servings. While all of us know that portion control is important for any of our food, we also know how easy it is to sit down with one of the large bags - designed for sharing – and eat them all yourself. We hope that our new serving size will satisfy our customers and give them the proper Tayto fix they’re craving. “We are incredibly proud of our local Northern Ireland heritage and we employ over 400 local people in Tandragee. Tayto Castle has been given more prominence on the new packs and we’ve given the happy image of our much-loved Mr Tayto more presence.
“We’re frying the best potatoes we’ve had for many years, they’re sourced locally wherever possible and at peak times, they can be dug, fried, packed and sold within a day. So we now have bigger packs of the best quality fresh, local crisps, improved packaging and a fresh look to stand out on shelf – what more could we ask for?” Tayto also has a range of exciting new crisp and snacks products planned for the Spring – see our New Product News for all the details.
RETAIL NEWS – INDEPENDENTS
NIIRTA launches economic local councils manifesto A
n 80-point economic plan for local councils, Local First, was launched by the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) last month, aimed at highlighting the challenges associated with the 11 super-councils to be formed in Northern Ireland. Local First was launched at NIIRTA’s second Town Centre Summit, supported by Danske Bank, and addressed by the Ministers for Environment, Regional Development and Social Development, and the Lord Mayor of Belfast. Held in The Mac, the audience included independent retailers, Council candidates and many other key stakeholders. “By and large the local business community needs to wake up to the huge challenges and opportunities that the new Councils will offer,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive of NIIRTA. “They could be the changemakers for economic development, radically new town centres, innovation and urban regeneration. “With their enhanced powers, these Councils will be vital players in shaping the future of our economy and it is essential that the private sector engages with party candidates in this election to ensure that they can hit the ground running when power is transferred in 2015. “Our manifesto, Local First is an economic Programme for Local Government, setting out 80 ideas about how the 11 councils, working with the NI Executive, can help to create employment, regenerate town centres, revamp car parking and ensure they adopt a fair planning policy. “This is not just a retail manifesto, but a programme for economic and social change for Northern Ireland.” Throughout April, NIIRTA is embarking on a 22 town and city centre tour to promote its local Government manifesto Local First, and to urge the local business community to be aware of the radical changes to the councils. Among the 80 recommendations in Local First are: • Town centre first planning policy. • Councils and Executive helping to create 3,000 independent retailers right across Northern Ireland by 2020. • Strong partnership Cabinet model for local government. • Free Wi-Fi for all town centres by 2020. • IPhone Apps for all town centres by 2016.
The Lord Mayor of Belfast, NIIRTA Chair Nigel Maxwell, DRD Minister Danny Kennedy MLA, DSD Minister Nelson McCausland MLA, DOE Minister Mark H Durkan MLA and NIIRTA CEO Glyn Roberts at the launch of Local First.
• Small Business Commissioner for Belfast, based on New York City model. • Regeneration Commissioner for Derry~ Londonderry, replacing existing agencies. • Retail Incubators for every town centre. • Councils establishing Local Growth Partnerships. • Restructured and enhanced Chambers of
Commerce. • On-street car parking transferred to Councils by 2020. • Extended Empty Premises Relief qualification from 12 months to 6. • Community Hub model for town centres. • Digital High Street Strategy for every town centre.
BRC launches guidelines to prevent violence AGAINST SHOP WORKERS
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uidelines to help protect the retail sector’s three million employees from violence were launched this month, after the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC) Retail Crime Survey found that shop staff were victims of almost 36,000 incidents of violence or abuse last year. The Guidelines are endorsed by Home Office Minister for Crime Prevention Norman Baker, shop workers’ union Usdaw and the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS). Respondents to the BRC Retail Crime Survey revealed that there were 38 incidents of violence and abuse per 1,000 employees in 2012-13. This equated to 25,000 instances of abusive or aggressive behaviour towards staff and over 11,000 incidents of violence, the majority of which resulted in injury to the shop worker.
A new ‘riveting’ logo with its reminder of ship-building heritage was unveiled at the recent launch of the Newtownards Road & Inner East Traders’ Association. Pictured showing off the new logo on reusable bags are, from left, Sonia Copeland, Association secretary; Karl Bennett, chairman; and Barbara Baird, treasurer. The Association was formed to make shopping in the area more riveting for locals and visitors alike.
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RETAIL NEWS – SYMBOL GROUPS
Two new Centra stores open in Co. Down
Robbie’s Centra Westwind
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o. Down retailer Neil McRobbie, who has been trading with Mace for the past 11 years, has transferred his two stores in Westwinds, Newtownards and Conlig to the Centra retail group.
McRobbie moved his businesses from Mace to Centra to develop and enhance the shopping experience for his customers. McRobbie acquired his Westwinds and Conlig stores in 2003 and 2005 respectively.
Both sit in busy shopping areas supported by other facilities including a post office and fast food outlets with good car parking facilities. Refurbishment work on both stores will be undertaken to further enhance the consumer offering. Work on Westwinds will commence immediately and will include the addition of an off-licence, with work on the Conlig store commencing soon. “I’m delighted to welcome a wellestablished local retailer such as Neil to the Centra retail group with the transfer of his two stores,” said Norman Bennett, Centra customer manager at Musgrave Retail Partners. “These stores will be very exciting additions to the brand, situated in key locations in North Down and they will provide the local communities with all the services and facilities they would expect from successful and well-run convenience stores.”
SPAR to showcase its local sourcing at Balmoral H
enderson Group, owner of the SPAR franchise in Northern Ireland, has announced the return of its awards event for fresh suppliers after a successful response in 2013. The SPAR Local Supplier Awards will take place at the Balmoral Show on Friday, May 16 during the SPAR Suppliers’ Breakfast, celebrating the brand and company’s relationships with Northern Irish farmers and growers over the years. Shortlisted companies will be awarded from three categories at the SPAR Suppliers’ Breakfast: Best New SPAR Brand Product or Range; Tomorrow Matters (People Planet Place); and Best Local Supplier. Fresh food now accounts for over one third of the total annual sales for
Henderson Group retail brands. The division is seeking to increase this significantly to 50%, through continuing to focus on further improving its local fresh ranges, including its sandwich ranges and meat offerings and is proud that over 75% of its fresh offering is sourced from the island of Ireland. “Fresh produce suppliers including Mash Direct, Ballyrashane Creamery and Doherty & Gray were successful for their business credentials, innovation and product quality during the awards last year,” said Neal Kelly, fresh foods director at the Henderson Group. “This year we have developed our categories somewhat, and are inviting more of our local suppliers to join us for the awards breakfast.”
Neal Kelly, fresh foods director at the Henderson Group, launches the Local Supplier Awards to take place at the 2014 Balmoral Show.
Happy Town welcomes new mini Mace shop A
Nikki McDowell, brand manager at Mace, is pictured with May McFettridge and Martine Beattie, manager of Happy Town.
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scaled-down version of a Mace store was opened at children’s play centre, Happy Town, Newtownards by everyone’s favourite housewife, May McFettridge. Happy Town’s new Mace shop will offer children an exciting and fun experience to scour the shelves and fill up a shopping basket with all their favourite colourful fruit and vegetables, tinned foods, treats and snacks. “We decided to scale down one of our Mace stores to give children a fun shopping experience,” said Nikki McDowell, Mace brand manager. “This is our first Mace play store to open in Northern Ireland and we are confident it will provide an exciting addition to Happy Town.”
RETAIL NEWS – MULTIPLES
SuperValu supports Action Cancer Big Bus A
griculture Minister Michelle O’Neill recently launched Action Cancer’s Big Bus, set to feature at the 2014 Balmoral Show, during an event held at Parliament Buildings, Stormont. Free services provided on the Big Bus, sponsored by SuperValu and its independent retailers, include MOT health checks for men and women (16-plus) and digital breast screening for women aged 40-49 and 70-plus (outside of the NHS screening age). “Since 2006 we have provided over 24,500 breast screenings and 13,700 MOT health checks on board our Big Bus which travels to around 220 locations throughout Northern Ireland every year,” said Gareth Kirk, chief executive of Action Cancer. “We are very proud sponsors of Action Cancer’s Big Bus and the work of SuperValu’s charity partnership has gone a long way in helping bring life-saving detection services to thousands of people across Northern Ireland,” said Nigel Briggs, managing director of Musgrave Retail Partners NI. To book an appointment online go too www.actioncancer.org or call 028 9080 3344. To find out more about the Big Bus, email Seán Conlon, Big Bus Coordinator on sconlon@actioncancer.org.
Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill is pictured at the launch of Action Cancer’s Big Bus, supported by SuperValu, alongside Nigel Briggs, managing director of Musgrave Retail Partners NI and Gareth Kirk, chief executive of Action Cancer.
Sainsbury’s Armagh reopens after refurbishment S ainsbury’s in Armagh has re-opened after the completion of a multimillion pound upgrade. The store, based in The Mall shopping centre and employing 124 staff members, has been updated with the installation of new shelving and lighting. Customers will also enjoy an extended range of non-food lines, new pizza counter and an improved bakery offering. “The refit has given the Armagh store a new lease of life,” said Andy Relf, store manager at Sainsbury’s Armagh. “I am confident that Sainsbury’s customers will be thrilled with the updated look and extended offering at the store. We are happy that all of the work has been carried out on time and with minimum disruption in time for the busy Easter period.”
Front, from left, are Robert Turner, Lord Mayor of Armagh City and District Council, with Andy Relf, store manager of Sainsbury’s Armagh.
Asda teams up with FareShare on charity initiative O
ver 150 service users of The Welcome Organisation in Belfast are directly benefiting from an award-winning partnership established by retailer Asda and food distribution charity FareShare. The Welcome Organisation, a local charity which helps support people who are homeless or sleeping rough in the city, has been supported by the initiative since June 2013 and now receives three deliveries of much-needed food supplies at the charity’s Townsend Street site each week. The partnership between Asda and FareShare sees excess food stocks from Asda’s supply chain being distributed via FareShare to 69 local community groups and charities across Northern Ireland, including The Welcome Organisation in Belfast. To date, this scheme has meant that nearly 100,000 meals have been provided to vulnerable and homeless people in Northern Ireland. “Asda’s recent Income Tracker report shows that families across Northern Ireland have just £57 of weekly discretionary income which means that more and more people are in need of, and searching for, support from organisations such as FareShare,” said Joe McDonald, corporate affairs manager for Asda NI. “Our visit to the Welcome Organisation in Belfast has been a real eye opener and we’re proud to
help play a role in supporting those who are struggling, vulnerable or at risk of food poverty across the region.”
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, is pictured with, from left, Noeleen McMahon, community life champion at Asda Westwood; Simon Geddis, head of operations at FareShare; and Paula Coogan, assistant manager of The Welcome Organisation.
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STORE FOCUS
Lidl Stewartstown Road, Belfast
The refurbished Lidl Stewartstown Road has been newly clad and opened up with ‘curtain wall’ glazing to give a lighter, more modern feel while the car park has been landscaped.
Following a recent facelift, this interface store is attracting a wider catchment area, says Alyson Magee.
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idl has stealthily engrained itself in the local retail scene, with its discount prices and diverse stock winning fans across socioeconomic groups and elevating competition in the grocery sector. Not content to trade on price alone, the German group has in recent years embarked on a major media campaign highlighting its local sourcing and operates a policy of refreshing its stores every decade to enhance the shopping experience. Lidl Stewartstown Road in west Belfast has recently undergone its 10-year revamp, transforming a dark, red brick façade and industrial car park into a light-filled modern building with attractively landscaped surroundings. Located in an interface area, many customers of the store have low disposable income and come into the store on foot although shoppers also visit from surrounding areas; particularly since the refurbishment. “We’ve gained customers,” says Tracy Denning, sales operation manager. “Somebody who might have shopped in Lisburn before will come here now. “I think the store has gone more upmarket in terms of where we’ve come from, with an increase in customers and we are getting different people in the store.” Tracy’s remit extends to four Belfast Lidls, including Stewartstown Road, and stores in Ballynahinch and Downpatrick. She has been with Lidl for 15 years since it first entered the Northern Irish retail market. “A lot of turnover here comes from ambient 8 • •Ulster 3612 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
goods,” she says. “We don’t sell as much nonfood goods.” In-store, the new bakery and its attendant aroma wafting around shoppers entering the building has had a positive impact, says Tracy: “Before, the customers weren’t able to see when the stuff had been baked, and that’s probably the area that has changed the most.” Store Manager Danielle Bates cites her customers as “anybody and everybody from school kids to pensioners and everybody in between from Andersonstown to Lisburn. It’s quite a wide area,” she says. Danielle has been with Lidl for 10 years, as store manager for the last five including two years at Stewartstown Road. “We’ve had fantastic feedback,” she says. “Customers say it’s much lighter and brighter, and much better to shop here now.” STORE REVAMP Completed over a tight 10-week schedule last autumn to be ready in time for the Christmas market, the Stewartstown Road revamp cost “well under £1m,” says Ivan Magee, Lidl portfolio manager for NI. “We believe in getting value for money; the minimum amount of money with maximum return.” The store was operational for eight weeks of the refurbishment, closing only for the final two weeks when floor tiling was underway. “We have a programme of modernising our buildings on a 10-year cycle,” says Ivan. “It was red brick and we wanted to move towards our branding. Our cladding material is to international specification, and it ultimately
makes the shop look a lot more modern.” The new elevation of the façade uses ‘curtain wall’ glazing to bring more light into the building, and a modern feel. The old, dark open-air entrance has been replaced with a spacious, bright and airy entrance pod with fully automated doors. “At the front of the building, we added a modern fleet of trolleys including mother and baby trolleys for convenience,” says Ivan. “We resurfaced the car park, and added dedicated parent and child spaces and more disabled spaces. “We also did a lot of landscaping. It was quite a bland car park previously and didn’t do much for ourselves or the area. We rolled out grass and added borders and landscaping, with hard islands for trees.” Car park lighting was modernised and added to, while an additional pedestrian entrance was added for ease of shoppers on foot. Lidl worked together with PSNI on its plans for surrounding walls and perimeter fencing. “There were peace walls around us and we have an agreement to close the gates on a nightly basis,” says Ivan. Moving on to in-store, “the look of the place is brighter and more welcoming with lighter, larger tiles,” he says. “The ceiling was raised to make the place more spacious and airy. All the walls were plastered and tiled to benefit the operation of the store; they can be wiped down and cleaned.” Further new features include sunken lighting and “temperature control improvements, introducing air conditioning to make sure
STORE FOCUS the store is suitable for the products we’re storing, and staff and customers,” says Ivan. “That alone would represent quite a significant investment.” All shop floor refrigerator cabinets have been replaced with new Miami model cabinets from Austrian manufacturer AHT, featuring LED lighting to present the produce better. “That was also a substantial investment,” he says. The new temperature control system has reduced costs and environmental impact in terms of heat consumption, while the new freezer cabinets are over 80% more efficient. “From an energy consumption point-of-view, there are substantial savings,” says Ivan. “The refrigeration system in the bakery freezer is more efficient and purpose designed for storing that volume of products.” The new bakery is what Lidl describes as a ‘back niche bakery’ with 18-pallet freezer capacity and a full preparation room essentially bolted on to the side of the building. While the pre-revamp store did have a shop floor bakery, “from Lidl’s point of view, a shop floor bakery is not as easy to clean,” says Ivan. “It’s a significant improvement on the previous model.” And staff facilities, including the canteen, were updated, “bringing it in line with the modern day workplace,” says Ivan. New signage was also introduced throughout the store, coinciding with Lidl’s ‘choose’ campaign, which “works across lots of platforms including recruitment,” says
From left, Sales Operation Manager Tracy Denning and Store Manager Danielle Bates are pictured by the new in-store bakery, a popular feature of the enhanced Lidl Stewartstown Road.
Aoife Clarke, head of communications at Lidl Ireland. “It’s giving customers the reasons why they should choose Lidl.” The Stewartstown Road store employs 18 full- and part-time staff, of whom four were added as a result of the modernisation. If customer numbers and turnover continue to increase, more positions will be added. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 8am-9pm, and Sunday 1-5pm.
The new temperature control system has reduced costs and environmental impact in terms of heat consumption, while the new freezer cabinets are over 80% more efficient.” Before its recent renovation, Lidl Stewartstown Road had a red brick facade and dark entrance, while its car park was unispiring.
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Lidl in Northern Ireland F
irst entering the Northern Irish market in 1999, Lidl now has 36 local stores and a distribution centre at Nutt’s Corner totalling almost 500 employees. As well as alcohol, the Northern Irish stores over-perform in sales of car kit and tools. Local suppliers to the discount chain include Strathroy Dairy, Dale Farm, Fivemiletown Creamery and Irwin’s. “It’s all here but maybe under a brand customers wouldn’t necessarily be familiar with,” says Aoife Clarke, head of communications at Lidl Ireland. “Over the last 15 years, the guys in purchasing have worked really hard to establish relationships. Where we can source locally at a price acceptable to customers, we will. “It’s become a lot more mediafocused with more spend on advertising. We always had the local elements, we just didn’t really tell people about them.” Lidl only employs permanent staff members, rather than the seasonal uptake and layoff practiced by some retailers. “We don’t just hire people to work on the tills,” says Aoife. “Everyone works on the shop floor as well.”
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My Life in the Grocery Trade Claire Wade, key accounts manager ar Premier Bakeries Ireland WHEN DID YOU TAKE UP THIS POST? August 2010. WHAT IS YOUR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY TO DATE? After graduating from Jordanstown, University of Ulster with a BSc Hons in Marketing, I secured a place on the graduate programme run by Parity. Alongside studying, I was placed in Premier as a sales and marketing placement student. I worked on various projects for 17 weeks including an Ormo re-launch. As my placement was coming to an end, an opportunity arose for a territory sales manager covering the multiples in Northern Ireland. This provided excellent experience and really helped me get an insight into the food industry. It provided me with a good foundation to help me in my current role as key account manager. WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? I love developing relationships with new and existing customers; building on relationships with retailers and helping them to drive their business forward profitably. I thrive on the daily challenges that are thrown my way. The most challenging aspects would be trying to stay ahead of the game in this competitive industry; forecasting sales can be challenging as market share changes. WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE FOR YOU? The role brings real variety; it ranges from
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customer meetings, store visits, analysing information for promotional strategies and reviewing sales information to keeping up to date on market trends. Working with colleagues right across the supply chain is key to ensuring we are efficient in what we do; this varies from NPD launches and monitoring store availability to working closely with our field sales team. WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? A highlight for me was achieving an account manager role (at 26) and successfully overcoming the challenges that the role entailed. WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED WITH THIS COMPANY? As PBI is part of Premier Foods, which is Britain’s largest food producer, this brings great opportunities to work with such strong brands and robust systems. Premier are very focused on developing their people and are willing to support my developmental needs that will help me progress to the next step on my career path. As a key account manager, it is important we work closely with our cross functional teams. This I believe is their strength as a company. This enables me to gain an insight into the daily ongoings across the business and build on my commercial awareness, ensuring I am best equipped to provide the relevant knowledge and information that is needed for our customers.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? I enjoy walking and spending time with my little boy Caleb. I am involved in various church activities, and have a real passion to work alongside young people. Also, there is nothing better than a bit of retail therapy. ANY MOTIVATIONAL TIPS FOR BAD DAYS? Knowing that we have a greater purpose in life always keeps me motivated.
FOOD & DRINK NEWS
Rugby star launches Kingsmill Great White loaf K
ingsmill recently enlisted international rugby champion and family man Rory Best to launch its new Great White loaf, which looks smells and tastes like white bread but contains as much wheat fibre as wholemeal bread. The aim of the new launch is to provide a healthier alternative for families without compromising on taste, after research indicated 47% of Northern Ireland consumers either don’t know or don’t think they are getting enough daily fibre in their diet. To celebrate the launch of the new product, an oversized breakfast table, made of bread, was created by acclaimed artist Nathan Wyburn of Britain’s Got Talent fame and unveiled in Victoria Square shopping centre. The table measured 10 feet in length and used over 800 pieces of Great White bread, to create the surface of the table and base of each chair. “The breakfast table is at the heart of the home and the centre of the family, just like Kingsmill Great White, so our oversized breakfast table provides the perfect way to help us make consumers aware of this new product,” said Elva O’Connor, senior brand manager for Allied Bakeries. “We know that the Northern Irish public favours white bread and it has become a daily staple in many people’s diets, but we also know that consumers want to ensure that they are meeting the nutritional needs of their family.”
Glens of Antrim Potatoes help ‘sow the seeds’ of partnership
Michael McKillop from Glens of Antrim Potatoes with the teachers and pupils of Glengormley Integrated Primary School and Glenann Primary School.
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ocal agri-food business, Glens of Antrim Potatoes, is helping to ‘sow the seeds’ of partnership amongst school children in Co. Antrim with the launch of a cross-community education campaign. The project will see P5 and P6 pupils from Glengormley and Cushendall working together to plant, nurture and harvest Irish ‘Lumper’ potatoes in a raised bed in the school grounds, whilst learning about the history of the Irish Famine. Michael McKillop from Glens of Antrim Potatoes commented: “Provenance is at the heart of our business and we’re delighted to be working with both primary schools to help educate children about the heritage of our local food. The scheme will also allow the kids to identify where food comes from, the importance of seasonality and the impact of bad weather too.” The schools participating in the Irish Lumper Potato Project are Glengormley Integrated Primary School, Glengormley and Glenann Primary School, Cushendall.
Rory Best celebrates the launch of Kingsmill Great White bread.
Kingsmill ambassador and international rugby star, Rory Best said: “As a dad and sports person, maintaining a healthy diet for myself and my family is very important to me. White bread has always been a favourite in my family, although it does not provide the daily fibre that we all need. This new product means that my family can all enjoy the taste of white bread – without feeling guilty about eating it.”
Local chef Tony O’Neill spices up the market W
ell-known local chef/ restaurateur Tony O’Neill is to launch a range of Italian sauces, initially selling through his three restaurants with the aim of expanding into retailers. The sauces will be available through the three Belfast restaurants, Il Pirata, Coppi and Barking Dog, which O’Neill runs with two business partners. The next stage could see the products being available through social media, and then retailers here Tony O’Neill and further afield. O’Neill, a former executive head chef at the five-star Merchant Hotel in Belfast, has already set up business in a production kitchen to develop the new sauces that will be sold under the Coppi brand. The brand is carried forward from Coppi, the Italian restaurant serving Venetian-style cichetti dishes that opened in 2012 in St Anne’s Square; later launching the distinctive Coppi Truck to bring Italian dishes to the developing street food sector in the city. The success of Coppi’s menu has encouraged the entrepreneurial O’Neill to make the sauces and pasta more readily available. “Tastes are certainly changing, becoming more cosmopolitan in Belfast with younger diners asking if they can buy our sauces,” said Coppi. “It seemed good business sense to explore the possibility and the opportunity to sell outside Northern Ireland.” A cycling enthusiast, O’Neill is also excited by and gearing up to enjoy the Giro d’Italia road race starting in Northern Ireland in May. Il Pirata and Coppi were named after famed Italian road racing cyclists. 15
FOOD & DRINK NEWS
Cuisine de France
Consumer Insight and announces major investment Market Update 2014 B akery brand Cuisine de France has announced a new multi-million euro strategy to position its retailers as leaders in fresh bakery. Its new investment programme, centred on Cuisine de France’s unique bakery offering, includes new recipes, a re-design of the instore experience; a Learning and Innovation Hub; and a primetime TV and digital consumer campaign Vive lés differences. The brand’s recipes have returned to their original French roots. New and improved recipes, pioneered by the Cuisine de France bakery team, have been developed to enhance its unique range. The Cuisine de France Learning and Innovation Hub will provide best-in-class training for retail staff over the coming year, overseen by Cuisine de France experts in bakery, merchandising and sales. On April 21, the brand will also launch its first TV and digital marketing campaign, featuring at prime time TV slots on UTV, E4, RTE, TV3 and Sky channels, and through YouTube and Facebook. Cuisine de France has already commenced its in-store re-design with retailer partners, and expects to continue this roll-out over the coming months. “Our new strategy is the culmination of a comprehensive review of every part of the Cuisine de France brand,” said Peter Jackson, managing director of Aryzta Food Solutions Ireland. “We engaged extensively with retailers and consumers. We analysed the global bakery market, benchmarking ourselves against countries like the US, UK, France and elsewhere. The outcome is a celebration of the unique, Cuisine de France offering of quality breads and pastries, premium instore experience, and leading innovation. “As a category leader, we have a responsibility to set the standards for our customers’ in-store, every day. We are confident that our new strategy will achieve this, positioning our retail partners as leaders in fresh bakery.”
From left, Nicola Wilde, education and health manager of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board; Cherrie Kenny, education services manager at LMC; and Colin Smith, industry development manager at LMC were among key note speakers as over 100 home economics teachers from across NI gathered at a recent LMC conference in Titanic Belfast to discuss health and nutrition in schools and receive an update from leading professionals on the upcoming HE skills agenda for 2014/15.
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By Jason Winstanley, Moy Park senior insight and research manager
“M
ost of our people have never had it so good,” Harold Macmillan famously said in 1957 and, whilst that may not be entirely true in 2014, it certainly seems to be the case that many of us have never had it so good since 2008. The economy, if not exactly booming, is performing at its strongest and most consistent level since before the economic crisis first hit six years ago. With unemployment down, GDP showing positive growth and optimistic forecasts for the economy1, these should be encouraging times for the grocery industry. However, the reality is that we are in an era where Tesco is seeing sales decline2, Morrisons has just announced a major change to its strategy3 and Sainsbury’s has just announced its first fall in like-for-like sales for nine years.4 So what’s going on? It’s certainly not a case of shoppers being out of touch with the movements in the economy; YouGov polling shows a very consistent picture of positive sentiment. In midMarch, only 46% of survey respondents thought the economy was in bad shape, and 38% thought their own financial circumstances would worsen. Compare those figures to the same period in 2013, when the numbers were 75% and 50%, respectively5, and it becomes apparent just how much consumer sentiment has improved. One big factor which is going to have an effect on retail growth over the short-term is that, as a nation, we are entering a period of lower inflation than we have seen for some time. Consumer Price Inflation now stands at its lowest rate since 20091 and this means that any year-on-year comparisons will be made against a period of higher inflation 12 months ago, which helps to explain some of the sales decline seen in some retailers. But falling CPI is by no means the whole story, and doesn’t explain why a retailer such as Morrisons chooses to change strategic direction. The answer to this lies more in the fact that habits learned during the economic downturn appear to have stuck with many consumers. Put simply, the phenomenon of ‘savvy shopping’ is here to stay, and is no longer a trend but now represents a new normal. Consumers learned during the recession that there are a multitude of ways to save money whilst grocery shopping, and see no reason to change their behaviour, now that times are more prosperous. So, we should expect the price-efficient discounters to continue to go from strength to strength, (and, actually, those who maintain that Aldi and Lidl should now be regarded as mainstream retailers have a very good point). Consumers have also become extremely conscious of food waste, with 61% having recently changed some element of their behaviour in order to avoid incurring waste6. Increased use of so-called discounters and reductions in food waste are both examples of learned behaviour which is probably here to stay so, despite the economic positivity, both manufacturers and retailers will need to ensure that they are appealing more than ever to what really matters to their consumers, in order to continue to drive sustainable growth. Sources: [1] ONS; [2] Tesco Christmas results, 9th January 2014; [3] Morrisons full year results, 13th March 2014; [4] Sainsbury’s quarterly results, 18th March 2014; [5] YouGov polling, March 2013 and March 2014; [6] Moy Park / Toluna survey of 500 respondents, January 2014.
FOOD MANUFACTURING
Mash Direct celebrates 10 years in business Family-owned farming and food production enterprise Mash Direct has rapidly grown over the last decade from a stall in St George’s Market to listings across the retail sector in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain, and now export markets such as Dubai and the US. During that time, the Comber-based company’s workforce has increased from four to 135 people. UG spoke to owners, Martin and Tracy Hamilton, and their son Lance, who joined the business in 2008 after studying agri-food markets and business studies at Harper Adams. HOW DID MASH DIRECT START OUT? Martin: We were producing a lot of raw materials for third party companies, and it was leaving us with no real margin. We were looking for something to add value and give us a share of the market. That’s how we came to our product, initially mashed potato and champ, later developed into a range of prepared potato and vegetable dishes with more to be added in 2014. We started off with a very small, bespoke building on our farm, built to the proper specification laid out to us by Environmental Health. We worked hand-in-glove with all the government bodies from then on. Environmental Health and CAFRE’s Loughry Campus are very much our springboards. The enthusiasm from those bodies was, and still is, outstanding. HOW HAS THE BUSINESS DEVELOPED? Martin: Once we’d reached the size to gain accreditation under BRC Global Standards, our goal was to achieve the best rating and we’ve had A+ every year for the last five. It’s very much the foundation to how we established ourselves, as the supermarkets need to feel secure and confident. Once we established ourselves and got our product ready, it was a matter of getting ourselves out and proving ourselves in the market. Ten years ago, we were renting a van, turning up at the doors of St George’s Market and wheeling chillers in. It was a test of endurance but it all worked out. St George’s is very supportive to up and coming business. Alongside doing that, it was very much the independents and then symbol groups that opened up their doors and recognised we were providing something that was going to be a good selling product. We have been building Mash Direct in the market, and structurally, for 10 years. We have never stopped building, and right now are adding 25,000 square feet of production. 8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
HOW DID YOU GET INTO EXPORT MARKETS? Martin: The springboard for some of those opportunities comes from Invest NI taking stands at international trade shows like SIAL, Anuga and Alimentaria. We had our sleeves all printed in Spanish for our second visit to Alimentaria this month. Exports are growing the whole time. HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH NEW PRODUCT LINES? Martin: Internal ideas; it comes from everybody. Everybody has an input, and a different view on what we should be doing. Sometimes we try some wacky stuff too, and do our own internal panels. We also have a consultant specialist NPD chef we bring in two to three times a year, who also tweaks some things for production. There has to be a point of difference. WHAT IS THE UNIQUE SELLING POINT OF MASH DIRECT? Martin: We can take everything back to the growing point in the fields. Most is grown on our own farm and the other growers we have are farm quality assured. We have led the way with no additives, and the half sleeve so consumers can see exactly what they’re buying. We only cook with steam, and our cookers are all made here for us by our engineering director. Tracy: With traffic light health labelling, we are one of the first companies to do it in Northern Ireland. It gives consumers added
confidence when they’re shopping, and our products are all healthy. We’re members of the Vegetarian Society and Coeliac Society, which lab test our products. WHAT IS MASH DIRECT’S BUSINESS AND MARKETING STRATEGY? Martin: Business is in three divisions: foodservice, bulk supply for third party food manufacturing, and retail. Our strategy is not to let anyone take complete control or command over the whole business itself. No one customer represents more than 18% of our business. Tracy: Our board meets monthly, and has done since we started. We have four executive and four non-executive members. Lance: As sales director, I look after the supermarkets and symbol groups; dealing with some of the social media, presentation of NPD, and growth of the business. Martin: Our other son Jack handles social media (we have 12,000 facebook followers), website updating and driving business in the South of England. He is based in London with a team of three, and a remit to expand business in the region. Tracy: We do a lot of presentations and tastings. People always like to see the people behind the brand. Even when we’re doing consumer shows in Scotland, we’ve nieces and nephews from over there on the stand.
We have led the way with no additives, and the half sleeve so consumers can see exactly what they’re buying.” 17
TRADE PEOPLE
trade
This month, Trade People speaks to Simon Beckett, Sales & Marketing Manager at Discount Commodity Supplies.
PEOPLE
Can you give me an outline of your personal background and how you came to be involved with your current company? I graduated in 2003 with a degree in Leisure Management. I then took up a career in the hospitality industry which I had dabbled in throughout University. In 2012, I decided to change my career path and took a job in a large supermarket chain. Whilst there, I was looking for job opportunities when I saw the ASPIRE programme advertising numerous posts. I applied for a couple of positions and got an interview with Discount Commodity Supplies. I was offered the post which I had to think about (as ASPIRE only guarantee one year), but decided I could make a go of it. My role of Sales and Marketing gives me great variation as some days I’m in the office, some I’m out on the road and some days, you’ll even find me in the Warehouse. With the ASPIRE programme, I am provided with training opportunities and mentoring sessions. What do you enjoy most about your career? The FMCG market is, as the name suggests, fast moving. I like the challenges I have to deal with (selling and marketing Aqua Twist) and getting out and about meeting people. Having an ever increasing, strong brand portfolio, such as Aqua Twist and a range of American sweets make it easier and therefore more enjoyable. The good thing about the ASPIRE programme is that the year’s work plan is laid out and it’s just a matter of getting your teeth into it. I also love that I’m working with Aqua Twist, a popular and innovative product, which is proving increasingly popular in the marketplace. And what frustrates you most about your daily working life? Traffic in town centres and having to pay for parking when I’m only going to be there for ten minutes. Sometimes there aren’t enough hours in the day as well. What was the first lesson you learned in business? Don’t trust anyone until they prove themselves. What are your plans going 8 • •Ulster 3618 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
forward at your company? At Discount Commodity Supplies, I’m privileged to be a part of such an aggressive, dynamic team. The company’s sales have doubled year on year for the last four years. I would like to help continue this growth and make Aqua Twist a successful household name globally as well as in the UK and Ireland. How do you see the local convenience/grocery retail/food sector changing over the next five years? I feel that these sectors combined are going
to change significantly. We have already seen an increase in online sales and I think this will force a lot of businesses to offer this sales option. Due to this, the larger multiples are opening more convenience stores forcing the local retailer to shut their doors. This is going to create a survival of the fittest scenario which may force the local retailer to join with symbol groups. The governments take on healthy eating will also play a large part and having a wellpriced, premium product, like Aqua Twist, will succeed in these demanding sectors.
GROCERY AID
GroceryAid: Making a real difference to real lives Gillian Barker
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roceryAid is the charity that looks after a wide variety of people who work, or used to work, in the grocery industry, from warehousemen to checkout operators to delivery drivers. The help that GroceryAid provides can make a very real difference as it provides not only monetary support, but appliances and white goods that many of us take for granted. We can also provide specialist mobility items to enable people to stay safe and well. The freephone Helpline (08088 021122 or via www.groceryaid.org.uk) is offered to all who work, or have worked, within the grocery industry, regardless of length of service. It focuses on personal welfare problems; whether workload, financial problems, stress, anxiety, depression or bullying. It also offers a telephone and online counselling service for people who have
experienced traumatic incidents that are harmful, threatening or challenging. GroceryAid relies on the support of current and former colleagues throughout the industry who give their time and skills, and without whom we would not be able to assist the increasing number of people who come to us for help in their time of need. We currently help more than 7,000 people and will spend well over £3m on welfare support this year. There are many ways that you can help us make a real difference to peoples’ lives, from attending one of our events or taking on a personal fundraising challenge to volunteering your time and charitable giving. For example: • Go along to one of the many local events like the forthcoming Ulster Grocers Ball on 9th May organised by the Northern Ireland branch of GroceryAid and help raise funds and awareness. • Consider supporting GroceryAid by joining the GroceryAid 200 Club – one entry costs £1 and you never know, you may be lucky and win one of three prizes offered every quarter. • Become one of our volunteer Welfare Assessors or Befrienders and help support people in your local area. All our volunteers receive training and guidance to help them in their role. • Raise funds by taking part in a personal challenge and use the GroceryAid page on JustGiving to collect your sponsorship.
beneficiaries’ lives, many of whom struggle to buy groceries each week or cope with replacing a cooker or fridge when they break down. For example: • £16 a week will support one beneficiary in receipt of our annuity. This can more than triple their disposable weekly income and make the difference between ‘living and just existing’. • £35 pays for an emergency oil filled heater. • £105 covers the cost of an average household monthly bill. • £300 buys a cooker, fridge freezer or bed. • £2,000 covers the cost of an electric mobility scooter, helping to provide some much needed independence. To learn more about how GroceryAid helps current and former industry colleagues and how you can help, please visit our website at www.groceryaid.org.uk email us on info@ groceryaid.org.uk or call 01252 875925. Thank you for supporting our work – we couldn’t do it without you!
Gillian M Barker Director General, GroceryAid
Every pound counts You may be surprised to learn how the money raised can make a real difference to our
FORTHCOMING GROCERY AID EVENTS: Grocers Ball – May 9th Hog Roast – June 19th Golf Day – August 7th Candy Ball – October 3rd Sunday Lunch – November 16th
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SPOTLIGHT ON MARKETING
More effective marketing? Stop being clever and get out of grocery by Joanne Curran, marketing director of the AVB Group
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here has never been a more exciting or challenging time to be in marketing than right now. There are so many ways to attract attention and connect with your customer, and potential new customers. New channels and platforms are being invented and evolved weekly. So quickly in fact that we all know it’s hard to keep up never mind stay one step ahead. I’m sure we have all been in meetings so alive with acronyms and teeming with buzzwords that your poor bewildered brain has boggled and you have felt so exasperated you’ve switched off. (Make sure your ‘searchandising’ doesn’t suffer from any Linkrot, and it HAS to be Above the Fold, ok? Errrrr…)
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From making sure your brand is on Facebook and incorporating QR codes into your campaigns to briefing your agency on creating an app, many marketers feel that to create a great and relevant campaign, they have to have the latest tool to compete in these times. Not so. Yes, the new tools are effective, but only when they are used in the right place at the right time by the right brands. The average Facebook user isn’t going to ‘Like and Share’ their bread, cheese, or frozen food brand of choice just because they have a Facebook page and post some stuff on an ad hoc basis. When social media works – and it DOES work well – it’s because the brand has a really compelling tale to tell and invest
in a consistently innovative and interesting presence. So when a new platform or tool fails to transform your brand’s fortunes or even create just half the impact you expected it to have, it’s easy to become cynical, write off the ‘next big thing’ as a gimmick, become afraid of taking any risks with your hard-earned budget, and go back to doing what you always did. Understandable of course, but it isn’t always the right thing to do. Because simply doing what you have always done is akin to going backwards. A little risk is good. In fact, risk is necessary in a world where the evolution of communication happens at such an accelerated speed.
SPOTLIGHT ON MARKETING Sometimes just taking a breather and looking at things slightly differently can make a huge difference to your approach and your end results. It is true that the basics of a good marketing strategy and campaign for any brand have followed a surprisingly similar format for as long as the term ‘marketing’ has existed. To make it a GREAT marketing strategy and campaign though, takes something else. You just need to make sure the newness that you embrace is the right kind of newness. Every brand, product and company is different, holds different beliefs and has different values. And newness, risk and even creativity mean different things to different people. So just as a thought–starter (jargon alert!) I’ve put together a few things to consider before you decide either to re-run last year’s campaign in its entirety – or throw your marketing baby out with the bathwater and go solely social! 1. Establish a goal and set objectives: Really back to basics here but it’s the foundation of everything. Nothing in business ever works without a plan. So deciding whether you just want to raise brand awareness amongst housekeepers, grow overall sales incrementally, or increase your market share of 18-24-year-olds, are all very real goals, but will each require a different approach to reach them. 2. Know your audience: It might sound really obvious but not everyone is your customer or potential customer. And not even your best customer is made in your image and likeness. Just because you read a certain title and avoid social media doesn’t mean they do the same. So segment them, personify them, and target them on the channels they will be most receptive to. 3. Don’t put cleverness in front of your communication: We all like a quirky one-liner or an amusing campaign. Getting fixed on the cleverness often means the long-term strategy falls by the wayside and the creative hasn’t much substance or longevity. It’s good to refer back to the brief regularly to make sure you are still on track. 4. While we are on the creative message of a
piece of communication... don’t promise something you can’t deliver: Like savings. Cutting grocery bills has been a hot topic for several years now. Everyone loves to feel they are getting a better deal and retailers are hungry for your pounds so it’s been tempting to claim better value than rivals. But a recent ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned Aldi’s Swap and Save TV ads which claimed to offer £45 a week savings over shopping at Asda. The regulator found that the advert created a ‘misleading impression’ of savings, gravely undermining the overall campaign, leaving customers unsettled and feeling duped; leaving Aldi the one out of pocket. Not the results they were after. 5. Be sincere; really sincere: The above example isn’t the first time that a retailer’s claim has been shown to be less than 100% true. We’ve all become a little jaded and sceptical when faced with a too good to be true, once in a lifetime, get it before it goes, offer. The Chartered Institute of Marketing (supported by YouGov and The Marketing Trust) surveyed 2,000 consumers earlier this year on their attitudes to food labelling and brand trust, and the biggest take out from that survey was that consumers want clear, unambiguous information giving them confidence in what they are buying. The whole truth in other words. Lipservice doesn’t satisfy. Sincerity was also main theme at this year’s Global Marketer Conference 2014 in Sydney where keynote speaker Martin Riley, CMO of Pernod Ricard, explained that “in our age of transparency, words must be matched by action”. What that means for us local marketers is that a poorly thought through
You might live and breathe bakery brands or be consumed by the price of packaging but how are you going to see or try something new if you are surrounded by the same things all the time?”
campaign executed solely in the Northern Ireland market could come back to bite thanks to globalisation and the technology used daily by consumers. So ‘that’ll do rightly’, just won’t do at all. 6. Get out of grocery: Not as drastic as it sounds. The late great Paul Arden, creative director on some of the world’s most iconic ad campaigns, once said: “Ask an advertising director who art-directed a VW ad in 1989 and he’ll tell you. Ask him who the director of the National Theatre is, and he won’t know.” It’s the same in every industry – we know our own area inside out (and so we should) but aren’t nearly so immersed in others. You might live and breathe bakery brands or be consumed by the price of packaging but how are you going to see or try something new if you are surrounded by the same things all the time? Don’t just go to YOUR industry events or read your business sector journals; the best ideas can come from unexpected places. So set yourself up for greater success in a world of brand and advertising communications that is changing daily, and try something new today. Embrace newness, but make it mindful not reactive. Your industry and operations change and flex according to changes in the world around us, so don’t be afraid to evolve your marketing too. For further information, email Joanne Curran on joanne.curran@avb-group.com. 21
SPOTLIGHT ON MARKETING
Bringing marketing magic to the grocery sector Original and clear ideas – spiced with innovation, passion, energy and enthusiasm – are the recipe for marketing success, says Marian Norwood, lecturer in marketing at the University of Ulster, and one of the judges of the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards. WHAT ARE THE KEY FACTORS GROCERY ORGANISATIONS SHOULD CONSIDER IN RELATION TO MARKETING? Successful marketing starts with the customer. Grocery businesses need to understand what motivates customers, and identify their needs and behaviours and how they change by product category, store type and shopper mission. Sophisticated marketers take this approach a step further, and attempt to map out and understand the consumer journey from first contemplating a purchase, through to making a decision at the fixture. Only then can appropriate marketing tactics be considered. WHAT MAKES A MARKETING CAMPAIGN STAND OUT? As a lecturer in advertising and marketing, I spend a lot of time sourcing examples of excellent marketing campaigns as a way of helping our students understand key concepts – and whilst we often find ourselves admiring wonderful creative work, it is not always the most important consideration. Excellent marketing campaigns are typically characterised by an original and clear idea which has emerged out of consumer insights.
Sometimes campaigns can stand out because a limited budget has been used to maximum effect, and sometimes, it’s because the creative approach is entirely innovative. ANYTHING ELSE YOU LOOK FOR AS A JUDGE OF THE ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS? Yes, entries that are characterised by a passion, energy and enthusiasm for the company, brand or product. Anyone who works in marketing will understand that; it’s crucial. ARE THERE ANY POTENTIAL PITFALLS TO AVOID? Avoid seeing social media as a panacea to all marketing challenges or issues. Groceryrelated organisations should choose the marketing tactics that will work for their customers. So if you know your customers use social media, then it should be part of your tactical consideration set. The challenge is to embrace and use social media strategically. Organisations need to know why they are using it – and should establish a goal for social media activity, for example, to deliver better customer service. Before organisations
Marian Norwood
post anything on social media, the target audience should be researched: find out where they ‘socialise’; listen to what they are talking about; and then develop an approach to engage with them, on their terms. Spar NI is a good example of how social media is used well. With nearly 17,000 fans on Facebook, it posts content related to competitions, recipes, and promotional offers. JC Stewart Foodhall, Magherafelt uses Facebook in the same way but also posts job advertisements and details of CSR activities.
PR for better or for worse M
By Peter Morrow, MD, Morrow Communications
ost businesses see public relations as an integral part of the marketing mix but never has it been so important to the food and drink sector. The sector is booming and with success comes interest – from the media, stakeholders and consumers. With PR, there’s no “to do, or not to do?” any more. Shakespeare doesn’t come into it! If you are in the food business you are in the news business – and not always positively – so be ready for the media... traditional and new. Whether you are a large-scale exporter or the latest artisan producer you are a player in an industry now attracting media attention. Good publicity is always welcome but PR is more than just a few positive stories in the press. Effective PR can increase customer engagement, build positive sentiment, manage reputation and drive sales. Last year Glens of Antrim Potatoes, on a small budget, used a PR campaign to launch their Lumper variety... the potato prevalent in Ireland during The Famine. A creative media relations and social media drive seized the public’s imagination gaining coverage across Ireland, GB and even as far as the USA. The result was increased sales and the product gaining listings in M&S across the UK. All public relations activity should be planned and stem from business objectives. PR is essentially about protecting your company’s reputation – something that should not be ad hoc. But what happens when you haven’t planned anything... when you look out of your office window and see the camera crews parked at your gate... when words like ‘Horsegate’ start to circulate? That is when your reputation is really tested and when effective communication counts.
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SPOTLIGHT ON MARKETING
Reaching your target market F
or thirty years, Northern Woman, Northern Ireland’s leading fashion and lifestyle magazine, has been synonymous with combining quality editorial with exciting design concepts. You might be wondering what this has to do with the food retail industry, but the answer is a lot more than you might expect. Although things have moved on from the time when women were expected to be stay-at-home housewives, recent surveys show that the majority of women across the UK still take on the majority of housework, including the weekly shop and planning meals for the family. Therefore, they are still the primary market to target for many food and product brands. “Advertising in Northern Woman means your message reaches your core female target market,” says Advertising Manager Eileen Wilson. “Our primary audience is women from 25 to 55 and your brand will be seen by thousands of women right across the province.” “Of course, nowadays working with a magazine doesn’t mean your options are limited to direct advertising alone, although this can be very effective. Take our recent work with White’s Oats promoting their Speedicook porridge oats. Alongside an advert, NW showcased different colourful recipes using their oats, demonstrating their versatility and usefulness beyond breakfast porridge. Your brand message can be promoted in subtler ways through advertorials, product placement, competitions and additional editorial opportunities.” “Northern Woman’s reach goes beyond its print form. Having embraced all things digital, we can offer multimedia marketing packages combining print and online opportunities. Through our website and popular social media channels, we can offer brand coverage and promotions through posts and online competitions which will reach thousands of followers.” “Striving for quality in all aspects of its production, NW works with clients on an individual basis to meet their needs through packages that combine marketing ideas and multimedia opportunities with value for money.”
Nisa’s Marketing Services
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ith almost 40 years’ experience helping to build thriving independent businesses, Nisa is one name that retailers can trust. The company has an award-winning delivery network, extensive product range and strong own-label brand which means that members enjoy a supportive service.
For more information contact eileenwilson@ greerpublications.com or visit www.northernwoman.co.uk
One area Nisa has recently made a huge investment in is its marketing activity designed to deliver the greatest benefits to its members. It has revolutionised its marketing mix incorporating innovative new trade marketing campaigns and up weighted promotional consumer advertising featuring a robust mix of national newspapers and women and TV weeklies. A significant element of Nisa’s marketing activity for 2014 is the launch of its new TV commercial which will deliver a completely different vision of the Nisa business. And for the first time in Nisa’s history the business has a strong digital strategy with online and social media engagement providing fantastic opportunities to grow members’ businesses through increased brand awareness. Further highlighting Nisa’s mission to provide benefits to retailers, is the investment in a state-of-the-art new online portal, which will enable retailers to personalise their consumer leaflets in full colour with information and offers unique to their business as well as creating bespoke Pos for their store. Nisa distributes over 5 million consumer leaflets every promotional period to ensure consumers are aware of the great offers available at Nisa stores. On top of that the company has recently launched a brand-new upselling activity that helps members take advantage of incremental sales. It is an impulsive unit sited in and around the checkout area with interchangeable PoS that fits on the side wings and header of the stand. 23
SPOTLIGHT ON MARKETING
Today’s Marketing Services SuperValu and Centra
F
rom a marketing perspective the Today’s fascia symbol group, which now has 94 stores in Ireland never forget who owns the business. Their marketing slogan “What a difference Today’s make” defines their key brand objectives to provide convenience and good value within the local community. Julie Burden, Marketing Manager at Today’s explains: “S&W Wholesale understand the need to provide support to secure a future in a very tough marketplace, but with the flexibility for retailers to make their own choices and be captain of their own ship. We are not simply interested in getting signs up but we look for retailers who are committed, ambitious and forward thinking. Our first discussion will always be about the potential to grow your business. We want to give small retailers the best of both worlds, the freedom to assert their independence plus the benefits of buying from S&W wholesale who are backed by the biggest independent buying group.” She continues: “In terms of marketing support as well as POS and mailers every three weeks for retailers, locally we provide social media marketing in the form of facebook pages for every retailer. These pages are administered both locally by each retailer and from S&W wholesale where the Special Offers are uploaded every three weeks. Retailers are encouraged to engage locally with their customers. Five Consumer competitions are being run this year including a chance to win hotel breaks, barbecues, Ipad minis, pantomime tickets etc. S&W also design and provide ad hoc flyers for their retailers who want to promote specific lines and engage in their local community.”
Marketing Services Donna Morrison, SuperValu Marketing Manager and Nikki McDowell, Centra Marketing Manager of Musgrave Retail Partners describe the essence of the brands to complement their respective entries for this year’s Marketing Awards. SuperValu At SuperValu, ‘Real Food, Real People’ is not just our strapline but is the very essence of what we do and we have developed a number of ‘real’ reasons for shoppers to choose us over our competitors and drive footfall for retailers. SuperValu offers an award-winning and quality range of over 1,000 Own Brand products, one third cheaper than the leading brands. Our famous “Prepared by Our Butcher” range is freshly made in-store every day and our team of in-store experts are there to give the very best advice to shoppers on choice and value. Our promotional mechanics of ‘Crazy Deals’, ‘Freebies’ and ‘Unmissable Sale’ provide retailers with unbeatable, innovative opportunities to communicate with shoppers through a variety of offers on an ongoing basis. These are communicated in every promotional period through a variety of channels including Royal Mail distributed leaflets, which reach hundreds of thousands of consumers, TV, radio, press, outdoor, online and social media. Supporting the community is very important to our retailers and shoppers and SuperValu has been in partnership with Action Cancer since 2001, providing support for the charity’s mobile detection services with the Big Bus with more than £1.2m funding helping bring life-saving detection services to over 50,000 people across every community in Northern Ireland. Centra Centra is a bright, energetic and characterful brand and the marketing solutions we offer our retailers ensure they are continually engaging with customers to keep at the forefront of the convenience market. Centra offers an extensive Own Brand range in a contemporary new design and enhanced ‘Daily Basics’ value range which on average, provides price points 50% cheaper than the leading brands. Our promotional mechanics of ‘Bumper Bargains’ ‘Quids In’, ‘Grab It’ and ‘Grab and Go’ provide retailers with unbeatable, innovative opportunities to communicate with shoppers through a variety of offers on an ongoing basis. These are communicated in every promotional period through a variety of channels including Royal Mail distributed leaflets, which reach hundreds of thousands of consumers, TV, radio, press, online and social media. Supporting the community is very important to our retailers and shoppers and Centra has been in partnership with Action Cancer for the past 10 years backing the charity’s health promotion programme for young people, Health Action. Through this programme Action Cancer has been able to deliver healthy lifestyle messages to almost 500,000 young people at schools across Northern Ireland. Centra is also a major sponsor of Ulster Rugby through their summer mini rugby camps for kids and half-time mini rugby matches and stadium sponsorship.
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ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS 2014 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Record entries for 2014 Awards
Grocer ULSTER
At the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry
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record number of entries have been received for the 26th annual Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards, with winners set to be announced at the GroceryAid Ulster Grocers’ Ball in the Culloden Hotel on Friday, May 9. Testimony to its growing popularity, the gala ball event is already sold out while this year’s round of the Awards is generating engagement and excitement across Ulster Grocer’s social media channels. Chaired again this year by Michael Maguire of Quintus, the judging panel also includes Alan Egner, commercial sales and marketing manager for Power NI, and Marian Norwood, lecturer in marketing at the University of Ulster. The Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards are open to any company involved in retail grocery trading, from retailers to producers, suppliers and wholesalers, and are regarded as the leading sector-specific marketing accolades in the local market. Recognised as a mark of professionalism and generator of interest, the Awards offer businesses the opportunity to showcase their services and strengths to peers and clients. Ulster Grocer would like to extend its thanks and best wishes to all the local businesses competing in the Awards, and gratitude to the judges and sponsors.
Market ingAwards
2014
26th
An niv ers ary
Meet the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards 2014 judges... Michael Maguire, Quintus Michael Lawrence Maguire is a marketing analyst who specialises in business positioning strategies and brand development. Born in Belfast in 1948, he was educated in Kano and Lagos, Nigeria, and Dublin. In a forty year professional, he has worked and lived in Europe, and the United States. He spent his first decade in management positions in national companies and multinationals, and the second in public agencies involved in business development. For the last 20 plus years, he has worked in management consultancy, providing strategic marketing and business turnaround advice and guidance to many leading enterprises. A frequent columnist and commentator on international business, he is also author of ‘It’s Our Thing – 300 Years of Irish Brands’ published in 2011. He lists his hobbies as history, public speaking and people watching. He is married, has two grown up sons and lives in Crawfordsburn, County Down
Alan Egner, Power NI Alan Egner, commercial sales & marketing manager of Power NI, has over 35 years’ experience in the local electricity industry since starting as an apprentice with NIE in 1978. Alan qualified as an electrical engineer and moved into energy sales in 1984, designing and selling space and water heating for commercial buildings. Alan has since worked in a variety of sales, marketing and communications roles before starting in his present role in 2012. Alan was a senior member of the team responsible for the rebranding of NIE Energy into Power NI in 2011; one of the biggest local rebranding projects in recent times. Alan is now responsible for sales and marketing to Power NI’s 37,000 business and farming customers and for growing its customer base through targeted acquisition campaigns. Thanks to a recent easing of regulation in the market, Power NI can now offer bespoke, competitive contracts to larger users and multi-site businesses. Almost 700 businesses have switched in the last 12 months alone to Power NI, which remains the largest supplier in the local energy market. Power NI has also expanded into new energy products including boiler servicing and replacement, insulation packages and the installation of renewables such as PV and solar water heating.
Marian Norwood, University of Ulster Lecturer in Marketing and Course Director of the BSc Advertising and the BSc Creative Advertising Technologies programmes at the University of Ulster. Since graduating from the University of Ulster #waybackwhen, Marian has been employed in a variety of roles within the local retail sector and Higher Education. For the past 20 years, as a lecturer in marketing, Marian has worked within the Ulster Business School at the Magee campus of the University of Ulster. She is responsible for the management and development of the Advertising programmes at Magee. The ethos of the programme is to produce #excellentgraduates ready for work! The advertising programmes are rooted in market need, with updates and enhancements arising out of consultation with experts from the local advertising and marketing industry. In honour of her Mum, Marian has included a #nomakeupselfie for Cancer Research. Text BEAT to 70099 to donate £3 Mt.norwood@ulster.ac.uk
Winners will be announced at the prestigious GroceryAid Grocer’s Ball on Friday the 9th May at the Culloden Hotel
ULSTER
Market ingAwards
40 years At the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry
Sponsored by:
In Association with:
2014
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ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS 2014 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Finalists: • Best 2013 Marketing Campaign Sponsored by AV Browne Group
Allied Bakeries/Kingsmill Campaign: Kingsmill 50/50 Allied Bakeries wanted to encourage trial and purchase of Kingsmill 50/50 by leveraging its number one position in the healthier white bread category amongst Northern Irish mums. The Thank You Mums campaign primarily targeted a female audience of 25-45-year-olds. The proposition of ‘thank you’ served to celebrate the audience for its role in making Kingsmill 50/50 the leading healthier white bread. On the ground, tactical activity was utilised to reach the audience directly and encourage trial with free giveaways of Kingsmill 50/50 loaves, and a competition to win a luxury hotel break. Promotional staff members were on hand with iPads to capture entrants’ data, with over 1,500 competition entries received over three days of tactical activity. The campaign also featured a series of outdoor creative executions, including adshels, 48 sheets, admobiles and adbikes. It was also further supported with press and radio advertising.
Henderson Group Campaign: Easy Street EUROSPAR’s new advertising platform – the Easy Street campaign was born in late 2012 after Henderson’s undertook customer research. The research identified a new repositioning opportunity communicating that EUROSPAR is a convenient supermarket format which gives you more of the ‘good bits’ of supermarket shopping. It was concluded that shopping at EUROSPAR is like living on Easy Street, and so a fictional location was born. Complete with a new media campaign that spans television, outdoor advertising and consumer leaflets, the new strategy is aimed at educating shoppers on the benefits of shopping at the ‘super easy’ supermarket.
Kerry Foods Campaign: LowLow Food to Feel Good About The category language and behaviour of healthier food brands was viewed by Kerry Food’s target consumer as clichéd, patronizing and condescending. As a brand, LowLow needed to create an advertising campaign that would address these issues and drive brand relevance to re-establish it as relevant and modern. Kerry Foods wanted to challenge the entire category ‘norms’, as well as set up what the brand and team believed in. It wanted to be seen as modern and fresh, and so opted for an unconventional, brave plan embracing both traditional and new media channels to reach consumers. Results far exceeded initial expectations, with the digital copy going viral and reaching over 2.3 million YouTube views, a position in the YouTube top 10 of the week and positive coverage as far as the Huffington Post. The brand gained huge resonance with consumers, amassing a following on Facebook of over 100,000 fans, with strong interaction and conversation. In addition, ‘brand love’ grew +30% amongst the target audience, and consideration grew 20%.
Lidl Campaign: Choose Lidl Own Brands
Winners will be announced at the prestigious GroceryAid Grocer’s Ball on Friday the 9th May at the Culloden Hotel
ULSTER
Market ingAwards
40 years At the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry
2014
8 • •Ulster 3626 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
Sponsored by:
In Association with:
ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS 2014 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Mackle PetFoods Campaign: Brandy- because they’re 100% family Mackle Petfoods’ flagship brand, Brandy, is a name familiar to most dog owners and is a popular choice with consumers, offering a top quality product at value-for-money prices. Brandy was successfully re-launched in 2012, and the marketing strategy has been further developed and brought forward in 2013. Mackle Petfoods endeavoured not only to achieve a short-term impact within the duration of the campaign itself but to develop a brand message that is fully integrated, sustainable and can continue to be built upon in the future.
Moy Park Campaign: Hello! We’re the Chicken People
Musgrave Retail Partners Northern Ireland (MRPNI) Campaign: Musgrave Retail Partners Price Drop With value and quality at the core of the SuperValu and Centra brand offering, MRPNI created and implemented a campaign to communicate these key messages to Northern Ireland consumers. Price Drop was created in response to the everincreasing cost of living, and undertook to help shoppers by permanently reducing prices on 1,000s of products across Supervalu and Centra Stores – amounting to half of the entire grocery range stocked in an average shop. The overall message would convey that ‘convenience shopping costs less’ .The initiative was backed by an extensive advertising campaign on TV, radio, outdoor, press and online; making consumers aware of the improved value in-store. From interactive social media games and the chance to win a skydive, to in-store point of sale which created talkability and increased footfall, existing customers spent more on their favourite lower priced products and new customers visited stores for the first time. The campaign also featured a series of outdoor creative executions, including adshels, 48 sheets, admobiles and adbikes. It was also further supported with press and radio advertising.
Tesco Northern Ireland Campaign: Switch to Local
As the campaign name suggests, this was an introduction to Moy Park’s new brand position as the ‘Chicken Experts’. The results of the campaign illustrate how Moy Park firmly cemented its position as Ireland’s number one chicken brand. Research carried out pre- and post-activity showed that spontaneous awareness of the Moy Park brand increased to 39%; making it the top-of-mind chicken brand for consumers across Ireland. The campaign was built around the idea that ‘no-one knows more chicken than the light-hearted people of Moy Park’. This saw the farmers and world class chefs of Moy Park showing their unique dedication to all things chicken, in a humorous manner to inject personality into the brand. It included a fully-integrated campaign using high impact media, such as, TV sponsorship, press, outdoor, digital and PR activity. The ‘always on’ approach spanned over five months, with online competitions running throughout to generate high interaction levels from consumers. Overall, the marketing campaign was a huge success and has provided Moy Park with the desired reputation to take the brand into 2014 and beyond.
The six-week Tesco Switch to Local campaign encouraged shoppers to support the Northern Ireland food and drink industry by switching just one item in their weekly shop for a local alternative. The campaign, which reached an estimated 500,000 shoppers over the six-week period from early September into October 2013, received the backing of major stakeholders in agri-food, including the Agriculture Minister, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Food NI, Livestock and Meat Commission, Ulster Farmers’ Union and Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association. A combination of in-store staff, point-of-sale material, digital, social, PR, press, radio and viral media was employed to promote the campaign across Northern Ireland. The public was encouraged to support the campaign by signing up on a dedicated website and/or by joining a Facebook page.
Winners will be announced at the prestigious GroceryAid Grocer’s Ball on Friday the 9th May at the Culloden Hotel
ULSTER
Market ingAwards
40 years At the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry
Sponsored by:
In Association with:
2014
8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
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ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS 2014 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
• Best New Product Launch/Re-launch Sponsored by Karro Group
James Doherty Meats Campaign: Gluten Free Products The principal objective was to establish Doherty’s as a ‘trusted’ brand in the gluten-free sector, building on its traditional values of quality, reputation and competitive pricing. Considerable time and effort went into approaching both existing and new buyers and groups to interest them in its proposition. Doherty’s demonstrated demand, and agreed that both a quality and competitive offering was required, satisfying potential buyers of the integrity of its production processes and safety of its products in this particularly sensitive market sector. Finally Doherty’s was able to agree pricing structures and supply-chain logistics which met the needs of buyers. The business made considerable use of Invest NI’s marketing support in the GB market and attended a number of trade shows, where some significant leads were identified. Doherty’s has now established a strong base in Northern Ireland for its glutenfree range, and has used this as a springboard to expand further into the GB and ROI markets.
Genesis Crafty Campaign: Genesis Crafty re-brand At the end of 2012, an opportunity to grow business both at home and within the wider UK market was identified. However, the existing Genesis brand was not communicating the brand proposition effectively, making the opportunities unfeasible at that time. As a result, a complete brand evaluation and consequent re-brand were undertaken. A process of complete re-evaluation took place, including revisiting the brand hierarchy, values and proposition, as well as all forms of communication of the brand, from packaging to the website. Packaging was the initial starting point, followed by all other touch points such as van livery, point-of-sale, online activity including a new website and Facebook presence, and general advertising; to name but a few elements. Following the re-brand activity, all key objectives from the activity have been met and exceeded. Meetings with buyers have increased, a number of new products have been launched, sales have continued to increase YOY and general positive feedback and engagement with consumers has increased.
Glens of Antrim Potatoes Campaign: From Famine to Feast -The Resurrection of the Irish ‘Lumper’ Potato Following a period of heavy investment, and working closely with a specialist grower, Glens of Antrim was able to reintroduce a famous potato – The Irish Lumper – which had not been commercially cultivated for over 170 years. It was able to secure an exclusive listing for the Irish Lumper with M&S Ireland (21 stores) for a limited three-week period to see how consumers responded to this unusual product. Once Glens of Antrim received word about the contract, it had two weeks to market the Irish Lumper before they reached the shelves of M&S. Glens of Antrim created what it believed to be a simple, yet effective, media and consumer relations campaign to promote the Irish Lumper. Overall, the aims and objectives were modest - drive sales, showcase commitment to heritage and provenance and, ultimately, strengthen its relationship with M&S. However, when all of the elements of its marketing and communications campaign came together, the results surpassed expectations and the story achieved widespread print/broadcast and online coverage across the globe.
GM Marketing (Ireland) Campaign: Free’ist – Scrumptious & Sugar Free in that order A number of years ago, GM Marketing recognised the growing trend for free from products in the grocery retail market. However, it realised there was a clear gap in the market for an innovative range of sugar free/no added sugar products that also tasted great, and decided to try and meet this market/consumer demand. GM Marketing feels it has exceeded its initial objectives of sourcing and creating an innovative sugar free and no added sugar range of products, by creating its Free’ist range consisting of 13 products (four chocolate bars - Milk, Dark, Hazelnut and White Chocolate with Strawberries; four cookies - Choc Chip, Choc Striped Peanut, Hazelnut and Coconut; two wafers - 100g and 30gx3; and three jams - Strawberry, Raspberry and Marmalade). GM Marketing has also had great success, with regard to listings and also brand awareness and consumer trials via its integrated communications plan.
Winners will be announced at the prestigious GroceryAid Grocer’s Ball on Friday the 9th May at the Culloden Hotel
ULSTER
Market ingAwards
40 years At the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry
2014
8 • •Ulster 3628 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
Sponsored by:
In Association with:
ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS 2014 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Kerry Foods Campaign: LowLow Snack Pack Development of the LowLow Snack Packs came from months of qualitative, quantitative testing and cocreation with consumers, product development, and building a strong support ATL support plan for launch. The Snack Pack was one of the propositions that was literally drawn by consumers in the early qualitative sessions and transpired to be one of the strongest concepts; later showing 70% purchase intent. Investment in, and commissioning of an extension to the Portadown cheese factory completed in August 2013, led to the launch of three new varieties of Snack Pack on the market, each with a delicious combination of LowLow mature cheese slices, multigrain toast and a unique relish. In the months since these have been on the market, they have made startling progress, gaining 12% penetration amongst Kerry Foods’ target audience with a high repeat rate, exceeding sales targets by 160%, and moving brand metrics and brand health in a positive direction for the first time in years.
Mash Direct Campaign: Croquette Range Mash Direct is at the forefront of food innovation, and this year introduced its phenomenally successful croquette range. Two years in the making, the croquette range provides a fresh alternative in the vegetable accompaniments market and their roaring success, since their introduction to the market in April 2013, has been a catalyst for the construction of a new 25,000-square-foot production facility with ability to double the capacity of the whole company. It is anticipated the new development will create an additional 37 jobs by the end of 2014 alone, bringing more skills and young people into the food manufacturing industry, as well as generating half a million pounds in turnover. The success of the croquettes has been achieved through business strategy and of course the fun of marketing.
Willowbrook Foods Campaign: Launch of the Food to Go range The launch of the Food to Go range represents the long-term commitment of Willowbrook foods to create innovative, fully traceable food solutions. One of the objectives was to launch the Food to Go product range in Northern Ireland only for Summer 2013 and, going forward, the Food Innovation Centre (FIC) could redevelop and/or modify the range for 2014 and then market the range more aggressively to the UK and Ireland. However, the samples delivered proved very favourable and feedback was positive from retailers in NI. Based on the success of the products, the range was launched into other markets sooner than planned. Going forward in 2014, FIC has developed a wider range of products, which has generated even more interest from customers with the first new range being released in Spar NI stores in April.
• Best CSR Initiative
Sponsored by Hunky Dorys
Musgrave Retail Partners NI Campaign: (Musgrave Partnership with Action Cancer) Action against Cancer The main element of Musgrave Retail Partners NI’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities is a unique partnership with NI charity Action Cancer in the form of the Action against Cancer campaign, now in its 13th year. In 2013, the programmes continued to make a significant impact on the health of local people, in line with Musgrave’s strategy for doing business responsibly in partnership with its retailers. With Centra’s support, Action Cancer has been able to deliver healthy lifestyle messages to almost 500,000 young people at schools across Northern Ireland; 21,000 in 2013. SuperValu’s support of Action Cancer’s Big Bus mobile has helped bring life-saving detection services to thousands of people, including 5,000 in 2013. In 2013, Musgrave and its retail partners reaching a major milestone in raising over £2m for the charity since the partnerships began.
Winners will be announced at the prestigious GroceryAid Grocer’s Ball on Friday the 9th May at the Culloden Hotel
ULSTER
Market ingAwards
40 years At the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry
Sponsored by:
In Association with:
2014
8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
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ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS 2014 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
Nisa Campaign: Making a Difference Locally (MADL) Charity Nisa launched its ‘truly local’ charity, MADL, in 2008 to help independently-run stores add value to their communities by enabling them to choose, along with consumers, what specific worthy cause or charity should benefit. The money is raised through the sale of specific products in store. The charity initiative truly is a success, with over £5m raised so far, and funds continuing to increase every day. The money is spent on national and local charities, hospices and fantastic local causes such as school projects, landmark restorations and wildlife projects; to name a few. In April 2013, MADL donated £260,000 to 52 hospices across the UK and Ireland with each receiving a substantial sum of £5,000 which truly made a difference to their funds enabling them to ‘make a difference’ to those who need care the most. Nisa hopes to continue the success of MADL and to further embed local independent retailers into the heart of communities, as well as ‘making a difference’ to more and more charities and great causes.
Tesco Northern Ireland Campaign: Tesco N.Ireland/Diabetes UK Tesco N.Ireland has raised an incredible £317,337 for its charity partner Diabetes UK in the first 12 months of the partnership. This has been achieved by 8,500 staff in 54 stores, two depots, one head office and hundreds and thousands of customers, through organising events and collections in stores. In addition to the money raised, the partnership has generated increased awareness of diabetes across N.Ireland, and reach is estimated to be over 500,000 members of the public. Iain Foster, national director of Diabetes UK N.Ireland, said: “Diabetes UK NI are very proud to be Tesco’s charity partner. The colleagues have done an absolutely incredible job fundraising for us and also raising awareness of the condition to thousands of customers across N.Ireland. This support and awareness has come at a crucial time, as the number of people living with diabetes in N.Ireland is unfortunately increasing. Our partnership with Tesco is helping us to reach people with the condition and also those at risk.” Due to the success to date of this partnership, for the first time in Tesco’s history, it has been extended beyond 12 months. Its work will therefore continue this year, building on the many successes that have already been achieved.
• Green Retailer of the Year
Sponsored by Power NI
Henderson Retail Campaign: Henderson Retail… a real ‘green’ grocers Henderson Retail is a sister company of the Henderson Group. It is committed to protecting the environment in which its stores operate, and has done this by working with employees and suppliers to implement several policies and practices that work towards improving the business’ impact on the environment. For 2013, the two key areas identified in which real impact could be made were waste and energy management, keeping in line with the overall group’s ‘green’ ethos and maintaining its operational sustainability. Working closely with group resources and service providers in its quest to achieve excellence, plans were made and targets for success set. In terms of energy, there was a desire to save costs and become more energy efficient throughout our stores. After an analysis of the energy usage (including breakdowns of store equipment), Henderson Retail’s goal was to reduce units used by 2%, through installation of more efficient equipment and better team practices. In terms of waste management, Henderson Retail teams up with ISL Waste Management to reduce the amount of material sent to landfill and achieve 98% diversion from landfill.
Lidl Campaign: Zero food waste to landfill in 2013 Nisa Campaign: Go Green project The Go Green programme implemented by DHL in partnership with Nisa is important to both organisations, and is a committed step to delivering sustainable operations. It is important for both DHL and Nisa to deliver a programme with demonstrable outputs and results that show reduced impact to the environment, increased corporate social responsibility and ways of working that embed good environmental practice within the day-to-day running of Nisa operations. Environmental improvement is taken very seriously by both organisations and is not seen as a bolt-on to current operations but embedded into business practice to ensure lasting impact. Colleague engagement is key, and both DHL and Nisa have delivered a programme that engages all levels of both organisations from executive sponsorship from both organisations to the shop floor.
Winners will be announced at the prestigious GroceryAid Grocer’s Ball on Friday the 9th May at the Culloden Hotel
ULSTER
Market ingAwards
40 years At the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry
2014
8 • •Ulster 3630 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
Sponsored by:
In Association with:
ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS 2014 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
• Best Brand
Lidl Deluxe
Sponsored by NIIRTA
Allied Bakeries Ireland/Sunblest
• Best Food Export Marketing Award Sunblest has grown over the years to be the number one morning goods brand in Northern Ireland. Annual brand health research measured brand awareness at 95% (TNS Brand Health 2013), an increase of 9% on 2012. However, it also showed that Sunblest was underperforming on power in the mind versus power in the market. Further consumer research determined that, although the products were considered great quality, there was a lack of emotional engagement with the brand and a consumer perception that the packs lacked consideration and warmth. With the help of Northern Ireland consumers, Sunblest redefined its brand positioning, celebrating the core brand essence; great value, everyday family favourites from the brand which looks on the brighter side of life - Sunshine for Everyone. A comprehensive through-the-line marketing campaign was created to deliver our new look and feel to consumers: Sunblest, Putting a smile on your face.
Kestrel Foods/Forest Feast The Forest Feast brand continues to strengthen and build on existing customer relationships whilst delving further into new markets and seeking out opportunities through new distribution channels. The strength of the brand is demonstrated in key areas including communication, distribution effectiveness, brand visibility and consumer loyalty. Corporate social responsibility has been fundamental to the development of the brand, both in Northern Ireland through grassroots sponsorship and internationally working with PREDA fair trade. Strengthening the position in current markets through the recruitment of key staff, penetration into new export markets and diversification into identified key channels such as travel retail and foodservice ensure the Forest Feast brand will continue to achieve significant growth year-on-year.
Sponsored by Invest NI
Forest Feast As part of its strategic Business plan to 2015, Forest Feast has seen continuous growth both in the domestic marketplace and overseas market since 2009. The aim is to establish Forest Feast as the leading snack brand in premium health and healthy indulgence in the UK and Ireland, whilst developing the brand across key export markets. The targeted and strategic approach to export for 2013 focused heavily on emerging markets in BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China) as well as building upon increasing distribution within current markets. Investment in international trade exhibitions, researching new markets and opportunities, and working with accounts offering assistance with bespoke promotional activity have all added to the international success of the Forest Feast brand in 2013, resulting in a significant increase in sales. Commitment towards maintaining and developing Forest Feast as an international brand will remain a fundamental part of the Strategic Business plan throughout 2014 and 2015.
Glenarm Organic Salmon Glenarm Organic Salmon is a superior product, with limited availability of supply as a result of our organic production standards which enhances its attraction. The product therefore demands high prices in the market. As the only organic supplier anywhere on the island of Ireland with year round supply capabilities this adds significantly to customer/company confidence and builds customer loyalty. The Company took a strategic decision to supply only to high-end customers who demand only the best, are prepared to pay for quality and who expect and appreciate high levels of customer service and support and has developed a product and service which exceeds our own standards and customer expectations. Glenarm is now a brand that sits comfortably alongside other iconic brands in the luxury food sector and across the world has become the noun to describe organic salmon.
Winners will be announced at the prestigious GroceryAid Grocer’s Ball on Friday the 9th May at the Culloden Hotel
ULSTER
Market ingAwards
40 years At the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry
Sponsored by:
In Association with:
2014
8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
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CRISPS, SNACKS & NUTS
Nuts for crisps and other snacks Steve Chandler, director general of the Snack, Nut and Crisp Manufacturers Association (SNACMA), outlines trends and challenges in the snack category.
WHAT SIZE IS THE UK NUT, CRISP AND SNACKS CATEGORY? Around £2.5bn, with crisps and snacks about £2.2bn – split 50/50 crisps/snacks, and nuts £250m. Other savoury snacks including popcorn are £50m. WHAT ARE THE LATEST TRENDS IN SNACKS? Growth has come mainly in premium style crisps, eg Kettle Foods, Tyrrells, Pipers and Walkers Sensations. Tortilla chips also making good progress. Interest in better-for-you (BFY) products is still there but not at the expense of flavour delivery. New ‘baked’ (lower fat) products generally have performed relatively poorly in this respect but new launch Walkers Poppers is doing well. It will be interesting to
see if it will be maintained. WHAT CHALLENGES ARE THE SNACK MARKET CURRENTLY FACING? Our products contribute only a small amount to overall dietary intakes, eg salt (2%), saturated fat (<1%) and we don’t used hydrogenated oils so levels of trans fat (and by the way sugars) are negligible. The sector has been working on reformulation of its products over many years, as well as introducing new BFY products. We have made excellent progress in reducing salt in core products (eg potato chips by 48% since the 1990s). As a sector, we are currently meeting the DoH’s salt targets for 2012 but will find their new proposed targets for 2017 really challenging. On saturated fat, the industry has
moved away from traditional oils to new high oleic varieties of sunflower/rapeseed and in doing so have reduced saturated fat levels in our products typically by over 80%. We were one of the first sectors to introduce full nutritional labelling onto our packs and have been at the forefront of giving consumers the information they need to make informed choices. Advertising is still a key interest area, especially for NGOs. In the UK we have some of the strictest rules on what can be advertised. On sustainability, the sector is doing some really good work – eliminating waste going to landfill, reducing water usage, investing in new more energy efficient plant/processes, reducing road miles, etc., and developing sustainable supply chains.
Kettle® Chips launches new taste of summer K
ETTLE® Chips is introducing a new seasonal flavour to its range of delicious, hand cooked chips in time for the summer sales period. Available for a limited period, KETTLE® Chips Lime & Black Pepper is perfect for barbecues and picnics, or for simply sharing with friends and family this summer. Andrew Slamin marketing director at Kettle Foods comments: “The Seasonal Editions play a key role in delivering flavour innovation in the category and generating consumer excitement. Lime & Black Pepper will give a seasonal boost to our strong core range. KETTLE® Chips 150g sharing bags are outperforming the market, with sales up by 15.7% year-on-year, way ahead of the market*. Retailers can take part in this success - stocking KETTLE® Chips will deliver additional sales as the brand is a major driver of overall category growth.”
8 • •Ulster 3632 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
Packaged in a distinctive lime green bag to create on-shelf stand out, Lime & Black Pepper is the brainchild of the KETTLE® Chips Chef, who was tasked with creating a simple and tasty seasoning which captures the spirit of fresh summer food. The result combines the intense, pungent flavour of crushed black peppercorns, with a fruity citrus zing, and tastes great coupled with a beer or glass of wine. KETTLE® Chips is the UK’s original and number one premium crisp, and the number of households now buying is at its highest ever level.* “As an iconic brand KETTLE® can help to capitalise on consumer trends towards better quality snacking options with no artificial ingredients or added MSG. The continued commitment to innovation helps to keep the KETTLE® portfolio fresh and offers retailers something new for their customers.”
*Nielsen data to w/e 1st February 2014. Penetration 29.3% over last 52 weeks. KETTLE® Chips 150g +15.7% year on year vs. category +9.6% (total market 52 weeks value sales data)
CRISPS, NUTS & SNACKS
Bigger favourites and new flavours W
e’re a strange lot here in Northern Ireland and sometimes we don’t follow national trends. Did you know that Spring Onion is the second most popular flavour of Tayto crisps? Well, you do now. For all the Spring Onion lovers, Tayto has launched a new six pack; why not? Tayto Rough Cuts have just launched a brand new flavour: BBQ Pulled Pork, available now. Who’s salivating already? Just in time for having the lads round for a bit of World Cup football action, Tayto is bringing out the all-original Tandrageemeets-Brazil “El Crispo”: A limited edition 100g sharing bag of Brazilian-inspired Sour Cream & Salsa flavour crisps. Back of the net! And for those who like to stick to what they know, new 65g sharing bags of Spirals and Onion Rings have hit the shelves in time for BBQ party season.
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CRISPS, SNACKS & NUTS
Forest Feast activates local kids through Little Athletics New varieties of LowLow Snack Packs gaining a slice of the market
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owLow has long been the No.1 brand in healthier cheese in Ireland having pioneered the category and served the market with a broad range of formats since 2000. The brand identified a key consumer need to develop a snacking product for adults in a category currently dominated by kids snacks. Innovation would lead to increased relevance in the market place, and drive category growth. A rigorous insight and development process was put in place to fully understand the target consumers’ point of view. This uncovered a frustration around traditional health brand communications and a lack of products meeting her needs to have great tasting snacks that are healthy too. The development of the LowLow Snack Packs came from months of qualitative, quantitative testing and co-creation with consumers, product development, and building a strong support ATL support plan for launch. The Snack Pack was one of the propositions that was literally drawn by consumers in the early qualitative sessions and transpired to be one of the strongest concepts later showing 70% purchase intent. In August 2013 launch three new varieties of Snack Pack were launched, each with a delicious combination of LowLow mature cheese slices, multigrain toast and a unique relish. In the months since these have been on the market they have made startling progress, gaining 12% penetration amongst the target audience with a high repeat rate, and adding 83% growth to the adult snacking category, making it a clear success. New TV ad currently on air. New Cream Cheese & Cranberry variant available from 28th April.
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Athletics Ireland and dried fruit and nut experts Forest Feast announced a new partnership which will support the growth of grassroot athletics in Ireland through the major sponsorship of Little Athletics. Christine Whelan, Forest Feast Field Sales Manager, and Irish Long Jump Record Holder Kelly Proper with Raheny Shamrock athletes, back row, from left; Georgie Murphy, age 5, Jill Meehan, age 6, Conor Brennan, age 5, Sean O’Connell, age 8, with, front row, from left; Rebecca O’Roruke, age 5, Ava Conroy, age 7, Aisling Savage, age 7, and Tara Hayden, age 8, at the launch of the partnership. Morton Stadium, Santry, Dublin. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
soft drinks
Barr launches special packs to celebrate the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games A
G Barr is launching a new range of special packs for its Barr range to celebrate the brand’s role as the Official Soft Drink of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The packs, which launch in April, will feature the Glasgow 2014 logo and are set to draw shoppers’ attention to the soft drinks fixture.
“Glasgow 2014 is generating a real feelgood factor with shoppers,” says Adrian Troy, A G Barr’s Head of Marketing. “These special packs will allow forecourt retailers to engage with their shoppers and drive sales before and during Glasgow 2014.” The activity will build on the success of the Barr brand which has doubled in size in the last 5 years*1 and is now the UK’s biggest
flavour range. With excitement building around it this year, the range of 15 greattasting flavours is set for even further growth. “The Barr brand is bringing a sense of fun to Glasgow 2014,” says Troy. “We recommend that retailers stock up on special packs to ensure they make the most of an exciting opportunity.” 1: AG Barr Sales Data
A G Barr big brand investment creating interest in soft drinks fixture T
he £7 billion soft drinks1 category continues to show year on year growth with three key trends boosting sales – growth in shopper diversity, continued shopper focus on value and growth in convenience. AG Barr is tapping into these trends with its growing portfolio of top-performing brands offering choice, quality and value combined with pack and flavour innovation to meet the needs of the convenience sector. A G Barr is also supporting retailers, and generating highest ever levels of consumer demand, with big brand investment, complemented by impactful in-store support material. In addition to investing a record £12 million in brand support in the run-up to The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, reinforcing its role as an ‘Official Supporter’, the company is set to broaden the appeal of its top-performing brand portfolio. 3 A G Barr is enabling retailers to make the most of the fast-growing low calorie cola market with the launch of Barr Xtra Cola, a great-tasting new variant. The launch will be supported by a 8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
heavyweight social media campaign throughout April, to drive awareness and encourage trial of the product. The shopper focus on value has continued with 53% of the growth being driven by price marked packs6. This varies significantly by category, with the biggest growth coming from carbonates at +60%6. AG Barr has also launched a range of 4-pack cans to meet the needs of the growing convenience sector. 4-pack cans are currently growing at 65%7 with an incremental 2.3 million 4-packs sold in last 12 months7. The new 4-pack cans are available in IRN-BRU regular and sugar free, Rubicon Mango and Passion and Barr Cream Soda, Cola, Cherryade and Lemonade to offer shopper choice. 1 Nielsen Scantrack, Value Sales, MAT to 01.02.14, Total UK Coverage. 2 Nielsen Scantrack, Volume Sales, MAT to 01.02.14, Total UK Impulse. 3 Nielsen Scantrack, Value Sales, Low Calorie Flavoured Carbonates, MAT to 01.02.14, Total UK Impulse. 4 Nielsen Scantrack, Value Sales, Low Calorie Flavoured Cola, MAT to 01.02.14, Total UK Impulse. 5 LVQ Independent Research, December 2013, Scotland. 6 Nielsen Scantrack, Value Sales, PMP Growth, MAT to 01.02.14, Total UK Impulse. 7 Nielsen Scantrack, Value Sales, MAT to 07.01.13, Total UK Impulse
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SOFT DRINKS
Exclusive Boost offered to independent sector
B
oost Drinks is seeking a larger share of the £410m energy drinks category outside multiples*, with three new flavours exclusively for the independent sector. Sugar Free Pink Lemonade, Citrus Zing and Exotic Fruits have all been brought to market following a major consumer research exercise. The new products come in 250ml 49p PMP cans and 500ml 79p PMP PET bottles. Original and Sugar Free Boost are now available in new plain or 49p PMP 250 ml cans, and plain or 79p PMP 500ml PET bottles, and there is also a limited edition promotional 1litre PET bottle, price-marked at £1. All prices are promotional offers for the launch period. Boost has invested heavily in both trade and consumer research over the last nine months, giving the brand that champions the independent sector some vital insight and evidence to help direct its investment programme and proving that the brand has great traction. Research has shown that the opportunities for sales growth lie in taste, value and flavours. The development of the Pink Lemonade, Citrus Zing and Exotic Fruits variants involved a survey of 2,500 consumers. Sugar Free Pink Lemonade, which has just five calories in the 250ml can, is expected to sell especially well given the move within a number of consumer groups to eat and drink less sugar. The 500ml bottle has just under 10 calories. “We have invested heavily in research which has shown there are some huge opportunities to grow the market, and our share, around value, taste and flavours,” said Al Gunn, sales director of Boost. “As a champion of the independent sector, we now have a fantastic range across all three sectors of sports and energy drinks – stimulation energy, glucose and sports/isotonic – with very attractive price points for the consumer and great margins for the trade.” Boost Drinks will be supporting its new product launches with extensive marketing support around merchandising, sampling, advertising, PR and social media campaigns. *£410m energy drinks category (IRI, Impulse - only, Latest Year - 52 w/e 1 Feb 2014)
Bottlegreen versatility knows no bounds
Shloer celebrates summer in style
remium cordials are the star performers in the soft drinks category,” says Simon Speers, Managing Director of Bottlegreen Drinks referring to GB industry market data which shows that in the past 12 months the £25 million premium cordial sector has been the fastest growing sector in the soft drinks category.1 Annual sales are up by 14% compared with a 4% growth rate in the category as a whole and this has generated an additional £3 million-worth of sales for retailers.1 Brand leader bottlegreen1, which has established a loyal consumer base built on the popularity of its flagship elderflower cordial and sparkling pressé, has accounted for 40% of this incremental business1 making it a ‘must stock’ brand for any store wanting to tap into this growth opportunity. Distributed by SHS Sales & Marketing, the bottlegreen portfolio is free from all artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners, and wine production techniques are used to produce bottlegreen sparkling pressés and create adult flavour profiles such as the brand’s flagship elderflower variant; Cox’s apple; pomegranate & elderflower pressé; and ginger & lemongrass cordial – all big sellers in Northern Ireland.
S
1 Nielsen total coverage total soft drinks and premium glass cordials value 01.03.14 2 Kantar KPI 05.01.14
1 Nielsen Total Coverage Northern Ireland, Adult Soft Drinks Volume (Units) & Value (£m) MAT 01.03.14
“P
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hloer, Northern Ireland’s No. 1 adult soft drinks brand1, is gearing up for the first summer sales season for its two new premium ‘celebration’ style soft drink lines - Shloer Celebration Pink Fizz and Celebration White Bubbly. Both Shloer Celebration variants, which are distributed by SHS Sales & Marketing, are packaged in 75cl clear glass bottles featuring natural cork closures with a foil finish and have higher carbonation levels than the lightly sparkling Shloer range. They are being supported during the summer months as part of Shloer’s new high profile ‘Here’s to good times’ consumer PR campaign which will continue to promote Shloer as an ideal accompaniment with food – focusing in particular on the Sunday lunch opportunity; and position Shloer as the adult soft drink brand of choice when people are looking to add some sparkle to celebratory occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries when they are choosing not to drink alcohol. Digital activity will reach 120,000 consumers via Facebook and the Shloer website (www.shloer.com). Free POS items are also available to retailers from the Shloer POS Hotline +44 (0)800 917 3450.
! ! S S R R U U O O V V A A L L F F T T S S O O O O B B W W NNEE . . S S E E L L A A S S E E K K I I L L S S SSMMEELLLL KKEE PPRROOFFIITTSS.. I I L L S S E E T T S S TTAA
Flavoured energy is growing ate +37% valuar.* year on ye
@BoostDrinksNews www.boostdrinkstrade.com *Source: IRI Total Convenience 52 w/e 14.09.13.
B04714017_Boost_NPD_Trade_Ad_297x210_UlsterGrocer.indd 1
BBOOOOSSTT UUPPEESS.. YYOOUURR SSAALL 21/03/2014 15:18
A real classic!
O
nly the finest cranberries are used to produce Ocean Spray® Cranberry Classic® Juice Drink to deliver a uniquely refreshing and wonderfully delicious thirst-quencher that is just perfect on its own or as the ‘star ingredient’ in a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. Here are two delectable summery delights for you to try… and if these inspire you, visit www.oceanspray.co.uk for more exciting recipes using iconic juice drinks from Ocean Spray®.
Berry Smoothie Serves 1
INGREDIENTS • Cranberry Classic Juice Drink • 12-15 raspberries, fresh or frozen • 4 medium strawberries, hulls removed and cut into halves • 1/2 cup crushed ice ®
®
METHOD 1 Put all ingredients into a blender. 2 Blend for a few seconds on high speed or until ingredients are thoroughly combined. 3 Pour into a large glass.
Cranberry Champagne Classic® • Simply pour chilled Ocean Spray® Cranberry Classic® Juice Drink into champagne and top up with champagne or sparkling wine.
Win a Weber One Touch Premium Charcoal BBQ with Ocean Spray®!
B
y popular demand, our friends at Ocean Spray® and Robert Roberts are once again offering the chance to win this fabulous prize, which includes a Weber One Touch Premium Charcoal BBQ, a deluxe BBQ 3-piece accessory set, a 6kg bag of charcoal and an Ocean Spray® summer drinks hamper. To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the following question:
What kind of cranberries are used to make Ocean Spray® Cranberry Classic® Juice Drink?
Send your answer, together with your name, address and contact telephone/email to Ocean Spray® Giveaway, Greer publications, 5B Edgewater Business Park, Belfast Harbour Estate, BT3 9JQ or email: michellekearney@greerpublications.com. Closing date Monday 12th May 2014.
For further information on Ocean Spray® please contact Robert Roberts on 028 9267 3316 or www.robert-roberts.co.uk Ocean Spray® and Cranberry Classic® are registered trademarks of Ocean Spray, used with permission
BREAKFAST
Changes on the table for breakfast habits T
he morning goods sector in the UK and Ireland needs to continue to innovate to meet the ‘on-the-go’ requirements of the time-poor and health-conscious consumer promoting convenient options which offer a quick but wholesome breakfast. For Irwin’s Bakery, we have been busy developing products in line with this key consumer trend – helping families move away from sugary cereals and towards healthier options like our new “Sandwich Skinnys” range. The Irwin’s brand also introduced a range of pre-sliced bagels last year. Available in Plain, Cinnamon & Raisin and Brown – Irwin’s Bagels are quick and easy to prepare and provide a great base for a variety of breakfast options. The convenience factor is key to the important part of our overall business – research has shown adults don’t set aside the time to eat breakfast in the way they do for their children and fewer and fewer of us are making the time to eat a balanced meal in the morning. As a company in the privileged position of owning several iconic and much loved brands, we’ve become expert in working at the intersection of marketing the heritage
and quality of our products alongside the convenience and value proposition. For example, the high quality ingredients and traditional methods used to make the Rankin Selection product range are central to its appeal but our Mini Soda and Mini Potato Farls, with their smaller portion sizes, are more to suited to a faster, weekday breakfast. For brands such as Nutty Krust, Irwin’s has invested in above the line advertising and sponsorship activity as well as an ongoing programme of recipe development to present new serving suggestions and flavor combinations through our website, social media channels and in the press. This shows the versatility of these much loved products and allows us to keep these traditional favourites ‘front of mind’ during the consumer purchasing process. Research has shown that own label brands grew during the recession, reflecting consumers’ emphasis on value for money.
As the economy begins to recover, brand owners face the challenge of bringing consumers back to their branded products. Innovation, investment in new product development and brand awareness campaigns are an essential part of building trust in a brand. Consumers perceive ‘value’ in many ways beyond price, so brands need to up their offering with high quality ingredients, innovative products and a great taste at a fair price.
ge Eggs n a R e e r rm & F Fresh Fa
SALSA Site Code: 3741
Suppliers to the wholesale, catering & retail trade
BALLYEAMON EGGS LTD
93 Ballyeamon Road, Cushendall, Co. Antrim, BT44 0SN T: 028 2177 2710 E: niall@ballyeamoneggs.com W: www.ballyeamoneggs.com 8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
39
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER WITH TASTY IRISH SODA BREAD…
Enjoy!
FRESH NEW LOOK... SAME GREAT TASTE.
For the recipe for Crab Topped Brown Soda with Cherry Tomatoes and other ‘Irish bread’ recipes visit www.irwinsbakery.com
breakfast
Scrumshus is as Scrumshus tastes S
Flahavan’s Porridge
launches new packaging in Northern Ireland F
lahavan’s, Ireland’s leading porridge brand has launched new-look packaging across its product portfolio in Northern Ireland. Sales and Marketing Director at Flahavan’s, John Noonan commented, “We are delighted with the new look, which is a refresh of our iconic red and green packaging. We have designed the packs for maximum shelf impact to ensure the range stands out to consumers. The new livery will be used on Flahavan’s Irish Porridge Oats Original 1kg and 1.5kg bags, Flahavan’s Quick Oats Original 500g Drum and our delicious range of Quick Oats Sachets and Quick Oats Porridge Pots.” For information on products and distribution contact Darren Shirlow at United Biscuits on 02892 682644 / 07767162466 or email shirlowd@ unitedbiscuits.com. For news and updates visit www.flahavans.co.uk.
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crumshus is a moreish, award-winning British granola made using natural ingredients. Served to guests at The Ritz, Claridges, and Gleneagles, to name a few, it’s now widely available via the Ocado home delivery service. Unlike most granolas, which are sweetened with sugar or fruit juice concentrate, Scrumshus is made using natural honey and maple syrup. There’s no salt or preservatives, just crunchy clusters of jumbo oats, coconut, almonds, cashew nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, raisins and hazelnuts. Scrumshus comes in its own 500g non-glass PET jar which not only keeps the granola fresh, but also makes a handy storage jar once you’ve enjoyed the contents. Because of the special way it’s baked, Scrumshus encourages you to savour every mouthful meaning you only need a small amount to fill you up. Scrumshus is popular with every generation and even the most picky young eaters happily finish a bowlful. It is also available from a host of independent fine food retailers including Selfridges, Planet Organic and Whole Foods Market. Scrumshus granola has KLBD, Kosher and Vegetarian Society Certification and the MOQ is about 30 jars in 1 box @£3.90 per jar including delivery to a UK address.
Local firm supplies dairy-free flax milk
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ungannon-based K.Hughes & Co is supplying 3-Omega-6 Dairy Free Flax milk, said to be the first and only dairy alternative made with flax seed oil. According to the supplier, every glass delivers a beneficial fix of Omega 3 as well as Vitamins K and D; is free from soya, gluten, GMO and cholesterol; has the lowest calorie content of all dairy alternatives; and is 100% plant based and endorsed by the Vegetarian Society. Unlike existing dairy alternatives, 3-Omega-6 won’t curdle in tea or coffee and is a versatile ingredient that can be used in place of dairy milk in most recipes such as rice puddings, icecreams, soups and cakes. Available in two varieties, Sweetened Original or Unsweetened, it comes in one litre tetra packs with an on-shelf life of 12 months. A striking purple pack gives the product high on-shelf visibility that ensures it stands out from its competitors and the brand messages are delivered on the front of the pack in a clear, easy-to-read format.
Local marmalade maker gains UK award
C
ookstown-based En Place Foods has gained recognition in the UK Marmalade of the Year Awards, winning a bronze medal for its savoury Burnt Hazelnut and Orange marmalade ideal for matching with cheese. “It was the first time that we entered a product in the awards,” said Peter Clarke, managing director of En Place. “We are delighted to win a bronze at the first attempt.” En Place is a specialist in jams, chutneys, relishes and culinary oils, and had two products recently listed in the UK Guild of Fine Food’s Top 50 Foods while also winning the top award for an ambient product in the Great Taste awards. The business has won around 50 Great Taste Awards, since it was established in 2010. More than 2,000 jars of marmalade were sent by marmalade makers to the organisers of the Marmalade of the Year Awards and festival, held in Dalemain Mansion near Penrith, Cumbria last month. Entries came from as far afield as Australia, the Philippines, South Africa, Mexico, Czech Republic, Japan, South Korea and many more. 41
Great tasting Porridge, worth its weight in gold. Toat’ly Oaty Easi-Cook Jumbo Oats Packed in convenient sachets, Toat’ly Oaty is the “Double Gold ” Award winning microwaveable Porridge. We believe our 100% wholegrain jumbo oats are worth their weight in gold and we’re sure you will too. A truly “Great taste!” Toat’ly Oaty is also available in Apple & Cinnamon and Wild Fruit varieties.
White's WW Advert v3.indd 1
16/09/2013 13:41
BREAKFAST
Begin at breakfast and continue your day with
Robert Roberts coffee! L
ocalised packs feature iconic imagery of some of Northern Ireland’s best known landmarks! Morning Roast Titanic Hand roasted fresh coffee blends of African and Brazil delivering excellent pick me up. Medium bodied, giving smooth feeling, ensuring the delicate tastes and aromas of the regions come through. All Day – Giants Causeway Blend of premium hand roasted coffee beans, all day style, Italian taste. Distinctively silky and smooth. Highly roasted, full bodied and with low acidity – ‘un caffè di classe’. After Dinner – Grand Opera House Hand roasted 100% Arabica, finest beans from Sumatra and Central America islands. Bright Centrals compliment smooth earthy Sumatran, perfect drinking after any meal. Very real smoothness, with coco flavour notes.
8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
Shipyard Strength – Harland & Wolff We have sourced some of the finest double picked 100% Arabica Sumatran beans for this coffee to give you that full coffee taste. Sumatran coffee is known for its earthly, full
flavoured coffees that can really stand up to a dark roast to give you that finest toasted caramel and spiced aroma. For more information contact us: 028 9267 3316 www.robert-roberts.co.uk
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FOOD & DRINK NEWS
Doherty’s sausages destined for Spain N
Jacquelyn Stewart, managing director of Squeeze Juice Cafe.
Squeeze Juice Cafe invests to meet rising export demand
W
arrenpoint-based Squeeze Juice Cafe is set to invest in new production facilities and hydroponic technology to facilitate continuing growth in orders from its network of distributors and e-commerce site, which currently delivers around 60% of its overall business. The award winning artisan producer of a ready-to-drink natural wheatgrass juice, experienced 170% growth in sales last year, exporting to markets ranging from GB and RoI to Switzerland and Israel. The wheatgrass shots are also sold via retailers in NI, UK, and ROI. The company is currently in talks with a potential distributor for Eastern Europe. Squeeze Juice Café, formed in 2010 by Jacquelyn Stewart, has developed a solid base in London that includes a number of health stores and juice bars. The fresh juice is produced for consumption in shot-sized 30ml pouches, which have a shelf-life of 12 weeks. The company won the prestigious IGD Food Industry Award in 2012 – the Kraft Leading Edge Award - for transforming a small juice bar into a successful online business. “The health benefits of wheatgrass juice are being recognised increasingly in Britain and further afield,” said Stewart. “The growth in 2013 and projected increase in sales in 2014 led me to decide to expand the business. We will be able to grow substantially more wheatgrass which we will continue to harvest, juice, process and package thereby ensuring full provenance and traceability. “Squeeze Juice Café’s ready-to-drink wheatgrass juice is a natural product without additives or preservatives.”
8 • •Ulster 3644 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
orthern Irish meat processor Doherty’s is to supply its Traditional Irish Pork Sausages to Casa Westfalia in Girona, one of Spain’s leading food wholesalers for distribution across Spain. The agreement with Casa Westfalia is the first business secured by Doherty’s outside the UK and RoI, and follows a recent presentation of UK food and drink hosted by Invest NI’s market representative Lewis McNeice at the British Consulate in Barcelona. In addition to its traditional sausages, the Derry-based processor will be supplying its gluten-free sausages, which are sold at Tesco and Asda. “The agreement with Casa Westfalia gives us an important foothold particularly in a key target market, the sizeable British and Irish communities in the costas,” said Brian McQuaid, sales manager at Doherty’s. “Spain is one of the European markets that we’ve been targeting and our aim will be to build on the relationship with Casa Westfalia to grow sales. Experience gained in Spain will help us as we seek to expand into other European markets.” Doherty’s is a family-owned and managed company which has a heritage in quality meat processing stretching back over 150 years and six generations. The company launched its gluten-free pork sausages to meet a growing market demand especially from consumers with coeliac disease.
Stocking up on energy for Big Run with White’s Toat’ly Oaty microwave porridge T
he organsiers of the Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon are delighted to announce that White’s Oats have come on board as sampling partner for the 2014 event which takes place on Monday 5th May. White’s Oats have agreed to provide a massive 18,000 sachets of Toat’ly Oaty Microwave Official Ambassador Hayley Sherwin joins Team Captain Natasha Sayee and Danielle McBride from White’s Oats to celebrate the new partnership with the Deep RiverRock Porridge to all Belfast City Marathon. All participants will receive a sample of Toat’ly Oaty Porridge participants when in their finisher packs on Monday 5th May. Online entries available at www. belfastcitymarathon.com. they cross the finish line in their new Finisher Pack at Ormeau Park. Official Ambassador Hayley Sherwin joined Team Captain Natasha Sayee to celebrate the new partnership and encouraged all participants to start eating the athlete’s breakfast now to improve your performance. Hayley added “Since I have started training for the Marathon Run, I have learnt a valuable lesson, it is imperative to eat a breakfast which slowly releases energy to enable me to run for longer, especially during my long runs. These sachets are ideal as they are quick to make and healthy. I would encourage everyone to get into a routine now, eat your porridge and find a flavor that suits you, as you can’t leave anything new to Race Morning.” Danielle McBride, from White’s Oats agreed with Hayley confirming that ‘’Wholegrain Oats are one of the best sources of energy owing to their energy rich complex carbohydrates which release energy slowly into the bloodstream and so make the body feel fuller for longer. Porridge Oats are naturally low in fat and high in fibre making it the ideal breakfast for anyone looking a healthy, low fat and power packed breakfast. Our Toat’ly Oaty Sachets are microwavable in just over two minutes providing a quick and convenient start to the day’’.
BUSINESS NEWS
Trade Minister promotes renewable energy T
rade Minister Arlene Foster has highlighted the role social enterprises can play in creating prosperity through renewable energy generation. Speaking at a recent Social Enterprise and Community Renewable Energy (SECRE) conference, hosted by the University of Ulster and Action Renewables, the Minister said: “The social economy sector has an important role to play in rebuilding and rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy by creating and sustaining new employment opportunities. “As we continue to progress towards our target of 40% renewable energy by 2020, the issue of community benefit and engagement from such projects is becoming increasingly important. Working together, project developers and local communities can ensure that the potential of this emerging sector is maximised for the good of all.” Stressing that opportunities in the renewable energy sector are available to individuals and organisations of all sizes, Foster said: “Renewable energy is not the sole preserve of large developers. There are already countless numbers of individuals, small businesses, farms and even schools that have installed renewables. I hope that communities and social enterprises can take advantage of the information and resources available through the SECRE project and reap the economic, social and environmental rewards.” The SECRE Group has partners in Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Greenland, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland and Northern
Pictured with Trade Minister Arlene Foster at the recent SECRE conference are, from left, Dr Sharon Loane, University of Ulster; Ville Kuittinen, Karelia University of Applied Sciences; and Mick O’Reilly, Action Renewables.
Ireland. The conference highlighted the completion of its three-year research project with the launch of CommonPower, a renewable energy consultancy service to support social enterprises in applying renewable energy solutions to local economic development.
Chamber of Commerce urges businesses to reduce their energy consumption
Pictured are, from left, Chris Corken (Belfast Metropolitan College); John Toner (Williams Industrial Services & NI Chamber); and Malcolm Emery (UtilityWise).
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usinesses must look at ways to reduce their energy consumption if they are to remain competitive, according to speakers at
an event hosted by Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry in partnership with UtilityWise. Over 100 local businesses gathered at Belfast Metropolitan College’s e3 Innovation Centre for The Business Case for Renewables, one of 3,000 events taking place across the UK as part of Climate Week. The event featured a number of high-profile speakers within the energy sector including John Toner, managing director of Williams Industrial Services (WIS); Neil Collins, managing director of Glen Dimplex; and Adrian Lyon, general manager at The Workspace Group. Advice was also provided by a number of local companies including Blackbourne, Balcas and Solmatix.
“In the last four years, UK wholesale energy prices have doubled, halved and doubled again,” said John Toner, chairman & CEO of WIS Group and a Chamber Board member. “Energy costs are an increasingly significant element of a businesses’ cost-base with global indicators suggest that costs are only going to increase over the coming years. “Financial support for sustainable energy initiatives such as the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and interest free loans can help drive down costs. Businesses can also work with utility brokers, such as Utilitywise, who price around the market for businesses, analysing energy bills, preparing like for like price comparisons and helping you secure the best deal for your business.”
Mount Charles recognised by Deloitte T
he Mount Charles Group has been named among Ireland’s Best Managed companies in the recent Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme for the fourth year in a row. The Group operates throughout Ireland and GB, with catering, health, vending, retail, cleaning and education divisions. The annual Awards, held in association with Barclays Bank Ireland, recognise indigenous Irish companies across the islandof-Ireland operating at the highest levels of business performance. Companies recognised as a Best Managed Company for four years running are awarded 8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
Taoiseach Enda Kenny is pictured presenting Trevor Annon, chairman of The Mount Charles Group, with the OGold Standard certificate at the Deloitte Best Managed Companies awards.
with a special gold standard accolade; received by 15 companies this year. “We are delighted to have been recognised for the fourth year running as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies,” said Cathal Geoghegan, managing director of The Mount Charles Group. “I’m proud to say that while we have grown quite significantly in the past 18 months, we have remained true to our values and our commitment to our people remains paramount.” Criteria used to judge the Awards include strategy, capability, commitment, and management performance, in addition to financials. 45
BUSINESS NEWS
Switch to Energy Online: Ireland’s largest fresh produce provider, Total Produce Ireland, goes online with Power NI. Pictured outside their premises in Dunmurry are Conor Keown, National Facilities Manager, and Power NI’s Commercial Sales & Marketing Manager, Alan Egner.
Local businesses go green with Power NI’s online service A
s companies work to make efficiencies and reduce overheads, Power NI is also working hard to give their business customers a helping hand towards cutting costs. Alan Egner, Commercial Sales & Marketing Manager at Power NI comments: “The Northern Ireland agri-food sector is vital to the local economy, employing around 100,000 people, helping to sustain our own population as well as exporting high quality products all around the world. Power NI is very proud to be supporting all parts of the supply chain from farmers and growers to processors, packers and retailers. We all use electricity and whether it’s for lighting, heating, hot water or refrigeration, it is a necessary and significant expense that businesses need to keep a close eye on.” Monitoring your electricity usage doesn’t have to be a complicated or difficult exercise. Wouldn’t it be great if you could simply login to a self-service system and get full access to your account, payment and consumption details? That’s exactly what you get with Energy 46
Online, Power NI’s online paperless billing system. Energy Online gives customers who pay by Direct Debit 24/7 access to their account where they can view up to two years’ bills and payments, monitor usage with handy bar charts and much more. Energy Online also means that customers no longer receive paper bills through the post, helping companies reduce their carbon footprint and do their bit for the environment. And if that’s not enough, small business and farm customers get an additional 1% discount on top of the existing 4% discount they are already getting for paying by Direct Debit. Total Produce is Europe’s premier and Ireland’s largest fresh produce provider supplying the complete range of fresh fruits and vegetables to the retail, wholesale and foodservice sectors. It is a complete fresh produce solution provider; growing, sourcing, distributing, packing and marketing produce from a network of local farmers across the province and trusted suppliers around the globe. Conor Keown is National Facilities
Manager for Total Produce Ireland, based locally at City Business Park in Dunmurry. Conor comments: “Total Produce aims to provide the finest quality produce with the minimum environmental impact. Using Power NI’s Energy Online service helps us to cut down on our carbon footprint as we receive all our bills through our online account rather than through the post. We can also look at exactly how much electricity we use on a daily basis, allowing us to spot wastage easily. I would definitely recommend Energy Online to other businesses as it’s highly convenient and is a great way to compare bills.” Alan concludes: “Around 28,000 Power NI customers have activated their Energy Online account and we are getting great feedback. It’s easy for customers to keep a closer eye on their usage, helping cut down on energy bills whilst improving their business’ bottom line.” Energy Online – have you made the switch yet? Have a recent bill handy and take two minutes to activate your online account at powerni.co.uk/energy-online
appointments
People on the move
in association with
Unit A4, 17 Heron Road, Sydenham Business Park, Belfast, BT3 9LE. Tel: 028 9045 5040 • Fax: 028 9073 9058
SHS Drinks restructures marketing team
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Debs Carter
Amanda Grabham
ollowing the consistent expansion of its brand portfolio, The SHS Group Drinks Division has evolved its marketing structure and announced two positions of marketing director, alcohol and marketing director, soft drinks. Debs Carter, currently Marketing Director – WKD, will assume the role of marketing director – alcohol, while Amanda Grabham, currently head of brand marketing for Shloer, Bottlegreen and Merrydown Cider, is promoted to marketing director – soft drinks. Each will take on additional responsibilities spanning brand and customer marketing, as well as managing the consumer insight teams across the respective alcohol and soft drinks portfolios. Both will report to Managing Director Finn O’Driscoll. The re-structure which took effect from March 31, also saw Steve Whitlock, currently head of customer marketing, promoted to international sales director of SHS Drinks. Carter, who joined SHS Sales & Marketing in 1995, will assume responsibility for SHS Drinks alcohol range which includes: WKD, Merrydown Cider and the spirit beers range, including Dead Crow. Under the new structure, Grabham will focus on developing Shloer, Bottlegreen and Sorelle, the no-alcohol wine alternative. Grabham initially joined Beverage Brands (part of SHS Drinks) in 1999 and has subsequently held various roles within the business.
Moy Park appoints chief financial officer
M
oy Park, a leading UK food company and one of Europe’s largest poultry producers, has appointed Barry McGrane to the Moy Park Executive Board as Chief Financial Officer. Mr McGrane will be responsible for leading the company’s Finance and IS functions – ensuring the continued delivery of high performance levels and strong growth across Moy Park’s 16 sites in the UK, Ireland and Europe. Barry joins Moy Park following a career spanning over 20 years with United Drug plc where he held the position of Group Finance Director – playing a pivotal role in the international growth of the Dublin-based FTSE 250 Company. Prior to this, Barry studied at University College Dublin and completed executive development programmes at UCLA California and The Wharton Business School USA. Barry is also a Member and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. “We are extremely pleased to welcome Barry to the Moy Park team and delighted to announce his appointment,” said Janet McCollum, Chief Executive for Moy Park. “Barry has an outstanding reputation across the business community and a strong track record of delivering results. He will bring a high level of expertise in financial management and a wealth of experience in delivering operational excellence on an international stage – which will no doubt prove invaluable in his new role with Moy Park.”
DIDIER VERVACKE JOINS BEKINA
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idier Vervacke (above) has been appointed sales manager for the UK and RoI by Belgian company Bekina, which develops and manufactures highquality, medium priced, polyurethane Wellington boots popular with farmers and food processors.
RE-APPOINTMENT OF HSE CHAIRMAN FOR NORTHERN IRELAND
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rade Minister Arlene Foster has announced the re-appointment of George Lucas, as chairman of the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland for a second three-year term. The re-appointment was effective from April 1. Commenting on the re-appointment, the Minister said: “I am pleased Mr Lucas has agreed to serve a second term as HSENI Chairman and that he will continue to provide the excellent leadership and strategic direction to the Board demonstrated during his first term.” The re-appointment has been made in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, Northern Ireland. The Chairman’s post attracts remuneration of £18,866 per annum.
RECRUITMENT, CONTRACTING & FIELD MARKETING CONSULTANTS 3O YEAR’S RECRUITING IRELAND’S TOP SALES & MARKETING PERSONNEL Unit A4, 17 Heron Road, Sydenham Business Park, Belfast, BT3 9LE. Tel: 028 9045 5040 • Fax: 028 9073 9058
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email: email. karengraham@greerpublications.com lauragirvan@greerpublications.com
SHELFLIFE
shelf life
www.ulstergrocer.com www.ulstergrocer.com
To see your product featured on Shelf-life, contact Karen at karengraham@greerpublications.com or call (028) 9078 3235
Kestrel Foods on track with Acti-Snack P
ictured gearing up for the 2014 Virgin London Marathon Exhibition (9th – 12th April 2014) are 16 year old Esmée Hall and Ronan Gourley, Sales Manager Health and Leisure, Acti-Snack. A totally unique product in the sports nutrition category, ActiSnack has been developed using the expertise of Portadown based Kestrel Foods to deliver an ‘energy on the go’ snacking solution combining health, nutrition and taste. Exhibiting at the London Marathon Show is part of Kestrel Foods’ heavyweight marketing strategy to support the launch of the Acti-Snack brand. Acti-Snack will have a strong presence at major exhibitions and sporting events across the UK and Ireland, including the Natural & Organic Show (13th – 14th April, Olympia London) and through advertising at key locations during the Northern Ireland start of the world famous Giro D’Italia cycling race. Acti-Snack products are available in a convenient slim-line, impulse pack – perfect for running belts or saddle packs – as well as the Acti-Snack Power Pack, a re-sealable multiple serving pack format, and multi-pack option for added convenience. For information on Acti-Snack products and distribution call Ronan Gourley, Sales Manager Health and Leisure, Kestrel Foods on 07720 739417 or email ronan@acti-snack.com. For news and updates visit www.acti-snack.com.
Rustlers Launch Hot Favourites K
epak Convenience Foods, the Hot, Quick & Tasty category champion, is launching the Rustlers Hot Naans range to tap into consumers’ growing interest in tastes from around the world. John Armstrong, Kepak’s Marketing Directors says: “The Rustlers Hot Naans range takes inspiration from Indian ready meals, the fastest growing section of the Ready Meals category*1. Rustlers target audience (16-34 year olds) like trying new products with 60% of them enjoying ethnic food and 50% of these eating it at least once a week, making Rustlers Hot Naans an ideal opportunity for retailers to generate incremental profits.*1 The products use quality ingredients to deliver a tasty and substantial eat. Rustlers, an £80 million*3 brand, is the UK’s leading hot quick & tasty product. Recent research has highlighted that 7 out of 10 consumers prefer Rustlers *4 making it a must-stock for retailers. “Retailers should stock up now to generate profits from this exciting new product range.” Telephone: 003531 8822 400 or visit our Website: www.kepaktrade.co.uk
Sources: *1 Mintel: Ethnic Foods – UK – September 2012 *2 Shopper data taken Oct Aug 2013 of RM ranking in Indian RMs *3 IRI 52 w/e 01.02.14 *4 Independent Market Research with 322 consumers, Sept 2013. 7 out of 10 consumers prefer Rustlers to other micro burgers.
48 00
NEWS
Maxol calls for action to be taken on filling stations selling illegal fuel
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rian Donaldson, Chief Operating Officer of The Maxol Group, called for greater transparency around the identity of filling stations in Northern Ireland caught selling illicit fuel and for firmer action to be taken against offenders. He said:”Maxol has always been committed to providing our customers with quality assured fuels and as such we are deeply alarmed to find out that almost 467 filling stations in Northern Ireland have been caught selling illicit fuel over the last four years. We do not know which filling stations are repeat offenders but given that there are only
559 service stations in Northern Ireland we find this figure extremely concerning. Without legislation in place to make public the offending retailers, consumers are at risk of purchasing illegal fuel without intention. “As a leading fuel retailer across the island of Ireland we have been at the forefront of providing our customers with quality fuel through our own assurance and traceability scheme ‘‘Fuels You Can Trust’. We believe the current situation is gravely unfair to fuel retailers working within the law and also to the interests of consumers in Northern Ireland.”
Businesses, are you paying too much for water?
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he Consumer Council is encouraging businesses to get in touch with the organisation for free, independent advice to ensure they aren’t paying more for their water than they have to. As well as practical steps which businesses can take to save water and money such as checking meters and any leaks, the Consumer Council is keen to highlight the fact that anyone with a water meter and paying business rates, can claim a domestic allowance - a free allowance of water worth over £500 each
year. It is free to apply and claims can be back-dated up to six years. Speaking about the assistance the Consumer Council offers to businesses, Glyn Roberts Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association said; “I would encourage all our members to check their bills for both accuracy and any allowances due. The Consumer Council can help with this and can offer free, independent advice on any water or energy issues.”
Criminals celebrate a further rise in tobacco duty Chancellor improves outlook for illegal traders
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ommenting on the duty increase in the UK Budget announcement, Daniel Torras, Managing Director of JTI in the UK said: “With the UK Government set to ban smaller rolling tobacco and cigarette packs and threatening to make counterfeiting cheaper and easier by introducing plain
8 • •Ulster 3650 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
packaging, now is not the time to add a significant tax increase which will widen the price between legitimate and illegal products. At a time when the Government is making it harder to fake a £1 coin, it could be about to provide criminals an invitation to further profit from fake cigarettes”.
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Supermarkets Group
The right partner for your store Costcutter Supermarkets Group offers independent retailers a range of modern and progressive convenience store brands to suit your location, customer profile, size of store and your own business goals. Retailers remain independent, whilst benefiting from industry best practice and access to superior buying power to protect your margin and offer competitive prices to your customers. With access to a new own brand range, market-leading category management tools, national, regional and store-specific marketing programmes and pioneering technology systems, we have the perfect package for your business. To find out how we can work together to help your business grow, call 01904 486 543 or visit www.costcuttersupermarketsgroup.com
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