ShelfLife - Dec Issue - 2022

prices on the rise

Dan White examines the factors behind rising food prices and the impact on household budgets

Reeling in the year

A look back at all the ups and downs of the past momentous 12 months for our sector

Sister act Julia Reilly catches up with Susan and Judith Boyle of Boyle’s of Kildare, two sisters making real strides within Ireland’s off-trade industry

Era of cheap food is no more!

It’s that time of year when we in the publishing business usually get our metaphorical crystal balls out and attempt to gaze into the near future to see what awaits us in 2023. However, this year, it’s pretty straightforward to predict that consumers will no longer be able to avail of the cheap food prices as they have done in recent years. A topic that Dan White explores in full detail in this month’s cover story on page 14

Of course, they say a picture paints a thousand words. Kantar’s infographic outlining the rising costs of Christmas dinner are certainly no different in this regard – unpalatable as they may be for families already struggling with rising cost-of-living expenses. Eggs are an area of particular concern when discussing potential food shortages. In the past month within the UK, Tesco customers became the latest shoppers to face restrictions on egg purchases as part of a new temporary measure, whereby they could only buy three boxes of eggs each, following similar limits already being set out by Asda and Lidl the previous week.

Naturally, the immediate (albeit not-too-taxing!) task ahead of us all will be to enjoy our Christmas and New Year celebrations, but this topic certainly provides plenty of food for thought as we head into 2023.

Gillian Hamill, editor, ShelfLifemagazine

GRID

The top news stories in FMCG and retail from across Ireland

Grocery industry gathers again to support annual IGBF Christmas lunch

Over 1,200 people from Ireland’s grocery industry gathered at the Clayton Burlington Hotel for the 2022 Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund Christmas Lunch, held on 3 December to raise funds for the industry charity Now in its 59th year this luncheon event, the biggest in the IGBF social calendar is sponsored by the National Lottery and PRMA. At the lunch Frances Higgins, chairperson of the IGBF, announced the IGBF’s new president of appeals for 2023, Joe Manning, commercial director at Tesco Ireland.

Frances Higgins, Joe Manning, Kevin Keating, Gus O’Reilly and Redmond Gavin

Dairy products

popular part of mealtimes for consumers

New research shows that dairy continues to remain a firm favourite among Irish consumers with 92% saying dairy features in their diet and over half (66%) believing meals would not be the same without their favourite dairy products. The national research of 1,500 Irish adults was conducted by the European Milk Forum (EMF) as part of its “Dairy in a Healthy and Sustainable European Food System” campaign. For more information, turn to page 15

Aldi announces €73 million Dublin expansion

Aldi has revealed details of an ambitious plan to expand its store network in Dublin to include €73 million investment in 11 new stores in the city over the next five years. The retailer says the new stores will see the creation of 350 full-time permanent jobs and 550 construction jobs over the period. The investment follows a steady year of trading. Aldi’s turnover in Ireland grew by 1% to over €2 billion in the year to 31 December 2021, up €23 million on 2020

RGDATA: Government should intervene over Electric Ireland price hikes

RGDATA has called on the government to intervene and block the Electric Ireland price increases due to take effect next month. The trade organisation has claimed that the pending Electric Ireland increases will directly obliterate the benefit of support being provided to SMEs through the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme

Lidl Ireland signs new deal with Lakeland Dairies

Lidl Ireland has signed a new contract extension worth more than €1 million with Lakeland Dairies, Co Cavan. This new deal will see the Killeshandra based dairy co-op supply a core range of ice cream products including an exclusive festive Deluxe ice cream range to Lidl stores nationwide this Christmas. Lakeland Dairies currently already supplies an assortment of Irish butter and milk products to Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland stores that is worth over €18 million.

New research released by the Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has shown that 68% of consumers are planning to put their savings towards shopping for presents, food and decorations over the festive season, while 24% intend to use a form of borrowing. According to the research findings, consumers are expected to spend an average of €1,200 on Christmas shopping this year, a 20% increase on Christmas expenditure in 2021.

Registration for energy supports now open online

The Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) to assist businesses with their energy costs during the winter months is now open for online registration. The approval by the European Commission meant that Revenue was able to open the TBESS online system for registrations on Saturday, 26 November Businesses can then use the system to submit claims under the scheme from 5 December onwards.

Grocery inflation set to see Christmas spend hit €1.25 billion

Take-home grocery sales in Ireland increased by 4.6% in the 12 weeks to 27 November 2022, according to the latest figures from Kantar Shoppers spent an additional €132m as grocery price inflation hit 14.7%, the highest level seen since Kantar started tracking inflation figures, and higher than the UK grocery inflation level*. December is set to be a record-breaking month with grocery sales hitting €1.25 billion for the first time *(UK grocery inflation now stands at 14.1%† for the 12-week period ending 27 November 2022)

New Petite Camile concept stores to open at three Circle K locations

Thai food specialist, Camile Thai has announced that it will invest €1 million in the opening of three new Petite Camile concept stores in partnership with Circle K. The opening of the new Petite Camile stores, located at three Circle K motorway service areas; Junction 5, Rathcrogue, Co Carlow, Junction 14, Fermoy, Co Cork and M11, Gorey, Co Wexford, will create 20 new jobs. ■

For more details on all the above and the latest grocery-related news as it happens, visit www.shelflife.ie.

remain a

Over two-thirds of consumers will use savings to fund Christmas expenses, says CCPC

Tommy O’Donoghue, head of consumer foods, Lakeland Dairies with Emma Purcell, buyer, Lidl Ireland

There’s more than one way to shop with BGC Wholesale

There’s more than one way to shop with BGC Wholesale, Ireland’s leading wholesaler of greeting cards, partyware and giftware.

BGC Wholesale’s 80,000 sq ft site in Dublin is home to its impressive and vast selection of products available at competitive trade-only prices. The award-winning wholesaler offers a diverse range of associated goods too, including balloons, stationery, homeware, and toys

BGC Wholesale also offers you the opportunity to shop from the comfort of your home through its online shop at www.bgcwholesale.ie

Registering for an account is easy and can be accessed on any device, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so you can shop however and whenever you want, which is great for busy business owners.

“We’re proud to support independent retailers in Ireland, as we have been doing for over 40 years,” said Paul Lavery, CEO of BGC Wholesale “Our ethos is simple - fantastic product choice and excellent pricing. Through the website our goods are now accessible to traders across all of Ireland, regardless of their location.”

Cali Cali Foods wins big at the Free From Awards

Cali Cali Foods is delighted to announce that it has received seven awards at this year’s Free From Food Awards, that took place in Dublin in October 2022.

Gathered together with the Free From community Cali Cali Foods received: Gold awards for its Cali Cali Gold edition Kimchi Ketchup; Silver awards for the Cali Cali Chocolate and peanut Superbar; and Bronze awards for the Cali Cali Gold edition Chipotle Ketchup, Cali Cali Thai town Thai sweet chilli crisps and Cali Cali Chocolate, Coconut and Goji berry Superbar It also received Merit awards for Cali Cali Hot wings sauce. As a plant based and gluten free brand, Cali Cali Foods is delighted to have the opportunity to help people create healthy, easy made and tasty foods that appeal to everyone

Centra announces trial with Too Good To Go to combat food waste

Centra has partnered with food waste management company, Too Good To Go, in an effort to combat food waste.

The new trial has been introduced to a select number of Centra stores across Ireland, with more locations to be added over the coming months. The partnership gives sustainability and value focused customers the opportunity to purchase ‘Surprise Bags’ of surplus food via the Too Good To Go app at a reduced price.

As part of Centra’s sustainability strategy, Centra is delighted to partner with Too Good To Go which is on a mission to tackle food waste by connecting businesses who have unsold food to customers who can purchase a ‘Surprise Bag’ filled to the value of €12 minimum and sold at a discounted price, of €3.99 or €4.99 in select Centra stores. With convenience, sustainability, and value front of mind, the ‘Surprise Bag’ can include a selection of chilled meats, dairy, fruit and vegetables, salads, sandwiches, ready meals, and bakery items.

Pictured at Centra Parnell Street are Noel Dunne, Centra Parnell Street retailer and Patrick McKinney, Too Good To Go

BGC Wholesale’s 80,000 sq ft site in Dublin is home to a vast selection of products available at competitive trade-only prices

Stacked showcases innovative new digital signage solutions

The Irish digital signage market, Stacked, has been working closely with Mars over the past 12 months to roll out innovative new POS Digital Signage Solutions across multiple grocery, forecourt, and convenience retailers such as Centra, Spar, SuperValu and Daybreak.

Its innovative new digital shelf edge solutions for Wrigley’s POS displays have allowed Mars to catch the attention of the shopper with relevant messaging right at the point of purchase, and because the content is managed remotely and can be scheduled in advance across multiple locations as well as being fully supported, it provides peace of mind and makes it easier for the user to manage and measure.

The ‘Get Your Ding Back’ campaign has not gone unnoticed by ECR Ireland, which has nominated the campaign for a Shopper Marketing Award. Stacked is also working with Mars on in-store brand activations for Dolmio Sauces, Mars Petfood and M&Ms.

To make an enquiry, email digitalsolutions@stacked.ie or call 0818 409 988.

CBE and Gander join forces to roll out reduced-to-clear solution

Ahascragh Distillers expands Family Bond series with single grain release

Ahascragh Distillery has expanded its ‘Family Bond’ series with its first single grain Irish whiskey release Clan Colla Seven-Year-Old Single Grain is a fine Irish whiskey, aged in ex-bourbon casks and finished in Panamanian Rum all the way from Central America.

Clan Colla launched in 2021 and now comprises a variety of aged Irish whiskey releases including single malts, blends, and single grain. The company continues to experiment with finishing casks including Pedro Ximénez, Amarone, Oloroso, Peated and now Panamanian Rum.

While waiting for the completion of the distillery in Co Galway and the first drop of Ahascragh spirit, founders Gareth and Michelle McAllister launched their Family Bond series of sourced-releases including Clan Colla Irish Whiskey, UAIS Irish Whiskey and Xin Gin. These special releases, although not distilled by Ahascragh Distillers, are partly matured, finished, blended, and bottled in their home in the West of Ireland.

Retail innovator CBE has partnered with anti-food waste app Gander to roll out a reduced-to-clear solution. Gander empowers consumers to reduce food waste and save money on their weekly food bill, while helping retailers to reduce wastage on food products.

Gander displays ‘reduced to clear’ food products in real-time and automatically removes sold items from the app, providing an instant and current feed of all in-store reductions. This presents the consumer with an easy solution to reducing food waste.

Gearóid Concannon, managing director at CBE said: “We have long supported a fully integrated reduce-to-clear solution for our supermarket, convenience, and forecourt customers as part of our core system. This, alongside the CBE Cloud infrastructure already in place, meant the groundwork already existed for a seamless integration with Gander

“By creating a platform that allows retailers to reach a wider audience for their reduce-to-clear items without requiring extra effort, Gander has delivered a sustainable solution that not only addresses food waste but also considers the cost and pressure of in-store labour.”

“As one of the most innovative retail IT companies in Europe, CBE is a natural fit for our technology, which is a world first,” said Stacey Williams, head of customer engagement and business development at Gander “The organisation’s vision of a fully integrated reduce-toclear section is very much in alignment with our own mission to reduce food waste and we look forward to helping realise it.”

“We have hand-selected some of the highest quality whiskeys available and finished them in unique and interesting casks from all over the world,” said Ahascragh Distillery’s co-founder Gareth McAllister. “Our newest adventure involved finishing our first Single Grain whiskey release in a Panamanian Rum cask from Central America. The cask was used to mature pure sugar cane rum for eight years before reaching our home in the West of Ireland. This exceptional whiskey is sweet and light but full of flavour We are delighted to release another unique Irish whiskey and just in time for Christmas.” ■

The digital signage market has rolled out new solutions across multiple grocery, forecourt, and convenience retailers such as Centra, Spar, SuperValu, and Daybreak

There’s something for everyone in Clan Colla’s collection of premium Irish whiskeys

Retail innovator CBE has partnered with the world-first anti-food waste app, Gander

Gearóid Concannon, CBE managing director

REIDY managing director, The HR Suite

The importance of workplace wellbeing

Many of us, as employees and employers, encounter varying degrees of stress throughout the course of our working days. Workplace stress occurs “when the demands of the job and the working environment on a person exceeds their capacity to meet them”.

It is important employers take proactive steps to look after employees’ wellbeing and put initiatives in place. This will ensure that staff are aware there is support available to them should they have concerns and that they can openly communicate concerns with their employer.

employers’ duty of care

Employers have a duty of care to employees. This is reinforced in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005. It is wise for employers to have a procedure in place to tackle the issue should they identify an employee experiencing a high level of stress or show any other concerning signs that their wellbeing may be affected. This not only empowers the employer to take action to help the employee, but it also shows the employee experiencing issues and other co-workers that the company cares and that they are willing to help alleviate such instances.

Benefits of improved wellbeing

Ensuring

such as the retention of healthy happy employees, decreased rates of illness/injury, reduced absenteeism and increased productivity, morale and satisfaction

Improved workplace wellbeing can lead to sustained improvements within the workplace including increased creativity, improved employee loyalty, improved productivity and better overall customer satisfaction. In light of this information, many employers are now concentrating on workplace wellbeing initiatives and have achieved considerable improvements from doing so. Ensuring wellbeing is inherent in the workplace will give rise to benefits such as the retention of healthy happy employees, decreased rates of illness/injury, reduced absenteeism and increased productivity, morale and satisfaction.

top tips

The HR Suite’s top tips on how to manage wellbeing in your workplace are as follows:

again promotes a positive culture that all complaints or concerns in relation to an employee’s dignity and respect at work will be dealt with appropriately

• Information: Provide information on general online wellness ideas i.e., online exercise details, online nutritional information, support groups and emergency numbers to help support employees.

• Speaking to health professionals: The possibility for online discussion with a health professional or a psychologist is another concrete action that can help reduce anxiety and panic and overcome feelings of being alone or powerlessness. Advising employees to avail of this through their GP would be a proactive step to take.

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): A positive approach to proactively promoting wellbeing within the workplace is the implementation of an Employee Assistance Programme for employees. Employers can sign up for an Employee Assistance Programme for a yearly subscription, to offer help and support as required for their employees. This is a free and confidential service to the employee. It is a service that provides advice and counselling supports to employees in times of need.

Employee Assistance Programmes are generally available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and are accessible by phone, email and online. For further enquiries on an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) please contact our office on the details shown for a quote.

• Maintain communication: Regular communication to employees can make an employee feel more at ease and feel more confident in openly expressing concerns at early stages which allows the company to deal with these concerns at an early stage rather than these escalating further

• Culture: Create an open environment for employees to learn about their own wellbeing and share ideas with their colleagues during these unprecedented times.

In workplaces where an open culture is encouraged, employees will feel more confident in openly expressing any concerns or any struggles they may be facing.

The HR Suite can advise you and your organisation how to be proactive in introducing wellbeing awareness to your organisation.

If you are an organisation based in the Republic of Ireland and require further information or advice relating to HR, please do not hesitate to contact The HR Suite’s office on (066) 7102887 or email info@thehrsuiteonline.com

• Awareness and proactiveness: Employers should ensure that demands which are placed on employees are reasonable. It is best practice that if employers become aware of staff members suffering from any work-related issues or where an employee is showing any concerning signs in relation to their wellbeing, that the employer takes action immediately to ascertain the cause and identify ways of helping the individual, if any.

• Policies: Policies and procedures can be put in place to protect and support employees and can include, for example, a Dignity and Respect at Work Policy, which

• Online training: Provide online training on a number of topics to help reduce stress or to create awareness; time management, wellbeing and mental health awareness, dignity and respect etc.

These are just a few examples of activities that can be adapted in your workplace to maintain and increase wellbeing in the workplace. It is important that employers are proactive in managing employee wellbeing to ensure the overall health and wellbeing of staff and to ensure staff are

engaged and enjoy work. Proactively looking after your employees’ wellbeing also increases retention of staff within the company ■

CAROLINE

Ensuring workplace wellbeing not only has a major impact on employees’ overall quality of life and happiness, but can also lead to increased creativity, improved loyalty, higher productivity and better overall customer satisfaction. With that in mind, The HR Suite’s Caroline Reidy offers her top tips on how to manage wellbeing in your workplace

workplace wellbeing delivers numerous benefits

Dear Retailer & Wholesaler Partners,

This time last year not many of us would have believed that 2021 would continue to challenge us as the pandemic remained part of our personal and working lives.

Once again, our retail and wholesale business partners have stepped up to the plate and delivered a seamless service from Head Office to store and from store to shelf.

We appreciate the huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to get products ready for consumers to purchase while at the same time managing your business in a covid compliant way. I want to personally thank you all for your continued support and tireless efforts. It has been another year that has demonstrated how resilient you all are and have helped to ensure the continuity of supply that consumers demand.

So, this year, like before, I wish each of you and your families a very safe Christmas and a very successful 2022.

Happy Christmas

Lee - Market Manager

Morgan

with best wishes from all at John Player

JOHN PAUL LONERGAN National President, CSNA

CSNA TIP OF THE MONTH

VAT changes mean extra administrative work in advance of 1 January

By now retailers are aware that newspapers will be changing their VAT status from 9% VAT to 0% on 1 January.

What this means for retailers that scan the products is that each title will have a different barcode applied to each edition.

The CSNA has been supplied with the new barcodes and will make them available presently.

It is the intention of each of the publishers to continue to use the same RSP cover price after the VAT has been removed.

In all instances, the wholesale prices will be increased to enable the publishers to recoup “their” VAT. This increase may lead to some retailers migrating from one Carriage Charge Band upwards to another, if and when the distributors change the rates. It is therefore only fair that all news retailers will be able to avail of “their” element of the VAT, effectively increasing the cash margin earned, while continuing to enjoy the existing agreed percentage terms.

Naturally, as you are all aware, the determination of the retail selling price is a matter for each individual retailer.

PRESIDENT’S OPINION

Latte Levy: CSNA asks Minister to clarify queries surrounding hot drinks

The following queries and observations have been submitted to Minister of State Ossian Smyth by CSNA CEO Vincent Jennings, regarding the workings of the ‘Latte Levy’, due to commence in April 2023:

“Minister, can you provide an answer to the following question: If I read the legislation correctly, the initial proposal is to apply a levy on single-use disposable cups. Is this limited to those cups containing hot drinks?

If this is correct, and it is related to hot drinks, can you advise me on the status of those cups that are provided by retailers that contain soup; are they exempt from collecting the levy given the general principle that understands soup to be a food, and as such, is considered to be “eaten”, rather than “drunk”.

It is very likely that retailers make use of these cups for a multitude of purposes rather than solely for the sale of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Has Revenue been fully appraised on the limitations of scope due to be contained in the regulations?

I understand the scheme is expected to commence in April, can you arrange for your Department’s communication section to provide us with a series of explanatory notes designed to assist us in ensuring compliance?

While there were limited instances of unregistered outlets supplying plastic bags without charging the levy when it was introduced all those years ago, we did not, as an industry, feel threatened by such “outliers” but would be far more concerned if there was to be a proliferation of businesses avoiding their obligations and achieving an “edge”

The CSNA has asked Minister Ossian Smyth to advise the association on the status of single-use cups that are provided by retailers to contain soup

over their compliant competitors. Is it the intention of the Department to seek evidence of compliance in charging the levy by having inspectors “in the field”?

Can you outline what steps the Department will take to encourage compliance please.

As representatives of over 1,500 businesses, the overwhelming majority of which sell hot drinks, we will rely upon your Department and your approved collection body to ensure a smooth delivery of the project; as such we are more than willing to assist you in this important task.”

The CSNA has for quite some time been trying to get answers from Revenue regarding what we consider to be an unusual statistic in its annual analysis of the illicit consumption survey.

The figure used by Revenue for 2021 was that 8% of the total amount of cigarettes consumed in Ireland had been purchased outside the State without Irish duties applied. This is a separate figure, and entirely different from the 13% of tobacco products that are purchased illegally in Ireland; the products having been smuggled, like those recently uncovered in Rosslare.

As the previous year that the survey was carried out (2019), this figure was 9%, we wondered how the figures were so alike given the

travel restrictions that pertained throughout much of 2021. The answer given was that the survey is carried out each year at the latter (Q4) part and most travel restrictions were not in place. We are not entirely convinced the answer provided stacks up with the facts; travel restrictions and usage were significantly lower in 2021. One area that Revenue is not prepared to consider, is the volume of duty-free from the UK. We requested that a specific question is included on this in the annual survey, but Revenue is not so disposed.

In our opinion, it’s hard to quantify a problem unless you obtain the necessary data, perhaps the request would have brought up some uncomfortable truths!

Tobacco: How significantly do duty-free products from the UK affect official data?

The CSNA has requested that Revenue includes a specific question on duty-free products from the UK, in the annual illicit consumption survey

CSNA NEWS

Newspapers will change their VAT status from 9% to 0%, from 1 January onwards

The CSNA has written to National Transport Authority (NTA) CEO Ann Graham seeking assurances on Leap Cards.

CSNA CEO Vincent Jennings’ letter is shown below:

“I am writing to you to request that you consider the following salient matters regarding the sale of Leap cards in our members’ stores throughout the country, but primarily in Leinster and urban outlets.

You are aware from a previous communication that the terms and conditions that PostPoint/An Post are suggesting our members must accept are substantially inferior to those currently enjoyed by those selling the top ups through the Payzone contract.

You are also aware that the government approved a reduction in fares but that this reduction will no doubt be reversed. We have analysed the commissions earned by our members in both October 2019 (when fares were higher, more people were commuting more frequently to work and college, etc) and October 2022. In 2019, the average commission earned across the 450 stores we surveyed was 50 cent per transaction, with many retailers earning more than €3.50 on some individual high-value transactions. Due to the temporary reductions, the average commission has reduced to 39 cent and we are also reporting reduced Leap Card top-up sales.

You don’t need to be particularly perceptive to understand that a

NTA on Leap Cards

“take it or leave it” directive from PostPoint/An Post that the commission paid by them will be restricted to 24 cent per transaction is manifestly inferior to the existing compensation that all of our members currently enjoy through Payzone.

Payzone already has a network in place, why on earth would it be considered fair or reasonable for Postpoint/An Post to seek monies in the form of an up-front €500 “deposit”, to assist cabling and internet investment and to insist on fewer terminals, effectively ensuring sub-standard customer service.

The deposit is non-refundable and will only be returned if the retailer terminates the contract; this is not the norm for the overwhelming number of our suppliers and is not, I assure you, a requirement of Payzone for the provision of Leap cards.

CSNA would suggest that there are no pressing commercial reasons that necessitate the exclusion of Payzone from being permitted to continue to supply to our members.

We cannot accept that a truly competitive tendering process could have taken place that sought the removal of a supplier and the addition of a different one unless there were no considerations given to ensuring that any public funds expended in the process did not lead to losses for retailers and reduced availability to the public.

Many of our members have PostPoint terminals and will be offered the opportunity to sell Leap

cards through their existing terminals, we obviously welcome this but find it unusual that it is considered good value for money to extend the offering to all existing Payzone outlets and their customers in addition to all Post offices and Postpoint outlets.

We are given to understand that the contract with An Post is not exclusive and that the NTA has the authority to appoint more than one provider. From our discussions with Payzone, it is clear that it is willing to remain as a supplier, even if NTA chooses to retain An Post.

With regards to An Post/ PostPoint, while we obviously are not privy to any (if there were any) promises or assurances that they may have given NTA to show their ability to continue to sell Leap card top-ups through the existing network, I think it only fair to state, quite categorically, that there will be very few existing Leap agents in

Dublin, Cork and Limerick who will be prepared to accept the PostPoint/An Post terms and conditions. This will obviously impact on the commuter in a negative way, as you are no doubt aware that Dublin in particular does not have a large number of convenience outlets with a PostPoint agency.

You may wonder why retailers would wish to discontinue sales of a product that returns revenue into their business and the answer is that they refuse to accept that they should be treated in what they consider to be an unfair and underhanded manner.

From CSNA’s perspective, we are always very wary of companies seeking to apply dissimilar terms in contracts of equivalence or where there would appear to be a contempt shown by a supplier for the work involved in providing a physical retail outlet.”

In the middle of what every commentator within the retail industry acknowledges to be the most serious crisis affecting the sector, isn’t it astonishing that the response from the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar is to issue a press release announcing the four-year pathway to an (estimated) €13.10 per hour Living Wage (LW)?

This is the figure (that has already been amended twice) that

is believed to be 60% of the hourly median rate. The CSNA believes this is absolute pie-in-the-sky economic guesswork and is not consistent with any data held by either CSO or Revenue.

If and when the Low Pay Commission invites representative bodies to meet and discuss the methodology that will be employed to calculate the LW (as is their duty), CSNA will argue strongly against the inclusion of a base wage rate being employed

that is not indicative of “real” wage rates in our sector.

A national median wage includes bonuses and overtime, includes the hundreds of thousands of public servants and those employed by multinational corporations, the presence of which has the effect of increasing the median rate significantly.

This issue is far too important to be used by the politicians as part of a popularity contest. ■

The CSNA will argue strongly against the inclusion of a base wage rate being employed that is not indicative of “real” wage rates in our sector

According to the CSNA, the average Leap Card commission has reduced to 39 cent

Tánaiste proves himself to be “tone deaf” to plight of employers

Rioja Wine academy offers free online course for wine trade enthusiasts

The Rioja Wine Academy is offering a bespoke Rioja education programme online which is completely free aimed at those in the wine trade keen to learn more about Rioja.

The academy offers many courses, for consumers keen to deep dive into the region, those interested in knowing more about tourism in the region, courses for Diploma qualified trade as well as this new course which has been specifically for those in the wine trade

The main aim of the course is to convey the positioning of Rioja in the domestic and international markets, as well as establishing the foundations of wine marketing.

The Rioja Wines Diploma for Trade and Distribution is specially conceived for those who, as well as an in-depth knowledge of Rioja Wines, need to understand the main principles of wine marketing.

Through this online training platform, the academy will provide you with the knowledge you need and accompany you in theory and practice as, at the end of each module, it proposes several wines that illustrate the course contents. This will bring you even closer to the Rioja Wine Academy’s unique way of understanding viticulture and oenology

For further information and to register for this free course without delay, visit www.riojawineacademy.com.

Four SuperValu stores win top awards at Edward Dillon & Santa Rita Estates SuperValu Off Licence of The Year Awards

On Thursday, 17 November, the annual Edward Dillon & Santa Rita Estates SuperValu Off Licence of the Year Awards took place at The Galway Bay Hotel, with four SuperValu stores winning the top awards on the night. The winners were selected from over 220 SuperValu stores across Ireland from which 26 finalists came through the judging process, led by Michael Cunningham. All 26 finalist stores attended on the night and the winners are:

• Overall Winner SuperValu Off Licence of the Year: SuperValu Bantry, Cork

• Large Store of the Year: SuperValu Glanmire, Cork

• Medium Store of the Year: SuperValu Cobh, Dublin

• Small Store of the Year: SuperValu Tullow, Carlow

Guests on the night enjoyed a cocktail reception tasting some of Edward Dillon’s best loved brands including Bombay Sapphire Gin, Bombay Citron Presse, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple The awards were hosted by RTE’s Shay Byrne with entertainment from top Irish comedian Andrew Maxwell.

This year’s Edward Dillon & Santa Rita Estates SuperValu Off Licence of the Year Award winners receive an exclusive trip to Spain, visiting the Rioja region and exploring the sights of Madrid. Each of the winners were presented their award by Andy O’Hara, CEO Edward Dillon and Trish Feely of Santa Rita Estates, who said it is “fantastic to see the passion from each store and the hard work their teams put in to achieve such excellence”.

Boann Distillery scoops five awards at Irish Whiskey Awards

Irish distillery Boann scooped five awards at the prestigious Irish Whiskey Awards held on 10 November, making it one of the biggest winners on the night.

The family-owned distillery won across several categories for its whiskeys, gin and whiskey liqueur Co Meath-based Boann clinched Best Irish Gin for Silks Gin and Best Irish Newmake Spirit/Poitín for the Boann ‘New Born’ New Make Spirit – a big winner at last year’s World Whiskies Awards, where it won World’s Best New Make Spirit.

‘The Irish Best Gin’, Silks Gin was named after the jockeys’ silks worn at the famous Bellewstown racecourse in Co Meath that can be seen from the distillery

Adding to the haul were three golds for The Whistler PX I Love You nine-year-old single cask release, its 1848 Apple Brandy and The Whistler Irish Honey liqueur

“We are absolutely delighted with Boann’s success at the Irish Whiskey Awards, given the awards’ reputation amongst industry and consumers,” said Boann co-founder, Sally Anne Cooney.

“It’s even more rewarding to me, personally, to see Silks Gin recognised. My mother, Marie, and I have poured our hearts into developing the distillery’s first gin and we are bowled over to see it recognised as the Best Irish Gin in such a competitive category.”

Soon after launching, Silks Gin also won gold at the Beverage Testing Institute awards in the US.

For further information, visit www.boanndistillery.ie

irish Distillers launches ‘old But Gold’

Irish Distillers has launched a major new campaign, entitled “Old But Gold”, for its iconic Powers Irish Whiskey brand, which aims to shine a light on what it means to be ‘old’ and to highlight the advantages which come with more trips around the sun.

First distilled in Dublin 1791, Powers’ roots in Ireland run deep and it stands apart as one of Ireland’s truly seminal and multi-generational brands.

The new campaign, Old But Gold, developed in partnership with Dublin creative agency, The Public House, proudly champions Powers’ long and rich history and its ability to stand the test of time, challenging consumers to rethink their perceptions of what ‘old’ really means in today’s world. Powers is celebrating the life experience, confidence, and self-assuredness that comes with maturity

“Powers is an iconic brand with a rich and storied heritage within the Irish market,” said Jessica Norris, marketing director Ireland at Irish Distillers. “It’s a timeless classic which has stood the test of time, and we celebrate those who recognise that with age comes great achievements.”

The through the line campaign features a combination of OOH and digital OOH, as well as PR, social and video ‘Old But Gold’ will come to life through a video series shining a light on characters of a certain age who have rich and interesting life stories to tell such as American/Irish basketballer Gerald Kennedy, godfather of Irish surfing Kevin Cavey, also known as Grandpa Surf, and dancers Jane Mooney and Sandy Cuthbert.

Consumers will also see giant replicas of the beloved traditional Powers pub mirrors around Dublin and Galway cities. Pub icons for over 200 years, the Powers mirror tour will serve to remind us that Powers has been around for many generations gone by and is here for years to come ■

Powers is celebrating the life experience, confidence, and selfassuredness that comes with maturity

Edward Dillon CEO Andy O’Hara, with Overall Store of the Year Winners Jim O’Keeffe, Ronan Dempsey, Anthony Harte and Damien Scull of SuperValu Bantry, Cork, Yvonne O’Shaugnessy of Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland and Terry Pennington of Santa Rita Estates at the Edward Dillon & Santa Rita Estates SuperValu Off Licence of the Year Awards

FR OM OU R

TE AM TO YO UR S, TH AN K YO U

The past 12 months have been challenging Pandemic restrictions thankfully came to an end, only to give way to inflation and increased energy costs that are putting pressure on consumers and businesses large and small. Once again, it has been a year that has forced us all to rethink, adjust and adapt

Retailers have been at the front lines of these recent challenges, playing a vital role at the very heart of Irish commercial and community life across the country. In convenience stores, supermarkets and forecourts throughout Ireland you continue to provide an invaluable service through difficult times, always delivered with absolute professionalism.

The JTI Ireland team is exceptionally proud to work closely with all of our trade partners and support you to provide the best service possible, in good times and bad. This is an absolute commitment. As 2022 draws to a close we have a simple message to share: from our team to yours, thank you.

Dan’s Digest With Dan White

Is the era of cheap food over for shoppers?

Food prices are soaring, with retail prices having jumped by nearly 12% over the past year As the war in Ukraine drags on and with farm input prices spiralling, is the era of cheap food over for shoppers?

Retail food prices rose by an average of 11.7% during the year to November, up from a 10.6% annual increase the previous month, according to the CSO’s latest consumer price index. This compares with an increase of just 0.6% in the 12 months to November 2021.

steep price increases

For some foodstuffs, the price increases have been much steeper with flour and cereal prices up 14.3%, pasta 17.8%, bread 17.7%, poultry 17.5%, fresh milk 32.7%, butter 23%, eggs 20.8%, sugar 24.8% and margarine and other vegetable fats by 29.6%.

With Christmas almost upon us, the traditional festive dinner is also going to cost a lot more. A premium oven-ready turkey that would have cost €9.50 a kilo last year will set you back €11 this year, an increase of 16%.

Stand by for a major shortage of eggs in the New Year as, at current prices, it isn’t worth poultry farmers’ while to replace laying hens. Something similar may also happen with pork and bacon, where the prices being paid to pig farmers have failed to match their rising costs.

The only chink of light seems to be coming from the humble spud, tea and coffee, with potato prices up just 4.3% over the past year while tea prices are up 3.7% and those of coffee by 4.1% (while I have the height of respect for the CSO, a 4.1% increase in the price of coffee seems very much on the low side to me).

origins

What’s happening? Where has this bout of food price inflation, the most severe in almost two generations, come from?

Russian president Vladimir Putin is at least partially responsible. His invasion of Ukraine in February and the resulting economic sanctions has meant that the global cereals market has been seriously disrupted – before the invasion, Ukraine and Russia supplied 25% of global wheat exports and 31% of barley exports. Russia and its satellite Belarus are also major fertiliser producers, providing a combined 37% of the world’s potassium output, 17% of nitrogen and 14% of phosphorus in 2019.

This combination of fertiliser and grain supply shocks have sent the price of grain and

other food commodities rocketing skyward.

In December 2020, wheat, the main ingredient in bread, pasta, biscuits, cakes etc, cost about €220 a ton, while barley was at about €195 a ton. Soymeal, the main feedstuff for poultry and pork cost about €420 a ton.

A year later the price of wheat had risen to €300 a ton and barley to about €295. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the de facto Russian blockade of Odesa, the port through which Ukraine exports most of its grain, then sent grain prices into the stratosphere with both wheat and barley prices going over €400 a ton in April and May while soymeal hit €600 a ton.

And it’s not just grain prices that have soared. Dairy prices have also leaped with bulk butter currently trading at over €7,100 a ton, up more than 60% over the past year Other

VieWs on the latest eConomiC & politiCal neWs

With retail food prices rising by an average of 11.7% during the year to November, according to CSO data, Dan White reflects on the factors behind these price hikes and the impact on household budgets

oils and fats have seen similar price rises with sunflower oil, of which Ukraine is the largest producer, up 35% over the past two years.

ease in grain price increases

The lifting of the blockade of Odesa and a generally good Northern Hemisphere harvest has caused grain prices to ease from their postinvasion highs with wheat back to €330 a ton and barley at €320. However, even after these recent price falls, wheat is up over 50% and barley by more than 60% over the past two years.

While grain prices have eased significantly since the second quarter, soy, a key input for pig and poultry farmers, has barely budged and is still trading at well over €500 a ton.

Farming inputs soar

Fertiliser prices and those of other farm inputs have also soared. The most recent figures from the CSO show that Irish farmers were paying 122% more for fertiliser, 40% more for energy, 33% more for feed and 12.5% more for seed in September 2022 than they had been paying 12 months previously. Overall, the price of farm inputs has risen by almost 37% over the past year

These higher input prices comfortably exceeded the higher prices most farmers have been receiving for their output, which the

CSO estimates rose by 29% over the same period. Only dairy and tillage farmers are ahead of rising prices with milk prices having risen by almost 49% and grain prices up 47%.

All other farmers have seen their prices lag costs with cattle prices having risen by just 13.2%, poultry prices by only 7.4% and pig prices by 34%. Consumers should brace themselves for even higher beef, chicken, bacon and egg prices come spring.

impact on household budgets

While the recent fall in grain prices is good news, it is looking increasingly likely that the era of cheap food that consumers have enjoyed

in recent decades is over, at least for now. If this does turn out to be the case, then household budgets are going to change radically

According to the CSO’s Household Budget Survey, the average Irish household spent €118 a week on food in 1999/2000, the equivalent of 20.4% of its total budget.

The proportion of household budgets going on food gradually fell to 18.1% in 2004/2005, 16.2% in 2009/10 and 14.7% in 2015/16. In the most recent Household Budget Survey, the average family was spending €123 a week on food, an increase of less than 5% on the 1999/2000 figure.

In other words, there was very little food price inflation during the first two decades of the 21st century and, when overall inflation over this period is taken into account, which the CSO estimates at 42% for the period from 1999 to 2015, food prices fell by over a third in real (inflation-adjusted) terms.

Now the shoe is on the other foot. The ever-lower food prices that consumers had come to take for granted over the past generation have now gone into reverse as, even before the invasion of Ukraine, the world coped with the challenge of feeding eight billion people. We are all going to have to spend more on our food for the foreseeable future. ■

Research shows dairy products remain a popular part of mealtimes

their diet; 66% value the delicious taste of dairy while 48% believe dairy products are fresh and not highly processed.

Three out of every five believe that dairy can continue to feed the world in a sustainable way while 69% regard dairy as a vital part of rural communities and regional economies.

Speaking at a recent visit to the award-winning Connelly dairy farm in Tuam, Co Galway, Zoe Kavanagh, spokesperson for the European Milk Forum in Ireland and chief executive of the National Dairy Council, welcomed the findings citing the enduring popularity of dairy products in households across Ireland and the valuable foodproducer role played by Irish dairy farmers.

“Dairy clearly continues to be a treasured part of the diets of Irish consumers and features prominently at mealtimes in households across the country Consumers recognise the taste, quality and flavour provided by dairy product,” she said.

New research shows that dairy continues to remain a firm favourite among Irish consumers with 92% saying dairy features in their diet and over half (66%) believing meals would not be the same without their favourite dairy products.

Milk, cheese and yoghurt feature prominently at mealtimes in households across the country according to the findings from national research of 1,500 Irish adults by the European Milk Forum (EMF) as part of its “Dairy in a Healthy and Sustainable European Food System” campaign. As one of Ireland’s oldest indigenous industries, dairy is a fundamental part of our national heritage, and these findings show Irish consumers continue to support and trust in the industry

Key purchasing considerations for consumers are nutrition and taste with 77% regarding dairy as a healthy and nutritious addition to

“Farmers such as the Connelly family in Tuam are an excellent example of best-in-class food producers producing nutritious locally produced dairy, on a grass-based system, supplying top quality dairy products,” she added.

Kavanagh said that while the research findings were positive overall for the dairy sector, consumers are conscious of the climate crisis and want to see industry continue to take more steps towards sustainability

“The dairy industry is conscious of meeting our ambitious national climate action targets by 2030 and achieving a reduction in agriculture emissions of 25%. It is a challenge but one that dairy is embracing; conscious of the significant milestones that need to be achieved collectively in both the short and longer term. The research reflects an awareness by consumers of the work undertaken so far and the efforts underway to ensure all dairy farmers are reaching and maintaining a high standard of environmental sustainability.” ■

“Stand by for a major shortage of eggs in the New Year as, at current prices, it isn’t worth poultry farmers’ while to replace laying hens,” writes Dan White

Pictured at the award-winning Connelly dairy farm in Tuam, Co. Galway were (l-r) Zoe Kavanagh, spokesperson for the European Milk Forum and CEO of the NDC and Galway dairy farmers Yvonne and Austin Connelly

Brian Egan, owner and operator of Egan’s Gala and Applegreen Service Station, Dunmore, Co. Galway speaks to Fionnuala Carolan about his freshly revamped business and his ambitious plans including the possibility of utilising hydropower and a novel business venture to be unveiled in the new year

Driving forwards

When times get tough, Brian Egan comes out fighting. Rather than cutting back hours during Covid he made the brave choice to extend them when all his competitors were choosing to close early “When I see people cutting their hours, I think that’s the wrong way to go. Bring in more people, do more things,” he says.

He is always looking to improve the offering and keeps his business in tip top shape with attention to detail in all areas and says he gets as many compliments about the cleanliness of the store as he does about the superb deli.

The shop benefits from a busy passing trade being on the main Galway to Roscommon road. Dunmore is a small town and with 22 staff, Egan’s Gala is the biggest employer in

the town. He says he would be happy to see any new businesses come to the area even direct competition, because every light on in a small town makes a difference.

Where it all began

Egan grew up on a farm in Dunmore but at 14 left Ireland for the UK and spent some time in Australia. In 1993, when he was just 21 and living in the UK, he heard that an old garage had come up for sale in his home town so he decided to take a punt on it and moved home. “It was an old garage with kerbside pumps on it. We cleaned it up. We started selling petrol and diesel and we sold tyres and solid fuel and did puncture repairs. I ran that for a year with Texaco. In 1994 we demolished the lot and put up a new forecourt, new shop, all new pumps,

new tarmac, the whole works. That was a big investment. There was money out there at the time. The oil companies were putting money into it,” he explains.

Fire

A dark day for the business came on 13 June in 2006 when a fire broke out on the premises which burned the shop to the ground. “Luckily no one was injured but the whole place had to be demolished. There was a tyre centre at the back of the old shop and a spark went into a bin and then boom. It was during the day, 1.45pm and I’ll never forget it. If it was a half hour later my two young children would have been upstairs doing their homework,” he recalls.

Egan owned seven commercial units next door to the shop so as part of the rebuild from the fire, they incorporated three of these units into the old shop. “What we did was state-ofthe-art. We put three quarters of a million euro into it. We added on a new deli, new entrance and new glass everywhere. If the fire hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have considered doing what I did with the shop and I believe that things happen for a reason,” he reflects.

In 2016 they joined up with Applegreen and Egan has nothing but praise for the oil company

They subsequently moved from Costcutter to Gala in 2021 and undertook a huge revamp and he is extremely impressed with Gala’s offering and support.

“Everything was gutted again and replaced in this revamp. We got a brand-new kitchen from Germany and put in a seating area for 22 people and a new off-licence. We worked day and night and kept the place open over the four weeks,” he says.

The hard work was acknowledged when the shop was honoured with a Gala Retail Excellence Award at the Gala Conference and Awards in September but as is his nature he is thinking of the next goal and further wins at the Gala Retail Excellence Awards are in his sights for next year

Gala’s off-sales alcohol offering, Distill, includes the finest new and old-world wines and spirits, as well

a wide selection of beers and other alcohol beverages for Gala customers to enjoy

Retailer Brian Egan with his partner and store manager, Serena Fylan

Early riser

They say the early bird catches the worm and Egan is certainly catching the early travellers as he opens the shop himself every day at 5.30am. “We have people in for breakfast at 6am. We have a new breakfast menu which is fabulous with the likes of granola, American style pancakes, potato and black pudding hash etc and it’s going very well,” he explains.

As the son of a farmer, it’s not surprising that Egan likes to be up early He is still involved in farming and breeds Dexter cattle, regarding it as his hobby “I spend all my time here [in the shop] and they take care of themselves so it’s more my pastime now.”

It’s always been a family business and his children all worked in the shop when they were younger but are now spreading their wings. “Emmet is in New York, Hannah is in London and Pierce is in Galway on his way to Canada,” he explains. “I push them to travel. I started them all working in the shop at 12. It gives them confidence and allows them to learn how to stand up in front of a crowd.”

Being a local business, they are called upon to sponsor everything in the town, and Egan is happy to oblige where he can. They recently ran an event in the local rugby club for Pieta House and fed 300 people. “We do a lot of outside catering, such as rugby club events, funerals, birthdays and christenings for up to 60 people. The norm is soup and sandwiches but we can do curries or beef stroganoff. We deliver and serve it too,” he says. This is an area he sees great growth in for the future.

Deli delights

Food is definitely the focal point of the shop and the deli is run by Deirdre Herviaux, as deli manager and Dave Geraghty as deli supervisor They have created new breakfast and lunch menus and if they can hire one more chef they hope to extend the deli from closing at 3pm to 7pm. Egan is passionate about good food and especially about it being fresh. “With food, if it’s not fresh, throw it out and start again. I’m into the detail. We’ve changed from frozen food to fresh as much as we can. We don’t do frozen chips anymore. We make everything from scratch.”

Egan’s partner Serena Fylan is the store manager and he praises her and the whole team for the seamless running of the business. “Serena has done a fantastic job with the shop and she works closely with retail operations executive, Davina Dempsey and fresh food executive, Aoife Finn from Gala and Kevin Reape. We have Paddy Conway of Tuffy’s Cash and Carry and then Edd Ryan, Daire Nolan and Caroline Corbet all from Applegreen and between them all they make up the dream team. There is great support overall. Gala and Applegreen are a brilliant combination,” he insists.

New venture

Never standing still, Egan is very excited about a new venture that should be ready to go by St Patricks Day but is reluctant to say too much as he believes he will be the first retailer to roll this out in Ireland.

“We have a 40ft container fitted with LED lights and automatic doors coming and we’re going to put 60 seats outside and 20 inside. We are in planning at the moment and we hope to be open Paddy’s Day next year I don’t want to say too much now but if it comes together we’ll do very well,” he says.

Egan also reveals that he is exploring hydropower due to the fact there is a river running behind them he believes we should be utilising our natural resources wherever

possible. “I’ve looked into hydropower The planning would take over three years and we’d seemingly have to divert the river which seems ridiculous as it’s right behind us. We want to use our natural resources. It’ll take time but I’m not going to give up on it,” he says.

All this investment and growth of the business is possible due to a solid crew behind him and Egan has the utmost respect for his staff and says they are like an extended family “We look after each other If someone’s car breaks down and they don’t have money to fix it, I will help them out. We won’t see someone stuck. They come to my house for Christmas and I go to their house for a barbecue,” he explains.

Issues

From such a positive man it’s surprising to hear him complain about anything but commercial rates are something every business has an issue with it seems. “Rates are a major problem,” he bemoans. “They are usually around €5,500 a year and the new rates came in at €16,000. I’ve disputed it and it’s now under appeal. I’ll bring it to court and I’m not afraid of that. At some point you have to fight back!” With an abundance of energy, ShelfLife imagines he is just the right man to challenge what he sees as unfair and we wish him well with this and the future of Egan’s Gala. ■

Egan’s Gala includes a smart and comfortable seating area which can accommodate 22 people

Egan’s Gala has a bright and spacious appearance

Retailer Brian Egan is passionate about offering fresh food throughout the store, as demonstrated by the tempting Baker’s Corner department

COLIN GORDON marketing expert

All I want for Christmas is… for marketing to get down to business!

Can I open this piece and end the year with a rant? I wrote Marketing is in Trouble a couple of years back. I wrote it because I saw that too many marketers - here and abroad - were losing sight of what their job is and should be. Marketing is not a separate silo in an organisation - and it’s certainly not meant to be. The fact that it has become so, gave me reason to use the ‘trouble’ word.

Marketers are increasingly focused on communications and have become disengaged with the act of selling or even of business. Maybe I should have used a different title; Marketers are in Trouble Marketing is not the problem. It hasn’t changed and its role has remained solidly at the centre of business operations. It’s the practitioners who are causing the problem. The research I conducted at the time of writing my book proved this. In fact, the data points to marketers being less concerned about the long-term, or the sales results; the business of business. All marketers’ purpose and all of marketing, is about sales and repeat sales. The factory, the finance department, the HR folk, the IT staff etc., are only there to help sales. So too marketing, advertising, promotions and so on. It - all of it, the whole of the business - is about

making selling easier Remove all inhibitors to that objective; enhance all enablers. Simplicity in its complexity

I’ve spent some time since - and with various roles I’ve worked on in the last number of years - trying to push this principle. Maybe in a slightly smug way, I thought I might be getting somewhere. Various educational institutes, organisations and overseas colleagues have shown interest and purpose around what needs to be done. But all this ‘whataboutery’ seems to be for nothing when you see a publication from a large, apparently well-regarded enterprise like HubSpot which highlights the five main things marketers are focused on for 2023. This was based on a study of 1600 ‘practitioners’ and is current, i.e., reflects the feelings of the data base at this point in time. The intent of the

survey was to find “all the latest benchmarks, insights and resources you need to build a smarter marketing strategy” and to identify “what does marketing look like in 2023?”.

HubSpot (to quote from its online materials) is a “CRM platform that connects everything scaling companies need to deliver a best-in-class customer experience into one place. Our crafted, not cobbled solution helps teams grow with tools that are powerful alone, but better together.”

Or elsewhere, “at HubSpot, we offer a full suite of inbound products to help businesses put customers at the center of their growth”. That all sounds just great - strategy, growth, customers at the centre, and all that. But the results highlight once again the preoccupation among marketing people for online communication.

“All marketers’ purpose and all of marketing, is about sales and repeat sales. The factory, the finance department, the HR folk, the IT staff etc., are only there to help sales. So too marketing, advertising, promotions and so on. It - all of it, the whole of the business - is about making selling easier. Remove all inhibitors to that objective; enhance all enablers. Simplicity in its complexity.”

While social media is a useful form of promotion, there are plenty of other channels worthy of marketers’ attention. Marketing needs to move away from image management and the resulting click-count preoccupation, to get to the heart of making sales easier, writes Colin Gordon

A focus on influencers and social media platforms such as Instagram, “is not business and it’s not marketing,” in Colin Gordon’s opinion. Instead, he writes that it’s “image management and a resulting clickcount preoccupation”

The survey results (for such areas as the top five trends, benchmarks, channel focus, new marketing investments) point to a very strong focus on influencers, YouTube, Instagram, content marketing, short-form video virtual events and so on and on. In my experience and opinion, this is not business and it’s not marketing. It’s image management and (resulting) click-count preoccupation. Marketers around the world seem even less connected to sales and selling, and to long-term profits.

The survey report is 52 pages long and has considerable coverage on the likes of LinkedIn and so on. Besides the results being disappointing (in my opinion) of themselves, those same results can be used by readers (marketers et al) as reinforcement of their current, often misguided practices, and so the circle of doom continues with marketing becoming more and more insular and disconnected.

Online does work; advertising is a useful tool and so-called social media has a role. But they all are part of the whole. Online is only one possible channel of sales. What about other channels? Advertising is not always appropriate or relevant. Social media is only a form of promotion; there are plenty of other forms.

Rather than just tilt at the windmill that

faces us, what can we do? Well! Imagine the whole of marketing is a triangle - or an iceberg sitting in water. The top part of say 10% is above the water line, the rest is hidden to view but very much part of the whole. Now imagine the top part is all the visible stuff of marketing - advertising, social media, image development, promotional work, packaging, etc. The bottom 90% is made up of all the parts of marketing that contibute to making the whole work - making all parts of the selling of the product or service as easy as possible. The ‘on time, in full’ piece, the palletisation of the packs, number of units per case, returns policy, the way the call centre works, truck livery, correct invoicing, ease of pack opening, and standout on shelf. All the touchpoints count. Managers of other functions have the dayto-day operational responsibility of completing activities effectively, but marketing is the only part of the business which gets to represent the customer/ consumer in all these activities and processes. Who else would be able to capture the whole lot?

Marketing needs to stop being so focused and preoccupied with clickcounting and get back to business! Rant over (for the moment!). ■

‘Marketing is in trouble: How we got here and 10 steps to get us out’ by Colin Gordon is now available to purchase, published by Orpen Press. To get your hands on a copy, visit the following: www.orpenpress.com

UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08M9XY6HF

US: www.amazon.com/dp/B08M9XY6HF

Ireland: Marketing is in trouble eBook by Colin Gordon - 9781786051127. Rakuten Kobo Ireland - www.kobo.com/ie/en/ ebook/marketing-is-in-trouble.

Reeling in the year

From Omicron-fuelled staff shortages at the start of the year, to extreme energy increases in recent months, 2022 has certainly been a memorable year, not without its challenges. Fortunately, plenty of good news stories have also flourished within the grocery sector, as we outline here in our review of all the ups and downs over the past 12 months

January

Retailers hit by Covid-related staff shortages

In happier news, Nielsen IQ revealed Christmas 2021 saw Irish people spend €732 on groceries every second in the four weeks to 26 December Total sales surpassed €1.7 billion, representing a growth of +0.3% versus Christmas 2020 In comparison to a pandemic free Christmas in 2019, total value sales were up +12%. Overall, Irish shoppers spent €28 million more during Christmas week in 2021 versus in 2020

Freshly Chopped expands to six new countries

2022 got off to a difficult start, with Covidrelated staff shortages leading to a quarter of retail staff being forced to close for a period of time in the preceding weeks, according to a survey by Retail Excellence. As a result of the highly transmissible nature of the Omicron variant, Duncan Graham, MD of Retail Excellence, said many of its members were operating with a “skeleton staff” due to Covid-related issues.

Regulator advises removal of Genrui antigen tests from shelves

The State’s medical devices regulator said one of the most commonly used Covid-19 rapid antigen tests, Genrui should be removed from the shelves, after over 500 users complained about false positive results. The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) reported retailers were removing the product from sale on a voluntary basis pending further investigation.

Aldi Ireland’s new corporate offices open

Meanwhile, Aldi opened its new state-of-theart corporate office in Naas, Co Kildare in January, confirming it will recruit 600 new

store staff during the year Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar, officially opened the new 41,000 sq ft Birch House, Millennium Park facility which now houses Aldi’s national buying and marketing teams, which expanded from four staff in 2004 to 120 by January 2022.

Lidl invests €10 million in pay increases

Lidl announced a €10 million investment in pay increases for its workforce of 6,100 across the island of Ireland with all employees benefitting from an increase from 1 March. This increase was in addition to the retailer’s commitment to paying the new Living Wage rate of €12.90 as recommended by the Living Wage Technical Group back in 2015.

Christmas 2021: Grocery sales finish ahead of previous year

Brian Lee, founder and CEO of Chopped with Hans Wingender, MD of Fresh Food Fast Company in Leiden, Netherlands

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar and Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland’s director of human resources Maeve McCleane at Lidl’s head office in Tallaght, Co. Dublin

The year also got off to a great start for healthy fast food retailer Freshly Chopped, which signed a new partnership deal with the Dutch company FFF International Holding B.V. (Fresh Food Fast Company) that will see the Freshly Chopped brand open 120 new outlets in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Denmark and Sweden over the next five years.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar alongside Niall O’Connor, group managing director, Aldi Ireland

February

1,600 roles at risk in Tesco UK stores

Due to operational changes at its UK stores, Tesco reported 1,600 jobs were at risk of redundancy in the UK. The retailer announced night shifts to restock shelves were to be removed and overnight stock replenishment instead moved into the daytime With some 3,000 vacancies available at the time, Tesco said it would help affected staff find alternative roles.

RGDATA welcomes government’s Town Centre First Policy

achieve its objectives, it will be of vital importance that it is genuinely collaborative and actively involves all town centre interests,” said director general Tara Buckley.

Farmers end protests at two Dunnes Stores branches

Following an agreement by Dunnes Stores to discuss price increases to suppliers and address rising farm costs, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) agreed to end protests occurring on Monday, 14 February and overnight outside two Dunnes Stores outlets, at Bishopstown in Cork and Monaghan. While customers were prevented from entering shops, staff could enter After a phone call from Dunnes Stores, IFA president Tim Cullinan said they had agreed to meet and discuss what should be done to restore producers’

viability

Aldi Ireland confirmed it was on track to open its new €6.5m store in Cootehill, Co Cavan in mid-2023. The development will bring up to 25 permanent jobs to Cootehill, as well as create 60 jobs during the construction phase Following Aldi being granted planning permission for a new store, the 1,315 sq m supermarket will be centrally located on Station Road close to Market Street; Aldi’s second in Co Cavan.

BWG Foods increased sales by 7% in four months to end of January

BWG Foods increased its sales in Ireland by 6.9% in a roughly four-month period to the end of January, according to a trading update published in February by South African listed parent The Spar Group Overall, The Spar Group described BWG’s performance as “impressive”. It was 11.5% ahead of the same period two years ago, pre-pandemic.

RGDATA welcomed the new Town Centre First Policy announced by the government on Friday 4 February, expressing its hope that the measure will prove effective in halting the decline occurring in many Irish towns and villages. “If this new Town Centre First Policy is to be successful and

March

Bill to ban bookies betting on National Lottery debated in Seanad

At the beginning of March, we also reported how Senator Barry Ward’s bill to ban bookies taking bets on the National Lottery advanced to Committee Stage in the Seanad. In a Seanad debate, Senators Barry Ward and Micheal Carrigy both highlighted the importance of familyowned local shops and how the National Lottery is driving business and footfall to them, as well as donating to good causes. RGDATA and the CSNA both supported the Private Members Bill.

SuperValu and Centra support Irish Red Cross Ukraine appeal

SuperValu and Centra launched a major fundraising campaign to support people

Staff shortages led SuperValu and Centra owner, the Musgrave Group to lobby the government for changes to foreign visa rules to allow more workers into the country The group met with Ministers Damien English and Simon Coveney, MEP Mairead McGuinness and other politicians. Director of corporate affairs Edel Clancy said staff shortages were an issue “across the board” for retail, which had created the need to recruit from outside Ireland and the EU

impacted by the crisis in Ukraine In addition to the fundraising campaign, Musgrave donated an additional €250,000 to the Irish Red Cross and Unicef Shoppers in SuperValu and Centra were able to donate €2 in-store nationwide via a simple ‘Tap to Donate’ mechanism at the till. Over three weeks, customers donated over €500,000 to the Irish Red Cross.

Lidl Ireland emerged victorious from a High Court action relating to what the supermarket chain claimed was a flawed Aldi-commissioned price survey which Lidl came second in. Grant Thornton conducted the survey, and Lidl claimed the methodology used was flawed as it failed to compare like-for-like products. Lidl

also claimed the prices were not in-store but came from a master list. The judge said he was remitting the matter back to the regulatory body Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI) for an assessment by a differently constituted independent review committee

Aldi gets green light for new Cootehill store

RGDATA director general Tara Buckley

Musgrave Group lobbies government on non-EU visa rules

Lidl wins High Court action over Aldi-commissioned price survey

CSNA calls for excise reduction on fuel to mitigate price spike

The Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA) called on the government to deliver targeted relief from the severe international spike in fuel prices and its impact on forecourt retailers, by reducing excise duty A cut of 20c per litre on petrol and 15c on diesel from midnight was agreed by Cabinet on Wednesday, 9 March, as well as a reduction of 2c off marked, or green, diesel.

M&P O’Sullivan announces ambitious growth plans

Cork-based food wholesale company M&P O’Sullivan Ltd. (M&P) appointed a new head of finance, Richard Horgan and a supply chain manager, Cathal Harris to the

March continued April

117-year-old business to strategically drive its long-term sustainable growth. The fourthgeneration family-run company, which had recently added Brennan’s Caterworld to its portfolio, grew its turnover in 2021 by over 22% to €37.9 million, with similar growth targets for 2022 and beyond, including plans to expand its workforce by 40% in the coming five years.

Calls for Central Bank to probe payment outage

The CSNA and RGDATA called on the Central Bank to investigate after an eight-hour outage at card payments company Opayo on 21 March caused “extensive” problems in supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol forecourts. “Retailers lost sales and credit had to be given to other customers, with the hope now that

they will pay up,” said CSNA CEO Vincent Jennings. At the time Opayo said the issue had been resolved and apologised for the disruption caused.

Pret A Manger announces expansion into Ireland

Pret A Manger announced plans to expand into Ireland for the first time as part of a deal with franchise partner Carebrook Partnership Ltd. Through the partnership, 20 Pret shops will be established across the island of Ireland over the next decade, creating approximately 500 jobs, The first shop opened on Dublin’s Dawson Street this summer, creating 25 jobs in the city Griffin’s Londis raises €30,000 for St James’s Foundation

Patrick Buckley won a brand-new Kia Rio In total, the Griffin Londis Group had raised more than €130,000 for the foundation.

Newspread deals blow to retailers

News retailers faced another rise in overheads, when wholesaler and distributor Newspread announced a weekly surcharge of €2.20 in the Republic and £2 in Northern Ireland. In a letter to retailers, Newspread blamed the price of fuel for the increase in charges, which would apply to invoices from 17 April as a temporary measure. The Fed’s Republic of Ireland president Martin Mulligan described the move as “yet another burden on already overburdened retailers”.

Ferrero recall extended

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) advised on Friday, 7 April that Ferrero had extended its recall of implicated Kinder products to all best before dates and all pack sizes of Kinder Schokobons, due to the possible presence of Salmonella. The FSAI warned consumers who may have had the recalled products at home not to eat them. This extended food recall related to a number of Kinder products which ShelfLife outlined at the time

Tesco ROI records 2.9% decline in like-for-like sales

UK grocery giant Tesco achieved a 35.8% increase in annual profit, according to its preliminary results for 2021/22. Tesco made retail adjusted operating profit of £2.65 billion in the year to 26 February, in line with guidance of slightly above £2.6 billion and up from £1.96 billion in 2020-2021. However, in the Republic of Ireland, Tesco posted a 2.9% decline in like-for-like sales to just below £2.5 billion (€3 billion). Nevertheless, Tesco pointed out this had increased by 10.6% compared with the same time two years ago

Maxol loyalty app launches with first-to-market FuelPay feature

Maxol launched a new loyalty app; the first of its kind in Ireland to implement FuelPay, a feature that allows customers to pay for their fuel from their vehicle Maxol’s FuelPay works by using geo-fencing and the user’s phone GPS to determine at which service station the customer is located. Customers can turn on the fuel pump with their phones by entering the specific pump number on the app, without getting out of the car

Retailers affected by robberies in Limerick area

A series of robberies took place in stores in the Limerick area during April. In one instance, the individuals involved were able to rapidly bypass the key opening/closing pad for shutters. They then broke the glass in the sliding entrance doors. Once inside, they proceeded to the cigarette gantry where they stole numerous products, as well as the contents from the tobacco drawers below. The thieves entered and left each of the affected stores within three minutes at night-time

Television presenter Carl Mullan launching the new Maxol loyalty app

The Griffin Londis Group presented a fundraising cheque for a whopping €30,000 to the St James’s Hospital Foundation, which was the proceeds from a hugely successful car giveaway raffle, which was also supported by Aryzta.

May

Pat’s Centra in Bettystown, Co Drogheda, owned by the local Boshell family, suffered a devastating overnight fire at the start of May, which gutted the entire building. The blaze was discovered around 10.15pm on Sunday, 1 May, shortly after staff had locked up for the day. Several units of Drogheda fire service battled to contain the fire at the store which locals described as the “heart of the community”.

day when orders are placed before 7pm. Iceland delivers up to a 15km radius of the selected stores. Ron Metcalfe, Iceland Ireland MD described the move as “further evidence”

June

Aldi unveiled its newly revamped and extended Clonmel store following a €3.8 million overhaul. The environmentally friendly store is powered by 100% green electricity Over the previous two months, the store underwent a complete refurbishment, including the building of a new extension, increasing the shop floor space by 25% to 1,405 sq m.

Braeburn Coffee launches nationwide

Applegreen launched its newest creation, Braeburn Coffee, featuring non-dairy, and a range of ice coffee drinks at the touch of a button available in 26 Applegreen locations including all major motorway service stations. Applegreen said the coffee offering would be available in 75 outlets by the end of 2022.

Aldi gets green light for new €10m Carrigaline store

Aldi Ireland announced it is set to open a new €10m store in Carrigaline, Co Cork in 2024

The news came as the supermarket was granted planning permission from Cork County

Council for its new 1,315 sq m store. Aldi said 60 jobs will be created during the construction phase, with 30 permanent roles created upon opening. The store will be centrally located just off the new Carrigaline Western Relief Road.

Tesco Ireland makes €40m investment in pay and benefits for retail colleagues

Tesco Ireland announced a significant investment in pay rates and enhancement to benefits for its retail colleagues, totaling €40 million. The retailer implemented an overall 10% pay award for retail colleagues, covering 2021, 2022 and 2023. This involved a 6% pay award effective from 1 April 2022 (2.5% of which will be backdated to April 2021) and a 4% pay award effective from 1 April 2023. The new pay award was additional to two years of discretionary colleague bonus payments of 2.5% for 2021 and 2% for 2022.

Online retailer Ocado raised £575 million (€671 million) from investors to secure funding for the expensive roll-out of its grocery ecommerce technology Ocado said the new funds would allow it to help customers, which include Kroger in the US and Australia’s Coles, to develop online grocery businesses.

The Fed welcomes €30m boost for Irish postmasters

The Fed (Federation of Independent Retailers) welcomed the news that postmasters in Ireland would receive €30m of government funding over the next three years. The government said the money will be used to support the renewal and development of the Post Office network.

The Fed’s Irish president Martin Mulligan, who is also a postmaster based in Athlone, described the announcement as “fantastic news” and thanked the executive for “the

Pat’s Centra in Bettystown destroyed by devastating blaze

Iceland launches new online shopping service

Aldi reopens Clonmel store following €3.8m revamp

Ocado secures €671 million in funding for tech rollout

Alicia Byrne, Iceland Ireland and Ron Metcalfe, managing director, Iceland Ireland

Store manager Richard Blake with Clonmel store staff

Iceland Ireland launched a new online shopping service across a selection of its stores nationwide Customers can now get their Iceland groceries delivered the next

of the group’s commitment to provide customers with a convenient shopping experience.

June continued

>> effort they have put into getting the government to provide this much-needed support”.

Petrol breaches €2 per-litre ceiling

In June, petrol prices reached the €2-a-litre mark at filling stations across Ireland as inflation hit a near 40-year high. Prices stood at a national average of €1.91 per litre while diesel prices had fallen back slightly

July

Ireland’s grocery retail industry gathered at Dublin’s Royal Marine Hotel on Wednesday, 6 July, for the 2022 ShelfLife Grocery Management Awards, recognising individual management excellence in the sector The independently judged awards ceremony was supported by platinum sponsor Bank of Ireland and carried out in association with Excel Recruitment.

The judges deemed Mark Byrne of Blake’s Centra, Blarney Filling Station, Co Cork, an outstanding winner on account of the true dedication and passion he has demonstrated for the retail industry

at €1.94 per litre. The price of diesel had increased by 41% in the last 12 months, however the price of petrol had jumped 31% with the war in Ukraine driving up food and fuel prices globally

It was also revealed in June that Tesco’s acquisition of Joyce’s Supermarkets had been

cleared by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), subject to a number of legally binding commitments, including a requirement for Tesco to sell off the Joyce’s Oranmore supermarket to a suitable purchaser The CCPC’s investigation identified potential competition concerns in the Oranmore area following the proposed acquisition.

Circle K opens brand new service station in Grange, Co. Sligo

Circle K officially opened an impressive new service in its nationwide company-owned network, Circle K Grange in Co Sligo, on 8 July The filling station opened initially in 2000, and with the redevelopment will now offer a wide range of products and services including Circle K’s deli menu, which includes 15,000 combinations. The store uses the SafePay endto-end closed cash system to create a safer environment for customers and the station’s 22 employees.

bottles or 42,000 aluminium cans at any given time The move will see Aldi’s Kildare customers being encouraged to return PET plastic bottles (up to three litres in size) and aluminium drink cans to the reverse vending machine

Grocery inflation in Ireland hits 7.7%, the highest level since 2008

Consumer spending on take-home grocery sales in Ireland fell by 3.1% over the 12 weeks to 10 July 2022, according to figures from Kantar The decline slowed over the past four weeks to 10 July, with a drop of 0.9%. Despite a fall in spending, grocery inflation stood at 7.7% which was the highest level seen since August 2008. Kantar reported consumers were able to combat some of the effects of inflation through choosing cheaper products, but the average price paid for each item had still increased by 6.3%.

Aldi launched Ireland’s largest reverse vending machine at its Naas, Monread Road store in Co Kildare, back in July The unit is capable of collecting and storing up to 10,500 plastic

Mark Byrne named GMAs Supreme Champion 2022

Tesco must sell Joyce’s in Oranmore as part of acquisition approval

Owen Clifford, head of retail sector, Bank of Ireland, with Supreme Champion Mark Byrne and ShelfLife editor Gillian Hamill

Aldi launches largest reverse vending machine in Ireland at its Naas store

August

Lidl Ireland removed its mandatory retirement age clause for current and new employees in August. It now gives all employees the option to continue working beyond the age of 65. The retailer said its decision will allow the company to attract more “mature” and “life-experienced” talent, as well as offering more flexibility to current employees. It also pointed out that those who choose to continue their service can opt to extend their pension plan.

Revenue officers seized 4.5 million cigarettes and over 3 tonnes of ‘roll your own’ tobacco at Dublin Port on Tuesday, 30 August, with the assistance of its mobile x-ray scanner The illegal cigarettes, branded ‘Kingdom’, and tobacco, branded ‘The Turner‘, had an estimated retail value of €5.5 million. They were discovered concealed in over 30 pallets manifested as ‘groupage’ from the Netherlands and destined for an address in Co Meath. Investigations are ongoing.

getting underway at the time, with Tesco’s recently acquired portfolio of nine stores across Galway city and county owned by the Joyce family, which was completed in June

Ukrainian beverage producer Obolon partners with Barry & Fitzwilliam

Maxol expands dealer network with Kilkenny service station

Maxol announced it was expanding its dealer network with the latest addition of Spar Irishtown in Kilkenny city in August. Since partnering with Maxol earlier during the year, the store owned by John Eivers had undergone a major overhaul with the installation of a new Maxol canopy and comprehensive forecourt upgrade

September

Energy crisis is a nightmare on every street:

RGDATA

Retailer group RGDATA revealed in September that a survey of shopkeepers showed energy cost increases were crippling the sector Essential food retailers were reporting “the most stressful period ever in business” with energy price hikes of up to 400% since January 2022. Retailer representatives including RGDATA and CSNA both called for immediate government action to stem rising energy costs.

Tesco Ireland announced its plans to spend circa €50 million this year in store upgrades, maintenance, and new openings. Tesco had earmarked property capital expenditure of €50m in 2022 to include new stores, store upkeep and upgrade projects. There was also a separate rebrand and redesign programme

Barry & Fitzwilliam announced a partnership with Obolon, the largest domestic Ukrainian beverage producer Obolon was the first privatized brewery in a post-soviet Ukraine, and went on to become the nation’s household beer The ongoing war forced the company to pivot and find an opportunity to continue its activities. Despite the extremely difficult work conditions in wartime, Obolon strives to support its employees by providing them with jobs and salaries, as well as supporting the military who defend Ukraine

Retailers’ calls for energy supports seemed to have been heard on Budget Day. Ibec group, Retail Ireland, welcomed measures in Budget 2023 to offset spiralling energy costs and bolster household finances. However, the group cautioned that more supports would be

needed if the energy crisis continued into 2023, and said the outlook for the sector remained very challenging.

“Without ongoing support, the energy crisis will push many vulnerable retail businesses to the wall,” said Retail Ireland director Arnold Dillon.

Aldi announces €63m west of Ireland expansion programme

Aldi announced it was set to embark on a dedicated West of Ireland expansion programme which would see the company invest over €63 million and create 140 new full-time jobs and 350 construction jobs across Connacht over the next two years. The €63 million investment would see new Aldi stores in Ballina, Tuam, Mountbellew, Athenry, Ballyhaunis, and Monivea Road Galway, along with store upgrades in Portumna, Clifden, Galway Retail Park and Ballinasloe, some of which were already complete at the time >>

Lidl Ireland removes mandatory retirement age of 65

Revenue seizes cigarettes and tobacco worth €5.5 million at Dublin Port

Tesco Ireland to invest €50m in new stores and store upgrades over 2022

Minister for Finance Pascal Donohue and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath

Budget 2023: Retailers welcome measures to offset energy costs

Bernadette Gilligan, a staff member at Lidl Ennis, said the move showed Lidl has colleagues’ best interests at heart

September cont.

Mr Price and The Rehab Group win at Charity Excellence Awards

Mr Price and The Rehab Group won the People’s Choice award at this year’s Charity Excellence Awards in September, after they entered a partnership to change the job

October

A community in mourning

Friday, 7 October 2022 will be a day that will stay with many after the tragic events that occurred in the village of Creeslough, Co Donegal.

Throughout the immensely challenging and painful time in the aftermath of the terrible explosion in the village, the strength and teamwork of the close-knit community of Creeslough has been truly inspiring. Working closely alongside the local community and the Diocese, the Lafferty family and the team at S&W Wholesale opened a store the following month on Friday, 11 November next to St Michael’s Church to bring back muchneeded services and essentials into Creeslough, with local jobs being supported.

Musgrave announced the acquisition of Italicatessen for an undisclosed sum,

November

Spar Kenmare, Co. Kerry named National Convenience Store of the Year at ShelfLife C-Store Awards 2022

On Wednesday, 23 November, Spar Kenmare, Co Kerry was named Supreme ChampionNational Convenience Store of the Year 2022, beating off stiff competition to scoop the ultimate accolade at the ShelfLife National C-Store Awards 2022.

Ireland’s top retailers and brands gathered at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire to attend the prestigious ceremony. Now in their 22nd year, the C-Store Awards are the only comprehensive and independently

landscape for people with disabilities nationwide

Their initiative strives to make an impactful change by offering placements and jobs to students of the Rehab Group Its success is measured in real job outcomes where people with disabilities get paid employment.

facilitated by Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland and followed a trade mission to South East Asia with Minister Charlie McConalogue, showcasing Ireland’s vision for a food systems approach to the sustainable development of the sector, Food Vision 2030

Musgrave said the partnership would eventually see it supply over 400 products from its SuperValu own brand range and other Irish brands to Singapore’s leading online grocery platform. The RedMart deal followed a major investment by Musgrave in its new Irish food export fulfilment centre in Ballymun, Co Dublin, which received approval from the Department of Agriculture.

subject to approval by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Italicatessen is a leading importer and distributor of premium quality, authentic Italian food and wines directly from Italy Based in Wicklow, Italicatessen, employing 75 people was founded in 2002 as a small family run business and has since grown to service over 900 customers.

“The acquisition of Italicatessen is an excellent strategic fit for our business which enhances our market-leading foodservice and retail offer,” said Noel Keeley, CEO, Musgrave.

Musgrave announced a new supply partnership with RedMart Singapore, the online supermarket arm of leading eCommerce platform, Lazada Singapore, and part of the well-known Lazada Group The agreement was judged business accolades for the convenience store sector

Together with returning master of ceremonies Marty Whelan, ShelfLife welcomed more than 400 guests from across the retail industry A total of 26 awards were presented, celebrating the industry’s finest stores and people in a

came into effect on 31 October 2022. Under the new regulations, retailers should deal only with registered producers of solid fuels. All producers must register with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and must include their registration number on any invoice, credit note, dispatch and delivery docket, marketing material or website or at any premises relating to any fuel activity carried out by the producer

diverse range of categories.

Platinum sponsors, Mark Hargadon, commercial director, Aryzta Ireland (Cuisine de France) and Jim O’Connor, national field sales manager, National Lottery, presented the Supreme Champion Award.

The judges said of the national winner: “Spar Kenmare offers the finest range of hot and cold deli items, alongside a well stocked and well merchandised grocery range The hot bread fresh sandwiches and fresh cakes are excellent to have with the Insomnia coffee range or just sit and enjoy a fresh ice cream from the Smooch range A modern and bright store with pricing controlled by electronic POS, this forecourt was found to be spotless on all our visits and deserving of the highest accolade.”

Musgrave announces acquisition of Italicatessen

Musgrave announces partnership with eCommerce platform in Singapore

New Solid Fuel Regulations came into effect on 31 October

The new Solid Fuel Regulations for Ireland

November cont.

BWG Foods’ acquisition of McCarrick Brothers Wholesale Longford Limited was cleared by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), subject to a number of legally binding commitments.

To address potential competition concerns, BWG proposed to make binding commitments to the CCPC which are intended to prevent BWG from acquiring McCarrick’s shareholdings in Stonehouse and Gala Retail Services Limited (GRSL) and to prevent the exchange of competitively sensitive information between BWG, Stonehouse and/or GRSL, which would constitute a breach of section 4(1) of the Competition Act 2002. The CCPC subsequently determined that the proposed acquisition will not substantially lessen competition.

Car, van, truck and heavy haulage fleet managers stand to benefit from the announcement by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited, the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand, that it had reached agreement with leading UK fuel card resellers, Silvey Fleet to market its Texaco Fastfuel fuel card in the Republic of Ireland.

Silvey Fleet says it can now offer fleet managers and business owners, here and in the UK, access to “competitively priced fuel” at more than 400 sites throughout the Republic.

M&S Food now available through exclusive Applegreen partnership

location on Thursday, 17 November, with the iconic Percy Pig officiating the launch celebrations.

American hamburger brand Wendy’s announces plans to enter Ireland

Marks & Spencer launched the first of its in-store offerings with Applegreen, Mountgorry in Swords. This will be followed by Applegreen Booterstown, with three more Applegreen locations stocking M&S food in early 2023. M&S and Applegreen marked the arrival of M&S customer favourites at the Swords

December

M&S announced a new fresh dessert partnership with Wicklow-based company,

The Butler’s Pantry The collaboration features a range of The Butler’s Pantry handcrafted cakes and desserts in M&S Liffey Valley, from cheesecakes with buttery, crumbly biscuit bases to a decadent tangy lemon meringue pie and light, fluffy sponges.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) published its social media influencers report*, which found that failure to label ads is widespread throughout the industry

Just 10% of consumers trust the information provided by influencers, according to the research. While there is a need for more consistency in transparency from influencers with regard to labelling their sponsored content clearly and correctly, the study finds there is also demand for more guidance and education for both consumers

Barry Group to leave Stonehouse

On Friday, 29 November, Stonehouse Marketing Ltd. and Barry Group announced that Barry Group is to leave Stonehouse as of 31 December 2022. For more details on this news, turn to page 34

Iconic American hamburger brand Wendy’s announced it is planning to enter the Irish market, in a move to further expand its brand presence across Europe The company is actively seeking wellestablished franchisee candidates in Ireland that have strong operations experience, local development expertise, and influencers alike in this space.

Sales of own label jumped 9.4% over the latest 12 weeks to 30 October 2022, with shoppers spending an additional €115m year-on-year, Kantar has found. Own label now accounts for almost half (46%) of the overall grocery market in Ireland. What’s more, value own label ranges saw the strongest growth, up 27% with shoppers spending €13.3m more year-on-year Dairy products have the biggest market share (42.2%) within these value ranges.

For more of the biggest news stories from December, check out this month’s News Grid on page 5 ■

CCPC clears BWG’s acquisition of McCarrick’s, subject to binding commitments

Silvey Fleet to market Valero Energy Fuel Cards

Marks & Spencer Liffey Valley partners with The Butler’s Pantry

CCPC research highlights the need for improvements in labelling influencer ads

*(Source: The research, which took place between October 2021 and April 2022, used a combination of focus groups, surveys, interviews and social media analysis to reach its conclusions)

Own label accounts for nearly half of Irish grocery sales

Eddie Murphy, M&S trading director, Seamus Stapleton, Applegreen ROI commercial director and Fiona Matthews, Applegreen ROI managing director

ambition to grow quickly and a proven track record of growing brands in Ireland to help Wendy’s reach its full potential.

A feather in one’s vape!

With the new year fast approaching, many consumers will be turning towards e-cigarettes and vaping products in a bid to reduce or quit smoking. And for good reason. Vaping is shown to be highly effective as a smoking cessation tool. The 2019 Healthy Ireland survey, which was funded by the Department of Health, showed that when compared to Nicotine Replacement

Never standing still

The vaping category has continued to grow and evolve; yet one aspect that JTI says remains constant is its commitment to providing high quality products that meet strict standards.

Since JTI launched Logic Compact three years ago, JTI says it has consistently innovated, added new flavours, and grown its product range to meet adult consumers and customers’ needs.

Logic Compact is a rechargeable (re-usable) pod system, which allows adult consumers to easily change flavours without cleaning or maintenance.

The team are adamant that they ‘don’t stand still at Logic’; and that retailers will see continued innovation and product enhancement for Logic Compact as the brand maintains its focus and resources on the growing pod segment.

Therapy, vaping produced four times the successful quit attempts. That same survey revealed that 38% of Irish smokers who made an attempt to quit smoking in 2019 used an e-cigarette as an aid.

Meanwhile, the ‘National Drug and Alcohol Survey (NDAS) 2019-2020’, also funded by the Department of Health, found that 55.9% of vapers were ex-smokers, while 39.6% were

JTI’s salesforce and its customer services team is on hand to provide expert support and advice about the Logic range and help you maximise vaping category sales. You can order Logic products through the web

current smokers, and just 4.5% had never smoked tobacco In this feature, ShelfLife will help you prepare to meet your adult consumers’ needs as we highlight over the next few pages, the manufacturers delivering high-quality, fully tested and comprehensively regulated vapor products and e-cigarettes.

ordering portal JTI Engage, your local JTI trade marketer by calling JTI customer services on 01-404-5400, or through the cash and carry channel.

Logic Compact is a rechargeable (re-usable) pod system which allows adult consumers to easily change flavours without cleaning or maintenance

JTI says it has consistently innovated, added new flavours, and grown its product range to meet adult consumers and customers’ needs

Within vaping, consistent innovation in flavours and format to provide greater variety and convenience for adult consumers, is ensuring the category continues to evolve

Important update for retailers: Government agrees to further regulation of e-cigarettes

The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and the Minister for Public Health, Frank Feighan, on 22 November received government approval to introduce additional restrictions on the sale and advertising of nicotine inhaling products such as e-cigarettes.

Under the new proposals, the sale of e-cigarettes (and related nicotine inhaling products) will be prohibited from selfservice vending machines, from temporary or mobile premises and at places or events for children. In addition, advertisements for e-cigarettes will be prohibited on public transport, in cinemas and near schools.

Bill expected by year-end

The proposals will be incorporated into the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill which is currently being drafted. The bill is expected to be finalised and published by year-end. The legislation will be designed to regulate any product that can be used for the consumption of nicotine-containing vapour or any component of that product.

The bill contains measures to ban the sale of nicotine inhaling products to those under the age of 18 and to introduce a licensing system for the retail sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products. Other measures contained in the bill include:

• prohibiting the sale of tobacco products from self-service vending machines, from temporary or mobile units and at events or locations for children

• introducing minimum suspension periods for retailers convicted of offences

• introducing fixed penalty notices for offences

“These measures are designed to protect our children and young people from starting to vape We recognise that nicotine is a highly addictive drug, and we are acting today to make these products less accessible to our young people and to remove the advertising for these products from our children’s everyday lives,” said Minister Donnelly

The Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and the National Drugs Strategy, Frank Feighan, welcomed the government’s approval of the measures, noting: “Tobacco smoking continues to kill approximately 4,500 people in our country each year We recognise that nicotine inhaling products are used by some adult smokers to assist them to quit tobacco smoking. However, we are clear that these products are of no benefit to our children and young people or to non-smokers and that is why we are taking this action.”

Irish Heart Foundation

Previously, earlier in November and prior to the government’s latest statement outlined above, The Irish Heart Foundation and the ASH Ireland Council of the Irish Heart Foundation, in partnership with the Tobacco 21 Alliance, held a special event in the Oireachtas on Tobacco 21: The case for raising the legal age for the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes in Ireland.

The Tobacco 21 Alliance had called for the legal age for the sale of all forms of tobacco and e-cigarettes in Ireland to be raised from 18 to 21 as it stated that evidence shows it reduces youth smoking and deters people from starting to smoke in the first place.

The T21 event which took place on Wednesday, 9 November, included a number

Convenience and power combined!

With the Vype to Vuse transition, BAT Ireland promised further innovation from the Vuse brand and the company is happy to say that it is upgrading its current ePod device to the ePod 2

With this upgraded device, Vuse says it is giving consumers a product that fits seamlessly into their lives, combining convenience and power in a sleek, and distinctive, angular design. The new design allows Vuse’s consumers to stand out and express themselves through two premium metallic colours, while enhanced features like fast charging, vape while charging and splashproof design solve key needs and make a

of speakers including Chris Macey, director of advocacy, Irish Heart Foundation, Norma Cronin, chairperson, ASH Ireland, Council of the Irish Heart Foundation, Dr Emmet O’Brien, consultant respiratory physician, Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, and Aoife Ní Riain, youth speaker from the Limerick Comhairle na nÓg alumni.

CSNA response

However, the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA) stated in response to this advocacy, that the suggestion that the age restrictions for tobacco sales (currently 18) and vaping (none currently) would be raised to 21, would be of particular concern to the association.

The CSNA said it would have serious difficulty with the proposal on two grounds. Firstly, that banning existing smokers aged 18 and over from accessing tobacco products would lead to very difficult safety concerns for many of the CSNA’s members and their staff Secondly, the CSNA also stated it would be very concerned that the change would lead to restrictions on the age that shop staff must be to sell tobacco

difference in the everyday vaping experience.

Retailers do not need to do anything! There are no changes to barcodes as this is an upgrade to the current ePod device. The ePod 2 will just flow through as retailers place orders when their current stock runs out. You will start to notice the upgraded devices packs in shops soon.

There are many more exciting things to come for the Vuse brand in the near future and BAT Ireland says it looks forward to sharing more with its retail partners soon.

Watch this space!

If you wish to place any orders for Vuse products, visit the website b2b.pjcarroll.ie or speak to your BAT representative.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly

said the government’s new measures are “designed to protect our children and young people from starting to vape”

Minister for Public Health, Frank Feighan said the government recognises that “nicotine inhaling products are used by some adult smokers to assist them to quit tobacco smoking”

The Vuse ePod 2 has a sleek and distinctive angular design

All of Hale’s e-liquid is manufactured using four core ingredients, all of which carry full certification of analysis and QA certification

A brand consumers are looking for

Hale Vaping is one of Ireland’s leading brands in the vape sector and has excelled thanks to its network of 75 dedicated vape stores throughout the country Hale also supplies over 3,000 convenience locations with Irishmade products, produced in its ISO 9001 accredited manufacturing facility in Carlow. Hale liquid is the only e-liquid to carry the Guaranteed Irish mark and all of Hale’s e-liquid is manufactured using four core ingredients, all of which carry full certification of analysis and QA certification.

Demand for vaping products is soaring and set to increase, globally, in excess of $35.5 billion in the next few years. The Hale brand is the brand of choice with consumers, due to its retail footprint as this is the place smokers go to get the information they need to make the switch. Hale gives the retailer a great opportunity to increase sales in the category,

Innovative premium portfolio

VaporLinQ is constantly expanding its portfolio of premium e-liquids and vape devices. The company’s products can be found at major retailers across Ireland such as Applegreen, EuroGiant and Spar All VaporLinQ’s products are fully TPD compliant and are trusted by vapers all over Europe The wide range of flavours and strengths available helps customers find the perfect flavour, strength and device that fits their lifestyle whilst enabling adult cigarette smokers to quit for good.

Over the last year, disposable vapes have

drive footfall, with incremental sales across other categories.

Impressively, Hale Vaping has claimed the number one position for volume sales and the number two position for sales value in convenience. (Source: NielsenIQ June 2022)

Hale Vaping and Tyco Distribution offer an unrivalled range of specialist retail services that include category management and

marketing services. Hale adds real value to its customers and offers very impressive margins for retailers, in fact, Hale offers the highest margins in the vaping category

Tyco Distribution and Hale Vaping offer retailers a fully category solution for vaping products including specialist gantry units, data driven planograms and a brand that consumers are looking for.

Hale Vaping implements comprehensive recycling programme

The vaping sector has seen huge growth over the past 12 months and a lot of this is credited to the disposable category There has been some media coverage lately of the issue around the disposing of disposables and this is something we all need to be aware of and also to tackle as best we can. All retailers should have a WEEE battery box in-store and they need to ensure that these boxes are visible to the consumer so that they can return their used disposable to be recycled. WEEE Ireland has set up a recycling programme to ensure that the disposables, when returned, are sent for recycling.

Retailers need to have a WEEE box in-store and to get the box, when full, sent back to WEEE Ireland so they can do their part, and this should help us all in doing the right thing for the disposable category

Tyco Distribution and Creative Distribution have started to send WEEE boxes to all retailers to ensure that they are in all stores and should any retailer

require a WEEE box, then get in touch with your Tyco rep to arrange this.

Hale Vaping has rolled out the recycle programme into all its 75 stores to give the consumer visibility of the WEEE boxes and encourage the disposable customers to bring their used product back for recycling.

Hale believes that if we all do our part on this issue, we should be able to tackle the problem and make sure that as many disposable products back are returned for recycling as possible

rapidly taken over the vape industry The devices are completely hassle-free with no charge required and last for up to 600 puffs, perfect for those on-the-go vapers. Crystal Bars are a leader in the sector, with a whopping 40 flavours to choose from. VaporLinQ Puff Bars give customers the choice between 20mg and 0mg across 17 diverse flavours.

The latest innovation in the disposable vape sector is Klik Klaks This product gives the user the ability to combine and create their own flavours. There are currently 10 single

flavours that can create 55 unique combinations. When combined, the users receive up to 1,200 puffs of smooth nicotine salts while enjoying a more powerful pull. Klik Klak devices help users invest in a longer lasting vape that is interchangeable to their preferences on any given day. VaporLinQ is proud to be the master distributor for Klik Klaks, both in Ireland and across Europe

Find VaporLinQ’s full range of products on vaporlinq.net

Hale Vaping has rolled out the recycle programme into all its 75 stores to give the consumer visibility of the WEEE boxes and to encourage recycling

All VaporLinQ’s products are fully TPD compliant and are trusted by vapers all over Europe

VaporLinQ’s range includes the new innovation, Klik Klaks, which give consumers the ability to combine and create their own flavours

& withA

Stephen Ryan Jr, managing director, VaporLinQ

Q: When was VaporLinQ established and what was the inspiration behind the company?

A: The VaporLinQ brand was acquired by our Superior E-Liquids network in 2019 and has grown to become a business pillar ever since. It was founded in the Netherlands in 2015, and quickly became a market leader in the industry This rapid success caught our attention as we saw an opportunity to break into the mainland European market We’re proud of our premium products and want to share them with all adult cigarette smokers on their journeys to quitting.

Q: What partnerships has VaporLinQ established in Ireland and how have these strengthened your business?

A: VaporLinQ’s relationship with its distribution partner PMS International has been fundamental to the company’s success thus far. Our Irish retail partners include major outlets such as Applegreen, EuroGiant and Spar, and these partnerships have solidified VaporLinQ’s reputation within the industry.

Q: How significantly has VaporLinQ grown since conception?

A: VaporLinQ’s growth pattern has been consistently steady, and although rising costs

have been an issue, we have continued to supply customers with a range of premium vaping products. We have over 50 employees at our factory in Coshquin, Derry, and have plans to bring a variety of highly skilled jobs to the business.

Q: What attributes make the VaporLinQ Puff Bars, Crystal Bars and Klik Klak products stand out from the competition and how do they compare in terms of price/value for the consumer?

A: VaporLinQ Puff Bars e-liquids contain 2% nicotine salts for smoother pulls, and users can taste the added quality for a more competitive price point.

Crystal Bars have a unique mesh coil which provides superior liquid arborisation and delivers clean flavours. This product also has 40 flavours available, meaning customers can find their favourites, or try something new.

Klik Klaks, when combined, offer users up to 1,200 puffs and are fully interchangeable, providing an interactive experience for users. The patented magnetic technology holds these innovative devices in place, and it is also important to note that Klik Klaks are Europe’s only fully TPD-compliant 4ml e-liquid device.

Q: What are VaporLinQ’s growth plans for the next 12 months and how do you plan to achieve these targets?

A: VaporLinQ continues to ambitiously target bolstering the variety of products available to consumers, as well as increasing our visibility within industry circles. We regularly attend several trade shows across the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe as they provide a premium platform to showcase what we do As mentioned, our expansion will also result in the creation of various job roles and advance our ability to better service our customers. ■

Barry Group to leave Stonehouse

Stonehouse Marketing Ltd. and Barry Group have announced that Barry Group is to leave Stonehouse as of 31 December 2022.

As a founding member of Stonehouse, the Barry Group has been a major contributor to the success and development of the group

Established in early 2000, Stonehouse is the product of the merger between Keencost Centres (Ireland), trading since 1975, and the National Wholesale Groceries Alliance, established in 1961. Ireland’s leading independent wholesale company, Stonehouse’s network has 24 member companies; all family-run businesses totalling 30 warehouses nationwide

Tom Shipsey, CEO of Stonehouse, thanked Barry Group for its “immense impact on Stonehouse”.

“On behalf of the Stonehouse family, I would like to thank Jim Barry and all in Barrys for their great dedication to Stonehouse,” he said. “Jim Barry has had an immense impact on Stonehouse He has over the years given tirelessly for all the members of Stonehouse He has become more than a colleague but a friend to me in that time and he and Barry Group will be missed. I would like to wish them well with their future development.”

Jim Barry, managing director of Barry Group also thanked the team in Stonehouse for their continual support.

“Now is the right time for Barry Group to embark on its future direction,” he said. “On behalf of all in Barry Group we would like to thank Stonehouse for their support over the years. I have made many friends in Stonehouse and wish all

Tom

Stephen Ryan Jr

Shipsey, CEO of Stonehouse, thanked Jim Barry and all in Barrys for their “great dedication to Stonehouse”

of them the best for the future. Barry Group has set itself a new strategic vision but looks forward to a continued relationship with Stonehouse on issues where we see the benefits of cooperation.”

The stars of 2022!

As we near the end of another year we take a look at some of the favourite products of 2022 across a range of segments. Whether they are new innovations or essential icons, we want to celebrate their unique positions and offerings in the Irish market. Of course, 2022 was not without its challenges, and many of the products that consumers gravitated towards this year reflect the impact of grocery price inflation. Despite this, we’ve still seen many brands achieve impressive sales results, and generate ample excitement and renewed interest in their respective categories through innovative and big-budget marketing campaigns. Make sure you have these products front and centre!

some mushroom? The Non Quadrato Mushroom Ravioli is the one that is sure to satisfy those taste buds – the ravioli pockets are filled with mushrooms and simply seasoned with salt and pepper

McDonnell’s has been making food taste great since the 80’s. Loved by Irish families for generations, McDonnells is one of Ireland’s most iconic food brands.

The ultimate in pasta perfection!

There is a new product in your local supermarket freezer that will make your life a whole lot easier, whilst also tantalising those pasta-loving taste buds! Ottimo is the ultimate in pasta perfection, taking fresh pasta and freezing it, good to go at any time of the day or night – and it’s made right here in Ireland! With three varieties for you to choose from, it’s ready in four minutes - so you can serve it up simply, or get saucy!

If cheese and pasta are enough to make your mouth water, then Fantastico Four Cheese Ravioli is the choice for you. These not quite square ravioli pockets are filled with a creamy mix of four cheeses. Looking for a hint of veg with something indulgent? Spinach & Ricotta Tortelloni ticks all of those boxes. These little pasta parcels are filled with fresh spinach and a creamy ricotta cheese Fancy

Research has shown that many people purchase fresh pasta and later freeze what they do not use Why not freeze it at its freshest and cook from frozen for optimum quality and flavour? This Italian inspired frozen filled pasta is the perfect answer for busy people who want a delicious, convenient meal without the effort. The fresh frozen production process allows Ottimo to maintain the fresh pasta texture and keeps all of the nutrients locked in, meaning you can have a highquality convenient meal without compromising on taste It cooks straight from frozen in four minutes and doesn’t leave you with any waste – only use what you need and put the remainder back in the freezer.

Ottimo is priced at €3.50 for a 300g pack and is brought to you by Green Isle

Curry lovers rejoice!

McDonnells’ sauce transforms food – the humble chip becomes a delicious curried chip; chicken goes from bland to a taste explosion! McDonnells has made it even easier for your shoppers to enjoy their favourite curry sauce anytime, anywhere. Containing 350g of pure curry heaven, with McDonnells Squeezy Original Curry Sauce, your customers are only ever one squeeze away from curry heaven. Just squeeze over whatever you like and eat: job done!

High in protein, low in fat

In July, Müller shook up the rice segment with its first ever rice protein product range with two new variants of vanilla and chocolate, containing 14g of protein per pot and low in fat.

Müller customers will continue to benefit from first class marketing campaigns, customer service, industry leading capabilities and product innovation.

Ottimo takes fresh pasta and freezes it, made right here in Ireland

McDonnells Squeezy Original Curry Sauce means you’re only ever one squeeze away from curry heaven

Müller shook up the rice segment with its first ever rice protein product range

Smoothies Vaping

Breakfast for every taste

The Rudd’s brand has long stood for breaking ground within the artisan food world in Ireland. In 1973 Rudd’s embarked on a culinary adventure and the creativity continues to this day. Rudd’s has recently revealed a new look, giving the brand a more modern refreshed feel, as well as an updated range of products to meet all customer needs.

The Rudd’s mission has always been simple; to bring creativity and versatility to the dinner tables across Ireland, providing an option for everyone in the family These values are embedded in the brand and nearly 50 years on have not changed. With the new look making it easier to navigate the customer’s needs, whether it be the Favourites Range for quality traditional breakfast products, a lean and functional option in Eat Well, some plantbased alternatives in Plantiful or just something a little bit unique in the Chef’s Table range

Simon Rudd, Rudd’s commercial manager said: “When my parents started to produce the Rudd’s range of breakfast products from our own pig farm, they had a simple mission and that was to be adventurous with what they created. Being the first was not a new thing for the Rudd’s brand, whether it was our original dry cured rashers, low salt with no added water or our high-quality meat sausages without any preservatives or additives. This creativity to push the boundaries is reflected in our new refreshed range

“We have created innovative sub-categories to help our customers navigate the range, with Favourites delivering the traditional Irish breakfast, Chef’s Table giving us a platform to showcase our exciting innovation, Eat Well offering a range of more functional products for a more health and fitness conscious customer, plus of course our Plantiful range giving a plant based alternative option for the changing consumer landscape

“We believe in good food for a good life and with ever changing lifestyles and demands, we believe this new refreshed range is offering these choices, but never compromising on the quality and consistency that Rudd’s is recognised for,” he says

The Rudd’s range includes: Rudd’s Favourites – A range of traditional award winning breakfast meat products, adapting to the changing consumer requirements, whether it be on pack size or format, but retaining the tried and tested traditional recipes and quality the Rudd’s brand was built on.

Rudd’s Eat Well – A range born from a true understanding of people’s changing consumption habits. People are eating healthier these days and are eating for functional reasons to achieve their individual goals. Rudd’s has designed a range to help people eat the foods they love without the compromise or the guilt. These are forgivable sins!

Rudd’s Chef’s Table – This range showcases the unique and exciting products from Rudd’s. This range offers consumer something that extra bit special, whether it be a seasonal treat or an all year-round favourite.

Rudd’s Plantiful – Sausages and puddings, but plant-based. Rudd’s has turned the tables on the traditional breakfast and made it meat free and totally vegan. Rudd’s is Ireland’s only brand to offer a full range of plant-based breakfast meats.

Ireland’s favourite crisp

Tayto Ireland’s number one crisps and snacks brand*, launched Tayto Lentil Chips in January 2022. Tayto Lentil Chips contain 40% less fat**, are a source of fibre*** and have no artificial colours and no added MSG. Tayto Lentil Chips are available in two mainstream flavours; Cheese & Onion and Sour Cream & Onion and available in both sharing and multipack formats. The brand has been extremely well received by consumers since launch and has now delivered over €1 million RSV in the market*.

Tayto Lentil Chips was supported throughout 2022 with a heavyweight marketing campaign with particular focus across January and February including TV, radio, out of home, digital, social and PR. In 2023, the brand will continue to be supported ATL with TV, VOD, radio, digital, social, PR all combined with a strong in-store presence to dive both physical and mental availability for the brand.

Make sure to stock up on Tayto Lentil Chips in 2023 as the brand is showing no signs of slowing down and is sure to only grow the market further in 2023.

*(Source: Nielsen Value Sales YTD 06.11.22) **(40% less fat per 100g compared to Tayto Cheese & Onion fried potato crisps) ***(Contains 3.5g of fibre per 100g)

Taste above all else

O’Donnells Hand Cooked Crisps are the leading hand cooked crisp brand in Ireland and currently hold 48% value share of this market and the brand has seen growth of +10% year to date*.

Earlier this year O’Donnells launched a new flavour – Sour Cream and Onion. The impeccable measure of tangy sour cream and mild onion seasoning is perfectly balanced to bring you a true taste sensation.

Siblings behind the brand, Ed and Kate O’Donnell said: “We’re always listening to our customers and looking for exciting new flavours that will deliver the premium taste

and experience fans of the brand know and love We spent a long time perfecting the recipe to ensure we delivered the best tasting sour cream and onion crisps on the market, and we think we’ve nailed it. We hope everyone enjoys them as much as we do, they’re our new favourite and we think they’ll be your new favourite flavour too.” O’Donnells Sour Cream and Onion are available in 50g single serve and 125g share bags.

O’Donnells is currently live with the ‘Taste Above All Else’ campaign across TV, radio, digital, social and in-store throughout the month of December, driving awareness for O’Donnells through the festive period.

*(Source: Nielsen MAT Value Sales Nov 6th, 2022, Hand Cooked Crisps)

Double chocolate: Double bliss

Lindt Lindor has strengthened its position as the number one boxed chocolate brand in the Irish market. €1 in every €6 spent on a box of chocolates in Ireland is spent on a Lindor box* proving that Lindt Lindor continues to be a must-stock for retailers in 2022.

With a wide range of exciting and delectable flavours as well as formats, Lindt Lindor is the perfect chocolate gift for any occasion. Lindor’s success comes not only from the much-loved classic Lindor milk recipe but also through its continual innovations to

€1 in every €6 spent on a box of chocolates in Ireland is spent on a Lindor box

O’Donnells Sour Cream and Onion are available in 50g single serve and 125g share bags

Rudd’s offers a number of ranges including the Favourites Range, Eat Well, Plantiful and Chef’s Table

the market that are guaranteed to excite and delight your shoppers.

The Lindt master chocolatiers combine expertise and the finest ingredients to create the perfectly round milk chocolate truffles with an irresistibly smooth melting filling with dark chocolate Double chocolate Double bliss.

Supported by a strong national campaign, Lindor TV advertising will return to your screens this spring with increased support and activity both in and out of store.

Bring some bliss to your shoppers this year with the Lindor range!

Lindor 200g retails at €6.99

*(Source: Nielsen, Total Scantrack ROI Data to 02.01.22)

Cork craft beer celebrates 25 years

Franciscan Well has launched a new visual identity and refreshed brand positioning as it celebrates 25 years of the Cork-based craft brewery in 2023. From this month, customers enjoying their favourite Franciscan Well craft beer, either at home or in the pub, will begin to see the new look reflected on cans, beer taps and pint glasses.

Franciscan Well will invest significantly in the brand across 2022 and 2023, helping to refresh and renew its offering as it marks a quarter of a century of brewing. A launch campaign, which embraces and celebrates the craft brewer’s Cork heritage will run for the remainder of 2022 and continue into 2023.

The rollout of the campaign will include an above-the-line media campaign that will run across trade media, social media and a national billboard campaign highlighting the new look. Customers will also begin to see Franciscan Well’s new visual identity and refreshed brand positioning on its newly designed cans, packaging and in-store branding in the off trade, and on pint glasses and beer taps in the on trade over the coming weeks and months.

To celebrate the launch of this new brand offering, Franciscan Well held a launch event on Wednesday, 23 November in Cork, which featured talented Irish comedians and musicians.

The new visual identity for Franciscan Well is inspired by Modern Ireland and the brewery’s Cork home, with the new designs capturing modern Irish life and community through the inclusion of people, buildings and culture with references to Cork and the brand’s heritage

As part of the brand refresh, Franciscan Well is also launching Well Hazy Pale Ale, a brand new hazy beer to complement the brewery’s existing range of ales and beers available across the on and off trade

The 4% ABV hazy beer offers customers low bitterness with a fresh tropical taste Well Hazy Pale Ale will offer even more choice from the Franciscan Well range and also appeals to the rapidly growing hazy beer market, which has seen sales grow by over 110% since 2019.*

The new beer is available now in the Irish on-trade with an off-trade launch planned for March 2023.

Speaking on the launch of the new brand look, Franciscan Well founder, Shane Long said: “Franciscan Well has come a long way since we founded the brewery back in 1998 and I am delighted to support Molson Coors

as they introduce our new visual identity and refreshed brand positioning, which is going to lay the foundations for the next quarter century Established on the site of the old Franciscan Monastery in Cork, which dates back to 1219, we are proud of our Cork roots and have worked hard to reflect that heritage in our rebrand, while also embracing Modern Ireland.”

Also commenting on the new brand look, Shane O’Sullivan, sales director ROI on and off-trade, Molson Coors Beverage Company said: “We are delighted to share our new look for Franciscan Well with our customers. We have invested significantly in this rebrand to celebrate Franciscan Well’s first quarter century, with the new look and feel helping to refresh the brand and bring new meaning and relevance for consumers, as we head into our second quarter century.”

*(Source: NielsenIQ Off-Trade Total Market Craft Ale Value vs 2YA 12 w/e 14/08/2022)

Refreshment at its best

New Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% offers the same superior taste experience of Peroni Nastro Azzurro, with a crisp and refreshing Italian taste and 0.0% alcohol. Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% responds to consumer demand and aims to serve occasions and social moments where beer lovers are seeking a superior tasting alcohol-free beer with 0.0% alcohol.

Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% is recognisable as it is crafted with superior Italian ingredients including the signature Nostrano dell‘Isola

maize – grown exclusively for Peroni Nastro Azzurro in the north of Italy – to create the same uplifting Italian taste, with 0.0% alcohol. The trend of drinking beer is changing. Thanks to its effervescent, refreshing taste and 0.0% alcohol, consumers can live every moment fully This Christmas whether meeting friends at a bar or relishing time at home there are no limits to when, and where consumers can enjoy Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%. ■

Creamiest plant-based chocolate

Started by husband-and-wife duo Rachel and Brian Nolan and established as one of Ireland’s best loved home-grown brands, Nobó is now disrupting the entire confectionery category by bringing its ‘Creamiest Plant-Based Chocolate’ into mainstream impulse and coffee adjacency.

With key listings going live across Junction 14, the Ennis Group and Tesco nationwide, the customer and consumer reaction since launch has been exceptional, validating that the demand and market opportunities are real.

Nobó’s new reimagined ‘Creamiest PlantBased Chocolate’ range includes a fresh new look and new formats including an impulse 25g bar, 10g Nuffles and 80g bars.

The brand built its reputation on a belief that treats must deliver on taste and quality ingredients first and foremost, and has now

developed a unique proposition with its plant-based chocolate Made with just five natural ingredients and with 50% less sugar than traditional milk chocolate, the full range is also packaged in an environmentally friendly compostable flow wrapper

2022 also saw the opening of the Nobó Treathouse, the group’s flagship store and cafe in Dublin 6. This was recently awarded Best Store Design at the IDI awards, and is the heart and home of Nobó’s NPD

The Nobó team have done an amazing job in designing, developing and bringing to life a truly magnificent offering and the brand is one to watch in 2023.

For enquiries on stocking ‘The Creamiest Plant Based’ chocolate, contact sales@nobo.ie ■

Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% offers the same crisp, refreshing taste and superior Italian quality as Peroni Nastro Azzurro

Made with just five natural ingredients and with 50% less sugar than traditional milk chocolate, the full Nobó range is also packaged in an environmentally friendly compostable flow wrapper

After enjoying the indulgence of the festive season, the new year is the perfect time for consumers to hit the reset button on their health and fitness regimes. Data shows there is ample demand for healthier products among Irish consumers today. Mintel data from 2021 found that six out of 10 consumers from the island of Ireland believe there should be more natural products in the marketplace, while more than half of ROI consumers said ’sugar content’ is their biggest concern when shopping.

What’s more, research from Bord Bia on the dietary lifestyles of over 18,000 people across nine countries, including Ireland, highlighted

Feel good factor

The ‘Veganuary’ trend has grown in popularity in recent years – where consumers switch to vegan products for the month of January Luckily, the Avonmore Feel Good soup range is vegan-friendly The range is available in a range of three flavours; Feel Good Tomato & Basil, Feel Good Mediterranean Vegetable and

that consumers are taking a more balanced approach to their diets and are purchasing more conscientiously than ever before. Retailers nationwide have been proactive in catering to this demand, and healthy snacking is easier and more affordable now than ever before.

A new report from the World Health Organisation also highlights the need for weight management, as it found overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in Ireland and other European countries, with the problem compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. Almost six out of every 10 adults is overweight or obese in the

WHO European region, as is one in three school-aged children and one in every 12 children aged under five

There have been “consistent increases” in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Europe and no country is on track to reach a target of halting the rise of obesity by 2025, according to the WHO European regional obesity report. Ireland ranks ninth of 53 European countries for obesity in adults and 11th for overweight and obesity One-quarter of adults are obese, while a total of 6% of adults are overweight or obese; 66% cent of men and 55% of women.

Each 400g carton also contains less than 100 calories, and is in fully recyclable packaging. The Feel Good range will be supported in-store with POS this January, coupled with an exciting and extensive digital advertising campaign.

Positivity, happiness and confidennce

Following the indulgence of Christmas, come January, health and wellness become a top priority and consumers will be looking to brands to help them kick-start their year on a healthier note.

With Avonmore Slimline milk, consumers can enjoy all the goodness of milk without the fat. This refreshing fat free milk is enriched with iron and vitamin C, to help reduce tiredness and fatigue, whilst also fortified with vitamin D and folic acid; essential nutrients to help everyone feel their best.

As part of Avonmore Slimline milk’s forthcoming campaign, the brand wants to encourage and inspire consumers as the New Year dawns, so they can be the best versions of themselves for the year ahead. Featuring striking limited-edition packs which focus on ‘Positivity Happiness and Confidence’, the campaign will be supported with a national

campaign consisting of outdoor and shopper advertising, digital audio and social media and includes a chance to win a luxury spa break.

Pots of goodness

Flahavan’s

porridge

Sweet success

As we approach the New Year and having got through Christmas, many shoppers will be looking forward and turn their minds to new resolutions, healthier lifestyles, and new year-new me desires and plans after their Christmas excesses. Research shows that over half the population will be seeking to reduce their sugar intake, but increasingly important, almost everyone will be seeking extra value in their shopping with the inflationary effects and other pressures impacting on their disposable income Hermesetas Mini SweetenersIreland’s number one volume tablet sweetener brand, and the best value too, believes that it has the answers to help you solve your shoppers’ needs in the year ahead.

Sweeteners are first and foremost an ideal and convenient sugar replacement, but it is not that simple It is important to ensure that you have the right range to suit each customer group and not lose out on a significant part of the market by limiting choice. With a range of pack sizes - 300, 600 and 1200 tablets, plus the 90g granulated jar - they suit all main user types

formats. The range includes three varietiesHigh Protein (pot only), Immunity Boost and High Fibre.

All products are low in saturated fats and can be heated in the microwave using milk or water or can be prepared by simply adding boiling water and allowing to stand for up to three minutes.

Ireland’s favourite porridge, Flahavan’s new range of ‘Porridge Oats with Added Benefits’ is now available in all major supermarkets including Dunnes, SuperValu and Tesco at a RRP of €3.69 per eight-sachet pack (Immunity and High Fibre variants) and at a RRP of €1.39 per 45g pot (Immunity Boost, High Fibre and High Protein variants)

For further information, inspiration and recipes visit Flahavan’s at Instagram: @Flahavans - Facebook: @Flahavans - Twitter: @FlahavansIRL and www.flahavans.ie

Perfect grab-and-go option

Steve and Dave Flynn at The Happy Pear are always looking for simple ways to incorporate more plant-based goodness into everyone’s diet. Their new Fruit Bites are the perfect grab-and-go option when you’re craving something sweet.

The Happy Pear Fruit Bites are full of fibre, made from all natural ingredients and have no added sugar – ideal as guilt-free treats for little ones. Made with 96% fruit, each pack comes in at under 100 calories and like all the Happy Pear range, are plant-based and delicious. In fact, each pack of Fruit Bites contains one of an individual’s five-a-day.

The range is available in two tasty flavours –

Hermesetas offers a range of pack sizes - 300, 600 and 1200 tablets, plus the 90g granulated jar

and needs. Offering convenience for personal use and often out of home, the 300 flat and slimline pocket/handbag pack is an ideal small-quantity choice. It has a low entry price which is perfect for trial, which is so important in the new year period and with January being the peak month for regular user sales and new entrants to the category The larger volume 600 and 1200 tablet packs are for family share in-home or for individuals with higher sweetness levels or the more frequent hot beverage drinkers. The larger the pack, the better the value per 100 tablets, which will be increasingly important in 2023. Hermesetas therefore recommends stocking at least two sizes of tablet packs – small pack for convenience/out-of-home and low volume users, plus a larger pack for higher average

Blueberry & Raspberry and Strawberry & Beetroot.

“At The Happy Pear, we’re passionate about making delicious plant-based food easy and accessible for everyone,” say Dave and Steve. “We love a treat as much as the next person and wanted to create something that was a quick, easy option to reach for, for the whole family Our new Fruit Bites are a wonderful snack when you want something sweet, and as one of your five-a-day, they’re the ideal choice for loading up lunch boxes.”

The Happy Pear Fruit Bites are available in a single 30g pouch, RRP €1.20 and fourpacks, RRP €3.29, available exclusively in SuperValu and Centra stores nationwide

For more information, visit Instagram: @supervalu_irl @centra_irl @thehappypear

Naturally great tasting

It’s a New Year and you might be considering starting a new healthier lifestyle If top of your list is to have more energy, get fitter and healthier, then visit unislim.com for lots of advice and hundreds of free, fresh and healthy recipes to inspire you in the kitchen.

There you’ll find tasty meals for the whole family to enjoy and there’s endless options to keep everyone inspired. The good news is chips are on the menu too, with Unislim’s Gorge Us range you can include healthy rustic oven chips and skinny sweet potato fries, with all the goodness that comes with a great tasting, natural product.

Unislim’s Gorge Us range is vegan, gluten free, low in saturated fats, contains no artificial colours, preservatives or flavourings

consumption users and the more value-led shoppers. The brand advises not to just stock one size because you will miss out on a big part of the opportunity Furthermore, as well as tasting great with a real sugarsweet taste, Hermesetas is the best value branded tablet sweetener in Ireland.

Help your shoppers to a healthier lifestyle whilst making savings in their everyday spending with the Hermesetas range that provides the right choices to suit everyone’s financial pocket, their level of consumption as well as their sweet tastes. Get the year ahead sorted with Hermesetas Sweeteners, the highest volume and best tasting value sweeteners.

Contact Allegro on 01 858 0600 for further information and purchasing.

and is loved by chip lovers! Unislim’s products have the seal of approval from Ireland’s top dieticians.

Unislim is a family-run, Irish owned company and Gorge Us healthy oven chips and skinny sweet potato fries are made with the finest ingredients. Unislim offers members a personalised and effective weight loss plan, which encourages them to make healthier food choices. With a network of 300+ supportive weekly classes all over Ireland, there is a class near your store. Visit Unislim.com for more information. ■

With no artificial colours, preservatives or flavourings, Unislim’s Gorge Us range is vegan, gluten free and low in saturated fats

Hermesetas Mini Sweeteners is Ireland’s number one volume tablet sweetener brand

Hermesetas is the best value branded tablet sweetener in Ireland

Juice the best!

Irish consumers know that adding more fresh fruit and vegetables to their diets is one of the keys to living a healthier life. That’s why juices and smoothies - tasty, convenient, and packed full of goodness - are so popular

Growing health awareness among consumers was reinforced by the pandemic, driving up demand for different juice products at varying rates. As health and wellness trends dominated consumer behaviour, a significant focus was placed on the importance of nutritional properties, as well as organic and functional qualities of juice. This is according to a report from Euromonitor Ireland, which found that not from concentrate 100% juice outperforms the category average thanks to demand for its immune-boosting properties. Euromonitor added that on-the-go consumption is on the rise as consumers spend increasing time outside of the home

The report also found that demand for fortified juice has continued to grow as immune system support and energy levels become fundamental concerns among consumers.

New usage occassions

Meanwhile, a report from Mintel entitled ‘UK Fruit Juice, Juice Drinks and Smoothies Market Report 2022’ also showed some interesting findings. Signalling huge potential for smoothies to take on a bigger role as delivering nutrition and break into new usage occasions, Mintel found that over half (66%) of under-35s would be interested in smoothies designed to be a meal replacement, as well as trying a juice cleanse/detox diet. In fact, according to Mintel, 69% of under-35s are interested in trying a juice cleanse/detox diet.

Mintel also found that soft drinks which have a carved a role as low-cost moodboosters, with CSDs standing out in this respect, will be more insulated from consumers’ economising habits within grocery shopping, as the cost-of-living rises.

In a separate report entitled ‘Future Market Trends in Fruit Juice, Juice Drinks and Smoothies’, Mintel stated that lower sugar drinks will continue be a focus for shoppers, especially given the heightened focus on nutrition and weight management arising from the pandemic. Looking to less sweet flavours could be a promising way to address this, while also appealing on the grounds of taste preferences.

The increased interested in functional food and drink likewise presents a major opportunity for this market, which can be harnessed more effectively by positioning these drinks as alternatives to daily vitamin and mineral supplements. A focus on emotional benefits, for example with drinks that forge associations with aiding concentration or relaxation, can also create compelling differentiation in the functional space, according to Mintel.

Immune health and functional benefits

Tying in with Euromonitor’s findings, Mintel also found that Covid-19 has accelerated consumer interest in immune health, a territory that juice excels in. While immune-boosting vitamins are a common feature in juice drinks, the immunity message has taken centre stage in new launches, led by Europe Immune health claims started to gain pace in 2020, when the pandemic first hit, and spiked to new heights in 2021, outgrowing all other functional claims.

Mintel also found that added functional benefits are key to growth in the postpandemic world. Beyond immune health, gut health and beauty are key areas of opportunity Ultra-low sugar drinks and techpowered innovation will also pave the way for a healthier future in the battle against sugar

Looking towards juice and juice drinks market trends in five years and beyond, Mintel

reported that as climate change looms over the world, consumers will look to track their carbon footprint in everything they buy and do Eco labelling on products will become more standardized and informative.

Meanwhile, taking a closer look at ‘adult flavour horizons’, Mintel finds that consumers are ready for grown-up flavour adventures, and opportunities lie within the potential to “take consumers on a journey with destination flavours” and “tap the thirst for world drinks”.

Juicy vitamin boost

Deep RiverRock has introduced a new juicy vitamin boost drink Deep RiverRock Vital, on shelves across the Island of Ireland.

Deep RiverRock Vital gives consumers a refreshing new vitamin enhanced water and juice drink, packed full of deliciousness to support the mind and body giving everyone the boost they need on-the-go The juicy vitamin boost contains important vitamins and minerals that support mental performance, cognitive function and deliver an energy boost throughout the day.

Deep RiverRock Vital is available in three flavours across the Island of Ireland in singular

bottles of 450ml, which are all 100% recyclable and 100% recycled bottles. Deep RiverRock Vital will retail at €2 in ROI and £1.50 in NI per 450ml bottle

Deep RiverRock Vital will be supported by a strong 360 marketing campaign investment across out-of-home (OOH), digital and media, sampling, social media advertising and influencer activity On shelves now, shoppers can skip to the vital stuff and grab a Deep RiverRock Vital for a juicy vitamin boost.

For more information, visit Instagram: @deep_riverrock Facebook: @DeepRiverRock. #DeepRiverRockViTal.

Breakout year for ultra-fresh contender!

Irish functional healthy drinks brand SiSú is at the forefront of the ‘ultra-fresh category’ as it continues its expansion launching new wellness shots and plant milks early in the New Year

In Europe, the role of fresh, cold pressed juices is changing from convenience to destination. The Netherlands, a market leader in coldpressed, are seeing the value share of long-life chilled juices decline whilst cold-pressed juices have a value share of over 56%. Consumers are more conscious than ever about what products can help support their healthy lifestyles. There is huge opportunity where food meets health for brands like SiSú. Here in Ireland, we see this displayed extremely well within Dunnes Stores which has its own range of cold-pressed juices and shots alongside SiSú within the fresh fruit and vegetable section of stores.

Impressively, SiSú has won nine Guild of Fine Foods Great Taste awards, and the family-owned Irish business says it is driven by

passion for using the power of plant-based ingredients: creating a range of organic kombucha, cold-pressed wellness shots and juices.

Since 2020, the juice markets across Europe have been changing, consumers are now switching from pasteurised long shelf life to ultra-fresh, raw products. The focus on low price has shifted to a willingness to spend more on 100% natural healthy products. The demand for healthier ready to go options is a high priority along with great taste and functionality

92% agree that eating healthy is the most important factor for wellbeing, while 58% of consumers globally proactively seek products which improve their health, looking at ingredients with a positive impact on their health.

The following snapshot from GlobalData shows the relationship between ingredients and consumer benefits:

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Brian and Fiona McGann, SiSú co-founders & with

Q: What achievements are you most proud of in 2022 and why?

A: We are extremely proud to have won our first Two-Star Great Taste Award for our Simply Apple cold-pressed juice, we have now won nine Great Taste Awards across our range Our range is made with 100% fresh natural ingredients and functional vitamins within our shots that provide an individual’s recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of Vitamin C and D, both valuable for building immunity.

Q: How has the brand grown within the retail sector?

A: This year we have expanded our listings in forecourt operators Applegreen, Supermarkets chains Dunnes Stores, Musgrave and Tesco and worked closely with our partners in Sysco Foods to drive sales across cafés and convenience, now available in over 1,000 stores nationwide

2022 has been a breakout year for SiSú, with growth across the entire business.

Q: How have you marketed the brand and what are your plans for the coming year?

A: During 2022, we focused on social media and tasting events to market our brand. Seeing our brand organically grow with followers that appreciate our taste profile and natural ingredients is very satisfying. We have many high-profile celebrities comment when purchasing our brand within retail or online through their social media platforms which is a testament to the quality of our products.

We are very excited to expand our range of cold-pressed wellness shots with two new vitamin shots and the launch of new oat milks in early 2023 along with three new sparkling functional drinks in the early summer

See www.sisu.ie for more information on these products. ■

SiSú’s Kombucha range is available in Original, Ginger And Blueberry flavours

This year, SiSú won its first Two-Star Great Taste Award for its Simply Apple coldpressed juice, and has now won nine Great Taste Awards across its range

Changing consumer trends push toward ultra-fresh

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SiSú will continue its expansion launching new wellness shots and plant milks early in the New Year

In good taste

Julia O’Reilly sits down with sisters Judith and Susan Boyle to talk NOffLA, the Irish drinks industry, and their family’s pub and off-licence in Kildare Town - Boyle’s

Judith and Susan Boyle wear many hats of the prestigious and coveted variety Between them, they possess a slew of qualifications and awards too multitudinous to list here. Susan hails from a theatrical background and is currently pursuing her PhD qualification. Her sister Judith, a scientist, is a lecturer at TU Dublin. Both have taken a unique approach to celebrating their shared love –the drinks industry

The Boyle family have been in the industry for generations so it’s fair to say the phrase ‘it’s in their blood’ applies here. A family business that dates back to 1945, Boyle’s pub and off-licence was started by Judith and Susan’s grandfather

“When our mum and dad were running Boyle’s, they encouraged us both to pursue other interests,” Judith says And that they did, before ultimately finding their way back to alcohol.

Judith studied chemistry and petroleum geochemistry and worked as a scientist before deciding to come back to the family business, which she is now at the helm of She is also a lecturer in beverages in the School of culinary Arts and Food Technology in TU Dublin, where she specialises in beer, wine, spirits, mixed drinks, and fermentation.

Susan, meanwhile, studied drama and theatre studies at college “I always think the Ancient Greeks were onto a good thing. The Greek god of theatre and the Greek god of wine was the same dude And I was like, well if they can combine the two,

there’s probably some way that I can too. So, I started attending wine tastings while at university From there, I did my WSET exams, and began writing about wine.”

Shared interests

Sharing how the sisters’ interests complement one another, Susan says: “I became more interested in wine and spirits. Judith became more interested in beer So I tagged onto that because it’s great fun.

“We both have a really good palate Ours are two of the most highly sought after in the business,” she says with a smile

“There’s a genetic component,” she adds: “You’re either able to pick up certain things that you can taste or you can’t. For us, it’s really good fun. Just recently it’s led to Judy tasting at the Brussels Beer Challenge, and me to Munich.”

The Boyle sisters agree that the business benefits of their travels are many: “Ireland is a small country and you get to know the network really nicely here,” says Susan. “But it’s lovely to have that international aspect too. And we’ve both always looked at how we can learn things from other places.

“It’s been interesting to see first-hand how Covid affected the on and off-trade in other countries,” agrees Judith.

International reputation

Our conversation then turns to Irish drink habits and the government’s attitude to same: “Often, the way Irish people are portrayed where drinking is concerned is stark in comparison

to the quality of alcohol we’re producing,” says Judith.

Agreeing, Susan adds: “The high-quality of alcohol produced in Ireland is sometimes taken a little bit for granted here. But outside of the country it’s incredibly well regarded. The focus here is so often on the problems caused by alcohol. That, rather than on how the industry can better be supported.”

Spirit of Ireland

The conversation changes tack then to the work Susan has been doing with Bord Bia to support the sales of Irish spirits internationally “It’s called the Spirit of Ireland,” she shares. “It’s an immersive education programme There’s a scratch and sniff guide to Irish whiskey that’s incredibly fun.

“It’s done in a play format because I write plays about drinks and their histories, and I’ve had the pleasure of being able to roll that out too, to Canada and Germany and the United States in the last couple of months and to see how incredibly well it’s received has been just wonderful.”

She makes it clear then that she’s not just promoting products from one distillery: “It looks at the entire category,” she says “So, I get to highlight the fantastic work being done in the industry, which is lovely.”

The Boyle sisters are doing the same Susan says: “I think we both found niches in this field. The alcohol industry is quite male dominated, but I believe there is a role for women there and how we make that role is by space making and place making. Also, making sure that we go to these international competitions and that we show up and show that we’re as good as anyone else.”

Telling their stories is also crucial, she says: “Judy does that through the education work that

she does at the university level. I love the industry and I love writing about it too. I was named the Irish Food Writing Awards Wine Writer of the Year for 2022, which is something I’m incredibly proud of.”

Practical approach

We talk then about some of the lessons that these ladies have taken from their experiences with Boyle’s pub and off-licence, in the light of the slew of academic qualifications, awards and accolades they have

“We both feel very grounded by having the business,” replies Susan. “That keeps us out of what’s merely theoretical and immersed in the actual reality of what the people in Kildare are buying.”

“The two sides of it work nicely together,” she continues. “I don’t think it would work for us as well if we didn’t have both the international perspectives, a wider perspective, and then an understanding of what exactly is happening on the ground in the off-licence.”

“It’s a great industry to be in, but there was a time where it was a very difficult one to be in,” shares Judith. “It’s never been that easy to run an independent off licence. But lately it has been nicer than ever, because now people are more interested in what they’re drinking and how they’re drinking it.”

Product knowledge

Alluding then to the knowledge and expertise that is required for everyone in that business Judith continues: “It’s been my experience that the people running independent off-licences have huge product knowledge They source all the products themselves. What they fill the shelves with takes lots thought and know-how.”

Boyle’s pub and off-licence is a family business that dates back to 1945

The team at Boyle’s are strong believers in shopping local. As Judith states: “It’s always helpful to make people think about shopping local and what that does to a local environment.”

Asked what consumers are looking for from Boyle’s amid the ongoing concern around inflation, Judith replies: “I think people are still looking for taste, which is great. People are buying less, but they’re buying better They’re buying more interesting things. There’s a lot more interest in biodynamic and low intervention wines and in organic too. Consumers have been really drawn to the different spirits that are involved in cocktails. There has also been a trend of people looking to buy Irish spirits, and local spirits as well, which we always like to see.”

Total support

partners in NOffLA, but also the industry in general.”

“At this stage the awards are so well recognised,” says Susan. “The panels of everyone who’s tasting for them are incredible It’s a lovely mix of people who really really know their stuff and the blind tasting format works so well.

“It’s an incredible and confidence inducing thing to know that the wines on the shelves that win those awards have been tasted by people who know a lot about selling and tasting wines. And then that knowledge gets passed onto the customers buying those wines, which is amazing.”

legislation. The government’s great for pulling out a 50- or 60-page report. But NOffLA is always there when you need straightforward guidance that you can rely on.

Supporting local

So too is shopping local. Judith puts it this way: “It’s hard to be an independent retailer today. You are competing against people with huge amounts of advertising income, and income in general.

“It’s always helpful to make people think about shopping local and what that does to a local environment. When you support a small community business, or local product producers, it has a positive impact on the wider community as a whole

“Meanwhile, when small businesses gather their resources, share knowledge, and create their own community, they can make a bigger impact.”

Both ladies have much to say that’s positive about NOffLA: “It’s a great organisation,” says Judith. “I’ve always found NOffLA to be utterly supportive in everything that we’ve done Also by doing the Irish Wine Show Star Awards, it’s supporting not only the

“We are selling something that is licensed and needs to be regulated,” adds Judith. “Because things change and the industry changes too, it’s comforting to have a body like NOffLA there to knowledgeably talk you through those changes and the relevant

NOffLA Off-Licence of the Year finalists announced

Baggot Street Wines, Dublin 4

Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin

C. McEntees, Kells, Co Meath

Carry Out Ballinasloe, Co Galway

Carry Out Muckross Road, Killarney, Co Kerry

Carry Out Newcastle West, Co Limerick

Carry Out Off-Licence Tyrrellstown, Dublin 15

Carry Out The Reeks, Killarney, Co Kerry

Carry Out Tramore, Co Waterford

D6 Wine & Spirits, Rathmines, Dublin 6

Dalys Drinks Ltd., Boyle, Co Roscommon

Deveney’s Dundrum, Dublin 16

Dicey’s Off-Licence, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal

Galvins Carry Out Carrigaline, Co Cork

Gibney’s of Malahide, Co Dublin

Higgins Off-Licence, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14

James Redmond & Sons Ltd., Ranelagh, Dublin 6

Jus De Vine, Portmarnock, Co Dublin

Kellers Carry Out Nenagh, Co Tipperary

Kellers Carry Out Roscrea, Co Tipperary 22 Londis Malahide, Co Dublin 23 Martin’s Off-Licence, Fairview, Dublin 3

Susan is in full agreement: “That’s the nice thing about being part of an organisation like NOffLA. You know you’re not doing something on your own. You know you are part of a bigger organisation; a bigger network. There’s a lot of power in that.”

A well-deserved congratulations to all the finalists for the 2023 NOffLA Off-Licence of the Year Awards displayed here:

24 Mary B’s, Arklow, Co Wicklow

“And it’s also lovely when there are events, to talk with other officious owners about what’s happening in relation to their businesses or if there’s a product that they found that works really well for them. This knowledge sharing is really beneficial.” 1 64 Wine, Glasthule, Co Dublin

McHugh’s Kilbarrack Road, Dublin 5 26 McHugh’s Malahide Road, Dublin 5

Mitchell & Son CHQ, Dublin 1

Mitchells Wine & Spirit Merchants, Sandycove, Co Dublin

Molloys Ballyfermot, Dublin 10

Molloys Clondalkin, Dublin 22

Molloys Finglas, Dublin 11

Molloys Liberties, Dublin 8

Molloys Tallaght, Dublin 24

O’Donovans Off-Licence Bandon, Co Cork

O’Donovans Off-Licence Blackpool, Co Cork 36 O’Donovans Off-Licence Carrigaline, Co Cork

O’Donovans Off-Licence Mayfield, Co Cork

O’Donovans Off-Licence Midleton, Co Cork

O’Donovans Off-Licence Oliver Plunkett Street, Co Cork

O’Donovans Off-Licence Passage West, Co Cork

O’Donovans Off-Licence Summerhill North, Co Cork

Sweeney’s D3, Fairview, Dublin 3

The Coach House Off-Licence, Ballinteer, Dubln 16

The Vintry, Rathgar, Dublin 6

The Wine Centre, Kilkenny

Thompson’s Carry Out, Ferrybank, Co Waterford

Sisters Susan and Judith Boyle complement each other’s talents perfectly (Photograph: Dawn Broughan)

BARRY WHELAN managing director of

Is virtual interviewing sabotaging your ability to get hired?

It is so easy to opt for an interview online using one of the many platforms available. Online interviewing is convenient, saves time, speeds up the interview process and adds much needed efficiency to the interview process. This facilitates greater availability from candidates looking for a job, without having to take time off to travel to an interview

But are online interviews sabotaging your ability to land the job? Are online interview pitfalls being watched out for? Or are online job applicants sabotaging their candidacy with virtual-interview mistakes?

Interviewing for a job has long been a stressful experience, with candidates knowing that the slightest mistake, for instance in attire or perhaps attitude or even an off-the-cuff comment, can lead to failure

allowing much more flexible job seeking. Whether for a gig involving remote work, where the applicant may never meet anybody in the company face-to-face or a job that is hybrid or office-based, this kind of interview, hard to imagine a few years ago, is much more prevalent, but also has its own tricks for success.

Unfortunately, many applicants are unaware of the pitfalls and are sabotaging their chances of winning a position. We surveyed our recruiters and asked about best practices, preferences, and turn-offs and turnons in virtual interviews. The results revealed some helpful insights for job seekers who might wish to brush up on their ‘Zoom’ skills.

top tips

Here, according to our recruiters are the results; the top deal-breakers with virtual interviews that could cost you that coveted new job:

1. Avoiding eye contact or staring into space: Take the time to set up your cameras and screens so that you can make eye contact with the interview panel.

desktop doesn’t have any icons, files, or pictures you would prefer not to share.

4. Being interrupted by the candidate’s family members: We have all seen the clip of the contributor to a news story being interrupted by young children and while these clips are amusing, you don’t want this to happen to you.

Losing out on a job opportunity due to any of the above reasons might seem unfair and arbitrary, but, fortunately, these mistakes can be easily avoided with modest preparation.

Although virtual interviews have become a ubiquitous part of the hiring process, even as more companies are requiring employees to return to the office, our data shows many job candidates have yet to master the art of the virtual interview and it’s sabotaging their candidacy

A third of employers offer an exclusively virtual interview process, with an additional 21% resorting to in-person interviews only for final rounds, according to research conducted by Excel Recruitment

and an inability to land the job. There is nothing worse in recruitment than when you meet a candidate, who can do the job, but can’t get the job!

Virtual interview process

An added dimension to the postCovid interview process and something new is the virtual interview process.

Many companies and job seekers alike opt for an online or virtual interview, particularly for the first round, with some interview processes being only virtual, as a means of speeding up the interview process and time to hire. The convenience of not having to take time out to attend an interview is a game changer for many,

2. Using an unprofessional background: Interview from a clean, crisp, and professional background. You can of course blur out your background or even place yourself sitting on a virtual beach. However, showing a personal but professional background where possible is very impressive. There is nothing worse than interviewing from a messy room!

3. Leaving inappropriate tabs or apps open when screen-sharing: What a rookie mistake, yet this happens all the time. Take the time to get ready for your interview and if you are presenting a PowerPoint presentation for instance, close everything on your background and make sure your

A third of employers offer an exclusively virtual interview process, with an additional 21% resorting to in-person interviews only for final rounds, according to the survey results. Only 20% said most of their company’s interviews take place in-person.

traditional rules still apply

Of course, some of the old rules about job interviews apply to the virtual variety as well. Asked which interview mistakes have remained highly offensive over the past years, our recruiters listed the following: lying, arriving late (without a valid excuse), badmouthing a current or former employer, appearing disinterested in the opportunity, and being unprepared.

It doesn’t matter if you’re participating in a phone screen, interviewing via video conference, or meeting in-person if you make these interview missteps, you’re undermining your chances of landing the job. ■

Excel Recruitment www.excelrecruitment.com

Creating a good first impression is vital for landing any position. However, this is not always as intuitive as you might think online, particularly for candidates who are unfamiliar with virtual interviews. Here, Excel Recruitment’s Barry Whelan outlines the pitfalls to avoid