ShelfLife Magazine - January, 2023

Regulation nation

2023 gets off to a rocky start as Argos announces ROI closures

2023 is certainly set to be another busy year for Ireland’s retail trade. As the CSNA highlights in its monthly column, unfortunately retailers can expect to see an additional number of potentially costly increases to your business, ranging from areas as diverse as Auto Enrolment Pensions, extensions to Sick Leave and the introduction of separate licensing regimes for tobacco and the sale of vaping products. There will certainly be no shortage of developments to report on here at ShelfLife

Already, as our first edition of the year headed to print, the news emerged that 2023 had already claimed its first major victim within the bricks-andmortar retail sector, with the announcement from Argos that it intends to close all stores and operations in the Republic of Ireland at the end of June this year. “Following a long period of careful consideration and a thorough review of its business and operations in the country. Argos concluded the investment required to develop and modernise the Irish part of its business was not viable and that the money would be better invested in other parts of its business,” a spokesperson said. Expect a full report on this move within our February issue.

In the meantime, we’re delighted to bring you more cheerful content in the form of a comprehensive review of the ShelfLife C-Store Awards 2022. We’re sure you agree, the winners provide excellent inspiration for maintaining the standards to which all retailers should aspire in the year ahead.

Gillian Hamill, editor, ShelfLifemagazine

The future of work

Top five HR trends that will shape 2023 and beyond, according to Laya Healthcare’s Workplace Wellbeing Index

Research from the Laya Healthcare Wellbeing Index – one of the largest workplace wellbeing surveys of its kind in Ireland – highlights the top five HR trends that will shape 2023 and beyond. These trends are as follows:

1. Managing cost-of-living concerns

This year saw a huge shift from Covid concerns to money worries. The cost-of-living crisis infiltrated the workplace, with a staggering 85% of employees experiencing anxiety, quoting rising prices and money worries as the two biggest causes of stress Notable for employers is the clearest indicator yet that financial worries among employees are impacting the employment market with some using money worries as an excuse to leave a job and others feeling too scared to move

2. Building better balance

This year, a significant number of employees returned to the workplace, with mixed results. Some 60% of employees are now back in the workplace full time with one in four employees choosing hybrid working and 15% choosing to work remotely full time Hybrid workers are more likely to have had higher job satisfaction, driven by better work-life balance (63%), flexibility (56%) and less commuting (50%). For HR leaders, this research underpins the need for a clear policy for remote, fully on-site and hybrid working, along with the right to disconnect and any flexibility that can be offered to on-site workers.

3. Prioritising mental health

Concerns for employees’ mental health have also increased significantly among HR leaders with one in three business owners and HR leaders (33%) reporting that they are very concerned about the mental health of employees, an increase of 18% compared with

six months ago Employee anxieties were higher in female respondents (two in five) compared to their male counterparts (one in four) and it was demonstrated throughout that younger female employees were more likely to have suffered from poor mental health in the past six months. Overall, the research demonstrated that the main causes of stress and anxiety for employees were caused by economic factors outside the workplace including:

• Rise in cost of living (71%)

• Money worries (57%)

• Uncertainty about the future (47%)

• Ireland’s economy (46%)

4. Reimagining recruitment and retention

Increasing freedom and choice around how and where we work matters as much as salary to potential new employees, with people now effectively ranking work-life balance on a par with salary when thinking about a new role, at 61% and 60% respectively In the current climate, 42% of HR leaders say they have an increased focus on retaining staff These trends, married with the ongoing skills shortage in many industries, mean smart employers will take account of the real needs and preferences of potential job candidates.

5. Re-engineering culture

The challenge to maintain company culture in 2022 has been felt by 52% of HR leaders. Multiple factors are driving this, from teams not meeting as often for work or social reasons and less cross-functional working, to newer staff not meeting the team and not absorbing values, and the loss of longerserving staff who lived the culture.

The role of the office has irrevocably changed, making it challenging to create and cultivate a vibrant, welcoming, and

meaningful work culture. Almost 40% of HR leaders expressed concern about the reduction of social connections amongst employees which has led to the dilution of company culture impacting morale HR leaders must be prepared to act. Offering flexible working hours is now a leading priority, followed by company values, health and wellbeing services and mental health services.

“After the rollercoaster of recent years, a clearer picture is emerging of the transformed world of work,” says Sinéad Proos, head of health & wellbeing at Laya Healthcare.

“Office life has changed forever, becoming less a place for task management and more a shared space to re-establish social connections that employees have clearly missed out on,” she adds. “Bedding in the changes of recent years is top of mind for HR leaders across Ireland. That includes making further investments in the capability to work from home where possible Also new for 2023 is the need to introduce specific financial wellbeing supports to help retain and attract top talent.” n

Laya Healthcare is helping employers to stay a beat ahead in 2023 and beyond through the Workplace Wellbeing Index, one of Ireland’s largest studies among Irish employees and employers in the workplace. The full Workplace Wellbeing Index report, supporting playbooks and indeed speaker series to support a healthy workforce, can be downloaded / viewed at (layahealthcare.ie/wellbeingindex).

GRID

The top news stories in FMCG and retail from across Ireland

Lidl Ireland chief

operating officer appointed to Repak Board

Lidl’s chief operating officer, Robert Ryan, has been appointed to the Repak board of directors. According to Lidl, Robert Ryan has been at the forefront of developing and delivering many of the retailer’s marketleading sustainability initiatives across Lidl’s network of 200 plus stores and four regional distribution centres on the island of Ireland. These include achieving zero waste to landfill and the roll-out of in-store customer recycling and plastic footprint reductions.

Influencer ads on social media need labelling says research

In a new report on social media influencers by the CCPC, it found that just 10% of consumers trust the information provided by influencers. However, while consumers distrust influencers in general, they do appear to trust the influencers that they follow. What’s more, almost 50% (48.4%) of the commercial content reviewed by the CCPC was not labelled as advertising in any way Poor levels of labelling relating to influencers’ marketing of their own brands was an area of particular concern identified in the research.

Irish grocery sales hit a record-breaking €1.3 billion

Take-home grocery sales in Ireland increased by 10% in the four weeks to 25 December 2022 as the average price per pack soared 13% and visits to stores increased by 7%, according to the latest figures from Kantar The first Christmas since 2019 with no Covid19 restrictions saw shoppers spend an additional €119m, making it a record-breaking month with sales of €1.3bn. Grocery inflation now stands at 15.4% for the 12-week period ending 25 December 2022, the highest level yet and even higher than in the UK, which currently stands at 14.2%.

Italian producers angered at Ireland’s plans for alcohol health warnings

A plan by the Irish government to introduce health warnings on labels of bottles of wine, beer and spirits has caused anger in Italy, according to The Guardian The measures, which would warn consumers about the risks of cancer and liver diseases linked to alcohol, can go ahead after a deadline passed for the European Commission to oppose it.

Coldiretti, Italy’s biggest farmers’ association, described the prospective warnings as a “direct attack” against the country because half of the industry’s €14bn of annual revenues come from abroad.

Meat processors welcome the resumption of beef exports to China

Meat Industry Ireland (MII) has welcomed the resumption of beef exports to China, announced on 5 January MII chair Philip Carroll said: “The decision in 2020 to temporarily suspend trade was due to a single case of atypical BSE that was detected by the Department and notified to the Chinese authorities as part of the protocols associated with access to the Chinese market. This announcement will now enable companies to renew and further develop trade opportunities with customers in China which have been disrupted for the past two and a half years.” For more on this, turn to page 45

‘Energy support package is inadequate’ says Retail NI

Northern Ireland retailers’ group Retail NI has dubbed the UK government’s energy support package for businesses as “inadequate, poorly targeted and ultimately pointless” as local shops and many other businesses face a massive hike in energy costs from April 2023. The government is currently reducing business energy bills by controlling the wholesale price that is the main component of businesses’ energy bills. However, from April they will instead introduce a subsidy to electricity bills of 1.96p per kilowatt hour for all business customers paying over a minimum rate

77 enforcement orders served on food businesses in 2022

A total of 77 enforcement orders were served on food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation in 2022, an increase of 31% on the 59 that were served in 2021. The increase in enforcement orders follows almost a full year of normal food business operations following the lifting of remaining Covid-19 restrictions, in early 2022. The FSAI continues to urge all food businesses to adhere to food safety legislation, appropriately train staff to produce, serve and sell food that is safe to eat and ensure premises are adequately pest proofed.

Irish food and drink exports reach record high of €16.7 billion

The publication of Bord Bia’s Export Performance and Prospects report 2022/23 reveals the value of Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture exports increased by 22% last year to reach a new record high of €16.7 billion. The significant increase in food and drink exports, up €3 billion since last year, can be attributed to both increasing unit prices, due to inflation and rising input and operational costs, and an increase in the volume of goods exported.

Maxol redevelops Kilkenny and Mitchelstown sites

Maxol has completed a €2.8m investment programme at two of its sites, on the Dublin Road in Kilkenny and in Mitchelstown, Cork. The investment was part of a wider €27m capital investment programme across the Maxol network during 2021/2022. In total, the group has invested a significant €87m in redevelopments since 2018. Maxol now has more than 240 service stations across the island of Ireland. n

Dr Pamela Byrne, chief executive, FSA

Robert Ryan

Maxol CEO Brian Donaldson

Müller Corner waltzes back onto our screens as the sponsor of RTE’s Dancing with the Stars 2023

Müller Corner has returned as the sponsor of RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars, the country’s most popular dance-off show, and is supporting it with a significant promotional campaign to help drive consumer demand in-store of Müller Corner Irish Favourites.

Special promotional packs are on shelves now and include a ‘Text to Win’ Competition to be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to attend a live Dancing with the Stars show and overnight hotel stay

The multipack includes Müller’s best-ever Müller Corner recipe, which contains more protein and has a thicker and creamier texture and consumers can enjoy Ireland’s favourite flavours: Strawberry, Vanilla Chocolate Balls, and Milk Chocolate Digestives.

“Dancing with the Stars is always such a joyful show to watch, and we are very excited to be proud partners again this year,” said Sean Cleary, head of Müller Ireland. “With such a great cast, audience and dances each week that keep us on our toes, the show perfectly aligns with our brand purpose, which is to inspire happy and healthy lifestyles.”

Guidance from MyWaste takes uncertainty out of waste segregation

Guidance designed to take the uncertainty out of waste segregation for businesses is now available from MyWaste Ireland’s official guide to waste. This government-funded initiative provides a free and extensive suite of signage and training materials to help workforces make accurate recycling decisions.

This will assist Irish businesses achieve greater Circular Economy performance through increased recycling and composting rates. A waste characterisation study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that almost 70% of materials being placed in the general commercial waste bins is waste that should be placed in the recycling or food waste bins. Targeted materials (those suitable for recycling) accounted for only 60% of the materials in the mixed dry recycling bins, with food waste among the contaminants.

The study found that by improving waste segregation practices, businesses could divert significant amounts of waste from the general waste stream annually

Speaking on behalf of the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices, Kevin Swift, Connacht Ulster Region Waste Office said: “This initiative will empower small and medium sized businesses, particularly those in the retail, hospitality, manufacturing and corporate sectors, to further improve how their waste is managed.

“With clear language and visuals, the materials will make it easy for staff to quickly understand what waste goes in what bin,” he added. “This should help significantly increase the amount of recyclables and food waste diverted from the general bin and correctly placed in the recycling and food waste bins.”

The toolkit is free to download or order from www.mywaste.ie/business/

The show, which begins in January and runs until March 2023, features a new hosting duo of Jennifer Zamparelli and Doireann Garrihy, along with famous faces such as Suzanne Jackson, Carl Mullen, Panti Bliss and Shane Byrne taking to the dancefloor this year

SuperValu invests €7.9 million in sustainability initiatives in six months

SuperValu has invested €7.9 million in sustainability initiatives across its stores over the past six months. Of this €7.9 million, some €4.1 million was drawn down from a major sustainability fund announced by Musgrave in June 2022 while an additional €3.8 million spend has been matched by independent SuperValu retailers.

The Musgrave Sustainability Fund launched in June 2022 and runs up until the end of 2023. It provides a share of €25 million investment in SuperValu stores across the island of Ireland. So far, 77 SuperValu stores in the Republic of Ireland have availed of the fund. These retailers have achieved a reduction of 2,094 tonnes of carbon through the Musgrave Sustainability Fund already, which is equivalent to planting 78,615 trees.

This fund is part of the company’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon by 2040 Through the fund, stores can avail of funding for LED lighting, refrigeration and freezer upgrades, electronic shelf edge labels (eSELs), solar panels, and electric delivery vans.

Over the past six months alone, SuperValu retailers have installed 5,322 solar panels, saving enough energy to power 435 homes annually In addition, SuperValu retailers have now saved 182,000 sheets of paper with the installation of eSELs in 2022.

As part of its net zero journey, in 2022, SuperValu also removed over 35 tonnes of plastic packaging while 376 tonnes of non-recyclable black plastic trays across fresh meat and fish changed over to recyclable clear plastic.

One store to avail of the fund was SuperValu Westport in Co Mayo, which introduced a retrofit of LED lighting, refrigeration and freezer upgrades, and the installation of electronic shelf edge labels (eSELs). The initiatives implemented so far have seen a 43% reduction in carbon emissions at the Mayo-based store, with more plans for further sustainability initiatives in 2023.

Liam Campion, store manager, SuperValu Westport, described this result as “a significant milestone for the business and one that will have tangible benefits for the local community And we won’t stop there. As a community hub, we are committed to reaching ‘net zero’ by 2040 and we will continue to enhance sustainability measures across the store.” n

Special promotional packs of Müller Corner include a ‘Text to Win’ competition

At Kavanagh’s SuperValu Westport are Liam Campion, store manager and Noel Kavanagh Junior, store owner

Kilkenny school wins €3,000 through Avonmore Super Milk science competition

A fun experiment inspired by Avonmore Super Milk led to the students at Scoil Mhuire Presentation Primary School in Kilkenny winning a cheque for €3,000 for their school. The competition to win this great prize formed part of a campaign which also taught children about the importance of bone health and how to make and decorate their own bone mould using Avonmore Super Milk and some additional ingredients.

Now in its fourth year, the Avonmore Super Milk Super Science Experiment is an exciting initiative encouraging primary schools nationwide to engage in a STEM-based lesson, while learning about the importance of bone health.

The campaign teaches children about how the nutrients in Avonmore Super Milk – in particular Vitamin D and Calcium – contribute to long-term bone health.

The optimal time for children to build their ‘bone bank’ is during childhood. Adequate Vitamin D and Calcium intake in children and teenagers supports bone development and healthy teeth. Avonmore Super Milk should be enjoyed as part of a varied and balanced diet and healthy lifestyle

Pictured at Scoil Mhuire Presentation Primary in Co. Kilkenny are Eithne O’Hara, marketing controller, Tirlán; Eimear Daly, 1st class teacher and students at Scoil Mhuire Presentation Primary School, Kilkenny

Solving the top five challenges for retail technology S&W announces innovative new business structure

2023 presents many challenges for retailers big and small, from the single shop to the multiples, Roctel’s Rocsolid Retail explores the top five pain points for retailer technology:

1. Lack of automation: Automating customer data, inventory, ordering, and customer service is essential for efficient retail operations. However, many retailers still lack the necessary technology and lack the resources to invest in this.

2. insufficient data analysis: Many retailers are not taking advantage of the data they have, to perform deep analysis of customer behaviour, purchasing patterns, and other important data points.

3. Poor security: With the rise of data breaches, it is essential for retailers to have adequate security measures in place. This includes encryption, identity and access management, and malware detection.

4. Outdated technology: Retailers need to stay up-to-date with the latest technology to keep up with the competition and meet customer expectations.

5. Poor user experience: Retailers need to provide customers with a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience. This includes a well-designed website, mobile app, and in-store systems.

Rocsolid Retail powered by Meraki provides retailers with a comprehensive solution to these technology challenges. It includes dual access to offer high availability hardware, software, and services to help retailers build a secure, reliable, and scalable technology infrastructure. The platform provides secure Wi-Fi, integrated analytics, and centralized management of devices, applications, and networks. It also offers advanced features such as location-based services and embedded analytics to support retail operations. Additionally, retailers can use the platform to optimize their customer experiences and gain insights into customer behaviour

Rocsolid Retail is a nationwide service that is underpinned by best-in-class tier one carrier services with Cisco Meraki technologies at its core It is easy to find out how the company can help you: just call 0818 365 247 or email sales@roctel.net for a free consultation, or find out more on www.roctel.net/retail

In January 2023, S&W Wholesale will become one of the largest known businesses in Northern Ireland to move to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) model of ownership This structure will see control of the business move from its current private ownership to a trust, which will manage and control the shares indirectly on behalf of employees. This will provide an innovative, forward-thinking succession plan for the current owners.

The 106-year-old business, headquartered in Newry has always prided itself on its commitment to its people The new structure will see no visible change in the business. Day-to-day control will remain in the capable hands of the current leadership team.

The EOT legal structure, lauded by government and widely used in other parts of the UK, has been relatively unexplored in Northern Ireland.

“We have been working on a succession plan for some time to secure the future of the business, while allowing for growth,” said Norman Savage, S&W director “We didn’t want to become another name swallowed up by the bigger players or potentially bought and closed by an investor We have a loyalty to our people, customers, and supply partners. We also have ambitious growth plans, with a new purpose-built site currently in the planning system.”

“Our shareholding will effectively be bought over time by the trust, with the majority of the business shares held in the trust collectively on behalf of the employees,” added CEO Michael Skelton. “This means that when the company does well, the employees, as beneficiaries, will do well. The nature of the structure allows for incentives such as tax-free bonuses and other inducements as the business model continues to mature.

“This is a very bold and exciting move for us as pioneers of EOT at this scale in Northern Ireland,” Skelton said.

“Our suppliers are safe in the knowledge that S&W will be their partners for the long term with its ambitious growth plans and investment back into the business through the trust. Our customers know that we will continue to deliver exceptional service, as every member of our team is now a beneficial stakeholder in the business. We will remain on the board but as exiting shareholders we know that the 100-year-old legacy of the S&W journey will live on for many years to come.” n

Norman Savage, director; Alan Dorman, trading director; Michael Skelton, CEO; and Anthony McVeigh, CFO, at S&W

2023 CSNA Stockbook delivered to retailers

The 2023 CSNA Stockbook was delivered to all retailers on Monday, 19 December. If you have not received your copy of the 2023 CSNA Stockbook, can you please contact the office on 045-535050 to arrange to have your copy delivered.

CSNA president John Paul Lonergan, the National Executive and all of us in the office would like to wish all CSNA members our best wishes for 2023 and would like to remind you that you can contact us by phone or e-mail with any concerns, queries or observations you might have about any aspect of your business.

Whether you need advice on the implications of forthcoming legislation or information about your Statutory obligations, the association will be able to assist you.

This year will see an additional

number of potentially costly increases to your business in areas as diverse as Auto Enrolment Pensions, extensions to Sick Leave and the introduction of separate licensing regimes for tobacco and the sale of vaping products.

There will also be substantial changes in the law regarding access to new off-licenses, with a proposal to extinguish access for new applicants for wine only off-licences.

The move towards a Living Wage will see yearly increases in the existing National Minimum Wage in the order of an 80 cent increase each year over the next three years,

with a suggestion that the current sub-minima rates for 17, 18 and 19 year-old workers be paid at the adult rate if the Low Pay Commission overturns its own 2017 decision to maintain these rates - the Irish way of continually asking a question until the “right” answer is given comes to mind!

It is very likely that the association will need you to assist us in campaigning for changes to some of these directions during the year; we know that such campaigns are effective and look forward to getting in touch.

Worried about your shop insurance?

Contact CSNA today.

Feel you’re paying too much for your energy?

Contact CSNA and avail of a free CSNA energy audit.

Ensure that you are receiving the weekly CSNA newsletter; if you’re not, please contact the CSNA office on 045-535050.

All members should now have received the 2023 CSNA Stockbook

Repak: Are you paying too much? – Avail of the free CSNA Repak Audit.

Remember that the National Minimum Wage increased on 1 January 2023: Ensure that you made the relevant changes.

Contracts of employment: Ensure that all contracts are up-to-date and compliant with current legislation.

A reminder to all members that on 1 January 2023, the National Minimum Wage was increased from €10.50 to €11.30 per hour.

In order to ensure that the increase in the minimum wage does not result in employers attracting a higher level of PRSI charge solely due to this increase, the employer PRSI threshold will increase from €410 to €441 on 1 January 2023.

Further information, including details of exemptions and deductions, can be found at gov.ie/minimumwage

CSNA

CSNA NEWS

JOHN PAUL LONERGAN National President, CSNA

Newspread responds positively to association request to drop fuel surcharge Sick Pay update

When Newspread added an additional €2.20 to each of its 3,800 customers’ weekly invoices for all deliveries from 12 April as a response to the spiralling fuel prices, it was unwelcome though hardly unprecedented. The contractors are almost entirely independent of Newspread and were in real danger of not being able to continue to fulfil their delivery contracts due to the high costs of fuel.

Newspread management advised the association that the increase of €2.20 would only be applied for the duration of the crisis, would not be subsumed into existing Carriage Service Charges, and would have its own description as a separate line on invoices.

At the time, the price of diesel at the pumps was averaging €1.95, the price this week is €1.75, and has (fortunately) continued to fall since early November.

After representation from the association on behalf of our members, we are very pleased to report that we have been informed that the surcharge will be removed in full on the first week in January and all retailers will be informed accordingly.

Members will be aware that EM News did not apply a fuel surcharge, though we believe that there is a built-in delivery charge contained in the £STG to €EURO Ready Reckoner calculations, so perhaps that ongoing windfall can be diverted towards supplementing carrier costs!

The Department of Enterprise has not published the regulations for the Sick Leave Scheme and we are concerned that many of our members who outsource their payroll and HR matters may be unaware that the software providers may not as yet have perfected their systems since they are awaiting the regulations. The CSNA is trying to get sight of them, even in draft form but the Attorney General has blocked this.

If there are employees who call in sick, they should be appraised of the following:

• Payment will only be made on production of a Sick Certificate

• Payment will be at a rate of 70% of what the missed shift would have earned, up to a maximum of €110 (per day).

You have a legal duty to maintain a record of all Sick Leave Claims that were paid.

Employers have a legal duty to maintain a record of all Sick Leave Claims that were paid

Every employee who has worked for at least 13 weeks for the business is entitled to Statutory Sick Leave.

Newspread’s €2.20 surcharge will be removed in full on the first week in January and all retailers will be informed accordingly

In 2023, an employee will be entitled to claim for three certified sick days.

An employee cannot “carry over” unused Sick Leave days into the following year. n

Bank of Ireland donates €1 million to cost-of-living crisis response

Bank of Ireland is donating €1 million to organisations supporting those most at risk from cost-of-living pressures.

The bank is making €500,000 available immediately with the remaining €500,000 to be allocated in March. The first €500,000 is being fast-tracked to 12 organisations working with vulnerable groups across the island of Ireland with grants ranging from €25k up to €100k. It will support established, national organisations that are alleviating the cost-of-living crisis through the provision of a range of practical supports. The second allocation will be divided across approximately 50 smaller non-profit organisations, with average grants of up to €10,000 being distributed in March.

As with previous similar donations, the bank is working with Community Foundation Ireland. The foundation has advised the bank on a wide range of social issues and organisations that require immediate financial support, and is managing the allocation of the funding on behalf of the bank.

The beneficiary organisations identified by the foundation who will receive funding from Bank of Ireland in ROI are; The Children’s Rights Alliance, Focus Ireland, Enable Ireland Disability Services, Age Action, One Family, Tribli CLG, Crosscare, Irish Refugee Council, Immigrant Council of Ireland, Children’s Rights Alliance. In Northern Ireland, Barnardo’s NI, Oasis Caring in Action Antrim, Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid will receive funding. n

Myles O’Grady, Group CEO, Bank of Ireland with Denise Charlton, CEO of Community Foundation Ireland along with grant recipients, Focus Ireland’s director of services, Ciara Carty and Tanya Ward, CEO of The Children’s Rights Alliance

Dan’s Digest With Dan White

Is the worst inflation already behind us?

With inflation biting, grocers and other retailers are facing into a very tough New Year with sales volumes falling by at least 4% as cash-strapped consumers cut back on their shopping.

The CSO published its November retail sales index on 6 January Yes, I know they’re almost six weeks out of date, but they are all we’ve got. Even allowing for the lack of timelines, they painted a very grim picture of how the retail sector is performing in the wake of lockdowns and Ukraine.

The headline figure was that retail sales across all categories rose by 3.6% in November compared to the same month in 2021. However, when one strips out the impact of inflation, the CSO estimates that inflation as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), stood at 8.9% in the 12 months to November 2022, while the volume of retail sales fell by 4.2% on an annual basis.

Even when one excludes the notoriously volatile motor category, the picture remains broadly the same with the value of sales up 6.3% but the volume of sales down by 1.4%.

impact across sectors

The volume of sales fell across most retail sectors. The value of sales in non-specialised stores (including supermarkets) rose by 8.6% but the volume of their sales fell by 1.4% while the value of food, beverage and tobacco sales was up by 4.5% but the volume of those sales dropped by 6.3%.

It was a similar story with furniture and lighting sales, where the value of sales fell by 1.6% but the volume of sales was down by 4.3%, and hardware with a 4.1% increase in the value of sale of sales was offset by a 3% fall

in sales volumes.

Only fuel, where a 20.9% increase in sales translated into a 3.9% increase in volumes and bars (artificially boosted by the end of Covid19 restrictions in early 2022) where sales rose by 22.6% and volumes by 13.6%, significantly bucked this trend.

Kantar figures

While we will have to wait until early next month for the CSO’s December retail sales index, market research firm Kantar released its Christmas sales figures for the Irish grocery market on 9 January These showed that total grocery sales increased by 10% in value terms to €1.3bn during the four weeks to 25 December

The problem once again was that what appeared to be a very strong sales increase when measured in value terms was completely swept away, and then some, by higher grocery inflation, which Kantar estimates at an annual 15.4% during the 12 weeks to 25 December

Set one off against the other and the apparently higher value sales translated into a 4% volume reduction in the four weeks to Christmas Day

Not alone were volumes down, the composition of the average shopping basket changed. While the value of own-label sales rose by 11.1%, those of branded products rose by only 4.2%. When allowance is made for inflation that converts into a 3%-4% reduction in own-label volumes but a massive 10%-11% fall in branded volumes.

premium own-label success

In the run-up to Christmas, the growth in own-label seems to have been strongest in the supermarkets’ premium ranges. Kantar estimates total premium own-label sales to have been €150m in the pre-Christmas period, almost 12% of total supermarket sales.

Dunnes Stores was the best performer in premium own-label, with a 22% jump in sales value, according to Kantar

Ireland’s harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) peaked at 9.5% in October, before slowing to 9% in November and then 8.2% in December, which Dan White is optimistic marks the start of a trend

VieWs on the latest eConomiC & politiCal neWs

As 2023 gets underway, Dan White crunches all the available numbers to see what forecasts can be gleaned on inflation in the year ahead

However, the good news on premium ownlabel notwithstanding, the picture that emerges from the Kantar research is broadly similar to that portrayed by the CSO data. Consumers are spending more, trading down to private-label and buying less. As inflation continues to erode the real value of incomes, shoppers are under serious financial stress.

inflationary wave has crested While it is still early days, there are at least a few signs that the inflationary wave that has flowed over us for the past 18 months may have already crested. First triggered by the Covid-induced disruption to supply chains, the acceleration in inflation was turbocharged by the leap in commodity prices, particularly those of energy and food, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February

After almost eleven months of doing his absolute worst, it turns out that, at least if you aren’t Ukrainian, Putin’s bark is much worse than his bite. Natural gas prices, before the invasion when Europe imported 40% of its gas from Russia, soared following the attack on Ukraine. London natural gas prices – most of the natural gas we import comes either from or through the UK – rose more than 20-fold in the two years to the end of August 2022. Since then, they have fallen by over 80% and are now back to pre-invasion levels.

Kantar’s latest Market Share data shows Dunnes continues to hold the highest share amongst all retailers at 23.7% with growth of 9.6% year-on-year

It is a similar story with crude oil prices, which have also fallen back to pre-invasion levels, while grain prices are also well down on their late spring/early summer highs.

Even if commodity prices stay at their still elevated levels, inflation is likely to fall rapidly over the next 12 months as last year’s steep price rises fall out of the comparison.

So, when are we likely to see this lower inflation? The good news is that inflation may

have already begun to fall. The annual rate of inflation as measured by CPI rose by 8.9% in November, down from a peak of 9.2% in October To which most readers will reply: So what?

Beginnings of a trend

Fair enough but there is more than one way of skinning a cat - or measuring the inflation rate for that matter The EU’s favoured measurement of inflation is the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP). I won’t bore you with the details of the differences between CPI and HICP. Suffice to say HICP tends to rise faster than CPI when prices first start to increase but then falls faster when they begin to fall.

Irish HICP peaked at 9.5% in October It then slowed to 9% in November and to 8.2% in December Call me an optimist but this is beginning to look like a trend, one that is likely to be repeated in future CPI releases. For both shoppers and retailers, the good news for 2023 is that the worst of the recent inflation may already be behind us. n

“The problem once again was that what appeared to be a very strong sales increase when measured in value terms was completely swept away, and then some, by higher grocery inflation, which Kantar estimates at an annual 15.4% during the 12 weeks to 25 December.”

Zamora Company USA introduces Fercullen Irish whiskey in the US

Fercullen Irish Whiskey from the Powerscourt Distillery on the Powercourt Estate, one of Ireland’s most-visited locations, will now be available across the US thanks to a new distribution partnership with Zamora Company USA.

Irish whiskey is one of the fastestgrowing spirits categories in the US, projected to increase in volume by +67% from 2021 to 2026, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. Zamora Company USA will import, sell, and market Fercullen in the US, effective immediately, alongside such iconic spirits as Licor 43, Martin Miller’s Gin, Double Cross Vodka, Yellow Rose Whiskey, Lolea Sangria, Don Papa Rum, San Cosme Mezcal, and Villa Massa Limoncello, Amaretto and Vermouth.

The flagship of the Fercullen line is Fercullen Falls, a new small-batch 50/50 blend of malt and grain whiskeys with a high malt content highlighting the unique style of the Powerscourt Distillery The malt whiskey in the blend was matured in first fill ex-bourbon barrels and the grain in a combination of ex-bourbon and new heavy char oak casks.

“As we continue to grow our world-class spirits and wines in the US, Irish whiskey has long been at the top of our list of categories to strengthen our portfolio, and Fercullen from the Powerscourt Distillery

has always been our top choice. Fercullen is truly an exceptional spirit, proudly crafted by one of the most awarded distillery teams in the industry,” said Andrew Stewart, global brand manager at Zamora Company USA.

In addition to Fercullen Falls, Zamora Company USA will also release Fercullen Single Malt, Fercullen 15-Year-Old Irish Whiskey, and limited edition Fercullen 21-Year-Old Single Malt in the U.S.

Powerscourt Distillery’s founding master distiller Noel Sweeney is the longest practicing and most decorated distiller in Ireland, responsible for more independent brands of Irish whiskey than any other distiller in the country Fercullen’s head distiller and blender Paul Corbett was also recently awarded Master Distiller/Blender of the Year at the 2023 Icons of Whisky Ireland Awards, and the Powerscourt Distillery won in the Visitor Attraction of the Year category

“The USA is the largest market for Irish whiskey sales globally, representing 41% of global market share in 2021. We at the Powerscourt Distillery have waited until the right time and crucially finding the right partner before we launched Fercullen Irish Whiskey into the US market and we are in a great position to appoint Zamora Company USA as our national importers,” said Ryan Stapleton, Powerscourt Distillery’s global head of sales.

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits distributes the Zamora Company USA portfolio in 41 markets, and the company works with other top wholesalers such as Horizon Beverage Group in other American states. n

The Fercullen Falls name refers to the picturesque Powerscourt Waterfall, located on the Powerscourt Estate, home to Ireland’s largest waterfall and the inspiration for the new Fercullen Falls Irish Whiskey

Wealth Management For You

Richard Collins, owner and CEO of Walfrid Private Ltd. T/A RetailWealth, outlines how his company harnesses the power of technology to “provide simple, effective and transparent financial solutions that are built for the future”

Richard Collins has worked in the financial services, accounting and wealth management industries since 1998. He has worked on asset acquisition across the globe from Europe, the Middle East and America. Richard lives and loves entrepreneurship, wealth management and property investing.

Collins is motivated to change the way people think about business, retirement, wealth planning, lifetime passive income and aims to support people around the globe through financial mentorship in developing economies.

Earlier on in his career, he worked as a management accountant, specialising in global-syndicated property investment. As an investment manager he sourced, acquired, and led the asset management of these properties for institutional investors and high net worth individuals.

“At Walfrid Private, we firmly believe that what we offer our clients is a revolutionary way to manage money,” says Collins.

“From the technology we use to our investment philosophy, empowering clients to reach their goals is paramount,” he continues. “We know that technology holds the key to delivering modern wealth management plans to our private clients. We are leaders, not followers, we believe that modern times call for a modern approach. By harnessing the power of technology, we can provide simple, effective and transparent financial solutions that are built for the future.”

Walfrid Private Ltd is a fully independent, Irish-owned wealth management firm specialising in the provision of professional financial advice to Irish company directors and business owners With a 10X mindset, we know we can achieve what most cannot, and we have staff who take the same approach to their personal and professional lives.

Our focus is on the appraisal of personal and business finances to reduce cost, reduce tax and improve efficiency.

What is Zero Tax Property?

Zero Tax Property is explained within the name. When you purchase property through your pension structure, there is tax relief on contributions, and you pay no tax on any rental income or capital appreciation.Your pension can purchase direct property currently and 25% of the value of the pension’s funds - capped at €200,000, is tax free.

You can purchase property using a self-administered pension. Pension rules allow the use of Pension funds for the purchase of property assets as an individual or co-ownership. You can purchase residential or commercial property within your pension.

Five

At Zero Tax Property, we do the research, we do the work, we do the due diligence! We find the deal, we buy the deal, fund the deal, and even manage the deal! Pension rules allow the use of retirement funds for the purchase of real property assets in individual, co-ownership, or syndicated funds. Properties held fall under the categories of residential, commercial, industrial Maybe a combination of each of these held within syndicated funds.

Did you know?

As a business owner, you can potentially receive up to €750,000 from the sale of business assets without incurring a Capital Gains Tax Liability.

Walfrid Private Ltd. T/A RetailWealth.

Walfrid Private is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland

Focusing on wealth protection, development and retention

A: I started off as an accountant and realised the wealth planning side was where I could add value for people. I worked in asset acquisition for syndicated funds. Walfrid Private was established following the financial crisis of 2008 to help Irish SME business owners protect, develop, and retain wealth.

Q: How do you help your clients manage their tax and indeed their wealth?

A: Walfrid has a simple job. Our unique ability is to coach Irish business owners to manage wealth efficiently We use tax-efficient tactics that accountants don’t focus on, as part of annual accounts. Walfrid translates complex reliefs available into a simple wealth development matrix. Our clients follow our REAP wealth management process to protect wealth from volatility and taxes. It’s simple, if you can legally reduce the current tax you pay, you can afford to retire earlier

Q: How can your clients utilise their pensions to make solid investments?

A: Pension is an evil word. The truth is that a pension is a structure or a box. The contents of the box are the assets a client picks to grow the value of the fund. Some investment decisions have proven whereby little regard was taken for the foundation of the investment. Following Covid and the volatility since the outbreak of war Ukraine, clients often now like to buy property in their pension. advantage is that the rent is tax-free and the growth is tax-free. property outside a pension can be very costly from a tax perspective.

in The Buying protection available to advice to what’s available. focus tax-free or

Q: What areas do you specialise in regar potential retail clients?

A: Wealth protection, development and retention are the key our business. We show clients the cost and tax savings that available. The majority of clients who engage with Walfrid have an advisor but they want a change. They want alternatives commission-based advice. They typically want fee-for-service remove the commission bias and have a full picture of what’ We will discuss pensions as one tool for retirement. The main will be tax-efficient asset-backed investments that produce reduced tax income.

A: We show clients the importance of holding companies. We live by the slogan, ‘The day you buy is the day you sell’ and show clients how retirement relief and entrepreneurial relief can accelerate financial independence to retire early

Q: What is your background in financial planning and how did Walfrid Private Ltd originate?

Q: What additional services do you advise on?

ShelfLife caught up with Richard Collins to learn more about how Walfrid Private can specifically help clients to improve their financial situations, with fee-forservice advice offering a full picture of what’s available to be costly

Celebrating the best in the business!

Platinum

Ireland’s top retailers and brands gathered at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire on Wednesday, 24 November 2022 to attend the prestigious ceremony Now in their 22nd year, the C-Store Awards are the only comprehensive and independently 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 category awards were presented, celebrating the industry’s finest stores and people in a diverse range of categories.

Spar Corrib Oil Kenmare, Co. Kerry with the Supreme Champion – National Convenience Store of the Year 2022 Award.

The judges said of the national winner: “Spar Kenmare offers the finest range of hot and cold deli, alongside a well stocked and well merchandised grocery range. The hot

Master of Ceremonies Marty Whelan kept everyone entertained throughout the night

ShelfLife publisher John McDonald addressing the audience

The Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire served a fabulous meal on the night

Winners of the National Lottery Retailer of the Year 2022 Award celebrating on stage

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

Exceptional standards of Ireland’s convenience store sector celebrated at annual national ShelfLife C-Store Awards 2022

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.”

Discussing the dedication required to win a C-Store Award, ShelfLife publisher John McDonald said: “Once again, our judges were extremely impressed with the calibre of entrants across the country All the winners should be extremely proud of themselves, their teams and the levels of service offered. It is this professionalism which has led to Ireland’s convenience store being viewed on an international stage as the standard to which others aspire.”

Following the tragic events that occurred in the village of Creeslough, Co. Donegal, on Friday, 7 October 2022, a special tribute was paid on the night as a mark of respect to all those affected. Throughout this immensely

challenging and painful time, the strength and teamwork of the close-knit community in Creeslough has been truly inspiring, and the judges therefore felt it fitting to award the Champion of the Year Award 2022 to Nearby/ Applegreen, Creeslough.

Working closely alongside the local community and the Diocese, the Lafferty family and the team at S&W Wholesale opened a store on Friday, 11 November next to St. Michael’s Church to bring back muchneeded services and essentials into Creeslough, with local jobs being supported. “We stand in awe of the efforts and dedication of everyone involved; an example to us all, and we were honoured to present Nearby/Applegreen, Creeslough with the Champion of the Year Award,” the judges said. n

MC Marty Whelan discussing the Convenience Champion of the Year Award with Stephen Vincent, business development manager, Nearby Ireland, who accepted the award on behalf of Nearby/Applegreen, Creeslough, Co. Donegal

Guests enjoying a great time on the night – spot a few familiar faces?

Mark Hargadon, commercial director, Aryzta Ireland, a Platinum Sponsor of the event, speaking on stage

Jim O’Connor, national field sales manager, National Lottery, spoke on the importance of working in partnership with retailers

Convenience Champion of the Year

WINNER: Nearby/Applegreen Creeslough, Co Donegal

John McDonald, publisher of ShelfLife, presents the award for Convenience Champion of the Year 2022 to Stephen Vincent, business development manager, Nearby Ireland on behalf of Nearby/Applegreen, Creeslough, Co. Donegal

Food To Go Retailer of the Year

BRONZE WINNER: Broderick’s Spar Croom, Co Limerick

SILVER WINNER: Maxol M3 Mulhuddart, Dublin 15

GOLD WINNER: Spar Junction 14 Mayfield, Co Kildare

Kevin Fitzgerald, head of field sales, Aryzta Ireland, presents the Gold Award for Food To Go Retailer of the Year 2022 to Liam Fitzpatrick, Gavin Moran, and Maria Irwin of Spar Junction 14 Mayfield, Co. Kildare

Friday the 7th of October 2022 will be a day that will stay with many after the tragic events that occurred in the village of Creeslough, Co Donegal. An immensely challenging and painful time, the strength and teamwork of this close-knit community is truly inspiring. Working closely alongside the local community and the Diocese, the Lafferty family and the team at S&W Wholesale opened a store on Friday 11th November next to St Michael’s Church to bring back much-needed services and essentials into Creeslough, with local jobs being supported.

Annette and Danny Martin, owners of Nearby/ Applegreen Creeslough have said they were “overwhelmed by the help, support and guidance from friends, strangers, S&W Wholesale and our community of Creeslough to get the store opened.”

We stand in awe of the efforts and dedication of everyone involved; an example to us all in retail and we are honoured to present Nearby/Applegreen Creeslough with the Champion of the Year Award.

Protein Section Display of the Year

WINNER: Londis DCU, Glasnevin, Dublin 9

Shelly O’Neill, national sales manager, Fulfil, presents the award for Protein Section Display of the Year 2022 to Nick Ye of Londis DCU, Glasnevin, Dublin 9

Finalists:

Kelly’s Centra, Mountain Top, Letterkenny, Co Donegal

Spar Little Island, Little Island, Co Cork

Spar Park West, The Plaza, Dublin 12 Casey’s Londis, Castlebar, Co Mayo Donnellans Centra / Texaco Forecourt, Ennis, Co Clare Spar Waterloo Exchange, Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4 Spar, Macs Place, N17 Plaza Tuam, Co Galway Barack Obama Plaza, Moneygall, Co Tipperary Donnybrook Fair, Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin 16 Costcutter Wellingtonbridge, Co Wexford Maxol Ballycoolin, N2/N3 Link Road, Dublin 15

What the judges said:

With a vast variety of quality, fresh food available, superb cleanliness and friendly customer service, Spar Junction 14 Mayfield is a most deserving winner within this closely contested category The group’s mission statement succinctly sums up why this store is natural winner, stating: “At Junction 14 Mayfield, we always strive to be the best at what we do Our aim is to be a planned and unique destination of choice, with our friendly and helpful staff on hand to offer commuters convenience with consistently high-quality fresh food and facilities, providing an excellent customer experience.” We are delighted to fully concur with this statement!

Finalists:

Dillons Londis, Fethard on sea, Co Wexford

Costcutter, Clonard Little, Co Wexford Conway’s, Spar, Fairyhouse Rd, Ratoath, Co Meath Costcutter N20 Mallow, Plaza Group Co Cork Maxol Skehard Road, Cork City Maxol Newbridge, Ballymany, Co Kildare Daybreak Southlink Service Station, Cork City

What the judges said:

A store that is renowned throughout our industry for adopting a pioneering, innovative approach across all areas and departments, Londis DCU is absolutely no different when it comes to creating stand-out appeal on shelves. With a young, diverse student custom-base, Londis DCU is once again capitalising on sales potential with an attractive, detailoriented display. Congratulations to all the team on your consistent forward thinking!

The judges’ tribute:

Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

Congratulations

Stores honoured on national stage

Well done to all Londis winners and stores shortlisted.

Forecourt

Kelly’s Londis Boyle, Co Roscommon was awarded Joint Bronze for Convenience Store of the Year (Large). Pictured are Neil Kennedy, Londis Boyle with George Canavan, National Lottery presenting the award.

Londis DCU, was awarded Silver for Convenience Store of the Year (Medium). Pictured are Nick Ye and Brian Bates, Londis DCU with Simon Reenan, National Lottery presenting the award. Londis DCU, managed by Nick Ye, was awarded two further accolades on the night, Fresh & Chilled Retailer of the Year and Protein Section Display of the Year

Casey’s Londis Castlebar, Co Mayo was awarded Bronze for Forecourt Retailer of the Year (Large). Pictured are Katie Casey, Kathryn Maloney, Aidan Hennigan and Gerry Casey, Londis Castlebar with Thomas Desmond, PCS presenting the award.

Byrne’s Londis Aughrim, Co Wicklow was awarded Joint Silver for Convenience Store of the Year (Mini). Pictured are Siobhan McMunn, Teresa Byrne, Anne Marie Cullen Kenny and Caoimhe Byrne, Londis Aughrim with Eric Nolan, Aryzta Ireland presenting the award.

Congratulations to Gillan’s Londis Castleknock, Londis DCU, Byrne’s Londis Aughrim, Kelly’s Londis Boyle and Casey’s Londis Castlebar on their successes at the recent ShelfLife National Convenience Store Awards.

Gillan’s Londis Castleknock, was awarded Gold for Convenience Store of the Year (Small). Pictured are Jonathan Gillan, Londis Castleknock with Eric Nolan, Aryzta Ireland presenting the award.

Best Phone Accessory Display Award

WINNER: Spar/Corrib Oil, Kenmare, Co Kerry

James Fitzpatrick, national business development manager, Smart Bits Phone Accessories, presents the award for Best Phone Accessory Display 2022 to Barry Doyle, representing Spar/Corrib Oil, Kenmare, Co. Kerry

Best C-Store Off-Licence Award

Patrick McDermott, managing director, Stocktaking.ie presents the Best C-Store OffLicence 2022 Award to Centra regional manager Fiona Leavy on behalf of Kelly’s Centra, Mountain Top, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal

What the judges said:

From chargers to earphones, power banks, selfie sticks and more, the phone accessories category has enormous potential to drive sales – particularly when busy, on-the-go customers find their all-important mobile battery is running low! Hats off to the team at Spar/Corrib Oil Kenmare who certainly haven’t missed a trick in this regard and are thus worthy winners within this category

Finalists:

Spar Clancy Quay, The Watchtower, Dublin 8

Spar Little Island, Co Cork

Casey’s Londis, Castlebar, Co Mayo

Kennedys Londis, Boyle, Co Roscommon Donnellan’s Centra/Texaco Forecourt, Ennis, Co Clare

Broderick’s Spar Croom, Co Limerick Marley Centra, Grange Rd, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16 Londis, Quay Street, Dundalk, Co Louth Conway’s, Spar, Ratoath, Co Meath Donnybrook Fair Dundrum, Dublin 16

Spar Corrib Oil, Kenmare, Co Kerry Costcutter, Clonard Little, Co Wexford

What the judges said:

The Cellar Off-Licence at Kelly’s Centra offers a full selection of wines from rustic reds to wonderful whites, spirits, beers and ciders. The team take clear pride in maintaining their modern, sleek off-licence with fantastic value available Staff are engaged, friendly and welcoming, with fantastic social media engagement also Hearty congratulations to all the team!

Best Fresh & Chilled Retailer of the Year

WINNER: Londis DCU, Glasnevin, Dublin 9

Jen Guiney, business development executive, Invest NI, presents the award for Best Fresh & Chilled Retailer of the Year to Brian Bates and Nick Ye of Londis DCU, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, at the ShelfLife C-Store Awards 2022

Sponsored by:

Finalists:

Broderick’s Spar Croom, Co Limerick

Marley Centra, Grange Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16

Donnybrook Fair Dundrum, Dublin 16 Kelly’s Centra, Mountain Top, Letterkenny, Co Donegal Donnellan’s Centra/Texaco Forecourt, Co Clare Spar Clancy Quay, The Watchtower, Dublin 8

Spar Park West, The Plaza, Dublin 12 Murphy’s Gala, Clonroche, Co Wexford Costcutter, Clonard Little, Co Wexford

What the judges said:

A state-of-the-art convenience retail store in the heart of DCU campus, no detail is left to chance at Londis DCU in order to deliver a sustainable, ethical offering. Customers are spoilt for choice in terms of the variety of delicious and nutritious fresh and chilled produce available in-store Despite strong competition within this category, Londis DCU has once again shown itself to be a pioneering retail leader – well done all!

WINNER: Kelly’s Centra, Mountain Top, Letterkenny, Co Donegal

Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

Staff Development Award

Community Initiative Award

Daragh McDonagh, sales executive, Payzone, presents the Staff Development Award to Kevin Forde of Daybreak Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

Finalists:

Conway’s Spar, Ratoath, Co Meath Daybreak Williamstown, Co Galway

David Byrne, head of field sales, Kellogg’s, presents the Community Initiative Award to Paddy O’Hanlon and Colin Fee of Maxol, Dublin Road, Dundalk, Co. Louth

s: Daybreak Dungarvan, Co Waterford

XL Kilberry, Navan, Co Meath

Gala Rooskey, Co Leitrim

Finalists:

Spar/Go Fuels Ashford, Co Wicklow

Kelly’s Centra, Mountain Top, Letterkenny, Co Donegal O’Brien’s Spar Ardee, Co Louth Centra/Pelco, Ballycoolin, Dublin 15

Mee’s Daybreak, Knockcroghery, Co Roscommon McNulty’s Store Ltd, Donegal Town, Co Donegal

What the judges said:

Staff development is clearly central to the success of Daybreak Dungarvan, where 70% of staff have more than eight years’ service. All the management team have been developed in-house through training and coaching. We were extremely impressed by the comprehensive suite of procedures undertaken to support and encourage colleagues’ growth. To give just a few examples, these include providing a range of online training modules through the ‘My Staff’ system, quarterly competency testing, staff performance reviews conducted at least annually and the introduction last year of a Staff Recognition Award, which is awarded when a staff member is deemed to have gone above and beyond what would be expected of them. All in all, this is exactly the type of holistic approach which drives professionalism and career progression within Ireland’s retail industry

National Lottery Retailer of the Year

Mee’s Daybreak, Knockcroghery, Co Roscommon

Londis St James Hospital, Dublin 8 Dowlings Gala, Killenard, Co Laois

What the judges said:

McNultys XL, Donegal Town, Co Donegal

Costcutter Rathcormac, Co Cork Mace Sandymount Green, Dublin 4

We were hugely impressed with the community focus of this store, encompassed in a breadth of initiatives, too numerous to outline fully here. However, we must give a special mention to Maxol, Dublin Road’s Charity of the Month scheme, which has proved a massive success since its introduction in April. The strategy for this initiative focuses specifically on one charity each month, with the team doing their best to support them by placing charity boxes at the tills and deli, facilitating bucket collections, sharing information about the charity on their Facebook page, etc., all the while encouraging customers to make a small donation where possible This also enhances the charity’s profile locally and raises awareness about each cause

At the time of judging last year, the store had already supported charities including the North Louth Hospice (April), the Dundalk Samaritans (May), Breast Cancer Ireland (June), Aware (July) and Dundalk Men’s Shed (August), with the initiative raising over €10,000 in just five months.

What the judges said:

Harvey’s Spar in Thurles, Co Tipperary is a worthy

WINNER: Daybreak Dungarvan, Co Waterford

WINNER: Maxol, Dublin Road, Dundalk, Co Louth

Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

Mary Grace and John Williams, National Lottery field sales team, present the award for National Lottery Retailer of the Year 2022 to Eadaoin Brehon and Gerry Harvey of Harvey’s Spar, Racecourse Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary

WINNER: Harvey’s Spar, Racecourse Road, Thurles, Co Tipperary

Cuisine de France Bakery Award

Zarinah Berkery, senior account manager, Aryzta Ireland, presents the Cuisine de France Bakery Award to Tommy Mullane of Costcutter, Grenagh, Co. Cork

Finalists: Fresh Northern Cross, Malahide, Dublin 17 EuroSpar, Dunboyne, Co Meath Murphy’s Gala, Clonroche, Co Wexford Maxol Newbridge, Ballymany, Co Kildare

What the judges said:

A fresh, enticing in-store bakery offering with fantastic choice available has become increasingly important within the convenience sector in recent years. Consumer interest has been driven by an ever-widening range of fresh goods within the segment. In a competitive category, Costcutter, Grenagh, Co Cork stood out for its passionate team and expansive range of high-quality fresh products.

WINNER: Costcutter, Grenagh, Co Cork

Sponsored by:

Zarinah Berkery, senior account manager, Aryzta Ireland, presents the Cuisine de France Bakery Award to Tommy Mullane of Costcutter, Grenagh, Co Cork

Best Impulse Offering Award

Forecourt Retailer of the Year (Small)

BRONZE WINNER: Mee’s Daybreak/ Inver, Knockcroghery, Co Roscommon

JOINT SILVER WINNERS: Spar/Circle K, Lahey, Co. Donegal Gala/Sweeney Oil, Rooskey, Co Leitrim

GOLD WINNER: Spar/Corrib Oil, Kenmare, Co Kerry

Finalists: Daybreak/Circle K, Dungarvan, Co Waterford Maxol, Ardcavan, Castlebridge, Co Wexford Costcutter/Texaco, Turlough Rd, Castlebar Co Mayo

Finalists:

Dillons Londis, Fethard on Sea, Co Wexford

Conway’s, Spar, Ratoath, Co Meath

Broderick’s Spar Croom, Co Limerick Spar Clancy Quay, Islandbridge, Dublin 8

Spar Junction 14 Mayfield, Monasterevin, Co Kildare

Londis DCU, Glasnevin, Dublin 9 Spar/Corrib Oil, Kenmare, Co Kerry

Murphy’s Gala, Clonroche, Co Wexford Maxol Newbridge, Ballymany, Co Kildare

What the judges said:

When choosing which store has the best impulse offering, we were on the lookout for a savvy shop layout designed to guarantee sales success at an impulse level. As well as meeting that criteria, Spar Little Island impressed us with its exceptional displays of confectionery and other impulse products that fit perfectly in line with the store’s demographic.

What the judges said:

Spar/Go Fuels, Ashford, Co Wicklow Martins Londis/Applegreen, Newbliss, Co Monaghan Burgess Costcutter/Swift Fuels, Killeagh Co Cork

To deliver a superb forecourt experience, retailers must combine friendly and helpful staff with excellent standards in hygiene, cleanliness and quality fresh food and facilities to create a firstclass customer experience. Our Gold winner Spar/Corrib Oil in Kenmare, Co Kerry, ticks all these boxes in spades, with its delicious deli counters offering a great selection of hot and cold foods and soups every day. The judges also specifically praised the store’s excellent marketing campaigns.

Sponsored by:

Colin Donnelly, Spar sales director accepts the Gold Award for Forecourt Retailer of the Year 2022 (Small) sponsored by PCS, on behalf of Spar/ Corrib Oil, Kenmare, Co. Kerry

Nikki Murran, director at Excel Recruitment, presents the Best Impulse Offering Award to Shane Cantillon, Mark Cantillon, and Lisa Corcoran of Spar Little Island, Co. Cork

WINNER: Spar Little Island, Co Cork

Sponsored by:

Forecourt Retailer of the Year (Large)

BRONZE WINNER:

Casey’s Londis/Circle K, Castlebar, Co Mayo

SILVER WINNERS: Spar, Mac’s Place/Top Oil, N17 Plaza, Tuam, Co Galway

GOLD WINNER: Kelly’s Centra / Circle K, Mountain Top, Letterkenny, Co

Finalists:

What the judges said:

The team at Kelly’s Centra/Circle K have pledged that their purpose is to deliver an excellent customer experience on each and every visit to their store, and they have been named a worthy winner in the competitive Large Forecourt of the Year category by successfully living up to this goal. Morning, noon and night, high-quality, tasty food is always made fresh for customers, with an interesting and varied choice of options. With great prices, ‘Smart Savings’, Meal Deals and an extensive healthy eating range, the judges were also most impressed by the store’s efforts as a local community

Congratulations to our Award Winning Retailers

Thomas Desmond, head of business development, presents the Gold Award for Forecourt Retailer of the Year 2022 (Large), to Fiona Leavy, Kelly’s Centra/Circle K, Mountain Top, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal

Donegal

business to support indigenous suppliers alongside local clubs and charities.

Sponsored by:

Barack Obama Plaza, Plaza Group, Moneygall, Co Tipperary Maxol Ballycoolin, N2/N3 Link Road, Dublin 15 Centra / Texaco, Ballycoolin, Dublin 15 Maxol M3, Mulhuddart, Old Navan, Dublin 15

CONVENIENCE STORE OF THE YEAR

Marley Park Centra, Grange Road, Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin.

FORECOURT RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Kelly’s Centra Mountain Top, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.

BEST C-STORE OFF-LICENCE AWARD Kelly’s Centra Mountain Top, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.

Convenience Store of the Year (Mini)

BRONZE WINNER: McNultys XL Store, 20 Orchard Park, Co Donegal

JOINT SILVER WINNERS: Londis Aughrim, Co Wicklow Spar Waterloo Exchange, Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4

GOLD WINNER: Ryan’s Mace, Ballycahill, Thurles, Co Tipperary

Eric Nolan, head of customer development, Aryzta Ireland, presents the Gold Award for Convenience Store of the Year (Mini), to Eddie Savage, Noel Ryan, Mairead Ryan, and Paula Loughnane of Ryan’s Mace, Ballycahill, Thurles, Co. Tipperary

What the judges said:

Opened in November 2021, Ryan’s Mace in Ballycahill, Co Tipperary, has already built a sterling reputation as a onestop community store, with an offering that includes a varied Mace Deli, Bewley’s coffee station, delicious freshly baked breads and cakes, the Mace Right Options range and a full off-licence. With such a strong fresh food range combined with welcoming, friendly staff, Mace Ballycahill has already become a first-class destination. We feel this win is a fitting result to mark Mace Ballycahill’s first anniversary – congratulations to all the team!

Finalists: Costcutter Rathcormac, Co Cork XL Kilberry, Navan, Co Meath

Convenience Store of the Year (Small)

BRONZE WINNER: Daybreak Williamstown, Co Galway

SILVER WINNERS: Dowling’s Gala, Killenard, Co Laois

GOLD WINNER: Londis Castleknock, Phoenix Park Way, Castleknock, Dublin 15

Eric Nolan, head of customer development, Aryzta Ireland, presents the Gold Award for Convenience Store of the Year (Small), to Jonathan Gillen of Londis Castleknock, Phoenix Park Way, Castleknock, Dublin 15

Convenience Store of the Year (Medium)

BRONZE WINNER: Nearby Newtowngore, Co Leitrim

SILVER WINNERS: Londis DCU, Glasnevin, Dublin 9

GOLD WINNER: Spar Mitchelstown, Co Cork

Finalists:

Costcutter Wellingtonbridge, Co Wexford

Inver/Spar, Slieverue, Co Kilkenny

Nearby Delvin, Delvin, Co Westmeath

Spar Park West, The Plaza, Dublin 12

What the judges said:

A well-renowned store within our industry, Londis, The Racecourse Foodhall, Castleknock proved a deserving winner within this highly contested category A mouth-watering deli with a huge variety of freshly made sandwiches, wraps, rolls, salads and an array of delicious homemade dinners to go, is perfectly complemented by an enticing in-store bakery and freshly made coffee offering. Meanwhile, the store’s award-winning off-licence offers a superb choice of fine wines, beers, craft beers and spirits, with plenty of special offers available Overall, Londis Castleknock scored highly across our full checklist and we therefore commend the team on their continued dedication.

Sponsored by:

Finalists:

Brady’s Spar, Coolquay, The Ward, Dublin

O’Brien’s Spar Ardee, Co Louth

Dillons Londis, Fethard on Sea, Co Wexford

Spar Little Island, Co Cork

What the judges said:

One of the factors that impressed us most about Spar Mitchelstown was the friendly and welcoming demeanour of staff upon entering this local, ultra-convenience store. Whether customers are popping in for an Insomnia Coffee or Smooch Ice Cream – to name just a couple of concepts available at the store, which is completed with a beautiful, relaxing seating area – a warm welcome is guaranteed. After undergoing significant renovations at the start of 2022, the store’s modern and easyto-navigate layout also contributed its overall success this year – well done to all involved!

Sponsored by:

Simon Reenan, regional sales manager National Lottery, presents the Gold Award for Convenience Store of the Year (Medium) to Willie Kenneally and Esther Kenneally of Spar Mitchelstown, Co. Cork

Convenience Store of the Year (Large)

JOINT BRONZE WINNERS: Kennedys Londis, Boyle, Co Roscommon Spar Clancy Quay, The Watchtower, Dublin 8

SILVER WINNER: Donnybrook Fair Dundrum, Dublin 16

GOLD WINNER: Marley Park Centra, Grange Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16

George Canavan, head of retail support & distribution, National Lottery, presents the Gold Award for Convenience Store of the Year (Large), to Breda Cahill and Gillian Carry of Marley Park Centra, Grange Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16

Supreme Champion Award –National Convenience Store 2022

What the judges said:

Marley Park Centra ticks all the boxes in what we are looking for within the Large Convenience Store of the Year category Ensuring all departments run smoothly in a c-store of this size requires a well-oiled machine and that is exactly what retailer Breda Cahill and the team have delivered here. Stand-out attributes which have contributed to Marley Park Centra becoming a destination store within the local area include the quality of ingredients within its ‘brand within a brand’ own-brand offerings, excellent offers available and knowledgeable staff

What the judges said:

Spar/Corrib Oil Kenmare is a very well-presented forecourt in a very scenic town far from everywhere with the next stop New York! This forecourt is surrounded by water, sea, rivers, mountains, lakes, and forests, in real rural Ireland while maintaining the highest standards.

Spar Kenmare offers the finest range of hot and cold deli, with a well stocked and well merchandised grocery range The hot bread fresh sandwiches and fresh cakes are excellent to have with Insomnia coffee range or just sit and enjoy a fresh ice cream from the Smooch range

A modern and bright store, where pricing is controlled by electronic POS, the forecourt on our visits was found to be spotless and deserving of the highest accolade

Mark Hargadon, commercial director, Aryzta Ireland and Jim O’Connor, national field sales manager, National Lottery, present the Supreme Champion Award – National Convenience Store 2022, to Colin Donnelly and Jim O’Connor on behalf of Spar/Corrib Oil Kenmare, Co. Kerry

WINNER: Spar/Corrib Oil Kenmare, Co Kerry

Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

Finalist: Broderick’s Spar Croom, Co Limerick

Garry Casey, Katie Casey, Kathryn Maloney and Aiden Hennigan of Casey’s Londis, Castlebar

Siobhan Grimes, Michele O Brien-Power and Lily Jordon of Maxol

Teresa Byrne, Peter Byrne, Ann Marie Cullen Kenny, Siobhan McMunn and Caoimhe Byrne of Byrne’s Londis

Michael McManamon and Mary McGee of Bulmers

Jane Mooney and Marian Lally of Daybreak Williamstown

Nicole Griffin, Megan Barrett, Josephine Deasy and Saimanee Moonti of Daybreak Southlink

Maeve O’Keeffe and Aisling Tuck from Naked Bakes

Paul McBride, Elaine Prendergast and Laura Rafferty of Richmond Marketing

Grainne Egan and Ann Fleming of National Lottery

Mark Creevy and Orla Crehan of Molson Coors

Noel Ryan, Mairead Ryan, Paula Loughnane and Eddie Savage of Ryan’s Mace

Sandrine Dahmani, Una Morrison, and Joana Fonseca of Mondelez Ireland

Luke Mee and Shauna Mee of Daybreak Knockcroghery

Nikki Livingston and Grace Milner of Oyster Bay

Angelika Potulska, Louise Duffy, Kevin Duffy and Daria Waszczuk of Costcutter Turlough Road

New kid on the block steals the show

Spar Corrib Oil Kenmare was named as the Supreme Winner of the ShelfLife C-Store of the Year Award 2022. Fionnuala Carolan spoke to the manager of the store Philip Kelly about the reaction to the win in this small Kerry town

Philip Kelly had just stepped off a place from a holiday in Australia when he learned the news that his store Spar Corrib Oil Kenmare had been crowned the ShelfLife C-Store of the Year He said he was “devastated” to have missed the night in question, but he has since enjoyed all the fanfare that goes with such a win.

“I was still on holidays so there was no one there to represent us unfortunately I thought we had a good chance of winning small store of the year alright but not to win the overall award. It is a great achievement and we are very proud of it,” he says.

New build

Spar Kenmare opened just over a year ago, in November 2021. It was a complete new build on the site of an old forecourt. It is a part of the H2 Group which was bought out by Corrib Oil last summer. There are about 36 stores in the Corrib Oil Group incorporating H2’s 13 stores. Eugene Dalton heads up Corrib Oil Group and Sean Heaphy is managing director of the H2 Group. He is still operating H2 under Corrib Oil and Gillian Morris, former operations manager for H2, is now operations manager of Corrib Oil so

there is a lot of support and a wealth of experience behind this shop.

Astonishingly this is Kelly’s first role as a manager, although he has worked in retail since he was a teenager. He thinks the unique element of this store is that all the staff started together and are all trained to the same standards.

Kelly started in the role two months prior to the shop opening so he gained valuable experience during the opening process. “There was a lot of work to do with ordering and hiring staff,” he explains. “It was a great experience and I loved that side of it. We took on all new staff from Kenmare and trained them together It can be hard to come in as a new manager with long-standing staff so it worked that we were all new.”

High standards

Spar Kenmare is located on the outskirts of the town which is to their benefit as they catch people on their way in and out of the town. They endeared themselves to the locals early on by sponsoring the local soccer club Kenmare Shamrocks and by sponsoring prizes for the golf club which is located right beside them.

Being a new build, the store looks modern and sleek but as everyone knows none of that matters if standards are not right and Kelly says he is a stickler for detail and making sure everything looks right. The deli and Insomnia coffee station are the focal points of the store with a seating area for 18. They are due to

Spar Corrib Oil Kenmare opened just over a year ago, in November 2021

Sean Heaphy, managing director, H2 Group; Gillian Morris, operations manager of Corrib Oil and Philip Kelly, store manager of Spar Corrib Oil Kenmare

begin offering carvery lunches soon and to keep building on an already strong deli offering. Kelly explains that Corrib Oil operates a great loyalty system which means that every seventh coffee and sandwich is free and you can build your points on your card which translates to money that comes straight off your shopping.

They support a number of local suppliers like the Copper Pot from nearby Sneem, which supplies bakery products like bread, apple tarts and cookies and they stock local craft beer Tom Crean, selling more craft beer than wine in the well-performing off-licence.

Forecourt

The forecourt has 21 car spaces and they sell green diesel for agricultural purposes and kerosene on the pumps, kerosene being especially popular this winter with the high price of home heating oil. “People can just fill up a can of kerosene to add to their tanks if they can’t afford to order a full tank of oil that week,” he explains.

“We also sell Corrib Oil motor oils. We stock a good range of motor factor products for tractors and motorbikes. We get a lot of motorbikes in at the weekend as they drive Molls Gap so we could have 20 or more motorbikes parked outside and the people coming in to get their lunch and buy motor products those days.”

The winters are quiet around Kenmare according to Kelly but the town comes alive in the summer when it is thronged with tourists with turnover in the shop doubling. This also means taking on more staff and some of the part timers taking on full time roles.

Staffing is a challenge

Speaking of staff, Kelly sees hiring new staff as the biggest challenge at the moment. He puts it down to a lot of younger people leaving Ireland for a better standard of living abroad. “A lot of my friends are in Australia now I don’t think retail is that appealing to most people. For one reason, it’s not Monday to Friday and a lot of people don’t like working weekends. They probably feel like they can’t grow their careers but that’s not the case as I was made manager after three months. And also you have to be a people person. If you have no interest in meeting customers, it’s not a job for you,” he believes.

Kelly studied business management in college and then worked for Daly’s SuperValu in Killarney for 8/9 years which is where he honed his skills. He took a break from retail for a year to work in the family construction business but went back because he missed the buzz of the retail environment.

“I got a job with H2 in Spar Listowel as a fresh food manager because a friend from college recommended them as good

employers,” he explains. “They had an Insomnia barista offering, a Subway and a deli so I was running all three. I was with them about three months and Sean [Heaphy] called me in and said I’m not sure if you’re aware but we’re building a shop in Kenmare and we’d like for you to take over I was delighted as it was a management position and it was near home,” he explains.

Getting this chance has not been wasted on Kelly and he has certainly proved his worth in record time.

So what appeals to him about a life in retail? “Every day is different,” he says. “It challenges me every day I’m learning so much. I’ll say to Sean and Eugene, that I call this my shop. It’s me that’s running it. They are busy people so it’s my responsibility. They are a good

company to work for and Kenmare is a lovely town to work in.”

He says that the dream would be to have his own shop one day. “I enjoy coming down here every morning. It’s 42 hours of my life every week so I’d want to enjoy it,” he laughs.

C-Store Award

As the newest shop in the group, there was an element of surprise at the win which is really testament to the extremely high standards implemented by Kelly and the management structure of the H2 and Corrib Oil Group.

The judges of the ShelfLife C-Store Awards said of the store: “Spar Corrib Oil Kenmare offers the finest range of hot and cold deli products and was found to be spotless on all our visits and deserving of the highest accolade.”

Kelly heaps praise on his staff for the win but also says that he leads by example. “I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty. I’ll do any job in the store as will any of the staff, I’ve no problem jumping behind the deli when it’s busy and when you see a manager doing a job, you can’t not do it.”

He says he is “a bit over the top” about things being right. “The customer service is always very good here. We have great staff and the win was brilliant for staff morale. There was a huge buzz in the shop for a few weeks after and we made a bit of it on the social media pages. They wanted to send the trophy to head office and I said no chance, I want it here!”

It’s hard to believe that this is the first shop he has ever managed, and he admits that “no one knew who I was until we won this” but we imagine it’s onwards and upwards for Kelly and Spar Kenmare from here on in. n

Store manager Philip Kelly says he is “a stickler for standards” and this ethos is apparent in the store’s appearance across every department

The Insomnia coffee station and deli are focal points within Spar Corrib Oil Kenmare which has a seating area for 18

WINNER: Aryzta Food Solutions

Ireland (Cuisine de France)

Cuisine de France was the deserving winner of the award for Best Supplier of the Year 2022.

“The awards acknowledge stores and individuals across the country who continue to evolve and set new standards within the FMCG sector,” the company said in a press statement.

“Aryzta Ireland was awarded the title of C-Store Supplier of the Year for 2022. We are thrilled to receive this award as it is voted by retailers, and signifies the value we add to businesses nationwide.”

WINNER: Elf Bar

The team at Elf Bar were delighted to receive the award for Best New Product Launch 2022, noting that “it was great to receive your votes in a strong category”.

“Elf Bar sales are very strong in the FMCG sector and are continuing to grow month-on-month,” the company reported. “Lost Mary is another disposable from the makers of Elf Bar and it’s getting huge traction in the category We would urge any retailers looking to stock Elf and Lost Mary to get in touch with Tyco Distribution.”

Tyco Distribution is the listed supplier for Elf and Lost Mary in convenience, forecourt and supermarkets. Tyco is also the official exclusive distributor for these products in Ireland.

The vaping category is seeing significant growth at the moment and the brand is confident that it’s an ideal time for retailers to capitalise on this growth by allocating more space to these products. Tyco Distribution can assist retailers with this by supplying them with the best-selling products in the sector, Elf Bar, Lost Mary and Hale liquids. Tyco can also supply retailers with a full category solution, CDU, gantry units and planograms to optimise sales revenue and profits.

Get in touch today and let Tyco Distribution help you gain incremental sales for your business: Telephone 01 5540172 or email info@tycodistribution.com

Gary Desmond, CEO, Gala, presents the award for Best Supplier of the Year 2022 to Aryzta Food Solutions Ireland, represented by Laura Connor, Zarinah Berkery and Kevin Fitzgerald, at the ShelfLife C-Store Awards 2022

Colin Donnelly, Spar sales director, presents the award for Best New Product Launch 2022 to John McDonald, publisher of ShelfLife, on behalf of the winner, Elf Bar, at the ShelfLife C-Store Awards 2022

Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

Elf Bar sales are continuing to grow monthon-month

Our new website is now live

www.aryzta.ie

Our sourdough products allow us to offer a range of speciality breads. We honour the essential elements for authentic sourdough production by using a live perpetual starter which has been grown and regenerated for over 30 years. This gives the sourdough product its unique and recognisable flavour.

C-Store Product of the Year 2022

To receive the prestigious title of C-Store Product of the Year 2022, a brand must deliver the full package. Not only must it be a reliable sales generator, but innovation in product development, marketing and sustainability are all vital to stay at the top of such a competitive FMCG market

WINNER: Coca-Cola

On Wednesday, 23 November 2022, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland was delighted to attend the Shelflife National C-Store Awards 2022, where the top retailers and brands from across the country came together to celebrate the achievements of Ireland’s exceptional convenience stores. The C-Store Awards are the only comprehensive and independently judged business accolades for the convenience store sector in Ireland.

Many awards were presented across many categories, celebrating the industry’s finest stores, people and brands. Coca-Cola was delighted to take home the ‘Product of the Year’ Award. This is one of the most prestigious accolades to win and is judged by retailers who have nominated their top three selling convenience store products.

“I am extremely proud to see Coca-Cola win in this category,” said Andrea Whyte, marketing director, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland.

“Our number one priority is driving category sales growth for our customers, and I would like to sincerely thank all those who voted for us, it is greatly appreciated by all.”

Best C-Store Marketing Campaign 2022

WINNER: Cadbury Mystery Bar

Plenty of innovative thinking outside-the-box is needed to scoop the Best C-Store Marketing Campaign, as voted for by retailers, and that’s something the 2022 winner – the Cadbury Mystery Bar campaign –possesses in spades.

Its story began back in August, when Cadbury launched a nationwide competition to solve the mystery flavours of two new delicious Cadbury Mystery Bars. The limited-edition bars put the nation’s taste buds to a tantalising test to guess the flavours of the Dairy Milk bars’ fillings. There was a rich reward up for grabs with the chance to win a €5,000 mystery prize.

With a dedicated website and a strong out-of-home (OOH) and online strategy, the campaign gave Cadbury the opportunity to engage and interact with consumers in a two-way conversation. It not only created excitement for consumers, but successfully drove retailers’ sales.

In October 2022, the flavours of both bars were revealed. Mystery Bar One was Rhubarb & Custard and Mystery Bar Two was Blue Raspberry Slushie

“We are incredibly happy and proud to have received this award for our Mystery Bars campaign,” said Sandrine Dahmani, Cadbury Marketing, of the team’s prestigious win.

“The level of engagement we got was amazing and shows once again how important bringing new and innovative campaigns and limited-edition NPD to market is,” Dahmani added.

Paul Bealin, cash & carry sales director, BWG Foods, presents the award for C-Store Product of the Year 2022 to Coca-Cola, represented by Dermot Smith, Sean McLaverty and Donal O’Connor, at the ShelfLife C-Store Awards 2022

Peter Dwan, Mace sales director, presents the award for Marketing Campaign of the Year 2022 to Cadbury Mystery Bar, represented by Sandrine Dahmani and Una Morrison of Mondele¯z Ireland, at the ShelfLife C-Store Awards 2022

Coca-Cola HBC Ireland says its number one priority is driving category sales growth for customers

The limited edition Cadbury Mystery Bars put the nation’s taste buds to a tantalising test

Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

C-Store Wine of the Year 2022

WINNER: Viña Santa Rita

Viña Santa Rita, the ShelfLife C-Store Wine of the Year, says the brand is thrilled and humbled to have won this award

The accolade is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Santa Rita team, who are committed to producing highquality wines that consistently meet the expectations of their customers.

Viña Santa Rita is a real brand, from a real place, made by real people and all its winemakers take personal pride in producing the best wines from the best grape producing regions. The commitment to quality in its wines starts in the vineyards, all of which are ‘Certified Sustainable’ by Wines of Chile Indeed, the brand’s ‘WiSe Project’ in the Maipo Valley is a revolutionary approach to ‘growing wine’ by mapping and replanting varietal-specific plots working through a code of best practices, parameters, and principles, all with a $20 million investment plan.

Viña Santa Rita is hugely grateful to the industry for the Shelflife C-Store Wine of the Year recognition and the team would like to extend their heartfelt thanks for the continued support of those working to deliver the Santa Rita brands to market.

Best New Food and Drink Start-Up 2022

WINNER: The Jam People

Entrepreneurial start-ups are the lifeblood that maintain Ireland’s reputation as a ‘foodie’ nation, with interesting, quality choices available on our shelves. With that in mind, ShelfLife was delighted to award the Best New Food and Drink Start-Up accolade to Co Wexford-based The Jam People

Mór Taste (powered by The Jam People) Jams are made with up to 90% real fruit, using as little sugar as possible Unlike other brands, Mór Taste from The Jam People does not contain any sugar substitutes such as concentrated fruit juices or artificial sweeteners. Instead, the brand uses as much real fruit as possible to keep sugar levels low while maximising a less sweet but incredibly fruity taste

Winning an award at The Great Taste 2022 as well as the Blas na h’Éireann Gold Award 2022, proves this innovative start-up is certainly on the right track, making Ireland’s Best Jam 2022 that also has over 50% less sugar compared to regular jams. As well as Strawberry, Raspberry and Cherry Jams, the brand also makes more unusual flavours, such as a Mango Jam and a Kiwi Jam.

After being told by his doctor to cut back on sugar a few years ago jam (and marmalade) maker Felix Oster started to produce jams that are actually low in sugar but completely natural as they were not available to buy Today, together with consultant Simone Saupe, the team has a small production unit close to their home in Killinick, where they make low-sugar jams and spreads by hand in small batches.

The result is ‘Less sugar but Mór Taste’. Probably the fruitiest jams in the world, The Jam People’s range boosts the fruity taste of guiltfree goodness on your spoon.

Paul Roche, head of sales, Costcutter, presents the award for Best Wine of the Year 2022 to Santa Rita, represented by Michael McManamon, at the ShelfLife C-Store Awards 2022

Noel Brady, regional manager, Centra presents the award for The Best New Food & Drink Start Up 2022 to The Jam People, represented by Felix Oster and Simone Saupe, at the ShelfLife C-Store Awards 2022

All of Viña Santa Rita’s wines are ‘Certified Sustainable’ by Wines of Chile

Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

WINNER: Retail Solutions

Retail Solutions was delighted to win the ‘Retail Technology Supplier of The Year’ award particularly considering the exceptionally strong competition represented by the other nominees in this category

“We would also like to take the opportunity to congratulate all the retailers who were in receipt of awards on the night, many of whom I am delighted to say are customers of Retail Solutions,” said Pádraig Nolan, sales director, Retail Solutions Ltd.

“The award itself is indeed gratifying but mostly because I believe it represents a true recognition of all the incredible hard work being done by our team in developing best in class, value for money EPOS solutions to our many customers.”

Indeed, for over 25 years, Retail Solutions has been delivering innovative EPOS products for retailers.

The company offers a broad range of innovative products including point of sale, back office, head office, handheld devices, electronic shelf edge labels, and self-scan checkouts. It also provides an array of third part integrations, intuitive management information systems and applications.

“2022 was another year of significant development for our company,” Nolan adds. “We are still enjoying considerable growth and are currently recruiting across all departments to meet this demand. Winning the ShelfLife C-Store Retail Technology Supplier of The Year award certainly strengthens our belief that we are strategically well positioned to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the marketplace.”

Owen Clifford, head of retail sector, Bank of Ireland, presents the award for Retail Technology Supplier of the Year 2022 to Pádraig Nolan of Retail Solutions, at the ShelfLife C-Store Awards 2022

Sponsored by:

Sustainability Brand of the Year 2022

Sustainability is a growing concern for many consumers and convenience store retailers have made huge strides to improve the environmental impact of their stores by reviewing the output of all appliances, installing greener options and making huge reductions in packaging waste and single-use plastics, through the introduction of compostable and recyclable alternatives. It’s therefore important for retailers to know how brands are likewise playing their part to create a more sustainable world, and the top ten nominees – as voted for by retailers - have recorded some impressive results within this sphere

WINNER: Bewley’s

Bewley’s was the proud winner of the Sustainability Brand of the Year 2022.

A fitting win, considering coffee is one of the most important agricultural sectors in the world, as well as one of the most at risk from environmental degradation and climate change

Coffee farming is an essential part to a sustainable future because it provides livelihoods for 125 million people in over 50 countries and accounts for 5% of global agricultural exports, making it an integral part of global economies. Often, the people who grow coffee are not given the benefits they deserve for their hard work. At Bewley’s – through its long-term relationships and Fairtrade premiums paid – the company wants to make sure that farmers are paid living wages for their work, that women have access to education and other opportunities, and that their communities thrive with initiatives including healthcare, clean water, housing, education and more. Within Bewley’s roastery and its wider business, it continues to invest in purposeful innovation to improve the energy efficiency and minimise the environmental impact of its operations. Bewley’s is committed to creating and implementing sustainable solutions that help reduce its environmental impact and improve energy efficiency.

“We’d like to thank ShelfLife magazine for the recognition as Best Sustainability Brand (kindly sponsored by Nearby)”, the company commented on its win. “We would like to also extend a special thank all of our employees in Bewley’s and our fantastic customers, without whom this award would not be possible Finally, we look forward to redoubling our efforts and continuing our focus of building sustainability into the heart of our business.”

Jason McSteen, Nearby Ireland sales manager, presents the award for Sustainability/ Environment Brand of the Year 2022 to Bewley’s, represented by Mark Morgan, account manager of ShelfLife, who accepted the award on Bewley’s behalf, at the ShelfLife C-Store Awards 2022

Bewley’s continues to invest in purposeful innovation to improve the energy efficiency and minimise the environmental impact of its operations

Sponsored by:

BARRY WHELAN managing director of

Does your company use ‘quiet recruitment’?

acute

2023, Excel

The new year is here, bringing with it the same labour shortages that dominated the recruitment landscape for 2022.

Whilst measures are taking place to ease the situation, employers, certainly in the retail and hospitality sectors, really cannot see an end in sight.

With that in mind, a new workplace phenomenon has risen, that of ‘quiet recruitment’.

Quiet hiring is when an organisation acquires new skills without actually recruiting new (and in particular, full-time) employees.

At times, this means employing short-term contractors or temporary staff, to relieve pressure or get over a certain hump in the business. At other times, ‘quiet recruitment’ is where an employer encourages their current employees to temporarily move into new roles within the organisation.

The situation for businesses for the next year, whether we go into a recession or not, is that most

companies still have ambitious financial targets and need to hire talent to reach those targets. However, with such an acute labour shortage, this lack of specific talent means that businesses need to find a solution to this problem, whilst ever conscious of the cost crisis facing Irish companies in 2023.

The talent shortage that we talked about throughout 2022 hasn’t gone away, so companies are having to explore a workaround while waiting for the right talent to join.

Why quiet recruitment?

Recruitment usually falls into one of three categories: backfilling old roles, creating new ones to help the company grow or addressing an acute, immediate need.

‘Quiet recruitment’ is all about that third category, even if it doesn’t technically involve any new recruits at all. The idea is to prioritise the most crucial business functions at a given time, which could mean temporarily mixing up the roles of current employees.

A good recent example: Australian airline Qantas had an acute shortage of baggage handlers, such that the entire business was affected. Qantas asked executives to address a labour shortage last year by rotating in as baggage handlers to fill this gap.

The executives knew it was the right thing to do and doing so helped keep the business going until this labour shortage was resolved. The second, unforeseen upside of this initiative is that they also gained a deeper understanding of how their operations work, taking valuable insights from the exercise.

There’s some inherent tension here: If you’re temporarily reassigned to a different part of your company, you might interpret that as being told that your regular job isn’t particularly important. After all, nobody’s getting

employed to backfill your old responsibilities.

Employers need to address this by clearly articulating why the specific project or business division is so crucial to the company’s success. It’ll help the employee feel valued, and less likely to see the move as a sign that they need to start looking for jobs elsewhere.

Alternatively, companies with few movable employees can hire shortterm temporary employees to help keep things afloat throughout the year This represents an external quiet recruitment of sorts, deploying internal employees against the priorities that matter the most, whilst using temporary workers to fill lower priority gaps.

take advantage of ‘quiet recruitment’

No-one wants to get thrown into an entirely new role if they already enjoy their job. Nobody wants to work for a business with massive labour shortages or indeed, one that is crumbling because of that.

With that in mind, an effective quiet recruitment process rests in how it’s rolled out and communicated to employees. If you are asking employees to make this move or being asked to, then your employer should be able to articulate what this means for you and the company.

If your boss suggests a new set of tasks for you, they’ll have more luck motivating you if they can express how much it’ll help move your career forward whether you’re more interested in climbing the corporate ladder or improving your work-life balance.

Plus, if your company makes an announcement about needing employees to pivot roles, and you’re interested, you can use it as an opportunity to discuss your long-term goals. You might even wrangle a promotion for yourself! n

Excel Recruitment www.excelrecruitment.com

With an

labour shortage continuing into

Recruitment’s Barry Whelan explains the new phenomenon of ‘quiet recruitment’ and how it could benefit your business

‘Quiet recruitment’ involves prioritising the most crucial business functions at a given time, which could mean temporarily mixing up the roles of current employees

COLIN GORDON marketing expert

A new year’s starter

or two

Two things spring to mind as I sit down at the start of a new year: the bother celebrities can bring to brands; and what can the pub trade (or all of us) learn from over 20 years of ‘limited range retailers’ (aka discounters) in Ireland.

Firstly, influencers. There’s a lot of talk on various media on the role of “influencers” and the role they play in a brand’s life, its standing in society and its credibility Most of this talk revolves around so-called “social media”. Influencers are not new - the real difference between today’s influencer and that of yesteryear is that back then (say up to the 2000s) the influencer was a celebrity first and her/ his role as a promoter was to attach their status and image to the product or service in question and influence the sale; more recently, influencers have become celebrities as a result of their social media activities.

In the former times, for example, Michael Jackson was used to promote (i.e., influence the purchase of) Pepsi, Michael Jordan was hired by Nike; now Kim Kardashian is famous for being an influencer, having had no real celebrity status beforehand. Whether then or now, the status of the personality doing her/his influencing is always a point of jeopardy If they behave badly, it affects the brand.

I saw recently that Justin Bieber and H&M have discontinued their relationship after the celebrity described the range as rubbish. That’s taking it to the extreme as it was a direct attack on the brand. Kayne West’s trouble with Adidas was more

indirect as it was rooted in antisemitism. The above-mentioned Michael Jackson had a problem with a TV shoot for a Pepsi ad and lost some hair in a fire incident. In a previous life, a celebrity I was using in an alcohol ad was mentioned in a press article covering substance abuse. We only found out about their apparent addiction issues well after the campaign began.

But there are emerging points of jeopardy in the dynamic, still-forming world of Meta, Twitter, Tik Tok and the rest. The media commentary has become increasingly rooted in what role tech companies who control their social media platforms have in curating or managing the ethical nature of what brands and influencers are doing or saying.

Flip back almost 60 years and we first heard the phrase “the medium is the message”. It came from a book by Marshall McLuhan who was a communications theorist, and the name of the first chapter in his book was Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. How appropriate was that title - extensions of man! How appropriate was the phrase for which he is renowned. There is an increasing number of brand owners pausing their involvement with some

of the online platforms due to concerns about their ‘editorial policies’ (it should be remembered that President Bill Clinton allowed the social media platforms to avoid being called publishers thereby allowing them to skip direct responsibility for content). Recent changes in the ownership of Twitter and the presence of controversial figures such as Andrew Tate on Tik Tok have brought the issue to startling light. McLuhan was righter than he might have imagined or feared. It’s no longer a matter of eyeballs and cost per thousands; brand owners are now having to be much more attentive to the whole media environment and fully aware of what’s being sold to them by their media agencies.

Away from the glitzy world of problematic celebrities and iffy media platforms, what can we learn from the existence in Ireland of the Aldis and Lidls over the last 20-plus years. Well, far from the end of the world, all the main grocery names that then existedwith the exception of Superquinn which was effectively bought over - are still on our high streets and in our retail parks, so we need to acknowledge resilience as a core characteristic of Irish retailers. But we also should take some insights from

In his first column of 2023, Colin Gordon explores the lessons all marketers can learn from the growth of both influencers and discounters during the past two decades

-

“It’s no longer a matter of eyeballs and cost per thousands; brand owners are now having to be much more attentive to the whole media environment and fully aware of what’s being sold to them by their media agencies.”

the arrival and thriving of the discounters.

Their model of business streamlines key account management - why are the others so much more awkward? Their limited range strategy hasn’t caused customers to stay away - all brand owners could learn from this and stop trying to continuously add to the mother brand rather than find ways to drive rate of sale for the base volume? The discounters’ value proposition is ‘everyday low prices’ - the middle aisle deals add a bit of excitement to the shop visit but the shopper generally knows what something will cost and that they aren’t going to be embarrassed by

When influencers and ‘discounters’ combine: Influencer Clementine MacNeice at the opening of Aldi’s pop-up shop at Electric Picnic in September 2022

seeing the same product on and off promotion from week to week.

Lastly, these retailers have redefined what a grocery brand is. It doesn’t have to be available in all retailers and owned by a third party, and it doesn’t have to be an ‘own label’ as has been thought. Purists may see the products on the shelves of Aldi and Lidl as ‘made up’ but once upon a time so too were Kellogg’s, Ballygowan, and Cadbury.

We should all try to see how our business model can be streamlined to reflect learnings from these not-so-new arrivals. n

‘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

Sponsorship set to return to €200m+ mark in 2023: Onside

well-informed of the real return on investment they are delivering,” he added.

“There will still be significant competition for available sponsorship assets in 2023, with demand for premium properties continuing to outstrip supply, although this has softened slightly compared to last year Six in ten sponsors will be looking for new properties in 2023, a drop of 7% on last year and 47% are looking to drop out of existing partnerships, up 12% year-on-year.”

The strongest sponsorship growth opportunities in 2023 are expected to be in the broad areas of sustainability / environment, cause, community, and diversity and inclusion, while banking and airline brands are tipped by the survey respondents as sectors to watch for growth this year

The Irish sponsorship industry grew by 9% to reach €196m in 2022 and the 17th annual Onside Irish Sponsorship Industry Survey estimates there will be further growth of 8% in 2023 to €212m, surpassing the €200m threshold first reached in 2018.

53% of sponsors intend to increase their sponsorship investment levels in 2023, broadly in line with 2022 expectations, and seven in ten expect sponsorship spending across the wider industry to increase compared to only one in five back in 2021.

“Despite strong concerns amongst three

in ten sponsorship industry practitioners that feel that the cost-of-living crisis will have a significant negative impact on the sports industry in Ireland, we know brands that maintain their investment in sponsorship during tough times reap the rewards in the long-run,” said John Trainor, founder and CEO of Onside:

“While the instinct may be to cut back on sponsorship and activation, astute CMOs and marketers will dive into the right data, adapt their approach, and ensure their CEO and CFO colleagues are

Reflecting on the improving standard of activity produced by the collective Irish sponsorship industry last year, one in three of the industry think sponsorship campaigns in Ireland were more effective in 2022 than 2021, +5% year-on-year According to the industry professionals surveyed, Sky Ireland’s partnership with the FAI’s Women’s Team was most worthy of recognition, as Lidl and AIG’s ties with gaelic games stood alongside Vodafone and Bank of Ireland’s rugby partnerships as perceived bestin-class of ‘22. KPMG’s new partnership with the Women’s Irish Open golf was also a notable new entry to this year’s list. n

CAROLINE REIDY managing director, The HR Suite

Review of 2022 key employment law updates

The past year has seen many employment law updates, with more to soon follow in 2023. Here, The HR Suite’s Caroline Reidy reviews the key employment law updates from 2022

payment of Wages (amendment) (tips & Gratuities)

act 2022

The Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips & Gratuities) Act 2022 came into effect on 1 December 2022.

The purpose of this act is to ensure that tips received by the employer through electronic payments are distributed to employees in a fair, equitable and transparent manner

Employers are obliged to provide employees with a clear policy on the distribution of tips and must also ensure that they display a notice for customers on same. Employees must receive a written statement from their employer each time tips are distributed and this must outline the total amount of tips received in the business and the employee’s share of tips.

sick leave act 2022

The Sick Leave Act 2022 was enacted into law on 1 January 2023.

The act provides Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) of three days per year The number of days can be increased by Ministerial Order and is expected to increase to five days in 2024, seven days in 2025 and 10 days in 2026. The payment for employees per day is 70% of wages, up to a maximum of €110 per day

Bill 2022 was published in January 2022.

The initial draft outlined that an employee can request remote working where they have completed 26 weeks of continuous service. However, this element remains under review

In order to request remote working, the employee must provide information on the proposed work location as well as a self-assessment of the suitability of the proposed location. An employer may reject a request from an employee to work remotely for any one of 13 proposed reasons. However, the Joint Committee reviewing the draft bill has recommended introducing tighter grounds in primary legislation so that unreasonable refusal should be open to challenge.

It is also proposed that employees will have the right to appeal a decision to the WRC if the employer has not replied to a request within the agreed timeframe, if a request was unjustifiably withdrawn by the employer or if the request was rejected by the employer without satisfying one of the grounds for refusal.

Code of practice on sexual harassment and harassment at Work

The Sick Leave Act 2022, enacted into law on 1 January 2023, provides Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) of three days per year

Employees must have completed a minimum of 13 weeks’ continuous service and they must also provide their employer with a Medical Certificate on their first day of absence.

Gender pay Gap 2022

The Gender Pay Gap Information Act requires organisations with over 250 employees, to report on their hourly gender pay gap across a wide range of metrics. Gender Pay Gap Reporting obligations will be introduced for employers with over 150 employees from 2024, and to employers with more than 50 employees from 2025.

Employers were advised to set a “snapshot date” in June 2022 and report on the relevant employees employed on that date.

The Gender Pay Gap Reporting deadline for employers is six months after the snapshot date chosen, i.e., a date in December 2022. The first reporting period will be the 12-month period preceding, and including, the chosen snapshot date.

CONTACT THE HR SUITE:

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.

The report must be published on the company’s site, or in a way that both employees and the public can access. This is only applicable for the 2022 reporting cycle and may differ from 2023 onwards as plans are in place to create an online reporting system.

Right to Request Remote Working

The draft scheme of the Right to Request Remote Working

In March 2022, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) developed and published the new Code of Practice on Sexual Harassment and Harassment at Work.

These are the key updates from the code of practice which may not be included in many organisations’ current policies:

• Senior level ‘champion’: The code introduces a new concept of a ‘champion’. It suggests that a senior individual (or individuals) in an organisation (if practicable) be designated as a ‘champion’, someone independent to advocate for a diverse workplace culture free from harassment and sexual harassment.

• Statutory rights: The code recommends that internal procedures should make it clear that employees who use the complaints procedure will still be entitled to make a statutory complaint under the Employment Equality Acts.

General scheme of a Work life Balance and miscellaneous provisions Bill 2022

The government approved the drafting of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill to give effect to the EU Work Life Balance Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/1158). Under the proposed legislation, parents and carers will see increased rights in relation to flexible working including compressed or reduced hours as well as the introduction of five days’ leave per year for serious medical care. It is also planned to extend the current entitlement to breastfeeding/lactation breaks under the Maternity Protection Acts from six months to two years. n

Krispy Kreme sets sights on further Irish expansion

Since 12 December, Krispy Kreme’s iconic doughnuts have been available in 18 new locations across the country, as the brand plans to introduce more locations in 2023.

Krispy Kreme gained two new partners, Applegreen (now available in nine of its stores) and The Plaza Group (now available in four of its locations). Krispy Kreme has also added four new locations to its partnership with Tesco and a new location at Circle K’s Kilmacanogue service station. A new store at The Square Tallaght also opened on Friday, 16 December

Meat processors welcome the resumption of beef exports to China

Meat Industry Ireland (MII), the Ibec sector organisation representing the country’s main primary beef processing companies, has welcomed the resumption of beef exports to China, announced on Thursday, 5 January by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, Welcoming the news, MII chair Philip Carroll said: “The resumption of beef exports to China is a long awaited and welcome decision and will widen the scope for beef exports over the coming years.

“The suspension of Ireland’s beef exports to China was a major loss to the entire beef sector, just as sales to this important new market were set to ramp up,” he continued.

Last month, Lidl Ireland announced it had signed a new contract worth more than €17 million with Tipperary supplier Honeyvale Foods, which will see it provide a range of premium Irish pork and bacon products to more than 217 Lidl stores across the island of Ireland.

Founded in 1940, Honeyvale is part of the familyowned Brett Group that started as a small agricultural merchant selling to farmers in Kilkenny and Tipperary It has grown over the years to what is now an international supplier of premium pork and bacon; also supplying all of Lidl’s 900 stores in Great Britain. Its partnership spanning over 15 years with Lidl Ireland, has facilitated export deals to countries including Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia and Poland.

New year, new Subs!

Subway has announced three new additions to its menu - Teriyaki Steak and Plant-based Teriyaki Steak and a new snack, Cheesy Garlic Bites.

The company has partnered with The Vegetarian Butcher to provide a wide selection of plant-based ‘meat’ options from January 2023. The Vegetarian Butcher is one of the world’s leading plant-based meat brands, created by meat lovers, for meat lovers, to produce high-quality products that don’t compromise on taste

“The decision in 2020 to temporarily suspend trade was due to a single case of atypical BSE that was detected by the Department and notified to the Chinese authorities as part of the protocols associated with access to the Chinese market.

“This announcement will now enable companies to renew and further develop

MII chair Philip Carroll says decision “will widen the scope for beef exports over the coming years”

trade opportunities with customers in China which have been disrupted for the past two and a half years,” Carroll added.

Beef processors will work with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to finalise the necessary steps so that trade can recommence quickly

MII also acknowledged with thanks the efforts of the Minister and officials in securing this breakthrough.

Aldi Ireland pledges to eliminate 60 tonnes of food waste in 2023

Aldi Ireland has pledged to eliminate at least 60 tonnes of food waste in 2023 as the retailer welcomed the government’s New National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap

To date Aldi has saved almost 1,100 tonnes of food from going to waste by donating the equivalent of 2.6 million meals to its charity partner FoodCloud. By doing so, 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions have been avoided.

Aldi has also recently donated 19 pallets of stock to FoodCloud through its Food for Good programme, while a food collection programme in operation among staff at Aldi HQ in Naas has donated over 2,600 meals to Naas Food Bank.

The 2023 pledge will now see the company increase its waste reduction efforts undertaken to date

Earlier this year, research commissioned by Aldi alongside FoodCloud found that two-thirds of Irish households are uncomfortable with the amount of food waste they generate, while 47% of those surveyed said that they throw out food every week.

“Aldi will continue to explore opportunities to cut food waste across

our operations and will eliminate more than 60 tonnes of food waste in 2023,” said Niall O’Connor, group managing director, Aldi Ireland.

“As we continue to work every day to cut down on waste – not just food waste, but also packaging, plastic and non-recyclables – from across our entire operations, we are very pleased to welcome the government’s announcement of the new National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap 2023-2025,” O’Connor added. “We fully support the priority actions in the Roadmap and are committed to playing our part in delivering on them in the years ahead.” n

To date, Aldi has saved almost 1,100 tonnes of food from going to waste through its partnership with the FoodCloud charity

Lidl Ireland signs new deal worth more than €17m with Honeyvale Foods

Claire Mulrennan, senior buyer, Lidl Ireland, alongside David Brett, managing director, Honeyvale and John Brett, commerical director, Honeyvale (Pic: Robbie Reynolds)

Doughnut giant has further expansion plans for new locations in 2023

Subway’s new Plant-based Teriyaki Steak Footlong Sub has been created in partnership with The Vegetarian Butcher

Pure profit

Innovation in the bottled water is constant and there is an ever-growing appetite from consumers for new variations of water especially those fortified with vitamins, infused with energy boosting ingredients and flavour variations. Ballygowan’s fruity flavoured water, Hint of Fruit was the number one new innovation across all of soft drinks in 2022 (Source: Nielsen, total Scantrack ROI –Still flavoured data value data by brand, MAT to 6 Nov 22).

Bottled water has a traffic driver role which means it drives footfall in-store and in turn encourages additional impulse buys. Shoppers are tempted to try new brands and flavours once they get into the store.

Ireland’s freshest spring water

Ishka Irish Spring Water, the Limerick-based bottled spring water company, is constantly looking for new ways to innovate and stay one step ahead of a rapidly changing retail environment.

Ishka is committed to protecting the environment around it, the home of its natural-source water, and ensuring that everything it does is helping to build a sustainable future. Ishka Spring Water filters naturally through the Ballyneety landscape at a pace that only nature can set. It is as refreshing and invigorating for the mind, body and soul as spending time in the wild outdoors of county Limerick itself

As well as its water, Ishka also puts just as much care and consideration into its packaging and the ways in which consumers can purchase and enjoy it. All plastic bottles are 100% recyclable and its EcoBottles are made from 100% recycled plastic. Ishka also has been a pioneer in introducing tamperproof tethered caps, three years ahead of an

According to Shopper Intelligence, bottled water drives considerable shopper engagement. “While at a glance bottled water seems like a low engagement category, when you dig deeper, there are nuances by segment that give us a clear direction of levers to engage shoppers – and hopefully, have a halo effect on the overall category Sparkling Water provides the “in” to drive category engagement. Shoppers can be triggered in-store to buy into this segment when display and in-store messaging create a craving, and they want to try innovation here, especially in flavours.”

Speaking of the halo effect, some of the most prominent bottled water companies are

EU deadline, becoming the first bottled water company in Ireland to implement such a measure. This is one of several ways in which Ishka argues that a strong business model can co-exist with environmental

keen to prove their sustainability credentials by introducing fully recyclable plastic with the likes of Ishka’s EcoBottles which are made from 100% recycled plastic. Ballygowan’s range of still and sparkling water also comes in 100% recycled plastic bottles. In addition to this, its packaging has been light weighted, removing 200 tonnes of virgin plastic. With strong marketing campaigns focusing on nature and health, it is important that this idea of purity is carried through in the packaging and production of bottled water products and many brands are aiming to become carbon neutral in the near future.

responsibility

Now a strong, recognisable brand on the retail landscape, family-run Ishka continues to increase its market share, largely because it can lay claim to being Ireland’s freshest spring water – bottled from five, 200m-deep certified wells, untouched by human contact and not stored prior to bottling. With growth of 32% year on year Ishka is gearing up for more growth. The team are working towards commissioning a new glass bottle line so they can move into the foodservice and on-trade market from this year The company is also exploring flavoured water product this year, as well as a new water energy drink.

Trade enquiries are welcome to info@irishspringwater.com or by calling 061 450 705.

Number one bottled water brand

Ishka has been a pioneer in introducing tamper-proof tethered caps, three years ahead of an EU deadline

Ballygowan as Ireland’s number one bottled water brand has a mission to harness the power of wild water from the south-west of Ireland, for healthier living, delivering it to

Who would have thought that water which comes free from the taps could be monetised to such a vast extent? And yet bottled water is considered a main footfall driver in stores across the globe and continues to be the most popular soft drink in Ireland. We look at the products making a splash in this lucrative category. Fionnuala Carolan reports

consumers in a way that won’t cost the planet.

Ballygowan is bottled at source in Newcastle West, Co Limerick, on a site of over 40 acres of protected land where the team are passionate about protecting biodiversity The home of Ballygowan is powered by 100% renewable electricity Direct carbon emissions have been reduced by over 90% and Ballygowan is committed to getting to carbon neutral. Ballygowan’s range of still and sparkling water is in 100% recycled plastic bottles. In addition to this, the packaging has been light weighted, removing 200 tonnes of virgin plastic.

Ballygowan’s growth in the past year has

been further fuelled by the launch of Hint of Fruit, a refreshing fruity flavoured water with no added sugar and just three calories per serving. Hint of Fruit, which comes in a range of three flavours, was the number one new innovation across all soft drinks in 2022 (Nielsen, total Scantrack ROI – Still flavoured data value data by brand, MAT to 06 Nov 22).

Ballygowan has a legacy of fuelling Ireland’s athletes, from GAA to Irish Rugby and the Irish Open Golf tournament. Ballygowan is proud to fuel passion and greatness in every form. The brand is rooted in Irishness, but it meets the needs of today’s consumers.

A ViTal vitamin boost

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 you the boost you need on the go The juicy vitamin boost contains important vitamins and minerals that support mental performance, cognitive function and 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 OOH, digital and media, sampling, social media advertising and influencer activity On shelves now, your shoppers can skip to the vital stuff and grab a Deep RiverRock ViTAL for a juicy vitamin boost!

For further information, visit Instagram: @deep_riverrock and Facebook: @DeepRiverRock #DeepRiverRockViTAL n

Deep RiverRock ViTAL contains important vitamins and minerals that support mental performance, cognitive function and an energy boost throughout the day

Hint of Fruit

Bountiful vegan choices!

Awhopping 788% growth in plant-based alternative launches has occurred between 2017 and 2022. That’s according to a new report entitled ‘Attitudes towards Plant-based Alternatives: Ireland 2023’, published by Mintel.

“Proving value for money will be the key challenge for plant-based alternatives in 2022 and 2023 as cash-strapped consumers look to brands to justify extra costs,” says Brian O’Connor, senior consumer analyst at Mintel. “Health-boosting ingredients, sustainable credentials and convenience will be driving

Vegan versions of iconic treats

Irish fans of KitKat will now be able to take a plant-based break with the launch of KitKat V, a vegan version of the iconic treat. The launch follows a trial run in various markets that confirmed what social media users had been saying already: a vegan KitKat would be a hit!

The new KitKat V was developed by chocolate experts at Nestlé’s confectionery research and development centre in York, UK, the original home of KitKat Combining Nestlé’s expertise in chocolate innovation and non-dairy alternatives, they replaced the milk in the original KitKat with a rice-based

forces for the sector,”

While the majority of island of Ireland (IoI) consumers eat red meat/poultry, Mintel states that more than half of consumers have reduced/limited their meat consumption and are interested in doing so in the future.

A 2020 article by Kantar entitled ‘The Valuable Vegans: how Irish consumers are changing their eating habits’ also took a closer look at the vegans in the Republic of Ireland and what makes them an appetising audience.

Kantar’s TGI Consumer Data showed that 464,000 people (12.2% of the population) in

the Republic of Ireland stated that they prefer to eat vegan food, almost an 8% increase from 431,000 the previous year Looking further into those who agree that they prefer to eat vegan food, Kantar’s TGI Consumer Data revealed they are 71% more likely than the average adult to be aged 25-34 and 35% more likely to be 20-24. When it comes to shopping for vegan products, women are 28% more likely than the average adult to say that they purchase vegetarian/vegan ranges regularly Kantar found.

free Dippers to Meat-free Burgers and Fishless Fingers, Birds Eye Green Cuisine is here to help with easy, simple swaps that don’t cost the earth.

alternative, creating an indulgent-tasting vegan chocolate that beautifully balances the crispy wafer fingers.

Made with 100% sustainably sourced cocoa independently certified by the Rainforest Alliance, KitKat V is certified vegan by the Vegan Society

It’s not just KitKat which now offers a vegan alternative - Nestlé wants the Rowntree’s brand to be enjoyed by as many consumers as possible and has introduced vegan friendly recipes across the full range of Fruit Pastilles sweets. The new recipe is as deliciously chewy as it has always been, while at the same time being suitable for those following vegetarian, vegan and religious diets.

Other vegan friendly offerings from Nestlé Confectionery include Jelly Tots, Fruit Gums and Polo original.

Welcome to the Plant Age!

This Veganuary, get a taste for plant-based with Birds Eye Green Cuisine, the perfect brand for vegans, flexitarians and consumers who simply want to reduce meat intake in their family dinners.

With a wide range of options from Chicken-

Birds Eye Green Cuisine has kicked off Veganuary with its new ‘Welcome to the Plant Age’ campaign launched in January which focuses on making good food resolutions possible with a tasty and convenient selection of products. The 360 integrated campaign is strongly supported with TVC, VOD, social, digital content partnerships and influencers and through-the-line with vibrant instore POS. The comms relaunch ties in with a new look and feel for the brand which includes a pack redesign which has rolled out in-store creating a colourful, simplified stand-out on shelf With a robust pipeline in place, integrated with exciting activity plans, there is a lot more to come for the Birds Eye Green Cuisine brand in 2023.

Birds Eye Green Cuisine offers a wide range of plant-based options such as Chicken-free Dippers

Rise of premium flavoured milks

Flavoured milks continue to grow in popularity “The entire category has been supported by the trend for premiumisation in flavoured milks – this has brought new consumers to the category and helped wider growth,” says Gabriella Sudall, marketing manager NPD at FrieslandCampina UK.

“FrieslandCampina’s premium chocolate milk brand Chocomel has actually been adding new users to the category over the last year, proving that people are happy to pay more for indulgence that doesn’t break the bank,” she adds.

Indeed, premium milk drinks are a growing trend in flavoured milk, growing 51% year-onyear*.

“Chocomel is also versatile, enjoyable as an ice-cold refreshment in the summer months or consumed warm with a whipped cream topping as a comforting treat in the winter,” Sudall adds.

To build on a highly successful year for the brand, Chocomel will be launching a new plant-based variant in early 2023.

The plant-based drink has a cashew nut and pea milk formulation, offering the same chocolatey richness as the original with a 93% positive in advance taste tests.

Chocomel plant-based will be available in a one-litre tetra pack – a format ideal for sharing. In fact, since launching the one-litre format into convenience, Chocomel Original has seen sales reach £1.4m** and it is now the UK’s fastest growing premium milk drink***.

*(Source: IRI Infoscan, Total Market, Value Sales, non-Coffee & non-protein Flavoured Milks with PPL>£3, 52 w/e 1 Jan, 22)

**(Source: IRI Infoscan, Total Market, Value Sales, 52 w/e 1 Jan, 22)

***(Source: Over £1M, IRI Infoscan, Total Market, non-Coffee & non-protein Flavoured Milks with PPL>£3, 52 w/e 1 Jan, 22, Value % Growth vs YA)

Filthy Rich and fabulous!

This Veganuary, Ireland’s first range of fully plant-based protein shakes, Filthy Rich is making staying energised, nourished and satisfied, easy with its new Coffee flavour; a tasty hit of 56mg caffeine, plant-based protein and vitamins all in one ready-to-drink shake.

In more good news, since 28 December onwards, Filthy Rich shakes (RRP €2.99) is now stocked in over 600 stores across the country, including in all 222 SuperValu stores and 380 Centra stores, Spar stores and independent retailers nationwide You can also shop online from getfilthyrich.com

Now available in three flavours, Vanilla, Cacao, and Coffee, Filthy Rich shakes are dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free and low in sugar Each 330ml recyclable carton comes loaded with 20g of vegan pea protein, 100% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for Vitamin C, and 30% of the RDA for both magnesium and calcium.

Appearing on more and more shop shelves nationwide, including every SuperValu store is “a landmark moment for a small Irish brand like ours,” according to owner Conor Palmer, who spent two years perfecting drink that “ticked all the boxes: high in protein, loaded with vitamins and minerals, low in sugar and full of flavour”. Follow @get_filthyrich on Instagram for outdoor adventure inspiration.

Plant-based and delivering on taste

Started by husband-and-wife duo Rachel and Brian Nolan, and established as one of Ireland’s best loved homegrown 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 Plant Based 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 Nobó has now developed a unique proposition with its ‘Creamiest 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 brand’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 NPD

For enquiries on stocking, contact sales@nobo.ie

Wholesome ingredients are paramount

Irish plant-based brand Thanks Plants has an array of products which are great for Veganuary

“We know from research that consumers are put off the market by the lengthy and unfamiliar ingredient lists; and the overprocessing of meat alternatives,” says Dublinbased owner Aisling Cullen.

“Methyl cellulose sodium alginate and red iron oxide aren’t ingredients that we normally find in our kitchen!

“At Thanks Plants, I developed the products in my own home kitchen using ingredients I’m familiar with; we add in cannellini beans, pearl barley, vegetables, herbs and spices to make our products as wholesome as possible, while still having a meaty taste and texture that consumers want,” Cullen adds.

“And given they are higher in protein than other brands, and lower in saturated fat and salt, we have a strong rate of sale where stocked.

“From a buyer’s perspective our shelf life is 14-16 weeks, making Thanks Plants a low-risk way to broaden the penetration of the plantbased sector.”

The Thanks Plants range includes a range of flavoured Sausages, the NoMoooo Burger, and the Everyday Roast Products are stocked in SuperValu and Tesco nationwide, as well as good independent stores like Nourish, Fresh, Ardkeen, Nolans and select Spar stores in Dublin.

Nobó’s ‘Creamiest Plant Based Chocolate’ is made with just five natural ingredients and with 50% less sugar than traditional milk chocolate

The Thanks Plants range includes the Everyday Roast (shown here), the NoMoooo Burger, and a range of flavoured Sausages

The Thanks Plants range only includes familiar ingredients, making it ideal for consumers who are seeking a wholesome plant-based range

Kickstart your day the right way

As January is a time of year filled with new fitness regimes, diets and grand promises, why not kickstart the day the right way with Alpro No Sugars?

Now your customers can sip, pour or munch their way through a great breakfast. Because let’s be honest, healthier habits shouldn’t be big and scary It should be as easy as incorporating Alpro No Sugars into everyone’s breakfast routine

Alpro offers a range of delicious plant-based beverages, oat, almond, coconut and soya,

which are available in both chilled and longlife formats. That’s not all, Alpro also offers plant-based alternatives to yoghurts which give shoppers tasty experiences that they love

Alpro Plain No Sugars plant-based alternative to yogurt is rich in plant protein, super-versatile and all-round amazing.

Almonds; now, they’re the real divas of the nut world. Alpro Almond No Sugars plantbased drinks arrive sun-kissed from the Mediterranean, demanding VIP treatment! They’re roasted, ever so gently It’s the best way to keep them delicious; no sugars or sweeteners required, thank you very much. Just a delicate, creamy taste that’s good for the planet and ‘Good for You’*.

*(Source of calcium. Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are recommended for good health.)

Animal burgers, made from plants

A downward hog, a cow busting a moove and a hen party all star in a new eye-catching ad campaign.

The Dublin vegan restaurant, V-Face, rolled out the fun new ad campaign to mark Veganuary

Sarah Boland, managing director of V-Face says she hopes to welcome everyone through the doors of her restaurant in Stoneybatter this Veganuary and beyond. Boland believes that eating vegan can be fun, tasty, and easy,

and the new advertising campaign reflects that.

Instead of using vegan advertising’s typical shock tactics to dissuade meat consumption, the new campaign by The Public House takes a more light-hearted approach, imagining what animals get up to in their free time when you give them a break and choose a vegan alternative to your typical hot dogs, burgers, and wings.

Indeed, the V-Face experience can be summed up in the tagline “Animal burgers, made from plants”. The restaurant’s menu is 100% vegan and serves everything from hot dogs to a vegan take on the Big Mac and cauliflower wings. It has toasties, loaded fries, salad bowls, homemade cookies and soya milkshakes to boot.

Based at 30 Brunswick St N, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7, D07 TP64, for more information, visit vface.ie/ and instagram.com/vface.ie/

Alpro Plain No Sugars plant-based alternative to yogurt is rich in plant protein and super-versatile

The new V-Face ad campaign takes a light-hearted approach, imagining what animals get up to in their free time when you give them a break and choose a vegan alternative

Alpro Almond No Sugars plant-based drinks contain no sugars nor sweeteners

Lip-smacking, plant-snacking for all

Forest Feast, the ‘Original Snack Explorers’, known for the brand’s innovative hand-crafted and batch-made snacks has just launched an exciting new range

The new Nutm!lk chocolate snacks bring together decades of fruit, nut and snacking know-how to create legendary tasting chocolate that is 100% plant-based with 30% less sugar No cows involved, instead Forest Feast uses smooth and creamy almond milk, cocoa beans and vanilla, for natural nutty niceness for all to enjoy.

The range is palm oil free with no nasties and no gluten, all in recyclable packaging and eye-catching shelf-ready boxes.

The line-up includes the following options available in 6x110g share bags and 12x35g impulse:

• Nutm!lk ChocoCorn: Roasted corn coated in Nutm!lk chocolate, made with cocoa beans blended with almond. (Vg, GF)

• Nutm!lk ChocoPeanuts - Peanuts coated in Nutm!lk chocolate made with cocoa beans blended with almond. (Vg, GF, Non-HFSS)

• Nutm!lk ChocoRaisins - Raisins coated in Nutm!lk chocolate, made with cocoa beans blended with almond. (Vg, GF, Non-HFSS)

Available in 6x100g share bags:

• Nutm!lk ChocoMix - Roasted peanuts, roasted corn and raisins coated in Nutm!lk

chocolate, made with cocoa beans blended with almond. (Vg, GF)

Available now: contact Forest Feast to stock up

Plentiful plant-based breakfast

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.

Rudd’s Plantiful offers 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. n

Forest Feast’s new Nutm!lk chocolate snacks are 100% plant-based with 30% less sugar

Recent appointments at CBE

Clive Hughes has been promoted to the position of director UK at CBE, one of Europe’s largest electronic point of sale (EPOS) providers.

Hughes, a native of Enniscrone in County Sligo, joined CBE in September 2006 as a systems engineer, deploying, supporting and training customers on CBE’s technology In 2014, Hughes and his family took the opportunity of moving to the UK, taking on the role of business development manager overseeing CBE’s UK customer base grow to

over 1,300 sites across all major fuel brands and symbol groups. 2020 saw the introduction of CBE’s innovative fuel on selfcheckout solution, which Hughes has been key to delivering into the marketplace.

In addition, MJ Cleary, a native of Claremorris, has been appointed as product manager Cleary joined CBE in 2016 and has worked in several roles within the company during that time

Headquartered in Claremorris, Co Mayo, CBE was founded by Gerard Concannon and

FMI announces three senior appointments to leadership team

FMI (Field Marketing Ireland) has appointed Grainne Murphy, Kieran McMahon and Shane Barry to its leadership team in support of the company’s 2023 growth strategy

“We are delighted to announce the senior appointments of Grainne Murphy, Kieran McMahon and Shane Barry to the FMI leadership team,” said Margaret Lyons, chief executive, FMI.

“Their combined skills and experience will bolster our already exceptional team and will allow us to further grow and diversify our existing offer Our ambition is to become business critical for our clients now and into the future and to do that innovation and growth is imperative. These senior appointments will help facilitate this growth and allow us to stay ahead of what our customers will require in the future.”

Grainne Murphy, who holds a BA in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management has been promoted from account director to operations director, FMCG at FMI. She joined FMI in 2002 and since then she has played a significant role in the growth of the company by developing bespoke quality assurance programmes for a range of projects contributing to the

certification of FMI in four key ISO accreditations. In her new role Murphy will be responsible for the overall client relationship management function within the FMCG Business unit, ensuring that the business achieves the commercial goals while building long term sustainable relationships with new and existing clients.

Kieran McMahon, who joined FMI in 2021 with over 22 years’ FMCG experience, has

been promoted to business unit director McMahon brings a wealth of national and international commercial experience. During his time internationally, he spent six years working with distributors across the Middle East and Africa. He will be applying his in-depth knowledge of international and local distributor model formats to existing and prospective clients of FMI, with a specific focus on delivering best-in-class visibility and availability of brands across all channels and store formats.

Shane Barry recently joined FMI as commercial finance director providing financial and strategic Leadership to the FMI business. Barry joined FMI from Diageo Ireland where he spent 13 years in various senior management positions including his most recent role as quality & commercial operations director with a specific focus on delivery of the sustainable profitable growth agenda. Prior to Diageo, Barry was senior commercial manager at T-Mobile with responsibility for the creation and delivery of T-Mobile’s wholesale division’s commercial strategy with a specific focus on pricing, terms negotiations and monetisation of new technologies.

Leading food retail, wholesale and foodservice company, Musgrave appointed Andrew Keating as chief financial officer and executive director with effect from 9 January 2023.

management positions with leading Irish PLCs, including, most recently, director of group finance with CRH. Prior to his time with CRH, Andrew was group chief financial officer at Bank of Ireland and previously spent several years across different finance roles with Ulster Bank.

Keeley, Musgrave CEO said: “I am delighted to welcome Andrew to Musgrave as CFO following the completion of a comprehensive recruitment process.

“As one of Europe’s leading family-owned businesses, we know that Andrew will play a pivotal role as we continue to grow a world-class food and beverage company that delivers market leading customer experiences every day,” Keeley added.

Keating is a proven CFO with considerable board-level experience, having previously held senior

with considerable board-level

In joining Musgrave, Keating brings with him a wealth of commercial experience, and a successful track record for driving growth and delivering large transformation initiatives both nationally and internationally Commenting on his appointment, Noel

“We look forward to working with Andrew and know he will become a valuable member of the Musgrave team.” n

MJ Cleary Clive Hughes

Grainne Murphy, Keiran McMahon and Shane Barry

Andrew Keating

his wife Catherine in 1980 and has grown to become one of the major retail and hospitality technology companies in Europe, employing over 200 people

Musgrave appoints Andrew Keating as new chief financial officer

Green Isle Fruit Snacks

Green Isle, Ireland’s favourite frozen fruit and vegetable brand, has launched an exciting, innovative and convenient fruit snacking range

Green Isle Fruit Snacks are superior quality fruits that are perfect for lunchboxes, a healthy treat or on-the-go snacking. Made from 100% fruit, Green Isle Fruit Snacks help people eat well without adding to their to-do list.

Each bag contains three easy-to-open snack packs and are one of an individual’s five-a-day. Green Isle’s carefully selected superior quality fruits are picked at their peak and frozen at their freshest. New advanced freezing technology ensures that the superior quality, taste and texture of its prepared fruits are all locked in, delivering a wonderful product with no food waste.

“We believe that we are offering a brand-new way of eating fruit,” says Mairéad Walsh, Green Isle marketing manager “Many years have been spent perfecting the freezing process, making sure that the fruit tastes really good. Fruit Snacks are high quality fruit, handpicked and ready when you are. They can be eaten frozen or defrosted with no mess.”

The two products currently available in the range are Mandarin Segments and Melon Chunks. Each pack retails at €3.50 and contains three 80g packets inside

For more information, visit www.greenIsle.ie, Instagram: @greenisle and Facebook: GreenIsle

Ready to discover something extra with Nordic Spirit?

Nordic Spirit is extending its nicotine pouch range with the addition of a new strength variety – Nordic Spirit Smooth Mint X-Strong, a more intense strength for those who want to experience more.

Nordic Spirit’s X-Strong pouches contain 11mg of 100% tobacco-free nicotine, and can be used anytime, anywhere.

Smooth Mint is also available in Regular (6mg) and Strong (9mg) strengths, along with flavours Spearmint and Berry Citrus also available in Regular and Strong.

The brand advises retailers to stock up now to “Discover the Unseen!”

Lucozade

Lucozade Zero sponsors First Dates Ireland

Lucozade Zero is re-igniting its long-term relationship with First Dates Ireland. First Dates, the hit dating show that brings together singletons searching for romance, has returned to air on RTÉ 2 weekly from Thursday, 5 January through to April. Lucozade Zero, Ireland’s second-biggest zerosugar energy drink which grew by over 30% to an RSV of over €10 million last year*, will continue its weekly sponsorship of the show with voice-overs provided once again by longterm partner, comedian Joanne McNally

First Dates Ireland, with over a quarter of a million weekly viewers, has been sponsored by Lucozade Zero since 2018. Entering the sixth year of this relationship, the partnership has helped the brand grow awareness and purchase intent with consumers. This year, the focus will be on Lucozade Zero Pink Lemonade – a firm consumer favourite and flavour exclusive to the Zero Sugar portfolio Keep an eye out for the cheeky chat up lines, double entendres and dating disasters Lucozade Zero will be bringing to life on outdoor advertising, in-store and on social media to keep you and your customers chuckling from January right through to April.

*(Source: Retail Value Sales, Total Scantrack Rep. of Ireland, MAT, 4 December 2022)

Introducing wiiings for winter: Red Bull introduces limited Winter Edition

Here to brighten the short days and give wiiings to your shoppers’ winter is the brand new deliciously fruity Red Bull Winter Edition with the taste of Pomegranate

This latest flavour joins a line-up on shelves of popular Red Bull editions including Strawberry-Apricot, Cactus Fruit, Watermelon and Tropical for a limited time only

Available for a limited time from January 2023 in 250ml cans, the matte-crimson packaging will stand out amongst the rainbow of editions in the Red Bull product line

With all the functional benefits of Red Bull Energy Drink, Red Bull Pomegranate gives a delicious flavour burst of juicy pomegranate and sour cherry, with a hint of red fruits.

The perfect base to winter mocktails or to give wiiings to your customers’ next winter hike, gaming session or long drive, Red Bull Pomegranate, from the world’s number one energy drink, is a category must-have

Visit RedBull.ie to learn more. n

Nordic Spirit

Red Bull

serve up ready-to-eat fruit, when you need it!

Mediterranean diet may help solve fertility issues

Forget costly medical intervention. New research shows that with its focus on fruits, vegetables and beans, the Mediterranean diet may help overcome infertility, making it a simple strategy for couples trying to conceive.

The Mediterranean diet can improve fertility, the success of assisted reproductive technology, and sperm quality in men, a review by Australian researchers found.

It is believed the diet – which has also been found to protect against conditions linked to inflammation, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes – can boost fertility by reducing inflammation.

The study, by scientists at Monash University, the University of the Sunshine Coast and the University of South Australia, reviewed research on how diet can affect conception.

Following the Twitterati

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n @RobOHanrahan

With the price of a pint of Guinness now on the up What’s the cheapest pint you’ve had

n @DrPaulO’Brien

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Disney sparks back to office trend?

The Walt Disney Company is asking its employees to spend more time in the office, becoming one of the biggest media companies to join employers who are growing impatient with pandemic work norms.

Disney chief executive Bob Iger told employees working hybrid schedules that they would be required to start coming in four days a week after 1 March, citing the company’s need for in-person collaboration. Iger said hybrid workers will be asked to treat “Monday through Thursday as in-person workdays”, according to an email seen by CNBC, which first reported the news.

“As I’ve been meeting with teams throughout the company over the past few months, I’ve been reminded of the tremendous value in being together with the people you work with,” Iger wrote.

Disney joins companies such as Twitter, Telsa and Goldman Sachs in asking employees to spend more time in offices as the threat of Covid-19 recedes and the employment market has been shifting back toward employers.

Activists sue French food firm Danone over use of plastics

Danone, the French yoghurt and bottled water company, is being taken to court by three environmental groups who accuse it of failing to sufficiently reduce its plastic footprint.

The company behind Evian and Volvic mineral water was failing in its duties to act under a ground-breaking French law, the groups said.

The 2017 “duty of vigilance” law makes it mandatory to carry out monitoring of human rights and environmental concerns within large French companies and their supply chains. It is being increasingly used by non-governmental organisations against multinationals, as part of a growing trend of climate litigation.

Grocery across the globe

France

Lidl France has announced the rollout of electric vehicle charging stations, with the first opening at its supermarket in Villefranche-surSaône, north of Lyon. The retailer has teamed up with ABB E-mobility and DBT on the e-station, which comprises 13 parking spaces offering fast and ultra-fast chargers. The retailer has also opened E-stations at the Lidl supermarket in Landivisiau and Les Pennes-Mirabeau, near Marseille, and one in Tourcoing.

Spain

Spanish retailer Mercadona has approved wage increases for its entire workforce in Spain and Portugal, saying they would be in line with the official rate of inflation recorded in December. The measure will enter into force starting from the January payslips of the more than 96,000 employees. European retailers have faced growing demands from their workers for pay rises to match or surpass inflation.

UK

Single-use plastic items including cutlery, plates and polystyrene cups are set to be banned in England by the end of this year UK Environment Secretary Therese Coffey is to announce the move in response to a public consultation on a plan to ban the supply of single-use plastic items and polystyrene food and drink containers.

US

Walmart is providing 30-minute drone delivery in seven states and plans to further expand the programme. The partnership with DroneUp had led to more than 6,000 drone deliveries of products under 10 pounds to Walmart customers in the past year Between the hours of 8am and 8pm, customers can order from tens of thousands of eligible items, such as Tylenol, diapers and hot dog buns, for delivery by air in 30 minutes n

Living the fairy-tale dream? Disney has asked employees to spend more time in the office

Australian researchers have found that the Mediterranean diet may help overcome infertility

LUCOZADE, LUCOZADE ZERO and the Arc Device are registered trade marks of Lucozade Ribena Suntory Ltd.