ShelfLife - June Issue by Mediateam

LARGEST INDEPENDENTLY AUDITED GROCERY TRADE CIRCULATION IN IRELAND

June 2022

Brand brilliance

Kantar’s highly anticipated report on Ireland’s 100 most-chosen brands is packed with valuable market insights

Chain reaction Dan White takes an in-depth look at the factors hitting consumer confidence hard

At your service With business costs soaring, could self-serve checkouts be right for your store?

CONVENIENCE RETAILING • OFF-TRADE • SUPERMARKETS • NEWSAGENCY • FORECOURT

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OPINION 3

ShelfLife June 2022 Vol. 29 No.6

Make sure you have your say on proposed wage changes

Editor GILLIAN HAMILL (01) 294 7776 gillian.hamill@mediateam.ie Staff journalist JULIA O’REILLY (01) 294 7709 julia.oreilly@mediateam.ie Contributors CAROLINE REIDY FIONNUALA CAROLAN BARRY WHELAN COLIN GORDON Head of business IAN MULVANEY (01) 294 7766 ian.mulvaney@mediateam.ie Account manager MARK MORGAN (01) 294 7767 mark.morgan@mediateam.ie Circulation subs@mediateam.ie Publisher JOHN McDONALD (01) 294 7744 john.mcdonald@mediateam.ie

As ShelfLife headed to print, new plans were being presented to Cabinet which would see the minimum wage phased out by 2026 and replaced by a new living wage. In a memo, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar proposed that the living wage be set at 60% of the median wage in any given year. The Department of Enterprise has provided indicative figures illustrating how progress to a full living wage would be achieved by 2026 based on current projections. That would see the living wage set at €12.17 an hour in 2022, €12.54 in 2023, €12.92 in 2024, €13.30 in 2025, and €13.70 in 2026. Tánaiste Varadkar intends to bring his plan before various interested parties, including employer and worker representative groups, unions and the public, for consultation before bringing a final plan back to government. While many retailers have paid above the minimum wage for a long time, and there are undoubtedly benefits to the proposed changes, it will nevertheless be imperative for retailers who are the backbone of their local economies, and in many areas, major local employers, to have your say on the proposed changes and how they will affect you and your staff. Here at ShelfLife meanwhile, June is always a jam-packed issue as we celebrate the nation’s 100 most-chosen brands, compiled by Kantar. One extremely sad change from last year however, is that while Ray Coyle, founder of Largo Foods and Tayto Park, appeared on the cover of our June 2021 issue as our cover interviewee, the hugely respected businessman died earlier this month, aged 70. His obituary features on page 10; may he rest in peace and our deepest sympathies to Ray's family and to all those for whom he meant so much as both a friend and colleague. Gillian Hamill, editor, ShelfLife magazine

Printing W & G Baird Ltd ShelfLife is a controlled circulation magazine, available to selected individuals with interests in the retail and wholesale grocery trade, who fall within the publisher’s terms of control. For those outside these terms, annual subscription is €98.00 including postage & packing.

Contents June 14

COVER STORY 36 100 most-chosen brands: Compiled annually by Kantar and published exclusively by ShelfLife, the 100 Master Brands at Home report provides valuable insight into the brands Irish shoppers can’t get enough of

NEWS&ANALYSIS Managing Director JOHN McDONALD; Sales Director PAUL BYRNE Operations Director BILLY HUGGARD Published monthly by Mediateam Ltd., 55 Spruce Avenue, Sandyford, Dublin 18. A94 RP22 Telephone (01) 294 7776 Fax (01) 294 7799 ISSN: 1393 0753

Circulation audited by Audit Bureau of Circulations.

ShelfLife is a member of Magazines Ireland

4 6 12 80 82

News grid Seen and heard CSNA news Off-trade news NOffA news

FEATURES&REPORTS 14 Dan White: Despite the postCovid bounce, higher oil and gas prices, soaring grain prices and a global economic slowdown have caused consumer conﬁdence to plunge

18 Self-serve checkouts: Fionnuala Carolan speaks to Derek Moran about his decision

to invest in self-serve checkout technology at his Eurospar store in Drogheda

22 Spar store proﬁle: The owners

of Spar Ashford, Cal Lynam and Brendan Bernes, opened their impressive looking store in March

24 National Lottery: Shane

Dempsey, head of corporate affairs at the National Lottery, explains the impact of the legislative loophole that allows betting on the outcome of the Lotto

26 Industry event: Today’s

Women in Grocery networking and fundraising luncheon returned in style last month under the timely theme of ‘Embracing Change’

ADVISOR 30 HR 32 Reruitment 34 Marketing

MARKETING& CATEGORY FOCUS 36 100 Master Brands at Home

54 Crisps and snacks 64 Free-from 68 Gin 72 Pet Care 74 Forecourt

NEWS

NEWSGRID The top news stories in FMCG

and retail from across Ireland Lar Mooney, store manager, (centre) alongside colleagues Lisa Bradley and Lauren Doyle

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

Aryzta expects to hit €2bn in revenue Aryzta has announced that it expects to hit revenues of at least €2 billion by the end of the current reporting period, with an organic growth target of 4.5 - 5.5%. The Cuisine de France owner reported a 25.6% increase in organic revenue in its European operations in the third quarter of its ﬁnancial year.

Petrol has breached the €2 per litre ceiling Petrol prices have reached the €2-a-litre mark at ﬁlling stations across Ireland as inﬂation hits a near 40-year high. Prices stand at a national average of €1.91 per litre while diesel prices have fallen back slightly at €1.94 per litre. The price of diesel increased by 41% in the last 12 months, however the price of petrol jumped 31% with the war in Ukraine driving up food and fuel prices globally.

Tesco opens new Express store at Spencer Dock, Dublin Tesco Ireland has opened a brand-new Tesco Express store at Spencer Dock, Dublin 1. Store manager, Lar Mooney welcomed customers into the 4,000 square foot store in the ﬁrst week of June. In line with Tesco’s sustainability strategy, the store features the latest in technology to continue its ambition to achieve net zero in its own operations by 2035. Eibhlín Mulroe, CEO, Cancer Trials Ireland and Kieran Conroy, country manager, Nestlé Ireland

Cancer Trials Ireland becomes Nestlé Ireland staff charity Cancer Trials Ireland is the new Staff Charity of the Year for Nestlé Ireland which aims to raise over €100,000 to assist Cancer Trials Ireland in its work to provide every patient diagnosed with cancer access to high-quality and potentially life-altering cancer trials. Staff at Nestlé Ireland’s Citywest HQ selected Cancer Trials Ireland following an internal vote.

Katy Perry fronts new Just Eat global campaign Just Eat has enlisted pop star Katy Perry to take its ‘Did Somebody Say’ platform global. The 60-second television commercial premiered in Ireland during the ad break of ‘Conversations with Friends’, which aired on Wednesday, 18 May at 9.35pm on RTÉ One. Created by McCann London, directed by Dave Meyers and featuring Snoop Doog, it has been voted the most effective brand sonic by Mark Ritson.

Unemployment down despite cost of living increases

Jack Kennedy, economist, Indeed

The main national unemployment rate was 4.7% in May on a seasonally adjusted basis, down from 6.9% twelve months ago. According to Jack Kennedy, economist at global job site Indeed: “The rate of unemployment fell in May to 4.7%, with fears about the rising cost of living and the economic impact of the war in Ukraine failing to dent the positive employment trend.” The recently published Q1 Labour Force Survey from the CSO shows 275,200 more people are employed in Ireland compared to a year ago.

CSNA proposes rebate is included within Sick Pay Scheme The CSNA has suggested that a rebate scheme be put in place to refund the cost of payments made for absent staff on sick leave where such staff are covered by a substitute – otherwise the employers in convenience retailing, hospitality and childcare will suffer from a “double-whammy” - paying the sick employee and their replacement.

Consumers to cut back on food due to inflation: Kantar Kantar’s latest take-home grocery figures for Ireland show that sales fell by 6.5% in the 12 weeks to 15 May 2022. Irish shoppers are adjusting to increased prices as grocery inflation hits 5.5%, marking the first time it has risen above 5% since August 2013. David Berry, managing director for Kantar Worldpanel Ireland said: “Our research shows the rising cost of living is a key concern for 81% of Irish consumers*. A staggering 62% expect that they will have to cut back on the amount of food they buy in response to current prices.” ■ *(Source: Data from research with 1,002 Irish consumers on behalf of Permanent TSB)

For more details on all the above and the latest grocery-related news as it happens, visit www.shelﬂife.ie. ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

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SEEN AND HEARD

Fyffes fitness visits returning to Irish schools Another sign that life continues to return to normal can be seen in the announcement by Fyffes that it is to resume its children’s fitness programme of live school visits in September following a two-year break during Covid. Originally conceived as a means of introducing children to the importance of physical exercise and healthy eating, the upcoming schedule will see some 7,500 pupils from schools throughout Ireland, North and South, participate in an interactive Fit Squad session between September and March next. Delivered by Irish health and fitness expert, Tom Dalton, and carried out under the eye of teachers present, each 45-minute session includes an active workout plus talks and tips on healthy eating, all designed to improve children’s general fitness through engaging and fun-filled activities. Looking ahead to the resumption of the initiative, Fyffes head of marketing, Emma Hunt-Duffy said: “We have had such a positive response to the programme, many schools are already in the pipeline for visits before we had to go online. “Much of the appeal is that the exercises don’t require any equipment and don’t need much space,” she added. “They focus on using your own body weight to build strength in a fun way that can be enjoyed by

SuperValu encourages shoppers to shop sustainably and support local for Guaranteed Irish Food Month SuperValu is partnering with Guaranteed Irish to encourage shoppers to shop sustainably, buy Irish and support local this June as part of Guaranteed Irish Food Month. The call comes as new research shows that the vast majority (89%) of Irish people believe buying local products can help the environment, while Brid O’Connell, CEO, Guaranteed Irish 77% of Irish shoppers feel and Ray Kelly, marketing director, it is important to buy Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland sustainable products. Over the past 12 months, shoppers say they have actively increased their efforts to reduce their impact on the environment with threequarters of people (76%) recycling more, 69% reducing their use of single use plastic and 68% reducing waste in their household. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of Irish shoppers have also bought more locally produced goods in the past 12 months. “We are at a point in history where action must be taken in order to ensure that we pass on a sustainable world to future generations,” said Ray Kelly, marketing director, Musgrave Retail Partners. “It is heartening to see the importance Irish people place on shopping in a sustainable way,” he added. “At SuperValu, we have been investing time, resources and finances into becoming a more sustainable business. We’ve operated a zero food waste to landfill policy for over 15 years, we have recycling rates of 97% and over 90% of the plastic packaging for our own brand products is now recyclable. SuperValu is committed to providing customers with more sustainable choices, Kelly continued, noting: “We recently launched the Taste of Local initiative, which showcases hundreds of small Irish food and drink producers in stores across the country, while SuperValu’s Food Academy programme for early-stage food and drink producers supports 320 Irish food and drink producers, 52 weeks of the year.”

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelflife.ie

Irish Olympic athletes David Gillick and Phil Healy are supporting the announcement by Fyffes that it is to resume its children’s fitness programme of live school visits in September

children, teachers and parents alike.” Prior to going online when schools were forced to close, the multi award-winning children’s fitness programme has been introduced to over 20,000 pupils in a countrywide series of school visits since its launch just four years ago. Schools interested in participating are invited to register at www.fyffesfitsquad.ie/register.

Centra reveals sales of €1.98 billion in 2021 Centra has reported strong sales of €1.98 billion and 2.5% annual growth for 2021. This robust performance was driven by growth in Centra’s convenience offering, including its award-winning ownbrand ranges and Inspired By Centra, and Freshly Prepared meals as well as Frank and Honest coffee. The retailer has also announced a €25 million investment in an ambitious expansion programme. The expansion will see 18 new Centra stores open in 2022, creating over 430 new jobs in local communities around the country. The expansion programme is in addition to the 11 new Centra stores opened in 2021 and the €17 million deployed last year to revamp and refresh 64 existing stores. Centra supports over 38,000 jobs and directly employs 11,716 people across the 483 stores operating in Ireland. Throughout the pandemic, shoppers sought convenient meal solutions and tasty treats, driving demand for Centra’s cook at home prepared ranges. Moo’d Ice Cream, Centra’s high-quality Irish ice cream concept, recorded sales of €10m last year, up over 52% on 2020. The Inspired By Centra range saw strong growth with a 40% increase in sales, while the Freshly Prepared range of meals also saw a 40% jump in sales. The announcement followed the publication of an economic impact report by leading economist Jim Power. This highlights the financial contribution of Centra stores is valued at an estimated €646.7 million. Direct employment by Centra creates approximately €38 million in employment taxes and generates a total net wage of €160.4 million, which is injected into local economies. In 2021, Centra stores spent €2.1 million on local sponsorships and payments to a wide array of local and national charities. n

Ciaran Mangan, Centra council chair with Ian Allen, MD, Centra and sales director Cormac Dawson

POWER UP

YOUR WATER

SEEN AND HEARD

Croom and local Limerick retailer showcased on international stage Croom and Padraig Broderick’s Spar store were elevated to a global stage last month when his Spar store was presented to 48 nations at the 65th annual Spar International Congress in Amsterdam as a shining example of what is possible when innovative design is met with true community retailing ambition. Spar Croom has been serving the people of the picturesque town for more than 40 years with Padraig Broderick at the helm going on two decades. Providing employment to 44 people locally, Spar Croom is at the very heart of the 1,250 people who live locally. The store underwent its most recent revamp last year and is now an impressive 6,725sq ft having added to the size of the store by moving into the old Ulster Bank building which was adjacent to the existing store. The other existing three buildings where the store sat are approximately 150 -200 years old so there was a substantial amount of structural work to be done in the process. The new-look store which features the latest Spar design is fresh and modern with high ceilings, and the team also added a craft bakery, revamped and expanded the deli to offer more fresh offerings, and

Retailer Padraig Broderick has been at the helm of Spar Croom for nearly two decades

enhanced the range of the meat counter to offer more oven-ready products. “Padraig Broderick and all the team in Spar Croom are a tremendous example of retailing at its finest,” said Colin Donnelly, Spar sales director. “Spar Croom is an outstanding ambassador for Spar and I am thrilled that the store has been recognised on the international stage by being highlighted at this year’s Spar International Congress.” The 65th International Spar Congress was held from 22-28 May in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The event celebrated Spar’s 90th anniversary, coming together in the country where Adriaan van Well founded the brand in 1932.

Pictured L-R: Henry O. Armour, NACS president and CEO; Ciaran McNally, chief retail officer for Maxol; Brad Schumacher, VP, global key accounts & marketing, Dover Fueling Solutions; Siobhan Grimes, head of retail for Maxol; Mark Wohltmann, director, NACS Global; Thomas McMullan, director and with the award, Brian Donaldson, CEO, The Maxol Group

Maxol presented with prestigious European Retail Award Maxol Ballycoolin in Dublin has beaten off strong competition from all over Europe to be named European Convenience Retailer of the Year. The award was presented to Maxol Ballycoolin during the 2022 NACS Convenience Summit Europe in Berlin with the judges agreeing that the service station is an excellent representation of how Maxol is futureproofing its business by focusing on customer needs and delivering a foodfocused experience. The NACS European Convenience Retail Awards provide retailers with the opportunity to showcase their innovation and creativity to the global retailing community. Maxol is no stranger to NACS awards and last year, won the 2021 NACS European Convenience Retailer Best of the Best Store Award for the redevelopment of its service station in Newbridge, Kildare. “Being recognised on the European stage as a leader in convenience retailing is hugely rewarding and I’m thrilled for all of the team that have worked so hard on achieving this award for Maxol Ballycoolin,” said Brian Donaldson, CEO of The Maxol Group. “This award recognises how Maxol is transforming from being a traditional forecourt retailer to becoming a leader in innovation and creating the service station of the future. Our partner Aramark and their dedicated team at Maxol Ballycoolin are incredible ambassadors for the Maxol brand both in Ireland and now, across Europe.” Aramark, the global specialist in food and facilities management services, operates the Ballycoolin service station on behalf of Maxol and speaking about the win, Mark Cribbin, account director at Aramark Ireland said: “This award is proof of the success of the Maxol - Aramark partnership, which continues to go from strength to strength. We are so proud of our people in Ballycoolin who bring the best of service to both the local community and the significant passing trade in the area.”

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelflife.ie

Starcamp with Gala Retail promises a summer of fun for Irish kids Summer is in the air and Starcamp with Gala Retail will be hosting activity camps for kids in locations across Ireland throughout July and August. This year sees leading Irish convenience retailer, Gala Retail, continue its sponsorship of Starcamp for a second year, supporting Starcamp in its delivery of activity camps all across the country and providing over €10,000 worth of prizes for participating children and their schools. Starcamp is known nationwide for its award-winning Easter and Summer camps, which take place in more than 250 locations across Ireland each year. Earlier this year, Starcamp with Gala Retail launched the first ‘National Confidence Day’ for children in Ireland with a special ‘I Believe in Me’ themed online show, designed to help Irish children to develop their confidence and self-esteem through participation in a range of fun activities. The focus on building confidence and self-belief continues in summer camps with its ‘Be Confident’ theme, engaging the children at each camp in a range of activities that will help them to build self-esteem and self-confidence through participation in the camp’s activities which include music, dance, drama, camp games, magic, arts & crafts, comedy, fun masterclasses and so much more! Starcamp with Gala Retail Summer Camps will be taking place in over 250 locations this summer, hosting almost 30,000 children. For more information on Starcamp with Gala Retail and Summer Camp locations and availability, visit www.starcamp.ie. n Gary Desmond, chief executive of Gala Retail and Jennifer York Howard, Starcamp team leader, pictured with Olivia I Hekaire, aged 9 and Bobbi Osborne, aged 9

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OBITUARY

A special kind of genius

Ray Coyle, the founder of Largo Foods and Tayto Park, died peacefully on Wednesday, 8 June 2022, surrounded by his wife Roz and children Natalya and Charles. Here, we pay tribute to the man who has left a lasting legacy of helping countless others to succeed

“It takes a special kind of genius, vision, and determination to create a white-knuckle ride theme park in Co. Meath, name it after a crisp, and attract millions of visitors since 2010,” was how The Irish Examiner described entrepreneur Ray Coyle. A hugely popular figure in the grocery industry owing to his generosity and gregarious good humour, here at ShelfLife we have our own fond memories of the Largo Foods and Tayto Park founder, whom we have interviewed several times down through the years. In fact, Ray Coyle featured on our cover exactly one year ago, for our June 2021 issue. In that interview, Fionnuala Carolan described the easy, modest manner with which Coyle carried his success and innate resilience, writing: “Nothing seems to faze Ray Coyle. As he speaks about some astonishing events in his life, he might as well be reading out a shopping list. “I bought this factory then; I lost a fortune there; I decided to build a theme park; I’ve had cancer twice.” “Coyle is an illustrious character,” the piece continued. “The measure of the man is really in the story that many in the industry already know about how in 1981 he found himself in serious financial trouble that would utterly destroy him, owing £1.2 million Irish pounds to the bank with no way to pay it back. The farm he owned would only cover a fraction of the debt if sold so he decided to raffle it off. He

sold 4,000 tickets at £300 pounds a pop and recouped £1.2 million, paid the bank what was owed and turned around and launched a crisp company.” To give a brief summary of his activities thereafter, the details of which many of our readers will already be familiar: Ray Coyle set up snack company Largo Foods in 1982, which grew to include brands such as Tayto, Hunky Dorys and King crisps. He later sold a 15% stake in the business that owned the Tayto brand to German firm Intersnack in 2007 and his remaining 25% stake in 2015, before stepping away from that business completely in late 2016. In 2019, Largo Foods changed its name to Tayto Snacks. Tayto Park first opened in November 2010 and has welcomed over 5m visitors since it first opened its gates, growing into one of Ireland’s most popular paid visitor attractions. In November, the park said it was planning to change its name after Tayto’s existing title sponsorship ends at the end of this year. Ray Coyle is survived by his wife Roz, his son Charles, who manages Tayto Park, and his daughter Natalya, who has represented Ireland at the Olympic Games. Back in 2008, I well remember interviewing Ray Coyle. In his typical playful humour, he tested my gullibility reflex with the following hair-raising explanation of how Buffalo Hunky Dorys are made: “We kill the buffalo every two

or three weeks and dry the meat out until it’s bone dry. Then we macerate the product and spread it on the crisps.” Of course, Coyle did indeed keep a herd of over 250 buffalo at the Largo Foods headquarters in Kilbrew, Ashbourne, County Meath. He explained that he actually bought the buffalo 12 years previously, “as a wild thing to do,” (no pun intended), and decided to introduce buffalo ﬂavoured crisps on the back of this, which “believe it or not it worked!”. Full of ‘joie de vivre’ seems to be a perfect phrase to sum up Ray Coyle, whose outlook was encapsulated in his thoughts on what made a good advertising campaign: “It has to be funny, to make you see it when you’re driving along the road and it must also make you feel warm and have a bit of a laugh, but not be offensive.” This is the feeling that he himself evoked for many people. Always a modest man, since his passing, many stories have emerged of how Ray Coyle gave a helping hand to people as they started their business: an incredible legacy to bequeath. ShelfLife would like to share our deepest sympathies with Ray Coyle’s family, friends and colleagues. ■

LARGEST INDEPENDENTLY AUDITED GROCERY TRADE CIRCULATION IN IRELAND

June 2021

Tributes to an iconic Irish entrepreneur “CSNA is saddened to hear of Ray’s passing. He was a great supporter of the association and hosted the National Executive and Consultative Council at Tayto Park a number of years ago as well as being guest speaker at the CSNA Annual Dinner in Killiney Castle Hotel since. He championed the little guy and was always generous with his wisdom and time. May he rest in peace.” Joe Tierney, national executive ofﬁcer, CSNA “Ray was a wonderful entrepreneur and brought innovative thinking into the Irish food business, establishing an iconic brand. He was the creator of the remarkable development of Largo Foods and Tayto Park, creating considerable job opportunities in the process. Ibec and the wider business community offers its condolences to the Coyle family for their loss.” Ibec CEO, Danny McCoy

Ray of light

Tayto Park’s Ray Coyle reflects on an illustrious career to date, including his latest venture with SynerChi Kombucha

Ireland’s 100 most-chosen brands Kantar reveals this year’s brand heroes

Office politics Is the work-from-home revolution here to stay?

CONVENIENCE RETAILING • OFF-TRADE • SUPERMARKETS • NEWSAGENCY • FORECOURT

Ray Coyle featured on the cover of the ShelfLife June 2021 issue

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

“Ray Coyle was an innovative entrepreneur who made a signiﬁcant impact on the Irish grocery sector. RGDATA would like to send condolences to his family and his many colleagues, customers and friends. He will certainly be missed. May he rest in peace.” Tara Buckley, director general, RGDATA “On behalf of The Federation of Independent Retailers, I offer our deepest sympathy to the Coyle family on the passing of Raymond. He was a thorough entrepreneur and gentleman. May he rest in peace.” The Fed Ireland district president, Martin Mulligan.

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CSNA NEWS

CSNA NEWS CSNA NEWS

Are changes within Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill reasonable?

JOHN PAUL LONERGAN

National President, CSNA

PRESIDENT’S OPINION

Employers should not face ‘doublewhammy’ of paying for sick employee and their replacement According to the most recent statistics provided to the Oireachtas by the Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, 74% of the total of PRSI contributions made by employers and employees comes from employers. Of the €10.7 billion collected in 2020, €7.929 billion were employers’ contributions. It is not unreasonable to ask – what do they get for this? The CSNA has suggested that a rebate scheme be put in place to refund the cost of payments made for absent staff on sick leave where such staff are covered by a substitute – otherwise the employers in the labourintensive sectors such as convenience retailing, hospitality and childcare will suffer from a “doublewhammy” - paying the sick employee and their replacement.

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

Members will be aware that the Department of Health has initiated a new bill regarding tobacco and vaping. The bill will provide for a licensing system for both products and will also change quite signiﬁcantly the modes in which prosecutions will be carried out. Since 2002, retailers have been able to establish that if they had taken all reasonable efforts to prevent a sale occurring, they would not be prosecuted for the sale of tobacco to a minor by one of their staff members. The new bill removes that defence and substitutes it with a provision that requires a retailer to instruct their staff to seek a driving licence, passport or an age card, and that this may form a defence. We cannot accept for reasons outlined in our submission to the Oireachtas committee that the existing defence should be extinguished; the requirements regarding the existing age veriﬁcation proofs have already

been included in existing legislation. It is even more worrying that a substantial number of generic letters were recently sent to tobacco retailers from their local HSE Environmental Health Service that stated that retailers should seek the Public Services Card (PSC) as proof of age and identity. This Is an error and following lengthy toing and froing with the Department, HSE, EHS and Ofﬁce of Tobacco Control, it was accepted that the PSC cannot be accepted for a very simple reason: it doesn’t have a date of birth printed anywhere on it, and as such, is totally useless from a proof of age purpose! The OTC has informed CSNA that all recipients of this original letter will be informed of the error and advised that the only acceptable forms of ID are those listed in legislation, the age card, passport or driving licence. They have also agreed to amend the letter to expunge the PSC reference. It took over six weeks for this to

CSNA MEMBER’S STORY

Contactless payments: Be vigilant Payment technology is wonderful; it has the ability to save countless hours of repetitive work. However, there is always a need to maintain an alert when processing (or overseeing) contactless transactions. There is a built-in alert on every contactless card that requires the card to be manually authorised on a random cycle. This is to minimise the potential loss to the card issuer

One CSNA member reported a loss last month of €70, after several customers failed to input their chip and pin numbers to complete transactions

if the card has been stolen and fraudulently used on a series of purchases below the €50 limit. We are aware that many retailers have been unable to process sales that need the card holder to input the chip and pin number as they had already “swanned out” of the door, oblivious to the fact that their purchases had not actually been authorised and did not hear the calls of the sales assistant seeking them to return to the cash point. One of our members reported a loss last month of €70 across a number of transactions. While he is understandably upset at these losses, it really goes to show how important it is that all staff are made aware of the need to watch out for the contactless sales actually going through, and that they understand how to identify those “sales” that require manual inputting, how to prevent walkouts, and how to ensure you don’t get accused of defamation!

Retailers are very conscious of responsibilities regarding the sale of age-restricted products such as tobacco

be acknowledged as an error as it would appear it was extremely difﬁcult for anyone within the tobacco control space to accept that an error could have been made. We are very conscious of our responsibilities as retailers of agerestricted products but will readily accept that an accident may happen and that a sale to a minor may occur; that is why it is so important that the existing “all reasonable efforts to prevent a sale” as a defence must remain in the new bill.

CSNA TIP OF THE MONTH

Security tip: Cable ties must be cut and safely disposed Cable ties are probably the worst single cause of the most expensive injury claims with settlements including costs, ranging between €50,000 and €100,000. They simply must be cut and disposed of safely. Simply saying, “we always do that”, is far from adequate. Post a notice to your staff outlining where deliveries are received, and rubbish is disposed of. Tell them at a group meeting. If such a claim is brought against you and you fail to show that this is a strictly enforced and practiced procedure, your defence will be weakened.

If a claim is brought against you, it is imperative to be able to demonstrate you have a strictly enforced procedure in place to safely dispose of cable ties

CSNA NEWS

IF YOU WISH TO JOIN THE CSNA, PLEASE CONTACT THE ASSOCIATION ON 045 535050

CSNA DEALS

CSNA NEWS

SuperValu and Centra MD Ian Allen voices concerns on rising costs to retailers

Cleeve’s Irish Confectionery delights customers with timeless treats

We were very comforted to note the serious comments made by SuperValu and Centra MD Ian Allen during the course of the press brieﬁngs on foot of the (once again) spectacular sales reports for 2021. There is no doubt that the government needs to understand that independent community-based businesses such as those owned by CSNA members cannot withstand the relentless pressures they are facing with increasing inputs in wages, energy and a surfeit of business costs. This is what Mr Allen had to say: “The government needs to step up and do more for independent retailers who are facing increased labour costs, rising energy prices, supply constraints, high insurance premiums and the added pressure of State schemes

Cleeve’s is an iconic Irish brand fondly remembered as being an integral part of Ireland’s confectionery industry for most of the 20th century. Much to consumers’ delight, Ampersand brought the brand back to Irish retail shelves after a 30-year absence. Cleeve’s is Ireland’s longest established surviving confectionery brand. Each Irish treat brings a moment of joy and Irish heritage in every bite. Cleeve’s continues to use traditional recipes that combine the ﬁnest Irish dairy ingredients sourced locally with sustainably sourced produce to make its timeless treats. Cleeve’s is a brand that can be enjoyed by all the family through evoking nostalgia

like pension auto-enrolment. “If you add all of that, the punitive impact on our sector is absolutely staggering, and it doesn’t feel like it’s being approached or viewed in that way. If these cost pressures go unchecked or unaddressed, then we are going to end up with business failures. We are going to end up with employment being hit.”

“The government needs to step up and do more for independent retailers,” said SuperValu and Centra MD Ian Allen

CSNA Deals Partner Ampersand distributes iconic Irish brand, Cleeve’s

or creating new magical memories with the younger generations. More information on Cleeve’s can be found on cleevesirishconfectionery.ie or on its social channels, Facebook and Instagram. If you are interested in stocking any Cleeve’s products, please contact your local Ampersand representative or call the Ampersand sales line directly on 01-4130150. ■

ADVERTORIAL

Ferrero launches retailer website, ‘Your Perfect Store’

Ferrero is launching its convenience retailing facing website - Your Perfect Store – to the Irish market foráub is easy to navigate and provides clear information to digest, appealing to increasingly time-poor retailers who revert towards digital channels for support in running their stores. “We know that Your Perfect Store is already a well-known and established platform among retailers, but we want to improve it further by placing a greater focus on up-to-date information, must-stock

products, planograms and regular exclusive offers and direct communication specific to the Irish market,” says Levi Boorer, customer development director at Ferrero UK & Ireland, “We appreciate that hard-working retailers are becoming increasingly busy, particularly since the surge in shoppers visiting convenience stores following the pandemic and we want them to feel reassured by the round the clock support provided on our website.”

www.yourperfectstore.ie www.shelﬂife.ie | ShelfLife June 2022

OPINION

Dan’s Digest

With Dan White VieWs on the latest eConomiC & politiCal neWs

How signiﬁcantly will shoppers cut back in response to rising prices? Despite the post-Covid bounce, higher oil and gas prices, soaring grain prices and a global economic slowdown have caused consumer confidence to plunge, writes Dan White

ussia’s invasion of Ukraine has hammered consumer confidence with the KBC Bank index of consumer sentiment having now fallen for four months in a row. After collapsing in the run-up to the 2008 crash, consumer confidence, as measured by the KBC Bank’s index, had recovered to almost pre-crash levels by 2016. However, even before the onset of Covid19, consumer confidence had begun to dip in late 2019 as the prospect of higher interest rates began to make shoppers more cautious. What had been a gentle decline turned into a nosedive when Covid-19 struck with consumer confidence plunging to post-2008 levels in April 2020 as lockdown confined most shoppers to their homes. After plunging to the depths, consumer confidence then recovered strongly until October 2021. Confidence then slipped in November and December as the number of Covid-19 cases soared but rose slightly in January as fears about the pandemic eased. That was as good as it got. Consumer confidence fell in February, even before Russia actually invaded its neighbour as Putin’s sabre-rattling spooked shoppers.

Impact of war Things went into overdrive after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. As the implications of the invasion became clearer; higher oil and gas prices, soaring grain prices and a global economic slowdown; consumers took fright and became much, much more negative. According to the KBC Bank survey, ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

VAT returns show different story

consumer confidence is now back to 2012 levels and still falling. This is only the fifth time in the 26 years of the survey that consumer sentiment has fallen for four consecutive months. “The recent trend in the confidence survey suggests Irish consumers are attempting to adjust to an altogether more painful reality in terms of their immediate circumstances and the broader economic environment than appeared remotely possible a few short months ago,” says KBC Bank economist Austin Hughes. “Consumers fear large and lasting problems for the economy and their personal finances.” However, while consumers may be worried about the future, this doesn’t seem to be reflected, at least not yet, in their spending decisions.

At the same time as the KBC Bank survey (which has in the past proved to be a very good leading economic indicator) was showing a collapse in consumer confidence, the CSO’s retail sales index and the government’s VAT returns were painting a very different picture. For April, the month for which most figures are available, the CSO estimates that the value of non-motor retail sales was up by 1.6% on the previous month and by a massive 21.5% on April 2021. The volume of sales was up 1% on the previous month and by 12.9% on April of last year. The exchequer returns for May also point to a booming retail sector with VAT receipts up by 29% to €8.9bn in the first five months of the year. Downturn, what downturn!

Post-Covid bounce While the KBC Bank survey results and the CSO retail sales index are apparently portraying alternate realities, a closer look at the CSO numbers almost certainly points to trouble ahead. When one examines individual retail sectors, rather than retail as a whole, it quickly becomes obvious that much of the current increase reﬂects a postlockdown bounce rather than any underlying growth. The value of department store sales was almost 120% higher in April 2022 than in April 2021. Clothing and footwear sales were up 30% over the same period while sales of books, newspapers and stationery rose by 53%. However, the undisputed champion

OPINION

was the country’s bars with sales soaring by 560%. These were all sectors that had been hammered by the pandemic with traditional bricks and mortar outlets shut and most remaining sales migrating online.

Supermarket sales Perhaps more relevant was the 1.8% annual fall in supermarket sales and the 9.4% fall in food, beverage and tobacco sales recorded in the 12 months to April. The suspicion that the increase in the retail sales index is no more than a short-lived post-Covid bounce is reinforced by survey data compiled by market research ﬁrm Kantar. In its most recent survey for the 12 weeks-ended 15 May, Kantar estimates that grocery sales fell by 6.5%. As inﬂation soars to levels not seen for almost two generations, with the CSO estimating that the consumer price index rose by 7% in the year to April, consumers are cutting back. “Food and drink prices are continuing to climb, and the impact of this on grocery budgets is now unavoidable for many people. Our research shows the rising cost of living is a key concern for 81% of Irish consumers. A

The opening of Amazon’s new Irish fulﬁlment centre at Baldonnell, Co. Dublin will further intensify the pressure on traditional retailers, writes Dan White

staggering 62% expect that they will have to cut back on the amount of food they buy in response to current prices.”

Changing shopper habits In response to higher prices, consumers are cutting back. Instead of the branded goods to which we treated ourselves during lockdown, many shoppers are opting for supermarkets’ cheaper own-label items instead. Shoppers

are also making fewer shopping trips, about four less trips a month Kantar estimates, than they did during lockdown. What all of this means is that the collapse in consumer confidence being portrayed by the KBC Bank survey is for real. The current surge in retail sales is no more than a temporary post-Covid bounce. In the coming months this will fade rapidly, as it is already for supermarket and food sales. With inflation likely to go even higher, household budgets will remain under pressure for the foreseeable future. The continuing war in Ukraine will almost certainly maintain the upward pressure on energy and food prices. Add it all up and it’s clear that recent falls in supermarket and food sales are not an outlier. As the post-Covid splurge fades after the summer holidays, sales in other retail sectors will begin to follow suit. The opening of Amazon’s new Irish fulfilment centre at Baldonnell, Co. Dublin will further intensify the pressure on traditional retailers. For those booksellers, department stores, clothing retailers and bars who have been enjoying a post-lockdown sales boost, enjoy it while it lasts. As Bob Dylan sang, there’s a hard rain gonna fall. ■

www.shelﬂife.ie | ShelfLife June 2022

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

Carry Out triumphs at NOffLA Off-Licence of the Year Awards 2022 Barry Group’s Carry Out Off-Licence brand had a phenomenal presence at this year’s NOffLA Off-Licence of the Year Awards. Not only was Galvin’s Carry Out in Carrigaline crowned National Off-Licence of the Year; Carry Out The Reeks, Killarney was named Munster Off-Licence of the Year and Carry Out Ballinasloe was awarded Best First Time Entrant – a real testament to the brand’s success

uilt on a legacy of innovation and expertise, Barry Group’s Carry Out OffLicence is once again celebrating big wins as Galvin’s Carry Out in Carrigaline, Cork was recently awarded ‘National Off-Licence of the Year’ at the 26th NOffLA Off-Licence of the Year Awards. Whilst the off-licence sector has seen its challenges over the past number of years due to influences including the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing and pandemic related challenges, Barry Group’s managing director Jim Barry is delighted to share this success. “Our Carry Out retailers have shown sheer resilience over the past three years,” he says, “and it is fantastic to now be able to change the narrative to a more positive tone and celebrate Barry Galvin and his team in their success at the NOffLA awards this year. Additionally, Carry Out The Reeks, Killarney was deservingly awarded ‘Munster OffLicence of the Year’ and Carry Out Ballinasloe was named ‘Best First Time Entrant’. To have such a strong presence of not only nominees, but category winners is a testament to the brand and the incredible effort that our retailers have been consistently putting into developing Carry Out to Ireland’s largest and preferred off licence.”

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelflife.ie

Winning story For Barry Galvin, this recognition has been built on the accumulation of years of industry knowledge and experience. “At the age of 24, I opened the Carrigaline store almost 20 years ago,” he recalls. Having built an interest in the off-trade sector in his families off licence business, Galvin commenced on his own

business venture and built his store based on experience and observations on shops he had visited globally. Lessons that were learned during these formative years are ones that have contributed to today’s successes. “I did not realise it would be such a challenge but being so young, I was highly motivated to succeed,” he says. “I was lucky to have built an incredible team of local staff, so the risk paid

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

Galvin’s Carry Out prides itself on its crafted selection of wines, beers and spirits

off with lots of hard work. The local community supported us from the start and continue to do so, and for that, we are so thankful.” A huge supporter of the local community, causes and suppliers, Galvin believes that community involvement is absolutely vital to succeeding in today’s competitive retail environment. An additional factor which Barry Galvin attributes to this accolade is his team, noting: “Galvin’s Carrigaline has some of the best staff. Victoria Alexander and David Kinsella have worked incredibly hard to maintain such high standards with the help of a great team behind them. Our success at the NOffLA awards to date is a testament to this. In past years we have also won ‘Munster Off Licence of the Year’ amongst other awards. These achievements fuel us with the fire to keep moving forward and challenges us to excel to new standards.”

A competitive playing field Many challenges in the market have presented themselves, resulting in a heightened competitive area. Factors including the surge in popularity of home bars during lockdown, the rise in popularity of craft beers and the growing demand for Irish premium whiskeys have fundamentally shifted the off-trade sector. “The off-licence sector is very different now”, says Galvin. “As with many businesses, the demand from customers is at an all time high so we strive to satisfy every customer as

best we can. We stock new trending products as soon as they hit the market and we invest in staff training which has developed an authentic passion in our team which cannot be replicated. For example, David Kinsella, our Carry Out Carrigaline store manager, is so passionate about craft beer and knows our customers so well that he now leads the trend and customers return time and time again for his recommendation.” A true ambassador for the sector, Galvin invests significant time in developing his extensive and competitive range. He attests this to the fact that both he and his team actively listen to customer requests and monitor trends, resulting in the development of a loyal customer base. “Across my three retail stores, there is a diverse customer base which allows us to familiarise ourselves with a diverse range of customer needs and craft our range in accordance,” he notes. “Thankfully, a segment of this accounts for a group of customers who are willing to spend €50 or €60 on a bottle of wine or €100+ on a premium whiskey. This market is one that is growing significantly and one that we have successfully capitalised on.”

A bright future Regarding the Carry Out Off-Licence brand, the Barry Group has made a significant investment in the past few months and is on the brink of launching projects which will further enhance the leading and largest off-licence franchise.

Galvin’s Carry Out have built a strong name for their expertise in craft beer

Barry Galvin, store owner of Galvin’s Carry Out showcasing their recent win of National Off Licence of the Year at the NOffLA Awards.

“Coming out of the difficult period that was dominated by the pandemic, we spent considerable time evaluating our current offering and opportunities to further enhance it,” explains David O’Keeffe, head of Carry Out Off Licence. “This resulted in the development of a number of projects that we are looking forward to launching in the next couple of months. Each of these will have a significant impact on the brand and will further enhance our competitive advantage in the market.” Discussing his future plans, Barry Galvin says Carrigaline’s fantastic community spirit will continue to play a key role in the store’s development. “Every year we try our best to improve the shop,” he says. “However, Victoria has warned me that the plans aren’t to be shared! But what I can say is that we hope to continue working in our community with our incredible team for the years to come, servicing our valued customers. I’m so glad to have made the decision to open the store in Carrigaline all those years ago and have been constantly motivated by the community spirit and support.” Barry Galvin would also like to take this opportunity to thank his Carry Out account manager Declan McKenna, the Barry Group his primary supplier, his team and NOffLA for their support and recognition. n

Galvin’s Carry Out’s large retail outlet allows them to stock a comprehensive range to meet the needs of their large customer base

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife June 2022

FEATURE

Why now could be a good time to invest in self-serve checkouts With the rise of inflation, many people would feel nervous about investing in new equipment or technology. Despite this, Derek Moran decided that it was the right time for him to invest in new technology in his Eurospar store in Drogheda. He spoke to Fionnuala Carolan about the decision to purchase self-serve tills at this time

ny investment in a business takes careful consideration and when times are tough many people decide to shelve any notions of spending, choosing instead to put the head down and wait until the tide turns. According to Vincent Jennings, chief executive of the CSNA, the cost and availability of labour and meeting the challenges of high energy bills are very real problems that require businesses to seriously consider making investments to protect their futures. “Now might be a good time to assess, and in some cases, reassess, making investments in products of a technological and environmentally friendly nature,” he says. “The energy crisis is seeing retailers paying literally twice the price per unit, coupled with the prospect of steep labour cost increases with the introduction of statutory sick pay, and the annual increases in National Minimum Wage rates. “All employers will be facing the prospect of paying a Living Wage in addition to making a

“Now might be a good time to assess, and in some cases, reassess, making investments in products of a technological and environmentally friendly nature,” says CSNA CEO Vincent Jennings

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelflife.ie

6% pension contribution to their employees’ auto enrolment pension fund.” The important information prospective purchasers of equipment wish to know is how quickly will they get payback? These periods of time reduce significantly when we experience massive energy cost increases and the prospect of substantial labour cost rises.

Eurospar Drogheda Derek Moran of Eurospar Drogheda undertook a revamp in 2019. He says he “blew the budget” with the revamp and that the money wasn’t there to do any more despite wanting to trial self-serve tills. “I had them pencilled in mentally,” he says “but I just didn’t have the money.” He admits to being one of the lucky ones during Covid as his store performed very strongly and it gave him a bit of cash flow and confidence to spend again. He decided that this was the time to invest in the self-serve tills. The quote that he had received pre-Covid had come down and now the cost for two selfserve tills was €55k. He had originally calculated that it would take 5.5 years to pay back the investment but now he feels it will pay for itself within three years, working this out by calculating the amount of people using the tills versus the cost of the equipment and hours saved. It was estimated that 20% of people would use the self-serve checkout but in fact it has risen to over 30% already. “To make it pay you need it to be over 20%,” he explains. “One of the most surprising things to me was that older people were using them. I thought they might be reluctant but not so. I suppose the multiples have led the way with this technology and people are used to it now.”

Reasons for investing He was interested in self-service tills for several reasons. During Covid, staffing issues including sickness and isolating became a real problem.

He felt like this was a way to manage in times of being short staffed. “It’s not about replacing staff,” he assures, “but about having extra capacity when needed.” What he likes most about them is that it improves customer service in the store. “It frees up staff for more interaction and chat with those who want that experience and the person in a rush can use the self-serve checkout rather than standing in line and getting annoyed,” he explains.

Issues Moran worked with CBE for installation and they carried out a pre-site survey to see what would work best and then conducted staff training on the tills. The tills are very user-friendly according to Moran and they have only experienced very minor glitches which are easily fixed. “The odd time confusion can occur for non-bar coded items for customers but there is a RAP (remote attendant program) station that enables the self-checkout attendant to support all activity from one location and keeps an eye

“One of the most surprising things to me was that older people were using self-serve tills. I thought they might be reluctant but not so,” says retailer Derek Moran

FEATURE

on what is going through the self-serve tills. If there are any issues they can rectify them quickly,” he explains. Moran encouraged staff to show customers how to use the tills for first few weeks so now they don’t require a dedicated member of staff to man them. Another retailer advocating the use of selfserve tills is Steven Nally of Nally’s SuperValu Group who also bought these tills from CBE. “We have installed the self-checkouts in our five stores and we wouldn’t be without them… The mixture of self-service and manned checkouts meets everyone’s needs and the recent trend of people buying smaller amounts make the self-service unit a musthave. Also the units have yet to ring in sick on a Sunday morning!” he wrote in a testimonial on the CBE website.

Staff concerns Obviously with technology like this staff can get nervous about their jobs as essentially it is replacing what a human can do. How do you sell this idea to the staff while reassuring them that their jobs are safe? Moran has 46 staff in his store and he wanted them all to be on board with the new technology before it came in. “We told staff that no one was going to lose their jobs and they haven’t. It has reduced hours slightly. Staff say that it helps them do their job as it frees them up to do

other things or help customers on the floor. Customers are delighted to have the extra help too.” He says he also wanted to let his staff know that new technology could replace some of their repetitive tasks. “It was critical to reassure staff there would be no job losses. Allowing people to ask questions is a very important piece of making the transition a success,” he advises.

Introduction process Part of the introduction process involved removing two existing tills in order to gently persuade the customer to use the self-service tills. “Some customers do not want to stand and chat or they do not want to be seen buying certain products so self-service allows them privacy in this respect,” says Moran. “The tills have proved their weight in gold when staff are out sick and at busy periods like lunch time. It has also shown customers we are serious about good customer care, as it has reduced queues. “We have saved around 30 hours directly from till cover per week. There is time saved balancing tills every week and the self-serve tills generate extra coins, as customers use the coin facility to get rid of coins so it’s a win/win,” he says. Moran, who is on the CSNA executive, says he is happy to talk to anyone about his experience of self-serve before they make an investment.

An advantage of self-service tills according to retailer Derek Moran is that they “free up staff for more interaction and chat with those who want that experience”

Benefits of self-serve checkouts • Provides improved labour efficiencies • Reduces customer queues • Gives substantial payroll and cash office savings • Increases sales at peak times • No human error or shrinkage with cash • Makes maximum use of limited floor space • Recycling coin and note acceptor/ dispenser • Speed of service increases car parking turnaround time n

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www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife June 2022

20 FEATURE

Finding the Best of Irish Food and Drink local to you

The GS1 Ireland Blas na hEireann Food Producers Map is an interactive map showcasing award-winning food and drink producers on the island of Ireland. GS1 Ireland worked closely with Blas na hEireann to produce the online map which showcases all of the food and beverage ﬁnalists of the Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards for the past two years (2020 / 2021). The interactive map makes it easier for individuals, supermarket buyers, chefs, catering businesses and producers themselves to connect and do business together.

Find food and drink producers by county, category or award type The map has recently been enhanced with a host of easy-to-use Search Filters which enable users to identify producers and products based on a food or beverage category, an award type, a county or within a speciﬁc kilometre radius of where they are located.

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

The concept of “local to me” was critical to the initial development of the map, inspired by the travel restrictions during the first wave of COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, when we were all prompted to find more local suppliers and were looking for new and different products for at-home consumption. Many chefs and restaurants are also inspired to source locally and it is hoped the map will help further connect hospitality buyers with new, local suppliers. With hundreds of award-winning and finalist producers included, whether you want to find the best Irish soda bread or jam for your breakfast, the finest meat for dinner, something special for a picnic, or a refreshing drink to quench your thirst, let the GS1-Blas na hEireann map help you find it.

Feel good about supporting local producers Sustainability, food provenance and buying local have never been more important to consumers and it is hoped that this

FEATURE

“The aim of the map is to showcase the very best of Irish food and drink on the island of Ireland and to help producers connect not only with trade buyers and consumers, but also each other” Maria Svejdar, Head of Marketing and CX, GS1 Ireland producers’ map can play a helpful role to further increase the drive to buy local and to buy Irish. The Blas na hÉireann awards are open to food and drink producers on the island of Ireland so you can rest assured that all products with the Blas seal of approval are made on the island of Ireland. By buying from local Irish producers, you are helping to support local jobs and the local economy.

quality Irish produce on the island of Ireland. The judging system, which was developed in conjunction with the Food Science Department in UCC, is recognised as an international industry standard. Judges include chefs, commercial buyers, retailers, food writers and products are blindly rated on several criteria, including appearance, aroma, ﬂavour and texture.

Find the very best of Irish food and drink with the Blas seal of approval

Blas 2022

Now in its 15th year, Blas na hÉireann, The Irish Food Awards is the biggest competition for

“In 2020 & 2021 we faced the most unusual times and we are proud our judging and awards went ahead. We feel that now, more than ever, it is essential to shine a spotlight and give that all important clap on the back to the talented producers dotted around the island. We are excited to get back to in person events for this year.” Artie Clifford, Chairperson Irish Food Awards. Entries for the 2022 awards are now closed and judging will take place throughout the Summer with the winners being announced at the Dingle Food Festival on Friday the 30th September 2022.

“There are a very busy few weeks coming up as we prepare for initial judging with locations in Dublin & Cork. We have entries which have come in from all across Ireland and as always we are encouraging food producers to share deliveries for initial judging where you can. Every year, we are delighted to see more and more producers work together and share the load, and maybe even build some new relationships with local colleagues in the food business.” Fallon Moore, Blas na hEireann. For any questions about the map and the producers listed please don’t hesitate to contact the GS1 Ireland or Blas na hEireann teams. ■

“We are excited to get back to in person events for this year” Artie Clifford, Chairperson Irish Food Awards

www.shelﬂife.ie | ShelfLife June 2022

STORE PROFILE

Spar Ashford opened its doors to the public in March this year after two years of Covid associated delays. Now, the owners Cal Lynam and Brendan Bernes are determined to make it a success and early signs are positive for this impressive looking store, writes Fionnuala Carolan

Sparring partners T

hey say you shouldn’t mix business with pleasure but Brendan Bernes and Cal Lynam prove that going into business with your friend can actually work very well. The two men grew up together in Finglas, Co. Dublin and have worked alongside each other for over seven years now. Both seem to have similar drive and ambition and yet don’t seem to take themselves too seriously, which might be the secret to their success. They both started in retail at age 16 while in school by working part-time in a local shop and then went their separate ways with Lynam taking a retail manager job and Bernes working with one of the big fuel companies. Lynam, who is currently on the National Council of Spar Retailers, opened his first store, Spar Bolton Street back in 2007 and owns two other Spar stores - Spar Mulhuddart and Spar Riverside Mulhuddart. Bernes worked with him for years as an area manager of his stores but Spar Ashford is their first fully joint venture. “I came in with Cal about six years ago and the aim was to get my own store,” explains Bernes. “I was looking to franchise and Cal had taken on a couple of Spar stores in Mulhuddart along with Spar Bolton Street so he offered me an area manager position over the three stores.” Within the first year of being in that role, Bernes won the ShelfLife Small C-Store of

the Year Manager in 2017 which he feels put the Mulhuddart store on the map. “There was a great team there. It [the win] was a really good thing for the community and it helped the store,” says Bernes. According to Lynam, the ShelfLife Grocery Manager Award also put Brendan on the radar of Triode Newhill, the franchising arm of BWG. “An opportunity came up for a multi-site deal with a forecourt,” he recalls. “With Brendan being a brand-new operator and it being a multi-site deal, they asked would we go in together and operate them as a partnership and run my stores and Brendan’s new stores as one big group. So that all kicked off and started at the end of 2019 and then Covid hit. Like many businesses around the country, Covid put the brakes on all building work. It was a complete full stop for eight months.”

Covid Their mix of neighbourhood and city centre stores was both a blessing and a curse during Covid. While business was booming in the Mulhuddart stores, things ground to a halt in the city centre. “It was chalk and cheese,” remembers Bernes. “All city centre stores were on their knees for the best part of two years so trying to manage that and retain staff was not a good situation. Then in Mulhuddart business grew by about 15/20% and you couldn’t get enough staff to run the place. We were looking at staff shortages there.”

Co-owners and firm friends Cal Lynam and Brendan Bernes both started in retail at age 16 while in school by working part-time in a local shop

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelflife.ie

“We moved the manager of Spar Bolton Street over to Spar Mulhuddart and Cal himself stepped into the Bolton Street store. It wasn’t a good stage in anyone’s business life but we kept the team and the place open. Spar Bolton Street is pretty much back to normal now. It was like turning the lights back on when the students came back,” he reveals. The two men credit BWG for helping them keep the doors open in Spar Bolton Street. “I can honestly say the only reason we are still here is because of BWG,” says Bernes. “The support they have given us has been off the charts. If something goes wrong, we just make a phone call and everything gets sorted,” he says. “There were stages when myself and Cal thought we weren’t going to get to open the Ashford store at all but once restrictions were lifted, it was all go and we were open and trading and that was thanks to BWG and Newhill in particular,” adds Bernes.

New store After two years of false starts, finally Spar Ashford was opened on 10 March this year. This new Spar forecourt is located in the centre of the village. There had been an old fuel station on the site which had been closed for ten years so the regeneration was welcomed by the locals when the old building was demolished and a brand new facility was built in its place.

The store’s appetising Spar deli is ideal for dashboard diners and day trippers visiting nearby amenities like Mount Usher Gardens, Ashford Studios and local cycling routes

STORE PROFILE

Spar Ashford is a visually appealing space designed to provide a very pleasant shopping experience

The shop is 2,700 square feet and houses a Spar deli, an in-store bakery, an off-licence, a good grocery section and seating for 18/20 people. It’s a really visually appealing space designed to provide a very pleasant shopping experience. There are currently 14 staff employed and they are recruiting for more. “All the staff are local and the only outsiders are myself and Cal,” laughs Bernes. “Covid helped us in this regard as the locals were eager for the store to open and they were coming in to have a look and we introduced ourselves to them.” While they refer to the business as a Spar store that sells fuel, they are very happy with their fuel provider Go Fuel. Trying to match and beat their competitors on the price of fuel is a daily chore. “The fuel market is very competitive,” explains Bernes. “We’re trying to keep the price below the competition but it’s difficult. Go Fuel are helping us out as we want to have the keenest prices around. The price of fuel is so volatile that I will get a delivery on a Monday and on a Thursday, and they could be completely different prices so it’s a job in itself changing fuel prices on a daily basis.”

Catering for everyone The customer base is made up of a strong local clientele and also a lot of day trippers to the area to visit local amenities like Mount Usher Gardens and Ashford Studios and to avail of the popular cycling routes in the

Retailers Cal Lynam and Brendan Bernes say they want the store to be a destination for day trippers and plan to implement a large seating area

With 2,700 square feet of space, Spar Ashford houses a Spar deli, an in-store bakery, an off-licence, a good grocery section and seating for 18/20 people

vicinity. “We cater for the dashboard diners, the people who are meeting for a cup of tea and a chat and those who want to pick up some groceries,” says Bernes. They say they want the store to be a destination for day trippers and are about to implement a large seating area which can act as a local meeting spot. “We are catering for cyclists too so we have to put in bike stands so they park the bike up and come in for coffee, energy bars, salads, sandwiches and to use the toilets. We’re happy to be a meeting point for them,” he says. There is a lot of construction ongoing in the area so there are plenty of builders coming into the store too. Being a commuter town, they are open from 6am - 10pm every day and say the minute the doors open, they have people coming in for their Insomnia coffees to have on their way to work.

Challenges One of the main challenges they are facing is the rising cost of inflation and still trying to ensure they provide value to their customers. “If you don’t provide value you are fooling yourself,” says Bernes. “With inflation at such a high level, it’s getting harder and harder to provide value but you have to find it somewhere. If you’re not trying to give something back to the customer, then you’re going to suffer for it. Immediately when we came in, we gave deals on coffee, on our car wash and we have value ends in the shop. We are relying on BWG for that value and then on a local level with our own deli,” he explains. Staff retention is a well-documented problem in the retail and hospitality trade at present and Bernes and Lynam are no different to anyone else. Holding on to good staff is always a priority. “There are so many people looking for work so if we don’t accommodate our staff, they’ll leave. People want training now and a work-life balance and you have to be up for giving that to your employees,” says Bernes. Does the staff issue drive wages up, ShelfLife wonders? “We haven’t paid minimum wage in years. It’s always been

higher. There is a fine balance between what you can physically afford and trying to hold on to your best people but we do our best,” explains Bernes. “We’re very hands on myself and Cal. We know all of our employees on a first name basis and have a good relationship with them. That’s probably how we retain our guys. We didn’t let anyone go during Covid and our staff want to come in to work with us,” he says.

More expansion on the horizon Looking to the future they are excited about expanding further and don’t seem overwhelmed at the thoughts of more stores. “We will be adding to the fold in the next few years, as many as we can. We are just replicating the same model. If your basics are right you can basically take the systems from one store and drop them into another and implement it from there as all the hard work is already done,” Bernes explains. With the problems of Covid behind them hopefully for good this time, it looks like it’s full steam ahead for this pair of ambitious friends who seem like they are excelling at mixing business with pleasure! n

The store includes seating for up to 20 people; a great spot to ‘catch up’ with friends in the local area

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife June 2022

24 INTERVIEW

National Lottery retail agents lose out on €13m per year due to bookies betting on Lotto Shane Dempsey – Head of Corporate Affairs

Currently, a legislative loophole allows betting on the outcome of National Lottery draws and games. Seeking an urgent legal solution to this issue, Shane Dempsey, Head of Corporate Affairs at the National Lottery, explains more about how the practice negatively affects both retailers and approximately 4,000 good causes in communities right across Ireland, as well as outlining the initiatives undertaken by the National Lottery to help ensure player protection and responsible play

Q: Firstly, what was the trading environment like in 2021? A: Despite the obvious challenge of the pandemic, 2021 was a particularly strong performance for the National Lottery in retail. The pandemic saw most other opportunities to have fun curtailed; people really engaged with the National Lottery and its products. We say that the National Lottery is where Ireland goes to dream. During the dark days of the pandemic, I think people wanted to dream. Our strong performance is of course driven by our excellent retailer network. We’d like to thank them all for continuing to support our product and the flexibility and commitment they showed during the pandemic. They helped the National Lottery to generate a record breaking €289 million towards the Good Causes Fund at a time when charitable groups and projects needed it the most. We will be officially announcing our financial

results very soon but what we do know is that last year’s record amount for Good Causes marks the sixth consecutive year in which the Good Causes Fund has experienced significant growth as well as a 14% increase from 2020 when €254 million was raised for good causes. This funding supports on average approximately 4,000 good causes annually in communities all across Ireland. Retailers should be immensely proud of this contribution to the National Lottery but also their own communities. Last year also proved to be a record year for our retail partners as the total amount of commission paid to our retail partners came to over €50 million.

Q: How significant is the National Lottery retail network to your overall business? A: Simply put, without our retail network, there would be no National Lottery. With almost 5,500 retail agents, our retail network

Store owner Geoff Scally and his wife Liz, along with staff members Jackie and Paul Corrigan, were delighted to hear that their Centra store in Summerhill, Co. Meath sold the winning Lotto jackpot ticket worth over €4.6 million last February.

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelflife.ie

Siobhan and Michael Larkin were pictured celebrating after their store (Larkin’s Gala Service Station, Garryurtneal, Ballina, Killaloe, Co. Clare) sold the winning EuroMillions jackpot ticket worth over €30.9 million last February.

accounts for approximately 85% of all National Lottery ticket sales. Retailers are critical to the success of the National Lottery and the management of the relationship between the National Lottery and our retail players in delivering lottery services in a responsible way. Our retail compliance framework plays an important role in ensuring the sustainability of the National Lottery while protecting the interests of both retailers and players alike. We rely heavily on our retail partners to deliver on our joint responsibilities in this regard. We are constantly evolving our approach with our retailers to ensure we are compliant with the very strict player protection rules that are set out in our licence and monitored by our regulator.

Q: What would the introduction of Lottery Betting Ban mean for Retailers? A: A ban on lottery betting, we estimate, would yield about €13.7 million for our retailers or approximately 25% more commission across the network. It would also see an additional €63million for good causes in communities where our retailers operate. In terms of player protection, most EU countries have banned the practice because of ‘lead-in’ where young people and people at risk are exposed to gambling products without the National Lottery’s regulated rigorous player

A Kilkenny Lotto player won the €8.5 million Lotto jackot in May after purchasing their ticket at Blanchfield’s Centra in Mooncoin. Shop owners Michael and Alice Blanchfield were pictured celebrating with staff members Sinead Quinn, Aileen O’Brien, Fiona Walsh, Margaret Phelan, Melissa Walsh and Susan Quinn following the announcement.

INTERVIEW

A Daily Million player in Cork won the top prize of €1 million in April after purchasing their ticket at W&H O’Keefe Newsagents in Mallow. The Kirby family who owns the Main Street shop (Ray Kirby, Nora Kirby, Eileen Kirby, Todd Kirby and Anna Kirby) were thrilled to hear the news.

protection regimes. Lottery betting practices are disruptive, unregulated, do not provide any monies for Good Causes. Our review of other jurisdictions shows that most EU countries have banned the practice including the UK. The National Lottery is seeking an urgent legislative solution, to protect funds for good causes and safeguard the sustainability of the National Lottery, by banning side-betting on the outcome or results of lottery games. We’re engaging with politicians to build support for the ban and we’re asking our retailer network to let their local representatives know that this issue is important to them. The National Lottery is built on the premise of many people spending small amounts to win life-changing prizes, all while raising funds for good causes. The revenue generated by gambling organisations providing betting, whilst piggy-backing on the National Lottery’s brand, only goes to their bottom line rather than prizes, good causes and of course retailers.

Q: Why would it be in the retailer’s favour for the betting ban to be introduced? A: Recent independent research conducted by RedC found that approximately 700,000 people regularly bet on National Lottery games in the bookmakers. By offering lotto betting, bookies undermine the National Lottery and this research has indicated that 11% of people bet on the lotto game on a monthly basis which accounts for 13% of all betting revenue. This amounts to €570 million for the gambling industry. It is important to highlight that 90% of every euro spent on the National Lottery goes back to the community. About 27% supports approximately 4,000 good causes annually, 6% goes to almost 5,500 retailers and about 58% on prize money goes to our players. As such, every euro spent on betting on the lottery costs Ireland but profits global gambling entities. Our research indicates that the National Lottery could accrue €228 million if the practice was banned. This would see €68 million going to good causes supporting hundreds more community organisations, €13.7 million in retailers commission would be spread throughout our almost 5,500 retailers and there would be circa €190 million more in prizes for players. And those players would be playing a safer, regulated product subject to a gold standard regime in player protection. Finally, at a time when retailers are struggling

The largest Lotto jackpot ever seen in the history of the game was won on 15th January by a Mayo player who purchased their winning ticket at Laura’s XL in Castlebar, Co. Mayo.

to cope with cost increases, more lottery sales and the associated footfall they encourage are even more valuable that commission. We hope that this practice will end soon and that the National Lottery, our players, good causes and of course retailers can benefit.

Q: How does the retailer contribute to player protection and responsible play? A: This is an area that is constantly evolving, and we continually strive to align with emerging international best practice. The reality is that National Lottery products are subject to a robust, rigorous and regulated player protection system; others are not. The National Lottery has worked with CHA, a Harvard Medical School learning hospital, and consults with the Office of the National Lottery Regulator to ensure our player protection systems are multiple times more effective than any other products in the market. Given the continued popularity of National Lottery products in retail, further ‘Responsible Play’ tools were introduced to further support our retailers in the sale of these regulated products. It is important to note that last year, 100% of retailers within the National Lottery retail network participated in a mandatory training programme on the responsible promotion of our games. The ‘Think 21’ ID campaign also continued to be promoted across all retailers, management and staff to ensure there was no sale of products to underage customers. We have introduced a scratch card transaction limit which means that the number of scratch cards being sold to an individual customer has been restricted. Our mystery shopper campaigns continue to assess age control and scratch card purchases. These measures set a very high bar for retailers and the National Lottery. This is primarily so that we can meet our license requirements and continue operating especially against a political backdrop where protecting players is critical. Our annual Responsible Play week is another invaluable resource as it promotes our player protection measures to our retail partners and further educates players on how to play responsibly.

Q: Problem gambling is highlighted regularly in current media – does the National Lottery differ to other forms of gambling? A: There is a lot of clear blue water between the National Lottery and online gambling

entities and bookies. Our games are specifically designed to encourage lots of people to play but to spend small amounts – this is the exact opposite of the approach taken by betting entities who seek to maximise profit from a smaller pool of players. Protecting players is core to our business, to make sure we are doing the right thing we engage with experts in the field of gambling and gambling harms. In 2021 we collaborated with Cambridge Health Alliance, an arm of Harvard Medical School, to review and recommend improvements to our Player Protection approach. National Lottery games have many responsible features, but the most effective feature is that all of our games are risk assessed by the developers and our regulator. If any features were to be deemed to encourage irresponsible play, they would not be approved. National Lottery games are run through a vigorous risk assessment before approval is given from the National Lottery Regulator. It’s important to highlight that our responsible gaming programme is independently audited by KPMG. All game rules and the terms and conditions of online play specify that players must be over 18 years of age. In addition, our advertising does not target under 18s. There have been many studies that have measured the risk of different types of games and lottery games are deemed to be the lowest risk. Retailers play a huge role in ensuring Lottery products are played safely and that’s positive for the National Lottery, our retailers and of course players. n

Shop owner Samantha Minihane with partner, Brian Melleney, and team members Asia Crowley and Deirdre Dullea, pictured outside the Gala on Pearse St Clonakilty, Co Cork, which sold one of the three winning tickets worth €1 million each in the special EuroMillions Raffle draw held on Friday 21 January

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife June 2022

26 INDUSTRY EVENT The TWIG Committee at the Today’s Women in Grocery networking event, Embracing Change

Embracing change Today’s Women in Grocery (TWIG) networking and fundraising luncheon returned in style last month under the timely theme of ‘Embracing Change’

The legendary TWIG networking luncheon was back with a bang recently at the InterContinental Hotel - the first live event since 2019 with the theme on the day of ‘Embracing Change’. The stellar panel of business leaders from the FMCG sector and beyond, shared their inspiring stories with 470 senior figures in Ireland’s grocery, food and drink industry. All funds raised go to the Irish Grocery Benevolent Fund (IGBF), which helps those most in need in the industry. Now in its sixth year, the luncheon is the most influential gathering of

Members of the Musgrave team at the Today’s Women in Grocery networking event

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its kind to put female empowerment and networking in the grocery, food and drink sector in firm focus. The event is renowned for its ‘wow’ factor and this year, once again, did not disappoint.

Reflection on unprecedented change Entrepreneur, broadcaster and thought leader, Sonya Lennon, compered and skillfully navigated the panel discussion on the topic of ‘Embracing Change’. The panelists included Aimee Connolly, founder and CEO of Sculpted by Aimee, Oonagh O’Hagan, owner and managing director at Meagher’s Pharmacy Group, Fiona Mathews, managing director, ROI Applegreen Ireland and Evelyn Moynihan, CEO of Kilkenny Group. This theme explored those moments in the panelists’ careers when they had to navigate change, probed how they chose to lean into that change, and how it shaped them and those around them. The experiences shared were both inspiring and deeply authentic, and a fitting moment of reflection after the unprecedented change - caused by the pandemic - in all our personal and professional lives.

The Britvic Ireland team at the Today’s Women in Grocery event, pictured alongside ShelfLife editor Gillian Hamill

INDUSTRY EVENT

Aimee Connolly, founder and CEO of Sculpted by Aimee - who was named Young Businesswoman of the Year at the recent Image PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2022 - spoke about building a brand and trusting the journey. She shared her take on how she deals with change and said that while challenges will always arise in business, “it’s all about how you adapt and react to those,” that ultimately has the most impact. Oonagh O’Hagan, owner and managing director at Meagher’s Pharmacy Group, shared her personal experience of forced change, and how the financial crash in 2008 enabled her to better cope with pivoting the business in a pandemic. “Whether you can or can’t do something – both are true – so it’s about your mindset in determining that,” she told the audience. Fiona Mathews, managing director, ROI Applegreen Ireland shared her relationship with change and how she has learned to lean into change, become a magnet for it, and has even grown to love such an environment. She spoke about how her peak happiness occurred when she leaned into change and challenged the audience to “back yourself, trust yourself and lean into people that trust you - and most of all, embrace the journey”. Evelyn Moynihan, CEO, Kilkenny Group, discussed her own experience, honing in on what she called “career speedbumps” and the huge and progressive transition the Kilkenny Group business underwent as a result of Covid-19: “We accelerated e-commerce and delivered three years of growth in six months.” She also gave a unique insight into the value of coaching and how it shaped her career development.

Sonya Lennon, Oonagh O’Hagan, Kate Kelly, Evelyn Moynihan, Aimee Connolly and Fiona Matthews at the TWIG networking event, Embracing Change

Building connections Michelle Darlington, chair of TWIG, said it had been an absolute delight to reconnect and build new connections with peers from across the industry and hear from such a formidable panel of speakers: “What we heard from the panel is that change is inevitable and how we choose to embrace that change will define us, personally and professionally, and those around us,” Darlington said. “We have been lucky to get a very personal account of the journeys of each of the panel and practical advice on how to navigate change, staying true to our values and maintaining an opportunity mindset. “I would like to thank the TWIG committee for all their support in putting the event together, an event that has gone from strength to strength since 2016, and also a big thank to all our sponsors for continuing to support the event, and ultimately the IGBF charity.’’ n

Oonagh O’Hagan on stage at the TWIG networking event

The ‘Today’s Women in Grocery’ group was created by the Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund (IGBF) as a platform for women in grocery to grow their connections and learn/ be inspired by leading women. It aims to encourage more female participation in events and initiatives, by providing a focused professional networking forum that recognises the role women will play in the industry’s future development. Frances Higgins, Kevin and Michelle Darlington at the Today’s Women in Grocery networking event, Embracing Change

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife June 2022

28 APPOINTMENTS

Shopper Intelligence appoints new head of client services Shopper Intelligence has appointed Caroline Reid as its head of client services, Ireland. Reid has worked in the food industry for ten years, in two food suppliers (Mondelez International and PepsiCo) and a grocery retailer (Tesco Ireland). She has held roles in a variety of functions across customer insights and strategy, marketing, and ﬁnance. Reid holds an undergraduate degree in Business and Political Science from Trinity College Dublin and a master’s degree in Marketing Practice from the Michael Smurﬁt Graduate Business School. Born in Wales, she now lives in Dublin. “Caroline is a very exciting hire for us as she not only understands the Shopper

Intelligence system already, having used it in previous roles, but she also brings a high level of expertise and industry understanding, with both a retailer and supplier perspective. This will no doubt prove an invaluable asset to our clients,” said Colm Rooney, country manager, Shopper Intelligence Ireland. Shopper Intelligence is the leader in large scale, global shopper insight studies, and has been operational in Ireland since 2018. Interviewing approximately 30,000 Irish shoppers per year to understand the ‘why’ behind their purchasing decisions, for over 150 categories and across the key grocery, discounter and convenience retailers,

Linwoods appoints Patrick Woods to managing director

Oakland International appoints sustainability manager

Patrick Woods

Linwoods, one of Ireland’s leading health food brands, has appointed Patrick Woods as managing director. Patrick takes over the role from his father John Woods who led the company for the past 60 years. John will continue to have a key strategic role in the company. Patrick who has worked in the business since a teenager, has a background in food and nutrition, having qualiﬁed with a degree in Food Nutrition and Health from CAFRE. He has two younger siblings Joseph and Ellen, both of whom are also involved in the business. Patrick is particularly keen to improve on the sustainability side of the Linwoods business through manufacturing and packaging. Started over 50 years ago with a small local shop owned by the Woods family in Co. Armagh, Linwoods is today one of Ireland’s leading health food brands having experienced an increase in turnover of 17% in 2020-2021.

Total supply chain solutions specialist, Oakland International, has appointed Vera Bruntink as sustainability manager to drive forward its programme of sustainable and environmental initiatives throughout its group of businesses. Having studied economics in the Netherlands and a marketing internship in New Zealand, Bruntink completed a master’s degree in management and corporate sustainability at Cranfield University in the UK, and whilst there worked on several sustainability consultancy projects for a range of small to medium-sized enterprises. Oakland has over the years introduced a wide range of sustainable initiatives that fit with its ethical Vera Bruntink approach to business and focus on leading the way in advancing carbon efficiencies.

MediaCom Ireland announces senior appointments Media planning and buying agency, MediaCom Ireland, recently announced two internal promotions, taking place with immediate effect. Cathal O’Donovan and Eoghan Kenneﬁck are both being promoted to the role of account directors. Cathal O’Donovan joined MediaCom in October 2017 from UK agency the7stars, having previously worked with MediaCom on university placement in 2009. In his new role, he will take a leading strategic role across a range of corporate and commercial clients

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including Coca-Cola. O’Donovan holds an honours degree in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the University of Limerick. Eoghan Kenneﬁck joined MediaCom in February 2016 as an international media executive and has driven client business across multiple international accounts in multiple roles. He will take a leading role on key MediaCom clients including Sky, Now, and Universal Pictures in Ireland. Keneﬁck is a graduate of DIT with a BSc in Marketing and

Caroline Reid Shopper Intelligence has been steadily building a reputation as the go-to source for understanding Irish shopper behaviour, perceptions and satisfaction. The unique shopper insights delivered have provided suppliers with much-needed data to support category planning, and Irish retailers are increasingly recognising Shopper Intelligence’s powerful ability, in conjunction with other data sources, to drive category and store growth.

Bibby Financial Services Ireland appoints Carmel Mulroe in key role

Carmel Mulroe

Bibby Financial Services finance Ireland, a leading provider of invoice fi nance and other funding solutions to Irish SMEs, has appointed Carmel Mulroe as business development manager for the West, Midlands and Northern Ireland. In her role, Mulroe will be working closely with business owners and their trusted advisors to share over two decades of experience working on financial solutions for many Irish businesses. Mulroe joins Bibby Financial Services Ireland after spending over 20 years with Ulster Bank, most recently overseeing the provision of business banking lending to SMEs. For the last five years at Ulster Bank, Mulroe was recognised as its number one performing business development manager as a result of her commitment to working with SMEs nationwide to facilitate their continued growth and expansion. Amongst her qualifications, Mulroe has a Bachelor of Financial Services (Professional Banker) and a Professional Diploma in SME Credit from University College Dublin.

Cathal O’Donovan

Eoghan Kenneﬁck

holds further certiﬁcations in advertising and marketing from the European Association of Communications Agencies, Google and ThinkBox. ■

FEATURE 29

Access to funding: Putting your best foot forward

Owen Clifford, head of retail sector, Bank of Ireland, outlines the factors to consider within your business plan to help secure investment The unprecedented sales performance in 2020 and 2021 has acted as an accelerant in the evolution of the Irish grocery and convenience sector. As family-owned retailers nationwide compete with international operators such as Tesco, Aldi, Lidl and Circle K, a recognition that investment is required to sustain their business has driven strong market activity. In Bank of Ireland, we provided funding in excess of 125m to Irish family-owned grocers over the past 12 months, facilitating the development and growth of their businesses. In assessing a funding request – some important areas that need to be addressed within the retailer’s business plan are as follows:

Retailer background and experience Many retailers often forget to include some information on their own experience and background – focusing completely on the ﬁnancial results of the business. Given the ever-changing, competitive nature of the sector – it is important to outline how your experience has been built and links with the community established. This is what differentiates family-owned retailers from their competitors nationwide – relationships are built with people.

Competitive landscape Outline the existing competitive landscape in which you operate/propose to operate within and how your business stands out opposite/will engage with customers in this area. Are there plans for new entrants/refreshed offering from competitors in the pipeline? It’s always best to call these out at the outset: this demonstrates that you are proactive as opposed to reactive and fully informed on local developments.

Bank of Ireland’s Owen Clifford is on hand to act as a sounding board for the ﬁnancial considerations behind retailers’ revamp plans

Personnel development plan Given the stretched labour market at present – attracting and retaining strong personnel is an imperative to sustain your business. How is this managed within your business – what are your future plans in this regard?

Premises refresh/revamp priorities When did the last signiﬁcant store revamp occur? If a store revamp is envisaged in the next two years, consider the following aspects: • What areas will it be focused upon? • Level of investment required • Impact on sales, margin and cost postcompletion • How will it be funded? As always, I am available to act as a sounding board in respect of any revamp plans.

Succession Plan Covid-19 has been the catalyst for many retailers to examine their medium/long-term strategy. There are two strands to succession planning – ownership and operational. It is always important to consider both in the context of seeking debt funding. This can often be a trigger for retailers to examine if their pension and life assurance provisions etc are appropriate to meet their long-term personal requirements. Owen Clifford, head of retail sector, Bank of Ireland

Back-up team Who supports you in the day to day running of your business? A strong relationship with a

recognised brand/wholesaler, specialist retail accountant etc can provide additional comfort on the robustness of the business projections/ strategy.

Financial projections/historic accounts Financial projections need to clearly outline the expected performance of the business and the assumptions underpinning same: • Sales performance – if growth is projected, what is driving this? • Margin – how will this be preserved and developed in a competitive market? • Cost base – given the increasing pressure on wages, energy, insurance lines, how will this be managed accordingly whilst sustaining the profitability of the business? It is important to link the historic financial performance of the business and the projections – they cannot be presented in isolation. A clear roadmap demonstrating how the historic results will transition into the projected performance facilitates a constructive first step towards securing appropriate funding. In Bank of Ireland, we understand the investment cycle, including the need for regular expenditure to maintain growth and profitability in this dynamic sector. We have a strong appetite to support progressive retailers in the further development of their business. Please contact me on Owen.Clifford@boi.com for further information. ■ www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife June 2022

30 ADVISOR: HR

What you need to know: Protected disclosures

Following the publication of the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022, The HR Suite’s Caroline Reidy outlines Ireland’s new obligations relating to whistleblowing activity

CAROLINE REIDY

managing director, The HR Suite

n Ireland, the fundamental legislation in existence relating to the area of whistleblowing is the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. Whistleblowing refers to workers reporting certain types of wrongdoing. This is more commonly called making a protected disclosure. Examples of wrongdoings include endangering the health and safety of individuals, failing to comply with legal obligations, damaging the environment, making criminal offences, misusing funds and concealing or destroying information about any wrongdoings.

What is a protected disclosure? A protected disclosure is made when a worker discloses any relevant information that came to their attention in connection with their work and they believe is wrong. Employees can report wrongdoing to their employer or to a third party. If an employee makes a protected disclosure, they should not be treated differently or unfairly and their job should not be at risk because of this.

The legislation The Protected Disclosures Act applies to both private and public sectors, however, there is no requirement for the private sector to have these whistleblowing policies and procedures in place. The Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022 was published by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the main aim of this is to reposition the EU Whistleblowing Directive, which seeks to harmonise whistleblowing standards and protection in Europe. Employers must ensure conﬁdentiality of a whistleblower’s identity and acknowledge receipt of their disclosure within seven days

CONTACT THE HR SUITE:

If you require further information or advice on HR, please do not hesitate to contact The HR Suite’s consultants on (01) 9014335 or (066) 7102887 or email the company at info@thehrsuiteonline.com.

Proposed amendments The amendments made in the bill will oblige companies to establish and maintain internal reporting channels and procedures for employees to make protected disclosures. These obliged companies include all public sector organisations in their entirety and private sector employers with 50 or more employees. These new internal reporting channels can be subject to Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) inspections. The amended bill widens the scope for employees to seek interim relief to forms of penalisation other than dismissal. The bill also broadens the deﬁnition of a relevant wrongdoing and overturns the burden of proof in penalisation claims. In addition, a designated contact person must now be appointed in every organisation. A strict timeline for acknowledging, providing feedback and dealing with any complaints must be followed. There can now be criminal penalties for penalisation in certain cases, including breaching the duty of conﬁdentiality in regard to the identity of a reporting person. The scope of protection for a person who can make a protected disclosure

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have been updated to include almost everyone associated with an employer including volunteers, shareholders and job applicants. The new amendments will also allow the WRC or Labour Court to award compensation of up to €15,000 for individuals who are impacted from making a protected disclosure. This is in addition to the existing penalties of up to five times the annual salary for breaching employees’ rights. At present, the burden of proof in cases of penalisation under the 2014 Act rests with the person alleging a wrongdoing. The new act will reverse this burden of proof. Penalisation would be presumed to have occurred because of or in retaliation to having made a protected disclosure, unless the employer could prove the act or omission was on duly justified grounds. The bill creates several new offences that are now considered wrongdoing. Some of these offences include the hindering of or attempting to hinder a worker in regard to making a report, penalising or threatening penalisation, causing or permitting another person to penalise or threaten penalisation and failing to establish, maintain and operate internal reporting channels and procedures. Any offences like this can attract penalty fines ranging between €75,000 and €250,000 and/or a maximum of two years’ imprisonment. As mentioned above, the amended bill also broadens the definition of a relevant wrongdoing. In relation to relevant wrongdoings, the concept of what can be reported will also change. This is because the definition of "relevant wrongdoing" was widened to include breaches of EU law in certain areas such as financial services, product safety, food safety and public health. It also brings clarity to an area that previously caused uncertainty which is interpersonal grievances and that is now excluded from the ambit. As mentioned above, the amendments require that internal reporting channels and procedures for employees to make protected disclosures be maintained. Employers will now need to prepare to put these formal reporting channels and procedures in place as obliged. Tips to help prevent wrongdoing occurring in companies and protected disclosures from being made include getting the right culture that fits into the company, offering training and support, preparing and being able to respond to employees’ queries, and resolving the wrongdoing quickly.

Next steps Employers must also ensure conﬁdentiality of the identity of the reporting person and acknowledge receipt of the disclosure within seven days. The employer will also be obliged to involve diligent follow-up by a designated impartial person or people and have reasonable timeframes to provide feedback - not exceeding three months. Finally, employers will be required to ensure the provision of clear and easily accessible information regarding wrongdoing and protected disclosures in their company. ■

P R ESL ICED

M A DE IRE L A N IN D

Ireland’s Favourite Bagels

ADVISOR: Recruitment

Don’t make these CV mistakes: Part II

In the second instalment of a new three-part series, Excel Recruitment’s Barry Whelan outlines more mistakes to avoid if you don’t want your CV headed straight to a recruiter’s ‘no pile’

BARRY WHELAN managing director of Excel Recruitment

www.excelrecruitment.com

xcel Recruitment was 20 years old last month, so we have been recruiting for quite some time and over those years, we must have seen every CV mistake there could be! When it comes to CVs, ﬁrst impressions last and whether it is a candidate or employer’s market, a large part of our jobs as recruiters is to ﬁlter CVs. On average each recruiter spends seven seconds scanning a CV to make the decision on whether to delve deeper or not. Here is another batch of CV mistakes to avoid!

No personal profile While you want to keep your CV under two pages and avoid any rambling, you should always include a personal summary. This paragraph gives you the chance to really sell your skills and achievements, as well as tailoring your application to the speciﬁc job you are applying for. It can also help to give your potential new employers a little taste of your personality and gives you the opportunity to stand out from other candidates.

Including a generic personal profile

Not only is lying on a CV unethical, but if you get caught out it will undoubtedly hinder your chances of making it to interview, writes Barry Whelan

We have already advised that including a personal summary is essential, but it’s also important to think carefully about what to put in it. Of course, you want to sell yourself and make sure you show that you’re a good ﬁt for the role, but don’t make it unoriginal. Try to avoid clichéd phrases that every other candidate will use such as ‘self-motivated’ and ‘results-driven’, and instead focus on being genuine and talking about what you can offer and what you’re looking for. Use this space wisely to give a personal touch!

Writing in the third person Writing in the third person may seem like a creative way to make your CV

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

stand out, but it’s not a good idea. To be honest, it comes across as either weird or egotistical. Your CV is your opportunity to communicate with potential employers, so writing it in the third person makes it hard to really connect with them. It can also give them the wrong impression of who you are as a person.

Outdated information Having stale information is a good way to ensure you leave recruiters unimpressed. You should read through your CV every time you apply for a job, just to check that everything is up-to-date. This is particularly important when it comes to things like your most recent job or work experience and any qualiﬁcations you have recently achieved. Contact details are another vital thing to keep up-to-date, especially to make it as easy as possible for recruiters to get in touch.

Not customising for each position If you are applying for several jobs, it might be tempting to just send off the same CV to all of them. However, it’ll give you a much better chance of securing an interview if you customise your CV each time. 83% of our recruiters said this is something they deﬁnitely want from job candidates in an internal survey. Today, many companies perform an initial electronic CV review, through their ATS (applicant tracking system), so it’s important to go through the job description and ensure you have included any keywords mentioned.

Not telling the truth All our recruiters have found a lie on a CV. Missing positions, exaggerated job titles, incorrect dates of employment, unqualiﬁed qualiﬁcations; the list goes on. However, while it may be common, it’s a mistake to avoid. Not only is it unethical, but if you get caught out it

will undoubtedly hinder your chances of making it to interview. And if you were to get the position and the company ﬁnds out you weren’t being truthful it could ultimately cost you your new job.

Exaggerated skills Describing yourself as the “best store manager in Mayo” or something similar is never a good addition to your CV. These sorts of statements not only make you seem rather arrogant or lack integrity, they’re also just a bit embarrassing and a sure way to convince recruiters to add you to the ‘no’ pile. Instead, use real examples, that can be backed up, to impress your potential employer.

Not mentioning specific results When you are writing about your previous experience, the more specific you are the better. Employers want to see exactly what you have achieved in order to assess your potential. Instead of simply listing off your job responsibilities, aim to provide quantifiable results that you were solely or partly responsible for. This might include things like percentage sales increase or number of new customers, efficiency savings or any awards or accolades.

Including the wrong interests/hobbies If you have hobbies and interests listed in your CV, you should ensure that they’re not likely to offend or alienate potential employers. Avoid including generic interests that are plain or almost everyone has. This section is a good chance to show your personality, don’t waste it! Less common, quirky interests not only show that you’re a well-rounded and interesting person, but they can also endear you to the recruiter if you have something in common. ■

For life’s little mishaps ... ... give your customers a name they can trust.

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34 ADVISOR: Marketing

Details make a proﬁt

While it’s natural that the ‘big’ issues or tasks demand our attention, a successful marketer must keep a compound eye trained on the business and never ignore the details, writes Colin Gordon

COLIN GORDON

marketing expert

Marketers sit in the core junction of a multi-lane superhighway, whereby all that the market needs or wants comes through the lens of marketing, writes Colin Gordon

o often we get blinded and caught up by the ‘big’ things that face us each day. The planned new line extension, the new comms programme, a competitive move that we need to understand or respond to, an action by the trade (for the company’s beneﬁt, or otherwise!), the artwork on the promotional literature, the timing of ad spots not going to plan. These and so many other things are like a dog spotting a squirrel; everything else gets dropped or downgraded because a ‘squirrel’ is seen out of the corner of your eye. There’s an old or at least very relevant adage to consider here: how do we distinguish between what is important and what is urgent?

sit in the core junction of a multi-lane superhighway. If we don’t recognise this, then it’s a fundamental miscue and a reductionist approach to how the leading business thinkers have viewed marketing for several decades. All that the market needs or wants comes through the lens of marketing and all that the company designs to satisfy the market likewise transits through the marketing department. When I refer to coming through and transits, it does not have to be taken literally. Sales physically take orders for products or services on sale; the customer service or delivery teams take it out to customers. However, marketing is the way the need is

Multi-lane superhighway

“The marketer has to equally manage the ‘big’ issues as well as the finer, less red flagged issues. It’s a case of continuously trimming the sails, of moving items up and down the priority list, of ensuring each interconnected point is properly fine-tuned.”

The issue of squirrels and urgencies and ‘big’ issues applies right across business and all its functions and operations. What makes it relevant to this column - that is to marketing - is the recognition that we as marketers ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

identified and satisfied. So, it’s only fitting that marketing sits in the middle of this dynamic traffic flow. It’s a constant flow and there are always traffic snarl-ups, minor and major road incidences. A bit like driving in the real world, the driver (marketing) must have a compound eye and take account of how many things directly and indirectly impact on how smooth a ride there will be. The driver can’t decide to only focus on certain parts of their job. The same attitude would apply to an airline pilot. Yes! Challenges arise and have to be dealt with. But (a gear shift here as we go back to business!) marketing has a responsibility to keep an eye and have

ADVISOR: Marketing

The marketing department can also be likened to an orchestra conductor who must ensure that everyone is in tune and doing what is expected of them, writes Colin Gordon

the resources or authority to have all parts of the business operation dealt with efﬁciently and effectively.

Touchpoints I’ve referred previously to touchpoints, which are, to me, all the individual issues in a business which can and do impact on the customer’s experience even unknowingly and often very indirectly. My touchpoints are not to be confused with the same-named issues that practitioners in the recently invented function of CX or Customer Experience refer to. Mine are the combination of both internally and externally oriented things in a business which can make buying or selling of the

product or service more difficult or easier. These touchpoints are the same as the ‘details’ in the title of this piece. It’s only by looking after the details that a business can thrive; that it can make profits. The marketer must therefore be able to equally manage the ‘big’ issues as well as the finer, less red flagged issues. It’s a case of continuously trimming the sails, of moving items up and down the priority list, of ensuring each interconnected point is properly fine-tuned. I’ve referred above to marketing as a driver on a multi-lane superhighway. Maybe a better analogy is of an orchestra conductor. Marketing ensures all the parts of the orchestra are in tune and doing what’s expected of them. Without this fine detail, the resulting sound will be a mess. There will be no profit. Details make the business run harmoniously; details make profit. Marketing is at the centre of all this detail and needs to know how it all works and how it works together. If marketing directs itself too much to say, communications, not only will it isolate itself from the rest of the business, it also ignores the customer pathway and all the touchpoints the customer experiences along the way. ■

‘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.

INTERVIEW

QUICK QUESTIONS WITH

JEFF BURNS

head of Business Development at Grace O’Malley Spirits Instagram. 5. Best ad on telly? Connacht Gold Half Fat Butter - Make it Real.

Jeff Burns

1. Best place for coffee? KC Peaches. 2. Favourite movie? Once. 3. Top book recommendation? Michael Connelly - The Lincoln Lawyer. 4. Which social media platform do you use most?

6. Worst ad on telly? Virgin Broadband. 7. Favourite grocery shop? SuperValu. 8. What would you cook if you were to compete in ‘Come Dine With Me’ and would you win? Kimchi prawn fried rice – absolutely! 9. First thing you would do if you were Taoiseach? Employ Michael O’Leary.

10. If you had to live in another country, where would you choose? Canada.

16. City or beach break?

11. Greatest achievement to date? Promoting Grace O’Malley Whiskey.

Chapter One.

12. Best website? Airbnb.

Pop.

13. Most annoying public ﬁgure? Putin. 14. Best piece of advice you ever received? Follow your ambition. 15. Biggest fear? World War 3.

City. 17. Top restaurant recommendation?

18. Pop or rock?

19. Favourite time of the day? 8pm, having dinner. 20.What’s the last compliment you received? A thank you from a tourist after paying their Dublin Bus fare as they had no coins. ■

www.shelﬂife.ie | ShelfLife June 2022

36 100 MASTER BRANDS AT HOME

10 years of consumer choices: Kantar

100 MASTER BRANDS AT HOME

Compiled annually by Kantar and published exclusively by ShelfLife, the tenth edition of the ‘100 Master Brands at Home’ report provides valuable insight into the brands Irish shoppers can’t get enough of Ten years ago, Kantar launched its ﬁrst edition of the ‘Brand Footprint’ report. “It’s safe to say that this has been a decade like no other for consumer brands,” says Guillaume Bacuvier, global CEO, Worldpanel Division, Kantar. In 2022, in its special tenth edition, Kantar has analysed a decade of shopper behaviour to identify the biggest changes whilst also unearthing key consistencies to help brands secure their future in our changing world. “From the outbreak of Covid-19 to digitalisation of shopper habits, there has been a lot of change in the FMCG industry landscape. And with spiralling inﬂation and a war at the heart of Europe, upheaval and unrest shows little signs of slowing.” Bacuvier continues.

10 years of 100 most-chosen brands

“Despite this, the biggest brands have remained resilient. For brands at both a local and global level, this is an opportunity to take stock, and review the last decade and take our learnings forward.” ShelfLife is in full agreement that it is a ﬁtting time for reﬂection, and with that in

Q&A with… Emer Healy,

business development director, Kantar Emer Healy

Q: Traditionally, Irish brands have always performed strongly within the Kantar 100 Master Brands at Home ranking. The top 10 brands have not moved places much in the past year. How do these brands remain so consistent year-on-year? A: In this 10th edition of our Irish Brand Footprint report, there is also plenty that is reassuringly familiar. Six of the top 10 brands remain the same as they were back in 2012. Avonmore and Brennan’s have consistently been Ireland’s top two most-chosen brands for the last 10 years. Importantly, the stories behind brand growth continue to reﬂect the same themes: winners give shoppers more reasons to buy and more opportunities to buy. We consider these in detail in our levers for growth. The enduring stability of the top 10 brands

mind, we are delighted to once again publish the full ranking of the 100 most-chosen brands, speciﬁcally within the Irish market. We caught up with Emer Healy, business development director at Kantar, to learn more about what insights can be gleaned from these comprehensive results.

“Importantly, the stories behind brand growth continue to reﬂect the same themes: winners give shoppers more reasons to buy and more opportunities to buy.”

reminds us that brand-building is a long-term game. Creating that virtuous circle of rising shopper engagement, sales, and in-store presence takes time, clarity of direction and investment.

at home. Although lockdowns may be lifted, there are still many working mainly from home or within an hybrid approach which means many more meal occasions etc are spent at home than pre-Covid.

Q: The largest increase in this year’s ranking was achieved by Andrex, up a massive 44 places. Interestingly, Cushelle is also up 17 places from last year and Killeen is up 18 places. Why do you think hygiene and cleaning products have seen such a rise? Do you think this is down to changed consumer behaviour or clever discounting?

Q: The next largest increases compared to last year’s positions were achieved by Hazel Brook (up 21 places) and Kellogg’s Rice Krispies (up 17 places). What have these brands done well in order to see such increases?

A: Andrex (up 44 places), Cushelle (up 17 places), Killeen (up 18 places) and Finish (up 10 places) all saw growth through our ‘more moments’ growth lever. All these brands beneﬁted from consumers spending more time

A: Both brands saw large Consumer Reach Points (CRP) growth since last year’s positions. Both brands also saw strong penetration growth, meaning both brands attracted new shoppers to the brands’ offerings and alongside this, shoppers also increased how frequently they purchase the brand.

38 100 MASTER BRANDS AT HOME

What this research IS: ✔

Data is sourced from 5,000 demographically representative Irish households recording their take-home grocery

✔

Comprises over 200 FMCG categories which are recorded by Kantar on a continuous basis – including those in the beverages, food, health and beauty and home and care sectors

✔

The list is based on a measure of how many households purchased a brand at least once during the year (penetration), and the average number of times households bought the brand (frequency)

✔

These two numbers are multiplied to calculate each brand’s ‘Consumer Reach Points’ (CRP) score

✔ ✔ ✔

The report covers the period of 52 w/e October 2020 vs 52 w/e October 2021 Kantar contacted respondents on average at least twice a week Kantar provided households with barcode scanners in order to scan the goods that they had purchased for at home consumption

pandemic will continue in the long-term and how can brands capitalise on this?

Hot beverage brands are continuing to perform well, with many people still hybrid-working

Q: In recent years, coffee has been one of the main success stories within the Kantar ranking, with consumers increasingly looking for a premium, barista experience at home. How have you seen this continue in the past year? A: Nescafe has continued to see CRP growth of +3%. With many still hybrid-working, the need for hot beverages is still highly important to Irish consumers. Q: A brand that saw a significant drop was Odlums (down 22 spots). Last year Odlums had seen a rise of 26 places. This was a clear demonstration of the lockdownfuelled trend for increased baking at home. Are brands finding their level after the pandemic? To what extent do you think these and other trends observed during the

A: 2020 was a year of change and uncertainty which nobody could have predicted. Covid-19 changed the ways in which we lived our daily lives and disrupted all our usual routines. As many of us were confined to our homes to limit the spread of the virus and with hospitality shut, the impact on our spending was profound. For the grocers, restrictions brought in to tackle the virus provided a significant boost to demand, as shoppers stocked up on the supermarket to cater for more meals eaten at home. During May 2020, as shoppers adapted to this ‘new normal’, record-breaking growth occurred within the Irish take-home grocery landscape as the market grew 25.4%. This was the strongest growth seen in the last 15 years (Source: 12 week ending data May 2020 v May 2019). During the pandemic, branded products continued to outperform private label (PL) and not just during typical seasonal peaks. Over the course of 2022, PL has regained share and is now declining at a slower rate than brands. PL has seen declines of 4.6% compared to brands which are declining at a rate of 8.3% (Source: Data ending 17 April 2022). During the course of the pandemic, consumers in Ireland opted to buy local and turned to brands they knew and trusted during a difficult time. Irish brands rose to the demands of 2020 and held strong during 2021 with four of the top five brands being Irish. As shoppers navigate this new normal with many returning back to the office, there will be many changes to our shopping behaviour.

What this research IS NOT: ✘

It is not based on sales or EPOS data, measuring either value or volume sales

✘

The data does not reflect food purchased and eaten out of the home

✘

Impulse pack products have been excluded from the dataset

✘

The following categories are not included in the Brand Footprint ranking: batteries, tobacco, nappies or alcoholic drinks

Many categories that were very important at the start of the pandemic with the boost to home cooking, such as ‘ethnic ingredients’ and ‘home baking’ now face declines as social calendars become busier and many take advantage of enjoying eating out-ofhome. Q: Another brand that has seen a drop is Heineken, down 19 places. Is this in reaction to the on-trade being back in business so people are drinking less at home? A: With hospitality closed for majority of 2020, we saw a significant shift and boost to take-home alcohol. As hospitality is reopened, many are taking full advantage to socialise with family and friends which sees the shift to out-of-home (for both drinks and many meal occasions). Q: Which brand’s marketing has really stood out for you in the past year and why? A: Barry’s Tea stole the nation’s heart with its ‘We make the tea; you make the moment’ TV campaign. This helped the brand’s CRP score rise by +7%. Q: Are there any new entrants to this year’s list? A: Fitzgeralds jumped nine places to number 17 this year, which found them in the top 20 for the first time. This resulted in Fitzgeralds being the fastest climbing brand in the top 20 and also growing its CRP by 26%. Fitzgeralds filled the gap for avid home bakers with the launch of its new flour range. n

How is the Kantar Brand Footprint calculated? The complete ranking comprises over 200 FMCG categories tracked around the world by Kantar Worldpanel across beverages, food, health & beauty and homecare. The ranking is based on an innovative metric created by Kantar called Consumer Reach Points (CRP), which measures each time a consumer chooses a brand. The data for this year’s ranking was collected in the 52 weeks to October 2021.

According to industry observers, these are the “levers” a brand should pull in order to attract new shoppers and new occasions

Ireland’S #1 choice

Because Ireland knows anything baked is better with Brennans. At Brennans, we carefully combine long tradition and product range to cater for every taste in Ireland. This is why we’ve kept our place as Ireland’s most chosen brand for six years in a row. Our goal is always to bake a wide range of fresh, high-quality breads, to satisfy the needs and usage occasions of your customers. That’s why anything baked is

Better with

40 100 MASTER BRANDS AT HOME

1. Brennans

2. Avonmore Enjoyed by Irish families nationwide for over 50 years, the Avonmore brand continues to grow in popularity. Avonmore’s expertise in dairy extends across milk, cream, soup and butter, with key growth products including Avonmore Super Milk, Avonmore Protein Milk and Avonmore Whipped Cream. Avonmore’s continued success comes from its commitment to high quality products, a deep understanding of the consumer and their needs, and continuous innovation.

3. Hunky Dorys & Tayto Tayto, the number one crisps and snacks brand** has consistently remained in the Kantar 100 Master Brands at Home ranking. However, this year the Tayto brand has reached new highs at number three*, up two places from 2021*. The Tayto brand is loved locally and globally, consistently topping the polls as the most missed brand by Irish expats. Following the migration of Hunky Dorys under the Tayto portfolio, the Hunky Dorys brand continues to grow ahead of the category and has recently been supported with the memorable ‘Go Hunky Dorys or Go Home’ campaign featuring the hilarious ‘Christy The Crinkler’. The Tayto portfolio has also reinvigorated the crisps and snacks category with NPD delivering strong category growth, a key highlight is the new Tayto lentil chips brand which was launched at the start of the year and

*(Source: Kantar 100 Master Brands at Home 2022 & 2021) **(Source: Nielsen Scantrack Value sales MAT April 2022)

Tayto jumped two positions this year up to the coveted number three spot in the Kantar 100 Master Brands at Home ranking

4. Cadbury Dairy Milk

5. Denny

Cadbury Dairy Milk Eight-Square, made in Ireland since 1933, uses fresh Irish milk with eight deliciously creamy chocolate variants, ﬁve of which are in the ‘Top 10 Best Selling Chocolate Bars’. Cadbury has been making chocolate in Ireland since 1932 when the ﬁrst Cadbury factory opened in Dublin, with Cadbury Dairy Milk production starting the following year in 1933. Cadbury Ireland factories are located in Coolock, Dublin and Rathmore, Kerry. Consumer focused innovation has proven a recipe for success for Cadbury Dairy Milk and this coupled with investment in exciting consumer communication and customer support means the brand is sure to feature in the top lists well into the future.

Denny has over 200 years of passion and experience in producing great tasting sausages, rashers and sliced cooked meats for Irish households. However, the brand believes that what truly sets it apart is not its origin story, but that unmistakable taste of Denny that consumers know so well and can rely on for any occasion. As our lives grow increasingly busy, we sometimes overlook the little things that bring us joy, even when they are right in front of our noses… like the smell of Denny sausages wafting through the house on a Saturday morning! At Denny, the team pride themselves in celebrating life’s simple pleasures and ‘Only Denny Will Do’ when it comes to bringing those simple, honest, great tasting food moments to Irish families. Denny is the number one brand in breakfast meats across the island of Ireland*. Denny has always catered for the changing needs of the Irish consumer and in the last couple of years, it has launched the delicious Meat Free Range. Denny is now the number

Cadbury Dairy Milk is made in Ireland at Cadbury’s factories in Coolock, Dublin and Rathmore, Kerry

has really shaken up the better for you segment delivering over €500k retail sales value (RSV) since launch**. Tayto is as relevant today as when it launched, consistent activities like NPD, the introduction of limited-edition ﬂavours that bring excitement to the category, communication campaigns that reach mass audiences across multiple platforms and instore activations that interrupt shoppers in stores all make Tayto what it is. This year Tayto has put the spotlight on Mr. Tayto in its recent brand campaign. Mr. Tayto is a brand hero who engages with consumers in their everyday lives and brings the brand even more to life across social and digital. He embodies what the brand means to so many, Tayto is truly ‘More Than Just A Crisp!’

one Irish brand in the plant-based category*. The Denny Meat Free range consists of meat free sausages, rashers, burgers and mince. This new range has been developed using soya protein, coconut oil and the famous Henry Denny signature seasoning, which delivers the great and delicious taste of Denny. In fact, the Denny Meat Free Sausage is the number one selling plant-based SKU across the ROI market*. The Denny Meat Free range is available nationwide. *(Source: Nielsen Total Scantrack ROI – Full year 2021) *(Source: Kantar WPO to 26 December 2021)

IRELAND’S FAVOURITE MILK FOR OVER 50 YEARS

42 100 MASTER BRANDS AT HOME

6. Jacob’s Jacob’s products have been a part of Irish life since 1851. From opening that first tin of Jacob’s biscuits at Christmas time, to filling lunchboxes daily around the country – Jacob’s has a snack to suit every occasion and ‘in between’ moment. Whether your favourite is a Kimberly, Club Milk, Elite, Tuc or Cream Cracker, there is something for everyone. Its wide range of delicious biscuits and crackers sell more than any other brand, making it Ireland’s number one biscuit brand*. Jacob’s is known for launching exciting NPD that makes an impact in the category. Over the past year, it has launched a variety of exciting new flavours under the Club Milk sub-brand including Club Milk Dark Chocolate, Orange and most recently Club Milk Mint. Jacob’s has also seen great success with NPD launches under its Elite subbrand, such as its Elite Chocolate and Salted Caramel Biscuit Bars, with more Elite NPD to come later this year. Jacob’s has also been engaging consistently with consumers through its communications across TV, outdoor, digital and in-store. Jacob’s ‘The Welcome In Between’ platform is really resonating with consumers, helping them to see Jacob’s as a modern, relevant brand in their lives. *(Source: Kantar 52 w/e 20 March 2022)

Jacob’s is Ireland’s number one biscuit brand

7. Coca-Cola 8. Knorr 9. Heinz 10. Birds Eye Over the past unprecedented year that involved lockdowns and the return to ‘normality’, Birds Eye has remained proactive and reactive in tapping into consumer trends and habits that have been ever evolving, enabling the brand to move up one position to number 10 this year. Birds Eye has tapped into ‘work from home’ lunch inspiration with the ‘chicken grills’ category, supported by a fully integrated campaign in October 2021, giving the consumer inspiration and highlighting the taste appeal and versatility of Birds Eye Chicken Grills along with the convenience of having them in the freezer. This has driven continuous market share for the grills sector post campaign.

Birds Eye continuously innovates, launching products that fulﬁl both adults and families’ needs, such as Birds Eye Chicken Goujons

With sustainability being an important factor, and consumers becoming increasingly aware, Birds Eye brought its sustainably sourced fishing message to life to give that extra peace of mind to the consumer and educating them that bit further about where the fish they are purchasing is sourced. This was brought to life throughout the Birds Eye ‘Get on Board’ campaign, with the infamous Captain Birds Eye leading the comms in September 2021. In addition to the above, Birds Eye continues to see the market share growth of the vegetarian brand, Green Cuisine. This is a result of above-the-line (ATL) to through-the-line (TTL) support for the Green Cuisine brand, and the launch into ‘chickenfree’ which has had strong uptake with the flexitarian consumer. Overall, Birds Eye continues to innovate and launch products that tap into trends that fulfil both adults and families’ needs, with most recent launches being Birds Eye Chicken Goujons, Chunky Oven Crispy Batter Fish Fingers, and Green Cuisine Fish-Free Fingers.

11. Irish Pride 12. Cadbury’s 13. Johnston Mooney & O’Brien 14. Müller (Müller Dairy) Müller, Ireland’s favourite yogurt brand, and the 14th most chosen brand overall, is continuing with its strategy to add taste to life, and add further inspiration to its core range of branded yogurts as it targets category growth. Shoppers in Ireland continue to look for the familiarity of wellknown and trusted brands, with sales of the dairy company’s famous Müller Corner accounting for 10% of adult yogurts, and up 11% in retail sales value versus 2021*. Earlier this year, Müller Corner returned as the proud sponsor of RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars, as it continued to inspire people

Müller is shaking up the rice segment with its ﬁrst ever Rice Protein product range, available in new Vanilla and Chocolate variants

to live happier and healthier lifestyles. The brand launched a special edition Müller Corner Dancing with the Stars multipack to help bring the brand to life, and add further inspiration to the category. This month, Müller is going to shake up the rice segment with its first ever Rice Protein product range with two new variants of Vanilla and Chocolate, containing 14g of protein per pot and low in fat. Müller customers will continue to benefit from first class marketing campaigns, customer service, industry leading capabilities and product innovation. *(Source: Nielsen data 12 weeks to 24 April 2022 vs 12 weeks to 25 April 2021)

15. Batchelors Batchelors is Ireland’s number one brand in canned vegetables and baked beans and has been an Irish family favourite since 1935. Batchelors’ range of baked beans, peas and pulses are the perfect addition to any mealtime, helping consumers create hearty and nutritious dishes that everyone will enjoy. At Batchelors, the team is proud of its famous ‘secret’ tomato sauce and unique cooking process that makes its baked beans so delicious. Batchelors is also passionate about quality and ensures that only the very best ingredients go into every Batchelors tin. To grow and expand the Batchelors range, the brand is extending its canned beans and pulses range with exciting new additions – Batchelors Barbecue Beans, Hot & Spicy Beans and Mediterranean Mixed Beans. Batchelors flavoured beans and pulses are ideal as a quick and easy plant-based meal, or as an addition to favourite dishes. These additions to the Batchelors range, all made in Cabra, which are gluten free, suitable for vegetarians, low in fat and a source of protein and fibre, are sure to be a hit with consumers, providing new flavours and creating excitement in the category.

Batchelors has been an Irish family favourite since 1935

44 100 MASTER BRANDS AT HOME

17. Carroll’s of Tullamore

In 2021, the Pringles brand’s mascot, Mr. P was given his ﬁrst makeover in 20 years

18. McVitie’s 19. Keeling’s 20. Nescafé 21. Pat The Baker 22. Fairy 23. Green Isle 16. Fitzgeralds Fitzgeralds Family Bakery is Ireland’s fastest growing bakery brand and has been passed down through four generations of passionate bakers. It is run by Simon, Suzanne and Garry Fitzgerald with a whole new generation of little tasters by their feet. The combination of traditional methods with modern thinking has led signiﬁcant growth in the Irish and UK markets over the last number of years. The Fitzgeralds range includes Fresh bagged Bagels and Bagel Slims, Wraps, Bake at Home French and Italian Breads, Pittas, Naan Breads, and Skinny Italian Pizza Bases and the brand is the market leader in these categories in the Republic of Ireland. The team at Fitzgeralds continue to innovate and introduce new products to the range and have shown a passion for understanding the consumer and offering quality. Excitingly, there are a number of new products planned for launch in the coming weeks. Fitzgeralds also has ambitious expansion plans in place, having been granted planning permission for an extension to the bakery, and the team in Fitzgeralds are very excited about the expansion itself and the range of new products that have been developed. Exciting times ahead!

Serving up good since 1959, the Green Isle range of frozen fruit and vegetables has something for all the family to enjoy!

As one of Ireland’s leading food brands, Green Isle has been putting good, nutritious food on Irish dinner tables since 1959. The brand has a long history of making healthy eating accessible and sustainable for consumers in Ireland. From classic side dishes such as garden peas, to flavoursome stir-fry mixes, to the more modern tastes of cauliflower rice, Green Isle makes it easy to eat well. Growing up with Irish families and helping discover new tastes, the Green Isle range of frozen fruit and vegetables has something for everyone to enjoy! Carefully selected, picked at their peak and frozen at their freshest to lock in vitamins, minerals and flavour, customers can enjoy the convenience of always having delicious, nutritious vegetables and fruit on hand. Green Isle does all the chopping and slicing and consumers can use exactly as much as they need, when they need it, before putting the rest back into the freezer for the next meal. The brand advises retailers to stock your freezers with all the nutrition and taste of Green Isle, Ireland’s trusted ally for good food. Watch out for new and exciting additions to the range, coming soon!

24. Yoplait

25. Pringles Pringles continues to be one of Ireland’s most loved crisp brands. With its iconic can, unique hyperbolic paraboloid shape and delicious flavour, Pringles’ popularity is unwavering. At the end of last year, the brand’s mascot, Mr. P was given his first makeover in 20 years. The moustachioed mascot now sports a modern look, including bold new eyebrows and a fancy new bow tie. The iconic cans were also given a fresh new look with bright packaging, highlighting Pringles’ range of flavours and of course, its famous stackable shape. This year, the brand launched its new tagline, ‘Mind Popping’ replacing ‘Pop, Play, Eat’ and the iconic ‘Once You Pop, You Can’t Stop’. The concept was inspired by the brand’s heritage. From the outset, Pringles intended to create a snack that would blow people’s minds – from its unique shape, to how every crisp stacks flawlessly in a can. The campaign is intended to showcase how Pringles is the perfect snacking experience to bring fun to the everyday. The brand continues to target snacking occasions relevant for its target audience with its recent ‘Stay in the Game’ gaming campaign and its annual festive inspired Christmas cans. Pringles also announced its first charitable partnership in Ireland last year with Movember. The snacking brand donated a minimum of €45,000 to support the charity’s important initiatives which help change the face of men’s health and fight for men to live happier, healthier and longer lives. Pringles continues to delight consumers with ongoing new flavour launches. So far this year, the brand has released Sweet Chilli Flavour, Spicy Chorizo Flavour, Italian Style Pepperoni Pizza Flavour and New York Style Cheeseburger Flavour.

26. Glenisk 27. Alpro Proud to be the pioneer of plant-based eating and drinking, Alpro has been creating delicious plant-based drinks, alternatives to yogurt, cream, custard and desserts for more than 40

100 MASTER BRANDS AT HOME 45 years. The brand’s mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible and Alpro knows that in real life, healthy comes with an (ish) – because life happens. Leading the food revolution and making plant-based a positive choice for the planet and its people, Alpro is number one in the plant-based drinks and yogurts category with 66.9% MAT value share*. Made from either non-GM soya beans, coconuts, almonds, hazelnuts, rice, or oats, the Alpro range gives Irish consumers the widest choice in plantbased dairy alternatives. 2022 is an exciting year for Alpro with the launch of “This Is Not M*lk”, it’s closest tasting product to dairy, which will push Alpro to a whole new audience who are eager to grab a creamy milk-like experience but is 100% plant-based. *(Source: Nielsen Total Scantrack ending 24 April 2022)

28. MiWadi MiWadi is a truly iconic Irish brand and continues to grow from strength to strength in the marketplace. From humble beginnings in 1927, MiWadi has been a fruity and ﬂavoursome part of childhood in Ireland for 94 years and has always remained relevant to Irish families with a wide range of ﬂavours in the Regular, No Added Sugar, 0% Sugar and Drops ranges. MiWadi is still produced in Dublin to this day and is a proud member of Love Irish Food.

MiWadi is Ireland’s number one brand within the squash category

Every bottle of the MiWadi 0% Sugar range is now fortified with Vitamin D which supports families’ immune systems. Vitamin D is very important in our diet to help support families’ general health, growth and development but it can be difficult to achieve the recommended daily intake of 5 µg. It has been reported that Vitamin D deficiency is very prevalent in Ireland*. MiWadi makes the water that individuals need to drink each day extra delicious and refreshing. The 0% Sugar range contains no more than five calories per glass and is available in four fruity flavours: Orange, Apple & Pear, Apple Berry and Blackcurrant. MiWadi continues to grow year-on-year

maintaining its number one position in the squash category**. *(Source: Department of Health Article Reporting on Vitamin D Deﬁciency in Ireland, April 2020) **(Source: Nielsen Value Share MAT Total Squash Category April 2022)

(Vitamin D contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system and maintenance of normal bones and teeth.)

29. Staffords 30. McCambridge

46 100 MASTER BRANDS AT HOME

31. Clonakilty 32. Colgate 33. 7up

7up is Ireland’s favourite lemon and lime carbonated soft drink

As Ireland’s favourite lemon and lime carbonated soft drink* and one of the mostloved brands in the country, 7up is proud to be part of the Kantar 100 Master Brands at Home ranking. In 2022, 7up will bring to life its social moments with food positioning and facilitate and reward those who make the most of life’s everyday occasions. 7up believes moments taste better together, so this month the brand will launch a new 360 degree campaign called ‘Friends, Food & Fizz’. The campaign aims to inspire consumers to make the most of gettogethers with good friends and great food. In addition, 7up Free is proudly sponsoring RTÉ Player’s ‘Battle of the Food Trucks’ for a second year. This is a mouthwatering series that brings together the ﬁnest food truck chef talents from around the country in a bid to battle it out for the culinary crown.

KitKat, Nestlé Ireland’s number one confectionery brand has jumped seven places on the back of a strong performance in both seasonal and singles, with the duo format contributing to the brand’s growth in singles. Exciting innovation for 2022 includes a new offering within chocolate sharing bags - KitKat Bites. This is KitKat, but not as you know it! With a deliciously smooth and chocolatey centre, crunchy wafer pieces and a milk chocolate shell, KitKat Bites are a more indulgent way to enjoy a break. Available in 90g sharing bags, KitKat Bites present a grown-up twist on a much-loved brand. 2022 has also seen the launch of KitKat 2 Finger White, two crispy wafer fingers covered with smooth white chocolate and 106 calories per bar, available in multipacks of nine bars. For those looking for a zesty treat, KitKat 4 Finger is now available as a 41.5g bar covered in orange flavoured smooth milk chocolate – this new variant is also available in a multipack of four 41.5g bars. The entire KitKat range is made using 100% certified sustainable cocoa, sourced through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan in conjunction with Rainforest Alliance and contains no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

36. Flahavan’s

*(Source: Nielsen Scantrack Data to 24.04.22)

34. Dairygold 35. KitKat

KitKat Bites offer a grown-up twist on a much-loved brand

More than 3 million portions of Flahavan’s porridge are consumed each week in Ireland

Market leader in the hot oats* category and number 36 in Kantar’s 100 Master Brands at Home ranking, Flahavan’s is anything but run of the mill. With more than 3 million portions of its porridge consumed each week in Ireland and with 58.7% value market share in 2021, it’s clear that this 200-year-old family food business continues to hold a special place in the hearts, and kitchen cupboards, of consumers across the country. With traditional milling expertise handed down through seven generations, and a longstanding commitment to local sourcing, Flahavan’s is well-known for the distinctive creamy taste and texture of its world-class porridge oats. A brand built on trust – the consistent quality and nourishing goodness of its oat-based product range appeals to a large and growing cohort of health-conscious consumers seeking simple, natural breakfast solutions.

Flahavan’s new range includes High Protein, High Fibre and Immunity Boost variants

Over the past two decades, Flahavan’s has been at the forefront of driving a dramatic change in the way consumers think about oat-based foods and their compelling health beneﬁts. By putting the consumer at the heart of its new product development and innovation, the company has expanded into other categories with considerable success. Its Irish Oaty Flapjacks range continues to perform strongly in the snacking category, while its Oat Drinks range has quickly gained ground within the plant-based drinks category. With its latest launch of porridge with added beneﬁts, the company is responding to the growing interest in food products with enhanced health credentials to help consumers navigate the demands of their busy lifestyles. The new range, which includes High Protein, High Fibre and Immunity Boost variants, is available in pot and sachet formats to optimise convenience for younger and active audiences. Flahavan’s range includes more than 50 different oat-based products including Progress Oatlets, Organic Porridge Oats as well as Jumbo, Gluten Free, Quick Oats and Super Oats in the hot oats category. Its other ranges include Overnight Oats, Hi8 Muesli, Granola, Irish Oaty Flapjacks and Oat Drinks in Barista, Vitamin Rich and Organic variants. Flahavan’s is a proud member of Love Irish Food and is a Gold Status Member of Bord Bia’s Origin Green programme. *(Source: Kantar Data – 52 Weeks to 26 December 2021)

37. Keogh’s Keogh’s market share has consistently grown over the years, and the brand is renowned for its premium quality and exciting innovation. The Keogh family have been farming the fertile lands of North Country Dublin for generations and are committed to producing Ireland’s ﬁnest potatoes and crisps. The Keogh’s range offering has steadily grown over the years since its ﬁrst bag of potatoes and the brand now has three core snacking

48 100 MASTER BRANDS AT HOME

42. Barry’s Tea Barry’s Tea has moved four places to number 42 and remains Ireland’s number one favourite tea brand for the seventh year running. 2021 was a successful year for the brand which launched two new adverts; ‘Love Letter’ featuring its much-loved Gold Blend tea and ‘Mug’s’ which showcased its Decaf blend for the first time on TV. Sustainability has remained core to the business which is evident in its successful change over in production to 100% biodegradable teabags across all lines. The journey continues for the brand, which teamed up with an Irish supplier to produce a branded on-the-go travel mug coinciding with the reduction in the use of paper cups.

43. Lucozade 44. Aero

Aero’s ‘Who will you ShAero with?’ phrases are suited to each format and flavour and highlight great ways to share an Aero

Keogh’s hand cooks crisps in small batches using potatoes grown on the family’s farm

ranges, straight cut crisps, crinkle cut crisps and bigger bite popcorn. Keogh’s hand cooks crisps in small batches using potatoes grown on the family’s farm in the finest quality sunflower oil and seasoned with ingredients sourced from local Irish suppliers. Keogh’s continues to excite and delight Irish consumers and in the last six months launched two new flavour varieties in collaboration with Guinness under its delicious Crinkle Cut range; Keogh’s Guinness Flame Grilled Steak and Keogh’s Guinness & Oyster. Keogh’s Extra Crunchy Crinkle Cut Guinness range is brimming with authentic Irish taste and character, it is deliciously different and deeply satisfying. The roasted barley, hops, and malt of Guinness gives these Keogh’s crisps that smooth and satisfying stout taste that you won’t be able to put down! Keogh’s has also just launched a new limited-edition flavour, Cashel Blue Cheese & Caramelised Onion in collaboration with Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers. Cashel Blue which is loved for its depth of character and tanginess teams perfectly with caramelised onion, along with a touch of garlic, rosemary and parsley to make the ultimate gourmet crisp. Perfect for a summer picnic, or for kick starting a dinner party with a glass of red, Keogh’s Cashel Blue Cheese & Caramelised Onion are sure to be a conversation starter. It’s a must-stock for this summer!

For the seventh year running, Barry’s Tea is Ireland’s number one favourite tea brand

Barry’s Tea has teamed up with an Irish supplier to produce a branded on-the-go travel mug

Aero continues to climb up the brand ranking moving four places higher this year. Renowned for its unique bubbly texture, this much-loved brand added Aero Caramel, an indulgent sharing block that is also available in a multipack format to its range last year and, for those looking for a more intense flavour with a higher percentage of cocoa solids, Aero Dark & Milk and Aero Dark & Milk Peppermint sharing blocks. Growth for Aero is set to continue as the brand celebrates sharing occasions with a new campaign featuring limited edition pack designs. These limited-edition ShAero packs are designed to capture shoppers’ attention by featuring a selection of different messages. The ‘Who will you ShAero with?’ phrases are suited to each format and flavour and highlight great ways to share an Aero such as on date night, with a movie or on a road trip. In addition to the ShAero campaign, the brand also recently announced the launch of a new innovation, Aero Melts. Aero Melts are delicious discs of light and bubbly chocolate that melt effortlessly in the mouth for a moment of chocolatey indulgence. Aero Melts are now available in milk chocolate and caramel flavour sharing bags.

45. Walkers The Wotsits and Monster Munch Giants sharing ranges has been a giant success for Walkers, nearly doubling this past year to over €2m retail sales value (RSV). More importantly, 55%* of the sales are incremental, as Giants

38. Hellmann’s 39. Charleville 40. Goodfella’s 41. Kinder

Barry’s Tea now produces 100% biodegradable teabags across all lines

The Wotsits and Monster Munch Giants sharing ranges are recruiting new savoury buyers into the crisps and snacks category

100 MASTER BRANDS AT HOME 49 recruits new savoury buyers into the category. Family snacks is now the number one crisps and snacks category worth nearly €50m RSV*, growing faster than flat crisps. This month Walkers will launch a new Wotsits Giants Prawn Cocktail flavour. Two times the size of a standard Wotsit, the new Giants Prawn Cocktail Wotsits show that size really does matter… when it comes to snacks! Supported with a huge above-the-line (ATL) campaign during June and July with TV, outof-home, digital and shopper, this popular Irish flavour is guaranteed to be a family favourite this summer, so the brand recommends stocking up! *(Source: Nielsen Total Scantrack April 2022)

46. Connacht Gold

“Through rebranding and marketing, Connacht Gold has been able to maintain and build on its long-established reputation for true authentic quality,” he continued. “We would like to thank our milk suppliers for their endless work to produce milk of the highest quality – they are the reason why Connacht Gold products have such exceptional taste and continue to be a firm favourite amongst consumers of today.” Connacht Gold Half Fat Butter is available nationwide in 454g and 227g sized formats.

52. Chef

47. Killeen Launched in Drogheda, Co. Louth, in 1985, Killeen has grown to be one of Ireland’s most loved and trusted household cleaning brands, offering a range of best-selling products including cloths, scourers, gloves and refuse sacks. Whether it’s tackling those big cleaning jobs or day-to-day tasks around the house, there is no job too big or too small for Killeen. The brand’s complete range includes everything from gloves and refuse sacks to cloths and scourers. The brand’s tagline is certainly apt: ‘Nothing Cleans Like Killeen’.

Connacht Gold’s Half Fat butter is real butter with just half the fat

Connacht Gold climbed a remarkable seven places in the latest Kantar 100 Master Brands at Home ranking. The exceptional jump in position is a real testament to the wonderful success story of the dairy product range which is rooted in the strong farming tradition of the west of Ireland. Churning milk since 1897, Connacht Gold has truly perfected the art of making the finest dairy products and continues to innovate through targeted investment and rebranding. This innovation is displayed through Connacht Gold’s Half Fat butter, which is real butter, with just half the fat and easily spreads straight from the fridge. The brand’s hero product contains no vegetable oils or chemically treated fats – offering all the great taste of butter, with all the health benefits of half the fat. “We are delighted that Connacht Gold has succeeded in moving up the ranks in the 100 Master Brands at Home ranking,” said Stephen Blewitt, Aurivo’s general manager of dairy.

51. Flora

‘Nothing Cleans Like Killeen’: No job is too big or too small for Killeen’s household cleaning range

48. Club 49. Dolmio

Chef is the number three brand in ‘table top’, number two brand in ketchup and the number one brand in brown sauce and beetroot

Chef has been an Irish favourite since 1921, proudly made in Cabra, Dublin. It is the number three brand in ‘table top’, number two brand in ketchup and the number one brand in brown sauce and beetroot. Irish consumers love Chef because of its distinctive bold flavour, which is unmistakable. Chef is extending its BBQ offering by introducing new Curry Ketchup, Wings Sauce and Burger Relish to the Chef range. These exciting additions, launching just in time for BBQ season, are sure to delight consumers as they look for ways to add flavour and excitement to summer BBQs. The ready-to-use Chef Wings Sauce makes delicious chicken wings with no fuss at all! It’s also great as a dip, marinade or to spice up favourite recipes. Chef Burger Relish, in a convenient squeezy bottle, adds delicious flavour to burgers, sandwiches, wraps and more. Chef Curry Ketchup is a perfect combination of bold Chef Ketchup and a secret blend of curry spices – ideal with chips, chicken nuggets, sausages and ribs. These new sauces are suitable for vegetarians, gluten free and have no artificial colours or preservatives. New Chef BBQ sauces are the perfect addition to the brand’s great range of Ketchups, BBQ sauces, Beetroots and Gherkins, meaning Chef has everything your customers need to enhance flavour at the BBQ this summer!

53. Wrigley’s 54. Dove 55. Dr. Oetker Firmly rooted in the farming tradition of the west of Ireland, Connacht Gold has jumped seven places in Kantar’s ranking this year

50. Nivea

Dr. Oetker is delighted to feature in Kantar’s most-chosen brands for another year. The pizza and baking brands continued to experience growth throughout 2021, following on from a very impressive 2020 performance. >>

50 100 MASTER BRANDS AT HOME

56. Kellogg’s Corn Flakes

71. Erin 72. Cadbury Twirl

Dr. Oetker holds an impressive 63% share of voice* in the frozen pizza market

>> Dr. Oetker continues to invest in its brands, with particular emphasis placed on the Chicago Town master brand, the 2021 campaign included two bursts of TV and video on demand (VOD) activity, a partnership with Sky One, digital partnerships and social media. The iconic Ristorante Pizza was also supported through TV, VOD and social media. Momenti was likewise supported through digital partnerships and inﬂuencer collaborations. This media support in 2021 resulted in an impressive 63% share of voice* in the frozen pizza market.

57. Galtee 58. Schwartz

73. Premier Dairies

59. Old El Paso 60. Maltesers 61. Hazel Brook 62. Odlums

Chicago Town Takeaway has been performing exceptionally well with sales growing by 10% and a market share of 13%

The pizza performance has been driven through some outstanding sub-brand performances; Chicago Town Takeaway performing exceptionally well with sales growing by 10% and a market share of 13%. The sub-brand continues to offer shoppers indulgent pizzas with the great taste of an authentic takeaway in the frozen aisle. Chicago Town Tiger Crust continues to perform well; sales grew by 2.3% and the sub-brand now commands a 2.4% share. The unique tiger bread taste is becoming a ﬁrm family favourite. Chicago Town Deep Dish, the original Chicago style pizza, has grown sales by 10% and has a market share of 2.1%. From a Dr. Oetker Pizza perspective, the positive performance has been driven by the Bistro and Momenti sub-brands. These two snacking subbrands have thrived as people continued to work from home, Bistro experienced sales growth of plus 5.1%, while the relative newcomer Momenti grew plus 77%**. The Dr. Oetker Baking brand grew by 2.3% and has a market share of 20.5%***. Support included activity with long-term brand ambassador Louise Lennox, an ongoing partnership with Virgin TV’s Six O’clock show, an online partnership with Lovin Dublin and social media support all year round – all providing inspiration for bakers throughout Ireland. *(Source: Ad Intel Jan 2021 – Dec 2021) **(Source: Nielsen Scan Track, Pizza 52w Value Sales, 02/01/22) ***(Source: Nielsen Scan Track, Value Sales, 02/01/22, Home baking data includes baking products, decorations and mixes)

63. Bradys 64. Bisto

Premier Milk continues to be a strong player in the Dublin market. With over 50 years of tradition and history, the brand continues to grow from strength to strength.

65. Lenor

74. Magnum

66. Comfort

75. Activia

67. Lyons Tea

Deliciously good for gut health, Activia is enjoyed by over a quarter of Irish households. The past 12 months have been a step-changing year for Activia as the brand continues to encourage Irish consumers to ‘Support your gut health’*. Now more than ever, Irish consumers are educated and inspired on the importance of looking after your gut health, and its relationship with one’s holistic health and wellbeing. Activia is currently enjoying year-to-date (YTD) value growth of +21% year-on-year**. The brand has also brought new recyclable

68. Ben’s Original

69. McCain 70. Haribo

Activia has achieved year-to-date (YTD) value growth of +21% year-on-year

No Tube. Just* More Paperr!!

100 MASTER BRANDS AT HOME

pots and packaging to the market because protecting life on the outside helps you nourish the inside: ‘Love the planet to love our gut!’ *(Enjoy as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, calcium contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes) **(Source: Nielsen up to April 2022)

76. Kellogg’s Rice Krispies

that are both invigorating and tasty, John West makes it easy for your shoppers to get natural protein and natural vitamin D into their diet and to support muscle maintenance. As the brand states: ‘Eat strong, go strong… feile strong… trade strong!’

78. Hovis

ﬂavourful punch and keeps the hunger at bay until your next meal. The perfect on-the-go lunch for students or busy workers alike. Koka noodles are made with great tasting ingredients just like you would get in Singapore. They are available in nest and pot formats and come in a variety of ﬂavours. Koka noodles are Ireland’s favourite instant noodle brand and are also available in a silk variety which are gluten free, so now everyone can enjoy the delicious taste of Koka noodles. The brand’s pithy advice is simple: “Go on, stick the kettle on and have yourself a pot of Koka noodles. You know you want to.”

81. Nicky 77. John West John West’s success as a continuously strong brand is driven by its effort to drive brand relevancy to Irish consumers and shoppers. Through sport: John West is the proud sponsor of GAA Féile. This year, the brand will once again be supporting young athletes and their families with a range of products that are naturally high in natural protein, and vitamin D supporting muscle maintenance and the normal functioning of the immune system. Through nutrition: John West has been working with a team of expert dietitians to engage consumers around nutrition and active lifestyle. Increasingly consumers are looking for ways to better their health, maintain their physical fitness and overall wellbeing, for themselves and their families. “Adequate protein intake throughout all life stages is essential for health as proteins are the building blocks within the body. A low intake of protein will not maintain optimal muscle mass and function,” explains registered dietitian, Noreen Roche. “Regular consumption of high-quality proteins like tinned tuna, fish and eggs are important to ensure we protect against muscle loss,” she adds. And finally, by continuing to launch innovative ranges such as No Drain Fridge Pot, No Drain Infusions, No Drain+ and Tuna Bowls,

Hovis Seed Sensations offers a great-tasting bread with a distinctive, seeded ﬂavour

The Hovis brand continues to make excellent progress in the Irish packaged bread category. In 2021, the brand achieved a ranking of 78th position in Ireland’s most chosen brands, compiled by Kantar Worldpanel*. The Hovis Granary and Seed Sensations that are sold in the Irish market are baked at its Belfast Bakery. Although the brand does not have full market distribution in the Irish market, it has made signiﬁcant volume and rate of sale improvement over the last two years. Launched in 2014, Hovis Seed Sensations has been strongly received by the Irish consumer; ideal for those seeking a great tasting bread with a distinctive, seeded ﬂavour. In addition, the Hovis Granary range continues to be also enjoyed by Irish consumers. The brand’s consistent focus on quality continues to be at the heart of its brand strategy. Hovis with its combined focus of quality and innovation will continue to be an exciting player in the Irish packaged bread sector in 2022 and it is expecting another successful year for the Hovis brand in Ireland. *(Independent research compiled by the Kantar Group. Tracked shopping behaviour of over 5,000 Irish households. The report covers the period of 52 w/e October 2020 Vs 52 w/e October 2021).

79. Pepsi 80. Koka Founded in Singapore in 1985, Koka noodles are a backpack staple in many homes around Ireland. The humble instant noodle packs a

John West is the proud sponsor of GAA Féile

82. Tuc / Lu 83. Innocent (Coca-Cola) 84. Actimel

Each shot of Actimel is bursting with 10 billion l.casei cultures and is rich in vitamin D

Delivering goodness for immune systems, the Actimel brand has been enjoying an unique moment of relevance over the last year as consumers’ awareness and knowledge around immune support increases. Unsurprisingly, Actimel, a brand that has always been famous for supporting individuals’ immune systems, has experienced phenomenal growth over the last two years. Every shot of Actimel is bursting with 10 billion l.casei cultures and is rich in vitamin D which helps support the immune system. What’s more, the Actimel range is available in dozens of delicious ﬂavours, As well as recently optimizing its formula to be rich in vitamin D, Actimel is bringing some exciting new innovation to kids yogurt drinks this July. Accordingly, the brand’s advice is simple: ‘Just shake it up and drink it down and give the day your best shot!’* *(Actimel contains Vitamins B6 & D to help support the normal function of the immune system) *(Enjoy as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle)

85. Cadbury Wispa

John West continues to launch innovative ranges such as the No Drain Fridge Pot, No Drain Infusions, No Drain+ and Tuna Bowls, that are both invigorating and tasty

Koka noodles are Ireland’s favourite instant noodle brand

100 MASTER BRANDS AT HOME 53

92. O’Hara’s of Foxford 93. Dettol 94. Rowntree’s

86. Cushelle 87. Irish Yogurts

Rowntree’s, a brand long synonymous with sugar confectionery, is a new entrant to Kantar’s 100 Master Brands at Home ranking this year. Earlier in 2022, Rowntree’s expanded its vegan friendly offering to ensure as many people as possible can now enjoy its fruity chews. Vegan friendly Rowntree’s Fruit Gums and Rowntree’s Pick & Mix join the existing range alongside vegan friendly Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles and Rowntree’s Jelly Tots. Suitable for those following vegetarian, vegan and religious diets, these new offerings are likely to attract incremental shoppers.

88. Weetabix 89. Ballyfree 90. Heineken 91. Doritos An iconic global brand and Ireland’s number one tortilla chip, Doritos continues to heat up the snacks aisle, with year-to-date (YTD) sales up +9%. Tapping into consumers’ desire to holiday abroad this year, the recent Doritos ‘Win a Holiday’ campaign was a huge category growth driver and with over 75,000 entries so far, it’s been the most successful on-pack competition in years! Tapping into Gen Z’s passion for football, Doritos’ UEFA Champions league sponsorship continues to recruit new consumers into the snacks category and this summer the brand will be celebrating the Women’s Euros with special limited edition football packs with thousands of prizes to be won. Renowned for bringing new exciting flavours to market, Doritos will not disappoint later in the year – it has an exciting new Doritos Dippers range, with extra crunch and some delicious new flavours, perfect for dipping or ‘nacho night’! Some really exciting new flavours are also coming in Q3, perfect for those cosy winter nights in or to get the party started, watch this space! Doritos really is on fire this year, make your play! *(Source: Nielsen Total Scantrack April 2022)

Doritos is Ireland’s number one tortilla chip brand

introducing a new ‘3D Wave’ texture that is proven to clean effectively and Andrex’s extensive research has shown that consumers had a significantly improved overall experience, particularly when it came to meaningful attributes such as feeling clean, strength, absorbency and softness. Andrex has also continued to renovate and expand its premium portfolio to meet consumer needs, upgrading its Andrex Supreme Quilts in 2021 with a new ‘Air Pocket Texture’ to deliver the ultimate quilted comfort and it was subsequently voted Product of the Year in the Toilet Tissue category at the annual Product of the Year Awards 2022*. Finally, Andrex recently launched new Andrex Ultra Care to the market in April 2022, delivering its softest ever and best care for skin with a soothing, lotioned tissue containing natural ingredients including Aloe Vera. Andrex also continues to talk to consumers about Andrex Washlets which have helped drive the fast-growing segment of moist toilet tissue. More and more consumers see the benefits of achieving an elevated, shower-fresh feeling of clean. This is an underpenetrated part of the category that offers huge retailer opportunities as consumers continue to adopt ‘The Clean Routine’ of using both dry and moist toilet tissue in tandem. To maximise category growth of moist tissue and continue to normalise its usage, Andrex recommends that dry and moist tissue are positioned together in-store and Andrex continues to highlight the benefits of using the products together in its consumer communications. *(Source: Winner Toilet Tissue Category. Survey of 9,965 people by Kantar)

96. Domestos 97. Kerrygold Rowntree’s has also launched Randoms Squidgy Swirls, a tongue-tantalising assortment of fruit and yoghurt-flavour creamy-tasting jellies in three delicious varieties: Blackcurrant & Yoghurt, Strawberry & Yoghurt and Apple & Yoghurt. The full Rowntree’s range of singles, multipacks and sharing bags also contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

95. Andrex (Kimberly-Clark) Andrex is constantly looking for opportunities to improve its product offering and deliver an elevated standard of clean in how the brand communicates with consumers. With its current brand campaign, ‘Clean is a Feeling’, Andrex is communicating the beneﬁts of feeling refreshed after every clean. This campaign started in August 2020 and is continuing throughout 2022 and beyond. In 2016, Andrex made the biggest product change in 60 years to Andrex Classic Clean, moving from a ﬂat base-sheet to a thicker, embossed base-sheet with a design that featured Andrex branding. In 2021, the brand revolutionised the product yet again,

98. Volvic 99. Sensodyne 100. Galaxy

Crisps and Snacks

Free-from

Gin

Pet Care

Forecourt

54 CATEGORY FOCUS Crisps and Snacks

Crunch time! With family snacks worth nearly €50m in retail sales value and the healthier crisps and snacks segment worth €13m and currently in double digit growth at +19%, ensuring you have the right range across impulse, sharing and better-for-you (BFY) formats, will optimise sales across this key category, writes Gillian Hamill

avoury snacks became part of planned grocery purchases in 2021, research from Euromonitor Ireland has found. According to its ‘Savoury Snacks in Ireland’ report, savoury snacks were traditionally impulse purchases, but that has signiﬁcantly changed in recent months. Premium savoury snacks are also expected to boost value sales over the forecast ﬁve-year period, Euromonitor said. What’s more, the pandemic accelerated the trend of premiumisation in snacks, and Irish consumers are increasingly willing to spend

more on higher quality products. Emphasis on sustainable packaging is also set to increase. As consumer awareness around the issues of sustainable, eco-friendly packaging continues to grow, more manufacturers have been embracing environmentally friendly packaging materials. The crisps and snacks market beneﬁtted greatly from pandemic-driven at home snacking. Throughout this time, Irish brands have continued to innovate with ﬂavour extensions, lower calorie options and new

packaging designs. ‘Family snacks’ is currently the number one crisps and snacks segment worth nearly €50m in retail sales value (RSV)*. It’s important to also stock a strong range of tasty healthier snack options, considering that the healthier crisps and snacks category is worth €13m and in double digit growth at +19%*. Here, we take a closer look at the brands and innovations that are generating excitement within the category.

Ireland’s number one!

market segment.*** Consumers will not miss the continued advertising support for this brand, which has just come off air but will feature again in the coming summer months

across VOD and social media. Consumers are prompted to ‘Feed their Cheesiosity’ and the brand advises retailers to make sure they are stocked up this summer to gain the most of Tayto Cheesatees’ continued advertising support. Mr. Tayto has got the nation talking with his most recent mischievous antics. After disappearing off key packs, social media and no public appearances, Tayto HQ put a call out for information on his whereabouts. Much commotion erupted with the public, Irish businesses and well-known Inﬂuencers speculating on his whereabouts. It has recently emerged that he is living his best life and ticking off his bucket list with travels across the world. This campaign will live primarily across digital and social but will also cover DOOH, PR, media partnerships and not to mention a large presence in-store. This >>

Tayto, Ireland’s favourite crisps and snacks brand*, kicked off the year on a strong foot with the addition of two new SKUs to the Tayto ‘Lighter Choices’ portfolio. Tayto Lentil Chips are an ideal offering for consumers who are looking for something with 100% flavour but with 40% less fat**. Since launch, Tayto Lentil Chips have achieved a NSV of over €500K and this is only set to grow as advertising support continues throughout 2022. They are available in two mainstream flavours: Cheese & Onion and Sour Cream & Onion. The Lentil Chips launch saw throughthe-line support with TV, video on demand (VOD), radio, out-of-home (OOH), PR, and social media and eye catching in-store displays. Tayto Cheesatees, which launched in spring last year, taps into the growing cheese flavour

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

Ireland’s number one crisps and snacks brand, Tayto continues to offer strong innovation and NPD within the market

*(Source: Nielsen Total Scantrack April 2022)

HEAVILY SUPPORTED TAYTO BRAND CAMPAIGN ACROSS MAY & JUNE

STOCK UP NOW ON IRELANDʼS NO.1 CRISPS & SNACKS BRAND* *Source: Nielsen Value sales April 2022

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>> campaign runs into the summer months and will cumulate in a new limited-edition ﬂavour that is sure to go viral! To make the most of this brand campaign, ensure you stock up on Tayto, the number one crisps and snacks brand in the market*. *(Source: Nielsen Scantrack C&S Value MS MAT April 2022) **(Source: 40% less fat per 100g of Tayto Cheese & Onion ﬂavour potato crisps) ***(Source: Nielsen Scantrack C&S Volume MS MAT April 2022 - Cheese Flavour at 4.6%)

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Popping ahead!

Popchips contain less than 75 kcal per 17g pack

Popchips are a different type of snack for a different type of snacker. The brand believes better doesn’t have to be boring. They’re popped, not fried, big on flavour and big on crunch. Popchips celebrate a positive vibrant, and colourful approach to life, feeling good on the inside and awesome on the outside. Popchips are a tasty little light and crunchy number. So, it’s time to revolutionise snack time with new Popchips, perfect for summer snacking! Grab a bag and live life to the full because life is what you make it. So why not make it pop with Popchips? Popchips are a hit with health-conscious snackers, with less than 75 kcal per 17g pack. They are also gluten free with half the fat of fried crisps, are popped not fried, suitable for vegetarians and contain no artificial anything. Popchips are available in 23g, 85g and multipack formats and come in four tasty flavours, BBQ, Sour Cream & Onion, Salt & Vinegar and Thai Sweet Chilli. They will be supported with social and influencer collaborations as well as In-store during the summer months to drive awareness and trial.

Taste above all else O’Donnells Hand Cooked Crisps are the leading hand cooked crisp brand in Ireland and currently hold 5.1% value market share*. Over the last decade, Ireland has fallen in love

with the premium quality and great tasting flavours of O’Donnells crisps. Today, O’Donnells is the most awarded crisp brand in the Irish market. O’Donnells Furrows, which launched last summer have performed exceptionally well adding more than €1 million retail sales value (RSV)* to the crisp category and are well positioned to drive further growth of the O’Donnells brand in the future. O’Donnells Furrows deliver crisp perfection in taste and flavour. The deep grooves of the furrows ploughed on the Seskin family farm are the inspiration for this product. According to the brand, the extra deep ridges capture more of the outstanding taste and flavour that O’Donnells consumers know and love. O’Donnells Furrows are available in two delicious options; Mature Cheese & Red Onion and Irish Cider Vinegar & Sea Salt in 50g single serve and 125g share bags and are gluten free with no artificial colours, flavours or MSG. As a testament to the fantastic quality and taste of these new products, O’Donnells Furrows were awarded Gold & Silver awards in the Crisps Category at the Irish Quality Food Awards and Free From Food Awards in 2021. In May, O’Donnells launched a new and improved Sweet Chilli flavour which offers a delicately fused secret blend of aromatic spices with a fiery kick of red chillies to create the spicy and sweet taste. The new and improved recipe has been perfected to its finest Sweet Chilli flavour yet, creating a truly exquisite hand cooked crisp. O’Donnells will be supported throughout the coming months with the ‘Taste Above All

Else’ campaign. The campaign is live on TV, radio, VOD, social, digital and in-store, driving awareness and demand for O’Donnells. *(Source: Nielsen MAT Value Sales March 27, 2022, Crisps & Snacks)

A giant year! The Wotsits and Monster Munch Giants sharing range has been a giant success for Walkers, nearly doubling this past year to over €2m RSV. More importantly, 55%* of the sales are incremental, as Giants recruits new savoury buyers into the category. Family snacks is now the number one crisps and snacks category worth nearly €50m RSV*, growing faster than ﬂat crisps. This month Walkers will launch a new Wotsits Giants Prawn Cocktail ﬂavour. Two times the size of a standard Wotsit, the new Giants Prawn Cocktail Wotsits shows that size really does matter… when it comes to snacks! Supported >>

Walkers is launching a new Wotsits Giants Prawn Cocktail ﬂavour, two times bigger than the standard Wotsits size

Perfectly crinkled Hunky Dorys, Ireland’s number one crinkle cut crisp brand, continues to grow ahead of the crisps market resulting in a 21.7% market share for the brand*. The brand has had a strong start to 2022 with key campaigns since February. Continuing to tap into its synonymous association with rugby, Hunky Dorys kicked off the year tying into the Six Nations snacking occasion with a ‘Win a trip to Six of Europe’s Nations’ campaign. This campaign was executed across social, digital, PR and with a vast presence across the trade. Hunky Dorys also made waves with the release of two Hunky Dorys Limited Editions; Smoked Applewood Cheese & Jalapeno and Pork Ribs Marinade flavour. The launch was supported by PR partnerships, social and stand-out displays in-store to encourage shoppers to trial these new flavours which tap into the growing meaty and spicy flavour trends. In addition to these key initiatives, Hunky Dorys has also invested heavily above-the-line (ATL). Recently, brand hero, ‘Christy the Crinkler’, returned to the nation’s TV screens. This much-loved character and his unique skills to perfectly crinkle each crisp, featured across TV, cinema, VOD and social delivering a reach estimate of over 3 million for the campaign**. This fun and memorable creative featuring across various media platforms illustrates the ongoing investment in the brand. With an action-packed year so far for the Hunky Dorys brand and plenty more to come for H2, the brand advises retailers to ensure you are stocked up on these crinkle cut flavoured maniacs as they continue to disrupt the crisps category: ‘Go Hunky Dorys or Go Home!’ *(Source: Nielsen Scantrack Crisps market MAT April 2022). **(Source: Media reach estimate)

Launched last summer, O’Donnells Furrows have added more than €1 million retail sales value (RSV) to the crisp category

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

MAKE YOUR

SALES

GIANT

Wotsits Giants has been Pepsico’s most successful snacks NPD to date, helping drive growth in the Family Snacks Sharing segment by over 30%*.

Family Snacks is now the No.1 Crisps and Snacks category worth €49.4m RSV and growing faster than flat crisps.

BRAN

ENTAL S

€2m

WO T

ASE INT

SI TS G I A

INC

55%

92%

NTS

T S G I AN

N C O C K TA

TS I

Stock up on the Giants Range including our new Prawn Cocktail flavour and make your sales Giant! *AC Nielsen Scantrack MAT February 2022

**PepsiCo Insights ECS Screener, 2019

***Two Times Bigger than Regular Wotsits

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>> with a huge ATL campaign during June and July with TV, OOH, digital and shopper, this popular Irish ﬂavour is guaranteed to be a family favourite this summer, so the brand advises retailers to stock up!

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*(Source: AC Nielsen Total Scantrack April 2022)

Sales are on ﬁre! An iconic global brand and Ireland’s number one tortilla chip, Doritos continues to heat up the snacks aisle, with year-to-date (YTD) sales up +9%. Tapping into consumers’ desire to holiday abroad this year, the recent Doritos ‘Win a Holiday’ campaign was a huge category growth driver and with over 75,000 entries so far, it’s been the most successful on-pack

The Doritos ‘Win a Holiday’ campaign has received over 75,000 entries so far

competition in years! Tapping into Gen Z’s passion for football, Doritos’ UEFA Champions league sponsorship continues to recruit new consumers into the snacks category and this summer, the brand will be celebrating the Women’s Euros with special limited edition football packs with thousands of prizes to be won. Renowned for bringing new exciting flavours to market, Doritos will not disappoint later in the year. The brand has an exciting new Doritos Dippers range, with extra crunch and some delicious new flavours, perfect for dipping or ‘nacho night’! And then some really exciting new flavours coming in Q3 perfect for those cosy winter nights in or to get the party started, watch this space! *(Source: Nielsen Total Scantrack April 2022)

Make your snack sales pop! The healthier crisps and snacks category is worth €13m and in double digit growth at

T E E SW LTY & SA

Popworks is a number one bestseller in the US

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

A feast of ﬂavours Innovative snack brand Forest Feast has launched a range of impulse packs that are perfect for front of store, or as part of a meal deal. The 40g packs are all gluten free, vegetarian or vegan friendly, packed into recyclable ﬁlm and are available in branded shelf-ready packaging. The range includes the following: • Salted Dark Chocolate Almonds with salt and dusted with cocoa powder (vegan, gluten free) • 60% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Sour Cherries with Belgian 60% cocoa dark chocolate (vegan, gluten free) • Pitmaster Smoked Almonds & Peanuts with oak-smoked Irish sea salt (vegetarian, gluten free) • Heather Honey Roast Peanuts & Cashews with Scottish heather honey and sea salt crystals (vegetarian, gluten free) • Sea Salt & Black pepper Nut Mix with sea salt crystals and crushed black peppercorns (vegan, gluten free) • Salt & Vinegar Nut Mix with sea salt and apple cider vinegar (vegan, gluten free) Forest Feast Impulse packs are available now with an RRSP of €1.50/40g. Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate Almonds are the latest extension to the Forest Feast Signature Chocolate Nut range which allows consumers to reconcile the goodness of nuts with the indulgence of Belgian chocolate. These are handcrafted in-house with a distinctive innovative Forest

+19% as consumers look for new tasty healthier snack options*. Pepsico is the number one better-for-you (BFY) supplier, with 52% share and is set to become even bigger with the launch of a new sharing snacks brand, Popworks. A new delicious range of popped crisps, with a crunchy irresistible taste but with all the healthier snack credentials - never fried, 60% less fat**, only 75 calories, vegan and gluten free, this range is sure to appeal to the 50% of Irish consumers*** looking for a healthier snack option. A number one bestseller in the US, this new fun tasty sharing snack, with its colourful packaging and delicious ﬂavours and best of all, no taste compromise, will certainly add an awesome “pop” to the BFY sharing aisle. The brand therefore advises retailers to stock up and get ready to see your snacks sales pop!

Feast twist. The nuts are oven-roasted with their skin on to give real depth of ﬂavour before being drenched in Belgian chocolate. These sweet, caramelised roasted almonds are dusted with a pinch of sea salt before being dipped in creamy Belgian milk chocolate. An irresistible, moreish treat day or night! (vegetarian, gluten free). The current range includes best-selling Sea Salted Dark Chocolate Almonds, Belgian Milk Chocolate Almonds and Cookies & Cream Almonds. Forest Feast Signature Chocolate Nuts are available with an RRSP of €3.75/120g.

Forest Feast’s Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate Almonds are dusted with a pinch of sea salt before being dipped in creamy Belgian milk chocolate

won’t disappoint. Consumers are encouraged to try these ‘Mind Popping’ flavours soon as they’ll only be available for six months. The two new additions follow on from the launch of Sweet Chilli Flavour and Spicy Chorizo Flavour in January this year. These new flavours joined the hugely popular Sizzl’N range which builds in spice with every bite. Pringles also recently launched Stay in the Game, its first gaming campaign under new brand platform, Mind Popping. Pringles Stay in

*(Source: Nielsen Total Scantrack April 2022) **(60% less fat than a standard crisp) **(Source: Ref PepsiCo Future of Snacks Research 2021)

Take your tastebuds on holiday Pringles has added two new ﬂavours to its range – Italian Style Pepperoni Pizza Flavour and New York Style Cheeseburger Flavour. The new additions are part of Pringles’ new ‘Passport Flavours’ collection and are inspired by the delicacies of New York and Italy. Aiming to bring consumers on a sensorial trip around the world, the delicious limited-edition ﬂavours will be available from this month onwards. Pringles fans have come to expect innovation from the brand and its latest launch

The two new additions in Pringles’ Passport Flavours collection are inspired by the delicacies of New York and Italy

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60 CATEGORY FOCUS Crisps and Snacks

the Game is now live across Ireland and was created after consumer research discovered gamers love Pringles as it’s easy to eat and had less mess which meant they could stay in the game longer. Pringles fans are in with a chance to win a branded Xbox Series X by inputting the code found on the Pringles tube into the brand’s website to ﬁnd out if they’re a winner.

Rich in flavour and intensity Manhattan Crisps are steadily becoming a household favourite with the most popular flavour, Cheese and Onion, being referred to as “the black bag of crisps”. A prominent feature in many shops and pubs throughout Ireland, Manhattan Crisps come in a variety of flavours suitable for a variety of people. With the growth of the product and increased demand, Manhattan Crisps are being stocked in more and more shops around Ireland. With Manhattan Crisps, shoppers can choose from Cheese and Onion (a firm favourite), Salt and Vinegar and Smoky Bacon. Manhattan Crisps are made from the finest and freshest whole potatoes all wrapped up for the perfect crunch. Each crisp flavour is

Made from the freshest whole potatoes, Manhattan Crisps have grown considerably in popularity during the past couple of years

simple and true with no complicated recipes or added ingredients – just rich in flavour and intensity! All three flavours are suitable for vegetarians while Manhattan’s Smoky Bacon Crisps are also suitable for vegans. All flavours can also be found in a 35g bag while Manhattan’s Cheese and Onion and Salt and Vinegar can also be found in 150g share bags – however we have heard many people never really plan to share! Manhattan Crisps have grown in popularity considerably over the past couple of years, with many people actively searching for locations where they can purchase the ultimate flavoursome crisps – a compliment in itself!

Crop to crisp Keogh’s hand cooks Ireland’s finest delicious crisps in small batches on its family farm. Made with only the very best quality of ingredients, Keogh’s collaborates with local Irish suppliers for unique exciting flavour combinations and recently launched two new varieties in Crinkle Cut; including Guinness Flame Grilled Steak and Guinness & Oyster. The Guinness and the Keogh family connection goes back several generations. Tom Keogh’s grandfather, Peter Keogh, sold his grain to the St James’s Gate brewery, and this partnership has now come full circle as they came together to create a crisp like no other. Keogh’s Extra Crunchy Crinkle Cut Deep Ridges, brimming with authentic Irish taste and character, are deliciously different and deeply satisfying. The roasted barley, hops, and malt of Guinness gives these Keogh’s crisps that smooth and satisfying stout taste that you won’t be able to put down! June also saw the launch of a new limitededition flavour as Keogh’s collaborated with Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers, the Internationally award-winning Blue Cheese

Keogh’s Crinkle Cut Guinness & Oyster crisps have a satisfying stout taste that makes them truly moreish

Makers, to create Cashel Blue Cheese & Caramelised Onion crisps. Lovingly crafted by the Grubb Family, Cashel Blue Cheese is made on the family farm with milk from Ireland’s most lush and nutrient rich pastures. Cashel Blue which is loved for its depth of character and tanginess teams perfectly with caramelised onion, along with a touch of garlic, rosemary and parsley to make the ultimate gourmet crisp. Perfect for a summer picnic, or for kick-starting a dinner party with a glass of red, Keogh’s Cashel Blue Cheese & Caramelised Onion are sure to be a conversation starter this summer.

THE IRISH Crisps Crisps/Snacks /Snacks SHOPPER 3 insights in a nutshell

75% 50%

‘I’m often persuaded to buy extra product’

‘Satisfaction with Offers’

Rank: #35

Rank: #33

50%

68%

If I can’t find my choice…

‘I buy this category just because I feel like it’ 75%

Rank: #13

72%

50%

‘I’ll buy a different brand

50%

Rank: #12

25% 0%

Buy extra

SAT

Buy because I feel like it

Rank: #19

41%

14%

25%

‘I’ll buy nothing’

Switch

Walk away

Offers/Promos

Impulsivity

Switch + Walk!

Crisps/Snacks over-indexes on ‘buy extra on promo’, importance of Offers and satisfaction with Offers.

Crisps/Snacks category is one of the most impulsive to shop in-store (ranked #13 of 128 categories). Visibility is key.

Crisps/Snacks shoppers vary greatly in their brand loyalty/response to OOS: high ranks for both ‘switch brand’ and ‘buy nothing’…

Action: Tempt shoppers with great offers, hi-lo.

Action: More in-store POS, secondary displays and promos.

Action: Both ‘brand loyal’ and ‘switchers’ must be catered for in-store

Data from survey of 25,017 Irish shoppers, Nov 2021-March 2022. Shopper insights available for 128 FMCG categories in 2022

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

Colm Rooney, Country Manager Ireland colm.rooney@shopperintelligence.com www.shopperintelligence.com

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Cali Cali is inspired by a mission to bring the world of healthy eating and street food ﬂavours together

Crisps and Snacks

Guilt-free street food stars Cali Cali Foods launched almost three years ago, with a mission to bring the world of healthy eating and street food flavours together inspired by the co-founders’ experiences travelling through California. Now, with an enviable product range and loyal customer base, the Irish brand launches a new range of its Cali Cali Superbars. The Cali Cali concept remains the same – to provide great tasting California style flavours combined with California style healthy benefits. The snacking range now includes healthy and tasty crisps, Supersnacks and now a range of Superbars. Within the Cali Cali Crisp range, made with chickpeas, yellow and green beans, the Buffalo Chipotle and Hot Sauce Crisps have both won

The Cali Cali Himalayan Salt and Chocolate & Peanut Superbars both won Free From Foods Ireland Awards in 2021

Great Taste Awards in 2021. The entire range is vegan, gluten free, low fat, low sugar with no artificial sweeteners and flavourings. The Supersnacks range features a mix of crunchy chickpeas and fava beans in the Buffalo Chipotle and Hot Sauce flavours. These Supersnacks stand out from other healthy snacks with their unique benefits such as high in fibre, high in protein, plant-based and low in calories. They are perfect for on-the-go for a quick snack and protein boost. Within the Superbar range, made with superfood ingredients, the Himalayan Salt and Chocolate & Peanut Superbars have both won Free From Foods Ireland Awards in 2021. The entire range is vegan, dairy free, gluten free, high in protein, low in sugar and with no artificial sweeteners.

Cali Buffalo Chipotle and Hot Sauce Crisps both won Great Taste Awards in 2021

Cali Cali Supersnacks are high in ﬁbre, high in protein, plant-based and low in calories

Naturally tasty Snack Farm is already a proven and successful online brand, with a Google 5-Star Rating. The Irish impulse snacking company is backed by rugby legend Rob Kearney. The Snack Farm range of tasty snack mixes is now being launched into retail by Richmond Marketing. “Consumers are looking for new and tasty ways to snack better on-the-go,” says Kearney, Snack Farm’s director of wellbeing. “This is why I have got involved in the business. I believe the future of impulse snacking is more natural, tasty ingredients in handy pack sizes.” Snack Farm was established with the mission of ‘making it easy for everyone to snack a little bit better every day’. The brand set out to disrupt the traditional snack bar market, by effectively deconstructing a bar, and using only wholefood ingredients. Snack Farm calls this innovation a ‘Modern Trail Mix’. Taste plays the lead role, as its biggest insight is that consumers need their snacks to taste good first. The snack bars are designed as a grab and go option that make you feel satisfied. And since they’re packed with natural energy, fibre and protein, you will feel good too. ■

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

Boasting a Google 5-Star Rating, Snack Farm is backed by rugby legend Rob Kearney

Venue: Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Event Date: July 6 www.groceryawards.ie For seat/table sales, and sponsorship opportunities please contact markmorgan@mediateam.ie and/or ianmulvaney@mediateam.ie Categories available for sponsorship: Best Cash & Carry Manager, Best Deli/Food to Go Manager

MAIN SPONSOR

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

CATEGORY SPONSORS

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.groceryawards.ie

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64 CATEGORY FOCUS Free-from

Free yourself Be it for health, lifestyle, or dietary reasons, Irish consumers have thoroughly embraced free from products, leading to double-digit value and volume growth in both 2021 and 2020. Fionnuala Carolan reports on an ever-growing sector which is expected to gain even more traction this year

ree from includes gluten free, lactose free and dairy free products, ingredients that many people believe inhibit their health or foods that cause them allergies or discomfort when eaten regularly.

In its ‘Free From in Ireland’ report, published in January 2022, Euromonitor said free from will register the highest constant value growth of all health and wellness packaged foods over the forecast period, with free from dairy,

40 years of plant-based! Proud to be the pioneer of plant-based eating and drinking, Alpro has been creating delicious plant-based drinks, alternatives to yogurt, cream, custard and desserts for more than 40 years. The brand’s mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible and Alpro knows that in real life, healthy comes with an (ish) – because life happens. Leading the food revolution and making plant-based a positive choice for the planet

Alpro is the number one in the plantbased drinks and yogurts category with 66.9% MAT value share

and its people, Alpro is the number one in the plant-based drinks and yogurts category with 66.9% MAT value share*. Made from either non-GM soya beans, coconuts, almonds, hazelnuts, rice, or oats, the Alpro range gives Irish consumers the widest choice in plantbased dairy alternatives. 2022 is an exciting year for Alpro with the launch of ‘This is Not M*lk’, its closest tasting product to dairy, which will push Alpro to a whole new audience who are eager to grab a creamy milk-like experience that is 100% plant-based.

followed by free from meat, continuing to be the largest product areas in terms of value sales, as well as also registering the highest constant value growth. ShelfLife looks at the many new and established brands on the market.

made from oats and has been created to match the taste of dairy milk as closely as possible and comes in both semi (1.8% fat) and whole (3.5%) variants. Available in 1 litre recyclable packs (RRP €2.79, promo offer €2), Alpro ‘This is Not M*lk’ can be used in a number of ways, including in hot drinks, over cereal, in cooking and baking – or simply enjoyed as it is. Rolling into SuperValu, Centra, Tesco, Henderson Group (Spar and Eurospar NI), and BWG group (Spar and Eurospar ROI) stores nationwide, Alpro ‘This is Not M*lk’ will be supported with disruptive in-store theatre to capture shoppers’ attention, a targeted sampling, PR and social media and outdoor advertising campaign is also planned.

Message in a bottle Fused by Fiona Uyema has partnered with the Irish Red Cross to launch two new spicy sauces to aid humanitarian relief efforts in >>

*(Source: Nielsen Total Scantrack ending 24 April 2022)

For the milk lovers Made from either non-GM soya beans, coconuts, almonds, hazelnuts, rice, or oats, the Alpro range gives Irish consumers the widest choice in plant-based dairy alternatives

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

Plant-based category leader, Alpro, is planning to make its biggest splash yet in the chilled aisle with the launch of its new ‘This is Not M*lk’ range, set to excite the tastebuds of milk-loving shoppers. Alpro’s latest innovation, ‘This is Not M*lk’ is

Fused by Fiona Uyema has launched two new spicy sauces in aid of Ukraine in partnership with the Irish Red Cross

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66 CATEGORY FOCUS Free-from

>> Ukraine. 100% of the profits of both sauces will support humanitarian assistance in impacted communities in Ukraine and surrounding regions where Ukrainian refugees have fled. Made according to founder Fiona’s recipes with 100% natural ingredients, Fused’s Katsu Curry Ketchup and Japanese Style Hot Sauce contains no refined sugars, additives or preservatives. The two spicy sauces also sport blue and yellow labels in a nod to the Ukrainian flag. Both sauces are now available to buy online at fusedbyfionauyema.com for €3.99, with 100% of profits going to the Irish Red Cross’s vital work in Ukraine for the first six months after their launch. Speaking about the intention behind the initiative, Fused founder Fiona Uyema said: “After making an initial donation to support the relief efforts, as the sad and shocking events continued to unfold in Ukraine, we reflected on how we as a small business could continue to contribute.” For retailer listing enquiries, email gilmar@fusedbyfionauyema.com.

Just like honey Local wholefoods brand Homespun has introduced a vegan alternative to honey called Chicory root syrup. According to its founder Erica Sheehan, “Chicory root syrup looks just like honey but has a less intense sweetness

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelflife.ie

reflecting its low sugar content, just 14g per 100g. It’s ideal for anyone monitoring sugar intake, and is low glycaemic index and diabetic friendly,” she says. “The sugars in Chicory root syrup are up to 70% lower than honey, maple syrup or agave. And it has almost 50% of the calories of honey and 20% of the carbohydrates. In addition, Chicory root syrup is high in inulin or prebiotic fibre, which is beneficial for gut health and digestion.” Versatile and tasty, Chicory syrup can be enjoyed drizzled on pancakes and porridge, stirred into hot and cold beverages and is an ideal low sugar sweetener in cooking and baking. It is available in SuperValu, Tesco, Nourish at Dunnes Stores, Avoca and on Homespun.ie and retailing at €4.99.

Free from ice cream 2022 has been a hugely positive start for Dairyglen with the addition of nearly 300 new accounts so far this year and the expansion of its vegan product line to include two new dairy-free soft-serve mixes. The range now offers both powder and liquid options to complement all machine types and features a variety of plant-based toppings, syrups, cones and an exclusive vegan Nutella luxury sauce. Free from dairy, gluten and nuts, the vegan soft-serve mix offers no compromise on taste with the same luxurious, creamy flavour of the

Dairyglen has expanded its vegan product line to include two new dairy-free soft-serve mixes

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Forecourt Pet Care Gin

Supreme Indian street food

Crisps and Snacks

Vada Pow’s award-winning vegan Spiced Potato Cakes and Croquette Tikka Masala are now on sale nationwide in Farm Foods stores, bringing authentic Indian street food to UK homes. This unique range of frozen vegan and vegetarian products may be inspired by Indian street food but are very different from stereotypical Indian curry products. Vada Pow’s founder, Naveen Bachani, who has lived and worked in Ireland for many years, spotted a gap in the market when street food began to gain popularity, driven by consumer curiosity and a desire to explore new ﬂavours. He looked to the ﬂavours of his native Bhopal, India and created a fusion of tastes using Indian spices and premium, natural ingredients from Irish suppliers, including of course, potatoes. All products in the range are designed to be tasty, convenient but most of all, authentic. They can be eaten on their own, as a snack or as part of a more substantial meal, and as they naturally contain no animal products, are suitable for

vegetarians and vegans. The range includes Spiced Potato Cake – fortiﬁed with turmeric, fresh herbs and ground spices and Croquette Tikka Masala - veganfriendly potato croquettes loaded with herbs and tikka masala spices. Since April, Farm Foods stores have stocked the Spiced Potato Cake and Croquette Tikka Masala which have proved so popular that follow-up orders have already been placed. This sales success could have been partly driven by the Croquette Tikka Masala’s recent silver medal achievement in the UK Free From Food Awards in the Prepared Meal category. “I am delighted that Farm Foods in the UK are stocking two of the range and hope that other stockists will follow suit,” said Bachini. “Indian street food is deﬁnitely a growth area and Vada Pow’s range enables consumers to easily recreate the experience at home thanks to our unique blend of authentic herbs and spices and Irish potatoes.” For more information, and to stock Vada Pow, visit www.vadapow.com.

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Irish 99 you know and love. The mix is 100% vegan certiﬁed and suitable for anyone with milk allergies or lactose intolerance. “We’re really excited by the new additions to our vegan range. Typically, vegan alternatives mean a compromise for the consumer which naturally affects sales for the retailer. We’ve worked tirelessly over the last two years to develop a range that means no trade-off on taste, ﬂavour or texture is necessary. Most of the team here in Dairyglen have a background in retail so we know what retailers typically look for and we try to combine that with the expectation of the Irish consumer,” explains a Dairyglen representative. Recognising the growing value of plantbased alternatives in the Irish market, Dairyglen is proud to offer a complete package that includes everything from mix, to compostable packaging and a range of machines to suit. “Vegan soft-serve has been on the up for a while now but it’s never come close to matching the taste and texture that the Irish people have come to look for from Irish dairy soft-serve. We can happily say we’ve solved that problem. We’ve created a range with no compromise for consumers or retailers’ bottom line. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

A true pioneer An original food pioneer, Linda McCartney believed in great tasting, honest, meat free food and the shared pleasure that eating well could bring. Those involved in the brand today, including the McCartney family, are dedicated to sharing Linda’s passion for wholesome cooking with everyone. The team are inspired daily by Linda’s enthusiasm for celebrating life through good food. And so, the brand’s unique range never compromises on taste or quality and is made with care and compassion.

“How we’re doing our bit” Linda McCartney embraced kindness and compassion in everything she did and this continues to run through what the company does today. The brand takes its social responsibility seriously and is on a mission to be good to the planet in every way it can, from ingredients to packaging, and everything in between. Linda McCartney’s products are available in all good Irish retailers. For more information, contact hello@hainireland.com. ■

Linda McCartney’s range makes cutting down on meat as a family, even more accessible, as well as providing tasty lunchtime solutions that are quick and convenient

Linda McCartney’s has contributed hugely towards the plant-based movement and has been responsible for providing easy, meat-free meals for 30 years

Linda McCartney’s range of alternative milks comprises Organic Barista style SKUs in Oat and Coconut variants, as well as Organic Soya and Organic Rice

Vegetarian deﬁnitely doesn’t have to mean boring with tasty and convenient options such as Linda McCartney’s Vegetarian Red Onion & Rosemary Sausages

www.shelﬂife.ie | ShelfLife June 2022

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68 CATEGORY FOCUS Gin

Let the fun begin! Growing by a phenomenal 184% between 2014 and 2020, Irish gin is a premium-plus product for which consumers have rightly developed high expectations. Don’t risk disappointing these discerning shoppers by failing to stock an interesting selection of the flavourful, botanical infusions available, writes Gillian Hamill

he Irish Gin Strategy 2022-2026 from Drinks Ireland|Spirits has set ambitious goals to grow exports in key markets and develop a vibrant domestic Irish gin market. Irish gin sales experienced a number of years of very fast growth, where sales soared. In fact, the category grew by 184% between 2014-2020, with at least 37 distilleries on the island now producing Irish gin. Due to restrictions on the on-trade sector, gin – as with all alcoholic drinks – was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic but has recovered as the on-trade reopened, and global travel retail continues to recover. Ireland is currently the dominant market for Irish gin, but the strategy puts a heavy focus on driving export growth - earmarking the UK, USA, Germany and Canada as the key targets in the coming years.

Hendrick’s Gin combines no less than 11 botanicals, using two distinctly different stills

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As Drinks Ireland|Spirits points out, Irish gin is a premium-plus product which has been established as a world-leader in terms of quality and authenticity. This has and will be key to positioning the category internationally, “The Irish gin sector has grown extremely quickly in recent years, driven by innovative and ambitious producers and brand owners, dedicated to creating quality and authentic products,” says David Boyd-Armstrong, chairman of the Drinks Ireland|Spirits’ Irish gin working group, and joint founder and head distiller of Rademon Estate Distillery, which creates Shortcross Gin. “Our strategy will enable the industry to take advantage of the opportunities in the domestic and international market and face the various challenges ahead,” BoydArmstrong continues. “A key part of our

strategy centres on protecting the Irish gin category, and we will be working to seek the introduction of rules covering the marketing and labelling of Irish gin in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK to ensure consumers know what they are buying.” “Irish gin has been a true national success story in recent years,” adds Vincent McGovern, director of Drinks Ireland|Spirits. “Our members employ dozens of people across both urban and rural Ireland producing this much-loved spirit and exporting to markets across the globe. Following a number of years of very fast growth, and in the context of the ever-changing national and international conditions, there was the need for a fresh strategy for the sector, to ensure it can recover from Covid-19, and continue to grow in the years ahead.”

No ordinary gin brand

Palace, situated in Garvin, South Ayrshire, Scotland, under the direct supervision of award-winning master distiller, Ms. Lesley Gracie. While other brands create spectacles, Hendrick’s Gin says it creates journeys, rewarding its audience’s thirst to venture into

The unusual and alluring taste of Hendrick’s Gin is created by what the brand describes as the divine symphony of no less than 11 botanicals, using two distinctly different stills and further infused with rose and cucumber, resulting in an impeccably smooth and wonderfully refreshing gin, with a delightfully ﬂoral aroma. The two leaders of this peculiar ensemble of stills are the Bennett, an antique copper pot dating back to 1860, and the Carter-Head, hailing from 1948 (of which only a few exist today). The Hendrick’s family of stills has ﬂourished and now stands at a proud six, comprising four Bennett style stills and two Carter-Head stills. The Bennett stills steep the botanicals in spirit overnight before distillation, resulting in a rich and complex liquid. The Carter-Head gently steams the botanicals in a basket atop its lofty neck, yielding a lighter, more delicate spirit. Each batch of Hendrick’s Gin is crafted just 500 lovely litres at a time in the Hendrick’s Gin

Hendrick’s Cucumber Lemonade ● ● ● ● ●

1 part Hendrick’s Gin 1 /2 part Lemon Juice 1 /2 part Simple Syrup Top with Soda Water 3 rounds of Cucumber and 1 wheel of Lemon to Garnish

the unexpected and unusual. Reward your curiosity this summer and sip the unusually refreshing Hendrick’s Cucumber Lemonade. For further information, visit www.hendricksgin.com. Hendrick’s Gin is distributed by Richmond Marketing Limited in Ireland.

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70 CATEGORY FOCUS Gin

A small batch production gin using traditional pot distilling methods, The Exiles Irish Gin was the ﬁrst gin in the world to contain shamrock

Skilfully infused Multi award-winning The Exiles Irish Gin from The Wild Geese premium Irish spirits collection was the ﬁrst gin in the world to contain shamrock. An artisanal product, made to a secret recipe, it was created with the assistance of an eighth-generation gin maker,

Award-winning choices Míl is an award-winning and popular Irish pot still gin. Created by the Pearse Lyons Distillery, it is distilled with almond, basil, bergamot orange, gooseberry, juniper, olives, orris, rosemary and thyme. As a result, this small-batch gin is bursting with southern sunshine. Míl Gin has previously won Gold at the prestigious Gin Masters Awards. These blind-taste awards were decided in London by an expert panel of gin experts who diligently sampled over 300 entries from all over the world, with Míl being awarded one of the highest honours. Ideal served with a premium tonic water, a wedge of grapefruit and basil, this refreshing gin is a go-to for any Irish drinker. The gin is set to gain even more

whose family have been distilling gin for over 300 years. The Exiles is a small batch production gin using traditional pot distilling methods. Skilfully infused with traditional all-Irish botanicals including shamrock, red clover flowers, honeysuckle flowers, rowan berries and bog myrtle, it artfully captures the essence and aroma of Ireland. With a nose opening up to notes of citrus zest, pine, eucalyptus, violet and apple peel, it wraps up on the finish with more zest and hints of cracked black pepper. The gin is bottled at 41.3% ABV, for a more rounded and dryer profile, resulting in a crisp, smooth and floral gin. Distilled for ultimate crispness, it’s an impeccable base for a sling, fizz, or classic martini, and is the perfect partner to any of the excellent artisanal tonic waters now widely available. Try it over ice with lemon juice, sugar syrup, soda water, and a lemon wedge for a perfect refreshing summer drink. This contemporary Irish gin has won multiple awards, from Silver at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition to Gold at the Q Quality Awards. A proud producer of Irish Gin, The Wild Geese premium Irish spirits is excited to offer the world, and Ireland’s generations of exiles, Ireland’s first premium Irish Gin. For more information, visit www.irishpremiumspirits.com/.

fans through its upcoming appearance at this year’s Taste of Dublin 2022 festival, which will raise further awareness of this refreshing choice and its unique taste credentials. A popular choice with Irish consumers, Ha’Penny Rhubarb Irish Gin has now become even more sought after following its recent impressive win at the World Gin Awards where it scooped the award for ‘Ireland’s Best Flavoured Gin 2022’. Ha’Penny Rhubarb is a refreshing, distinctively pink small batch pot distilled gin, featuring the ﬁnest rhubarb alongside 13 expertly selected botanicals. A wellrounded Irish gin that can be enjoyed on the rocks, the recommended serve is with premium tonic water and a wedge of orange.

Under starters orders! Silks Irish Dry Gin’s name is inspired by the colourful jockey silks worn at Bellewstown racecourse, which can be seen from the family-owned Boann distillery where it is distilled in small batches. Silks Gin is composed with 14 distinct botanicals, which are macerated for 24 hours before slow distilling with vapour infusion in a 500ltr custom Bennett copper pot still. The signature botanicals have been hand foraged from the Cooney family apple orchards at the foot of the hill of Tara in Co. Meath – apple blossom from the trees, honey from the beehives and elderﬂower from the hedgerows. This unique combination of botanicals and distillation technique creates a ﬂoral forward contemporary style gin with bright citrus aromas. It’s perfect served in a classic G&T with a slice of red apple and superb in a classic martini.

Silks Irish Dry Gin is a ﬂoral forward contemporary style gin with bright citrus aromas

Recently awarded Gold by the Beverage Testing Institute and 93 points at the IWSC Awards, Silks Irish Dry Gin is hand distilled at the Cooney family-owned Boann Distillery in the heart of the Boyne Valley and distributed exclusively in Ireland by Barry & Fitzwilliam. For further information, visit www.silksgin.ie, www.boanndistillery.ie, and @silksgin on social media.

Vibrancy of Kerala in a glass Míl Gin has previously won Gold at the prestigious Gin Masters Awards

Míl is a smallbatch gin bursting with southern sunshine

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

Ha’Penny Rhubarb Irish Gin was crowned ‘Ireland’s Best Flavoured Gin 2022’ at the World Gin Awards

Ha’Penny Rhubarb Irish Gin features the ﬁnest rhubarb alongside 13 expertly selected botanicals

Maharani brings to life the colour, vibrancy and ﬂavours of Kerala, India, in an Irish gin. A fusion of two creative cultures, Maharani Gin celebrates its founders’ roots, Cork and Kerala, where husband and wife team, Robert and Bhagya, come from. Maharani Gin is Rebel City Distillery’s ﬁrst release, a boutique distillery in Cork’s historic Docklands. The word ‘Maharani’, meaning Queen, is a tribute to revolutionary women everywhere. The premium gin is zested with pomelo fruit, and uniquely spiced with cassia and nutmegmace, all sourced from a women’s organic farming co-operative in Bhagya’s home state of Kerala. This heady combination results in a

Gin CATEGORY FOCUS

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in the IWSC and most recently silver at Blas na hÉireann. Maharani Gin is best served with premium tonic, grapefruit and mint leaves. It retails at €45 RRP and is available directly from Rebel City Distillery, SuperValu and leading offlicenses nationwide; distributed by Bevella, part of the Primeline Group. For further information, see www.rebelcitydistillery.com/.

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How is the role of gin changing for shoppers, inﬂuenced by Covid and minimum unit pricing (MUP) legislation? Together with other BWS (beer, wine and spirits) categories, Shopper Intelligence shows the shift in the category role of these products. They seem to become more intentional purchases, while keeping a high engagement level for shoppers. Shopper Intelligence tracks Irish shoppers’ behaviour on 100+ FMCG categories on 30+ attitudinal, behavioural and satisfaction aspects in all key retailers in the country.

How is the role of BWS categories changing?

Own Wine and Spirits range is dry in style and made with quality botanicals. Graham Norton has teamed up with West Cork distillers, Invivo & Co. to create his own Marmalade Gin which is dry in style and crafted with Irish grains and locally foraged botanicals including coriander, lemon peel, gooseberry, basil, elderﬂower and oranges. Graham’s Own Irish Gin and Pink Gin also boast very distinctive ﬂavours, having won numerous accolades and awards. All are available for €39 in SuperValu stores; distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam. ■

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Shopper Intelligence: How is gin’s role changing for shoppers?

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TV presenter and author Graham Norton has added a fruity new addition to his premium range. Following the success of Graham Norton’s Own Irish and Own Pink Gins, Norton wanted to produce a new citrus-based premium gin to add to his collection, but with a twist. Developed in collaboration with a marmalade producer and gin producer in his hometown of Cork, the new addition to Graham Norton’s

gin of truly transcendental taste, a liberation of spirit and spice. A multi-award-winning gin, Maharani achieved ﬁve titles in its ﬁrst year: Silver in The London Spirits Awards, bronze in the Craft Spirits Berlin, gold in The Gin Masters, bronze

Gin

Marmalade marvel Maharani Gin is zested with pomelo fruit, and uniquely spiced with cassia and nutmeg-mace

Intentionality: impulse vs planned? (horizontal axis) Engagement: Are shoppers willing to browse and be disrupted? Do they look for premium or value? (vertical axis)

Most BWS categories were Profit Boosters in 2021, moving towards Hero in 2022. This means, they are still highly engaging, but more intentional YOY (Prestore promotions encourage shopping more, BWS is becoming a main reason to go shopping)...shoppers are now more likely to have it on their shopping list as a planned part of their trip vs previously when it was an impulsive add on to a trip. Is this a 'post-Covid' trained behaviour? Is it driven by MUP?

2021

Graham Norton’s Own Marmalade Gin is crafted with Irish grains and locally foraged botanicals

2022 ↑ HIGH ENGAGEMENT

5.4

5.2

Irish Whiskey 5

4.8

 LOW INTENTIONALITY

Cider

4.6

Gin Vodka

HIGH → INTENTIONALITY

Beer

4.4

4.2

3.8

3.6 4.7

5.2

5.7

6.2

6.7

↓ LOW ENGAGEMENT

Data from survey of 28,523 Irish shoppers, Nov 21-March 2022. Shopper insights available for 128 FMCG categories in 2022

Colm Rooney, Country Manager Ireland colm.rooney@shopperintelligence.com

www.shelﬂife.ie | ShelfLife June 2022

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CATEGORY FOCUS Pet Care

TLC for pets!

The Covid-19 pandemic greatly accelerated the working-from-home trend, and as a result, more people than ever have realised the joy and companionship that pet ownership can bring. Beloved members of the family, shoppers are seeking out options that will both bolster their pets’ health and fully satisfy their (sometimes picky!) palates

s the sale and adoption of pets has soared since the start of the pandemic, retailers looking to tap into this expansive market must stay on top of the latest trends. A May 2021 study from Euromonitor found that dog treats and mixers and mid-priced wet dog food are expected to experience sustained growth, as economy,

mid-priced and premium dry categories of dog food are set to register declines. This is due to a pandemic-induced surge in sales of and demand for economy and premium wet dog food, where levels are expected to be higher than those seen before the pandemic but lower than those achieved in 2020. Most consider their dog or cat to be a

member of the family, so this is no surprise that diligent pet owners are concerned about the health and wellness of their beloved companions. Between taking note of their intolerances, weight-gain, and allergies, consumers are spending heavily to provide high-quality nourishment for their pets.

is the EU leader in wet cat food. The new pouches address a long-standing challenge for manufacturers – how to provide consumers with simpler plastic structures that are easier to recycle without compromising on product taste, quality and safety. The improved packaging is made of Polypropylene (PP), which allows the pet food pouches to be designed to be recyclable, whilst being resistant to high temperatures and offering robust protection for their contents.

its gently abrasive texture and active ingredients, is scientiﬁcally proven to help reduce tartar build-up by up to 80%. What’s more, it is low in fat and sugar free. Using Pedigree Daily DentaStix every day will help keep dogs’ teeth and gums healthy and strong. The range is available in all major retailers and independent stores nationwide. For more information, visit; www.uk.pedigree.com/.

Europe’s number one dogs’ oral care brand Purina’s new mono-material pouches are “designed to be recyclable”

A recyclable ﬁrst for Europe Purina is pushing forward in its plan to make pet care packaging easier to recycle, by launching its ﬁrst full pouch ranges “designed to be recyclable” this year. Gourmet, the European super-premium wet cat food, is debuting cutting-edge new monomaterial packaging with the relaunch of its Mon Petit range, building on a successful yearlong pilot study under the Felix brand in the Netherlands. This new packaging is being introduced in more than 20 countries across Europe, including Ireland, the UK, Belgium and Italy and has been available in stores since midMay onwards. This relaunch marks an important step in Purina’s path towards 100% reusable or recyclable packaging by 2025. This journey will continue in early 2023 with the introduction of packaging that is “designed to be recyclable” for the Felix Soup range. Felix

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Oral care plays an important role in a dog’s wellbeing. Dogs use their mouths and teeth to eat, fetch, carry and play, making it imperative that strong oral care is maintained. However, 80% of dogs over the age of three have periodontal disease (gum disease)**. Left untreated, this can lead to issues including tooth loss, extreme discomfort and pain, and even the systemic infection of other organs (e.g. heart and kidneys). Undoubtedly, the dog/owner relationship is getting closer. The role of the pet has evolved from an animal, to a pet, to a family member. Nevertheless, dogs’ oral health is being neglected. 90% of dog owners think their dog’s oral health is perfect. Yet canine periodontal disease accounts for 40% of a modern vet practice’s workload. The oral care segment represents 24% of the ‘dog care and treats’ category in the EU. And as the leader, Pedigree has a role to reignite the category. Plaque and tartar build up on teeth can be reduced by an effective dental care routine. Pedigree Daily DentaStix has a unique X shape and, when fed daily, the combination of

*(Source: Nielsen Scantrack total audited channels | Dog oral care complementary feed, MAT retail volume sales June-July 2020| Total Europe - GB, DE, FR, IT, BEL, AT, ESP, NOR, SWE, DEN, GR, PT, NL, PL) **(Source: Kortegaard et al., JSAP 2008)

The daily use of Pedigree DentaStix is scientiﬁcally proven to help reduce tartar build-up in dogs by up to 80%

‘Cupboard friendly’ bone broth for pets Karnlea ambient liquid bone broth for dogs and cats has become the ﬁrst product of its type to hit the shelves in the UK and Ireland. Carton packed from fresh, Karnlea Bone Broth is slow cooked to extract high levels of protein, collagen and minerals - ideal for

Pet Care CATEGORY FOCUS

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Karnlea Bone Broth is available in Beef and Lamb ﬂavours

packaging is recyclable and sustainable, made with paperboard from sustainable forest materials and spouts and caps are plastic-free – produced from a sugar cane derivative. For more information or to set up a trade account, visit: www.karnlea.com/trade. ■

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Karnlea Bone Broth is gentle on the stomach, easy to digest and highly palatable

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The Karnlea range can be used as a supplement, treat or topper to support skin, coat and joint health

Gin

boosting and maintaining pet health. Available in Beef and Lamb ﬂavours, it can be used as a supplement, treat or topper to support skin, coat and joint health. It maintains high levels of nutrients often lost in concentrated or powdered bone broth and collagen supplements. It can be served as a liquid straight from the carton, chilled as a jelly topper, frozen into treats/portions, or used in home cooking and bakes for pets. The brand was launched earlier this year by Belfast husband-and-wife team, Lara and Ken McCullough, who have run other successful pet supplement brands over 15 years. They set out to produce a ‘cupboard friendly’ bone broth that would lock in

freshness while providing convenience and launched Karnlea after years of preparing home-made broth for their pets. “Every time we had a Sunday roast, I would painstakingly make bone broth for my two dogs,” Lara explains. “It was a lengthy and often messy process. Despite my enthusiasm and my dogs’ obsession with bone broth, I found it not always practical.” The produce is gentle on the stomach, easy to digest and highly palatable. It’s also ideal for sickly or recovering pets. The 500ml heat-sealed cartons are brickshaped - designed to sit neatly on the shelf and are economical to dispatch and store. They have a recommended retail price of £8.99. Karnlea has invested in ethical and sustainable processes: ingredients are from antibiotic and hormone-free, grass-fed animals, reared on cooperative farms. Its

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Lara McCullough launched the Karnlea Bone Broth brand earlier this year alongside her husband Ken

www.groceryawards.ie

Venue: Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Event Date: July 6 For seat/table sales, and sponsorship opportunities please contact markmorgan@mediateam.ie and/or ianmulvaney@mediateam.ie Categories available for sponsorship: Best Cash & Carry Manager, Best Deli/Food to Go Manager MAIN SPONSOR

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

CATEGORY SPONSORS

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74 CATEGORY FOCUS Forecourt

Fuelling Ireland

While we watch petrol prices go beyond the €2-a-litre mark due to the war in Ukraine driving up fuel prices globally, forecourt owners are being forced to work harder than ever to retain their customers and offer a unique customer experience. Ireland’s top operators tell ShelfLife how they are navigating the current climate and appealing to new operators

one are the days of forecourts simply being a place to ﬁll up on fuel. Franchising, partnerships, and investments have been game-changing for the sector, allowing for the reshaping of the forecourt into something more allencompassing and proﬁtable. Today, Ireland’s forecourt retailers are admired for their high standards and innovative food concepts. Furthermore, as more consumers make the switch to hybrid and electric vehicles and

new legislation secures our electric vehicle future, fuel retailers are being forced to reassess their forecourts. Aside from this, oil prices are steadily increasing after EU leaders reached an agreement to ban 90% of Russian crude oil by the end of the year. “Prices will go up. We don’t have speciﬁcs on by how much,” Taoiseach Micheál Martin said at a recent EU summit meeting in Brussels. The government has cut rates of duty on fuels to help

motorists save money which has equated to 20c for every litre of petrol and 15c for every litre of auto diesel, with a proportionate 2c reduction for excise on green diesel, which came into effect in early March but this will only go so far if prices keep rising. Such changes and challenges to the traditional business model means forecourts must adapt to the new consumer trends and requirements to stay ahead of the curve.

Fact File:

Name of operator: Maxol Number of locations: 245 (116 company-owned) Typical forecourt size: Sites can range in size from 0.08 acres to 2.5 acres Head ofﬁce: The Maxol Group, 3 Custom House Plaza, IFSC, Dublin 1 Website: www.maxol.ie Social media: @themaxolgroup Tagline: At the heart of it Average cost of ﬁtout: Up to €5 million can be invested in new site developments and up to €2 million in refurbishments

The Maxol brand has repositioned itself from a forecourt brand to a convenience retail and foodservice brand, with fuel becoming more secondary

with Brian Donaldson,

CEO, The Maxol Group

Brian Donaldson, CEO of The Maxol Group, speaks about the new brand design and identity that reﬂects Maxol’s customer-centric approach as the business forges ahead Q: What are the main strengths of your forecourt design and development in terms of appearance, functionality, and management? A: Maxol is one of the most recognised Irish family business names across the island of Ireland, supported by strong and appealing brand imagery across 245 service stations nationwide. The Maxol

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

brand has been transformed over the last few years, as we reposition Maxol from being known as a forecourt brand to being known as a convenience retail and foodservice brand, with fuel becoming more secondary. Our latest brand transformation began in 2018 as we created a new identity that is more sophisticated and contemporary while still conveying our respected heritage. It is softer in design and sits seamlessly within the landscapes of the communities in which our service stations are located. Our refreshed totem and canopy design resulted in a new concept that pushed the

limits of aesthetic delivery whilst retaining the structures required for a CE steel approval – the Maxol ‘Blade’ Totem was born. The modular construction provides a platform for multiple sign conﬁgurations that interchange and adapt to make their use practical and ﬂexible, upgrading and adapting rather than replacing. The design allows dismantling and separating into core materials in the future for recycling – a sustainable design working as a sustainable environmental solution. The new Maxol store design has a customer-centric approach with a strong >>

Fuel your retail business with an exceptional Irish brand. “We partnered with Maxol because they’re an Irish family-run business like Andrea Zerafa, ourselves.” Maxol Ballon, Co.Carlow

Call one of our Regional Managers today to start fuelling your business. Regional Managers: Dermot Cogan 00353 (0)87 231 5122 Declan Murphy 00353 (0)83 3716143

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76 CATEGORY FOCUS Forecourt

focus on simplicity with a modern and more upmarket look and feel. Simple navigation and communication facilitate busy lifestyles, making shopper missions easier, faster, more efficient, and enjoyable in the convenience grocery section. Maxol understands that modern convenience is now more than value and speed, it’s also about surprise and a pleasurable experience. With food-to-go being a key driver to modern convenience, Maxol heroes its food and coffee offerings in-store under its own bespoke brands. We have removed the inconvenience of shopping by using technology and shop layout to make it easier for customers to shop, giving them back time and control. To connect the forecourt Maxol brand, retail Maxol shop brand, and the Maxol car wash brand, in 2020 a new brand identity was introduced. The new look and feel appealed to both new and existing customers and has been rolled out across all touchpoints in-store, on the forecourt and on digital platforms. Q: We’ve witnessed historic fuel prices in recent months, how have you managed to navigate through this challenging time? A: Being proactive and having an open line of communication in real-time with our retailers, customers and stakeholders was and still is vital. As a result of coming out of Covid and the war in Ukraine, volatility in the wholesale fuels market has been extreme. We have had to be flexible and agile, adapting our daily pricing to reflect ever-changing wholesale prices and market conditions. It has been a challenging time and thankfully, in recent weeks the market has been more stable. Using Maxol’s A2i pricing system, the real time price updates ensure that we continue to give best value for our customers when they need it. Q: The growing public appetite for electric vehicles (EVs) presents a unique opportunity to forecourt operators. What are your current plans for the development of electric vehicle charging stations? A: We are gearing up to ensure the right infrastructure is in place to support the move to electric and, to date ten sites have charging points and up to a further five larger EV hubs with rapid chargers are planned by the end of 2022. We have

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an internal working group reviewing how the business prepares for the future and the logistics of facilitating EV drivers and changing modes of mobility. Our ﬁrst dedicated Electric Vehicle (EV) hub will open in Kinnegar, Co. Down later this year and it will offer charging facilities for up to six cars at any one time. The facility will provide a range of chargers of up to 200kw, one of the highest capacity chargers available to the public in Northern Ireland, which will deliver up to 80% charge in as little as 20 minutes. EV hubs like the one in Kinnegar are of paramount importance if we are to develop the appropriate infrastructure to service the growth in EVs. We are also working on innovative solutions to technical challenges that might impede progress, such as connection to the grid and challenges in relation to power supply and battery storage. Maxol’s focus is to ensure that our network will be ready to deliver a strong customer experience that also includes a modern charging infrastructure. Q: How have you continued to innovate within your digital offerings to stay on top of trends and enhance customer experience? A: Implementing the latest technology both on and off the forecourt and looking at new ways to satisfy customer demand, such as online ordering and delivery services, contactless payment solutions and loyalty programmes, are central to Maxol’s digital strategy. Our newest and most innovative digital offering is the Maxol Loyalty App which was launched earlier this year with a ﬁrst to market FuelPay feature. The app was developed to offer a wide range of other services which we want to be able to offer to our customers on one digital platform, creating a shop window for Maxol in the palm of our customers’ hands. This is the only app in Ireland that offers FuelPay, a feature that allows customers to pay for their fuel, from their vehicle. The feature will also be available shortly for all Maxol fuel card customers. Our loyalty proposition was conceived following in-depth research on global best practices and includes two main elements, “digital stamps” to reward frequent purchases on coffee and car wash and “stars” to reward recent visits and new customer referrals who sign up for the app. As well as the app, our new Eurodata system provides innovative customer facing technology to ensure a seamless omni-channel integrated experience for our customers. The world is constantly shifting towards easier and quicker payment solutions using mobile

Brian Donaldson

applications. In 2018, we joined forces with mobility payment solutions specialists Easytrip to offer a drive-in car wash and go solution for customers who want to keep their vehicles in pristine condition. Without getting out of their car customers can simply drive up to a Maxol car wash, press the Easytrip button, their tag will beep, and the wash will commence as normal. As well as FuelPay with our new Loyalty App we also have outdoor payment terminals across our network, allowing customers to pay at the pump for their fuel in a secure and fast manner. We are continuing to invest heavily in technology to improve customer experience and help measure e-business performance. Q: How would you sum up your main point of difference from the competition in one paragraph? A: Maxol is the story of an Irish family that has been at the heart of communities across Ireland for almost 102 years. We are Ireland’s largest privately-owned forecourt convenience retailer and being at the heart of every community in which we operate has been key to our success. Driven by key tenets including putting people ﬁrst, innovation and technology, sustainability, and community, we offer a wide range of products and services across our three core divisions of retail, fuel cards and lubricants. Maxol’s business model is transitioning to a convenience food service brand selling the highest quality advanced fuels and new energies for mobility. And the real point of difference - our service stations are run by local people, employing local people serving local communities.

When you fill, support Jack and Jill. Scan your loyalty app when buying miles fuel and help get Jack and Jill nurses to families nationwide.

NURSE

RCN 20036201

At participating sites only. Excludes Circle K Express Northern Ireland. Visit circlek.ie for details.

Texaco Fact File:

Name of operator: Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited (the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand)

Fact File:

Name of operator: Circle K Ireland Number of locations nationwide: 420

Number of locations nationwide: 151 service stations

Head office: Beech Hill Office Campus, Beech Hill Rd, Belfield, Dublin 4, D04 Y016

Head ofﬁce: 1st Floor, Block B, Liffey Valley Ofﬁce Campus, Quarryvale, Dublin 22, D22 X0Y3

Website: www.circlek.ie

Website: www.texaco.ie

Tagline: ‘Take it Easy’

Tagline: ‘Trust Your Car To The Star’

Crisps and Snacks

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Gin

Pet Care

Forecourt

78 CATEGORY FOCUS Forecourt

Social media: @circlekireland

Moving Ahead

Fact File:

Name of operator: Inver Energy Ltd Number of locations nationwide: 90+ Head ofﬁce: River House, Blackpool Retail Park, Cork Website: www.inverenergy.ie Social Media: Instagram and Facebook @invercommunity Tagline: ‘Ireland’s fastest growing forecourt network’ The average cost of ﬁt out: €36,000

Inver’s retail fuel brand was established in 2012 and has been recognised as the fastest growing forecourt network in Ireland. With over 90 Inver branded forecourts, including ﬁve company-owned and operated sites, the network has grown in strength over the past ten years. This dynamic expansion of the brand directly results from Inver’s lifetime core values of quality and community, supported by the company’s biggest asset, its people. Ben Lenihan joined Inver in 2011 as Inver’s retail fuel director and he and his team have played an instrumental role in creating the Inver retail fuel brand. Lenihan has led the development of the network by continuously nurturing relationships with potential dealers, forecourt partners and fostering a team approach with work colleagues. “Joining Inver was a very exciting move in my career,” says Lenihan. “I was impressed by the company’s impeccable reputation as a national fuel supplier, their ethos, and forwardthinking approach. The growth potential in the Irish forecourt market was encouraging and with an attractive brand proposition and a knowledgeable team, we were optimistic about the future. Inver’s retail fuel brand proposition has differentiated us from the

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

Inver Macroom, Co Cork. The company has been recognised as the fastest growing forecourt network in Ireland

competition and been resonating with the dealers and motorists alike through Inver’s core values of fuel quality and support for the community. We offer our forecourt partners security of supply, unparalleled quality of fuels, and better pricing from our co-owned stateof-the-art import terminal in Foynes, Limerick,” he explains. “Inver is a progressive company, and we take great pride in delivering the best fuel and energy solutions to our customers and seeking ways to add value to their business. Introducing Inver Xtra, our additised fuels, as our standard petrol and diesel at each Inver service station in 2020 was one of the most signiﬁcant steps to help reduce carbon emissions. Since then, we have developed a range of high biofuel blend products, with new projects in the pipelines.” said Lenihan. Inver’s commitment to the community is evident through its unique Leading Lights programme and Junior Munster Rugby Supporters Club sponsorship. Over the last 10 years, its CSR (corporate social responsibility) programmes utilised a fund of over €500,000 to provide local support on the ground to organisations that share common goals in supporting education, technology, children,

and family. Inver’s strategic vision is to continue strengthening and expanding its network, delivering a seamless fuelling and retail experience to meet the expectations of modern Irish road users. In the next few months, Inver will open a new state-of-theart, vibrant service station in Racecourse Mallow, Co. Cork. In the dynamic landscape of the forecourt retailing business in Ireland, Inver continues to invest with conﬁdence in company-owned forecourts and in new and existing dealer partnerships. According to Lenihan: “It’s hugely gratifying to be a part of Inver’s retail journey paved with countless opportunities and a number of challenges. With our team’s effort and dedication, we have established Inver as a key player in the Irish forecourt market. The plan is to keep expanding our network. The company’s progressive nature combined with its lifetime values is a perfect foundation to continue to grow this strong brand, attract new customers, and nurture existing partnerships with our forecourt partners and retail suppliers. We’re looking forward to the next ten years in the business.” ■

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80 OFF-TRADE NEWS

West Coast Cooler relaunches with new packaging and RTD can format West Coast Cooler is relaunching its popular wine cooler, with a new-look bottle, and easytravel can format. The iconic beverage, born in the 80s, is not only getting a makeover in 2022, it’s also launching a pop-up can delivery subscription service, ‘Only Cans’. The new look packaging has the same great product inside and comes in Original and Rosé: • Original is a refreshing citrus, pineapple and passionfruit ﬂavoured wine cooler with sugar and sweeteners. Original comes in a 750ml bottle and new 250ml can at just 93 calories per 250ml serving. • Rosé is a refreshing red berry, pineapple and passionfruit ﬂavoured wine cooler with sugar and sweeteners. Rosé comes in a 750ml bottle, and a new 250ml version, with 88 calories per 250ml serving. “West Coast Cooler has been a consistent consumer favourite since its inception in 198,”

said assistant brand manager Laura Kerr. “It’s a great sparkling, refreshing light option when you want to enjoy a social drink with friends. We’ve worked to create a beautiful revamp to the packaging - both the original 750ml bottles, and we’ve added something we’re really excited about, a very practical ready-to-drink can format. The one thing we haven’t touched is the great tasting product.” The West Coast Cooler team are also investing in PR and marketing over the next few months as they team up with Irish comedian (and West Coast Cooler fan), Emma Doran to relaunch the delicious wine cooler with a competition to win an Only Cans subscription being given away on the West Coast Cooler Instagram page. The winners of the subscription will receive a tote bag, with a selection of West Coast Cooler Original and Rosé inside and will get further deliveries of West Coast Cooler throughout the summer.

‘The Italian Gardens’: Powerscourt Distillery announces second release of Estate Series Powerscourt Distillery is proud to reveal its second release in the Estate Series, ‘The Italian Gardens’. A limited edition Blended Fercullen Irish Whiskey Amarone cask influence, ‘The Italian Gardens’ will be available from 20 June 2022 with a RSP of €75. This year Powerscourt Distillery is paying an homage to the inspirational ‘Italian Gardens’ the centrepiece of the world-renowned Powerscourt Gardens, voted Non-chill filtered and bottled at 46% ABV, The Italian Gardens is the second third best Gardens in the release in Powerscourt Distillery’s World by National Estate Series Geographic. In 2021, the first in the Estate Series was released and named to give a nod of respect to the distillery’s Fercullen brand home - the near-300year-old mill house. ‘The Mill House’ sold out in a few short weeks, it is anticipated that expression two will be in high demand. Delivering a harmonious partnership of visionary design and the perfection of nature. Powerscourt Distillery’s new head of whiskey & product development John Cashman, a recipient of an Icons of Whisky award and an International Wine & Spirits judge, has worked in multiple distilleries under the Beam Suntory umbrella. Having worked alongside the distillery’s founding master distiller Noel Sweeney for many years at Cooley, Cashman preserves unique knowledge on Fercullen whiskeys, old and new and combined an exceptional Fercullen 19-Year-Old Malt with an Italian influenced Amarone cask finish, skilfully blended with a very special 12-Year-Old Grain Irish Whiskey, delivering an exceptional whiskey. A fine addition to the distillery’s established core range of award-winning Fercullen Irish Whiskeys.

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

A much-loved brand, West Coast Cooler now has appealing new packaging

Now available in an easy-travel can format, West Coast Cooler has a great competition with its pop-up can delivery subscription service, ‘Only Cans’

Sip into summer with brand new Four Loko flavours Four Loko, the US alcoholic beverage, is set to tantalise the tastebuds of Ireland’s consumers this summer with the introduction of two vibrant new flavours – Tropical and Strawberry Lemonade – to its core range of four established flavours including Four Loko Blue, Fruit Punch, Sour Apple and Gold. With Four Loko’s striking camouflage appearance, these new kids on the block will be sure to stand out from the crowd with new packaging fused in fluorescent cherry red, and aqua blue and yellow. The new fruit-filled, edgy flavours will bring a new twist to the table and really pack a punch! Strawberry Lemonade combines the sweetness of fresh strawberries with the fizz of sparkling lemonade, ideal for cooling down! Four Loko Tropical meanwhile, infused with all the fragments of tropical fruits like pineapple, is guaranteed to fuel your exotic side. “Flavoured alcoholic beverages have been a key sub-category for some time and category growth in Ireland is being fuelled by innovation within the traditional ready-to-drink (RTD) space,” said brand manager from Richmond Marketing, Gina Holland. “We’re delighted to be offering new Four Loko flavours which are going to be genuinely exciting for Ireland consumers, just in time for summer.” Created over a decade ago by two college graduates, Four Loko has established itself as the leading RTD brand in the US, with its broad flavour range and successful marketing drive to create ‘Epic Stories’ for millennials and Gen Z consumers across the United States. Strawberry Lemonade and Tropical flavours are available to purchase now in BWG, Carry Out, Fine Wines and independent offlicenses and also SuperValu and Centra from July. ■ Four Loko offers its target 18–24-year-old audience the perfect at-home, unconventional, full-flavoured RTD solution, in a convenient 440ml can format with an ABV of 8.5%

82 NOFFLA NEWS

www.nofﬂa.ie

My favourite...

In our regular column outlining members’ favourite tipples, NOffLA members share their expertise on the brands that excite their palates. This month, Justin Corbally, store manager of Molloy’s in Tallaght, Dublin 24, highlights his favourite pick This exceedingly good Sancerre is pale lemon in appearance, medium intensity on the nose. Wonderfully crisp and harmonious with subtle notes of lemon, flint, and a beautiful finish. It appeals to all palates, so I find it’s a great wine to have with company. Sancerre’s zesty profile and intriguing complexity make it a great wine to pair with food. The classic pairing of goat cheese and Sancerre is a favourite of so many, as the creamy, tangy nature of the cheese is a perfect match to Sauvignon Blanc’s herbal, citrusy profile. However, my personal choice to partner up is grilled salmon steaks with green salad. It does it for me every time. I’ll be sure to include this classic wine in our weekly customer tastings in the coming weeks!

Sancerre Clocher d’Amelie Region: Centre-Val de Loire Producer: Jean Max Roger Grape: Sauvignon Blanc

With summer virtually upon us we will hopefully have lots of opportunities to dust off the garden furniture, enjoy the company of friends and family and enjoy some memorable occasions. I ﬁnd there’s no better way to brighten up everyone’s day than by introducing a crisp Sancerre from the Loire valley. For me, Sancerre Clocher d’Amelie delivers every time and more. As part of Molloy’s Exclusive range, it offers incredible value at €20.99 - I call it my affordable luxury.

Justin Corbally, store manager of Molloy’s in Tallaght, Dublin 24, says Sancerre Clocher d’Amelie delivers every time

Molloy’s Exclusive range offers great value with high quality wines

Excitement mounts for upcoming Irish Wine Show Star Awards 2022-2023

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ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

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Selected by NOffLA members and their staff who hold the WSET Diploma or Higher Certiﬁcate, or Champagne Academy membership, the tasting panel will be chaired by leading Irish wine writers. The winners will be announced

blind tasting which will take place in August. To win a ‘Star Award’ is not only a distinctive accolade for the featured wines, it is also a highly beneﬁcial marketing platform, particularly in the all-important pre-Christmas selling period.

NOffLA has announced further details of the upcoming Irish Wine Show Star Awards 20222023, for which entries are now open. Associate members have been invited to submit entry forms with details of the wines they propose to submit for the

AWARD

at SIP 2022 The Irish Wine Show, NOffLA’s ofﬁcial Christmas Drinks Show, which will be held on 10 October 2022. Two signiﬁcant changes have been announced this year: the under €10 category has been amended to under €12 and the association is also inviting members to submit non-alcoholic wines. A complete suite of POS will support this initiative including booklets featuring all award winners as well as neck-collars and posters. The closing date for entries is Friday, 1 July 2022.

NOFFLA NEWS 83

www.nofﬂa.ie

Entries now open for NOffLA Off-Licence of the Year 2023

• National Off-Licence of the Year 2023

The National Off-Licence of the Year Awards 2023 forms have now been circulated and the association is encouraging members to avail of the opportunities provided by this exclusive initiative. The competition has been designed to enable offlicences to demonstrate your strengths and to compete in your area of expertise. All entrants will be invited to the prestigious awards ceremony in January 2023.

• Best First Time Entrant 2023

Beneﬁts of entering

And the winner is... NOffLA

OFF-LICENCE OF THE YEAR

2023

AND THE 2023 WINNER IS… • National Off-Licence of the Year 2023 • Best First Time Entrant 2023 • Food Retailer Off-Licence of the Year 2023 • Customer Service Award of the Year 2023 • Spirit Specialist of the Year 2023 • Beer Specialist of the Year 2023 • Wine Specialist of the Year 2023 • Regional Off-Licence of the Year 2023 Dublin, Leinster, Connacht/Ulster, Munster • RTC Online Trainee of the Year 2023 • Responsible Retailer of the Year 2023

Judging Dates ROUND 1 – MYSTERY SHOPPER Monday, 1 August to Sunday, 9 October 2022 (9 WEEKS) ROUND 2 – JUDGING Thursday, 1 September to Sunday, 9 October 2022 (5 WEEKS)

Could your store come out on top in the following categories?

• Food Retailer Off-Licence of the Year 2023 • Customer Service Award of the Year 2023

ROUND 3 – FINAL Monday, 30 January 2023

• Spirit Specialist of the Year 2023 • Beer Specialist of the Year 2023 • Wine Specialist of the Year 2023 • Regional Off-Licence of the Year 2023 • RTC Online Trainee of the Year 2023

ENJOY FERCULLEN RESPONSIBLY

• Responsible Retailer of the Year 2023

Many different types of off-licence enter the awards for a variety of reasons. Whether you sell a range of ﬁne wines, a variety of beers or are involved in mixed trading, entering this competition can only serve to better your business. It allows you to look at the key performance indicators in your business and compare them year-on-year. The programme also gives you a mechanism to gauge how good a shop you run in comparison to your peers and allows your staff to work towards improving standards. The initiative also builds consumer and trade awareness through an established PR campaign working with the media. By entering, you will also receive an invitation to attend a gala evening with all your friends in the off-trade. ■

INTRODUCING THE ESTATE SERIES ISSUE 2 OF 3: THE ITALIAN GARDENS. CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY OF EXPLORATION WITH OUR LIMITED EDITION BLENDED IRISH WHISKEY AMARONE CASK INFLUENCE.

THE POWERSCOURT DISTILLERY & VISITOR CENTRE, POWERSCOURT ESTATE, ENNISKERRY, Co. WICKLOW. POWERSCOURTDISTILLERY.COM www.shelﬂife.ie | ShelfLife June 2022

84 MARKET MOVERS

Tic Tac

Robinsons

Unlock impulse purchases with the core Tic Tac range Ferrero’s Tic Tac core range includes Lime & Orange, Cherry Cola Mixers, Fruit Adventure, Intense Mint and Fresh Mint flavours, catering for a host of different shopper tastes. With consumers increasingly looking for mint, fruit and extra-strong mint flavours, the Tic Tac range offers a great way for retailers to unlock impulse purchases, especially as part of a wider shop. The Fresh Mint flavour is arguably what Tic Tac is most recognised for, and the ever-present product is available alongside Intense Mint as part of the core range. Both of these products meet the growing demand for mint flavours and are available in T1 and T100 packs, with Fresh Mint also available in a T200 format. “Shoppers have a functional approach to their visits and have a clear idea of the products they need before entering the store,” says Levi Boorer, customer development director at Ferrero UK and Ireland. “The mints category in general is impulsive, so product availability and popular brands are key in helping to capture shopper attention. By stocking our much-loved Tic Tac core range, retailers can enable shoppers to pick up something extra that can give them a little treat to enjoy later.”

Power up water with Robinsons Benefit Drops! Introducing Robinsons Benefit Drops – four tasty flavours, fortified with vitamins*. When people are on the go all day, it can be difficult to stay on top of keeping hydrated. Robinsons Benefit drops are an ideal portable format for consumers on the move, adding great taste and additional vitamins to their water. Launched in March, each variant has a different added functional benefit, offering shoppers a convenient and tasty way to gain additional vitamins while on the move. Then new Robinsons Benefit Drops range consists of: • Vitality: Peach, Mango & Passion Fruits with added vitamin Niacin (B3) to see individuals through the day, whilst helping to reduce tiredness and fatigue • Immunity: Orange & Guava flavour with added vitamin C which contributes to the normal function of the immune system • Boost: Raspberry, Strawberry & Acai with added B6 that gives a much-needed energy release • Focus: Lemon, Lime & Ginseng with added Niacin (B3) and Zinc to help ‘focus’ the mind New Robinsons Benefit Drops will help consumers make tastier, healthier choices while on the go. Each bottle makes 20 delicious drinks.

Nutella

Nutella Biscuits already worth over €1.3m after less than a year since launch Nutella, the nation’s favourite chocolate hazelnut spread*, brings excitement to the biscuit category with its new Nutella Biscuits. The golden baked crunchy biscuit, enclosing a creamy heart of Nutella, has already had an initial positive consumer response since its launch in Ireland at the end of 2021. In a category of over 300 brands, Nutella Biscuits has secured itself in the top 40 biscuit brands,** and is already worth over €1.3m*** after less than a year in the market. While this success positions Nutella as a key player in the biscuit category, the NPD looks to continue driving the category forward by reaching new customers who will be attracted by the familiar brand they already know and love, on top of the 49% of shoppers already visiting the biscuit aisle. Available in a single pack, tube and large pouch format, the range caters to a mix of shopper trends. Consumers searching for on-the-go snacks can pick up the tube or single pack varieties, while the pouch is a larger pack perfect for sharing with families and has a seal to maintain freshness for longer. The Nutella name is loved and recognised by shoppers across the country. This excitement, coupled with the versatility of the range, is well-placed to support retailers with increasing sales and footfall this year and beyond. *(Source: Nielsen Scantrack 4wks to 20/02/2021 vs. PCD YA) **(Source: Ranked 35th RSV – MAT to 27/02/22 – Sub-brands – Total Scantrack ROI – Nielsen) ***(Source: €1,320,262 – MAT to 27/02/22 – Total Scantrack ROI – Nielsen)s

ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelﬂife.ie

*(Vitamin B6 and Niacin (B3) contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism. Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin Niacin (B3) contributes to the normal psychological function. 3.3ml concentrate per 250ml of water. Consume as part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle.)

Kellogg’s

Kellogg’s Krave launches new flavour Kellogg’s Krave just got a whole lot tastier. Europe’s number one cereal brand* is launching a new flavour in Ireland for the first time in two years. Cereal lovers across Ireland are bound to delight in the new Krave Cookies & Cream Flavour. This latest addition to the Chocovore family features a crunchy shell, perfectly complementing its cream flavoured filling. To follow Krave’s successful 2020 launch of its Chocolate, Caramel & Peanut Flavour, the Kellogg’s team started the process with the fun job of sampling a number of cookies and cream flavoured biscuits to find the perfect flavour. The new cereal has a crisp outer cookie-inspired layer with a velvety cream flavoured centre which is sure to delight tastebuds with each bite. The tasty new breakfast option is a source of B vitamins (Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and B12), a source of fibre and has no artificial colours or flavours. “Cookies and cream is an iconic flavour that we know people love, that’s why we wanted to combine that instantly recognisable taste with our popular Kellogg’s Krave pillows,” said Neil Rogers, brand and activation manager for Kellogg Ireland. Kellogg’s Krave Cookies & Cream Flavour is available now across Ireland now priced at €4.99**. *(Source: IRI Value Sales 2021) **(RRP. Pricing is at the sole discretion of the retailer)

ONLY

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THE SAUSAGE OF THE IRISH SUMMER

New! LAUNCHING IN JUNE

WIDE RANGE OF MULTI PACKS

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Inspired by nature for a clean, crisp taste irishspringwater.com

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Yay For Crispy Crunchy Goodness

Seize the opportunity to indulge in our new locally sourced, crispy breaded range, helping customers capture restaurant-inspired cuisines for every occasion. This range is perfect for the whole family! Classic, whole breast Chicken Kiev’s oozing with creamy garlic butter, light and crispy Tempura Chicken Mini Fillets, Buttermilk Burgers coated in a tempting pepper breadcrumb and Extra Crispy Breast Strips with Sweet Chilli Sauce. Experience the crispy, crunchy goodness today!

Contact our commercial team to stock up now! Colin Freeman: +44 (0) 28 3835 2233

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OVER

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BILLION Has been raised for Good Causes all over Ireland since 1987. Thanks to all our National Lottery Retail Agents for your support.

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ShelfLife - June Issue

Articles inside

NOffA news

Pet Care

Forecourt

Off-trade news

Gin

Crisps and snacks

Self-serve checkouts Fionnuala Carolan speaks to

Seen and heard

Spar store profile: The owners

Free-from

Reruitment

National Lottery: Shane

Marketing