Retail Express – 3 December 2019

TRADE UP ON SPIRITS

Find out how Diageo helped a retailer sell more premium lines ahead of Christmas P12-13 ADVERTORIAL ES GROW YOUR SAL

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CASE STUDY

KAM NIJJER BUDGENS MERIDEN Location: Meriden, Solihull Shop size: 1,400sq ft Staff: Two full-time, three part-time

SON ’TIS THE SEATE TO CELEBRA

3-16 DECEMBER 2019 STRICTLY FOR TRADE USERS ONLY

to help DIAGEO’s Justin Hurn RETAIL EXPRESS joinsNIJJER remerchandise his festive spirit Solihull retailer KAM customers into the fixture and get his

OVERVIEW Experiences’ report, ‘Transforming Drinks an ACCORDING to Diageo’s for retailers’ spirit sales and provide Decemcelebrations are essential report shows that in gift purchases. The s contained spirits opportunity to drive packs sold in supermarketto drive similar reber 2018, 43% of gift for convenience stores and there is opportunity opened than 15 years and sults this year. a retailer for more He prides Kam Nijjer has been Midlands, in July. in Solihull, West premium offering and Budgens Meriden ahead of the competition Nijjer is deterhimself on keeping looking to treat themselves. new store and has options for customers first Christmas in his and he mined to have a successful buying premium alcohol as gifts sales further. noticed a trend in shoppers about how he can drive Justin Hurn, is interested in learning development executive, category and to the Here, Diageo’s business can bring new customers explains how Nijjer increase sales.

GOING DARK Politicians look to apply tobacco tactics to alcohol displays in Scotland

P3 CONTRACT SWITCH DEBATE

FOOD BANK PLEDGE

‘WE MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE’

Retailers concerned over impact of British Gas move from PayPoint to Payzone

Scottish wholesaler’s in-store donation drive is good for shops and communities

How being social online and in person is improving Atul Sodha’s business

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BACK PAGE

our say

Chris Dillon, editor – insight

The five biggest stories this fortnight 01

Excellence comes in many forms worth celebrating

Retailers react to British Gas PayPoint switch

ALEX YAU FEATHERBLADE of beef and fine wines by the glass are not the usual offering of general convenience stores.

Yet, in the small town of Rathfriland in Northern Ireland, this and more was available from Nisa Milestone’s new bar in the area above the shop, which I was lucky enough to visit earlier this month, with a group of independent retailers.

One, who owns a chain of stores and cafés himself, said to me: “This is probably the best store in the UK, it’s certainly among the top five in Europe. It’s a must-see for any serious convenience retailers.”

The store boasts a full-production food-to-go factory, with around 20 dedicated chefs and bakers creating fresh food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It really is an incredible operation to see.

Last week, we acknowledged IAA AIMS TO more excellence from across PROMOTE BEST the UK as part of our Independent Achievers Academy (IAA), PRACTICE AND where we recognised stores INSPIRE THE NEXT that excelled in a range of retail disciplines.

GENERATION Every size of store in every location has lessons to learn from this group, and we will explore why they are successful on betterRetailing.com.

The purpose of the IAA is to promote best practice and inspire the next generation of retailers, and it was fantastic to see so many familiar faces joining the celebrations.

Finding the best examples of independent retail and promoting it is fundamental to what we do, and it was a pleasure to see that it was so well received.

FOR MORE OPINION, GO TO PAGE 10 @retailexpress betterRetailing.com facebook.com/betterRetailing Editor – insight Chris Dillon @ChrisDillonNT 020 7689 3379

Editor – news Jack Courtez @JackCourtez 020 7689 3371

News editor Megan Humphrey @MeganHumphrey_ 020 7689 3357

Features editor Daryl Worthington @DarylNewtrade 020 7689 3390

Features writer Priyanka Jethwa @PriyankaJethwa_ 020 7689 3355

Reporter Alex Yau @AlexYau_ 020 7689 3358

Production editor Ryan Cooper 020 7689 3354 Sub editor Jim Findlay 020 7689 3373 Head of design Anne-Claire Pickard 020 7689 3391 Designer Jody Cooke 020 7689 3380

02

Rhino Media warning

RHINO Media Group has 90 days to �ind external funding to avoid liquidation.

A spokesperson from the screen supplier con�irmed “there absolutely is potential” for liquidation, if it fails to secure money through venture

capital and crowd funding.

Retailers paid �inance �irms £255-£300 per month to lease screens, with the costs offset by advert revenue.

However, Rhino said the company “hadn’t had any sales” in the past six weeks.

order to continue using their store to top up. “Quite a few said they will switch provider because it’s more convenient here,” she said.

03

Retail Express’ sister title, RN, broke the news of the partnership in June, before the of�icial announcement last month.

Best-one food to go

BESTWAY is still looking to develop its own food-to-go model for Best-one stores, but admitted it had struggled to �ind a supplier that could promise stores the support they need.

The symbol group’s head

of sales and development, Paul Adams, added that the hot food trend would not be right for all shops in its estate. “It’s about giving stores choice, and, if it isn’t right for them, having plans B and C,” he said.

Digital content editor Jody Porter 020 7689 3378

Insight reporter Tamara Birch @TamaraBirchNT 020 7689 3361 Editor in chief Louise Banham 020 7689 3353

BRITISH Gas’ announcement to switch its in-store bill payments contract from PayPoint to Payzone and the Post Of�ice has sparked debate over the impact on stores.

PayPoint responded to the news with in-store material advising customers to switch utilities provider to continue topping up in the store. Meanwhile, British Gas sent letters to every one of its customers that had topped up in a PayPoint shop, advising them to top-up elsewhere.

PayPoint stores were split on whether customers would switch supplier or shop. One Stop retailer Dee Sedani said he would ignore a PayPoint contract clause demanding that partnered stores do not install rival services to protect his British Gas customers.

He said these customers may often struggle to get to the nearest rival site. He explained: “It’s not our place to advise customers to switch.

I’ve ordered a Payzone terminal because we have a duty to our customers.”

However, PayPoint retailer Natalie Lightfoot, of Londis Solo Convenience in Glasgow, said her customers had begun switching utility provider in

Production coordinator Ashley Reid 020 7689 3368

Sales support executive Michela Marino 020 7689 3382

Head of sales Matthew Oliver 020 7689 3367

Head of marketing Jessica Salisbury-Fielder 020 7689 3352

Account director Charlotte Jesson 020 7689 3389

Managing director Parin Gohil 020 7689 3375

Senior account manager Natalie Reed 020 7689 3372

Management accountant Abigayle Sylvane 020 7689 3383

Account manager Adelice Tatham 020 7689 3366

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04

Scratch and win

CAMELOT scratchcard sales jumped by £164.7m in six months, aided by the success of its special 25th birthday card.

One retailer told Retail Express: “There’s always a lull before Christmas, but the

25th birthday game is helping to offset any Camelot sales decline in my store.”

Camelot’s retail sales rose, but its share of total Camelot sales fell from 75% to 70% due to stronger online growth over the period.

05

£28m in relief wasted

ENGLISH councils have denied independent businesses £28m in revaluation rates relief over the past two years.

The funds were to help small businesses that saw their business rates rise in 2017, but 144 of the 327 councils failed to hand

out at least 10% of the funds given to them by the government.

Chartered surveyor Ian Sloan commented: “Thousands more retailers and other local businesses across the country should have been assisted by this scheme.”

@retailexpress facebook.com/betterRetailing

3-16 DECEMBER 2019 betterRetailing.com

chris.dillon@newtrade.co.uk 020 7689 3379

GOOD WEEK

Scotland considers alcohol display ban JACK COURTEZ POLITICIANS are examining whether to impose tobacco-style display bans on alcohol ranges in Scottish convenience stores.

The renewed focus is being driven by a Children’s Parliament campaign backed by lobbyists Alcohol First Scotland, which showed children material about a dog with an abusive alcoholic owner before asking the children for their views on alcohol.

It then compiled their views into a report calling

for “alcohol to be sold in adult-only sections of shops, separate rooms in regular shops and supermarkets dedicated to alcohol sales”.

Commenting on the report, Edinburgh council boss Cammy Day told the Edinburgh Evening News: “If cigarettes are bad for you and we have them hidden behind screens, why are we not doing the same for alcohol?”

A retailer claimed the issue had been brought up with him by a Scottish Member of Parliament. The retailer claimed: “They’re looking at going dark with

alcohol. It depends on the size of store, they’re looking at age-restricted rooms like in airport duty-free shops, but also at gantries.”

Family Shopper Blantyre owner Mo Razzaq told Retail Express: “Having a separate section will have huge implications for small stores. A major licence variation can cost £800, plus the building work, extra CCTV and extra staff. Combined with wage increases, tobacco changes and confectionery restrictions, it feels like an unwelcoming environment for small stores.”

Ferhan Ashiq, owner of Prestonpans Village Store in East Lothian, said the impact of minimum unit pricing should be analysed before adding further measures.

Scottish Grocers’ Federation head of public affairs John Lee said the concept

ONE STOP: Convenience operator One Stop has opened its 200th franchise store. Commenting on the opening in Witham, Essex, One Stop head of franchise John Miller said: “This is a real milestone for us at One Stop as we welcome our 200th franchise store to our portfolio of over 950 neighbourhood stores.” The Tesco-owned fascia was opened to franchisees in 2014.

“crops up every two years or so”, and that ministers had previously rejected the concept as unworkable. An expert in global convenience retailing said they were unaware of any other country in the world with a total display ban on alcohol.

BUSINESS RATES: The numbers behind council failures on revaluation rates relief allocation

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£316,845

Councils who allocated correct relief amount without overspending

Relief funds wasted by the worst council – Amber Valley

£28m

9.1%

The amount councils have failed to hand out so far

express yourself “I’m in some trouble. They stopped paying their retailers and we’re stuck paying a leasing company. They stopped my payments without even notifying me, but the leasing company has continued taking money out of my account. We’ve made a complaint against the finance company about being mis-sold the media screen under the finance agreement. RMG said they can’t afford to pay any existing retailers and the option they gave me was to sell advertising space to local businesses.”

Anonymous retailer

Proportion of funds left unspent in 2018-2019 tax year the column where you can make your voice heard

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ROD STEWART: Publisher Peco had to increase its print run of an issue of Railway Modelling featuring an exclusive interview with musician Rod Stewart. The 13 November issue received interest from national press, TV and radio, alongside overseas media. The edition featured Stewart on the cover due to his enthusiasm for model train sets.

Go to betterRetailing.com and search ‘stewart’ to read more

BAD WEEK WINTER VEG: Co-op is forecasting availability issues on fresh winter vegetables including cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli, leeks, Brussels sprouts, beansprouts and mushrooms due to flooding earlier this month. Booker told Retail Express it had not seen any issues, while Bestway had problems with own-label lines including cauliflower, white cabbage and mushrooms, though the wholesaler failed to state whether this was flood-related.

THEFT: Retailers are considering stopping the sale of high-value categories, as suppliers refuse to provide dummy stock as a theft-deterrent. Premier retailer Dave Taylor said: “We are considering stopping baby milk due to theft. I would love to see display-only dummy products.” One anonymous supplier source claimed this wasn’t “financially viable”.

Go to betterRetailing.com and search ‘dummy stock’

How have retailers been affected by Rhino Media Group’s (RMG) issues?

“In the past month we have stopped getting our payments of £299 from RMG to pay for our screen. I was a bit suspicious before, but now they aren’t answering my calls. It’s been fine all year. It’s only in the last month that we have been experiencing problems. I had previously been speaking to someone from the company at their head office, but this morning when I rang the number was suddenly not recognised.”

Chtender Singh, Maindys Store, Beaufort, Ebbw Vale

“I was signed into a contract and now I’m unable to get in touch with my rep since RMG has been having issues. They promised to keep in touch with me and nobody has answered any of my calls. I was planning a refit to my store and having to pay £300 per month for nothing is affecting that. If it was an independent retailer with a smaller business, they probably would have had to close.”

Shabaz Ali, Best-one, Falkirk

Do you have an issue to discuss with other retailers? Call 020 7689 3379 or email chris.dillon@newtrade.co.uk

Shabaz Ali

NEWS

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3-16 DECEMBER 2019 betterRetailing.com

KeyStore seasonal food bank boost ALEX YAU SCOTTISH wholesaler JW Filshill is helping retailers from its KeyStore symbol group increase seasonal sales with the rollout of food bank donation stations.

One hundred branded stations have been sent to Filshill’s 185 independentlymanaged KeyStore sites across Scotland and the north of England to encourage customers to

purchase items for donation to a local food bank. Each station will have signage that reads: “Help people in need and build a stronger community.”

The wholesaler is encouraging customers in the stores to buy non-perishable products such as packaged cereals, rice, pasta, pasta sauce and tinned meat for donation. Garry Haigh, of KeyStore Peterhead Motors in Aberdeen, told Retail Express the most fre-

quently donated items in his store since he began participating in the scheme were tea bags, baby wipes, UHT milk, fruit juice and nappies.

“It’s been done for the runup to the holidays to support people. There’s a lot of support for foodbanks, and so far it’s very well used, even though, as a forecourt site, we have less suitable lines than others may have,” he said.

JW Filshill retail sales direc-

tor Craig Brown added: “Every Christmas, we encourage our retailers to support a community campaign that their customers can get involved in, and this year we feel that food banks are a cause that strikes a chord with everyone.

“It’s a really thoughtful way for retailers to give something back to their local community at Christmas, simply by positioning a dump bin in an empty space in their store.”

Scottish indies urged to take on Best Start THE Scottish government’s revamped ‘Best Start’ programme will give retailers an additional sales opportunity.

NFRN Scottish district president Hussan Lal said: “It’s easy money for retailers and a sale in the till, so I urge them all to take part.”

The scheme replaces the previous ‘Healthy Start’ scheme, which used vouchers.

It offers a payment card with free credit to pregnant mothers or those with children under four years old to buy basic foods.

Election manifestos target crime and tax TACKLING retail crime and business rates reform are top of the agenda for the UK’s political parties ahead of the upcoming general election on 12 December.

In its manifesto, the Conservative party promised to recruit 20,000 additional police officers and “protect people from physical attack or harassment”, while Labour said it would “re-establish neighbourhood policing”.

Labour added it would invest in “2,000 more frontline officers than have been planned for by the Conserva-

tives”. It will also work closely with crime commissioners to reform police funding.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives said they would review business rates by reducing the tax for retail businesses first, while Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party promised to abolish the tax.

Labour said: “A Labour government will review the option of a land value tax on commercial landlords as an alternative, and develop a retail-sector industrial strategy.”

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Asahi reveals 2020 plans PRIYANKA JETHWA ASAHI is determined to put its brands at the forefront of consumers’ minds with a raft of launches and campaigns for 2020, designed to set the premium beer category alive.

Speaking at its press event last week, Steve Young, Asahi off-trade sales director, said its acquisition of Fuller’s earlier this year has helped it expand its range of premium beers and ciders.

Pete Rose, off-trade sales director at Asahi, said its super-premium range, which includes Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Asahi, has a combined value of £1.5bn.

Other stats revealed that

its premium beer, London Pride, was worth £1.8bn in the UK, with Meantime sitting at £800m and Cornish Orchards at £600m.

Jezz Manter�ield, the company’s category manager for on-trade, added that craft ale was the future, with more brands ‘muddying’ the lines and venturing into the category. In comparison, standard lager, he said, is suffering.

“Craft ale represents 76% of the total craft beer in the off-trade, with IPA and ales making up 81% of this,” he added To see the brand’s 2020 plans, go to betterRetailing.com and search ‘Asahi 2020 plans’

Coca-Cola Christmas Tracker bars get a truck tour has begun new look and recipe COCA-COLA has of�icially kick-started the countdown to Christmas with the return of its Coca-Cola Christmas truck tour.

The truck will visit 19 stops nationwide before making its �inal stop in London on 15 December.

Visitors will be able to take

festive photos and receive a free can of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.

This year, the brand has also partnered with Crisis, the national homelessness charity, and will donate 10p for each can recycled by visitors at the truck tour, with funds going to Crisis to help people out of homelessness.

Vape Dinner Lady’s c-store expansion VAPE Dinner Lady has opened its �irst chain of concession stores inside a number of EG Group forecourt service stations across the country.

The �irst phase of the new store formats opened in more than 14 locations, providing consumers with a full range of vape e-liquids, devices and accessories. It includes the company’s new disposable e-ciga-

rette, the �irst to be pre-�illed with Dinner Lady e-liquid.

The launch is part of a new partnership with EG Group, which saw the new concession store formats open at forecourts in Burnley, Bolton, Warren, Stevenage, Ramsbottom, Three Arches, Snowhill, Cannock, Oval and Weld Blundell, with more to be rolled out thereafter.

MARS Chocolate Drinks & Treats has relaunched Tracker bars, with a new look and an improved recipe.

First launched in 1986, Tracker was the UK’s �irst cereal bar. Building on this heritage within the category, the relaunch will feature a contemporary look and feel.

The new bars come in two �lavours: Chocolate & Peanut and Peanut & Caramel.

Michelle Frost, general manager at Mars Chocolate Drinks & Treats, said: “We are really excited to be relaunching the Tracker brand, packing more �lavour into the cereal bar aisle.”

The new-look Tracker bars are available in multipacks of �ive, with an RRP of £1.99.

Pepsi Max returns to television screens BRITVIC is back with its new Pepsi Max TV ad, aimed to help drive sales of its core and �lavoured ranges.

On air until the end of December, the TV ad encourages shoppers to ‘try a new tradition this Christmas’, highlighting the brand’s taste credentials and showcasing the Pepsi Max �lavour range, including its latest addition, Pepsi Max Raspberry.

The campaign provides a key sales opportunity for retailers, especially during the busy Christmas period, which last year saw 60% of households make a cola purchase.

The campaign will be supported with in-store activation, digital and social activity,

outdoor advertising, and sponsorship of London’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, a Christmas-themed destination.

HEINEKEN has announced it will be the of�icial UEFA Euro 2020 beer partner, and in a separate agreement, has extended its UEFA Champions League partnership by another three years, from 2021 to 2024.

The brewer’s relationship with the UEFA Champions League is already well estab-

lished, stretching back more than 25 years.

The new UEFA Euro 2020 contract includes exclusive pouring rights at stadiums, fan zones and fan villages, LED pitch boarding exposure, digital rights, Man of the Match presentations, match screenings and ticket giveaways.

Heineken partners with UEFA Euro 2020

Kettle Chips sponsors Best-one launches premium coffee range daytime TV show BEST-ONE has launched a new range of premium roast and ground coffees, alongside a �inely ground instant coffee.

The �ive new products comprise Inspired Colombian Roast & Ground Coffee, Inspired Guatemalan Roast & Ground Coffee, Rich

Roast Fresh Ground Coffee, French Style Fresh Ground Coffee and Barista Premium Instant Americano Finely Ground Coffee.

The new range is available to Best-one retailers, Xtra Local Club and Bestway Wholesale customers.

KETTLE Chips has announced it will be sponsoring ITV Saturday morning food show James Martin’s Saturday Morning.

The ads have been designed to demonstrate the brand’s

commitment to ‘real food’ ingredients.

The sponsorship will support both the wider Kettle Chips range and feature a number of product launches throughout the year.

3-16 DECEMBER 2019 betterRetailing.com

Flavoured, spiced and golden rum making gains while gin is still king, says WSTA GIN sales were up 34% on last year in retail, worth £961m, according to new �igures from the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

Flavoured gin has driven more than 80% of this growth in UK shops, and now makes up a third of sales.

However, rum has also been tipped as an emerging growth area in the report, despite the market growing by just 1% in the past year.

While white rum sold 300,000 fewer bottles than it did in the previous year, �lavoured spiced and golden varieties are in growth.

UK consumers bought more than 10 million bottles of �lavoured and spiced rum from shops, a volume growth of 6%. The WSTA predicts it will be the largest segment within rum in the next year.

In the past �ive years, the �lavoured and spiced rum

VAPE Dinner Lady is launching a new range of tobacco-�lavoured e-liquids called Luxury Class, designed to help smokers to quit.

The range contains four �lavours: Smooth Tobacco, Café Tobacco, Mint Tobacco and Caramel Tobacco.

John Taylor, Vape Dinner Lady chief marketing of�icer, said: “Luxury Class Tobacco is another great addition which will provide a superior vaping experience.”

There are 5.9 million smokers and 3.6 million vape consumers in the UK.

New tobacco flavours for Vape Dinner Lady

category has grown from just under six million bottles in 2014, to more than 10 million in 2019 – up 80%.

Golden rum has grown by 23% in volume in the past year.

Miles Beale, WSTA chief executive, said: “British consumers’ willingness to explore new drink experiences helped with the initial gin boom, and we are starting to see some segments of the rum category

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Lily O’Brien’s kicks off Xmas campaign

bene�it from a similar impact.

“It’s hard to make a case for anything other than 2019 as another year of gin, but maybe in 2020 we will see rum pulling out all the punches as spirits’ new rising star.”

IRISH chocolatier Lily O’Brien’s is driving sales with a new ‘share wisely’ outdoor digital campaign.

The ads promote the brand’s Desserts Collection, which contains 18 chocolates inspired by popular desserts.

The company urges independent retailers to focus on the 230g line in its range.

The advert will appear on 500 digital screens across the country, and will be backed by digital advertising and social media activity.

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04.11.19 10:27

WINGS TO MAKE YOUR SALES FLY.

PRODUCTS New Delice de France food to go DELICE de France has launched three concepts to help independent retailers drive food-to-go sales, less than a month after its management buyout from Aryzta Group.

Available from next spring, the new concepts are Delice To Go, Petit Delice and Delice Direct.

Delice To Go offers a range of hot and chilled food to go, such as salads and pasta boxes, at a mid-market price.

The range focuses on providing healthier options, including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free foods.

Equipment available for convenience retailers in-

cludes self-serve or assistedserve counters.

Max Hilton-Jenvey, director of insights & strategy at Delice de France, described the offer as more ‘adventurous’ than Greggs, but without the premium price of Pret a Manger.

“We wanted consumers to be surprised by the quality of the food at an affordable price,” he said.

Petit Delice covers the bakery side of the company’s offer, such as loaves, pastries and sweet bakery treats.

The offer is best placed alongside coffee to go, such as the company’s Seattle’s Best Coffee machines, which are available to purchase outright, to rent or with a pro�it-share model available.

Finally, Delice Direct is a frozen bakery option that enables convenience retailers who do not have

FLORA ProActiv is revamping its formula and packaging.

The range is now made solely with plant-based ingredients and will be available in Light, Buttery and Olive Oil varieties. Each line contains vitamins D and

E, and claims to offer twice as much omega-3 and omega-6 as its nearest competitor.

The launch is aimed at the 60% of UK consumers with high levels of cholesterol – the company claims this is the highest that �igure has been.

NISA retailers are helping price-conscious shoppers with a bangers-and-mash ‘Big deal’ promotion.

The deal gives shoppers a six-pack of Co-op Irresistible port Sausages with Irresistible Mashed Potato for £2.50. It will be backed by PoS in store and social media activity.

CHRIS DILLON

space for ovens to offer customers a range of bakery items that consumers can then bake at home.

Flora ProActiv revamps Nisa makes a bang recipe and packaging with bangers deal Tracey Redfearn, ownbrand manager at Nisa, said: “As more shoppers go to their local convenience stores for their meals for tonight, we expect Nisa retailers to enjoy additional footfall over the coming weeks while this great deal is available.”

Fuller’s aims to trade Nutella brings back up Xmas shoppers Pancake Day promo VINTAGE Ale is available from Fuller’s – now part of Asahi.

It has an ABV of 8.5% and comes in 500ml bottles.

Aimed at getting Christmas shoppers to trade up to a more premium option, Fuller’s vintage ale has an RRP of £6 and comes in a gift box.

Each bottle will also have a unique number printed on the label to promote its limited run. Retailers can order direct from Fuller’s.

The launch marks the 23rd time that the company has launched a limitededition range.

Retailers who are interested in adding tasting notes to their shelves can mention that the beer has ‘hints of orange marmalade’.

FERRERO is bringing back its ‘Pancakes love Nutella’ campaign as part of a £1.4m investment.

Falling on Tuesday 25 February 2020, Pancake Day is celebrated by 66% of shoppers and is a key time of year for Nutella sales. Nineteen per cent of Nutella sales in the three weeks leading up to Pancake Day take place on the day itself.

Levi Boorer, Ferrero customer development director, said: “We want to support retailers to make the most of Pancake Day by bringing Nutella to the forefront of shoppers’ minds. We recommend retailers stock the 400g jars, making it widely available so shoppers have

the opportunity to add it to their basket during the runup to Pancake Day.”

top tips

Create a dedicated Pancake Day display, stocking Nutella next to eggs, flour and mixes.

Keep displays fully stocked right through the day itself, introducing it three weeks ahead of the event.

Promote Pancake Day on social media and get your staff to remind customers of the event in store to drive sales.

3-16 DECEMBER 2019 betterRetailing.com

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A proper job done for Plymouth Gin PLYMOUTH Gin has kicked off a new campaign that focuses on the south-west coast, which will appear nationwide with outdoor and print advertising.

The campaign will run until 29 December and reach 3.5 million people within the brand’s target audience of 30-to-45-year old men and women.

Gin is the second-largest spirits category, doubling its share of sales in two years and now accounts for £1 in every £5 spent in the category.

Brand owner Pernod Ricard has also launched a gift box for Plymouth Gin to help retailers drive sales ahead of Christmas.

Wake up to vegans with new croissant COUNTRY Choice is extending its range of vegan products with a new frozen croissant.

Made in France, the speltand-quinoa croissant comes

in cases of 14, ready to thaw and serve.

There are 600,000 vegans in the UK, a number that has grown by 400% since 2014.

Salted Caramel joins Monster line-up COCA-COLA European Partners is expanding its Espresso Monster range with a new �lavour, Salted Caramel.

Available in a black 250ml can, the new �lavour follows on from the nationwide launch of the Espresso Monster range earlier this year, which is now worth £5.5m.

The �lavoured cold coffee drink will provide further opportunity for retailers to capitalise on the ready-to-drink coffee category, which is worth £139m, growing by 32%.

The new variety is the third product to join the Monster Espresso range that includes Espresso & Milk and Vanilla Espresso.

The launch of Espresso

Salted Caramel Monster will be supported by PoS material.

The range will also be available in a £1.99 price-marked pack option to the independent channel from the new year.

10

DON’T MISS THE 13 DECEMBER ISSUE OF RN

OPINION LEADING INDUSTRY OPINION ON THIS FORTNIGHT’S HOT TOPICS

What do you think? Get in touch for the chance to be featured in Retail Express

SHOP SAFETY: What steps

should the gov’t take to tackle crime?

“RETAILERS continue to invest in crime prevention measures in their stores to protect their staff and customers, but we cannot tackle violence and abuse in our sector without support from the government.

We are pleased to support Respect for Shopworkers Week as it reinforces the message that violence towards shopworkers is unacceptable.”

James Lowman, chief executive, ACS

PLUS

WHOLESALE: What does the next year have in store for the channel?

How you can maximise your profit for Pancake Day

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I envisage more business casualties in 2020

“THERE will be a faster and more intense drive for products with more environmentally friendly packaging, and I can see more categories joining this trend next year. Wholesalers are being squeezed at either end by their suppliers and retailers, and I envisage more business casualties in 2020.”

Paul Hargreaves, chief executive, Cotswold Fayre

Lucy Pedrick, senior insights manager, Bidfood

ATMS: What action needs to be taken to protect access to cash?

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“THE focus on sustainable solutions is set to soar, with eateries looking to have more sustainable options on their menus over the next year.

Localism is becoming more important on a menu, with consumers looking for a story and great credentials behind the food they are purchasing.”

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Jo Whit�ield, retail chief executive, Co-op

The government needs to commit to taking action

Get your store ready for Easter 2020

D WS AN FOR NE TITLE ADING THE LE

”IF nothing is done, then nothing can change, and in another 136 days more of our colleagues will have been abused. I urge all those hoping to form the next government to commit to taking action to protect shop workers because suffering abuse and violence is not part of the job, including prioritising the response the police are able to give.”

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2019

17:10

The best independent retailers stay ahead by reading RN each week.

Do you?

ORDER YOUR COPY from your news wholesaler today or contact Kate Daw on 020 7689 3394 TO ADVERTISE in RN, please contact Matthew Oliver on 020 7689 3367

“THE convenience sector is vital for providing essential services, but it is becoming increasingly dif�icult for retailers to host ATMs with the high cost of business rates and cuts to interchange fees. The government needs to take action to ensure that free access to cash is available in the UK.” James Lowman, chief executive, ACS

“IN places already poorly served by high street banking we have seen free-to-use ATMs under threat of removal. It is crucial the next government ensures everyone can bene�it from the way essential services, are being transformed. Without this commitment, we risk leaving many people behind.”

We risk leaving many people behind if they can’t access cash

A spokesperson for consumer group Which?

GENERAL ELECTION: Do the Conservatives pledge to help indies?

The Conservatives need to support growth in retailers

“THE offer to cut business rates is welcome, but will not slow the decline in high streets. The Conservatives should support investment and growth in retailers, as the majority of the UK’s retail workers are employed in businesses that won’t bene�it from proposed cuts.”

Helen Dickinson, chief executive, British Retail Consortium

“THE pledges made do take small businesses into consideration. However, they need to provide more detail on how and when they will be achieved, as this isn’t the �irst time policies like this have been promised.

Real action for retailers is needed this time around.”

Megan Humphrey, news editor, Retail Express

CATEGORY ADVICE

In partnership with

3-16 DECEMBER 2019 betterRetailing.com

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Promotional feature

GETTING THE RIGHT FLOW RETAIL EXPRESS catches up with Swarti Rabadia in Leigh to discover how LUCOZADE RIBENA SUNTORY category expert Jemma Healy’s advice to make the most of flavours, fixture layout and low-sugar options has helped boost sales

TO BE successful in the soft drinks category, retailers need to keep up to date with market trends and merchandise accordingly. In July, Retail Express visited Swarti Rabadia at her store in Leigh, Greater Manchester, with Jemma Healy from LRS to share advice on how adding a little flavour to a soft drinks range can improve your chiller.

AFTER

FOCUS ON SWARTI RABADIA Go Local Rabadia Convenience, Leigh, Greater Manchester

CHALLENGES AND CHANGES Healthy goodness: To suit shoppers’ taste and health needs, we brought juice drinks, and flavoured and plain waters together to help customers find these products quickly.

Flavour: To inspire customers to try something new, we increased the sports and energy drinks flavours.

Flow: To help shoppers easily find the product they’re looking for, we grouped subcategories and formats together, such as sports and energy.

SWARTI SAYS

THE RESULT

“I WAS initially surprised by the amount of new flavours that were added to the chiller, especially as we had a wide range already in place, but they are selling very well. Customers struggled to find what they were looking for, but grouping the subcategories together has had positive results.”

61%

KEY LESSONS

1

Keep up to date with market trends, and merchandise your range accordingly.

2

Get creative with your range and add new flavours, operating lines to inspire more purchases.

3

Group subcategories together to create the right flow to make it easier to shop the fixture.

1 2 3

BEFORE

The year-on-year increase in sales since adopting LRS merchandising principles

LUCOZADE RIBENA SUNTORY’S TIPS Place bestsellers at eye level so shoppers can locate favourite brands.

Keep up to date with new products to drive footfall.

Educate your team on the brands stocked and make recommendations.

GET INVOLVED

EXPERT ADVICE JEMMA HEALY

Category Controller, Lucozade Ribena Suntory “SWARTI has the benefit of a lot of chiller space, so our changes were about using that more wisely. By focusing on sports and energy – introducing new products and grouping subcategories together – we’ve helped Swarti understand her customers and deliver what they want.”

DRIVE SOFT DRINKS SALES IN YOUR STORE To see more of Swarti’s shop, and for more advice and tips, go to betterRetailing.com/getting-the-right-flow

ADVERTORIAL GROW YOUR SALES

12

CASE STUDY

KAM NIJJER BUDGENS MERIDEN Location: Meriden, Solihull Shop size: 1,400sq ft Staff: Two full-time, three part-time

’TIS THE SEASON TO CELEBRATE RETAIL EXPRESS joins DIAGEO’s Justin Hurn to help Solihull retailer KAM NIJJER remerchandise his fixture and get his customers into the festive spirit

OVERVIEW ACCORDING to Diageo’s ‘Transforming Drinks Experiences’ report, celebrations are essential for retailers’ spirit sales and provide an opportunity to drive gift purchases. The report shows that in December 2018, 43% of gift packs sold in supermarkets contained spirits and there is opportunity for convenience stores to drive similar results this year.

Kam Nijjer has been a retailer for more than 15 years and opened Budgens Meriden in Solihull, West Midlands, in July. He prides himself on keeping ahead of the competition and offering premium options for customers looking to treat themselves. Nijjer is determined to have a successful first Christmas in his new store and has noticed a trend in shoppers buying premium alcohol as gifts and he is interested in learning about how he can drive sales further.

Here, Diageo’s business development executive, Justin Hurn, explains how Nijjer can bring new customers to the category and increase sales.

3-16 DECEMBER 2019 betterRetailing.com

In partnership with

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THREE STEPS TO SUCCESS 1 SECONDARY

2 ENCOURAGE

3 PREMIUM

“The store has a wide range of seasonal products, with a focus on premium options,” Hurn says. “Knowing what drinks will sell over Christmas, such as Baileys, is crucial to achieving higher sales. By introducing a seasonal fixture dedicated to Christmas products, as well as an option of gift bags, you can drive sales.”

“Gin is an ongoing trend, with no signs of slowing down,” Hurn says. “By merchandising premium tonics next to high-end gins, retailers can encourage shoppers to trade up. Retailers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland should consider stocking mixers next to Tanqueray to offer an add-on sale and increase spend.”

“Over the Christmas period, shoppers are on the lookout for gift ideas. By remerchandising your alcohol display to focus on premium products at eye level, you can drive sales of more expensive lines. Customers are going to be looking for products without a price-mark label, such as Cîroc, to give to friends and family,” Hurn explains.

SITINGS

TRADE-UP

IS KEY

TOP

THE

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RESULTS

01

“We base our range on premiumisation and encouraging shoppers to trade up. As a new store, we are looking to explore new options to drive sales. Following the visit with Diageo, I feel the changes made to the spirits fixture creates a professional look. Christmas is our biggest time of year, so persuading shoppers to treat themselves can be a challenge, but by merchandising Cîroc products in a prime location and at eye level will help drive sales. A particular highlight was introducing a secondary siting for Baileys, which I’m positive will be effective in driving seasonal purchases,” Nijjer says.

Diageo business development executive Justin Hurn explains how retailers can help their customers celebrate the festive season

Capitalise on the £3.2bn1 gift market Stock a range of gift packs to tap into year-round celebrations. Last year, Brits purchased 10 million gift packs, with 80% of shoppers brand new to the spirits, beers and wines category2.

02

Put on a great display

03

Encourage customers to trade up

Retailers can boost sales during the Christmas period by ensuring that their offering is highly visible in store, inspiring shoppers with creative displays, backlit signage and PoS materials.

Highlighting the opportunity to trade up for celebratory occasions is good business.

Consumers are more likely to trade up when celebrating, whether this be in sourcing a great gift for a dinner party or creating a drink to accompany a home-cooked meal. Either way, help them to spend more in store.

Nielsen Diageo TBA Gifting Opportunity 2017 – Online survey of 2500 GB Gifters & Retail Measurement Data 2Nielsen Scantrack MAT 23.02.19

1

For more advice on how to drive sales across your store, go to betterRetailing.com/category-management

KEL0229_Pringles Xmas Themed Cans Ad_RE_AW1.pdf

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TM, ®, © 2019 KELLOGG Europe Trading Limited *Marketplace L52wks, 16th June 2019 | **See promotional packs for full terms and conditions.

LETTERS

sam coldbeck

Letters may be edited

Wharfedale Premier convenience store, Hull

Retailers need clarity on what we can and can’t do when it comes to CCTV and social media

Is Aldi dropping news and mags an opportunity?

NEWSPAPERS don’t sell in the volumes they used to. Sometimes the sales are now in single �igures.

Who, under the age of 50, buys a paper or magazine these days?

Also, magazines are now very expensive. Some children’s titles are nearly a �iver, and most women’s titles are also not cheap anymore. With advertising revenue shrinking, how

are all these publications going to survive?

Adrian Hilton, Co-op, Liverpool The only reason Smiths News and Menzies are concerned is the loss of carriage charge income.

I am sure there are lots of multiple operators who will follow suit.

Peter Robinson, Londis, Pembroke

It’s not fair that a small independent retailer pays the same carriage charge as the supermarkets. Looks like Aldi have seen the light.

David Tate, Sainsbury’s, Sunderland I feel as though Aldi should be more creative with the store set-up. And ditching methods of media is a bad idea, as digital subs will give way to alternative sources. Rather

they should �ind new ways to share media or things become mundane. In summary, it’s not what I call a good move, yet.

John Shaw, Liverpool It’s a dead game now, news and mags. Concentrate on other high-pro�it-margin categories, such as vaping and food to go.

Surjeet Singh Notay, Notay’s Convenience Store, West Yorkshire

TWEETS OF

THE WEEK

WIN £50-worth of Cadbury’s Easter range

Tweet us to get featured!

@retailexpress

Ten Parkfoot staff are now fully-trained Fire Wardens – informed in both the practice and the theory of fire fighting.

Parkfoot is a Living Wage employer, and we’re always investing in staff development and your safety. @SPAR_Parkfoot

MANY of us are unsure about the legalities of using CCTV images on social media to appeal for names of offenders when we experience theft, violence and antisocial behaviour in our store.

We had one such case a few years ago. I was hesitant to publicise evidence we had on CCTV of someone entering the store and Each issue, one of seven top seizing several retailers shares advice to hundred poundsmake your store magnificent worth of stock, before legging it out of the shop.

I ran after them, had a little tussle and, after several attempts to get away, they decided to just trash the lot and run, leaving me with unsalable produce.

The local paper heard about it, ran a story and asked for the CCTV in a bid to track the suspect down. Within minutes of the story breaking, several people gave the same name, the police added it to their log and we waited for a court date. Ultimately, the CPS threw the case out because of the way the suspect’s name had been obtained.

Fortunately, the suspect didn’t choose to pursue the improper use of CCTV, nor did we decide that we’d never report a crime again because the CPS had let us down in such a spectacular fashion. Instead, we decided to do things properly, keep records, report incidents of theft and work closely with the police to ensure prosecutions were watertight when they reached court.

I will be pleased to see clarity on the use of CCTV on social media and keen to fully understand the true pros and cons of self-policing our stores, but until then, our CCTV will remain a secret weapon in the battle against shop theft.

A great night with our @NFRN_Online family! @asidhu007

RETAIL Express has teamed up with Mondelez International to give five lucky retailers the chance to win £50-worth of its leading Easter range for 2020.

The prize includes a range of new products for next year, such as Cadbury Dairy Milk Vanilla Mousse Bunny, and returning favourites like the season’s biggest products, Cadbury Creme Egg and Cadbury Mini Eggs.

TO ENTER Fill in your details at:

betterRetailing.com/competitions Our competitions remain online for four weeks from publication date.

Editor’s decision is final.

I searched high and low in my neck of north London for the elusive Orange Twirl and there it was all the time in the newsagent two minutes from the salon… but £1.20?!? And, controversially, I like, but don’t love, them. @Matineegirl

Get in touch

@retailexpress betterRetailing.com facebook.com/betterRetailing chris.dillon@newtrade.co.uk 020 7689 3379

CATEGORY ADVICE

In partnership with

REVAMPING YOUR MINTS & GUM DISPLAY RETAIL EXPRESS catches up with Mike Fitzpatrick from MARS WRIGLEY to see how his category advice has been put into action and how it has helped two retailers drive their sales BEFORE

HAVING a visible, well-stocked and impactful fixture and keeping up to date with the very latest trends are essential for retailers who want to be successful in mints & gum.

RN joined Mars Wrigley’s field sales leader, Mike Fitzpatrick, to visit two store owners and share category advice on how to drive impulse sales. Here are the results.

THE RESULT

13%

AFTER

The increase in Shailesh’s sales since following Mars Wrigley’s merchandising advice

FOCUS ON SHAILESH PAREKH Nisa Local New Invention, Wolverhampton, West Midlands

CHALLENGES RANGE: Shailesh stocked a wide range of chewing gum, but he was missing bottle formats of top-selling lines, and NPD such as Starburst gum.

HEIGHT: Shailesh has dedicated space underneath the till, but it was difficult for customers to see the products they wanted.

VISIBILITY: Shailesh only had one siting for his chewing gum, which meant potential sales were being missed on a busy second till.

CHANGES TO DRIVE SALES

RANGE: To help Shailesh cater to all shopper needs, we added bestselling lines, including Extra Strawberry, some new lines and the bottle format.

HEIGHT: To help customers see Shailesh’s range, we moved his gum to a new fixture on top of the counter, which could grow sales by up to 20%.

VISIBILITY: To ensure his gum can be seen at both tills and grow impulse

EXPERT ADVICE MIKE FITZPATRICK Field Sales Leader, Mars Wrigley

“IT’S great to hear the positive effects Shailesh has seen following the changes we’ve made. It shows that by keeping up to date with new products, and formats of bestselling lines, retailers have the opportunity to increase sales. By introducing a secondary siting in Shailesh’s store, we’ve made it easier for shoppers to locate top-selling gum products and his customers seem to be responding well to this.”

sales, we placed an additional gum fixture by Shailesh’s second till.

SHAILESH SAYS

“The visit from Mars Wrigley was great and beneficial, and it’s shown in my sales. I was nervous

at first about placing a display on the till area because I like to keep the space uncluttered, but my impulse sales have improved significantly. It’s easy for retailers to get stuck in their ways and not make changes to improve their displays, so it’s great to have advice from an outside source.”

KEY LESSONS

1

Keep up to date with new products, including new formats – such as bottles.

2

Stock gum on a visible fixture by the counter so customers notice your range.

3

To grow sales, introduce a secondary siting in a high footfall area to boost impulse purchases.

3-16 DECEMBER 2019 betterRetailing.com

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Promotional feature

BEFORE

FOCUS ON VICKY ONIONS Vicky’s Convenience Store, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

CHALLENGES PRESENTATION: Vicky has limited space, so used stands where possible to increase her range. This meant some fixtures were hidden from customers.

NEW PRODUCTS: Vicky stocks a wide range of gum, but finds it a challenge to identify the top-selling lines, as well as new products to add to her range.

SECONDARY SITING: Vicky has a coffee machine, with plenty of space for additional impulse buys, but it currently only offers bakery products.

CHANGES TO DRIVE SALES PRESENTATION: A greetings card rack was blocking customers from seeing the fixture, so we moved this and placed key lines at eye level.

NEW PRODUCTS: To help bring new shoppers into the gum category, we’ve added some key new lines, such as Starburst Gum Fruity Mixies.

SECONDARY SITING: Vicky was missing out on potential sales by her hot drinks machine, so we added a small display of the topselling lines.

THE RESULT

7%

The sales increase in Vicky’s store since following Mars Wrigley’s merchandising advice

VICKY SAYS “Since improving the visibility of my mints and gum display, customers are noticing it more. Placing mints on a fixture underneath the coffee machine has created more impulse purchases, especially during mornings and lunchtimes. I’m definitely keeping the improvements.”

KEY LESSONS

1

Place key lines at eye level and ensure your gum fixture is free from obstruction.

2

Keep up to date with bestselling lines and new products to increase spend.

3

Introduce a secondary siting near your coffee machine to drive impulse buys.

AFTER

MARS WRIGLEY’S TIPS FOR YOUR STORE

1. Place key lines at eye level and ensure your gum fixture is free from obstruction.

EXPERT ADVICE MIKE FITZPATRICK Field Sales Leader, Mars Wrigley

DRIVE GUM SALES IN YOUR STORE

If you want to grow sales and improve the performance of your store, call 0207 689 0500

2. Display your gum across the till area and at eye level to maximise visibility and drive impulse purchases.

3. Be disciplined when ordering gum to ensure it’s always available for your customers.

4. Dual-site gum by hot drinks machines or food to go to grow sales and increase impulse purchases.

GET INVOLVED

“I’M really pleased that Vicky’s customers are noticing her fixture more easily than before. By making sure Vicky’s impulse lines were free from obstruction, the display was easier to shop – resulting in increased sales. The changes we made show that being disciplined with your availability and keeping up to date with trends can encourage shoppers to make additional purchases, resulting in a boost in sales.”

DRIVE GUM SALES IN YOUR STORE For more advice and tips, and to see more of Shailesh and Vicky’s shops, go to betterRetailing.com/revamping-mints-and-gum

CATEGORY ADVICE EASTER

18

3-16 DECEMBER 2019 betterRetailing.com

CRACKING PROFIT DRIVERS Easter is a crucial time for retailers, but the number of launches can make it a hard category to navigate. PRIYANKA JETHWA rounds up the latest trends, alongside a guide to what to stock

INTRODUCTION EASTER is a key sales period for retailers, with confectionery and soft drinks being the two most important categories to focus on.

While the market may be saturated, it’s important retailers are aware of launches from the biggest brands to ensure they remain competitive with the multiples.

The average UK shopper spends £17 on chocolate during the Easter season, and

in the three-week run-up to Easter 2019, confectionery was the most important category in store.

Delia Lendais-Metral, brand manager for Easter at Mondelez International, says shopping missions for Easter are changing.

“Sales of Easter confectionery during smaller shopping trips grew by 2% in 2019, while sales of Easter confectionery bought as part of a main shopping trip were down

by 46%. This means there is a great opportunity for smaller stores to take advantage of seasonal sales,” she says.

Levi Boorer, customer development director at Ferrero, explains that next year, the supplier expects to see more shoppers planning in advance for Easter and Mother’s Day, so retailers should stock up early.

“For Easter, retailers should focus on seasonal sharing and

single treats in store from February onwards – these categories will get shoppers buying into the season early and repeating their purchases.

“As spring progresses, we would recommend retailers stock more token gifts, with products such as small and medium Easter eggs, as well as novelty items becoming more of a priority to shoppers.

“Towards the last five weeks of the build-up to Easter,

we would recommend retailers add a range of larger and more premium Easter eggs to encourage shoppers to trade up and spend that little extra on gifts.”

To read Mondelez’s category advice on Easter planning, go to betterRetailing.com and search ‘Cadbury Easter 2020’

No.1 PREMIUM VODKA*

FLAVOURED GIN FASTEST GROWING CATEGORY **

*Source: Nielsen, Total Coverage, MAT to 15.06.19 **Source: Nielsen, Total Coverage, Top 20 Categories, MAT to 15.06.19

IRISH WHISKEY 2ND FASTEST GROWING CATEGORY**

PREMIUM GIN IS IN 41% YOY GROWTH*

DRINK RESPONSIBLY

CATEGORY ADVICE EASTER what to stock

THE BULK-BUY A FOUR-DAY bank holiday coupled with half-term for students means a lot of shoppers will be hosting Easter gatherings, and will be stocking up and buying multiple products at once.

It’s a good idea to stock soft drinks formats that are intended for sharing, such as 1.75l bottles of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, or 750ml glass bottles of Appletiser.

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 1.75l Appletiser 1.75l Schweppes 1l

3-16 DECEMBER 2019 betterRetailing.com

It’s also worth keeping some of these larger packs chilled where space allows, adding convenience for consumers who want to serve their drinks shortly after purchase.

“Dedicated Easter shelves that showcase soft drinks alongside essential items like seasonal gifts and sharing snacks can encourage shoppers

to stock up, leading to incremental growth for retailers,” says Amy Burgess, senior communications manager at Coca-Cola European Partners.

“These displays can be located in prominent positions, such as near the entrance to the store, or adjacent to the till, encouraging shoppers to make impulse buys.”

NOVELTY AND SHARING THE seasonal sharing and impulse categories are important drivers of growth in the five weeks before Easter, accounting for approximately 64% of sales.

As part of Ferrero’s range, Kinder’s existing range of novelties is expanding ahead of Easter, with the launch of a Kinder Mix Bunny Hairband.

As a seasonal twist on the Reindeer hairband launched for Christmas, the 167g product will feature a selection of Kinder Mini Bueno, Kinder Mini Chocolate and Kinder Mini Chocolate with Cereals.

Kinder Chocolate is also expanding its range of fluffy toys, with a leopard toy (73g)

that joins its current bunny and sheep novelties.

As well as being the perfect time for buying novelty gifts for others, treating yourself with single-serve items during this period is also popular.

Mondelez’s Susan Nash, says that when it comes to treats, January is a key sales period. “Before 14 February, 82% of Easter sales come from Mini Eggs and single treats.”

Display is key in the early part of the Easter season.

Stores with a dedicated Easter aisle saw it deliver 28% of sales, while items in secondary locations accounted for 56% of sales.

what to stock Kinder Mix Bunny Hairband Kinder Chocolate leopard toy Mini Eggs Oreo Egg

* Nielsen 17 weeks data until we 20.04.2019 For more information go to CREMEEGGEATERTAINMENT.COM

**

21

We’ve had a reďŹ t

Faster access, 24/7 Refreshed membership packages Recommended content based on your preferences New tools and downloads Plus all the exclusive news and insight crucial to making better-informed business decisions, better stocking and pricing comparisons, and better relationships with your shoppers — and suppliers Harness the power of

to improve your bottom line.

CATEGORY ADVICE EASTER

3-16 DECEMBER 2019 betterRetailing.com

23

CHOCOLATE EGGS EASTER isn’t a celebration without eggs, which remain a firm nostalgic favourite.

Driven largely by new products, the total Easter eggs category performed well in 2019, growing by 3.7%.

In 2019, from Mother’s Day to Easter Sunday, this period accounted for 56% of total Easter sales. For shoppers, it becomes about families, and shell egg sales shift to larger, more gift-worthy options.

Nash explains that retailers need to ensure they stock the whole range of shell eggs, from medium, large, giant and luxury formats.

Within this, she explains that medium-sized shell eggs are the largest footfall driver to stores from this period.

The Cadbury range will be joined in 2020 by a Caramel Shell Egg. The 125g egg joins the existing Mondelez medium shell egg range, which in-

what to stock Caramel Shell Egg Kinder Surprise 100g Egg (Justice League and Trolls licence) Thorntons Unicorn Easter Egg Bournville Orange Easter Egg Green & Black’s Easter Egg Milk Chocolate

cludes Creme Egg, Mini Eggs, Freddo Faces and Buttons.

Ferrero is also expanding its eggs range with the launch of two new Kinder Surprise eggs that include bigger toys and relevant licences.

“The new Kinder Surprise 100g will see Justice League and Trolls toys featured, while the larger Kinder Surprise 220g eggs will receive a Marvel Avengers update,” says Boorer.

BOXED CHOCOLATES WHEN it comes to boxed chocolate purchases at Easter, there are two main things to bear in mind – gifts and sharing.

Ferrero’s advice is to ensure bestselling and core lines take centre stage in displays.

“For example, Rocher (16pack) was the number-two boxed chocolate in impulse last year,” says Boorer.

“Convenience stores have the opportunity to capitalise on impulsive purchases, which are usually bought with something else – for example, flowers, wine or a gift card.

“We would also ask retailers to think before stocking high-cost or highly promoted lines that may cause headaches after the season.”

He adds that convenience stores have the upper hand over multiples in their relationship with local communities, so it’s important they create as much excitement in the lead-up to key spring events and look out for opportunities to work with suppliers.

“In-store activations will not only help translate into sales, but also bring in new shoppers,” he says.

SUPPLIER

VIEW

Spring confectionery merchandising advice

what to stock Ferrero Rocher Thorntons Classic ‘With love’ Thorntons Classics Thorntons Continental

Jo Alvarado, customer excellence director, Mars Wrigley Confectionery

• Visibility is key in such an impulsive category, so popular items should be located just below eye level to take advantage of incremental sales.

• Availability is crucial – remember to restock frequently. A fully stocked display will help maximise your profit potential and guarantee repeat visits from customers. If the main product they are looking for is out of stock, 56% customers will either go without or buy it elsewhere.

• Ensure shoppers are aware of the choice and range on offer by keeping a clear and tidy confectionery display and merchandising by format and sub-category – e.g. single-serving fruit confectionery, single-serving chocolate confectionery, chocolate blocks, sharing bags of chocolate, and so on.

• Rotate stock regularly so that older stock is sold through first.

• Focus on new products in store to raise sales and capitalise on early consumer demand.

• Use eye-catching PoS materials to draw attention to your confectionery display, encouraging customers to buy on impulse.

CATEGORY ADVICE RETAILER CHOICE AWARDS

24

2019

HAVE YOUR SAY Running in our weekly sister title, RN, the Retailer Choice Awards are a chance for you to have your say on who the best performers have been in the convenience sector in 2019

GREAT OPPORTUNITIES AS 2019 draws to a close, it’s a great time to evaluate who has gone above and beyond for independent shops this year.

As well as acknowledging the top-performing suppliers, symbol groups and wholesalers, the Retailer Choice Awards are a great opportunity for you to learn the names other retailers think stand out.

The awards cover nine categories, all of which are crucial to the independent sector.

These include ad campaign of the year, symbol group of the year, product launch of the year and many more.

This is the chance for you to let suppliers know where you think they’ve done a good job, and helped your business grow.

On the next page, we’ll show you all nine categories for the awards, as well as a list of who’s been nominated for each.

Once you’ve made your decision, voting for the awards is open until 9 December online at betterRetailing.com.

The results will be published online and in RN on 20 December.

Log on to

AD CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

3-16 DECEMBER 2019 betterRetailing.com

to cast your vote by 9 December

SYMBOL GROUP OF THE YEAR

PROFIT DRIVER OF THE YEAR

‘I Blu do you?’ by Blu

Tango Ice Blast

Chicago Town Pizza Stand

Nisa

One Stop

‘Original by tradition’ by The Glenlivet

F’Real Milkshakes

Panini

Costcutter

Best-one

‘Let’s talk’ by Pladis

Delice de France

Premier

‘Made to move’ by Lucozade Ribena Suntory ‘Where everyone plays’ by Coca-Cola European Partners

LAUNCH OF THE YEAR Cadbury Orange Twirl Lucozade Energy Watermelon & Strawberry Cooler Beefeater Blood Orange Logic Epiq Cadbury Freddo Treasures Juul Vape Dinner Lady disposables Costa Canned Coffee

NEWSSTAND PERFORMER OF THE YEAR News UK

Fun to Learn Favourites

Daily Mail

Olive

Platinum

KitKat Ruby Ribena Frusion

TREND OF THE YEAR

WHOLESALE PARTNER OF THE YEAR

Food-to-go concessions Delivery apps

Parfetts

Cotswold Fayre

Booker

Rayburn Trading

Vapes and e-cigarettes Slush drinks Henderson Cannabidiol

SALESFORCE OF THE YEAR

WEBSITE OF THE YEAR

Coca-Cola European Partners

JTI Advance

JTI

Mondelez: Delicious Display

Mondelez

Ferrero: Your Perfect Store

Imperial Tobacco

Camelot: The National Lottery Retailer Hub

Lucozade Ribena Suntory

News UK: News Retail Plus

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PROFILE

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3-16 DECEMBER 2019 betterRetailing.com

RETAILER PROFILE ATUL SODHA LONDIS PEVERILLS Location: Uxbridge, Middlesex Shop size: 650sq ft Bestselling lines: Vape liquids, ale, greetings cards and hot food to go

‘WE’RE A SMALL STORE MAKING A BIG IMPACT’ TAMARA BIRCH BEING one of only two stores in a two-mile radius, it’s no wonder that Atul Sodha knows his customers by name.

Atul has spent the past 30 years as a retailer, building long-lasting relationships with his customers and treating them like family, with laughs, banter and outstanding customer service.

“Most of my customers have been shopping with us since I took over the store,” Atul explains. “We have one customer with whom we’ve created a long-lasting relationship, and he now travels a long distance to buy a lottery ticket.”

Atul knows the importance of retaining customers, so when a new shopper visits his store, he makes sure to �ind out a little about them in order to upsell his products – and ensure they become long-term.

“We have a lot of transient customers, who are dif�icult to make regulars. But I strike up conversations with all customers to �ind out more about them. This helps me stock the right products, discover new ones and create that dialogue,” he explains.

By interacting with his customers, Atul quickly �inds out their likes and dislikes, and tries to merchandise his range accordingly.

“We are a small store, but what we stock is quite impactful. For example, Cadbury Orange Twirl was a huge hit, so a lot of my new products are orange-�lavoured because that’s what customers enjoy,” Atul says. “If I don’t have something in, I’ll recommend something similar.”

As well as interacting with his customers, Atul actively uses Twitter to connect with suppliers, and he encourages other retailers to use the platform.

“Social media is key to growing your business. At �irst, I used Twitter and Facebook to connect with other retailers, but now I get creative and

make quirky videos – and I get customers involved, too.”

Atul joined Twitter in 2014 and posts almost daily to interact with customers. He also uses Facebook and Instagram to connect with them.

“Instagram is the next key tool that retailers need to stay ahead of the curve. I advertised Orange Twirl on Instagram and ended up having a two-hour conversation with a customer on the platform,” Atul explains.

Atul primarily has an older

CONVERSATIONS WITH CUSTOMERS HELP ME STOCK THE RIGHT PRODUCTS

customer base, meaning that a lot of trends aren’t necessarily relevant for his store.

He has, however, made sure to offer products that cater for health trends, as well as sustainability. “There has been a rise in health trends, so I increased my range to match this,” he says.

“To improve our sustainability, we offer three cleaning products where shoppers buy a bottle, and they can re�ill it for £1. It’s been a great pro�it driver, and it means I’m doing my bit for the environment.”

As a 650sq ft store, every product in Atul’s shop needs to earn its place, but it’s clear his bestselling category is food to go.

“Our bakery and hot food-togo products are baked in store.

We sold 100 mince pies in two days,” he says. “A few years ago, we renovated our store room to be able to put an oven in our kitchen and our sales increased – it’s all about how you market your products.”

For more pictures of the store, go to betterRetailing.com/ londis-peverills-uxbridge

in 1 Invest your team “I genuinely believe that if you spend time training your team, they will pick up your business sense and ethos – resulting in your business being taken care of,” Atul says. your 2 Find niche “Every retailer offers the basic categories, but our bakery and level of customer service is what set us apart from our competition and keeps shoppers returning,” he explains. with 3 Speak other retailers “I interact with other retailers on social media, but we also have a symbol group WhatsApp chat. It’s great retailers are no longer closed off about their business ideas. We help each other,” he adds.