Courier service from Bobby’s Foods

Bobby’s Foods is launching a delivered-by-courier service on new products.

The wholesaler’s bagged sweets range was launched with courier delivery in September, and Bobby’s is hailing the system as a success.

The previous directto-store van delivery method is still available on most products, but 20 products from Bobby’s Food’s new range will instead be delivered by courier.

The system means Bobby’s can improve its range and availability, as the company will be able to make quick drops of products there would not have been space for in standard delivery vans.

Products available for courier delivery include the new War Heads range, Asian gum brand Hi-Chew, and strawberry Rip Rolls, which are returning to sale.

Retailers can place orders for delivered-bycourier products through their Bobby’s rep as normal or through a Bobby's Foods depot, and the delivery will be made within three to five days.

Payment is then made on their next Bobby’s visit, or can be organised separately.

Retailers can receive £10 off on any order of 10 products in this range (excluding bagged sweets, Bonds, or van products for which alternative promotions are ongoing).

One Stop’s head of business development, Taranjit Dhillon, said: “We would like to thank Julie Taylor for her hard work in her community, and Gitesh Adeshara for being a proud representative of One Stop’s values.”

Bestway MyCheckr rollout

A Bestway-owned store is using facial-recognition software to enforce agerestricted purchasing.

Central Convenience Store in Southampton is using MyCheckr, a device that shows if a customer purchasing goods such as alcohol or tobacco appears to be underage.

A screen turns green if the customer passes the check, and red if they appear too young. The customer is then asked to present ID.

MyCheckr said it would be rolling out the devices in other Central Convenience stores “over the coming months”.

Paper price reduction

Newsprint and magazine paper prices are beginning to fall, with hopes the reductions will slow the above-inflation price rises damaging retail sales.

Print paper broker Ian Maxted told publishers last week: “I’m pleased to say paper prices are starting to soften and we’re starting to get reductions for prices in the second half of 2023, and that trend should continue.”

He explained the cost of paper production had been hit by strikes, the war in Ukraine and rising energy bills, leading one mill to consider stopping production.

However, one news publisher said optimism should be guarded. They added: “It’s still nearly double what we were paying two years ago. Add that to fuel, wages and transport, and we’re facing the same cost of doing business crises that most other businesses are.”

Telegraph director ditched

Another director has been removed from the Telegraph Media Group as part of plans by banking groups to recoup debts by selling the company.

Documents filed on 7 June and published last week show the two members of the Barclay family described as “holding the purse strings” were removed – Howard and Adrian Barclay. Philip Peters lost his position on the same day.

Richard Neale was removed five days later on 12 June, leaving one original director left.