RN - 8 March 2024

CONTENTS

Editor

Jack Courtez

@JackCourtez

07592 880864

News editor

Megan Humphrey

@MeganHumphrey_ 07597 588972

Features editor

Charles Whitting

@CharlieWhittin1

020 7689 3350

News reporter

Alice Brooker 07597 588955

Head of design

Anne-Claire Pickard

Senior designer

Jody Cooke

Junior designer

Lauren Jackson

Production editor

Ryan Cooper

Sub editors

Jim Findlay, Robin Jarossi

Production coordinator

Chris Gardner 020 7689 3368

Cover image credits:

Getty Images/C-Mere

Editor in chief

Louise Banham

@LouiseBanham

Deputy insight & advertorial editor

Jasper Hart

@JasperAHHart 020 7689 3384

News editor

Alex Yau

@AlexYau_ 020 7689 3358

Specialist reporter

Dia Stronach 020 7689 3375

Features writer

Priya Khaira 020 7689 3379

Head of commercial

Natalie Reeve 07856 475788

Senior account director

Charlotte Jesson 07807 287607

Account director

Lindsay Hudson 07749 416544

Account managers

Megan Byrne 07530 834009

Lisa Martin 07951 461146

Managing director

Parin Gohil 020 7689 3363

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help you grow your sales

t’s now two months since the ITV Post Office (PO) scandal drama and quite a lot has changed, but too much remains the same. High-profile casualties of the fallout include PO chair Henry Staunton, who was sacked last month, but who claims current PO chief executive Nick Read tried to double his pay to around £1m at a time when Read admitted to RN that half of branches were making less than £5,000 profit per year. The prime minister then refused to say that he had confidence in Read’s leadership last week, often the final nail in the coffin for a high-profile government-linked figure.

Last week also saw former PO chief executive Paula Vennels finally have her CBE rescinded and the company quietly parted ways with its communications director, Richard Taylor, who was caught claiming nothing had been proved to be wrong with Horizon and the victims were actually “on the take”.

Emails released last week from PO non-exec director Elliot Jacobs claim that many staff at PO agree with Taylor, and “40-plus” staff involved in prosecuting innocent people are still receiving PO paycheques.

The biggest change since the drama, though, is the law that will be passed this summer removing the criminal convictions of those prosecuted using evidence from the faulty Horizon system. Those who have already had their convictions overturned will also see their interim compensation increased from £164,000 to £450,000. However, for other claimants, PO is still missing its targets of providing offers within 40 days of a claim to 90% of those coming forward.

The very poor remuneration for current postmasters has been described as “the second PO scandal”, and it’s here the least progress has been made. The PO’s remuneration review is due to be announced this month, but considering Read has said there is “no silver bullet”, it’s unlikely to resolve many branches being simply unprofitable.

It looks increasingly as though the government would like to embark on a major restructure at the top level of the organisation. The questions are, who would take this poisoned chalice? Is the government willing to spend the funds and political capital needed to properly sort out this mess as it turns its attention to the General Election? I doubt it. In the short-to-medium term, PO branches appear to be stuck in stormy seas without lifeboats.

HEADLINES

3 INDUSTRY NEWS

Post Office Horizon scandal fallout continues

Retailers report slow uptake of PayPoint’s Park Christmas Savings

5 SYMBOLS & WHOLESALE

United Wholesale Scotland updates Day-Today fascia

6 N EWS & MAGS

Smiths News pays out over sandwich-stealing driver

7 FED NEWS

Scotland’s HFSS proposals explained

8 YOUR VIEWS

‘Be aware of thefts by staff members’

INSIGHT

10 PRODUCT NEWS

Organic food supplier unveils new range of cooking pastes

12 PRICEWATCH

Sweet prices for sharing confectionery

14 WHOLESALE PRICEWATCH

Compare wholesalers’ prices on top sharing-bag lines

15 EXPERT OPINION

Learn from chain-owned c-stores

16 STORE PROFILE

Vas Vakeria explains how to find your unique selling point

19 STORE MANUAL

How to build your store handbook

20 JUICES & SQUASHES

Improve your juices and cordials range

22 PRICE-MARKED PACKS

Retailers explain their PMP plans

24 BASKET SPEND

Eleven proven ways to boost your sales

29 THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

Why Pressing Matters deserves a spot on your shelves

PO leadership under fire over Read salary claims

by Alice Brooker alice.brooker@newtrade.co.uk

The Post Office (PO) leadership has come under fire again, following fresh allegations current boss Nick Read had bullied staff and threatened to resign unless he was given a £1.1m salary.

The allegations over pay were made by sacked PO chairman Henry Staunton in a Commons Business Select Committee meeting on 27 February.

Staunton claimed he had suggested doubling Read’s pay to more than £1.1m to “retain” the chief executive.

Business minister Kevin Hollinrake later confirmed Staunton’s claims to MPs, but stressed any request for a salary increase was rejected. Read denied claims he had considered resigning to the Select Committee.

Recent PO figures suggest Read was paid £816,000 in 2021-22 and £573,000 in 2022-23. Read previously admitted to RN that half of PO branches were making less than £5,000 profit a year.

Staunton also alleged that Read was being investigated by PO for

bullying, following a fallout with his former HR director.

He claimed Read was under investigation after being placed at the centre of an 80-page “speak up” dossier produced by the HR director.

The Business Select Committee has demanded a copy of the dossier, which the PO has reportedly refused to hand over.

Speaking in the Commons and to Times Radio following the Select Committee meeting, prime minister Rishi Sunak and chancellor Jeremy Hunt failed to give their support to Read.

In response to the allegations against Read, Ben Tidswell, PO senior independent director,

said: “Nick Read has at times felt the weight of the PO’s awful history on his shoulders, and it is of no surprise that he will have had private discussions in confidence.

“However, to my knowledge, he has never tendered his resignation and he continues to accept leadership responsibility.”

Tidswell confirmed PO had received a complaint against a number of people, including Read, all of whom are under investigation.

The revelation comes as a leaked memo addressed to Read by subpostmaster Elliot Jacobs revealed that postmasters serving on the PO board felt “ignored and unwanted” in the days before Staunton was

sacked as chairman.

Jacobs, who is also a PO non-executive director, claimed investigators who had wrongly accused innocent subpostmasters were still being employed by the organisation.

He said: “The culture that postmasters are ‘guilty’ and ‘on the take’ is embedded in this company, and, while we continue to employ 40-plus people who ensured innocent people were found guilty and who continue to believe that mantra, this will never change.

“The ‘untouchables’ –your words – who work in investigations, investigate everything and everyone. This is not a normal approach to governance or oversight.”

Country Choice doughnut trials

Food-to-go wholesaler

Country Choice has begun trials of a part-baked doughnut service in a number of stores.

RN understands the products are delivered to stores frozen.

The doughnuts are then defrosted by the retailer and dipped into a choice of toppings.

Retailers are not required to heat up the doughnuts after they have

been defrosted.

Although the company has previously offered doughnuts to stores, it is the first time they have been made available as a customisable product.

One source, who asked not to be named, told RN the company had been approaching prospective retailers with the service.

They added: “It’s basically a create-your-own doughnut service that’s

being launched. I’m interested, and it looks like a really good opportunity.

“I’ve been looking into more food-to-go opportunities like this, where you can potentially get some decent margins.”

The service is the latest in several fresh-doughnut opportunities being made available to independent convenience stores.

Last month, RN revealed Krispy Kreme’s

Spring Budget latest

The government’s spring Budget announced earlier this week was set to include new taxes on vapes.

Taking place after RN went to press, ministers had indicated a new levy on vape e-liquids – decided by nicotine strength –would be added as part of measures designed to cut youth vaping.

The duty levels were not known when RN went to press.

A further tobaccoduty increase, designed to maintain a price difference between vaping and smoking, was also on the cards, and would be the second tobacco duty hike in six months.

Despite talk of tax cuts, official financial forecasts are said to have given chancellor Jeremy Hunt “less money to spend” than previously thought.

Full coverage of the Budget’s impact on convenience stores will feature in next week’s edition of RN (15 March).

Snappy and MSP partner

MSP Systems has become Snappy Shopper’s eighth EPoS partner.

expansion plans to get its doughnut cabinets into small stores, while Project D and Planet Doughnut are among the companies also distributing the pastry into convenience.

A Country Choice spokesperson confirmed the service was being trialled with “a number of customers”, but was unable to provide further details on a wider rollout.

The deal means Booker, Nisa, Bestway, Spar and Morrisons Daily retailers using MSP will gain access to automatic delivery stock, price and sales updates.

Snappy Group chief executive Mike Callachan said: “We want to support the retailer community, helping them to save time and make more money. The fact MSP was founded by a retailer shows us the expertise behind the EPoS system with retailers front of mind.”

Former PO chairman Henry Staunton holding the dossier

Grocery inflation drops

Grocery inflation has fallen to its lowest rate in two years, suggesting the cost-of-living crisis may be easing.

Data published last week by retail analyst Kantar recorded a drop in inflation to 5.3%, the lowest since March 2022. Strategic insight director Tom Steel said it shows “things [were] looking up”.

However, symbol groups and independents saw a slight decline in their market share of 1.4%, down by 0.1% in December 2023. Yet sales across the sector are up by 0.7% year on year, from £499m to £502m in the 12 weeks to 18 February.

Elsewhere, own-label lines continue to perform, and highlight strong demand for more affordable goods.

The category grew by 5.5% versus branded products at 5.3%. Lidl was the only retailer to achieve double-digit growth with sales up by 10.9%.

No DRS ‘until 2028’

The UK’s deposit return scheme (DRS) is expected to be delayed once again until 2028, recent reports indicate.

The i newspaper reported last week that ministers have halted work on any progress, although no official announcement has been made yet.

The Fed’s national president, Muntazir Dipoti, said he will be “deeply disappointed” and hoped “that a UK-wide scheme would be operational long before 2028”.

Ireland went live with its DRS last month.

PayPoint’s Park Xmas savings off to slow start

by Jack Courtez and Megan Humphrey editorial@newtrade.co.uk

Independent retailers operating PayPoint’s Park Christmas Savings scheme claim interest has been “slower than expected”, despite the company onboarding 1,700 sites.

Last year, PayPoint teamed up with Park Christmas Savings, the UK’s biggest christmas savings club, giving Fed retailers the opportunity to become “super agents”, and “earn more than £1,000 a year in commission” by recruiting savers in their area.

The forecast is based on each store signing up 40 savers, each depositing £500 during the savings year.

However, despite a major advertising push by PayPoint and retailers, many revealed they are significantly below the targeted number of sign-ups.

Vince Malone, owner of Tenby Stores in Pembrokeshire, said: “It has been a bit slower than we planned, but those who have signed up have really

bought into it.

“We’ve had about seven customers, and have an immediate target of 10.”

Despite rewarding staff to sign up shoppers and great activity in store, Bay Bashir, of Belle Vue Convenience (Go Local) in Middlesbrough, has had fewer than five sign-ups. “It’s not been as successful as I thought it would be,” he said.

“I am a strong supporter of it, but not everything works out.”

A handful of other retailers, who wish to remain anonymous, said they’ve had no customers sign up, with one stating: “The problem is that a lot of people have their own system and don’t feel the need to sign up.”

RN understands the launch was supported with a £2.5m national advertising campaign.

Retailer incentives are up for grabs, including a monthly prize draw for achieving certain levels of savers and a consumer saver incentive offering a £10 bonus for anyone signing up before the end of March.

Despite a mixed reaction, retailers confirmed

to RN they were “staying optimistic”.

Malone praised PayPoint’s point-of-sale materials, confirming “it makes good discussions with customers”.

Natalie Lightfoot, owner of Londis Solo Convenience in Baillieston, Glasgow, is the secondhighest-performing store in the UK.

She urged retailers to talk to their customers to help with conversion rates. “I’ve found it an easy conversation with customers to sign up,” she said.

“I’ve carried over part of the incentive to customers, so they can top up £25 for £20, and I get £10.”

A spokesperson for PayPoint responded: “Overall, the interest among consumers has been very good. We have

also worked closely with retailers and the Fed to get feedback and continuously improve the range of tools and support available for super agents.

“This includes training videos, a retailer masterclass to share best practice, social media tools, top tips on selling to customers, hundreds of in-person store visits and advertising.

“Many retailers who have taken advantage of the support have attained double digits of savers over a relatively short period.

“We encourage any super agent to engage and have proactive conversations with customers, as well as take advantage of the tools, support and incentives that we have put in place to help them succeed.”

PO expands its banking services

Post Office (PO) has begun a wider rollout of overthe-counter banking services, enabling subpostmasters to offer personal and commercial banking services to customers.

Vince Malone, of Tenby Stores in Pembrokeshire, will become one of the latest postmasters operating the “enhanced banking counter” service when it goes live in midMarch. He told RN he will

get a dedicated banking counter and cash-counter machine, which acts as a secure safe. The device is designed to reduce note handling time and improve security.

Postmasters will receive remuneration for handling cash withdrawals, deposits, balance enquiries and cheque deposits.

There are currently nine enhanced banking

branches, with the sites chosen by Link following an access-to-cash survey. The service is funded through Link’s operating company Cash Access UK, who will be investing in more branches this year.

Malone said: “Having additional banking services will certainly help us differentiate and attract more footfall due to nearby bank closures.”

A PO spokesperson

said: “In partnership with Cash Access UK, we are enhancing the banking facilities at post offices to support consumers and businesses with their cash needs.

“Together, we have introduced faster banking services, which has included new machines to make transactions quicker and, in some branches, a dedicated banking counter.”

SYMBOL NEWS

EXCLUSIVE

UWS to upgrade Day-Today stores with black fascias

by Alex Yau alex.yau@newtrade.co.uk

United Wholesale Scotland (UWS) is to update all of its Day-Today symbol stores with its premium black fascia.

The programme will see 100 remaining stores with the company’s older green design given the updated branding, inside and out.

UWS symbol group controller Naeem Khaliq told RN 30 stores will be updated by the end of March, with the remainder expected for completion in phases over the course of 2024.

The wholesaler has more than 300 Day-Today stores in total.

He said: “It’s an extensive refresh programme where we’re updating window graphics and internal signage, which will be funded by us.

“The retailer can choose to provide extra investment in lighting, shelving or refrigeration themselves if they want to expand these areas.

“The idea is that the black fascia provides stores with a more modern look. We’ve got lots of new stores coming in as well, but we want to phase the refresh out to

make the programme manageable.”

Other support provided as part of the refresh includes a range review for stores, ensuring retailers stock core selling lines from Unitas Wholesale’s Plan for Profit guide, alongside more localised products.

The company recently completed a refurbishment on a Day-Today store in Stone Place, Edinburgh.

As well as the updated fascia, the site’s chilled and frozen range was expanded.

Khaliq said footfall and sales had both risen by 10% following the refit. He added: “It looked a bit run-

down before the refurbishment, and it looks like a totally different shop now. The changes have allowed it to attract more passing trade and different types of customers. Before, its main customer base would only come in for bread and cigarettes.

“They are still coming in, but younger shoppers are now visiting. It has more products such as vapes, US confectionery and viral brands, such as Takis.

“The initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with customers praising the improved experience, wider product selection and brighter

atmosphere. We’ve already seen positive signs in sales and anticipate continued growth in the coming weeks.”

The wider refresh will also see some stores that are “no longer suitable” removed from the DayToday estate.

Meanwhile, Khaliq added that UWS was looking to expand further across Scotland. He told RN: “We’ve already got quite a strong presence in the central belt of Scotland, but there are other areas we want to get to in the foreseeable future. This includes north of Kirklees and Ayrshire.”

Glenshire to expand into England

Scottish convenience chain Glenshire Group has announced plans to expand its Greens Retail chain to England for the first time.

The company, which is run by multi-site retailer Harris Aslam, outlined the strategy in a job advertisement for a head of retail.

In the post, it said: “Greens Retail is in an ex-

citing period of growth on a journey to become the leading convenience store operator in Scotland as well as this year entering the English market.

“Combined, it is on track to deliver more than 50 convenience stores and more than £100m group turnover.

“Greens Retail is looking for a head of retail to

lead its retail/operations team (with area managers reporting to you directly) as well as leading our trading strategy.

“You will report directly into the retail managing director and will act as a key member of the senior leadership team to develop and deliver strategic plans.”

Greens Retail has

Hancocks depot revamp

Confectionery wholesaler Hancocks has revamped its Bristol depot, adding improved signage and specialist areas for retailers.

The company said the refresh would give customers a “supermarketformat shopping experience”. It includes banners indicating bestsellers, new products, promotions and clearance stock. More well-known brands will also be given their own aisles.

Hancocks chief operating officer Jonathan Summerley said: “Our goal is to give retailers as customerfriendly an experience as possible, with new signage, branded aisles and try-before-you-buy lines.

“The store has been redesigned in a supermarket format with directional signs on top of aisles, which makes it easier for new customers to find what they’re looking for.”

Elbrook partners Bankzy

South London-based cashand-carry company Elbrook has teamed up with open-banking payment provider Bankzy.

20 stores in its estate, branded under its own banner as well as Nisa and KeyStore.

Last year, the company became one of the first independent retailers to operate a Pizza Hut franchise alongside a convenience store, with concessions from the global fast-food chain expanding to its other sites since.

Posting on social media, Bankzy said: “The company has confirmed a multi-year agreement to offer customers the ability to pay via Bankzy.

“With the aim of helping drive significant cost savings, coupled with an enhanced customer-reward system, it selected us to become its open-banking payment partner.”

Open banking enables retailers to pay for stock through apps, avoiding cash-flow limitations and credit-card charges.

EXCLUSIVE PDRP to rerelease survey

NEWS & MAGS Smiths News pays out over thieving driver

The Press Distribution Review Panel (PDRP) has released its annual report into complaints made against news wholesalers.

The report found that overall complaints in 2023 fell to “the lowest level recorded since 2014” (with 2020 excluded due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

The number of complaints escalated to stage two did rise from eight to 11, leading some to speculate this reflected a better understanding by retailers of how and when to escalate complaints.

The PDRP last year surveyed retailers on their experiences with news wholesale complaints, and found the majority of retailers felt the process was not fair. This year, they are planning to re-release the survey with the same questions to get comparisons to last year and potentially improve feedback.

Windingup order: The Lady

Britain’s longest-running women’s magazine has received a winding-up order from HMRC over unpaid taxes.

Ben Budworth, publisher and CEO of The Lady, told RN: “During the pandemic we had a torrid few years where few people bought the magazine and fewer still wanted to advertise.”

He confirmed The Lady exited the pandemic owing money to HMRC. Budworth added he expected to be successful in having the winding-up order “dismissed” and that a payment plan was in place.

by Dia Stronach dia.stronach@newtrade.co.uk

Smiths News has been forced to repay a retailer after one of its drivers was caught repeatedly stealing sandwiches from a store when making deliveries.

On 1 January, a retailer located in the south-east, spotted a Smiths News driver on their CCTV cameras stealing five sandwiches out of the store’s secure box. The footage showed the driver making their newspaper delivery, and then removing five sandwiches from the box and taking them.

The retailer first contacted the Fed’s helpline on 3 January for support with contacting Smiths News, and asked that the value of the sandwiches be repaid, and the driver apologise for the theft. Smiths News confirmed on 4 January that it would “investigate”.

When neither had been done by 9 January, the retailer reached out to follow up with the Fed once again. On 11 January,

Smiths News told the Fed that the CCTV footage had not been received, and requested that it be sent. This was resent a day later, but Smiths News advised they could still not access the footage by 17 January.

On 19 January, the retailer reported to the Fed that the same driver had once again been caught on CCTV stealing more sandwiches.

On 21 February, 52 days after the first incident, the Fed advised Smiths News that if the matter was not resolved, the retailer should contact the police about the thefts.

RN approached Smiths

News. The news wholesaler apologised for the nearly-two-month-long delay and confirmed the retailer had been repaid. A spokesperson for Smiths News told RN on 28 February: “As a business, we understand the seriousness of this situation and we sincerely apologise for the delay it has taken in resolving it. In light of this incident, we have conducted a thorough investigation to determine the cause and implement preventive measures to avoid similar occurrences in the future. This investigation will entail a review of our internal processes,

and appropriate corrective actions will be taken accordingly.”

They added that “full restitution was made to the customer on 27 February” and that the driver involved no longer worked at Smiths.

The spokesperson added: “We value the feedback provided by the customer and apologise for any inconvenience caused. We remain dedicated to delivering exceptional service while upholding the highest ethical standards in all our operations.”

The identities of the driver and shop owner have been omitted for legal reasons.

News UK surveying ‘state of industry’

News UK is conducting a survey into the state of the newspaper industry, consulting with leading figures on its next steps.

Several anonymous sources who were included in the survey confirmed to RN that they were asked about the major issues facing the newstrade, what the concerns and aspirations of people working in the industry are, and what steps are needed for the supply chain.

The survey is being

conducted by Jim Bilton of Wessenden Marketing. Several years ago, Bilton conducted a similar survey on the behalf of the Professional Publishers’ Association (PPA), where he interviewed key buyers for all aspects of the magazine industry. This included buyers for supermarkets, convenience and other sites.

One source told RN that it is rare for News UK not to be making significant steps at the beginning of a new year. “News UK never

stands still, it’s always at the forefront of new initiatives in newstrade,” they said.

Several respondents to the survey told RN they felt that News UK was seeking to “take a step back” after a series of significant changes in 2023, including the end of direct-to-retail sales late in the year.

“It’s taking a step back to say, where do we go next with the supply chain,” one source said. “It’s come in for a lot of

criticism.”

Another respondent, who works closely with independent retailers, told RN that their answers to the survey highlighted issues such as margin cuts, cover price increases, carriage charges, quality of service from suppliers and the growing threat of digital offers. Several of these issues – particularly price increases and margin cuts – were echoed by other respondents spoken to by RN.

FED NEWS

Scotland

Junk-food restrictions to be stricter in Scotland

by Jack Courtez jack.courtez@newtrade.co.uk

Scotland’s newly proposed junk-food restrictions are stricter than England’s similar laws, creating additional challenges for symbol and franchise stores.

Announcing plans for restrictions on high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) lines, the Scottish government broadly followed England’s plans, which see the final stage of restrictions – on pack promotions and multibuys –begin in October 2025.

No start date was given for the other measures, many of which are already in force in England.

Despite the similarities with England’s HFSS laws, there are significant changes that would affect promotions, deals and displays in nearly all convenience stores in Scotland.

These include restrictions on meal deals, such as a sandwich, drink and snack, which are exempt from restrictions in England.

The exact meal-deal restrictions are still to be confirmed, but could include a ban on any meal deals containing just one HFSS product.

Another departure is that limited-time price discounts, such as symbol-group promotional cycles on unhealthy foods, would also be outlawed.

Finally, stores in Scotland would face a complete ban on the use of free-standing display units containing food deemed unhealthy. This would include pallets

and dump bins.

The Scottish government initially proposed the limited-time promotion restrictions in 2022, before backtracking in 2023 and finally reintroducing the proposed measure last week.

Despite industry groups urging the exemption of symbol and franchise store owners from all restrictions, Holyrood followed England in ignoring these requests.

Only stores trading under their own name, with fewer than 50 staff, will be exempt from most measures, which include bans on multibuy promotions and on-pack volume deals on unhealthy lines.

These include buy-oneget-one free promotions and ‘x% extra free’ offers on packaging.

As in England, symbol and franchise stores with shop floors smaller than 2,000sq ft will not have to follow the display restrictions, which ban all other sites from placing HFSS items around checkouts, queuing areas, gondola ends and store entrances.

Larger stores will be

blocked from using clip strips containing HFSS goods within 50cm of gondola ends.

Fed member Dennis Williams, of Broadway Premier in Edinburgh, told RN: “Stores will probably find ways around it, but it will cause problems. Our shop floor is small enough that the display restrictions won’t apply to us, but the rest will affect our business.

“The Scottish government needs to understand the combined impact of policies, rather than just view them in isolation. With minimum unit pricing, HFSS, vaping restrictions and the minimumwage increase, there will be pressure on sales and margins.”

Explaining HFSS restrictions, MSP and minister for public health and women’s health Jenni Minto said: “This can encourage us to buy things we do not need and to overlook cheaper, healthier alternatives.

“By restricting the promotion of less healthy food and drink, we can encourage healthier options.”

Categories to be included are soft drinks with added sugar, savoury snacks, breakfast cereals, confectionery, ice cream and lollies, cakes and biscuits, pastries and morning bakery goods, desserts and puddings, sweetened yoghurts, pizza, oven potato products and ready meals.

Stores using ordering platforms such as Snappy Shopper, Uber Eats and Deliveroo will also face restrictions on how they list and promote HFSS goods in these categories.

The plans are subject to a consultation, which opened last week and closes on 21 May.

While the proposals state that local councils will enforce the legislation with on-the-spot fines of up to £2,500, similar processes in England have been ineffective.

An investigation last year by the Obesity Health Alliance found some major supermarkets showed “blatant disregard” for the measures and local authorities lacked the resources to enforce what they saw as a “low-priority” problem.

National Awards success

Police response advice

National Business Crime Centre lead Patrick Holdaway has advised retailers of how they can ensure a better police response.

Speaking at a Fed London district meeting last month, the City of London Police superintendent said including certain factors, where accurate, in a crime report will help ensure the response is “appropriate”.

These include mentioning the use or threat of violence, or verbal abuse as the first part of any report; highlighting injuries or welfare risks; suspected mental health, drug or alcohol aspects to the crime; if the offender is still on the scene or nearby; if there is a need to protect vulnerable persons; where there are language difficulties; if evidence could be lost if police do not attend immediately; if property has been recovered or found; and witnesses.

The Fed’s scooping of two awards last month demonstrates its passion for supporting local shops, according to its national president, Muntazir Dipoti.

The Trade Association Forum Awards in London announced the Fed as winners of the Best Association/Supplier Partnership award, while Fed business development manager Nathan Hall won the Rising Star award.

Dipoti said: “This is testament to the hard work, passion and dedication that everyone at the Fed brings day in, day out.”

YOUR VIEWS

Be aware of thefts by staff members

I returned from holiday and had to deal with misconduct procedures because a member of staff was stealing from me – I’m spending hours doing this after having suspended them.

On top of the betrayal, it’s the time it takes to do the investigation.

My old manager used to say the biggest theft isn’t from the customers, it’s

from the staff. If you’re not careful, and not keeping an eye on it, staff can steal from you.

It won’t happen if you keep an eye on it, but you can get distracted if you’re busy.

Staff see this, and they can attempt to take advantage of you.

It can amount to a lot, too. Some know how the CCTV works, and they can con the card machine, the CCTV and the EPoS system. It’s very clever.

The staff member I recently suspended for

THERE ARE UPSIDES AND DOWNSIDES TO GUINNESS SUCCESS

James Bielby, chief executive,

FWD

In January, it was reported that Guinness was the UK’s most popular beer, accounting for one in nine pints served in Great Britain last year. It’s popular on TikTok, and Kim Kardashian was spotted drinking it in London.

The same month, it was also reported that Guinness owner Diageo was upping its minimum-order quantity for wholesalers to be eligible for direct supply.

From April, only

wholesalers buying more than £2m directly will be able to place orders with Diageo.

It’s fair to say this hasn’t been the mostpopular decision among those 35 wholesalers who will no longer have direct supply, some of which have been pretty vocal about it in the pages of RN.

What are the implications for retailers? In the short term, not much. Diageo is redeploying the resources it spent

VIEW FROM THE COUNTER with Julie and Joey Duhra

Three cases of Blue Lucozade were delivered to the shop last week and they sold out instantly. The main customers were teenagers, or parents who had been pestered into buying it for their children.

It shows the power of social media and how easily new products can go viral. I know Blue Lucozade gathered a lot of attention on social media, just like Prime before it. The kids won’t necessarily drink the products after they’ve bought them, either. Some will take them home and gather a collection of them.

stealing has denied it, so I have to spend hours on an investigation to look into every single transaction and bring up hard evidence.

It’s a lot to go through. Other members of staff can notice it, too.

It’s just one member of staff, but I might find others in the future.

In the past, other staff members have confessed to me about taking something and forgetting to pay.

While it’s not significant, and they do confess, it does still happen.

Anonymous retailer

They will take pictures to share on their socialmedia profiles, with the purpose of generating as many likes from their followers as possible. We’re looking forward to receiving our next batch of stock. We think Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I is managing supply carefully to ensure everyone in retail gets a fair share.

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED THIS WEEK

We previously mentioned we had partnered with UPS for parcel drop-off and pick-up services. The service has been very beneficial as we’re getting a lot of new faces we’ve not seen in the shop before. One of the hardest things in retail is getting new customers through the door. The UPS customers are buying items as well, so the partnership is having a positive impact on our sales.

servicing wholesalers to directly support retail customers, which will see investment in point-ofpurchasing dynamics and planogram support.

The move is deliberately aimed at driving spirits sales in independents, so is potentially good news.

Consolidating wholesalers may lead to bigger discounts for those 30 supplied directly, which could mean a cost-price discount for retailers, and those wholesalers buying on the secondary market

will access cheaper products than now, from which will benefit their retail customers.

On the downside, there is potentially a long-term risk for a diverse independent wholesale and retail market if other suppliers follow suit.

The danger is that affected wholesalers may not be able to offer a credible range – bad news for the retailers who rely on them for their products, and for suppliers who will lose a valuable route to market.

YOUR SAY

Are

seeing more PMP replacements for straight-pack products?

Yes 60%

NEXT

Are

PRODUCT NEWS

TREND TRACKER

Freeze Dried Candy

Recommended by:

Nishi Patel

Who buys it:

Gen Z shoppers

RRP:

£3.99

Why it is important:

It is going viral on TikTok shop. Customers will travel to buy it.

How to range it:

In their own fixture or as part of your confectionery range.

Where to buy it:

Freeze Dried Sweets UK, Candy Works, Space Sweets

Biona’s organic pastes and syrups

by Priya Khaira priya.khaira@newtrade.co.uk

Organic food supplier Biona has launched a range of cooking pastes in Garlic, Garlic & Ginger and Organic Ginger varieties.

All products across this range have an RRP of £3.19 for a 130g jar.

The items aim to target consumers looking for quality ingredients for immediate use.

The brand is also launching three natural maple syrups.

This new range consists of a 330ml bottle of Amber syrup and a 330ml bottle of Dark syrup, both with an RRP of £6.79, as well as a 1l bottle of Amber, with an RRP of £23.29.

It is vegan and is made from Canadian Maple sourced from the Bas-StLaurent region of Quebec, appealing to consumers looking for natural and

organic syrups, the supplier said.

The UK’s organic food and drink market is worth £3.1bn in annual sales, having grown by 1.6% in 2022.

Research shows that the market has grown for 11 consecutive years, displaying existing and

potentially new appetites for new varieties.

Founder and director of Biona’s parent company Windmill Organic, Noel McDonald, said: “Our brand ethos is built on an unwavering commitment to 100% organic, ethically and sustainably sourced food.”

Coca-Cola Lemon joins CCEP’s flavoured-cola range

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has launched a new CocaCola Lemon flavour in Original Taste and Zero Sugar varieties.

Both are available in 330ml cans and 500ml

rPET bottles for on-the-go occasions in plain and price-marked packaging.

It is also available as 2l Zero Sugar and 1.75l Original taste rPET bottles for home consumption.

The launch adds to

CCEP’s flavoured-cola range, which is worth £118m, and growing ahead of the total cola segment. It includes Coca-Cola Original Taste Cherry, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Cherry and CocaCola Zero Sugar Vanilla.

CCEP is supporting the launch of Original Taste Lemon and Zero Sugar Lemon with a marketing campaign comprising sampling, out-of-home advertising, experiential activities, social media content and in-store activations.

Retailers can access PoS materials from the CCEP website.

Cadbury’s Big Win-Win campaign returns

Nakd functional Fruit & Fibre bars

Nakd has extended its portfolio with the launch of functional Fruit & Fibre bars. The bars are available in Apple & Cinnamon and Strawberry & Raspberry flavours. The bars are set to be released in wholesale channels later this year. The launch is going to be supported by a digital plan that spans influencer gifting, social media activations and sampling. Both flavours contain nuts, seeds, grains, spices and 6g of fibre per bar.

RRP £1.25 (single), £3 (multipack)

Seabrook Smoky Bacon returns

Seabrook has relaunched its Smoky Bacon variety. The crinklecut crisps are gluten-free, vegetarian, and are available in single 25g and 6x25g multipack formats with an RRP of £1.25. The supplier said that there was a consumer demand for Seabrook Smoky Bacon to make a return. The flavour will only be made available for a limited time. The brand confirmed that other flavours will make a comeback.

Available now

Priya Visit the website betterretailing.com/products to find out more about product launches

Khaira

writer

Extra Sugarfree Watermelon gum

Mars Wrigley has released Extra Sugarfree Watermelon gum. Extra Sugarfree Watermelon is available in 65p single packs and in £2.75 tubs. Fruity gums are displaying a 25% increased rate of sale, with research showing that a third of fruity gum shoppers only buy fruity gum. The launch will be supported by a £2.1m media campaign that will support Mars Wrigley’s total fruit range, including its Refreshers line. RRP 65p (single), £2.75 (tub)

Funkin’s Blue Raspberry Martini

Funkin Cocktails has added Blue Raspberry Martini to its readyto-drink (RTD) cocktail range. The variety has an ABV of 5% and is available in a 200ml can. Its launch comes as Funkin’s Nitro Can RTD range experienced 12% growth in 2023. The supplier said the Blue Raspberry Martini is aimed at Generation Z consumers, as customers from this demographic are displaying a preference for this flavour.

RRP £2.20

Country Choice’s Easter lineup

Country Choice has announced its 2024 Easter lineup. The collection includes: Hot Cross Buns; a Cornflake Cake with Chocolate Eggs; Giant Lemon and Chocolate Bakewell-Style Tarts; a Gingerbread Bear' Easter Cupcakes in Lemon and Chocolate flavours; Easter Chocolate Cake; and Mini Loaf Cakes including Carrot, Double Chocolate and Lemon Meringue flavours. Retailers can place orders online now.

Available now

PRICEWATCH

Profit checker Sharing confectionery

MALTESERS 110G 40% 36% 32% 28% 24% 20% 16% 12% 8% 4% 0%

Price distribution %

transactions

Behind the numbers

Spring is an important time for confectionery sales, with Mother’s Day and Easter still on the horizon. These familial occasions lend themselves well to sales of sharing formats, so where can retailers widen their margins?

This week’s standout line in terms of the percentage of retailers selling it for higher

TOP PRODUCTS

Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Original 198g

Jolly Rancher Hardy Candy Blue Raspberry 198g

Sour Patch Kids 130g

than its most-common price is Terry’s Chocolate Orange 157g: 60% are exceeding £1.50, with some going as high as £3.59. Elsewhere, 55% are charging above Celebrations 600g’s most-common price of £5.50, with some charging £10.99, practically double the price.

There are also opportunities with Smarties

We have noticed an uptake in American sharing confectionery bags, and we get them from a US-based supplier. We’ll place orders on items that we think are on trend. For example, freezedried candy bags are very popular at the moment, so we placed a large order of those. We then post about what new, trending confectionery items we have in store on social media to generate more consumer interest. This is important because most customers shopping for these new items are not regulars and they might spend up to £50 on a restock.

Priyesh Vekaria

STORE One

Giant Tube and Fruit Pastilles 115g, to a lesser extent: 54% and 51% are charging as much as £2 and £1.99, respectively, compared to their shared most-common price of £1.25 set by 44% and 48%. Conversely, 96% are sticking to Cadbury Milk Tray 530g’s most-common (and lowest) price of £6.

Stop Carlton

Convenience

LOCATION

Manchester SIZE 1,200sq ft TYPE Residential

TOP PRODUCTS

Cadbury Dairy Milk Mini Eggs 110g

Maltesers Gift Box 310g

Cadbury Dairy Milk 95g

PRICEWATCH

Wholesale checker

Sharing confectionery lines sell consistently from the winter through to spring thanks to seasonal events. Outside of these specific occasions, they also provide value for money in a tough economic environment. To help retailers get a good deal, we’ve compared the pricing of top lines across five wholesalers

Confectionery is an important category. We get our lines in mainly through Nisa, sometimes when they are on presale. I also get stock through Booker. Sharing confectionery formats are always popular. Haribo lines do especially well for us, so I offer 10-15 Haribo sharing bag varieties. Availability is generally quite strong for this category, so I might make orders every other week depending on what we need.

COLUMNIST

Bryan Roberts

Store observations

Ever wondered what your nearest chain-owned convenience store is focusing on? Here are the big trends

Irecently spent a day with a major convenience retailer checking out a couple of their newer stores and, as ever, it was great to spend time with some senior (and not so senior) folk to see what’s going on in the trade.

Some main themes really shone through and it seems worthwhile to share some key observations as they might well chime with what’s going on in your businesses.

Shrink: The main point here was that there is not an acrossthe-board upswell in everyday folk opportunistically shoplifting. What is happening is an intensification of work rate from organised gangs and prolific offenders. Another observation was a huge variation in attitude from different police forces, varying from shoulder-shrugging and dishing out crime numbers to actually investigating crimes properly to put some offenders away.

L ess is more: Compared to several independent stores that I know where more is more and every conceivable surface must be covered with a bewildering

array of items, this retailer emphasised shopper preferences for space and clarity. It takes some confidence to avoid the temptation for more of everything (product, signage, clutter) and instead to focus on improving the in-store experience.

R ange: A similar ethos applies to the core assortment. While it might be tempting to add another item that’s on special at the cash and carry or is new and being pushed by suppliers, sometimes focusing on the core range that drives the lion’s share of revenue makes the most sense. Of course, it might make sense to carry some niche lines for particular customers or customer groups, but relentlessly saying yes to everything might not be a winner.

Food for now: This seems to be a no-brainer, with a very strong focus on dispensing (coffee, orange juice, milkshake, slush, ice cream) and a shifting emphasis towards hot food for consumption from breakfast to dinner. With appropriate support from the relevant engineers and increasing levels of mechanical reliability, these solutions would appear to be worthy of greater

* A new prohibition era

+ MORE VAPE SHENANIGANS

on the way, with speculation as I write that a specific duty might be incoming to put off kids and raise some cash for the government, with tobacco duty being hiked further to maintain a sufficient differential to encourage smokers to switch. Not sure there’s been this much state interference in a particular category since Prohibition in the USA…

consideration.

Relentlessly saying yes to everything might not be a winner

K now your area: It hadn’t really occurred to me before, but keeping an eye out for local planning applications and developments can really help inform your approach, bringing significant benefits that other competitors might miss. Big block of flats being knocked up round the corner? Ramp up energy drinks for the builders. New housing estate near to completion nearby? Think more carefully about your baby and pet ranges.

Don’t forget frozen: Often something of an afterthought, frozen can be a nice little earner as it covers multiple categories and shopper missions, can boast attractive price points and can offer close-to-zero waste (assuming no major heatwaves or mechanical calamity).

Sustainability can make sense: Fridge doors can be a pain (less impulse, annoying to fill, condensation), but the savings on the electricity bill can make it all worthwhile, something that in the past year has been a priority for the majority of store owners.

Good news or bad news: It was interesting to discuss newspapers. On the one hand, a reliable footfall driver for a dwindling number of shoppers who might also buy a few bits and pieces in store. On the other hand, a painin-the-backside process that uses valuable space to service a dying category. When do the challenges start to outweigh the benefits?

Bryan Roberts is a leading grocery retail and shopping expert

STORE PROFILE

Kegs N Blades

In 2022, Vas Vekaria conducted a major refit of his store to capitalise on the demand for newly introduced mini beer kegs. These now generate thousands of pounds in weekly sales. RN explores how you can mirror Vekaria’s vision

Adding new services as part of any major refit can provide exciting sales opportunities, but the core range demanded by existing customers may be impacted in the process. This was the risk Vas Vekaria took when he refurbished his store from Premier into Kegs N Blades more than two years ago.

The major refit saw Vekaria add his own personal branding to the storefront. A walk-in beer cave was also installed at the back of the shop. The cave houses mini kegs, a major differentiator which the Bolton-based retailer sell s 150 of on a weekly basis.

The 6l kegs, supplied by AB InBev, which have an RRP of £35 -to -£40, allow customers to pour pub-style draught beers at home through a

specialised machine, which is also sold by the store. With kegs from major brands such as Budweiser, Heineken, Corona and Leffe, Vekaria has created a niche by becoming the only stockist in the area.

A lthough the products have proven to be a major seller for Vekaria, existing sales of alcohol and his core convenience range haven’t been cannibalised in the process. Explaining how, Vekaria told RN: “There was a bit of confusion at first, and some customers thought we were now a barber because of the name, but it was evident we were still a convenience store.

“When they popped their heads in, they saw we still had a full range of beers, wines and groceries. Although the refit was to give more space to the kegs as they’re a major

product for us, it was important that we still had a full convenience offering.

“During the refit, we made sure to give more shelving to products such as confectionery. Other categories have more bays dedicated to them. We also heavily promote the convenience range on Facebook to let customers know we are still a community store. The beer kegs have their own customer base, whereas other shoppers will come in just for the core convenience products.

“I’ve created my own brand with Kegs N Blades but made sure we haven’t alienated the existing community in the process.”

To see what other stores are doing, go to betterretailing. com/store-profiles

INFORMATION

Location

431-433 Lever Edge Lane, Bolton, BL3 3BG

Opening times

Mon-Fri – 6am-8pm, Sat – 6.30am-8pm, Sun – 8am-2pm

Staff Seven

I’ve made sure not to alienate the community in the process

Loyalty

Vekaria has also created an opportunity in using the beer kegs to generate loyalty among his customers by partnering with AB InBev for its PerfectDraft loyalty scheme. The scheme allows customers to collect beer tokens with every purchase, which can then be used for discounts on future keg purchases.

It’s helped boost demand for the kegs since becoming available in December last year, while customers also come back to return empty kegs. Vekaria said: “It’s about making the service as simple as possible for customers to join. We have signage in the shop and a separate WiFi router for customers to register on. Staff are also on hand to demonstrate the scheme and guide customers through the registration process.

“Registrations at Christmas easily reached double figures and the momentum is continuing. PerfectDraft has been helpful with marketing and support.”

Branding

The awareness of the Kegs N Blades brand isn’t isolated to the store, and, through merchandising, has spread in the local area.

Vekaria has had the store’s branding printed on T-shirts, jackets, beer mats and coasters, which have become popular with customers eager to support the independent business.

He said: “I’ve done a lot of merchandising related to Kegs N Blades in the store. We’re not just a Premier anymore and it’s better than being part of another symbol group. I’ve got my independence and my own name out there. It’s something to be proud of.

“We worked with a local printer for the branding design. The clothing we get printed ourselves, but a lot of the other merchandising comes through from China. Customers are happy to get some of the products as they’re supporting a local business, and it also helps get our name out there.”

STORE PROFILE

Social media

Since rebranding and adding the beer kegs, the store has also attracted customers from outside of Bolton. Vekaria attributes this success to social media. Explaining his process, he said: “You must be proactive and raise awareness by targeting the right groups on Facebook and Instagram.

“You’ve got groups dedicated to PerfectDraft, beer drinkers in the north-west of England and home-bar enthusiasts. I put posts of the products and my store in those groups. Specialised products like beer kegs have their own niche communities and you just need to know where to find them.

“I’ve had people come from Manchester and Liverpool when Manchester United and Liverpool football club have had matches. It’s mad that they’d travel all this way, but I’m the only shop around who has the beer kegs and they treat the visit as part of their big day out.”

Charity

Although the kegs have provided a major sales opportunity for the store, Vekaria hasn’t ignored the importance of being a community retailer and has used the success of the Kegs N Blades brand to give back to nearby residents and organisations through sponsorships and other events. He said: “There’s a local darts team who I provide sponsorship with the Kegs N Blades branding.

“I also work with one specific charity and donate £1,000 to them each year. We had a supermarket sweep last month, where I donated money from the raffle to another charity.

“Videos of the raffle draw and the supermarket sweep were posted on our Facebook page. It was a lot of fun and generated a lot of likes.

Although it did give the store some attention, the videos also provided us with an opportunity to thank the local community for all the support they give us.” l

STORE MANUAL

Building your store handbook STORE GUIDE & HANDBOOK

Part of the art of controlling a store rather than the store controlling you is getting out from behind the counter to focus on the big picture while your team handle as much of the day-to-day operations as possible.

Mike Igoe, former Heron Foods commercial director and current consultant at the C-Store Collective, says setting expectations and measuring against them is the blue print that makes all of this possible. “Once you’ve got that golden key, you’ve got what your business looks like, you can replicate it anywhere that matches that model,” he says.

But how do staff know what’s expected of them? A store handbook is the answer. From handling deliveries to stock rotation to customer service, a single document that all team members agree to follow creates a structure that removes many of the pain-points stores face. These include:

Providing advice and answers to common questions when a team member is stuck and a more senior team member is unavailable to help.

Speeding up the onboarding and training of all new team members on the different responsibilities in their role.

Standardising processes and performance, avoiding costly errors caused by miscommunication.

Allowing you to delegate more complex tasks to more junior team members and part-timers, while upholding your current standards.

Helping to protect the employer from legal disputes related to disciplinary action or employee breaches of the handbook terms they’ve agreed to.

Providing a happier, more reliable workplace for team members, where they know what to expect around contentious points such as holiday entitlement, pay and workplace safety.

The handbook example developed by RN, and given away free in this edition, is based on real-world examples used by leading convenience-store operators. There will be parts that are applicable to your business, and areas you may want to change or add to.

For instance, if your store provides made-on-site food or has a delivery service. A digital version that you can edit is available free for Better Retailing members at betterretailing.com.

Once you’ve finalised your handbook, how do you implement it?

1. Ask each team member to read through the document.

2. Hold either individual or team meetings to discuss and make sure the document is understood.

3. Ask each team member to sign two copies, one for you to retain and one for them to keep.

4. Repeat the process with each new team member.

5. Set a recurring reminder in your diary or calendar to consider each team member’s performance against the handbook.

6. Provide team members with feedback on their performance, including recognition of success and any areas for improvement – make sure this is written down and retained. l

J UICES & SQUASHES

Squeezing every drop of sales

Hazel Davies finds out how retailers can find the perfect range of juices and cordials for their store

Juices, squashes and cordials are all staples in the soft drinks category, presenting both opportunities and challenges for retailers to meet diverse and increasingly fickle consumer demands.

Within the convenience channel, fruit juice, juice drinks and smoothies are all outperforming the total market, with fruit juice in particular growing at 13% year on year.

“Juice drinks continue to be a popular choice for consumers seeking healthier drinks without compromising on taste,” says Sarah Baldwin, chief executive of Purity Soft Drinks. “In the juice category, classic flavours like orange and apple continue to be bestsellers.”

PURE AND SIMPLE

In a time where health consciousness reigns supreme, retailers should align their offerings with shifting consumer preferences. According to GlobeNewswire’s report on the Global Fruit Juice Market (2022 to 2027), the consumption of soft drinks, such as fizzy drinks, is

reducing due to “high sugar content, artificial colouring, phosphoric acid, artificial sweeteners and caffeine”.

“More than half (57%) of consumers prefer food and drink brands that encourage healthy lifestyle choices,” says Amy Burgess, senior trade communications manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.

There is also a shift from carbonated drinks towards natural fruit juices, with ‘not from concentrate’ (NFC) leading the category. The report suggests that 68% of consumers are already consciously aware of the difference between NFC juices and those from concentrate.

This coincides with research commissioned by Cawston Press via YouGov, which highlighted that 60% of UK adults are concerned about the amount of sugar and sweeteners in fizzy drinks. Brands such as Oasis, the number-one juice drink in 2023, according to Nielsen, added to its zero-sugar line-up with Oasis Zero Exotic Fruits in 2023.

Also, 63% would prefer if their drinks were made with more natural ingredients.

Britvic has responded to this growing demand with the launch of Robinsons with Benefits, three wellness-focused premium squashes. Robinsons Vitality has peach, mango and passionfruit flavours, and feaures vitamins B3 and D. Robinsons Immunity is orange- and guava-flavoured, and includes vitamins C and D. Robinsons Boost features raspberry, acai and strawberry flavours, along with vitamin B6.

Stocking these products and highlighting their credentials can add a premium point of difference to your store.

“Consumers are placing a higher value on the transparency of ingredients, with 51% of global consumers concerned about the hidden ingredients in food and drink, disguised as complex labelling,” says Cawston Press’ senior brand manager, Milly Tuck.

Elias Ebert, managing director at iSqueeze, echoes this, emphasising the profits to be made by taking things further in fresh juice.

“There is a lot of profit potential with self-service juice machines, with an average £2,000 extra revenue every month for stores to make nationwide. Retailers should think about their store space/volume required,” he says.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

One of the good things about juices and cordials is that it can be easy to add into a shopping list and, while

there is some brand loyalty, customers are not too fussed about getting the particular squash they wanted.

Natalie Lightfoot, from Londis Solo Convenience in Glasgow, has had a one-metre bay of juices and cordials since a store refit six years ago. Current popular ranges include Jack’s Double Concentrate, Rose’s Lime Cordial, Vimto, Ribena and a local cordial, Dunns, which comes in a traditional glass bottle. She also offers home delivery and says the majority of home deliveries have some sort of diluting juice.

“But if I ring a customer with something out of stock, it’s really easy to swap a squash. People are fluid compared with other categories,” she says. “People tend to bulk buy and juices are really easy to add to the basket.”

Retailers need to constantly adapt to evolving consumer preferences. Burgess highlights modern flavour twists such as peach iced tea.

“It’s about trust,” says Jai Singh, from MJ’s Nisa in Sheffield. “They trust us to get brands they’ll like. Cordial can stretch a lot further than other drinks and people use it as a mixer. Older people still like it because it lasts a long time.”

Because it’s such a safe category, change is easier to implement.

“When Kia-Ora introduced a cordial, we introduced it and it did well,” says Singh. “When sales dropped, we removed it. But there’s always potential for something different. The [Applied Nutrition] Swizzels Drumstick drink was novel. When it comes to food, it’s risky to try something new if you’re hungry, but if it’s a drink, someone will take it off you if you don’t like it.”

Nonetheless, sometimes we just want what we know when it comes to brands or flavours, so retailers should still give orange and apple juices prominence.

“Since 2021, we’ve doubled our unit sales of Juice Burst Orange

500ml and tripled our unit sales of Juice Burst Apple 500ml,” says Baldwin. “Classic flavours like orange and apple continue to reign supreme, reflecting consumer preferences for familiar tastes.”

Ribena was worth £116m in retail sales in 2023, with Ribena Blackcurrant 500ml delivering £32m in sales across the year. The second half of 2023 was strong across the Ribena portfolio. Penetration of Ribena Squash grew by 4.7% over the last six months of 2023 and the Ribena brand saw 9% value and 7% volume growth in the last 13 weeks of 2023.

STRATEGIC PLACEMENT

Squash is often seen as an easy, impulsive addition to a big shop. Therefore visibility is key for this segment. Meanwhile, smaller bottles of juice should be positioned

We have installed a selfserve iSqueeze juice machine in an attempt to cater to changing customer needs. We’re keen to follow trends and this has helped us evolve our store offering

The machine is situated at the front of the store because it reminds people of European supermarkets and holidays and draws the customer in. It sits alongside produce, so it’s a perfect fit. We sell around 4,000 bottles a year.

near meal-deal and on-the-go areas to be easily accessible.

“Retailers can maximise sales by displaying their juice drinks in refrigerators close to the entrance,” Burgess advises.

Ebert suggests placing juice offerings near the food-to-go section, capitalising on the traffic flow of customers seeking quick, healthy options throughout the day. This strategic positioning encourages impulse purchases and complements the broader store layout. l

Jack Matthews

PMPs

PA focus on PMPs

Are PMPs playing a bigger role than Tamara Birch

retailers. They instil trust in customers, and display value with clear prices

“A lot of our stock is pricemarked,” says Sarj Patel, owner of Pasture Lane Stores in Sutton Bonington, Nottinghamshire. “Only some retailers, like forecourts, can get away with not stocking them, because their customers are less worried about price.”

Matt Boulter, UK sales director at Mars Wrigley, says consumers are more likely to return to brands that offer PMPs, as they see the clear pricing as transparent and trustworthy.

“Retailers report that 86% of

shoppers are looking for value and deals trend, offering consumers value for money and clear pricing,” says Matt Collins, trading director at KP Snacks.

The challenge for retailers, however, is the lowered margin and inflexibility that PMPs offer.

“Margins are a lot lower on PMPs compared with non-PMPs,” says Patel. “It’s frustrating, but we have to grin and bear it and try to sell more of them.”

Patel recommends retailers focus on increasing volume sales to account for the margin loss that comes with stocking PMPs. He also says strategic buying is key to increasing margins. “We bought

Diet drinks sell better as PMPs

cases of Jaffa Cakes that had shorter shelf lives and sold them at 80p compared with their price-mark s of £1.25, ” he says. “ This helped drive volume sales, which balanced out the margin for us ”

THE BEST PMP CATEGORIES

Soft drinks, grocery, confectionery, and alcohol are key categories for PMPs, but this doesn’t mean every product needs to be price-marked. Within soft drinks, for example, PMPs might work better on some lines, but non-PMPs might be just as successful on others

“Coca-Cola and Pepsi are sold best as non-PMPs as they’re strong sellers for us, but diet drinks sell better as PMPs,” explains Paresh Vyas, owner of Jack Lane Convenience in Manchester.

However, Matt Stanton, head of insight at DCS Group, says retailers should avoid s witching between PMP s and non-PMPs too much.

“PMPs make price promotions stand out more clearly, as it’s more obvious to shoppers that the product is being sold for less than the recommended price,” he adds.

“Switching between the two varieties will lead to both being on the shelf at the time, which could cause confusion for shoppers,

different prices.”

To help drive sales of Pepsi and Coca-Cola, Vyas runs a multibuy offer of two for £2.60 instead of relying on PMPs Similar to Patel, he says buying strategically is vital.

“We research different wholesal ers, even importers, to help us get the best price possible,” he adds means we get a bigger margin, and can sell products at lower RRP helping to drive repeat purchase

Many retailers are adopting multibuy option s as a better way to highlight value to customers.

Andrew Newton, of Nisa Local Colley Gate in Halesowen, West Midlands, is slowly switching PMPs with non-price-marked options for multibuys.

Stocking PMP varieties of typically higher-priced lines, like alcohol, can help drive sales. This is the case with Patel, who updated his spirits, beer and cider range to price-marked options.

“Price-marked sells better with alcohol, but wine is all non-pricemarked, and these are all strong sellers,” Patel says.

With spirits, vodka accounts for 58% of PMP sales in the impulse channels, as noted by Lauren

Priestley, head of category develop -

“Have popular vodka brands –such as Smirnoff Red Label – available in a variety of formats, including 350ml, 700ml and 1l, providing shoppers with a range of highquality, yet affordable, drinks,” says Priestley.

When it comes to merchandising, Shaun Whelan, convenience/ wholesale and out-of-home controller at Peperami, says PMPs should be highly visible. “Do this by brand blocking and merchandising at eyelevel to maximise sales,” he says.

“PMP labels tend to stand out to grab shoppers’ attention, and key prices, like Peperami sticks’ two-for-£2, compel shoppers to buy more.” l

NEW PMP PRODUCTS

Costa Coffee PMP

CCEP has launched two of its Costa Coffee RTD varieties – Latte and Caramel Latte – as PMPs. The supplier says the launch will offer a unique selling point, exclusive to convenience retailers, which is expected to help enhance their competitive edge when it comes to the ready-to-drink chilled-coffee segment. The brand is now worth £24.4m, up by 31.7%.

Boost Lemon & Lime 250ml Energy

Boost Drinks has expanded its energy drinks range, with the reformulation of its Citrus Zing 250ml Energy drink, which has relaunched as Lemon & Lime Energy. The drink is available as a 75p PMP. The launch comes as citrus-flavoured beverages continue to grow by 16%, with lime flavours growing by 900% and lemon showing 60% growth.

KP Nuts

KP Nuts’ £1.25 PMPs are available in Original Salted Peanuts, Dry Roasted Peanuts, Salt & Vinegar Peanuts, Honey Roast Peanuts and Aromatic Thai Chilli Coated Peanuts.

Thatchers Cider

Retailers can stock Thatchers Gold and Apple & Blackcurrant four-packs as PMPs, both priced at £5.89 and £6.69, respectively. Thatchers Apple & Blackcurrant is the supplier’s latest launch.

Guinness Draught

Guinness, the number-one stout brand in Great Britain, is available in four-packs, eight-packs and 15-pack can formats. “Maintaining a selection of multipack formats is also beneficial as they are great for sharing, enabling retailers to tap into socialising occasions,” says Diageo’s Priestley.

Fr-ooze Pop

Perfetti Van Melle has expanded its Chupa Chups range with Fr-ooze, a sweet treat with oozing candy gel. The new line is a twist on lollipops and comes in Strawberry, Blueberry and Tropical flavours.

Red Bull Curuba-Elderflower

Available in 250ml £1.25 price-marked and non-pricemarked formats, Red Bull is bringing back its Summer Editions range with a Curuba-Elderflower variety. Available from 11 March, the new flavour aims to tap into the growing demand for flavoured energy, with 41% more flavoured energy drinks sold per store in the past two years.

Peperami

Peperami has updated its PMPs and how they are displayed on pack. A £1.25 and two-for-£2 PMPs on Peperami sticks are flashed on pack to highlight value compared with standard sticks. The £1.25 PMP is available on the brand’s Original, Hot, Firestick and Chorizo, while the two-for-£2 is available on the brand’s new BBQ flavour.

Image credit: G etty Images/ Elena Pimukova

BASKET SPEND

Drive that extra purchase

Priya Khaira explores what tactics retailers can employ to increase their average basket size by one item

5 STRATEGIES TO INCREASE AVERAGE BASKET SIZE

1. UPSELLING Impulse purchases are major upselling opportunities. Retailers should train staff to employ upselling and cross-selling tactics when interacting with customers –for example, recommending another product to a customer that might tie in nicely with their purchase.

2. LOYALTY PROGRAMME S Loyalty programmes or cash-saving reward schemes can help make your store the destination for value shoppers. It can also persuade customers to make additional purchases if they spot a good offer.

3. PRICES AND OFFERS Promotional activity or special offers are a great way to boost basket spend. Highlight any activity online and with in-store signage to make these deals stand out.

4. ONE-STOP SHOP Place essential items or similar items close to each other to prompt further sales. Retailers might place greetings cards close to wine or gift chocolates, for example.

5. IMPULSE AT THE TILL

Think carefully about what is placed at till fixtures. Impulse purchases made at the point of transaction are key to boosting sales. Seasonal stock, premium items, gum and confectionery are great additions.

According to data gathered by Statista in its ‘Average spend per visit to local convenience stores in Great Britain from 2012 to 2023’ report, there was a 6.6% increase in shoppers’ average basket spend from 2022 to 2023, with customers spending an average of £7.75 per shop last year. Retailers can employ a range of tactics to encourage shoppers to purchase an additional item and increase their average basket size.

“We have approximately 300 customers visiting the store each day,” says Priyesh Vekaria, owner of One Stop Carlton Convenience in Salford, Greater Manchester. “Each customer used to spend around £6. However, since implementing new strategies and a one-stop -shop model, we now have an average basket spend of £10-12, almost double what we were making before.”

INCREASE IMPULSE PURCHASES

According to a survey conducted by The Integer Group, nine out of 10 shoppers will purchase something on impulse when entering a store.

We now have an average basket spend of £1012, almost double what we were making before

In fact, further research conducted by Retail Media Group shows that 62% of in-store decisions are driven by impulse buying behaviour. A proven way to encourage impulse shopping behaviour is by being strategic about the products placed next to the till point.

Mints and gums are a staple till fixture addition that can be kept at checkout s all year round. By keeping a core range of mints, gums and medicated confectionery products in this area, retailers can inspire customers to make a small impulse purchase.

Susan Nash, trade communications manager at Mondelez International, says: “Many shoppers look for a quick treat while out and about during the day, hence mints and gum are purchased by shoppers while on the go, particularly after meals.” She says medicated confectionery can also be kept close to tills all year round, but especially during flu and hay fever seasons.

Jonathan Cobb, owner of Miserden Stores & Post Office in Stroud, Gloucestershire, tends to

make a 20% margin on his mints and gum offering.

“It is small compared to other confectionery categories; however, they are an integral part of our refreshment offering because they are always sought after,” he says. He explains that while mints and gums tend to have a lower price compared to other categories, they are a strong impulse purchase because they sell consistently throughout the day and at a high volume.

Although gum and confectionery are generally strong categories to keep near the till, Nishi Patel, owner of Londis Bexley Park in Dartford, Kent, has diversified his checkout area to include more premium, luxury items. Patel keeps a collection of perfumes, aftershave and home fragrances at the checkout and says the offering has been a significant driver of impulse purchases and additional margin.

“The cheaper range of products is around £24.99 -£25.99, and the more premium products are around £40,” he says. “We offer a promotion that gives customers £10 off if they spend over £35, which helps push sales into the premium range. We are making a 45-60% margin on this range and having the items next to the till is the main way we are able to achieve this.”

Both Vekaria and Patel agree that new product developments and seasonal stock should be placed on till fixtures. Patel says that any trending products, such as Japanese soft drinks, American energy drinks and Prime, should also be kept near the front of the store and featured on till fixtures to help drive impulse buys.

Vekaria says he regularly changes

his till fixtures to coincide with any upcoming seasonal events and to feature any seasonal launches. He says that placing core seasonal items within customer eye-level at the checkout is a significant way to boost additional basket spend at the last minute.

SUPPLIER VIEWPOINT

Mark Roberts, marketing & trade director at Perfetti Van Melle, outlines six top tips for encouraging impulse buying

1. Stock a variety of flavours, textures and formats to offer choice in the leading brands – they provide peace of mind and always sell first.

2. Add signage and PoS for a standout fixture that builds visibility in store. Talk to your rep about compelling deals to advertise at the till, e.g. two-for-one offers.

3. Include sugar-free products in your offering. Mints and gum are not exempt from either the rise of the healthconscious consumer or HFSS regulations.

It’s important to create visually interesting layouts

“We made a 40-50% margin on Valentine’s Day stock this year, which was mainly due to our tillfixture range,” says Vekaria. “We are usually conscious of the price of the products that we put there. However, this year, we placed pricier chocolate boxes and flowers there and saw the majority of customers buying these items on impulse.”

Vekaria notes that customers were gravitating towards gifting chocolate items such as Cadbury

4. Visibility is key for sales. Shoppers respond well to cross-merchandised fixtures and clearly signposted sections in store that target specific occasions.

5. Position counter-top units ideally at arm’s reach from the main till point to drive impulse sales.

6. Position front-of-store PoS at customer eye-level to capture shopper attention.

BASKET SPEND

Valentine’s Day bars and Maltesers gift boxes.

Greetings cards can also be good additions to include near the till or front of store. Serge Khunkhun, owner of One Stop Woodcross in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, says that cards are often bought on impulse, especially around seasonal holidays such as Easter or Mother’s and Father’s Day. Alice Cass, social and digital marketer at UK Greetings, says that one way to add value to a card section is by using specialised stands and displays.

“This can be the style of stands utilised, such as ones that rotate or are tiered, or stands that are used to set aside cards for seasonal purposes to be more easily found,” she says. “It’s important to create visually interesting layouts to look at, which can convert to sales by encouraging the consumer to explore the full range.”

COMMUNICATE WITH CUSTOMERS

Customers might be persuaded to purchase an additional item at the point of purchase if staff know how to effectively upsell. Speak to staff and encourage them to engage with customers about any promotions or launches as this conversation can quickly lead to an additional purchase. Patel says he regularly briefs staff about product launches, providing them with enough infor-

mation to relay to customers.

By implementing communication and upselling tactics on a daily basis, retailers can potentially increase their overall average basket spend. This can also be achieved by setting annual targets and encouraging staff to work together to achieve them.

Raaj Chandarana, from Tara’s Londis in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, recommends that retailers utilise EPoS data to monitor margins, sales and basket spend. From here, he suggests that retailers set weekly goals that contribute to annual targets. Retailers might consider offering staff bonuses or rewards to those who meet weekly upselling targets to boost participation among staff. However, it’s important to keep these incentives and recommendations concise to avoid overwhelming customers. One or two recommendations will drive sales without interrupting conversations or queues too much.

PLACEMENT AND PROMOTIONS

Product placement and merchandising techniques are another key tactic. By incorporating a one-stopshop model, a concept that involves providing all essential items in close proximity to each other, retailers can encourage sales.

For example, placing gifting chocolate close to flowers, alcohol

KEY CATEGORIES

SEASONAL ITEMS: Seasonal stock like Valentine’s Day, Easter or Mother’s Day gifts and cards are often purchased on impulse and are a great way to increase your average basket size

CONFECTIONERY: Confectionery is one of the top five categories purchased on impulse in convenience stores. Keep confectionery items at eye-level and well displayed near till fixtures.

SOFT DRINKS: Be sure to keep product launches and trending soft drink s items visible and well signposted. It is vital to let customers know if items are on offer as this might lead to an impulse buy.

MINTS AND GUM: Similar to confectionery, mints and gum products are often not part of a planned shopper mission and tend to be bought on impulse. Keep ranges close to the till and highlight well-known brands using PoS.

NEW RELEASES: Any product launches give staff something to talk about and customers something new to try on impulse, growing basket spend in the process.

(if permitted) or greetings cards creates a flow for the shopper which can feed into impulse buying.

Retailers can also make use of instore signage and decorations, such as clip strips, to highlight any promotional activity or bundle deals. Effective highlighting of any promotional activity is crucial when it comes to encouraging extra sales Strategically placing essential items next to well sign-posted, discounted ‘nice to have’ products can lead to additional purchases. Vekaria says that while product placement is important, raising customer awareness of new offers and promotions is arguably more important.

“Lots of customers are coming to convenience stores instead of supermarkets for their everyday essential shopping, which makes promotional activity a key way to attract shoppers,” says Vekaria. “One Stop runs promotions for a four-week period, encouraging customers to make repeat purchases on their essentials here throughout the month.”

It’s not just important to highlight any promotional activities in store. Retailers need to take to social media and consider running deals on online delivery sites. It’s very easy to build up online basket spend with a few clicks of a button.

Vekaria, for instance, matches his online prices to the promotions that are taking place in store, meaning customers who make orders through delivery services like Just Eat or Deliveroo can benefit from the same discounts as in-store shoppers. Vekaria says that doing so has increased his average online shopper’s basket spend from £10 to £30 -£40.

Money-saving reward schemes and loyalty program mes are often implemented to secure repeat customers. However, they can also encourage these customers to add an additional purchase to their shop.

Lewis Woodward, of Nisa Local Colley Gate in Halesowen, West Midlands, says he regularly promotes the store’s partnership with money-saving app Jisp on social media, which invites a steady stream of customers.

Owner of Nisa Local Colley Gate Andrew Newton added that the implementation of Jisp Scan & Save has resulted in a higher average basket spend and a 20% increase in sales. Woodward and Newton keep multiple shelves dedicated to Scan & Save promoted products, covering a range of categories including soft drinks, savoury snacks and confectionery that are clearly labelled for customers to easily locate or pick up at the end of their visit. l

Image credit: Getty Images/ bhofack2

Federation of Independent Retailers

Opportunity of the week PRESSING MATTERS

John Coe Creative director, Pressing Matters

What do stockists need to know about the title? Pressing Matters magazine is a quarterly publication celebrating the best of modern printmaking.

Made by printmakers for printmakers, we speak to artists about their creative processes and passion. Expect inky fingers, creative workspaces, sketchbooks and artworks. We publish in January, April, July and October.

I’ve always been fascinated with handmade prints, be it screenprinting, linocut, woodcut or the more fine art, intaglio techniques like etching and photogravure.

The title highlights this through a series of regular features, artist and studio profiles, along with a print challenge, and more.

What’s special about the recent and upcoming editions?

In the process of putting our current edition together, it has been interesting to see a theme forming of people’s influence on others.

Whether it’s the skills and knowledge of a master printer whose ideas have touched many in the print community and beyond, a paper mill making paper by hand for those who print with their hands, or artists from different countries and cultures coming together for a shared project, it’s a joy to hear about these stories of collaboration and share them with readers.

Our April edition has stories that take in ‘plein air’ printmaking, how to capture memories and movement in print, and keeping ageing monotype machines whirring.

Who sells, and who reads, the title?

Independent stockists are very important to Pressing Matters. We are lucky to have a strong following and subscriber base, which we’ve built up over the years. The magazine costs

GUEST COLUMNIST

£10 plus shipping (from us) and is £7 wholesale for shops/stockists, which we sell as bundles on our website.

Our reach goes from the learner and hobby printers, via illustration-and-design students, to experienced printers looking to use the magazine in their workshops or as inspiration for their local art communities.

Where should it sit on shelves?

Retailers should stock Pressing Matters alongside Uppercase, We Are Makers, Juxtapoz, Positive and Huck. It’s perfect for anyone interested in art, illustration and design: our readers range in age from A-level students to 80-yearolds. If you like print, you’ll like Pressing Matters. You can find us at pressingmattersmag.com or instagram.com/pressingmattersmag.

HELP READERS ESCAPE FROM THE MAINSTREAM

New Escapologist is a biannual magazine about leaving behind conventional employment and unthinking consumerism in pursuit of a more independent and creative life. In the past, we’ve had a very anti-work and even anti-capitalist focus, but since our 2023 relaunch, we’re focusing on the more positive aspects and benefits of the lifestyle we’ve been advocating.

Independent stockists have become vitally important to New Escapologist. We’re not interested in expanding into the mainstream and you’ll never see our magazine on worldwrecking websites like Amazon, so the only way to go is indie shops. The customers of those shops are the only people we want to talk to – dreamers, thinkers, seekers.

I don’t know if there’s an other magazine advocating what we believe. I enjoy mags like Monocle, The Gentlewoman, Luncheon and Popeye, but they all have the same notion of success. It’s a material, 20th-century, capitalcity idea of success. We’re more forward-looking. We talk about things like minimalism, experiences over things, how to live well with less and improving the quality of your life through low-cost activities like reading and walking, and creative practice, and falling in love. There are some great countercultural magazines about ‘sticking it to the Man’, but we don’t care about that. Ignore the Man and do your own thing.

Robert Wringham, founder, New Escapologist

WEEK

MAGAZINES

OFFICIAL 2024 TOUR DE FRANCE RACE GUIDE

l This anual title contains a 220-page guide to the Tour de France and a supplement magazine.

l The issue has plenty to offer cycling fans, with a free giant wall map and three exclusive Tour de France-themed beer mats.

HARMONY OF COLOUR

l This series for adult colouring fans features intricate, original designs in every issue for fans to colour in.

l This month’s edition has a theme of Fantasy and Fables, with whimsical designs throughout, offering a point of difference from usual issues.

IRELAND’S OWN

l This St Patrick’s Day Annual includes stories about St Patrick, memories of old Ireland and celebrations of Irish sporting victories.

l Highlights include a look at classics such as the movie My Left Foot, as well as a collection of spooky stories.

WOMEN’S HEALTH

l This issue provides extra value to readers with a bundled copy of Cosmopolitan, which is almost twice as popular in independent stores.

l This women’s title is a convenience store bestseller, packed with nutrition, workout and beauty tips.

TON

l This is the second issue of the 2023 launch, which proved a hit with fans of interior design, photography and aesthetic magazines.

l The issue features examinations of community spaces such as saunas, houses of worship and studios with a cover shot of artist Adam Christensen.

MITERA’S MEDITERRANEAN FOOD

l This title combines Italian and Greek recipes with articles about Mediterranean culture.

l This specialist food magazine highlights Mediterranean ingredients and offers tips on how to incorporate them into a healthy lifestyle.

On sale 17 May

Frequency annual

Price £11.99

Distributor Frontline

Display with Cycling Plus, Mountain Biking UK Barcode 977096283811901

On sale 25 April

Frequency monthly

Price £6.99

Distributor Marketforce

Display with Colour It

Barcode 505946404201404

On sale 8 March

Frequency weekly

Distributor Marketforce

Ireland

On sale 19 March

Frequency monthly

Price £4.99

Distributor Frontline

Display with Elle, Vogue Barcode 9772049224105

What’s special about it?

It’s one of those rare comic titles that is worth ordering, despite not being SOR – it’s doing really well six years after launching, and always sells off the shelf.

Who buys it?

Casual readers buy it, characters from big movies and TV shows are always eye-catching, but it also gets sales from serious comics and games fans since it hasn’t been picked up in the UK yet.

On sale 8 March

Frequency annual

Price £20

Distributor Seymour

with Sleeper, Mondo Arc Barcode 9773033480002

On

Partworks and collectables