Scottish Grocer Fascia & Franchise 2016

Fascia & Franchise

Helping you make the right choice

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Fascia & Franchise

IGD expects meal for tonight shopping to become more important to convenience stores, including fascia outlets.

Still growing but changing Research organisation IGD has been forecasting strong growth for the convenience channel for some time.

Ahead of its Convenience Retail Summit in London this month, it released 2015 findings and predictions by IGD Retail Analysis.

In 2015 the value of the convenience channel reached £37.7bn, up 5.1% on the previous year.

Most recent indications, see story in the news pages, suggest symbol numbers are down, but in 2015 the total number of c-stores in the UK rose by just under 1% and the total number of symbol stores rose at a faster rate, up by 250 stores or 1.6%, and co-op numbers were up by 3.2%.

Decisions decisions There has never been a wider range of options to consider for retailers thinking of adopting fascia or franchise retailing. And there are many issues to use in comparisons too.

THE arguments for fascia or symbol retailing have been made for many years by the various fascia organisations – strength in numbers, greater buying power, increased clout when negotiating promotional deals with suppliers including major brands, brand recognition by consumers, advice on effective merchandising, and more.

And for many retailers the advantages promised have indeed been realised. So much so that growth in fascia outlets has been substantial and symbol stores now account for the second largest number of convenience stores in Britain (more than 15,400 last year compared to 18,500 non-

affiliated outlets) and by far the greatest share of sales – worth more than £14bn last year.

But while the number of fascia or symbol stores continued to rise last year – up by a total 250 outlets, the pace of growth has slowed and we are now in a much more mature phase of development. For experienced retailers the question now is not so much “Should I try fascia retailing?”. Instead there are a number of questions to be asked and decisions to be made that compare different providers and different models of symbol retailing.

For example, should you stay or should you go? There are now several very experienced fascia

But fastest sales growth was in multiple grocer c-stores where sales rose by 13.1% to reach £8.2bn.

Franchising is emerging as an increasingly popular ownership model.

IGD expects to see ranges reduced in c-stores, with priority given to serving “meal for tonight” shopping missions. It also reckons food to go could be “the primary driver of footfall into stores”.

Industry research organisation IGD reckons food to go could be “the primary driver of footfall into stores” in the future. Can your proposed fascia organisation help you provide a branded or independent service?

or franchise organisations. Some are based around large national wholesalers, others around local wholesalers who are members of national buying groups, one is mutually owned by retailer members, one is owned by the country’s largest supermarket company. So retailers can at any time consider or reconsider which one might be best for them.

Depending on store size, location and customer base retailers could find themselves best served by a small store fascia solution that has a relatively small core range and a very targeted promotional programme.

At the other end of the scale Scotland now has several large premium c-stores that feature much improved and quite extensive fresh and chilled food ranges.

So what should a retailer ask?

• Am I happy with my current service? It’s a competitive industry and many of the fascia organisations have been developing their offers, recruiting experienced executive staff, developing technology and more.

It could be time to have your own beauty contest and ask a number of providers what they can do for your business.

• Which model is best for me?

There are now many to choose between, from relatively “light” retail club arrangements, which

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Fascias – and fascia, symbol and franchise arrangements – now come in all shapes and sizes. Two Scottish solutions for small convenience stores include ShopLocal from United Wholesale Grocers and Usave from United Wholesale (Scotland). A number of symbol and fascia organisations have developed “express” formats. Equally some fascia operations aim to provide “elite” solutions for large full-service stores.

Family Shopper is another special c-store model. It has a constrained product range and is designed to appeal in a time when many consumers are using discounters. Good supply of fresh and chilled food and drink and “meal for tonight” products is likely to become increasingly important for many c-stores. It will be important to be sure that a fascia or franchise organisation can provide an excellent range and service.

offer promotional programmes in return for a degree of promotional compliance, to traditional convenience packages, to smaller-range discount convenience models. And there are full-blown franchise deals where the store complies completely in almost all aspects of range and promotions and the retailer is left to get on with what’s argued to be the more important task of nurturing relationships with his or her own customers.

• What’s the deal? Are there costs of membership? What’s the

contract period? What happens if you decide to sell your business?

• What’s on offer? The priorities will be different for different stores of course but some things are particularly important.

One, of course, is cost. How competitive are the basic wholesale prices? Are there any extra discounts for purchase loyalty, for stocking an agreed core range or a platform of muststocks or for meeting agreed sales targets?

Another is back-up support.

What’s provided in terms of merchandising advice? Will the

fascia or franchise organisation support local fun days or community charity involvement?

Does it have good understanding of social media and can it help you with communications generally?

• How compelling is the promotions programme? Does the symbol group regularly run promotions on brands and products that will bring your types of customer through the door? Is it well aware of Scottish and regional preferences?

• Chilled, chilled, chilled! Chilled food, fresh produce and “meals

for tonight” are all tipped to become increasingly important to convenience stores. If your store’s size and location suit such an offer, can the fascia organisation deliver an excellent fresh and chilled range and service?

• And food to go is tipped to be absolutely vital to many c-stores in the future. Does the fascia group have its own solution? Can it help you provide a branded food-to-go counter service?

Will you be free to collaborate with, for example, local bakers to provide a food-to-go service?

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Fascia & Franchise

How to face the future THREE STYLE CHOICES LIFESTYLE, the symbol group of the Landmark Wholesale group of wholesalers has three models of symbol store designed to meet the needs of stores in a variety of markets and locations.

Lifestyle Express is its entry level symbol offer which it says is particularly suitable for smaller stores. The average size of a Lifestyle Express store is 800sq ft.

Lifestyle Extra is designed for stores with a minimum footprint of 1000sq ft. It’s a fullservice neighbourhood convenience store model with what Landmark says is a strong offer on fresh and chilled foods suitable for “meal for tonight”, and often also a strong food-to-go offer.

Lifestyle Value, also for stores with of 1000sq ft and more, is designed for retailers who need to compete locally where cost is key.

It has what Landmark says is an upweighted promotional presence with extra ‘off-shelf’ deals, £1 zones, value zones and £1 non-food deals.

Retailers should partner up with innovation in mind says symbol group pioneer SYMBOL store pioneer Spar is positive about the future of fascia in Britain even though it sees the grocery retail landscape in the UK as “constantly changing”.

“According to the IGD, the ‘hot three’ channels that will drive growth in the UK are convenience, discount and online shopping, while the superstores and hypermarkets look set to lose volumes. Growth for symbol groups, though, will continue,” a Spar spokesperson said.

But the climate of constant change means that retailers should choose a symbol group that understands the market.

“Spar members have access to all the very latest retail developments and innovations whether that be professional merchandising and category management, store refurbishment and development,

multi-million pound marketing and advertising, promotions and many other incentives,” the firm said.

“Retailers must innovate if they are to future-proof their business. One of the many ways we are helping them do that is by having all the right formats to meet customers’ needs, from supermarkets to “express” stores.

“Whatever the size of store, we have a format to meet the customers’ needs, ensuring the retailer maximizes sales and profits.

“Spar branding across petrol forecourts is also increasing, adding another element to the retail landscape, driving sales of both food and fuel.”

The company has also been heavily investing in its ownbrand range and argues it is the strongest of all symbol retailers on

Best-one says its expansion in Scotland means it is now truly a UK-wide fascia operation

own-label goods.

“Over the past 12 months, Spar’s own brand has gone from strength to strength with retail sales of over £300m. Spar own label is now significantly more recognisable than all other symbol group competitors with 63% of consumers able to identify Spar own label,” the spokesperson said.

Retailer back up support includes extensive training and development resources.

“The revamped SPARkling Service training package for our retailers has been designed to enable a “pick and mix” approach by each RDC and its respective retailers.”

The group’s recent advertising and promotion activity included its Shop & Win mobile promotional campaign, the first multi-brand mobile voucher scheme run by a UK convenience operator.

When joining Spar, there are no start-up costs, and there is free membership for a year. The group says it also offers a flexible approach to financial assistance for retailers, depending on the size and type of store, including packages and credit terms ranging from co-investment in store refurbishment to equipment/ leasing loans and franchise agreements.

• Best-one, the symbol operation of the Bestway group, says it is the UK’s fastest growing major symbol operator and is now truly a UKwide player in fascia retailing with over 150 outlets across Scotland.

Late last year and early this year the group added two stores to its estate in the Highlands with

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Day-Today adds to Elite model

Retailers must innovate if they are to future-proof their business, says Spar. One of the ways it says it is helping them do that is by having all the right formats to meet retailers’ needs, from supermarkets to “express” stores.

launches in Aviemore and Inverness.

The firm says it has a clear strategic focus on fresh and chilled foods and on responding to consumers’ missionshopping visits.

James Hall, the group’s symbol director said: “Over the past few years, we have seen more and more symbols populate communities and high streets without really adding anything apart from a colourful fascia.

“Brand values are being compromised simply to achieve numbers. At Best-one it never was a numbers game and currently we are now at a stage where we are becoming more selective in the stores we take on or launch.

“We are also debranding many stores that are under-performing. We have a responsibility to the group, our members and shoppers to make sure that Best-one

core standards are met across the board on a consistent basis,” he said.

Best-one’s sales in Scotland have grown by 17% over the past year with member numbers increasing by 11% despite the rationalisation to 155 stores, the firm said.

It has achieved growth of more than 75% on fruit and veg and butchery. Packaged chilled food has shown growth of over 36%.

Some 80% of all the groups’s chilled and frozen products are available as singles to Best-one retailers, which the firm argues allows members to offer a broad range cost effectively. One in every three baskets now includes fresh or chilled produce and the group’s five Scottish delivery hubs can now deliver up to three times per week to members, the company said.

DAY-Today, the fascia store operation of United Wholesale Scotland, is busy making further developments to its Day-Today Elite model – the top end of its range of symbol stores.

The next Day-Today Elite to open, developed in conjunction with owner Mr Mahmood, will be in Garscadden in the north-west of Glasgow and Day-Today controller Mike Leonard said it will bring together “all of the key elements of the retail proposition that United Wholesale has been developing lately”.

Leonard joined United in November, moving from Spar Scotland, and his first months in the job have seen him oversee the planning of the Garscadden store, from the initial store design, through to the space allocation, layout and product selection.

“It is important that as we develop our new proposition, we equally remember the key areas of focus that have built our business to date,” he said.

Fresh foods and food to go will be prioritised.

There will be 10 bays in total for fresh foods.

“The retailer has identified that there is a huge opportunity for food to go within the store’s catchment area and has made a significant investment to reflect this by having a full range of hot breakfast and lunchtime meal solutions on a bespoke hotplate,” Leonard said.

“There is also a hot pastries cabinet, sandwich counter and cake counter, which will further enhance the food-to-go experience.”

Elsewhere the store will have the feel of a minisupermarket, with fresh departments located at the entry to the store, a large seasonal selection, a substantial beer, wines and spirits department, and a redesigned counter area – including an under-the-counter cigarette vending system, supplied by Smokeytech.

“All the aspects of new spec available in the store will be available to existing Day Today Elite stores as we move forward,” Leonard said.

And United Wholesale Scotland will also shortly launch a space-planning website, demonstrating best practice in planograms for all Day Today stores.

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Fascia & Franchise

One to beat

A family business that was part of a symbol group for 37 years has reopened as a One Stop. Brothers Asif and Kashif Mahmood explain why.

IT’S been a year since One Stop opened its first store in Scotland and the Tesco-owned c-store operator shows little sign of slowing down. Its franchise operation continues to win over some independent retailers – why?

For Asif and Kashif Mahmood, the decision came down to competition.

The village of Oakley in Fife isn’t big, but while the Mahmoods can count 3,100 households among their potential customers, they face competition from three convenience stores in the immediate vicinity and a supermarket just four miles away.

Shamas Mahmood opened Spar Oakley in 1978 and for 37 years the store traded under the symbol group, eventually growing from a 200 sq ft corner shop into a 2,400 sq ft convenience operation.

His sons Asif and Kashif took over the running of the store 15 years ago and continued to prosper, but the last few years have been challenging.

“The competition has been quite fierce,” said Kashif. “Consumers are demanding more and more promotions and our margins were getting squeezed. We thought about refurbishing again, but we would still be

Asif (left) and Kashif (right) have run their father’s store in Oakley for the last 15 years. Facing tough competition, they took the decision to join One Stop and say the move has been a success.

Spar and people would still have the same perception, value-wise. So we decided to change to something completely different.”

The brothers had been following One Stop’s

Customers get a perception of value when they enter a One Stop store, according to Kashif Mahmood, who says prices and promotions are a key part of the appeal.

development since it introduced franchising and soon after the company moved north of the border they signed a five-year franchise agreement.

“Even when we were thinking of changing, we never went to another symbol group to see what they could offer,” said Kashif.

“We wanted a new partner that could offer something different. In recent years I think all the symbol groups have really upped their game and they’re all much of a likeness, whereas One Stop are something different.

With the Tesco connection, you know you’re moving on to something bigger than a smaller wholesaler who may not have the capacity or the product range.”

As part of the deal, which is the same for all One Stop franchise retailers, the brothers have control of a small percentage of stock, but are not allowed to trade with other wholesalers and must stick rigidly to the company’s planograms and systems.

“The majority of our stock always came from Spar anyway,” said Kashif. “In the last three years we started looking elsewhere for bargains, but up to ’08 we never really used cash & carries. My father was never a believer in that. He said if you’re with a group you

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should support them entirely.

“One Stop make it a requirement that 95% of your stock has to come from them and we’re happy with that. We’re happy not having to run around looking for cheap products elsewhere.”

One issue the store faced was that it had always enjoyed a buoyant trade in non-food and hardware, which One Stop wouldn’t be able to supply and which would interfere with its model. A solution was devised in the creation of a ‘shop within a shop’, with a separate counter at the rear of the store.

“We said we had to keep a separate hardware area, because it’s always done well in the village. One Stop said it was OK as long as the products we were selling didn’t conflict with any of theirs,” said Asif.

“We’re setting up a separate company to run it. That way we know exactly the margins we’re achieving with One Stop. It also keeps us within the stock thresholds that they’re quite strict about.”

Following a massive refurbishment, One Stop Oakley opened on 10 March.

“The reaction has been fantastic,” said Kashif.

“Sales are up 20-25% and product volume is up by well over 35%. The amount of stock we’re shifting is frightening. We’ve not had to add any more staff yet, but if it gets any busier we’ll be thinking about it.

“You do get a perception of value in One Stop stores, which you don’t get in many other convenience stores, which is what drives footfall. Even when everything’s non-pricemarked, a lot of our products are cheaper than PMPs and the margin is greater. One Stop is very strong on promotions, too.

“Another point of difference is the large pack sizes One Stop offers. One prime example is soap powder. Convenience store packs are typically about 10 or 12 washes for £2. Right now we’re offering a 45 wash pack for £4.

You’re actually getting supermarket sizes at supermarket prices.”

Neither Asif nor Kashif have any qualms about recommending the One Stop model to other retailers like themselves.

“Taking over from our parents, we were used to doing things their way,” said Kashif. “Then these guys came in and their processes are so simplified, it’s incredible. I think one of the benefits is that we’ve learned a fair bit.”

With the dust beginning to settle following the grand opening and staff adjusting to their new routines, Asif and Kashif are now looking to the

With ‘SHAMAS & SONS’ printed above the door, customers know that One Stop Oakley is still run by the same family that has been serving their community for almost four decades. An extensive range of hardware is still available in a separate “shop in a shop”.

future.

“Our ultimate aim is to spend more time away from the shop floor. Leisure time is badly needed in this trade,” said Kashif.

“When we visited other One Stop retailers we

found two things that were quite interesting.

They either had a lot more leisure time or retailers who thought they would only have one store were now looking at other sites. That’s quite encouraging.”

Sales are up 20-25% and product volume is up by well over 35%. The amount of stock we’re shifting is frightening.

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Fascia & Franchise

Take it to the next level N

isa Retail is unique in the convenience sector as it is a mutual style company which means it is owned by its independent retail members.

Retailers have the option to operate under four symbol fascias: Nisa Local, Nisa Extra, Loco and dual branded whereby a member can maintain their true local identity whilst also benefiting from the strength of the Nisa brand. Alternatively, a retailer can also choose to trade under their own fascia.

Within the last year, Nisa has developed its store of the future two store format, which has seen retailers on average achieve double digit uplift in sales since conversion. This looks at different store formats, customer demographics and shopping missions to ensure the right one is implemented in each location.

Nisa’s flexible model provides its retailers with an unbeatable breadth of range, with a 98% availability rate, to ensure they can provide a single destination shop for all their customers’ needs. This is supported by Nisa’s award winning own label range, Heritage, which provides retailers with over 800 SKUs which have been reformulated and repackaged to ensure they offer great quality products at affordable prices. And unlike other retail groups, Nisa stands by the strength of its offer and doesn’t feel the need to restrict its members through loyalty percentage rates or restrictive agreements.

Through Nisa membership, retailers can source local products and have them invoiced centrally, creating a simpler and more time efficient process.

All orders are placed directly with the individual suppliers, deliveries are made direct to store, but the invoicing and administration is managed centrally taking the hassle and complexity away from the retailer.

This is all delivered by Nisa’s industry leading supply chain

which retailers can trust with an impressive 99.9% of deliveries made on the day and 95.2% were successfully on time.

Nisa provides a comprehensive support structure which retailers are encouraged to utilise to ensure they continue to push their business forward. Support comprises a strong field team covering retail development managers and regional retail managers. In addition to fresh food development managers, who encourage retailers to make the most of this important category, and the store development managers who help Nisa members to further develop their stores and

proposition.

Nisa has its own insight team which allows Nisa retailers to truly understand their customers and their marketplace enabling them to modify their offer to match the local demographic.

Retailers can then use this insight in conjunction with Nisa’s category management service to create bespoke planograms, layouts and propositions within their individual sites.

Through Nisa membership retailers can take advantage of the Retail Academy which provides a complete training solution to develop their staff, to ensure their morale remains high and to help provide the best

possible customer service.

Finally, Nisa provides retailers with a comprehensive marketing package incorporating industry first bespoke leaflets, allowing members to personalise the leaflets to include local offers, local events and community news, as well as a personalised Nisa FM which provides retailers with a strong radio network for their store.

The process to join the Nisa group is made as stress free as possible through the enhanced member website and the support that retailers receive from the skilled and trained inhouse staff across all areas of joining process.

TO JOIN, COMPLETE THE FORM ON WWW.JOIN-NISA. CO.UK/JOIN.ASPX OR CONTACT OUR FRIENDLY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ON 0800 542 7490.

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WITH NISA, IT’S GOING VERY WELL. ITS RANGE IS UNPARALLELED SO I CAN COVER ALL THE BASES.

“We’ve been Nisa members since day one when I bought the shop. This was largely to help cater for both old and new customers.

For that, I needed a large range of products to pick from at a cost which made me as competitive as I could be.

I married Nisa’s suggested range with what the store already stocked. I wanted to make sure I was giving the existing customer base what it was looking for. New customers have provided the opportunity to stock more indulgent lines.

2016

Range: “ Product range of

13,000

skus enhanced with 100s of promotions

Ordering is simple and fully automated – we place orders online and they turn up two days later. I came from the wholesale sector, so I know what it’s like, and I can’t fault Nisa at all for availability and the way it delivers to retailers.”

Colin Smith

NISA MEMBER SINCE 2014

To find out why joining Nisa is as easy as 1-2-3 visit www.join-nisa.co.uk 08_NISA_FASCIA2016_Barry.indd 9 10932_NISAtradePress_Pinkies_2016_A4_AW01.indd 1

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Fascia & Franchise

Stand out from the crowd

To succeed in retail, you need to stand out from the competition

W

hether you’re competing against other independent retailers, symbol stores, the multiples or the discounters, it’s essential that you stay ahead of the game. We know this at Lifestyle Express, so we provide our retailers with all the support, industry expertise and benefits of a national symbol group, while you maintain your independence and run your business your way.

We offer retailers a comprehensive, award-winning retailer package with a proven track record, including bespoke store planning, industry-leading planograms and ongoing advice on range and store merchandising.

And, to equip our retailers with the best possible store to compete against the discounters, multiples and other independent retailers trading locally, Lifestyle Express has launched two brand new premium store formats: Lifestyle Extra and Lifestyle Value.

Lifestyle Extra is a full-offer neighbourhood convenience store carrying a full range of chilled, fresh and frozen foods as well as all of the impulse and

essential categories and services, while Lifestyle Value enables retailers to trade successfully where price and competition are overwhelming factors.

These stores offer shoppers an abundance of deals, value and pound zones, leaving customers under no illusion about the value they get by shopping in store. Both store formats enable retailers to offer exactly what their customers want and need, tailored to their trading locations.

Our popular, great-value own brand range – including premium and value products – offer excellent margins to retailers. We also offer a range of fantastic money-saving deals on store services, but with no membership fees or hidden costs. There’s no minimum store size or minimum turnover required, just the potential to grow!

And, that’s not all. Lifestyle Express retailers can benefit from regular Cash Back each year, as well as being able to buy goods at cash and carry prices. We run regular promotions to help you compete locally, which are proven to build business and

increase your sales and profits.

As a symbol group, we’re proud to actively support Scottish retailers, we even offer Scottishspecific planograms to reflect the popularity of national products.

But don’t take our word for it. Lifestyle Express has won multiple industry awards, including Best Beer, Wines and Spirits Convenience Retailer at the prestigious him! Convenience Tracking Awards 2016, where UK shoppers were the judges. Our retailers have also picked up some national awards, including Drinks Retailer of the Year, Best for Customer Service, Best Use of Technology and Digital Engagement. So what are you waiting for?

With a nationally recognised fascia and branding, we help you to compete within the convenience market where first impressions really count.

WITH LIFESTYLE EXPRESS YOU CAN BENEFIT FROM: • 30% growth in sales On average, independent retailers achieve a 30% increase in retail sales after joining Lifestyle Express. Landmark Wholesale has carried out extensive research and identified a comprehensive range of bestselling products. By stocking these, and using our industryleading planograms, you won’t fail to notice a surge in sales.

• Essential ongoing support Alongside a Retail Development Manager to help you grow and develop your business, we also have a team of Core Range Advisors who can work with you

to identify opportunities to boost your sales and profit. By working with our advisors, you’ll know you have a fantastic mix of key products at different price points to suit all your customers’ needs.

• Earn Cash Back Lifestyle Express is the only symbol group to reward retailing excellence. We run regular incentives for our retailers, all with the opportunity to earn Cash Back, just for stocking the bestselling products, displaying POS and adopting best retail practice. For retailers, it’s a winwin situation.

HOW TO JOIN: To join Lifestyle Express and get your business moving in the right direction, it couldn’t be easier.

Just call John Farrell on 07852 248120 or email john.farrell@lmkcc.co.uk

LIFESTYLE EXPRESS FAST FACTS AVERAGE STORE SIZE: 800 Square feet AVERAGE STORE TURNOVER: £12,000 per week NUMBER OF UK STORES: 1,670, including 300 Scottish stores COST OF JOINING: There is no cost to join or membership fee.

MINIMUM STORE SIZE/ TURNOVER: There is no minimum requirement to join Lifestyle Express.

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Scot

No other Symbol Group gives you Cash Back!

Joining Lifestyle Express has been the best business decision I‘ve made. It’s free to join, I buy my stock at cash and carry prices, and I run my business my way. Best of all, I’m rewarded with regular Cash Back.

Amjed Pervez

Lifestyle Express retailers enjoy:

Lifestyle Express, Burnside, Glasgow

■ Regular Cash Back

■ Full promotions programme to help you compete locally ■ No hidden fees

And, average sales growth of 30%*

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*30% average retail sales growth when an independent retailer converts to Lifestyle Express

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To boost your sales by 30% and earn Cash Back, please give Vicky Johnson a call on 01908 255314 or email vicky.johnson@lmkcc.co.uk Alternatively, visit http://brws.it/lse10 to find out more.

■ Ongoing business development expertise and support

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Lifestyle Express

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Landmark Wholesale

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Best Newsagent Retailer

Best Off Licence Retailer

Best for Customer Service

Best Use of Technology

Best Wholesaler for Promotions

Best Wholesaler for Own Brand

Best Cash & Carry Wholesaler

Best Cash & Carry Depot

Best Marketing Initiative

The Big Data and Insights Award

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2015

www.lifestyle-express.co.uk 25/05/2016 12/05/2016 09:30 17:26

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Fascia & Franchise

Londis supporting independent retailers to grow locally L

ondis is part of the Booker Group, the UK’s leading food and drink wholesaler. Londis is one of the UK’s leading symbol convenience store brands with over 1,500 members across the UK. Londis works in partnership with its independent retailers to provide local communities with all they need in convenience shopping, close to home.

As well as the strength of a nationally recognised brand, Londis supports retailers with better pricing, market leading ranges, strong promotions, store development advice and a leading supply chain service to help them compete and succeed in today’s rapidly expanding convenience market.

THE BENEFITS OF THE LONDIS OFFER INCLUDE: • Free Membership.

• Competitive cost of goods.

• Loyalty discounts of up to 4% on all purchases (Excludes Tobacco).

• Award winning Fresh range with over 1,250 lines.

• Award winning own brand ranges Euro Shopper, Happy Shopper and Farm Fresh.

• A best in class online web ordering system (Londis Webshop).

• Market leading promotions every 4 weeks.

• Free Promotion Leaflets and Free store point of sale support.

• Support from our dedicated Store Development and Retail Development teams.

• Tri Temperature fleet delivering all your ambient, fresh and frozen needs on one delivery.

• A best in class forecourt

package with a dedicated forecourt team.

• Free Membership of the ACS. Londis is a flexible symbol partner that has a fully delivered service and support package to suit ambitious independent Scottish retailers with stores from 500 sq ft. up to 2000 sq ft. As a new Londis retailer you will benefit from partnering with Booker Group, the UK’s leading food and drink wholesaler.

Londis offers true value with the right range of products at the right prices. We aim to ensure our prices are the most competitive in the market by price checking the top selling 300 lines on a weekly basis.

We provide an industry leading fresh offer with over 1,250 fresh and chilled lines, including fresh food-to-go, fresh produce ranges and meal-for-tonight.

Our award-winning own brand ranges offer customers great value and quality at the key price points and across the categories shoppers need.

Research shows that retailers who partner with Londis can boost sales by an average of 20% as a result of a carefully considered refit. Londis places huge emphasis on offering the right products at the right price. Combine this with smart planning, local area knowledge, range optimisation and the symbol group’s expertise in

merchandising, any store can be turned into a highly efficient business that makes more cash profits.

Our focus is to help and support our Scottish Retailers to improve their cash margin and store profitability which is under pressure due to increased competition from the Multiples & Discounters, but also increased pressure on running costs for example, increased labour costs due to increases in the National Minimum Wage. We continue to focus on delivering better choice, price and service for our independent retail partners and supporting them to grow their business locally.

VISIT OUR RECRUITMENT WEBSITE AT WWW.JOINLONDIS.CO.UK OR CALL 0808 178 8644

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18367_

“Londis provides a fantastic convenience offer and support package. It’s helped me increase my profits, so I’m happy!”

Bryan Craig Londis Crianlarich

Join Londis today and watch your profits grow FREE

Membership

FREE

Leaflet Scheme

FREE

EPOS System

NEW

Discount Scheme

A new and LOWER cost Londis that’s SIMPLER to do business with Be part of the success and call us today!

Call 0808 178 8644 or visit joinlondis.co.uk 16_Londis_FASCIA2016_Barry.indd 17 18367_LON_New_Recruitment_A4_v6.indd 5

joinlondis.co.uk 26/05/2016 09:53 19/05/2016 16:57

We invest *

in your store

* ex VAT. Subject to terms and conditions of contract.

Full store refit ** 2 lane EPOS & back office systems 1 week’s training in store for you and your team Project managed by us Keeping you ‘safe and legal’ **co-investment may be required.

MARKET-LEADING PROMOTIONS STATE OF THE ART SYSTEMS

Our investment includes:

An exciting store launch

Better sales & profit

EASY retailing WORKING TOGETHER We work with you to help grow your sales and profit.

next stop ONE STOP

Contact us so we can help you today.

It feels great to be part of a team of experienced retailers. Come and join us!

Call us today

01543 363003 @1StopFranchise

18_One-Stop_Fascia2016_Barry.indd 18

or visit our website openaonestop.co.uk

25/05/2016 09:31

Asif and Kashif Mahmood The Mahmood family were with a symbol group for 30 years before becoming a One Stop Franchise.

In a time of tough competition with business costs continually rising due to things like the Living Wage, the need to keep offers fresh, margins at a profitable level, consumer perceptions improving and to be able to expand the product range, Asif and Kashif needed to look at a new partner to help them grow into the future.

“Do not let the fear of losing your independence lead you to losing your business to the competition. You should consider joining One Stop and let the competition lose theirs.”

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR DECISION? “With product volumes up by over 35% and sales up by 15-20% and rising, in the same competitive environment where sales were previously sliding, One Stop Franchise and the model they offer speaks for itself!”

WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE TO BECOMING A FRANCHISEE? “The move to One Stop was fairly straightforward, going through a transition period prior to refit, the actual refit stage and then being a fully-fledged franchise store. The back office teams and sales support at One Stop are phenomenal, the level of expertise they exhibit in their fields is exemplary. The whole team work collectively as a tight knit team and are there for you when you need them.”

“The back office teams and sales support at One Stop are phenomenal, the level of expertise they exhibit in their fields is exemplary...”

AFTER BEING WITH YOUR SYMBOL GROUP FOR SO MANY YEARS WHAT MADE YOU COME ACROSS TO ONE STOP FRANCHISE? “Our decision to join was not taken lightly, rather over many months, sleepless nights and after meeting existing franchisee’s we felt we had a much better chance of not only staying in business but running a profitable business for years to come if we joined with One Stop. One Stop’s stores look fresh and modern, whilst the ranges are very comprehensive. Above all, each store represents ‘value’ in a tough convenience market and the power of the One Stop brand with the link to Tesco, was very much considered to be the way forward.”

promotions across their choice of local convenience stores.”

HAS ONE STOP MADE A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR LIFE?

“…product volumes up by over 35% and sales up by 15-20% and rising…”

WHAT’S BEEN THE CUSTOMER REACTION? “Customers are loving the refreshed, tidier store look and feel and commenting on the improved choice within the range and the fantastic prices, including the best ever

“Some processes have been simplified to a level we did not think possible. Do not let the fear of losing your independence lead you to losing your business to the competition. You should consider joining One Stop and let the competition lose their business. We are hoping that we will now be able to spend more time away from the store and focus on other business interests with the confidence in knowing that our store can now run smoothly without our permanent presence.”

CALL US TODAY Our Store Support team are just a phone call away.

If you’d like to be part of our award-winning franchise we’d love to hear from you.

Who knows, you could soon be the proud owner of a shiny new store with industry-leading technology at your fingertips and more time on your hands thanks to our £50,000 contribution to a store refit!* *ex VAT. Subject to terms and conditions of contract.

18_One-Stop_Fascia2016_Barry.indd 19

01543 363003 or visit our website at

openaonestop.co.uk @1StopFranchise

25/05/2016 09:31

Advertisement

Fascia & Franchise

Supermarkets Group

The Perfect Partnership with Costcutter Supermarkets Group There are many reasons why 2016 should be the year you open a store with Costcutter Supermarkets Group.

THE RETAIL EXPERTS With more than 2,500 stores and £5 billion buying power, our scale gives you the competitive advantage needed to thrive locally. It’s the sort of buying power other Symbol Groups would love to have. It means we can drive prices down across all ranges – from tobacco and alcohol, to chilled, fresh and grocery goods. And as more and more retailers join, our buying power goes from strength to strength.

MOST CONVENIENT RETAILER Whether value, range or service, we score the best in a recent poll of shoppers. Our stores tap in to the shopper needs of today with 10,000 lines, including our award winning Independent own brand, fulfilling every shopper mission.

Whether customers want to grab a spot of lunch, a fresh coffee, pay a bill, pick up a parcel or fill a basket for tonight’s dinner, our

stores are super convenient and great value for money.

AMAZING BRANDS Simply Fresh and Costcutter have brand awareness of up to 93% so put our name above your door and see your sales soar. No matter what your type of convenience store or local market, we have a retail brand for you. We’re here to help you succeed and we will help you create an exciting and contemporary retail environment and provide advice on how to merchandise your stores for maximum sales effect. What’s more, we make it easy for you to do business with us. Our pricing is simple, transparent and incredibly competitive with no membership or missed order fees, no surcharges and competitive rebates.

THE MOST DIGITALLY ENABLED GROUP With two-thirds of adults in

the UK owning a smartphone and 90% of 16-24 year-olds having one a strong social media presence is key to reaching shoppers. We have taken the lead on social media and proximity marketing in the convenience sector, helping our retailers to engage with their customers and drive footfall and sales in their store.

LEADING EDGE RETAIL TECHNOLOGY We place technology innovation at your fingertips and transform modern retail with state-of-theart systems that make life easier.

We offer the latest in-store technologies that shoppers demand like easier payments via Apple Pay and Contactless. Our cutting edge Activ Technology systems, including ActivCPoS, ActivOC and retailer portal ActivHUB, have been developed to make your ordering process hassle free and our ActivMOBILE app allows access to all of this

information on the go.

KEEPING YOU INDEPENDENT We’ll actively help you to run your store, your way, and protect your independence. Our retailers get the power of our brands and group strength, but run their stores the way they want to, offering the best of both worlds.

To find out more reasons why you should join Costcutter Supermarkets Group call us on 01904 488663 or visit www.16reasons.co.uk

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25/05/2016 11:36

1117

Reason

1

#

/16

Crowned ‘Most Convenient’ Retailer

*The Grocer 2015

From value and range, to service, shoppers rated us the highest in a recent poll.*

Discover more reasons for us to talk…

Call 01904 486 543

20

16 Reasons to talk

or visit 16reasons.co.uk

20_Costcutter_FASCIA2016_Barry.indd 111715 Costcutter FP ScottishGrocer _A421 24_02_16.indd 1

25/05/2016 24/02/2016 09:32 14:21

We’ll Support You Evermore!

With 140 years of experience in the Scottish convenience sector, we know what it takes to run a business. And we know what support you need to make your business more profitable.

22_FillshillDPS_Fascia2016_Barry.indd 22

25/05/2016 09:32

EST

ES TA B L ISHED 18 7 5

Here’s the Filshill guarantee.

We’ll support you with the best service in the market place

1875

In a recent independent KeyStore Customer survey this is what some of our customers said:

We’ll support you with on-time deliveries, merchandising, promotions and prices

‘With KeyStore if you have a problem they won’t forget about it. They will really try to sort out any problem you have’.

KeyStore, Summerstown

We’ll support you with marketing plans to drive footfall and increase sales

‘KeyStore is a much better store than its competitors, and they are a Scottish brand’.

KeyStore, Hyndland

We’ll support your local area, which will reflect well on you, helping your business

‘KeyStore take good care of you’.

KeyStore, Parkhead

EST. 1875

E S T. 1 8 7 5

We’ll support you with passionate people to drive your business forward

If you want to talk to us about how we can support you to improve your business call Ian McDonald on 0141 883 7071.

EST

E STA B LISH E D 18 7 5

1875

- Building Your Business

Supporting your Community J.W. FIlsHIll ltD. t: 0141 883 7071 E: fIlSHIll@fIlSHIll.Co.uK W: WWW.fIlSHIll.Co.uK

22_FillshillDPS_Fascia2016_Barry.indd 23

25/05/2016 09:32

Advertisement

Fascia & Franchise

Delivering the best in symbol Best-one sales in Scotland continue to grow by 15%.

B

estway Batleys managed symbol group has had an exceptional year in Scotland increasing sales by a massive 15%, continuing its impressive position as the country’s fastest growing major symbol group.

The group is investing heavily in both business development and sales personnel to ensure that members receive the best possible service to help them develop their stores.

continue to rise despite the group’s rationalisation to 155 stores. Destination categories such as chilled and fresh are driving this growth with sales of chilled in to Best-one stores in April more than doubling over the corresponding period in 2015. Eighty per cent of all chilled and frozen products are available as singles to Best-one retailers meaning members can offer the breadth of range required of a modern convenience store but without

As symbol director James Hall explains “You can go into any of the multiple convenience operators’ convenience store formats, take away their corporate colours and not see any distinguishable difference in terms of range or layout.

Sadly, this is also happening more in symbol. Symbols should be creating an identity for stores - not making them look all the same. At Best-one we treat every store differently as one size does not fit all.

Yes, all symbol operators want compliance, but I believe this can be achieved without limiting the entrepreneurial decisionmaking of members. Our investment in sales and business development personnel means that we have greater faceto-face communication and engagement with members.

All Best-one stores will now receive two calls per month one sales call and one business development call - which will give us a greater understanding of their business and consequently how we can help the increase their sales.”

the added expense of having to invest in depth of range. Scottish delivery hubs can also now deliver up to three times per week to members if required, minimising wastage and guaranteeing longer shelf-life.

Best-one members receive the most competitive wholesale pricing and rich monthly consumer promotions to engage shoppers. Added to this is the most generous rebate scheme in the sector, My Rewards, which

Beer Retailer of the year: Best-one at Brownlies, Biggar, South Lanarkshire

gives members the opportunity to earn up to 5% cashback on their purchases with the average payout per qualifying retailer being over £7,000 per year.

James Hall concludes “There are Best-ones all over Scotland from Aviemore in the north to Berwick in the south. We have the infrastructure and expertise to really make a difference to members’ sales. However for Best-one it’s not a numbers game – it’s about creating a retail brand that shoppers relate to and engage with.

We are confident that Bestone offers retailers the best possible symbol solution based on fact-based decision-making and backed up by unparallelled support, making it the obvious choice for retailers who wish to grow their business.”

For more information on Bestone, contact your local Batleys depot, visit www.best-one.co.uk email enquirie�@best-one.co.uk or call 020 8453 8353.

Best-one’s sales in Scotland

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25/05/2016 11:39

“I’m better off by £30,000 a year since switching to Best-one” Darren Briggs Award-winning forecourt retailer

l Best-one est-one sales are growing at 15% year on year in Scotland with Chilled sales up 50%.* Scotland l Over ver 150 stores nationwide.

150 l Frequent requent BDE visits to help you drive sales and cut costs. cut costs. l £7,500 7,500 average payout to members participating in the My Rewards rebate scheme in the Make the change and share in Best-one retailers’ success

Best-one, The Bestway Group, Abbey Road, Park Royal, London NW10 7BW Tel: 0208 453 8353 email: enquiries@best-one.co.uk www.best-one.co.uk *Source: Best-one sales Feb 2016 v Feb 2015 **For qualifying retailers 24_BestOne_FASCIA2016_Barry.indd 25

Fascia & Franchise 2016 // 25

25/05/2016 11:49

nchise No fra

fee

Use Post Office investment to modernise your store

Get p custo aid for ev mer t e ransa ry ction

Lift your retail sales Grow your retail sales by 16% by joining the UK’s largest retailer and combining a Post Office with your convenience store.

The Post Office is modernising its network supported by Government funding of nearly £2 billion, and enterprising convenience store owners can take advantage of investment.

Combining a Post Office with a strong retail offer allows the two to benefit each other, resulting in increased footfall and far greater convenience for customers.

We’re looking for operators with a convenience store or large CTNs.

The Post Office Local model means you don’t need to take up valuable retail space for a traditional ‘screened’ counter, as the service can be combined with your retail till.

The Post Office is open when your shop is, so customers can pop in early or late — a service that is proving popular.

For a larger branch — the Main model — you will need a designated Post Office area but the layout can be modern and open–plan.

Find the right business opportunity at runapostoffice.co.uk 26_PostOffice_Fascia2016_Barry.indd 26 RaPo_ScotGroDPS.indd 2-3

25/05/2016 09:33

The postmaster’s view:

“I run two Main branches that perform well in different areas and have contrasting customers. My first branch is Clydebank, which is based in a shopping centre and performs particularly well in financial products.

“At my second branch, West End, we have a strong retail offering and a coffee shop which attracts customers from an affluent area.

“Having more than one branch should appeal to people who want to develop and improve.”

How to Join

Add a Post Office franchise to your existing retail business or take over an existing Post Office and develop a thriving retail store.

1. Register your interest at runapostoffice.co.uk and we will email you with opportunities that fit your search criteria. Look for vacancies with commercial estate agents that handle Post Office branches, such as Humberstones and Christies & Co. 2. Make sure a Post Office is right for you and develop a business plan before completing the online application process. We will do some financial checks before inviting you for an interview.

If successful, you or your representative will then be invited to a training course and the branch will transfer to you shortly afterwards. The process takes around six months.

3. For more information including FAQs and application details, visit runapostoffice.co.uk

Ryan Marwaha Clydebank and West End Main branches, Glasgow

Why Post Office?

“Last year more than 300 agency branches recorded £1 million–plus in turnover, including us here at Berryden Main branch in Aberdeen where travel money sales passed the £1 million mark.

“One of the main reasons we have been so successful is due to the number of customers using our passport check and send service.

We use this as a hook to introduce other relevant products and services, such as travel insurance and the travel money card.”

Sal Ahmad Berryden Main branch, Aberdeen

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We have 17 million customers a week, including a third of the nation’s small businesses We’re the number one retailer of Royal Mail services and the UK’s number one travel money provider From travel money to car tax, passports to postage, insurance, mortgages, savings and easy access to local and national government services, we provide more than 170 products and services We have the UK’s largest free cash withdrawal network through our 11,500 branches and 2,500 cash machines Our business handles £17 billion of savings and £3 billion in loans; 99% of bank customers can access their cash at the Post Office.

25/05/2016 17/05/2016 09:34 10:18

Fascia & Franchise is a special supplement produced by: Scottish Grocer, The Albus, 110 Brook Street, Glasgow, G40 3AP | Tel: 0141 567 6000 | Email: scottishgrocer@peeblesmedia.com www.scottishgrocer.co.uk

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