Retail News October 2016

OCTOBER 2016

The Nation’s Favourite Cookie Brand * worth

€1m

STOCK UP NOW! *Kantar Total Biscuits 52w/e 22nd May 2016

INTRODUCING OUR NEW RANGE CRAFTED THE CORK WAY

4.3% ABV

A true son of Cork, the ‘Rebel County’, Rebel Red is proud to be different, to have its own opinion and its own unique taste. It’s always more interesting when you’re with the Rebel.

5.5% ABV

Brewed Brewed to to honour honour Diarmund Diarmuid McCarthy Mor, the King of South Munster and founder of the site of our brewery, Chieftain IPA puts a taste of his power in your hands.

4.7% ABV

There have been monks seeking inspiration in Cork since the early Middle Ages, all the time brewing beer in the German tradition.

Which inspired us to do the same… naturally, it tastes divine through the unique yeast extract.

the franciscan well history Founded by Shane Long in 1998, Cork’s Franciscan Well Brewery and Brew Pub is one of Ireland’s longest established and best respected craft breweries. The “Well” has gained national fame for its popular beers, international recognition with numerous craft beer awards from across Europe, along with their successful collaboration with Jameson Whiskey.

Here in the ‘Rebel County’, we do things just that bit better.

By listening and applying our craft, we produce award winning beers brewed the Cork way... for pure enjoyment.

NEW BREWERY AWARD WINNERS

In 2016, we opened our new Brewery in Cork’s Docklands to support the Brew Pub in keeping up with growing demand.

FOLLOW US Find out more on www.franciscanwellbrewery.com

THE CRAFT MARKET

Craft Be er growing at

e Ireland is th r most popula region with

The most popular styles are:

60c% raft

15% vs l

of all g beer comin from here

ast year

Although he bottle is t most common s pack, can g are growin faster

IPA, Pale Ale, Red, lager & Wheat

Can share has DOUBLED in the last year - now

Can is expected to account for

25-30% of all Cr

15%

+50%

aft sales in the next couple of years similar to

of all craft sales

USA marke

t

benefit of cans

*Source AC Nielsen YTD August 2016

SUN PROTECTION LESS WAITING TIME FOR YOUR BEER

MORE AIRTIGHT

BETTER FLAVOUR BETTER FLAVOUR

COOLS QUICKER

EASILY RECYCLABLE

BETTER FOR THE BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT

LESS LIKELY TO BREAK

MORE ROBUST

Brewed & Canne d in Cork TAKES UP LESS SPACE IN COOLERS AND ON SHELVES

MORE COMPACT

Altogether more.

Customers love Northern Ireland’s multi-award winning food and drink products We have a superb track record at the Great Taste Awards, Irish Quality Food Awards and the Blas na hEireann Awards.

It’s the combination of our quality environment and innovative producers who are dedicated to traceability, passionate about quality and driven to go the extra mile.

To find out more about how Northern Irish food and drink can help drive your business forward, visit BuyNIFood.com

BuyNIFood.com

Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|5

Contents Budgeting For Success BUDGET 2017 has been met with mixed reactions from Ireland’s FMCG market. Understandably, tobacco manufacturers are unhappy at the 50c hike in excise per packet of cigarettes, which they feel will push more consumers from the legitimate channel into the black market. Drinks representative groups, while relieved that excise levels on alcohol haven’t been raised, argue that this Budget was a missed opportunity to actually reduce excise on alcohol to bring Ireland more into line with the rest of Europe. See our full report on Page 6 and 7 for more details.

Elsewhere in this issue, Ciaran Hurley, CKH Fiscal Services, argues how, in one stroke, Revenue has placed 23% VAT on almost all food supplements currently on sale (Page 20). We also report from the inaugural Today’s Women in Grocery event, set up by the IGBF to provide exciting new networking events targeted at a female audience (Page 24), reveal some of the valuable insights gleaned at Kantar Worldpanel’s 2016 Client Day (Page 30) and the ECR Ireland Leaders Congress (Page 64), while specialist food regulatory and consumer affairs lawyer, Raymond O’Rourke warns Irish food and drink suppliers to make sure their food labels are in line with new legal requirements on nutritional declarations, coming this December (Page 38).

We also report from the fourth annual Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards, where the island’s finest food and drink producers were honoured at a dazzling ceremony hosted by Ballymaloe Celebrity Chef and cookery author, Rachel Allen, at the Mansion House in Dublin (Page 54-62).

Kathleen Belton, Editorial & Marketing Director.

News

Centra Live Every Day

8

22

Centra’s ‘Live Every Day’ brand positioning will see a radical transformation of the brand.

Food Labelling 38

IGBF: Today’s Women in Grocery 24

6

Mixed reaction to Budget 2017.

7

Bord Bia launches consumer research centre.

8

Rising insurance costs put squeeze on retailers.

9

Spar conference looks to new trends; Repak advice column.

10

Dunnes joins Tesco as Ireland’s second-largest supermarket; Shane McArdle obituary.

11

EU-Wide action required to tackle unfair trading practices; ECR Europe becomes ECR Community; BIM advice column.

12

The Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund have helped to ‘Create Connections’ at the inaugural ‘Today’s Women in Grocery’ networking lunch.

Shop Profile 42

Barry Group Awards 26

The Barry Group Awards saw the Costcutter, Carry Out and Supplier of the Year Awards handed out to the most deserving stores and suppliers across the country.

Kantar Worldpanel Client Day 30

Kantar Worldpanel’s 2016 Client Day provided some valuable insights into the Irish retail landscape and what it will take to win more customers.

Double win for NFRN; Fat chance for Sugar Tax success.

New VAT rates for food supplements introduced by Revenue have changed the playing field for a host of products that previously enjoyed a zero VAT rate, warns Ciaran Hurley, CKH Fiscal Services.

Justin O’Rourke’s Mace forecourt in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, has just undergone a massive revamp and is already reaping the rewards.

Retail Ireland: Monthly Update 44

Retail margins under pressure; Plan your debt free Degree now for 2017.

54 Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards 54

34

The fourth annual Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards were presented recently in a glittering awards ceremony, hosted by Rachel Allen.

ECR Ireland Leaders’ Congress 64

VAT on Food Supplements 20

Irish food and drink suppliers need to make sure their food labels are in line with new legal requirements on nutritional declarations coming this December, writes Raymond O’Rourke.

Gala Annual Conference 34

Gala Retail recently held its annual conference in Killarney, where Ireland football manager Martin O’Neill provided an inspiring keynote address.

The ECR Ireland Leaders' Congress, held recently in Dublin, had some timely advice for Irish retailers.

National Minimum Wage 74

The evolution of National Minimum Wage legislation in Ireland.

REGULARS & REPORTS

facebook.com/RetailNews1 Managing Director: Patrick Aylward Editorial & Sales Director: Kathleen Belton kathleenbelton@retailnews.ie Editor: John Walshe johnwalshe@tarapublications.ie Advertising: Brian Clark brian@tarapublications.ie Chief News Reporter: Pavel Barter Wine Correspondent: Jean Smullen Production: Ciara Conway Graphics: Catherine Doyle Printed by: W&G Baird

@RetailNews1

Published by: Tara Publishing Ltd, 14 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2.

Tel: (01) 6785165 Fax: (01) 6477127 Web: www.retailnews.ie Email: kathleenbelton@retailnews.ie Subscription to Retail News: e95 plus VAT Email: ciara@tarapublications.ie Reproduction without written permission is strictly prohibited.

14 Industry News 50 Soups 66 Drinks News 67 Biscuits, Cakes & Bars 73 What’s New 76 Forecourt Focus: News 78 Shelf Life

6|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

News

Mixed Reaction to Bu RETAILERS, suppliers and their representative organisations have been reacting to Budget 2017.

The elements of Budget 2017 that will increase disposable income and support consumer spending were welcomed by both RGDATA and Retail Ireland. The latter group, however, noted that more could have been done to support retailers under pressure from a high cost base and acute currency pressures. The new Town Centre Regeneration Fund is timely and very welcome, but the failure to tackle business costs and deliver e-commerce supports was a lost opportunity, according to Retail Ireland.

“The Sterling drop has intensified the pressure on retailers from competitors in Northern Ireland and UK-based online retailers.

Retailers had hoped for a more comprehensive response in the budget.

Over the coming weeks, new measures will be required to support the competitiveness of Irish businesses most exposed to Brexit pressures,” said Retail Ireland Director Retail Ireland Director, Thomas Thomas Burke.

Burke.

Retail Ireland expressed disappointment at the move to further increase the National Minimum Wage following a 50 cent (6%) increase in January of this year.

"This latest increase will further increase the disparity in employment costs between retailers in the Republic and those in Northern Ireland where the minimum wage is now 13% lower,” said Burke, whose organisation had hoped Government would introduce measures to offset the increase in associated employment costs, such as reducing employers PRSI to its previous 4.25% level. “It is disappointing that they have decided against this," said Burke.

The introduction of the town centre regeneration fund was welcomed by Retail Ireland.

“These funds will allow for the development of much needed initiatives that will attract both consumers and commercial interests back to town centres," said Burke.

RGDATA too welcomed this additional investment in Rural Regeneration. “We will be seeking a small portion of this to be spent on Town Centre Health Checks, Donall O’Keeffe, developing Town Plans and the Secretary of the Drinks development of National Town Industry Group of Ireland Centre Management strategic and CEO of the Licensed support services,” said Tara Vintners Association.

Buckley, RGDATA Director General. “RGDATA will be impressing on the various Ministers involved that a strategic plan led approach, not one-off projects, will mean we get more bang for our buck and genuine town and village renewal.”

RGDATA also welcomed the increase in Garda numbers, with Buckley noting that “we urgently need more visible presence of Garda on our streets to combat crime”.

While Government’s decision not to increase excise duty on alcohol came as a relief, most drinks bodies believe that there was a missed opportunity to decrease duty and give our indigenous drinks industry a shot in the arm.

The National Off-Licence Association’s Government Affairs Director, Evelyn Jones, admitted that the decision not to increase excise duty “provides a level of stability for business owners all over the country.” However, she argued that our high excise duties are “making Ireland an unattractive place in which to do business, limiting the choice available to Irish consumers, and discouraging National Off-Licence foreign investment in Association Government this country. The extreme Affairs Director, Evelyn Jones. difference between our excise and our European partners is unsustainable and needs to be addressed by the Government going forward.”

Donall O’Keeffe, Secretary of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland and CEO of the Licensed Vintners Association, said: “The drinks industry is operating in an extremely difficult and uncertain economic climate, so the Government’s decision not to not cut excise on alcohol is a missed opportunity for the industry as we approach the Christmas trading season and the increased threat of cross border shopping. Irish consumers continue to pay the highest prices for alcohol in Europe.”

His comments were echoed by the Alcohol and Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI), whose Director, Ross Mac Mathuna, said; “The reality is excise is a tax on jobs, consumers and tourism and needs to be reduced. We will continue to engage with policymakers to campaign for a cut in this punitive tax. A cut in excise would positively impact jobs and small businesses in every town and village across the country in a time of increasing economic uncertainty”.

Minister Noonan’s establishment of a consultation

Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|7

News

dget 2017 process on the introduction of a sugar tax, to come into effect in April 2018, came in for severe criticism from the Irish Beverage Council, with Kevin McPartlan, Director, insisting that additional taxes on soft drinks will not have any positive impact on obesity. “Internationally, this thesis has been tested and has a 100% failure rate. A sugar tax will hit consumers, industry and Irish Beverage Council the economy for no public health Director, Kevin McPartlan. benefit,” he said. "It is some comfort that the Minister has announced that the levy will not be introduced ahead of that planned in the UK. We can only hope Government will engage in meaningful dialogue to minimise the economic loss to industry and threat to Irish jobs.”

Meanwhile, the decision to increase excise on cigarettes and tobacco products by 50c, has been condemned by Ireland’s tobacco manufacturers. “Ireland’s thriving black market is well placed to meet the demand that will now be created by today’s 50c excise increase,” argued Deirdre Healy, Corporate and Legal Affairs Manager with John Player.

Her concerns were echoed by Joan Mulvihill, ITMAC Director, who expressed strong disagreement with the tobacco excise increase: “Again, the Government is ignoring the evidence which demonstrates that tax increases of this magnitude shock the market and can be expected to lead to a decrease rather than an increase in excise revenues, resulting in a significant tax gap.”

Big excise increases just achieve one goal, Mulvihill

argued: “They amplify the price differential between legal and illegal cigarettes, making it more and more attractive for smokers to look for smuggled products and for criminals to run this business. The Government is again undermining the legitimate tobacco industry and retail, while not achieving any policy objective”.

Food and Drink Industry Ireland (FDII), the Ibec group that represents the food and drink Paul Kelly, Director, FDII. sector, while welcoming the tax reforms and budget increases for state agencies, said that more targeted action on Brexit is needed.

“Brexit is putting intense strain on food exporters,” said FDII Director Paul Kelly. “The economic pressure on the sector could exceed that of previous currency crises. The government needs remedial measures of sufficient scale and ambition to address this.” In particular, he called for a €25m fund to support companies to maintain their export business in the UK, as well as diversifying into new markets, and the reintroduction of the Employment Subsidy Scheme and the Enterprise Stabilisation measures last Ross Mac Mathuna, Director of applied in 2009-2011.

ABFI.

Bord Bia Launches Consumer Research Centre IRELAND’S food, drink and horticulture industry will for the first time enjoy unrestricted access to the latest global trends, research, consumer insights and industry innovations thanks to a new integrated, state-of-the-art consumer research and market insight centre launched by Bord Bia at its headquarters in Dublin.

As the industry prepares to virtually double its exports, to reach the target of €19 billion set by FoodWise2025, The Thinking House will play a potentially transformative role in helping it to develop and differentiate its offerings in the global marketplace, according to Bord Bia Chief Executive, Aidan Cotter.

In addition to meeting the challenge presented by Brexit, achievement of the industry’s 10-year target is expected to require a step change in export growth to Europe and a trebling in its exports to international markets, including a quadrupling of its presence in Asia’s growth markets, according to Bord Bia, which opened its 13th international office in Singapore recently.

The Thinking House, the logical progression for Bord Bia’s growing investment in market and consumer research, will be managed by Helen King, Director of Consumer Insight, and a team of 12 professionals, with backgrounds ranging from psychology to librarianship.

The creative space includes a Trends Zone to highlight the latest food and drink innovations from around the world

and a Packaging and Branding gallery to promote best in class design and to showcase Bord Bia’s recent work with Irish food and drink brands.

The ‘Living Room’ and its adjacent viewing room will allow Pictured at the launch of The Thinking Bord Bia and the House are Helen King, Director of Consumer industry to conduct Insight, Bord Bia, and Aidan Cotter, Chief qualitative focus Executive, Bord Bia. and discussion groups, equipped with audio, video recording and live streaming capacity, while the Library presents invaluable access to a wide range of databases and reports that would heretofore have been financially prohibitive to source for many small to medium-sized companies working in the industry.

Finally, an innovative working space, with room for up to 70 people, will be available for the industry to use for workshops, meetings and presentations.

8|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

News

Rising Insurance Puts Squeeze on Retailers EOIN McCambridge, owner of McCambridge’s in Galway City, fears for the future of his business. In the space of three years, his insurance premium has risen from €16,000 to €50,000 per annum, amounting to around €1,000 a week in 2016. The company's insurance excess has rocketed from €250 to €5,000. This could increase to €10,000 in 2017. By 2019, his premium could be as much as €100,000. “It's getting to the stage in retail where you could be uninsurable,” he told Retail News. “It seems very immoral.”

Over the last year, the average public liability insurance premium has increased 30%, according to a report by RGDATA. The nationwide survey, which encompassed 500 RGDATA members, found that some premiums have increased as much as 150%.

“Our members say this is one of the most significant cost increases in their business,” said Tara Buckley, RGDATA Director General. “In some cases, the ongoing increases in insurance are the biggest threat to the viability of their business. We have supermarket members paying €160,000 a year for one shop. We have a member with a high quality convenience grocery store paying €56,000 for one shop.”

Rising premiums appear to have occurred in line with an increase in the amount of personal injury claims over the last 12 months. According to the report, 44% of retailers had insurance claims recently; the majority (77%) involved personal injury claims. There has also been an increase in serial claimants.

One retailer told Retail News about an incident that occurred earlier this year, involving a customer who slipped on his forecourt. The injured party took a claim to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB), which awarded them €9,000. But the plaintiff's solicitor then advised them to take the claim to the High Court for a potential €50,000 payout. According to the retailer, who claimed to have seen the doctor's report, the plaintiff suffered no long term affects, aside from “a bit of localised bruising around the posterior”.

The retailer alleged that the solicitor gleaned almost €3,000 by initiating proceedings at the High Court: "It's a gravy train for unscrupulous solicitors. It's all about the money. Compensation culture is alive and well with unscrupulous solicitors in Ireland. My personal view is it should be illegal for solicitors to advertise [for compensation claims] in this country.”

RGDATA's survey found that compensation payouts have ranged from €35,000 for a woman wearing “inappropriate footwear” who slipped in a shop, to a €70k windfall for a customer who slipped on ice cream in a car park. The survey found that in 80% of the cases, insurers did not consult the

The RGDATA survey of 500 RGDATA members found that: • 85% of retailers have seen an increase in their insurance premiums over the last year; • The average insurance premium increase is just over 30% on the previous year, but some have increased by as much as 150%; • 44% of retailers surveyed said that they had insurance claims recently, with the majority (77%) involving personal injury claims; • 34% of retailers have faced at least one personal injury claim in the last 12 months; • Retailers are reporting a persistent increase in claims from serial claimants and claims that are spurious and grossly exaggerated; • All retailers surveyed felt that insurance companies are over-eager to settle claims prematurely rather than fighting cases; • In over 80% of cases, the insurer never consulted the retailer before settling the case.

retailer before settling cases.

“They're not saving us money, because they're not fighting these cases,” said another retailer.

“The level of payout in Ireland is far more exaggerated than it is in the UK or other countries in Europe.

The judges are far too willing to award compensation.”

RGDATA has criticised the PIAB's publication of a new Book of Quantum that increases the level of awards for minor personal injuries. An RGDATA Director General, Tara RGDATA delegation Buckley. recently briefed TDs and Senators on this issue at a meeting in Leinster House, and has written to Eoghan Murphy TD, the Minister of State who has been tasked by the Government to deal with escalating insurance costs. RGDATA’s proposed reforms include the establishment of an independent body to determine liability, a review of the Book of Quantum and a cap on general damages.

For the time being, retailers could be the biggest victims of compensation culture. The recent closure of a shop in the Midwest was attributed to the increasing level of claims and insurance costs.

“It's getting to a position where it's going to start driving people out of business,” said McCambridge. “I'm not sure I can pay €100,000 a year. In my mind, it's relatively easy to sort out, but I don't know if our Government has the guts to do anything about it.”

Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|9

News

Spar Conference Looks to New Trends

Save Money on your Packaging Question: How can Repak help?

Answer: Repak has a free Prevent and Save Programme available to all Repak members.

The benefits of packaging optimisation to Repak members are many: • Reduced packaging costs; • Reduced packaging waste costs; • Reduced energy bills; • Reduced packaging weights through innovation.

Pictured at the Spar/EuroSpar retailers conference in the Hotel Europe, Killarney, are Olympic Silver Medallists, Gary and Paul O'Donovan, with Leo Crawford, CEO, BWG Group, and TV presenter, Sharon Ní Bheoláin.

BWG Foods announced plans to grow overall store numbers at its Spar and EuroSpar networks by 20 stores in the next 12 months, it was announced recently at the brands’ bi-annual Convention event, Fresh Focus, which took place in The Europe Hotel, Killarney.

The event saw hundreds of retailers who represent approximately 450 Spar, Spar Express and EuroSpar stores throughout the Republic of Ireland, gather to hear from BWG management and a high profile line-up of local and international guest speakers including Olympic silver medallists and home grown heroes, Gary and Paul O’Donovan, about staying motivated for success.

BWG Foods highlighted how grocery retailers can respond to the improving economy and grow their businesses in the face of ongoing external challenges including continued food deflation and Brexit.

“While challenges remain in the marketplace, including the continued uncertainty over Brexit, improving economic conditions are changing how consumers are shopping, providing new and exciting opportunities for convenience retailers in Ireland,” said Leo Crawford, Group Chief Executive, BWG Group.

“We believe that convenience is high on the agenda for Irish consumers and we are working with retailers to help them attract new customers and grow revenues by focusing on fresh food, innovation and digital trends to give consumers what they want. We also think this will provide new growth opportunities for BWG Foods and we are anticipating continued store growth in 2017 and beyond.”

The bi-annual event featured other international guests, including: John McGuire, Founder, Game Golf; Philip Moynagh, Founder and CEO of Growtiply.com; Robin Banks, International Mind Power Expert; and Tobias Wasmuht, Managing Director, Spar International, on a range of topics including digital and global retailing trends.

Repak’s packaging technology team are the leaders in packaging optimisation. We have delivered major savings for our members.

Repak’s Prevent and Save programme provides members with: • A free packaging optimisation survey at your premises; • A free confidential report on supplier and outgoing packaging; • Recommendations on packaging waste management optimisation; • Ongoing updates on packaging minimisation best practice.

To avail of our Prevent and Save programme, please contact Brian Walsh (pictured), one of our packaging technologists, who is here to assist you.

Email us at prevention@repak.ie or phone (01) 4670190.

10|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

News

Dunnes Joins Tesco As Ireland’s Second-largest Supermarket THE latest supermarket share figures from Kantar Total Take Home Grocery - Ireland Consumer Spend Worldpanel in Ireland, for the 12 Weeks to 13 Sep 2015 12 Weeks to 11 Sep 2016 change** 12 weeks ending %* %* % September 11, 2016, show Total Grocers 100.0% 100.0% 3.7 strong growth for Total Multiples 89.4% 88.7% 2.9 Dunnes Stores, SuperValu 22.5% 22.4% 3.1 as the retailer Tesco 22.9% 21.6% -2.3 increased sales Dunnes 21.1% 21.6% 6.3 by 6.3% to draw Lidl 11.7% 11.7% 4.5 level with Tesco.

The two stores Aldi 11.2% 11.4% 5.4 now each account Other Outlets** 10.6% 11.3% 10.7 for 21.6% of the Irish grocery *= Percentage Share of Total Grocers market, which continues to grow **= Includes stores such as M&S, Boots, Spar, Centra, Greengrocers, Butchers And Cross Border shops rapidly overall: sales were up 3.7% year on year during the past 12 weeks. price point at Tesco, in part the result of its ‘Staying Down “Larger trips have boosted sales for Dunnes, with the Prices’ campaign. average spend increasing by €2.50 to €37.20 in the latest Lidl’s market share now stands at 11.7%, in line with quarter, compared with the same time last year,” explained last year, while sales increased by 4.5%. “Three core David Berry, Director at Kantar Worldpanel. “Dunnes has categories have contributed most significantly to the strong successfully tempted shoppers to add more expensive items performance, with produce, meat and bakery together to their baskets, with the average price per item rising to accounting for €11m of extra sales compared with last €2.05 – an increase of 12% on last year.” year,” Berry noted. “Lidl has also managed to increase SuperValu remains Ireland’s largest grocer with a 22.4% the number of repeat visits its shoppers make, with the share of the market, increasing sales by 3.1% year-on-year. average customer returning 11 times over the past 12 weeks, This is the third consecutive month where growth for the compared with fewer than 10 times last year. retailer has been above 3%, helped by shoppers adding more “Meanwhile sales growth for Aldi continues to improve, items to their baskets on average every time they shop. with market share increasing from 11.2% last year to 11.4% While Tesco has seen value sales fall by 2.3%, it in the latest period.” continues to sell more items, with volume sales 1.9% higher Grocery market inflation stands at 2.2% for the same than the same time last year. The performance gap between period, down from the 2.7% seen last month. value and volume sales is a reflection of a lower average See www.kantarworldpanel.com for more information.

Obituary: Shane McArdle IT was with great shock that Retail News learned of the sudden death of 41-year-old Shane McArdle, Invest NI’s Head of Business Development on October 3.

Shane was held in the highest professional and personal regard by all his colleagues in Invest NI and by the wider Northern Ireland food and drink industry, as well as by clients and food buyers in many parts of the world.

Shane was passionate about the industry and worked tirelessly to ensure the success of local companies, especially in terms of sales and marketing. He was a talented marketer with great integrity and attention to detail.

“The first thing you saw with Shane was his smile,” remembers Kathleen Belton, Editorial & Marketing Director of Retail News. “His passion for his work shone through every time you met him and we were all stunned and saddened by his passing.”

The team at Retail News would like to extend our condolences to Shane’s family and his colleagues at Invest NI.

Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|11

News EU-Wide Action Required to Tackle Unfair Trading Practices

Pictured in the European Parliament, Brussels, are (l-r): Richard Ashworth MEP; Raymond Meurig, President of the National Farmers Union; Christine Tacon, UK Groceries Code Adjudicator; Joe Healy, IFA President; and Mairead McGuinness MEP.

FAST, EU-wide action is required to address unfairness and retailer abuse in the food supply chain, claimed, Mairead McGuinness MEP and Vice-President of the European Parliament, following a conference on ‘Fixing the Food Supply Chain’ in the European

Parliament, Brussels, recently.

MEP McGuinness, a firm advocate for legislative action to compel retailers to deal fairly with suppliers in the EU, addressed the conference which focused on experiences in the UK and Belgium in tackling Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs).

“The experience of the Groceries Code Adjudicator in the UK, Christine Tacon, reaffirmed that if there is to be an EU legislative code it must be a common code and therefore identical in all Member States and equally applied across the EU. It’s not 28 different rules we need but an effective EU mechanism,” McGuinness said, pointing out that in the EU today, there are 20 separate responses to unfair trading practices in the Member States, with 15 Member States introducing rules in the last five years.

The MEP also argued that “speed is everything when investigating unfair trading practices by retailers, so that unfair practices are investigated rapidly, effectively and action taken to stop them. At this time, there is intense pressure on agriculture markets with low product prices and concerns about the viability of many farm families. The issue of unfair trading practices is a constant concern for producers.

“I am of the view that voluntary measures to encourage retailers to act fairly, while welcome, are not enough. Unfortunately, it is clear that we require strict, enforceable laws to protect food producers in Europe,” McGuinness said.

BIM Advice Column Get Inspired!

Seafood is so versatile, and is growing in popularity, so it is a missed opportunity if you don’t have an exciting seafood offering for your customers.

As well as a range of fresh fish, you can grow your sales by having a range of value added, ready to eat and ready to cook seafood.

For fresh inspiration, it’s worth looking at other food categories to see what ideas would also work for seafood. Why not have a look at exciting, appetising butchers' displays and see what ideas you could use?

ECR Europe Becomes ECR Community ECR Europe is changing its name to ECR Community. For more than 20 years, ECR Europe has been the focal point for consumer goods retailers and manufacturers to work together for the benefit of consumers across Europe and that work will continue with ECR Community. The ECR Community is owned and managed by the ECR national associations, which span Europe, and the international ECR Shrink and On Shelf Availability group. These associations are supported by over 1,800 retailers, manufacturers and service providers.

“The changes to ECR have been made to streamline the system,” explained Declan Carolan, CEO of ECR Ireland and Co-chair of ECR Community. “Companies participate in huge numbers through their national ECR associations and many engage globally through the Consumer Goods Forum. But there is no longer a need for companies to join at a European level too, because the national organisations are doing all the co-ordination required. This fresh approach has given us renewed focus and energy, and we intend to be a stronger force for collaboration than ever.”

Get to know what seafood is presently selling best for you: most likely, it will include cod, salmon and prawns. These species work really well with a wide range of accompaniments, including sauces, marinades, crusts and crumbs.

So, whilst white fish may require a milder sauce, salmon and prawns can carry bigger, stronger flavours such as chilli or Cajun.

Many ideas and serving suggestions for other proteins will translate to the fish counter, so the possibilities are endless.

12|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

News

Double Win for NFRN POLITICIANS, publishers and wholesalers pledged their wholehearted support for independent retailers at key meetings in Dublin recently, which were organised to help the NFRN celebrate 100 years of existence in Ireland.

Congratulating the NFRN for “surviving’ 100 years”, Minister for the Office of Public Works and Flooding, Sean Canney TD told a gathering of retailers: “You are the backbone of our economy. I salute you for your efforts in providing employment and services in the local community. We must all work together to ensure this continues.”

The Minister was opening the NFRN’s September National Council meeting at the Double Tree

by Hilton Hotel, and he pledged Pictured are (l-r): Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran TD; Minister for the Office of Public Works and Flooding, to work with the NFRN to ensure Sean Canney TD; and Ray Monelle, NFRN National President. the survival of its members: “We will highlight your issues and the larger multiples and expressed concern regarding the challenges and will do what we can lack of progress by the industry body, COPPI. The NFRN to help you to stay in business." also explained to publishers and wholesalers that while it He was joined by TD Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran who promised accepted that all elements of the supply chain needed to the NFRN that “your voice will be heard,” adding: “In make profits to succeed or survive, excessive dual carriage government, we want to make changes to help small charges were undermining the importance of newspapers businesses.” and magazines in-store and that alternatives must be now Meanwhile, at another meeting, representatives from considered. the Irish national and regional newspapers, magazines Speaking after the meeting, NFRN Chief Executive, Paul and news wholesalers had gathered in Dublin to discuss Baxter, said: “The NFRN left publishers and wholesalers in challenges facing the news supply chain and, after intense no doubt of the impact that some of their current practices discussions, committed to taking back the NFRN’s concerns were having on independent retailers throughout Ireland. for further consideration, while committing to work with We were pleased to get so many representatives in one room proactive members to grow profits. to discuss our concerns frankly and that they have promised During the meeting, independent retailers set out to take these away for further reflection.” their worries about being unable to compete fairly against

Fat Chance for Sugar Tax Success A NEW government report on obesity suggests a tax on high-sugar and high-fat products has little evidence of working. A Healthy Weight for Ireland – Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016 - 2025 includes a report from McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), which estimates various interventions to reduce obesity. While portion-size control, reformulation of food and drink, and high calorie food/ beverage availability, are all considered effective measures, the report suggests there is scant evidence that sugar tax impacts a population.

“The evidence base is very limited,” said Paul Kelly, Director of Food and Drink Industry Ireland (FDII). “The Health Impact Assessment, that was carried out for the Department of Health, which forms part of the proposal for a tax levy, estimates that the actual reduction is going to be quite limited - in the region of 4.5 calories per day.”

The food and drinks industry has already achieved two or three times this reduction through reformulation and low calorie variants, which Kelly stresses “has been done at no cost to the consumer”.

Ireland’s food and drinks industry has welcomed

suggestions within the Obesity Policy and Action Plan to work in tandem with the commercial sector to prevent obesity, agreeing reformulation targets, and developing a code of practice for food and drinks promotion, marketing, sponsorship and product placement.

“I think the collaborative approach is absolutely essential,” said Kelly. “A collaborative approach is required in portion control, for example. The industry can play its part through different product or packaging sizes. Then Government has a role to play in terms of information and education, making people aware of appropriate portion sizes.”

The plan also provides opportunities for food and drink manufacturers to develop healthy foods. “A lot of the work carried out on different portion sizes or reformulation has been done because companies are listening to their consumers and reacting accordingly. There is certainly a greater emphasis in the greater population on health and nutrition,” Kelly concludes. “Companies recognise they have a part to play in that. By its very nature, that presents great opportunities for individual companies.”

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14|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Industry News SKERRIES NAMED TIDIEST TOWN FOR 2016 SKERRIES has been named Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 216, beating the other 858 towns and villages throughout the country that entered this year’s SuperValu National TidyTowns competition.

Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu said: “This is our 25th year as title sponsor of the SuperValu TidyTowns competition and we are incredibly proud of our long-standing involvement in this important initiative. TidyTowns celebrates the efforts of communities up and down the country and year

Daybreak Supporting Irish Heart Foundation DAYBREAK stores across Ireland hosted a special coffee morning on Friday, September 16 in aid of the Irish Heart Foundation.

Customers were asked to make a small donation in return for a cup of tea or coffee, with all proceeds going to the Irish Heart Foundation, Daybreak’s Charity of the Year. “We have been working with the Irish Heart Foundation since the beginning of the year and are committed to raising as much money as possible for this worthwhile charity,” noted Musgrave MarketPlace Head of Retail Sales, Paul Ryan. Pictured outside Daybreak Clonliffe Road are (l-r): Caroline Cullen, Communications Manager, Irish Heart Foundation, Damien Osbourne, owner of Daybreak Clonliffe Road and Chairman of the Daybreak Retail Council; ; Sean Hoffman, Daybreak Store Assistant; and Philip Cullen, Assistant Brand Manager, Daybreak.

after year, we see the tremendous power of local as volunteers rally together to enhance their towns and villages. The competition continues to grow and the tireless dedication from young and old who give freely of their time for the betterment of their communities is truly inspiring.” Martin Kelleher, Managing Director of SuperValu, the competition’s sponsor for the 25th year, and Michael Ring, TD, Minister for Regional Economic Development, are pictured with representatives of Skerries Tidy Towns Committee.

LIDL Graduate Helps Global Green LLDL Graduate and winner of the Graduate Employee of the Year, Robert Beirne was recruited by Global Green for the Electric Picnic weekend to help with their waste management during the festival. Robert won the prestigious Graduate Employee of the Year award in May for demonstrating enthusiasm, initiative and skill, as well as adding significant value and contribution to the business success of Lidl. Robert completed the Lidl Graduate Programme in Logistics Management and was given full responsibility for all waste and recycling contracts for Lidl’s 184 stores and four regional distribution centres across the island of Ireland. Currently 85% of Lidl’s total waste is diverted away from landfill, with an overall goal of hitting the ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ mark.

€80k Ad Campaign for One Lucky Company LOVE Irish Food, in partnership with Exterion Media, has announced the launch of the annual Love Irish Food Brand Development Awards. Running for its fifth year, one lucky Love Irish Food member brand will win a unique opportunity to promote their brand to consumers, receiving €70,000 in advertising space, scheduled across Exterion Media’s retail six sheet portfolio, PurchasePoints and across their Retail digital network. The extensive out-of-home campaign will appear nationally for two weeks and includes print production and digital animation for broadcasting on Exterion Media’s retail digital network. To mark the fifth year of the award, OwensDDB Advertising Agency will provide the winner with a €10,000 creative bursary towards the winning outdoor campaign. Pictured are Antoinette O’Callaghan, Marketing Manager, Exterion; Barry Dooley, CEO, Association of Advertisers in Ireland; and Kieran Rumley, Executive Director, Love Irish Food.

Paul O’Connell Helps Aldi Play Rugby

IRISH rugby legend Paul O’Connell’s rousing ‘Fear of God’ speech ahead of Ireland’s 2007 first rugby game in Croke Park is invoked in a new advert commissioned by Aldi Ireland to drive awareness and encourage participation in Aldi Play Rugby, a national IRFU initiative that encourages school children to get active, participate in regular exercise and to eat healthily. Commenting on the advert, Finbar McCarthy, Aldi Ireland’s Group Buying Director, said, “We are delighted to have Paul O’Connell as an ambassador for Aldi Play Rugby. It is hard to believe his ‘Fear of God’ speech has been inspiring Irish rugby players for almost 10 years and we hope that this new advert helps encourage some of the rugby stars of the future to take up the game and participate in Aldi Play Rugby.”

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16|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Industry News Spar Help Celebrate Fair City’s 4,000th Episode SPAR was delighted to celebrate Fair City’s 4,000th episode with the cast of Ireland’s most popular soap. The series, which has been on air since 1989, continues to be hugely popular with Irish audiences, attracting an average audience of 421,000 four times a week at 8pm on RTÉ One. Spar has featured heavily in Carrigstown since 2012, when a Spar store was opened and thus began its product placement advertising with the RTÉ soap, the first of its kind in the Irish market. Joining the cast of RTE’s Fair City to celebrate the 4,000th episode are Fionnuala Carolan, Communications Manager, BWG Foods; Suzanne Weldon, Marketing and Communications Director, BWG Foods; Anne Gallagher, Spar Marketing Manager, and Gary Healy, Spar Retail Operations Advisor.

CPM Marks 30 Years in Business in Ireland CPM is celebrating its 30th year in Ireland as the leading provider of outsourced field sales solutions. CPM Ireland established its presence in August 1986 to work with one of the company’s UK-based FMCG clients and now spans three decades of experience with a multitude of indigenous and multinational companies in sectors including FMCG, telecommunications, utilities, IT software, hardware and entertainment. “We are delighted to celebrate this momentous milestone with all of our staff, clients and suppliers past and present,” noted Lorraine Butler, MD of CPM Ireland (pictured). “While we have 30 years’ experience in the field marketing industry, we are forever evolving and feel 30 years young, with a realm of plans for future growth over the next 30 years!” 2016 also marks CPM International’s 80th anniversary, a milestone unmatched by any other field marketing company in Ireland. To mark the occasion, CPM will hold an array of activities and events for staff, clients and suppliers as a thank you for their support.

Gala TV Rising Star Nominations

IFTA and Gala Retail have announced the Nominees for the Gala TV Rising Star award. This is an exciting new Award for Television which recognises the skill, talent, and professionalism of Ireland’s leading young broadcasters and brightest rising stars, who are blazing a trail across Irish and international TV screens. The six nominees are Robot Wars and Getaways presenter Angela Scanlon, Republic of Telly’s Kevin McGahern; Bear Grylls winner and Wildgirls presenter Vogue Williams, fashion guru and TV presenter Darren Kennedy; bilingual rugby presenter and Movie Show host Máire Treasa Ní Dhubhghaill, and comedian Al Porter. The public can vote online by logging onto www.facebook.com/GalaRetail. Pictured at the launch of the Gala TV Rising Star Award, ahead of this year's IFTA Gala Television Awards, are: Gary Desmond, CEO of Gala (far left) and Tony Cluskey, Marketing Manager (far right) with Darren Kennedy, Máire Treasa Ní Dhubhghaill, Al Porter, Áine Moriarty IFTA CEO and Kevin McGahern.

SuperValu Steaks Its Claim SUPERVALU has gained global recognition for its SuperValu Signature Tastes Irish Striploin Steak at the 2016 World Steak Challenge. Competing against entries from 17 countries from around the world, including Ireland, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia and the USA, SuperValu’s Irish Hereford striploin steak beat off stiff competition to secure a Bronze Medal at the awards. “This award reflects the continuing dedication of both SuperValu and our suppliers to the highest quality standards,” said Ray Bowe, Head of Food Safety and Quality, SuperValu.

Aldi Bakes A Winner ALDI teamed up with Foróige, the National Youth Development Organisation, for the second year running to showcase the budding talent of junior bakers and gardeners at the National Ploughing Championships. 40 young people from youth groups in Offaly and Donegal have been working hard throughout the summer creating gardens to wow the National Ploughing Championship audience. Donegal’s Community Garden is based upon a fairy theme, inspired by the poetry of William Allingham and the Wild Atlantic Way, while Offaly’s Community Garden portrays the beauty of the bog incorporating a railway motif. The Ploughing Championships also saw the 2016 National Junior Baking Finals, sponsored by Aldi Ireland in association with Foróige and the National Ploughing Association, where Éabha Campbell (pictured) was crowned the Aldi National Junior Baker.

‘Lottery Select’ Coming Soon ‘Lottery Select’ is a new initiative from the National Lottery.

From October 2016 National Lottery Players will be able to play a limited range of Draw Based Games and Scratch Cards in selected Post Offices, PostPoint & Payzone retail outlets.

•

There will be eight Draw Based Game plays available in ‘Lottery Select’ outlets.

With Plus 3 Panel

€7.50

€10.00

With Plus 1 Panel

With Plus 2 Panel

With Plus 3 Panel

€3.50

With Plus 1 Panel

€1.50

€7.00

All Draw Based Game tickets in these outlets will be generated using the An Post, PostPoint and Payzone terminals with tickets printing on plain white paper.

•

A range of four Scratch Cards will also be available for sale in ‘Lottery Select’ outlets: Winning Streak, All Cash Gold, All Cash Tripler and All Cash Platinum.

•

All Draw Based Games and Scratch Cards can be checked and validated on all Lottery terminals, all third party terminals (An Post, PostPoint & Payzone), on all ticket checking machines and of course using the National Lottery App.

With Plus 4 Panel

With Plus 2 Panel

€5.00

•

€10.50 Single Play

€2.50

PLAY RESPONSIBLY, PLAY FOR FUN

18|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Industry News Bring Freddy On An Adventure BANANA importer Fyffes is inviting children and parents to ‘Bring Freddy On An Adventure’ in a new retailer-based consumer competition. Running in Dunnes Stores, SuperValu and other leading food outlets until December, the competition forms part of Fyffes’ recently-introduced ‘Discover More’ brand communications initiative. Throughout the period, all ready-packed bags of Freddy Fyffes bananas will carry one of six Freddy Fyffes ‘explorer’ stickers, each one illustrated to show the playful character dressed to go exploring various pursuits, from scuba diving to space travel. Families are invited to show creativity by using the stickers to decorate their bananas before taking and submitting a photograph of their work. Entrants will have a chance to win weekly family adventure trips and an overall prize of a family holiday in Spain at the famed PortAventura resort. Chloe Lynn (6), from Malahide, Co. Dublin, is pictured giving Fyffes Marketing Manager Emma Hunt-Duffy a helping hand at the launch the company’s new consumer competition, ‘Bring Freddy On An Adventure’.

Deep RiverRock Wins Advertising Award DEEP RiverRock has been recognised for its long-term effectiveness in advertising at the IAPI ADFX Awards in Dublin recently. The coveted ADFX Awards are held every two years to honour the most effective advertising campaigns that appeared in the Irish market and to recognise the contribution that these campaigns make to business success in Ireland. Deep RiverRock was one of just two FMCG brands to win in the ‘Long-Term Effectiveness Category’, which covers all sectors and takes into consideration the success of a brand over a longer time frame, rather than measuring the impact of just one campaign. Pictured accepting the ADFX award are (l-r) presenter Dara O’Briain with Tara O’Rourke and Oonagh Gildea, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland (Deep RiverRock); Jane Ahlstrom, Mindshare; Susan Kelly, McCannBlue; Kate O’Leary, Mindshare; and Gavin Deans, Media Central.

Linwoods Announce New Campaign LINWOODS, the leading producer of organic and healthy super foods, have launched a brand new marketing campaign, Sprinkle Awesome.

The creative, featuring Linwoods in collaboration with leading blogger, Hazel Wallace (The Food Medic), will be rolled out across multiple channels and will form the basis of a complete campaign for the brand across TV, press, digital, PR and social media.Kicking off the 10-month campaign is the launch of a new TV commercial, which centres on the Linwoods products showcased by the brand’s new partner and fitness influencer, Hazel Wallace, an Irish, London-based doctor and popular health blogger. Pictured at the launch of Linwoods Sprinkle Awesome campaign are health geek and best-selling author, Susan Jane White; award-winning UK food and fitness blogger, Madeleine Shaw; event MC Rozanna Purcell; and leading Irish food photographer, Joanne Murphy.

SuperValu Porks Up Its Range SUPERVALU has launched a new fully traceable, premium 100% Irish pork range – SuperValu Signature Tastes Irish Hampshire Pork. The new range will help to boost the €117m Irish pork market by offering consumers a premium pork product from traditionally-reared Irish pigs at an everyday, affordable price. The Hampshire breed is one of the oldest breeds of pig in existence today and is renowned for offering the leanest meat. Pictured at the National Ploughing Championships, launching the new range, are (l-r): Martin Kelleher, Managing Director SuperValu; Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed TD; celebrity chef and SuperValu ambassador, Kevin Dundon; and Eamon Howell, SuperValu Trading Director.

Mr. Crumb’s British Success AWARD winning stuffing and chilled food manufacturer, Mr. Crumb is launching its range of Mr. Crumb traditional Irish fresh handmade stuffings into Britain’s Asda and Sainsbury’s stores. The family business run by Jason Coyle (pictured) employs around 90 people at its Co. Westmeath factory and currently produces private label stuffing, breadcrumb and snack products for a number of Ireland’s grocery multiples. The new listings in British stores is a significant win for the company and sees the first Mr. Crumb branded products going on shelf in Asda and Sainsbury’s.

Chicken Chargrills come in convenient packs of two portions, and are available in three delicious flavours: Original, Barbecue and Sweet Chilli.

These versatile 100% chicken breast fillets can be heated in the microwave and are a quick and easy solution for any mealtime. Add to a creamy pasta dish, serve with a salad, or make a delicious burger in a flash.

Contact our commercial team to stock up now: +44 (0) 28 3835 2233 moyparkchicken.com #sharethegoodness

20|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

VAT on Food Supplements

VAT on a Hot Tin Roof?

New VAT rates for food supplements introduced by Revenue have changed the playing field for a host of products that previously enjoyed a zero VAT rate, warns Ciaran Hurley, CKH Fiscal Services.

ON August 3, 2016, Revenue changed the entry for Food Supplements on their “Index to VAT Rate Decisions” that would have the effect of applying 23% VAT to the vast majority of supplements that are currently on sale in Ireland. Henceforth, only vitamins, minerals and fish oils can avail of the zero VAT rate and even these products are liable to 23% VAT if their packaging contains any reference to EU authorised health claims for food substances.

Revenue made this change to their VAT policy for food supplements without any advance notice or consultation with industry. However, it follows a period of almost five years during which the VAT treatment of food supplements has been mired in controversy. This resulted from the publication

by Revenue of earlier guidance in November 2011 to say that the zero VAT rate could apply only to food supplements that provided sustenance and which could be regarded as “food” within its “ordinary and everyday” meaning. That guidance emanated from a ruling by the Tax Appeal Commissioners that applied 23% VAT to various sports nutrition products.

Revenue interpreted the Appeal Commissioners’ ruling to mean that 23% VAT could apply to many other types of food supplements, but these were never identified in their November 2011 guidance.

It should be emphasised that Revenue’s position followed a period of almost 40 years, during which food supplements were generally permitted to be supplied at the zero VAT rate, on the basis that they were formulated with food ingredients.

However, Revenue maintained that the “ingredients only” test was no longer valid, following the ruling by the Appeal Commissioners on sports nutrition products, and that the various purposes for which food supplements were marketed would now be factors in their future VAT treatment.

Extraordinary Situation: Unworkable Policy?

This led to an extraordinary situation where Revenue advised that all food supplements, apart from vitamins, minerals and fish oils, should be submitted to the taxpayer’s local tax district office for individual VAT assessment.

Understandably, the industry was concerned that this policy would be unworkable and that it could well lead to a situation where different tax districts might issue

different VAT rulings for the same types of products. This concern was even raised in Dáil Eireann on a few occasions.

However, the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan TD, reiterated Revenue policy in his reply to a Dáil question in October 2014 on the VAT treatment of two probiotic and glucosamine supplements, when he said: “The two supplements mentioned by the Deputy could be a zero rated food supplement or one liable at the standard rate but there is insufficient information provided to make such a determination. I would suggest that the Deputy provide details of the supplements to which he refers to the Revenue Commissioners, who will advise on their correct VAT treatment as appropriate.”

The fact that the products were to be sent for VAT assessment to the respective tax district offices of the various suppliers soon led to a situation where both zero and 23% VAT rulings were being issued for competing brands of the same types of food supplements. Given the vast number of food supplements involved, such contradictory rulings had been feared by the industry. Not surprisingly, it also led to a situation where many 23% VAT rulings were challenged on the grounds that they placed the affected products at a competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis their zero rated counterparts.

Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|21

VAT on Food Supplements About the Author CKH Fiscal Services provides specialist advice in navigating the VAT minefield surrounding food supplements. They have staff with many years’ experience of working at senior level in Revenue, in the areas of VAT rates for food. Their clients range from small manufacturers to some of the largest food distributors in Ireland today.

For more information, contact: Ciaran Hurley VAT Partner CKH Fiscal Services 296c North Circular Road Phibsborough Dublin 7 Tel: +353 (0) 1 8600 444 Web: www.ckhservices.com In one stroke, Revenue has placed 23% VAT on almost all food supplements currently on sale.

Revenue’s response to all of this was to publish new guidance on August 3, 2016, to apply 23% VAT to food supplements with health claims and to restrict the zero VAT rate solely to vitamins, minerals and fish oils, provided, of course, that no health claims were made for these products either.

The new guidance says that the “zero rate only applies to food supplements…… being vitamins, minerals and fish oil products” and that 23% VAT applies to “products that contain vitamins, minerals, food ingredients etc. but whose purpose is other than for sustenance; for example, skin/hair/ nail/eye improvement products, detox, antioxidant, immune, digestive, joint support, cholesterol etc. This list is not exhaustive.”

Revenue Acting Contrary to Spirit of EU Regulation?

So, the criteria for zero VAT are now very clear and simple but in one stroke, Revenue has placed 23% VAT on almost all food supplements currently on sale.

The issue for Revenue is the various health claims that now commonly feature on food supplement product labels and packaging. These are EU authorised health claims for food substances and a list of over 200 such claims was adopted in 2012.

The purpose of the EU health claims is to enable consumers to make more informed choices about their dietary requirements and this is stated in the EU Regulation. However, Revenue takes the view that the presence of a health claim means that the product is no longer being supplied as food and that 23% VAT should apply. Of course, this is the exact opposite to the intended purpose of the claims.

For example, the EU has authorised numerous antioxidant health claims for vitamins and minerals and these frequently appear on the product labels of such products. However, Revenue has decided that an antioxidant health claim removes a vitamin or mineral supplement from the zero rate VAT bracket.

Vigorous Opposition from Suppliers Needless to say, this latest VAT policy is being vigorously opposed by suppliers, who reject Revenue’s claim that it is necessitated by the original Appeal Commissioners’ ruling to apply 23% VAT to various sports nutrition products. Significantly, that ruling has never been published and Revenue did not consult with the industry before the new guidance was published.

In the meantime, Revenue continues to issue 23% VAT rulings for food supplements that have historically enjoyed zero VAT treatment since 1973. In some cases, VAT assessments have been raised for products that were being supplied at the zero VAT rate without Revenue agreement. Therefore, suppliers are advised to engage with Revenue if they sell any food supplements that might be affected by the new policy.

Revenue changed the entry for food supplements on August 3, 2016, with immediate effect.

22|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Centra Live Every Day

Radical Transformation at Centra

Centra’s ‘Live Every Day’ brand positioning will see a radical transformation of the Centra brand, including in-store renovations, a heavyweight €3m marketing campaign and the introduction of healthier convenient products in-store.

CENTRA has announced its new ‘Live Every Day’ brand positioning, which will result in a radical transformation of the brand, following significant investment, which will see the introduction of healthier convenient food ranges, in-store renovations, all underpinned by a heavyweight marketing campaign. ‘Live Every Day’ is about helping shoppers live in the moment and allowing them to make the most out of every day.

Centra’s brand transformation is not just a tag-line; there will be tangible proof points that customers will experience.

This includes store renovations to bring a fresh stylish look that will appeal to a new generation of Centra shoppers, with Centra due to invest €24m in renovating stores over the next two years.

As Ireland’s number one convenience retailer, the Centra brand continues to experience strong momentum, opening seven new stores already this year, three of which were greenfield stores.

Centra’s new in-store experience has already been internationally acknowledged, with the convenience brand winning Gold at the A.R.E (Association for Retail Environments) Design Awards in Las Vegas, recognising the very best in international retail design. Centra clinched gold alongside other world-renowned brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Lego and Under Armour.

Redefining Convenience Not only will the look and feel of stores evolve, Centra will be redefining convenience with a healthier, more innovative product offering. As part of the brand transition, customers will experience notable changes in-store, with healthier options more prominently displayed, to help consumers to

Ray Kelly, Centra Marketing Director.

Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|23

Centra Live Every Day “We are making a radical change with our new brand position, Live Every Day,” Ray Kelly stressed. "At Centra, we believe in encouraging and enabling people to take each day as it comes and live it. We understand our customers and their busy lifestyles. We know for instance that, for the most part, they like to live a healthy, nutritious, balanced lifestyle with great offers available to them across the ranges they seek. We also know that once in a while they want to be allowed to indulge a little without any guilt.”

Centra is due to invest €24m in renovating stores over the next two years.

choose healthier on-the-go alternatives. Ranges in-store will evolve and transform, such as their new deli and coffee offering.

Centra has also reformulated a number of its ranges. All of their new fresh bakery products are free from artificial flavourings, colours and hydrogenated fats. Similarly Centra’s dinner meal ranges were revised with a new range of healthier meals developed. These new meals are all less than 450 calories and contain at least one of consumers’ ‘five a day’ per serving. In the last year alone, Centra has removed almost 200m calories from its customers’ baskets by reducing shelf space for carbonates in favour of promoting healthier alternatives.

“We are revolutionising our in-store experience to position Centra as the ultimate time saver for great food," noted Ray Kelly, Centra Marketing Director.

Kelly pointed to the refurbishment of Centra stores, as part of the change, as well as the decision to make healthier options more prominently available: “The in-store experience is critical for our success as we understand that our customers lead busy lifestyles and as Ireland’s leading convenience brand, we want to make their lives simpler.

Whether they choose to Live Well with healthier choices or live it up with some well-deserved indulgence every once in a while, Centra are here to help.”

Centra will be redefining convenience with a healthier, more innovative product offering.

Omnichannel Marketing Campaign Centra's communications plan behind 'Live Every Day' will be led by heavyweight TV advertising to drive mass awareness and establish an emotional connection with viewers. It will be supported with the largest outdoor campaign of any brand in 2016, which will be used to showcase Centra’s quality food credentials. PR, digital and social media activity will help to extend the campaign,

driving additional awareness and engagement.

The total investment figure for this new brand positioning is €3m across media and production.

This full 360 degree Centra’s City Zipline welcomed over 500 people to Herbert Park and helped them live in the moment marketing and experience what Live Every Day is all about. activation commenced on September 22 across TV, radio, digital and social media, with heavyweight outdoor media commencing on September 26. DDFH&B created the ad campaign, Starcom were the media buyers and Fleishman Hillard are the brand PR agency.

The new brand positioning features a panel of brand ambassadors who represent Live Every Day and speaks to Centra’s different audiences. The panel includes top blogger Pippa O’Connor, GAA star Henry Shefflin, comedian Marcus O’Laoire, fitness expert Pat Divilly and dietician Sarah Keogh.

Centra City Zipline Centra marked the launch of ‘Live Every Day’ by giving the Irish public an experience they’ll never forget at Dublin’s Herbert Park where hundreds of people got the chance to soar through the sky on Centra’s City Zipline.

The convenience brand also called on the nation to share images of their favourite moment using #LiveToday as part of a nationwide competition judged by Pippa O’Connor and renowned photographer Barry McCall. 12 finalists will be selected, with the winning images being used for the 2017 Centra calendar. The overall winner will be selected by an online poll and awarded a €1,000 cash prize.

24|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

IGBF: Today’s Women in Grocery

IGBF Creating Connections with TWIG

The Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund have helped to ‘Create Connections’ at the inaugural ‘Today’s Women in Grocery’ networking lunch.

LEADING women from the Irish grocery industry gathered in the Westbury Hotel at the first ‘Today’s Women in Grocery’ networking lunch on September 16. The Today’s Women in Grocery (TWIG) group was created by the Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund (IGBF) in order to provide exciting new networking events targeted at a female audience, work towards raising the profile of women in grocery and raise funds on behalf of the IGBF charity.

Melanie Morris, editor of Image Magazine, compèred the event, which was attended by more than 160 senior leaders from across the grocery sector. Speakers included Sharon Buckley, Group Commercial Director, Musgrave Group; Caroline Keeling, CEO of Keelings; and Sarah O’Connor, CoFounder, The Cool Bean Company.

Sharon Yourell Lawlor, Chair of the Committee and MD of Think Plan Do Consulting, said: “We are delighted that there was such a strong turn-out to the first of many TWIG events. Beyond the strength of attendance, we were blown away by the enthusiasm and excitement in the room. The luncheon gave women in the trade an opportunity to connect and listen to the inspirational stories and experiences of ‘Creating Connections’ in the careers of our three wonderful speakers.”

Pictured enjoying the Bollinger reception at the inaugural TWIG networking lunch in the Westbury hotel are (l-r): Alison Cowzer, Co-founder of Eastcoast Bakehouse, and Sarah O'Connor, Cofounder of The Cool Beans Company.

Female Focused Professional Network TWIG has been set up as a sub-committee to the IGBF, which has been serving the Irish grocery industry since 1981 by providing an important industry network and donating

Louise Ryan, MD of Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, at the TWIG lunch.

Sharon Yourell Lawlor, Think Plan Do Consulting & TWIG Chairperson, and Melanie Morris, Editor In Chief, Image Publications.

Pictured are (l-r): Jenny Fisher, Head of Legal & Regulatory Affairs at Premier Lotteries Ireland; Nuala Carey, RTE and Laura Murphy, Premier Lotteries Ireland.

Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|25

IGBF: Today’s Women in Grocery

Edwina Lucey, Sales Director, Barry Group, at the TWIG networking lunch.

Sharon Buckley, Group Commercial Director, Musgrave Group, and Ciara McClafferty, Trading Director, Musgrave Northern Ireland.

Michelle Darlington, Marketing Manager, and Elizabeth Sheehan, Marketing Director, both from LR Suntory.

essential financial relief to members of the trade and their families.

The IGBF has evolved considerably over the past 35 years and the move to establish a female focused professional networking forum for women in the grocery trade and food sector recognises the growing representation of women in the sector and the important role they will play in its future development.

The TWIG sub-committee is chaired by Sharon Yourell Lawlor of Think Plan Do Consulting, and includes key female grocery industry figures: Frances Higgins, Anne O’Brien, Paula Donoghue, Paula Conlon, Brigid O’Neill and Lorraine Butler.

The TWIG Committee: Frances Higgins, Anne O'Brien, Brigid O'Neill, Sharon Yourell-Lawlor,

Exciting Networking Events Paula Donoghue, Paula Conlon, and Lorraine Butler.

“The aim of TWIG is to provide forward to meeting that need. We are also looking forward exciting new networking events, to female leaders in grocery coming to the fore and making a targeted at a female audience, raise the profile of women much needed contribution to raising valuable funds for those in grocery, drive an understanding of the IGBF’s work and in the industry who have fallen on hard times.” encourage more female leadership and participation in Sponsors of the inaugural TWIG Creating Connections IGBF events and initiatives,” noted Yourell Lawlor at the lunch were the National Lottery, CPM Ltd, Bollinger, inaugural event.

Coman’s Wholesale and Stafford Lynch.

“The IGBF is renowned for helping people in the grocery Through TWIG, the IGBF plan to encourage more industry create and foster important connections with female leadership and participation in industry events fellow retailers or suppliers,” the TWIG Chair continued. and initiatives. The next TWIG networking luncheon “It has an exemplary track record in fund raising for the is scheduled to take place on May 19, 2017, at the sector. With more and more women working in the grocery InterContinental Hotel in Dublin. Those wishing to register industry in Ireland, at all levels, the IGBF recognises that their interest should contact Hotel Solutions at it is important we provide networking events that appeal to info@hotel-solutions.ie. all segments of the industry. Through TWIG, we are looking

26|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Barry Group Awards

Barry Group Rewards Top Quality The Barry Group Awards took place recently at the Citywest Hotel, where the country’s finest Costcutter and Carry Out stores were rewarded, as well as the Suppliers of the Year.

THE Barry Group’s annual Awards ceremony took place on September 13 at the Citywest Hotel Dublin, where the Costcutter, Carry Out and Supplier of the Year Awards were handed out to the most deserving stores and suppliers across the country.

In his speech, Jim Barry looked forward to the year ahead for Barry Group. He quoted from AC Nielsen statistics on consumer confidence, which show some contrasting results. For example, 52% say their personal finances are good or excellent, yet 57% say we are still in a recession. 62% of us have switched to cheaper grocery brands to save and 26% cut down on or buy cheaper brands of alcohol; 66% of us have changed our spending habits to save on household expenses and 20% of us have no spare cash once we’ve covered essential living expenses.

Costcutter Carndonagh, Co. Donegal, was named Costcutter Supermarket Store of the Year. Store owners Susan and Michael Doherty are pictured receiving their award from Jim Barry, Managing Director, Barry Group; Edwina Lucey, Sales Director; and Noel Brady, Head of Sales, Costcutter; with (front row) Niamh and Ronan Doherty

Outperforming the Market Habits are hard to break but there are signs that consumers are beginning

Carry Out Clongriffin, Dublin 13, was named the overall Carry Out Store of the Year. Peter Reyolds is pictured accepting his award from Jim Barry, MD; Barry Group Sales Director, Edwina Lucey; and Head of Sales for Carry Out, David O’Keeffe.

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Barry Group Awards to loosen purse strings, Barry noted, before pointing to more AC Nielsen statistics which argue that discounters and convenience stores continue to drive market growth, at the expense of the multiples. Barry Group is outperforming the market, he noted. The total convenience market is showing strong growth of 4.1%, yet Costcutter is growing well ahead of the market at 7%. The total off trace, including independents and discounters, is showing modest growth of 1.9%, while Carry Out is expanding at a phenomenal 16.6%, the MD revealed.

There remain, however, concerns for our trade, according to Barry, including:

• • • • • • • • • •

Minimum pay rates; Illegal sales of cigarettes, alcohol and fuel; Possible rise in excise duty in alcohol and diesel; Broadband infrastructure; Irresponsible selling of alcohol: the source of the problem, he argued, is multiples and large retailers and we need to stop small and medium retailers being caught in the middle; Possible sugar tax; Social Welfare protection for owner/directors and self-employed; Rise in theft and robberies; Insurance costs; Energy costs and bank charges.

The MD encouraged each store owner to ask themselves the following questions:

• • • • • • • • •

Do you provide our customers with a great experience every time they call to your store?

Are your staff fully engaged?

Are your team fully trained?

Have you made it completely clear to your team what function they need to carry out to ensure your customers get great service every time?

Have you identified your improvement opportunities?

Have you communicated clearly your plan to all of your team members?

Have you invested enough time in creating a plan good enough to give your consumer a great experience every time?

Do you solve customer issues/concerns quickly?

What do you need to stop doing?

The Next 12 Months The focus for the next 12 months remains on category management, according to Barry, while the group will continue to engage consumers on social media channels, will invest in a heavyweight marketing campaign and focus on expanding its network.

The MD welcomed some new faces to the Barry Group team, including Kieran O’Farrell, Head of Buying; Ciara Meany, Marketing Manager; Sharon Murphy, Food Safety & Quality Manager; and Edel Cunniffe, Fresh Food Advisor; and also welcomed Simon Moloney to his new role as Financial Controller.

He paid tribute to Costcutter’s successful marketing deal with TV3’s Red Rock, with two of its stars, Adam Weafer and Chris Newman in attendance, as well as writer Paul Walker and Gemma O’Shaugnessy from the production team. Indeed, one of the prizes on the night was a walk-on part on the hugely popular show.

That wasn’t the only television link, as the Camembert Quartet, perhaps best known as the house band on

Pictured are (l-r): Jim Barry, MD, Barry Group; Michael and Josephine Fitzpatrick from Fitzpatrick’s Costcutter, Kilmihil, Co. Clare, Costcutter Convenience Store of the Year; Edwina Lucey, Sales Director, Barry Group and Noel Brady, Sales & Business Development Manager, Barry Group.

Pictured are Jim Barry, MD of Barry Group, presenting the award for Carry Out Express Store of the Year to Brendan O’Keeffe and Cormac Walsh, Carry Out Ennis, with Barry Group Sales Director, Edwina Lucey, and Head of Sales for Carry Out, David O’Keeffe.

Barry Group Account Manager Gerard Burke, accepts the the Costcutter Foodmarket Store of the Year Award on behalf of McDonaghadh’s Costcutter, Connemara, from Barry Group MD Jim Barry, Sales Director, Edwina Lucey and Noel Brady, Head of Sales for Costcutter.

Jim Barry, Barry Group MD, presents the Overall Supplier of the Year Award to Michael and Thomas Kennedy, K&K Produce Ltd. Also pictured are Kieran O'Farrell, Head of Buying, Barry Group, and Paul Fizgerald, Finance Director, Barry Group.

28|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Barry Group Awards Costcutter Store of the Year Awards

• • • • • • • • •

Costcutter Supermarket Store of the Year: Doherty’s Costcutter, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal CostcutterFoodmarket Store of the Year: Mhic Dhonnchadha’s Costcutter, Connemara, Co. Galway Costcutter Convenience Store of the Year: Fitzpatrick’s Costcutter, Kilmihil, Co. Clare Off Licence of the Year: Cunninham’s Costcutter, Mountbellew, Co. Galway Wine Department of the Year: Liddy’s Costcutter, Mill Road, Ennis, Co. Clare Customer Service Award: Durkin’s Costcutter, Connemara Best Forecourt: Amber Costcutter, Charleville, Co. Cork Best Food to Go: O’Brien’s Costcutter, Bishopstown, Co. Cork.

Best Fresh Produce: Carroll’s Costcutter, Mountrath, Co. Laois

Jim Barry, Managing Director, Barry Group and Edwina Lucey, Sales Director, present Eoin Durkin of Durkin’s Costcutter, Connemara, with the Customer Service Award.

Supplier of the Year Awards

• • • • • • •

Overall Supplier of the Year: K&K Produce Ltd Best Ambient Supplier: Largo Foods Best Alcohol Supplier: Diageo Best Chill & Fresh Supplier: K&K Produce Ltd Best Frozen Supplier: Unilever HB Most Engaging Supplier: Molson Coors Best Innovation Supplier: Valeo Foods

Jim Barry, Managing Director, Barry Group and Edwina Lucey, Sales Director, present the Best Forecourt Award to Wesley Morrissey of Amber Costcutter, Charleville, Co. Cork.

Carry Out Awards:

• • • • • •

Carry Out Overall Store of the Year: Reynolds’ Carry Out, Clongriffin, Dublin 13 Carry Out Express Store of the Year: O’Keeffe’s Carry Out, Ennis, Co. Clare Carry Out Spirit Store of the Year: Galvin’s Carry Out, Carrigaline, Co. Cork Carry Out Wine Store of the Year: Fleming’s Carry Out, Killarney, Co. Kerry Carry Out Craft Beer Store of the Year: O’Brien’s Carry Out, Tyrellstown, Dublin 15 Carry Out Customer Service Store of the Year: Heffernan’s Carry Out, Tipperary Town

Anthony O’Brien from O’Brien’s Costcutter, Bishopstown, Co. Cork, receives the Best Food to Go Award from Jim Barry, Managing Director, Barry Group and Edwina Lucey, Sales Director.

Carry Out Regional Winners:

• • • •

North-East: Reynold’s Carry Out, Clongriffin, Dublin 13 South-West: Galvin’s Carry Out Carrigaline, Co. Cork South-East: Downey’s Carry Out Tramore, Co. Waterford North-West: Heffernan’s Carry Out, Tipperary Town

Alan Hogan, Account Manager, Barry Group, is pictured accepting the Best Fresh Produce Award on behalf of Carroll’s Costcutter, Mountrath, Co. Laois, from Jim Barry, Managing Director, Barry Group and Edwina Lucey, Sales Director.

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Barry Group Awards

Barry Filgate, National Account Manager at Largo Foods, accepts the Best Ambient Supplier Award from Jim Barry, Managing Director, Barry Group and Paul Fitzgerald, Finance Director, Barry Group.

Jim Barry, Managing Director, Barry Group and Paul Fitzgerald, Finance Director, Barry Group, present the Best Alcohol Supplier Award to David Hyland, National Account Manager, Diageo.

Deirdre Kennedy, Director of K&K Produce, is pictured receiving the Best Chill & Fresh Supplier of the Year Award from Jim Barry, Managing Director, Barry Group and Paul Fitzgerald, Finance Director, Barry Group.

Ryan Tubridy’s Late Late Show, provided the music for the evening.

Store of the Year Awards Event MC, Anton Savage presented the Costcutter and Carry Out Store of the Year Awards, as well as the Supplier of the Year Awards, where the Today FM presenter was aided by Holly and Amy Barry.

“We were humbled by the reaction to our inaugural awards last year and the response again this year has been fantastic,” said Holly Barry, with Amy adding that “the program is based on a simple objective: continuous improvement to facilitate mutual growth opportunities for both the Barry Group and our trading partners, providing real and measurable feedback which we believe will serve as a valuable tool on some of the key drivers in our mutual businesses.”

Indeed, Anton revealed that “the Supplier of the Year awards proved to be very difficult to choose with standards set so high.”

Exceptionally High Standards The levels of excellence seen across the Barry Group’s store network were exceptional, the MC explained: “I know from speaking to the auditors that the standard across the Costcutter network was exceptionally high again this year and they had a very difficult job whittling down the names to

Thomas Cunningham from Costcutter Mountbellew, Co. Galway, receives the Off Licence of the Year Award from Jim Barry, MD, and Edwina Lucey, Sales Director.

Tom Liddy from Liddy’s Costcutter in Ennis receives the Wine Department of the Year Award from Edwina Lucey, Sales Director, and Jim Barry, Barry Group MD.

come up with the prize winners.”

This was the first year of the Carry Out Store of the Year Awards, which showcased “the quality of the entire Carry Out network”, Savage noted.

The MC also paid tribute to Barry Group MD, Jim Barry who enjoyed more success this year after being named as both a National Champion in the Entrepreneur of the Year category in the European Business Awards before subsequently being named in the top ten in the Entrepreneur of the Year category at the overall European Business Awards. Savage also reminded guests that “Barry Group is the only wholesale company in the country that holds both the Deloitte Best Managed Company award and the Great Place To Work award. This is testament to the high performance, positive team environment that Barry Group prides itself on.”

Richard Finnegan, Commercial Director at Unilever, accepts the Best Frozen Supplier Award from Jim Barry, Barry Group MD, and Paul Fitzgerald, Finance Director, Barry Group.

Michael and Donagh Heffernan, from Carry Out, Tipperary Town, pick up the Carry Out Customer Service Store of the Year Award from Jim Barry, Barry Group MD, and Edwina Lucey, Sales Director.

30|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Kantar Worldpanel Client Day

How to Win the Retail War

Kantar Worldpanel’s 2016 Client Day provided some valuable insights into the Irish retail landscape and what it will take to win more customers.

THE theme for the Kantar Worldpanel 2016 Client Day was “Winning”. The message was that sustained growth has returned to the sector, but that consumers are still very discerning about how they spend their money. Competition is fierce, and being agile, innovative and adding value are extremely important to winning the sale, and winning loyalty.

Winning with Consumers In the first presentation of the day, Grenville Wall, Consumer Insight Director at Kantar Worldpanel, provided some extremely solid and useful data on the Irish market.

There has been real wage growth in Ireland over the past two years, following six years of declining real wages.

Despite the growth in real wages, however, there is negative inflation in the grocery sector, with prices currently falling at a rate of about 1%, and spend on grocery as a proportion of total household expenditure remains at extremely low levels, like those of 2007 and 2008.

What these figures mean is that consumers have more money in their pockets, but they are not spending more on groceries. According to Wall, there are three key drivers identified by Kantar that will allow you to charge more for your product, and still get consumers to buy it:

Frazier McKevitt, Head of Retail and Consumer Insight, Kantar Worldpanel, and Tim Kidd, Managing Director, Kantar Worldpanel UK, Ireland and USA.

• • •

Time saving: according to data from Kantar, if your product can provide a demonstrable time saving benefit to the consumer, they will be willing to pay an extra 28%; Health benefit: a demonstrable health benefit from your product will allow you to charge 5% more and consumers will be happy to pay it; Social benefit / occasion: if your product makes a meal into a social event or occasion, you will be able to charge a 23% price premium to customers.

Not only are Irish consumers seeking healthier food options, they are actively turning their backs on unhealthy ones. Kantar has already identified a sharp increase in concerns over the sugar that is hidden in many of the foods we eat, with a decrease in sugar consumption amongst households that expressed serious concerns over sugar. The trend is in its early phase but it is one to consider seriously.

In summary, Irish consumers have become much more demanding when it comes to convincing them to part with their money. In order to drive sales and sustain price in

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Kantar Worldpanel Client Day the current market, it is necessary to add value beyond the nature of the product.

Winning Through Innovation Wall’s fellow Consumer Insight Director, Cliona Lynch provided a very insightful presentation on the risks and rewards of NPD to your sales, your brand, and to the category overall.

While it may seem an obvious solution to engage in NPD to increase your share of the market, the facts are that any new NPD has as much chance of being a failure as it does of success. NPD requires significant planning and costs, none of which may see a return.

Lynch did not suggest that companies do not innovate: quite the opposite, in fact; innovate, but do it well. Kantar Worldpanel data suggests that you should not engage in NPD simply for the sake of keeping your brand fresh. NPD, when done best, targets a new need or market and meets that need as a first mover. Those are the new products where sales in year five are ahead of year one and they should be your priority.

Winning the In-Store Battle How and why brands compete for consumer attention instore is an area attracting much study, according to Phil Dorsett, Expert Solutions Director at Kantar Worldpanel.

There is a vast amount of data on how consumers shop and where you want your product on the shelf.

Neither NPD nor heavy discounting and promotion are easy ways to drive incremental sales, he claimed.

Promotional prices do not tend to bring new shoppers to the category: although it may bring shoppers to the range, you may be stealing from other ranges you own. New Product Development can also end up shifting shoppers between ranges or categories, rather than growing the category overall.

When you engage in NPD or sales promotion activities, you should be thinking about growing the entire category.

Whatever tool you choose to use, the strategy for success is to grow the category, not steal sales.

Winning with Shoppers Kirstie Hawkes, Director of Consulting, Kantar Retail, took delegates inside the mind of the shopper. As well as individuals on shopping missions, looking for added value from our consumption, we all put time, cash and emotion into shopping, and we live differently from how we used to.

We no longer live in the days where 75% of purchase decisions are made at the shelf. Today’s shopper consumes digital media and researches choices online far more than any generation ever has. We live differently; we shop

Cliona Lynch, Consumer Insight Director at Kantar Worldpanel; pictured with Rachel Eades, Category and Shopper Marketing, Britvic; and Declan Curtis, Performance Tracking Analyst, Britvic.

Orla Clarke, Category Executive, Rob Mullen, Category Controller, and Kevin Ruane, Category Manager, Kerry Foods

David Berry, Commercial Director, Kantar Worldpanel.

differently; we are different.

Bearing that in mind, it is now more important to present vast numbers of touchpoints to consumers, and engage with them as early as you can on the path to purchase. Many shoppers already have a purchase decision in mind before they enter a shop. Your brand and your product must fit into the way we live now. It is more important than ever to get your product “out there”, easy to find, easy to learn about, easy to want. That’s how to win with shoppers.

Winning Retail Landscapes David Berry, Kantar Worldpanel’s Commercial Director, provided some extremely useful information on the current condition of the Irish grocery retail sector. He identified five key developments in the market:

•

Channel fragmentation: the market here continues to fragment, with consumers being offered, and taking advantage of, far more choice in the market. Online penetration in the Irish market is now 16%, niche options such as Iceland have a 13% penetration, and discounters now have 50% penetration in the Irish market.

•

Range rationalisation: with the exception of Aldi, all the large grocery operators have seen a fall in the range of product they offer. Tesco with 6% has seen the largest decrease in the size of its range;

•

Shopper missions: Irish shopper missions continue to become more targeted, with the trolley shop occupying

32|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Kantar Worldpanel Client Day Lidl: the sponsorship of women’s GAA has shown how Lidl has grown into the Irish market and landscape. With an 11.9% market share, it is the leading discounter, with growth in sales value of 4.9%.

Aldi: with an 11.3% share and a 4.4% growth in sales, Aldi has acutally increased its average price per item but without seeing any significant fall in sales. It has also increased its private label, as well as branded product ranges in-store.

Shane Dunne, General Mills; Gary Jackson, Category & Promotions Manager, Birds Eye Ireland; and Mark Kavanagh, Assistant Brand Manager, Birds Eye Ireland.

•

a smaller part of our spend and specific mission trips continuing to consumer more of our income;

•

Government action: the possible introduction of a sugar tax by the Irish government would have an impact across the food category and it is something that should be kept in mind by all brands in the area;

•

Market growth: the good news is that we had strong market growth of almost 5% in Q1 of 2016.

Berry also provided details on progress among the big five supermarkets in the Irish grocery retail sector.

SuperValu: the ‘Good Food Karma’ innovation has proven very successful for the group and its new app is proving a hit with Irish customers. It retains a number one position with 22.6% market share and 3.2% sales growth.

Winning with Online Cora Campbell, Consumer Insight Director at Kantar Worldpanel, provided a very interesting presentation on online shopping and the Irish consumer. The online channel is already a crowded place and is somewhere the Irish consumer is familiar with, courtesy of Netflix, in-app micro purchases, airplane tickets, concert tickets, Uber, Halo, AirBnB etc. Many of us really are spending a lot of money online these days and the data bears that out.

But we’re not shopping for groceries online to anywhere near the extent we shop for other products and services.

The main concerns among Irish customers remain around freshness of products, accuracy of the delivered basket and issues around delivery problems.

These are big problems to overcome. However, according to Kantar’s data, Irish shoppers who buy groceries online once are highly likely to do so again. Irish shoppers who purchase groceries online regularly spend more money per engagement and they rate the process very highly.

The Irish market is particularly reticent to engage in online grocery shopping. Penetration in the UK is way ahead of Ireland. However, online is growing here and if you can get customers online, they will spend more money: reassuring their concerns about the process is the best way to win your online grocery customer.

Tesco: the ‘Big’ campaign has proven popular and gives Tesco the number two slot with 21.8% market share and, although sales fell by -1.7% driven, primarily by an overall price per item fall of -2.7%, frequency is up 14% as Irish customers respond big on price.

Dunnes Stores: the shop ‘n’ save campaign has proven a huge success, but upselling moves such as the Baxter & Greene market deli are also helping Dunnes stay hot on the heals of Tesco with a 21.1% market share and an impressive 5.8% growth in sales value (Dunnes Stores have subsequently equalled Tesco's share; see news pages).

Niall Murphy, Category Analyst, Kantar Worldpanel; Antoinette Fahy and Rowena Hatton, both from Müller, with Hugh Kavanagh, Category Analyst, Kantar Worldpanel

Mary Woods, Category Analyst, with Claire Kearns and Christine Burke, all from Heineken Ireland.

Winning Price Points Stephen Kelly, Kantar Worldpanel’s Service Quality and Development Director, provided some incredibly simply, useful and powerful information on price points. Winning on the price point is not just about choosing a low price to win customers, or a high one to make more money. The price point battle is only won when you analyse the data and understand just how much volume you sacrifice for price increases.

We live in the world of big data now: capturing that data and drawing out valuable insights have become more important than ever as it is helping us remove the guesswork from our processes of sales and marketing. In order to win the price point battle, you have to get the data.

As an organisation, Kantar has grown its presence in the Irish market, and has added significantly to its panel size, which enables the company to capture much richer data on the Irish market. This Client Day provided guests with some genuinely valuable insights and tools to help us for 2017.

New National Lottery Counter Unit Proving to be a big winner with retailers

Rhonda Brophy – Mace

Eddie Kane – SuperValu

Finglas Village, Dublin 11

Donabate, Co Dublin

‘Space is at a premium at the point of purchase in my store.

The Premier Lotteries Ireland sales rep presented the value of the category to my business and I was stunned at the number of transactions and the rate of sale of Lotto, EuroMillions and Scratch Cards. Putting the new unit into the impulse zone was a no brainer given the return on just two feet of space’.

‘When somebody offers to put €1,000 of equipment into your shop you tend to sit up and pay attention. When they tell you it’s the most valuable 2ft of counter space and prove it, you listen very intently. When they increase your business by 15%, you say to yourself that was a great decision’.

s

Annual Sale

€680m

Tadgh Holmes – Spar Dorset St, Dublin 1

‘I particularly liked the Jackpot display highlighting the estimated Lotto and EuroMillions Jackpots. Already I’ve noticed customers buying Lotto based on the Jackpot sign.

Once the guy at the top of the queue buys a ticket there is a ripple effect with the rest of the customers in the queue’.

*National Lottery annualized sales 2015.

*

Mary Croughan – SuperValu

Athlone, Co Westmeath

‘My area sales rep walked my team through the correct merchandising of the new unit and the results have been hugely positive. We now factor this into our daily routine to maximise sales’.

34|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Gala Annual Conference

Gala Support from Irish Football Boss Gala Retail recently held its annual conference in Killarney, where Ireland football manager Martin O’Neill provided an inspiring keynote address.

HUNDREDS of guests descended on the Malton Hotel, Killarney, for Gala Retail’s annual conference, trade exhibition and awards event at the end of September.

Retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and Gala stakeholders converged on Killarney town to hear from Gala’s CEO, Gary Desmond and to listen to an inspirational address from Ireland’s highly regarded soccer manager, Martin O’Neill.

Gary Desmond opened the conference, updating retailers on Gala store numbers and growth predictions. Over the last year, 18 stores have joined the Gala group and in the next three months, another five retailers are set to become part of Gala.

Almost 50% of Gala stores are now situated in forecourt sites, with the remainder of stores known as ‘neighbourhood’ stores and ‘high street’ stores.

The CEO also spoke about Gala’s growing number of stores in key cities, and future plans ahead of Gala’s milestone 20th anniversary year in 2018.

Worldwide trends in retailing were high on the agenda, as was the importance of ‘fresh’ within convenience retailing. Updates on Gala’s marketing were discussed, including the Group’s four-year partnership with Special Olympics Ireland, its commitment to parkrun Ireland, the ongoing relationship with Disney and Gala’s high profile sponsorship of the IFTA Gala Television Awards.

Following the CEO’s address, Martin O’Neill took to the stage, kicking off a motivational session where the importance of team work and harnessing individuals’ talents in-store were emphasised.

Speaking about his personal experience in growing up within a family business, Martin O’Neill told the audience about passion and specifically how through his father’s passion for business, he discovered his own work ethic. Commending Gala retailers for the commitment and excellent service that they deliver day in, day out, the hugely

Ireland soccer manager, Martin O’Neill, pictured with Gala’s CEO, Gary Desmond

Gary Desmond, CEO of Gala (second from left), and Irish football manager Martin O’Neill (fourth from left) are pictured with the Gala Retail Council: Barbara Murphy, Ivan Camier, Terry Kane and Flora Crowe.

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Gala Annual Conference Gala B.E.S.T Gold Award Winners

Gary Desmond presenting Gala Supplier of the Year to Jonny Burnett from Britvic.

successful and respected O’Neill finished up the session with a lively audience Q&A. A ‘Gala’ Trade Event Packed with almost 80 suppliers, the Gala trade expo was a huge success, with many retailers availing of ‘show-only’ offers, and suppliers benefiting from valuable one-to-one time with Gala retailers from across the country.

“We’d like to thank each and every Gala supplier who attended the Gala conference,” stressed Gary Desmond.

“We greatly appreciate the efforts that our suppliers demonstrated, not only at the trade show, but throughout the year. For our retailers, the trade expo provided the ideal opportunity to hear about suppliers’ NPD and benefit from exceptional offers.

“Our relationships with suppliers are an important part

Audrey Kelly from Gala Retail and Kevin Fitzgerald, National Account Manager, Aryzta Food Solutions (right), are pictured presenting the Fresh Food Award to John McDermott from McDermott’s Gala, Patrickswell.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Coyle's Gala Express, Belmullet, Co. Mayo Gala Express, Bosheen, New Ross, Co. Wexford Worrell's Gala, Kildangan, Co. Kildare Corrigan's Gala, Moyne, Co. Longford O Shea's Gala, Blennerville, Tralee, Co. Kerry Smith's Gala, Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan Bracken's Gala, Portlaoise, Co. Laois Frayne's Gala, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford Larkin's Gala, Ballina, Co. Tipperary Hegarty's Gala, Carlow, Co. Carlow Murphy's Gala, Kanturk, Co. Cork King's Gala, Gorey, Co. Wexford Mulrooney's Gala, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary Gala, Long Mile Road, Dublin Gala Mounthawk, Tralee, Co. Kerry Cullen's Gala, Adamstown, Co. Wexford Durkan's Gala, Louisburgh, Co. Mayo Gala, Raheen, New Ross, Co. Wexford Gala, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick Fox's Gala, Balinalee, Co. Longford Costello's Gala, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary Flynn's Gala, Glenties, Co. Donegal Gala Oakpark, Tralee, Co. Kerry Murphy's Gala, Kilanerin, Co. Wexford Tuffy's Gala, Ballina, Co. Mayo King's Gala, Ashbourne, Co. Meath Crowley's Gala, Ballygarvan Co. Cork Smith's Gala, Newtownforbes, Co. Longford Mc Dermott's Gala, Patrickswell, Co. Limerick Kane's Gala, Carlow, Co. Carlow Mc Gloin's Gala, Foxford, Co. Mayo Harkin's Gala, Ballybofey, Co. Donegal

Liam Peters, Chairman of Gala, with Ireland Manager, Martin O’Neill and CEO of Gala, Gary Desmond.

36|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Gala Annual Conference Gala B.E.S.T Award Category Winners •

Customer Service Award, sponsored by Mars: Worrell’s Gala, Kildangan, Co. Kildare

•

Community Initiative Award, sponsored by Nestlé: O’Shea’s Gala, Blennerville, Co. Kerry

•

Alcohol Award, sponsored by Coca-Cola: McGloin’s Gala, Foxford, Co. Mayo

•

Marketing Initiative Award, sponsored by Largo Foods: Mulrooney’s Gala, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary

•

Special Merit Award, sponsored by JTI: Durkan’s Gala, Louisburgh, Co. Mayo

•

Brand Champion Award, sponsored by Mondelez: Harkin’s Gala, Ballybofey, Co. Donegal

•

Chilled Retailer Award, sponsored by Kerry Foods: Dolan’s Gala, Tullamore, Co. Offaly

•

Bakers Corner Award, sponsored by O’Brien Ingredients: King’s Gala, Kiltale, Co. Meath

Eoin Kellett, MD of Mondelez Ireland (left) and Tony Cluskey from Gala Retail (right) present the Brand Champion Award to Paul Harkin from Harkin’s Gala, Ballybofey.

•

Fresh Food Award, sponsored by Aryzta: McDermott’s Gala, Patrickswell, Co. Limerick

of the Gala mix, which enables us to deliver great value, quality produce and excellent service to our customers.”

•

Gala Supplier of the Year Award: Britvic Ireland

Gala B.E.S.T Awards One of the highlights of the conference was Gala’s annual B.E.S.T awards (Business Excellence Standards Tool programme), which were presented at the evening event

Colin Ferguson, Business Manager, Nestlé, and Denise Lord, Gala Retail, present Mary O’Shea, O’Shea’s Gala, Blennerville, with the store’s award for Best Community Initiative.

by TV personality, Síle Seoige. Receiving gold, silver and bronze awards, a host of Gala retailers were recognised for excellence within convenience retailing.

“Gala is privileged to have so many talented retailers within the Group and our annual awards are a chance to recognise these retailers on a national platform, and to celebrate their successes over the past year,” noted Gary Desmond.

“Being an award winner is not a given, and each year, our B.E.S.T awards are judged by an external third party to ensure standards are upheld year-on-year. We are thrilled with this year’s results, and are pleased to be able to report that our top award, the Gold Standard, was our largest category.”

The Gold Standard is awarded following a comprehensive and independent assessment process under the Gala B.E.S.T programme. 32 stores were recipients of the top accolade, demonstrating the volume of progressive retailers within the Group, while many other retailers received either silver or bronze, and are now on the journey to gold. There were also a total of 10 category award winners, displaying exceptional standards in areas such as customer service and marketing.

“Gala retailers really are amongst the best in the country,” Desmond maintained, “and we believe that the unique structure of the Gala Group, offering expertise from Gala head office, local support and years of knowledge from our local wholesalers and on-the-ground commitment to excellence from our retailers, is a winning combination.”

Britvic were named as Gala Supplier of the Year, with Jonny Burnett from Britvic collecting the award from Gary Desmond, CEO of Gala Retail.

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For your nearest supplier please contact Henkel on 01 404 6438

38|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Food Labelling

Are You Ready for Nutrition Labelling?

Irish food and drink suppliers need to make sure their food labels are in line with new legal requirements on nutritional declarations, coming this December, writes specialist food regulatory and consumer affairs lawyer, Raymond O’Rourke.

THE Irish food sector is still coming to terms with the future implications of the Brexit vote this June. In that case, many in the sector may overlook an important milestone coming down the line regarding the EU Food Information Regulation adopted in 2011, the main piece of EU law and therefore also Irish law on food labelling.

The main provisions of the EU Regulation came into force in 2014, but one important item will only become mandatory on all food labels as of December 31, 2016, the requirement being a nutritional declaration [i.e. nutrition box]. It is likely that the authorities, i.e. the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, will survey the Irish marketplace in 2017 in order to ensure that companies are providing this information in the correct fashion on all their food labels, so it is a good time to make sure all your food labels are in line with these requirements before such a potential audit.

New Format Required Many food companies already provide this information and you may believe all is OK but be aware that the format in which this information is to be provided to the consumer will change as of December 2016, so you should do an inventory of your food labels to ensure they are fully compliant with the new requirements.

The format in which nutritional information is to be provided to the consumer will change as of December 2016.

Nutrition Declarations must now include:

• • • •

energy value; amounts of fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt [N.B – the order in which the amounts of each of these has changed, with fats now appearing first]; the following items can be added to the declaration as a supplement: mono-unsaturates, polyunsaturates, polyols, starch, fibre, vitamins or minerals; In addition to per 100g/100ml indications, the declaration must also

Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|39

Food Labelling • •

include: a per portion basis or per consumption unit; All nutrition particulars must be presented in the same field of vision, in a set font size; Additional nutritional information can be provided, once it is based on sound and scientifically valid consumer research, is objective, non-discriminatory and does not create obstacles to the free movement of goods.

The last bullet point above is very important. At present, you may be including nutritional information that you believe is of benefit to your consumers.

Such nutritional information could be simply ‘provides one of five fruit and vegetable portions a day’ to more specific information on the so-called health benefits of an ingredient in your food product.

Such statements will often be classified by the authorities as a nutrition or health claim, rules on which are contained in separate legislation Specialist food regulatory and from the EU Food consumer affairs lawyer, Raymond Information Regulation.

O’Rourke is a member of the management board of both Bord Bia and the European Food Safety Authority and Chairman of the Consumers Association of Ireland.

Scientific Evidence EU Regulation 1924/2006 is the legal framework to be used by food companies when they want to highlight the particular nutritional and health beneficial effects of their products on the food label or in advertising. The objective of these rules is to ensure that any claim made on a food label or in advertising is clear, accurate and based on scientific evidence.

The rules of the Regulation apply to nutrition claims (such as ‘low fat’, ‘high fibre’) and to health claims (such as ‘Vitamin D is needed for the normal growth and development of bone in children’). The European Commission provides a public online register listing all permitted nutrition and health claims (http://ec.europa.eu/nuhclaims/). It is a very useful tool for food companies and you should utilise it in order to ensure that any additional nutritional information you provide in the Nutrition Box or elsewhere on the food label is permitted under the EU’s rules on nutrition and health claims.

Calculating Nutritional Values Many food companies will ask who calculates the nutrient values to be included on the declaration (Nutrition Box). The EU Food Information Regulation allows for various methods of calculating the nutrient values. It does not necessarily require laboratory analysis and it is possible for a food business to calculate the values themselves, depending on the type of product.

The declared values in the nutrition box are average values and must be based on:

• • •

the manufacturer's analysis of the food; a calculation from the known or actual average values of the ingredients used; or a calculation from generally established and accepted data.

About the Author

Raymond O’ Rourke is a qualified Barrister and a specialist food regulatory and consumer affairs lawyer.

He worked for many years in legal firms both in Brussels and Dublin and now has his own law practice. He is a member of the management board of Bord Bia and the Vice Chair of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and was previously a Board Member of the FSAI. He is the current Chairman of the Consumers Association of Ireland (CAI).

The nutrient values must be for the food as sold. However, where appropriate, the information may relate to the food after preparation, provided that sufficiently detailed preparation instructions are given and the information relates to the food as prepared for consumption.

Front of Pack Certain nutrients may be repeated ‘front of pack’. This repeated information is a voluntary measure but where a food business chooses to provide this additional nutrition declaration, only the following information can be provided: • Energy only; or • Energy along with fat, saturates, sugar and salt.

This repeated information may be provided: • Per 100g/ml only; • Per 100g/ml and per portion; or • On a per portion basis only.

When providing this ‘front of pack’ information, energy must always be indicated per 100g/ml as a minimum.

The typical format for providing this information ‘front of pack’ is by means of a Guideline Daily Allowance (GDA) table/graphic. During the adoption of the Food Information Regulation, the UK Government wanted what is known as a ‘traffic lights labelling’ graphic for such nutritional information ‘front of pack’ to be mandatory. The EU rejected this request, but the UK has a voluntary arrangement with food companies that traffic lights graphics be provided on their food products. In that case, there are a mixture of GDAs and traffic light tables/graphics on food products in the UK and Ireland which can be somewhat confusing for consumers.

It is interesting to note that already, the UK authorities have indicated that traffic lights labelling is likely to become mandatory for all food products after Brexit. This demonstrates that the UK’s departure from the European Union will have future impacts on the Irish food sector many may not have anticipated, beyond the current Sterling exchange rate, which is very much the issue of the moment for the Irish food sector when Brexit is mentioned.

Nutritional Declaratio ns

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In Part 1 of our Leading Through Change programme we outlined what is happening around the new EUTPD II legislation, and the timeline involved. The section below summarises the key information:

WHAT IS HAPPENING? In 2014 the European Union adopted the revised Tobacco Products Directive – or ‘EUTPD II’. It’s a series of additional rules regarding the way tobacco products are manufactured, packaged and sold within the EU. This new legislation will affect everybody involved in the tobacco category, including you.

John Player is committed to ensuring the trade remains both competitive and compliant under the new legislation.

The result is Leading Through Change, a programme to advise and support retailers through EUTPD II.

WHEN IS IT HAPPENING? Since 20 May 2016, tobacco manufacturers can only legally manufacture the new packs incorporating EUTPD II rules.

• EUTPD II compliant packs will gradually begin to appear in the market from this point, but retailers will still be able to sell current packs until 20 May 2017.

• From 20 May 2017 retailers will legally only be able to sell EUTPD II compliant packs.

• In 2020 menthol products will also be banned.

Examples of EUTPD II compliant pack designs.

For illustrative purposes only, and subject to change.

Examples of Current Pack Designs.

MAY 2017

20 Until 20 May 2017 retailers are allowed to sell both current packs and EUTPD II compliant packs.

From 20 May 2017 retailers are only allowed to sell EUTPD II compliant packs.

• Roll-your-own tobacco pouches must be 30g or more.

WHAT’S COMING NEXT? Over the next seven months, the full John Player cigarette, fine cut tobacco and cigar portfolio will transition from current packaging and weights to EUTPD II compliance to assist you in meeting the May 2017 deadline.

JPS Blue Volume Tobacco is the first brand range to transition.

9g

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Transitioning to EUTPD II compliant pack when available

Transition to 20g

9g packs exhausted

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42|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Shop Profile

Growing with the Community

Justin O’Rourke’s Mace forecourt in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, has just undergone a massive revamp and is already reaping the rewards.

AS WITH many retailers, Justin O’Rourke got an early start in the trade, working for his parents in their coal merchants in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan. The lessons learned at that early age have stayed with him to this day.

In 2003, while on holidays, Justin’s brother told him to go check out a forecourt for sale, which “ticked all the boxes” with the prospective store owner: “The location was about halfway between Carrickmacross and Kingscourt, which are both large towns, with a lot of commercial and industrial activity,” Justin explains. “It was 2003 and the economy was still really strong, so there was a huge amount of opportunity that I could see.”

Justin didn’t spend long thinking about taking the plunge and buying his own business. After doing so, he immediately began working with the Mace group, and he hasn’t looked back since. “With the quality of the package that Mace was offering, BWG ticked all the boxes for me,” he explains. “I had experience in retail from my childhood, but I needed the support and expertise of a group like BWG in order to really make a go of things.”

Wise Decision Making Upon taking over the shop, Justin invested in incorporating the Mace format, but he did not initially increase the store’s size. With trade having gone very successfully for the first couple of years, the store owner applied for and received planning permission to increase the size of the shop in 2005.

Pictured outside the Carrickmacross forecourt store are (l-r): Barry Flynn, Mace Retail Operations Advisor; staff member Grainne Cassidy, store owner Justin O’Rourke, and staff member Caroline Smyth.

Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|43

Shop Profile Fact File Owner: Justin O’Rourke Location: Magheracloone, Kingscourt Rd, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan Size: 1,800 square feet No of staff:

10, full time & part time

Opening Hours: 05:15-21: 00, Monday-Saturday; 08:00-20:00, Sunday

However, the project did not happen, as he explains: “In 2005, the economy was going really strong. I was quoted €2m for the project. Even with trade going really well, that figure seemed unrealistic to me, so I held off on the project.”

A few years later, Justin’s decision to hold off would prove very wise as the economy changed dramatically.

“The shock to the system that came with the crash was really dramatic,” he recalls. “It hit small business owners all around the country very hard. Times were really tough and I was very glad not to be paying off massive debt. So we were able to survive the recession, although it was not easy.

Mace and BWG had to react to the huge change in market conditions and figure out how best to help its members trade in a shrinking economy.”

Being a forecourt store, Justin was able to rely on fuel sales to supplement his grocery store, and his fuel partner in Top Oil worked with the retailer to ensure the business survived. “Our location on such a well travelled road between two large towns meant we were able to capture fuel sales from a very wide area,” he explains. “By keeping a very close eye on costs and on changing shopper needs, we were able to work with both Mace and Top to keep going when things were tough.”

In 2015, a decade after the original plan to increase the store’s size, Justin did replace the original shop with a brand new, high-specification, destination forecourt shop, featuring a spacious café seating area, top of the range deli, top quality coffee offering and a targeted grocery retail offering that is margin/value led.

Significant Redevelopment The project was a significant one, involving the removal of the old shop, as well as Justin’s home, which was also on the site. Despite the scale of the project, however, things moved remarkably smoothly and it was completed in less than six

months.

“This development was a long time coming,” the store owner admits, “so when we started, things moved very quickly. The entire team from Mace was fantastic, offering fantastic advice and support across all areas of the shop.

We were able to keep trading on the site from a portable cabin and I felt it was very important to do so. My staff and I have spent many years building up a relationship with our customers, getting to know them and looking after them. If we were to force them to go elsewhere for five or six months, it would feel like we were letting them down. So as difficult as it was, we worked through the project.”

He pays particular tribute to his staff, who “were just fantastic through all the disruption”. He also feels that the way the building development was handled “built up a real sense of excitement with our customers, as they watched the project come to completion.”

Significant Boost in Trade The finished shop opened in April of this year and trade saw an immediate and significant boost. In particular, the deli, coffee and wine elements have seen very strong increases in volume and margin. The Seattle’s Best Coffee offering provides top quality coffee at a very competitive price point and is proving an immediate hit. The fresh food offering in the deli has a more healthy focus than a 2005 deli, and it is complemented by the Right Options healthy food choices, recently introduced to the Mace range. The fresh and funky styling of the ample sit-down area offers travellers the chance to relax and enjoy their food-to-go, and is also proving very popular.

“We’ve come a long way with Mace,” Justin concludes.

“The economy, our customers and my shop have changed so much over the years. The one constant thing has been the fantastic support we’ve received from Mace and BWG. As the group has grown, there have been massive changes, like the huge benefit of the chill deliveries from the award winning National Distribution Centre, significant improvements in stock monitoring and ordering systems and much more. But at the core, the feeling that my shop matters to the people in Mace has never changed, nor has their commitment to my shop. It’s that support that leaves me and my staff free to do what we do best: serve the needs of our community.”

44|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Retail Ireland: Monthly Update Retail Margins Under Pressure THE CSO’s Consumer Price Index for August 2016, published recently, indicated that when comparing August of this year to August of 2015, Irish consumer prices decreased by an average of 0.1%. This was a considerable decline as Ireland’s annual inflation rate had hit 0.5% in July, its highest level in three years. The July figures were driven by the continuing rise in services like insurance, particularly motor insurance. The notable decrease in fuel prices and a reduction in the price of motor cars were the main factors to push inflation back into negative territory last month.

From a retail perspective, the most significant trends in August were as follows: •

Alcoholic drinks saw their combined average price fall by -3.1%; • Once again, almost all retail-specific categories Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O'Connor TD, continued to return a drop in prices, the largest pictured with Conor Whelan, Chair of Retail Ireland and Managing Director of Eason, and Thomas Burke, Director of Retail Ireland before the Retail Ireland falls being in personal and home computing Council meeting.

(-30.0%); diesel (-10.8%); gardens, plants and flowers (-10.5%); petrol (-10.5%) and cameras stores and clothing, where volumes have surpassed pre-crisis (-8.5%); levels, while turnover remains more than 10% below peak figures.

• Meanwhile, the following categories recorded an increase in average consumer price: combined tobacco products (+7.5%); The rising cost of doing business in Ireland is hidden by these negative figures and without the ability to recover those costs in the other fashion and accessories (+2.3%); books (+2.2%) and marketplace, retailers will continue to come under further pressure. carpets and floor covering (+2.2%).

In a recent round table between Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and the These figures highlight the struggles retailers continue to face.

Retail Ireland Council, members drew the Minister’s attention to the Volumes are now 2.6% higher than they were pre-crisis, while threats facing Irish retailers from decreasing prices and increasing turnover is still 11% below that, suggesting that almost the same business costs and the industry’s expectations with regards to what amount of goods are being sold, but at lower prices. Areas where government supports are needed. this price competition is heaviest are electrical goods, department

Plan your Debt Free Degree now for 2017 RETAIL Ireland Skillnet, Ireland's leading body for retail education and training, has a range of work based learning programmes available for those employed in the retail sector.

Retail Ireland Skillnet is aimed at retail employees of all levels. The courses, which are fully accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) and part-funded by the State, cover areas as diverse as customer care, communications, merchandising and display, selling skills, security, as well as warehousing and management.

A number of Level 7 and Level 8 degree courses are available, as well as an Executive Masters of Business in Innovation and Leadership.

In September, Retail Ireland Skillnet welcomed 62 new candidates for our Degree in Retail Management Practice, marking the programme’s fifth consecutive year running. This three-year part time Level 7 programme is developed by Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT) in conjunction with Retail Ireland Skillnet and delivered through centres in Galway and Dublin. Learners attend just 16 class-based days per year and complete all other learning through projects, assessments and assignments that are based directly on their everyday work. This allows leaners to work full-time whilst earning their qualification. The programme is delivered two days per month between September and May. As this is a course for retailers, there are no classes in December and January.

This is a debt free degree. Skillnets, through funding from the National Training Fund, provides 50% of the funding for the candidates and learners only pay €1200 per year. If there is more than one learner from the same organisation, then further discounts may be available.

Accessing education and training is essential for employees’ career advancement and improved competence in the workplace. Professionalising the sector will help to promote retail as an attractive and desirable career choice and Retail Ireland Skillnet is committed to up-skilling all employees within the sector.

If you would like to find out more about Retail Ireland Skillnet programmes, please call (074) 9176853 or email info@retailirelandskillnet.com.

Tel: 01-6051558 www.retailireland.ie Need more?

For more information about our work and how your retail business can benefit from our services and supports, please visit us at www.retailireland.ie.

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www.musgravemarketplace.ie For a limited time only. Prices quoted are collect prices and may be subject to change.

Images used are for illustration purposes only. *Terms & conditions apply.

Activia Relaunches with Global Re-Brand You call it DELICIOUSLY SMOOTH We call it EXPERTLY CRAFTED

LIVE INSYNC activia.com

For more information see www.activia.ie.

@MusgraveMPlace

Musgrave MarketPlace

Musgrave MarketPlace

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Activia, the world’s leading fresh dairy brand, is marking its biggest launch to date, with a new global brand platform. With nine billion pots sold every year across 70 countries, the re-brand will serve as a huge transformation for Danone Activia.

Aimed to engage existing and recruit new Activia shoppers, the re-brand seeks to emotionally connect with consumers through positioning Activia as an aspirational lifestyle brand, with a clear emotional message.

understanding what motivates and empowers them. The series features champion surfer Easkey Britton, designer Helen James and three other inspiring Irish women culminating with a live InSync event in Dublin city centre in March.

Activia believes that when women feel truly ‘InSync’ they can be at their best, unlocking their full potential.

The campaign will be activated across multiple touch points and spearheaded with a new television commercial, which aired for the first time on October 9. The campaign also includes proximity Out Of Home advertising, digital, and PR.

“At Danone, our goal is to globally position Activia as an inspirational lifestyle brand with a mission to help women unlock their vast potential,” explains Cathy Sweeney, Marketing Manager at Danone Ireland. “We are incredibly passionate about helping women achieve their best which makes the re-brand and launch of the ‘Live InSync’ campaign a very exciting time for us.”

In addition, a central part of the InSync campaign includes a local partnership with The Irish Times, showcasing inspirational Irish women and how they find their ‘InSync’ moment. The journey will be led by award winning journalist and presenter, Deirdre Mullins, who is on a mission to discover what makes Irish women feel InSync with a series of inspirational videos and print articles

To coincide with the new campaign, Activia is introducing modern, new packaging, across its full portfolio.

The new branding is sleek, modern and premium. Simple and clear, the new packaging also incorporates triangular dimensions and sharp lines to give a clean and sophisticated finish, along with a new logo and a darker green appearance for shelf stand-out.

Activia will also launch a redesigned new website and an interactive quiz where consumers can find their own ‘InSync’ moments, as well as browse inspirational content from the brand’s influencers.

46|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Confectionery

Sweet Success for Lindt With new innovations and a variety of ways to enjoy it, Lindt Lindor is a must-stock brand this winter.

AS the number one premium boxed brand in the market, Lindt Lindor holds 10% market share and is growing +13.7% year on year, proving Lindor to be a must stock for all retailers in 2016 (Source: AC Nielsen, 52 weeks to September 4, MAT).

Boasting a wide range of exciting and delectable flavours, from the classic milk recipe to the sensuous Lindor Dark, Lindor has a reputation for innovation and now comes in a variety of formats.

Lindor Hazelnut Lindt Lindor’s success comes not only from timeless classics such as the iconic Lindor milk truffles but through the continual exciting innovations they bring to the market every year.

Lindt Lindor’s newest addition brings an existing recipe to a new level with Lindor Hazelnut 200g. Lovingly crafted by the Lindt master chocolatiers, each Lindor Hazelnut truffle is surrounded by a shell of luxurious premium chocolate that once broken, releases an irresistibly smooth melting filling with Hazelnut pieces. Lindor Hazelnut 200g retails at €6.99 and is available in all leading retailers.

Lindt Lindor continues to grow its market share throughout 2016.

Bliss On-the-Go The Lindor Bar offers the same classic smooth melting recipe as the iconic Lindor truffles, but comes in a 100g bar, 12 squares of smooth melting bliss. Growing at +18.2% (Source: AC Nielsen, 52 weeks to August 7, MAT) and with a choice between the classic milk recipe, smooth melting Lindor White and the irresistible Lindor Caramel, the Lindor 100g bar ensures sumptuous variety for consumers.

For “on the go bliss”, the Lindor Treat Bar Lindt Lindor’s newest addition performance in the last 12 brings an existing recipe to a new months proves it’s a must level with Lindor Hazelnut 200g. on count-line fixtures.

Growing at +48.5% , the smooth melting milk chocolate Lindor Treat Bar is Ireland’s number one premium chocolate count-line (Source: AC Nielsen, 52 weeks to August 7, MAT).

Available in a slim stick format and at 38g of pure bliss, it is the perfect treat for consumers on the go.

The Lindor 200g Cornet retails at €6.99, the Lindor 100g Bar retails at €2.29 and the Lindor 38g Treat Bar retails at €1.29.

2016 sees the strongest ever national support plan behind the Lindt Lindor franchise, with Lindor TV advertising returning to TV screens, as well as increased activity both in and out of store.

The Lindor Bar offers the same classic smooth melting recipe as the iconic Lindor truffles, but comes in a 100g bar, with 12 squares of smooth melting bliss.

Real creamy butter with only half the fat.

Definitely not what you’d expect to find in a tub.

Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|49

Huggies Newborn Wipes

Huggies Launch Newborn Wipes ÂŽ

Huggies Newborn Wipes are disrupting commoditisation through innovation.

Mums understand that newborn skin is fragile and needs special care. Yet over a third of mums don’t use baby wipes straight from day one. This provides a strong opportunity for growth.

Huggies have developed Newborn Wipes, their softest, thickest, most natural wipe yet. Inspired by nature, made with gentle natural fibres, 99% water and free from alcohol, phenoxyethanol and parabens, Huggies Newborn wipes are clinically tested as safe from day one.

Investment in the new product launch is the highest in

Only 63% of mums use baby wipes from birth. recent years, with multi-channel brand support instore, online and at home providing more opportunities than ever before to communicate the benefits of the new product.

By targeting mums during pregnancy, Huggies Wipes are developing early relationships and building brand affinity even before baby’s birth.

71% of shoppers agree they would buy Huggies Wipes because it is made from natural fibres.

To find out more about how Huggies is naturally different, contact their sales team: sales@huggieswipes.co.uk.

50|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Soups

Soup Stars Irish consumers love soup, with the category showing solid growth, driven by new flavours and healthier options.

THE soup season is upon us, as temperatures drop and consumers across the country reach for warming, healthy soups for lunches and anytime snacks.

Perhaps even more so than other packaged food categories, soup is heavily influenced by the health and wellness trend. 2015 saw solid current value growth within chilled soup, with these products increasingly seen as a healthier lunch alternative to the classic sandwich, according to the latest report into the Irish soup market by Euromonitor International. Instant soup also fared well in 2015, with more low-fat options introduced. These products are increasingly seen as a healthy and warming alternative to the classic four o’clock snack and coffee break at the office.

A more health-conscious Irish public will most likely continue to push the sales of chilled soup over the coming years, as it is seen as a healthy alternative. Innovations in flavours will also help to drive sales. Instant soup too should perform well over the coming years, Euromonitor predict, as this type of soup is increasingly seen as a warmer alternative to the usual sweet and savoury snacks.

Heinz Heinz is launching ‘Soup Season’ this autumn with a new cross-category campaign called ‘Love Heinz Soup’ to give the whole country a warm glow, both inside and out. The campaign, which begins in October and will run right through the soup season, will feature all Heinz Soups,

New Heinz 1.5-pint Packet Soup is exclusive to the Irish market.

52|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Soups Avonmore Soup Made with pride in Kilkenny since 1991, Avonmore introduced Ireland’s very first fresh soup and is renowned for creating tasty fresh Irish soups ever since. Inspired by the Avonmore motto “the taste of homemade”, these classic soups are made in Kilkenny using nature’s best ingredients to give a deliciously satisfying, flavoursome soup full of nourishing goodness. Avonmore’s chefs carefully blend, season and cook these beautiful ingredients to capture the taste of a real homemade soup, while offering something tantalising and full of flavour.

The perennially popular Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup.

including the recently launched New Heinz 1.5-pint Packet Soup, which is exclusive to the Irish market. There will be a new marketing campaign to support this ‘Love Soup’ campaign, including TV, out of home, print, digital and social, plus extensive in-store activation.

“This new campaign will remind consumers that Heinz soups are tasty, feel-good foods that warm them up both physically and emotionally,” said Emily O’ Kane, Marketing Manager at Kraft Heinz. “October is a key time for our consumers. Summer is over, the nights are drawing in and the Christmas in-store push is fast approaching. By announcing ‘Soup Season’ through a cross-category campaign like this, including our New Heinz Packet Soup, we’re providing even more reasons for shoppers to buy Heinz.”

Heinz Classic Cream of Chicken Soup: a real winner with Irish consumers.

Avonmore’s premium soup range includes traditional favourites with a delicious twist, such as Vine Tomato with Aged Italian Parmesan Soup; Select Vegetable with Flat Leaf Parsley Soup; and Slow Cooked Chicken & Vegetable Soup.

Avonmore has a range of formats and flavours to suit every occasion, including 400g, 700g & 1kg cartons with a re-closable cap, which are suitable for both lunch-time and family meals occasions, while the new premium soups come in a convenient portable tub, perfect for “Al desko” dining or a quick and nutritious meal at home. The premium soup range includes traditional favourites with a delicious twist, such as Vine Tomato with Aged Italian Parmesan Soup.

With the colder weather creeping in, Avonmore soups will warm up hungry tummies across Ireland and are a must stock item for the chilly evenings ahead.

Avonmore introduced Ireland’s very first fresh soup in 1991 and is renowned for creating tasty fresh Irish soups ever since.

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Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards

Quality Shines Through in Awards The fourth annual Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards were presented recently in a glittering awards ceremony, hosted by Rachel Allen.

THE finest Irish food and drink producers were honoured in the fourth Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards recently at a dazzling ceremony hosted by Ballymaloe Celebrity Chef and cookery author, Rachel Allen, at the Mansion House in Dublin.

Taking the top prize of the Gold Q was James Whelan Butchers with their Dry Aged Angus Striploin Steak. “Winning the Gold Q Award was fantastic recognition, not only for our business and our products but most of all for our wonderful team of dedicated professionals, who work so hard every day sharing great Irish food with our loyal customers,” enthused a delighted Pat Whelan, CEO at James Whelan Butchers.

The judges said of the winning product: “The steak looks good, it is juicy and succulent, the flavour is unreal and its strong yellow colour indicates that it is well matured. This is an excellent steak.”

Dunnes Stores were named Retailer of the Year, taking home 32 awards, including winning Gold in the Value Q category for Dunnes Stores My Family Favourites Mature White Cheddar, produced by Bandon Vale. The other Gold Winners included Aldi Exquisite Mince Pies, produced

by Genesis Crafty, which won the Christmas Q Award, and Tesco Free From Strawberry and Vanilla Cones, from Eispro, which took the Free From Q. “The Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards have become a major part of the Irish food calendar,” said Helen Lyons, group publisher of event organisers, Metropolis Business Media.

“Once again, we received a huge number of entries and spent four weeks testing and judging the most delicious products. We had another wonderful night celebrating the success of our winners - huge congratulations to everyone.”

The Dunnes Stores Simply Better Small Producer of the Year Award went to Camran Crafts for their Orange, Mango and Gin Marshmallow. The company, based in Ballycarry, Co. Antrim, produces a range of artisan marshmallows, originally developed for the children of founders and friends, Wendy Campbell and Tracie McFerran. When their

Helen Lyons, IQFDA organiser (left) and celebrity chef Rachel Allen present the overall Gold Q Award to Pat Whelan, James Whelan Butchers, for their Dry Aged Angus Striploin Steak.

Helen Lyons, IQFDA, and Rachel Allen, present the Gold Q - Christmas Award to Aoife Habenichy, Aldi, for Aldi Exquisite Mince Pies, produced by Genesis Crafty.

Drew McIvor, Business Development Executive, Invest NI, and Rachel Allen, present the Cereals - Porridge Award, to Brian Daly, Head of Trading BWG; Anne Gallagher, Spar Marketing Manager; Tim Healy and Gareth Healy from Grandma Henvey’s, producers of the award-winning Spar Select Gluten Free Porridge.

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Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards marshmallows proved incredibly popular, the duo began to produce additional variants for adults, including the winning product. Camran Crafts will now work on their brand with the Simply Better team from Dunnes Stores.

SuperValu and Centra between them picked up 13 Awards, including the Christmas Q - Fish Award for SuperValu Signature Tastes Trio of Smoked Salmon, from Dunn's of Dublin; SuperValu Signature Tastes Single Origin Java Coffee Capsule, from Euro-Caps B.V., which won the Coffee category; Centra Melon & Pineapple Batons from Freshcut Foods, which topped the Food to Go - Fruit category; and SuperValu & Centra BBQ Pork Rib Rack, from Kepak, winner in the Port category.

Tesco Senior Buyer, Sharon Doherty, receives the Gold Q - Free From Award from Helen Lyons, IQFDA, and Rachel Allen Winner in the Salad - Prepared category: SuperValu & Centra Super Green Veg Salad from Wonderfoods.

Winner in the Gold Q - Value category was Dunnes Stores My Family Favourites Mature White Cheddar, produced by Bandon Vale: James Wilson, Food Director, Dunnes Stores, and Heather Kingston, Dunnes Stores, receive the Award from Helen Lyons, IQFDA, and Rachel Allen.

Drew McIvor, Business Development Executive, Invest NI, presents the Award for Bread - Morning Goods to Ciara Ross, Channel Marketing Executive, Aryzta, and Shane Vaughan, Head of Marketing, Aryzta, with Rachel Allen.

Aldi won a total of six awards, including an outstanding Gold award for its Specially Selected Exquisite Mince Pies. Aldi’s Irish products performed strongly across a broad range of categories, topping the Christmas Bakery & Dessert category, as well as the Meat - Beef, Fish - Innovation, Children’s Food, Vegetables - Prepared, and Chocolate & Confectionery categories.

Many of Aldi’s triumphant products are sourced from market leading Irish suppliers. Winning Irish sourced products include Aldi Specially Selected 28 Day Matured Irish Rib Roast on the Bone, produced by Tipperarybased supplier ABP Cahir, Aldi Dark Chocolate Valencia Orange Handmade Chocolate Bar, produced by Áine Handmade Chocolates in Co. Cavan, and Aldi Children’s Food Winner: Aldi Mamia Organic Mango, Skellig Bay Salmon Infusions Parsley, Chive & Garlic, produced Apple & Banana (Stage 1), from The National Fruit &

by The Good Fish Company in Co. Beverage Company.

Cork.

Commenting on the award wins, Aldi Ireland’s Group Buying Director, Finbar McCarthy said: “We are incredibly proud of our suppliers’ success at the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards.

Provenance of the food and drink we sell is extremely important to us and our buying team works closely with Irish farmers, growers and suppliers, so that our customers

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Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards can enjoy unrivalled quality Irish products that represent excellent value for money.”

Tesco won no fewer than 10 Awards, including the Free From Q, a Value Q - Frozen for Tesco Everyday Value 3 Way Cook Chips, from Fullers Food International, as well as picking up awards for products like Tesco Finest Spicy Dark Chocolate Ginger Cookies, produced by Northumbrian Fine Foods; Tesco Organic Whole Wheat Spaghetti from La Doria; and two Irish Quality Drinks

Keelings Wins in Fruit Category

Food to Go - Fruit winner: Centra Melon & Pineapple Batons from Freshcut Foods.

Winners of the Dunnes Stores Simply Better Small Producer of the Year, Wendy Campbell and Tracie McFerran from Camran Crafts, are pictured accepting the award from Diarmuid Murphy, Dunnes Stores, and event MC, Rachel Allen.

Pictured are: Aoibheann Connor, Keelings Soft Fruit Technical Manager (second left) and David Keeling (third left) receiving the IQFA for Fruit, from Jane Milton, IQFA Chair (left) and celebrity chef Rachel Allen (right).

KEELINGS, Ireland’s leading producer and supplier of fresh produce, has won the fruit category at the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards for Keelings Sweet Irish Strawberries.

“The whole Keelings family and brilliant staff are over the moon to win the fruit category with our delicious Keelings Sweet Irish Strawberries,” said David Keeling, CEO of Keelings Retail. “We are honoured to receive this fantastic award that is so respected in the food and drinks industry and especially having been chosen from so many other products from across the country. It is quite an achievement for us, considering these awards are open to all food and drink retailers, producers and manufacturers in the whole of Ireland.

“It really is extra special for us this year as we are celebrating 90 years. We look forward to continuing to provide our loyal consumers with the finest quality produce they deserve.”

For further information on Keelings, visit www.keelings.ie and check out their Facebook page: facebook.com/keelingsfruits.

James Wilson, Food Director, Dunnes Stores, receives the Retailer of the Year Award from Helen Lyons, IQFDA, and Rachel Allen.

Charlie Fleury, MD, Dairymaid, and Rachel Allen, present the award for Cheese - Hard to Ciobha McGonagle, Quality Development, Lidl.

Keelings Sweet Irish Strawberries, winner in the Fruit Category.

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Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards Lidl Celebrates Award Wins LIDL lifted five Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards across a diverse range of products, as well as winning one silver award, five bronze awards, 22 Highly Commended products and 13 Commended.

The success at this year’s awards is a culmination of Lidl’s work in bringing great quality items at low prices to everyday products that customers demand.

The winning products included Lidl’s Deluxe Seafood Chowder, produced by Galmere Fresh Foods in Galway; Deluxe Beetroot Relish, produced by Follain in Cork, and Lidl’s Deluxe Sri Lankan Chicken Soup, produced by Ballymaguire Foods in Co. Dublin, to name just a few!

“We are delighted that so many of our products won awards at this year’s Irish Quality Food and Drink

Awards,” noted Tracy Vaughan, Brands Manager at Lidl Ireland. “As one of the most respected award schemes in Ireland, recognition of our products at this level is a clear indication of the emphasis our local buying team places on sourcing and producing the highest quality products at great value prices. We would like to say a big thank you to all of our dedicated suppliers for their tireless efforts to bring top quality food to your table.”

Lidl is committed to working with Irish suppliers to bring the best of local produce to their network of 146 stores and almost 50% of all grocery sales in Lidl’s Irish stores are generated from products sourced from Irish suppliers, producers and manufacturers.

Lidl enjoyed massive success at this year’s Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards.

Awards, including the Tesco Finest Ribera Del Duero Reserva, from Felix Solis SA, which won in the Red Wines Over €10 category and Tesco Finest Vintage Champagne, from O. Moore & Co., winner in the Rosé and Sparkling Wines Category.

Spar Select Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar Crisps, from Golden Wonder, were the winners in the Bagged Snacks - Savoury category, while Spar Select Gluten Free Porridge, from Grandma Henvey, won in the Porridge section.

As former winners can testify, picking up an Irish Quality Food and Drink Award is a powerful marketing tool, with many winners using the awards’ logos on their packaging and in national press, television and outdoor advertising. Mairead Finnegan runs and owns Roll It Pastry, Blackwater No.5 Gin whose Sweet from Blackwater Shortcrust Distillery: winner Pastry won the in the Other Spirits Frozen Food Category.

Sweet category last year. “Winning in my category two years in a row has not only allowed me to grow in confidence but sales increased quite significantly in Awards, including the Tesco Finest Ribera Del Duero Reserva, from Felix Solis SA, which won in the Red Wines Over €10 category and Tesco Spar Select Sea Salt & Cider Finest Vintage Champagne, from O. Vinegar Crisps, from Golden Moore & Co., winner in the Rosé and Wonder, were the winners in the Bagged Snacks - Savoury Sparkling Wines Category. category.

Spar Select Sea Salt & Cider

Helen Lyons, IQFDA, and Rachel Allen present the Value Q Ambient Award to Tracey O'Keeffe, Quality Assurance Coordinator, Lidl, for Lidly Simply Tortilla Chips.

Miriam Crowley, Product Developer, Musgrave Retail Partners, accepts the Award for Coffee from Charlie Fleury, MD, Dairymaid, and Rachel Allen.

Jane Milton, IQFA Chair, and Rachel Allen present the Frozen Food - Savoury Award to Breda Coppinger, Technical Manager, Tesco (centre).

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Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards

The Porterhouse Brewing Company’s Red Ale was the winner in the Red Ale category.

Vinegar Crisps, from Golden Wonder, were the winners in the Bagged Snacks - Savoury category, while Spar Select Gluten Free Porridge, from Grandma Henvey, won in the Porridge section.

As former winners can testify, picking up an Irish Quality Food and Drink Award is a powerful marketing tool, with many winners using the awards’ logos on their packaging and in national press, television and outdoor advertising. Mairead Finnegan runs and owns Roll It Pastry, whose Sweet Shortcrust Pastry won the Frozen Food - Sweet category last year.

“Winning in my category two years in a row has not only allowed me to grow in confidence but sales increased quite significantly in 2015 and in particularly in the last quarter following the awards being announced,” commented Mairead.

“The publicity surrounding the awards resulted in my products going into trial with a major Irish retailer and that, along with a growth in sales in existing retailers, meant that my turnover in Q4 2015 was almost equal to my entire turnover in 2014.”

The awards themselves are organised into two distinct sections: Irish Quality Food Awards, products for the multiple and independent grocery retail market, and the Irish Quality Drink Awards, alcoholic drinks for the

retail sector.

The Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards are partnered with Retail News magazine Easy Food magazine. The IQFAs are also sponsored by the Coeliac Society of Ireland, Dairymaid, Invest Northern Ireland and Sacla’.

Joe Manning, Category Director, Tesco, accepts the Value Q Frozen Award for Tesco Everyday Value 3 Way Cook Chips, from Helen Lyons, IQFDA, and Rachel Allen.

Graeme McDowell, Account Manager, Butlers Chocolates (centre), receives the Boxed Chococlates Award from Charlie Fleury, MD, Dairymaid, and Rachel Allen.

Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards Winners 2016 Gold Winner

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish

Bokomo Foods

Christmas Q - Bakery & Desserts

Dry Aged Angus Striploin Steak

Wholemeal Crackers

Cereals - Porridge

Aldi Exquisite Mince Pies

James Whelan Butchers

Sheridan's Cheesemongers

Spar Select Gluten Free Porridge

Genesis Crafty

Gold Winner: Christmas Q

Biscuits - Sweet

Grandma Henvey

Christmas Q - Cakes

Aldi Exquisite Mince Pies

Tesco Finest Spicy Dark Chocolate

Cheese - Hard

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Hand

Genesis Crafty

Ginger Cookies

Lidl Rathdaragh Irish Extra Mature

Decorated Irish All Butter Christmas

Gold Winner: Free From Q

Northumbrian Fine Foods

Cheddar

Cake

Tesco Free From Strawberry and

Bread - Morning Goods

Dale Farm

Sam's Cookies

Vanilla Cones

Raspberry Crown - Cuisine de France

Cheese - Soft

Christmas Q - Chilled Savoury

Eispro

Bread - Speciality Breads

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Italian

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish

Gold Winner: Value Q

Homely Bread

Mozzarella Di Bufala Campana

Cheese Board Selection

Dunnes Stores My Family Favourites

The Breadski Brothers

Traditional Cheese Company

Traditional Cheese Company

Mature White Cheddar

Bread - Wheaten and Soda Breads

Cheese - Speciality

Christmas Q - Chilled Sweet

Bandon Vale

SuperValu & Centra Sean Brown

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Epoisses

Dunnes Stores Simply Better

Retailer of the Year

Soda Bread

Traditional Cheese Company

Seasonally Spiced Cranberry &

Dunnes Stores

Genesis Crafty

Children's Food

Orange Yogurt

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Small

Cakes - Large Cakes

Aldi Mamia Organic Mango, Apple &

Killowen Farm

Producer of the Year

Dunnes Stores Simply Better

Banana (Stage 1)

Christmas Q - Confectionery

Orange, Mango and Gin Marshmallow

Handmade All Butter Lemon & Irish

The National Fruit & Beverage

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish

Camran Crafts

Blackcurrant Layer Cake

Company

Handmade Dark Chocolate & Ginger

Bagged Snacks - Savoury

Sam's Cookies

Chocolate and Confectionery - Bars

Florentines

Spar Select Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar

Cakes - Small Cakes

Aldi Handmade Chocolate Bar - Dark

Sam's Cookies

Crisps

Dunnes Stores Simply Better

Chocolate Valencia Orange

Christmas Q - Fish

Golden Wonder

Handmade Belgian Chocolate Salted

Áine Handmade Chocolate

SuperValu Signature Tastes Trio of

Bagged Snacks - Sweet

Caramel Shortbread Slices

Chocolate and Confectionery -

Smoked Salmon

Dunnes Stores Cacao Mix

Sam's Cookies

Boxed

Dunn's of Dublin

Forest Feast

Cereals

The Chocolate Box

Christmas Q - Grocery Ambient

Biscuits - Savoury

Tesco Finest 7 Nut Granola

Butlers Chocolates

Lidl Deluxe Beetroot Relish

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Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards Follain

Food to Go

Meat - Pork

Butter Hot Cross Buns

Christmas Q - Meat

Coconut & Berry Super Seed Snack

SuperValu & Centra BBQ Pork Rib

La Boulangerie Des Gourmets

Traditional Free Range Woodland

Good4U

Rack

Side Dishes

Bronze Crown

Food to Go - Fruit

Kepak

Dunnes Stores Cook at Home Potato

Hogan's Farm

Centra Melon & Pineapple Batons

Meat - Poultry

Gratin

Coffee

Freshcut Foods

Charlesfort Turkey Roulade - Hogan's

Avondale Foods

SuperValu Signature Tastes Single

Free From - Bread & Bakery

Farm

Soups

Origin Java Coffee Capsule

Tesco Free From Brown Seeded Rolls

Meat - Puddings

Lidl Deluxe Sri Lankan Chicken Soup

Euro-Caps B.V.

Boulder Brands

Traditional Homemade White

Ballymaguire Foods

Cold Beverages - Juices

Free From - Chilled

Pudding

Store Cupboard Ingredients

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Freshly

Vegetable Burgers - Mash Direct

Meeres Pork Products

Twist'd Creole

Squeezed Valencia Pure Orange Juice

Free From - Frozen

Meat - Sausages

Spice Devils

Keeling Juices

Tesco Free From Strawberry and

Dunnes Stores Simply Better 6

Teas & Other Hot Beverages

Cold Beverages - Soft Drinks

Vanilla Cones

Superior Habanero Chilli Irish Pork

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish

Strawberry, Cucumber & Lime

Eispro

Sausages

Handmade Belgian Chocolate Swirl

Cordial

Free From - Savoury

Arthur Mallon Foods

Stick

Naturally Cordial

Dunnes Stores Gluten Free Irish Pork

Oils & Vinegars

Áine Handmade Chocolate

Cooking Sauces

Sausages

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Aceto

Value Q - Ambient & Drink

Curry Sauce - Bombay Pantry

Arthur Mallon Foods

Balsamico Di Modena IGP

Lidl Simply Tortilla Chips

Dairy - Butters and Spreads

Free From - Sweet

Del Gusto

Snack Food Poco Loco

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Hand

Coconut Nutritional Chocolate Bar

Pasta, Rice & Grains

Value Q - Chilled

Churned Rosemary & Burnt Lemon

Dr. Coy's Health Foods

Tesco Organic Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Dunnes Stores My Family Favourites

Irish Butter

Frozen Food - Savoury

La Doria

Mature White Cheddar

Blast & Wilde

Tesco Meat Free 2 Sweet Potato

Pizzas

Bandon Vale

Dairy - Chilled

Paneer and Spinach Bakes

Dunnes Stores Simply Better

Value Q - Frozen

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Fresh

Daloon Foods

Italian Wood Fired Goat's Cheese &

Tesco Everyday Value 3 Way Cook

Irish Madagascan Vanilla Bean

Frozen Food - Sweet

Caramelized Red Onion Pizza

Chips

Custard

Dunnes Stores Simply Better French

Eat Better

Fullers Food International

Spice O’Life

All Butter Tarte au Citron

Quiches, Pies and Pasties

Dairy - Yogurts

Boncolac

Dunnes Stores Simply Better

Dunnes Stores Simply Better

Fruit

Handmade West Cork Gubbeen

Handmade Lemon Curd Farmhouse

Sweet Irish Strawberries

Chorizo & Irish Potato Quiche / Zanna

Yogurt

Keelings Retail

Cookhouse

Killowen Farm

Jams

Delicatessen - Antipasti & Dips

SuperValu Signature Tastes Three

Ready Meals

Sol Chorizo Cular

Fruit Marmalade

SuperValu Signature Tastes Irish

Eirespan

Follain

Lamb Tagine

Delicatessen - Continental Meats

Sweet Spreads & Sauces

Ballymaguire Foods

& Pate

Rum Butterscotch Sauce

Ready Meals - Ethnic

Tesco Finest 14 Month Genuine

Royal County Puddings

SuperValu Signature Tastes Chicken

Parma Ham

Meat - Bacon

Korma

Salumificio F.lli Beretta Spa

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Dry

Emaan Meal Solutions

Delicatessen - Pre-Cooked Meats

Cued Irish Rashers / Callan Bacon

Ready to Cook

Thick Cut Glazed by Hand Ham

Meat -Beef

Dunnes Stores Cook at Home Apple

Brady Family

Aldi Specially Selected 28 Day

& Blueberry Stuffed Pork Fillet

Desserts and Puddings

Matured Irish Rib Roast on the Bone

Wrapped in Streaky Bacon with a

SuperValu Signature Tastes Belgian

ABP Cahir

Maple Glaze / Meat & More

Chocolate Truffle Torte

Meat - Beef Steaks

Relishes & Chutneys

Couverture

Dry Aged Angus Striploin Steak

Dunnes Stores Simply Better

Eggs

James Whelan Butchers

Handmade Tomato Chilli & Balsamic

SuperValu Signature Tastes & Centra

Meat - Burgers and Meatballs

Relish

Cornfed Eggs

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish

Follain

Clonarn Clover

Angus Smoked Paprika & Tomato

Salad & Vegetables - Un Prepared

Fish - Fresh

Beef Steak Burgers

Irish Lumpers - Glens of Antrim

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Wild

Tendermeats

Potatoes

Atlantic Jumbo Prawns

Meat - Game

Salad - Prepared

Keohane Seafoods

Duck Leg Confit

SuperValu & Centra Super Green Veg

Fish - Innovation

Silver Hill Farm

Salad

Aldi Skellig Bay Salmon Infusions -

Meat - Innovation

Wonderfoods

Parsley, Chive & Garlic

SuperValu Signature Tastes Lamb

Vegetables - Prepared

Good Fish

Steaks with a Spicy Tomato Marinade

Aldi Vegetable Fajita Kit

Fish - Prepared

and a Parmesan Crumb

Wonderfoods

Lidl Deluxe Seafood Chowder

Kepak

Sauces and Salad Dressings

Galmere Fresh Foods

Meat - Lamb

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish

Fish - Smoked

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Fresh

Made Honey & Mustard Dressing

Smoked Irish Wild Salmon

Irish Connemara Hill Rack of Lamb

Derrycamma Farm

Ballyhack Smokehouse

Tendermeats

Seasonal Occasions Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish All

Irish Quality Drink Awards Ciders Tempted Elderflower Cider, Tempted Cider Company Lagers & Speciality Beers Dunnes Stores Grafters Kolsch Style, Rye River Brewing Company Pale Ales & IPA Farmageddon Gold Pale Ale, Farmageddon Brewing Co-Op Red Ales Red Ale, The Porterhouse Brewing Company Stouts & Porters Dunnes Stores Grafters Porter, Rye River Brewing Company Red Wines - Over €10 Tesco Finest Ribera Del Duero Reserva, Felix Solis SA Red Wines - Up to €10 Dunnes Stores Vina Maipo Mi Pueblo Syrah, Vina Maipo Rose & Sparkling Wines Tesco Finest Vintage Champagne, O Moore & Co White Wines SuperValu Montagny 1er Cru Les Resses, Andre Goichot Craft Spirits Dingle Pot Still Vodka, The Dingle Distillery Other Spirits Blackwater No.5 Gin, Blackwater Distillery Liqueurs, Speciality Spirits & Fortified Wines Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur

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Invest NI: Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards

NI Companies Excel in Awards There was an early Christmas present for Northern Ireland’s Genesis Crafty, winning the Christmas Q category at the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards, where Northern companies excelled.

CHRISTMAS came early for Genesis Crafty, the Northern Irish artisan bread and cake business, at the recent Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards Aldi Exquisite Mince Pies, produced by Genesis in Dublin.

Crafty, won the Gold Christmas Q Award and the Genesis Christmas Q – Bakery & Desserts category at Crafty, a family-owned the Irish Quality Food and Drinks Awards. and managed business in Magherafelt, County Derry, won the prestigious Christmas Q category for its Exquisite Mince Pies for German discounter Aldi in the Republic of Ireland.

Genesis also won the Wheaten and Soda Bread category for its Sean Brown Soda Bread, produced for SuperValu and Centra.

One of Northern Winner in the Side Dishes category: Cook at Home Potato Gratin for Dunnes Stores, Ireland’s smallest from Avondale Foods, Lurgan, County companies, Armagh.

Camran Crafts of Carrickfergus, County Antrim was also named Dunnes Stores Simply Better Small Producer of the Year for its Orange, Mango and Gin Marshmallow. The company is

Forest Feast of Craigavon, County Armagh, won for its Dunne’s Stores Cacao Mix in Bagged Snacks – Sweet.

a partnership between two friends, Wendy Campbell and Tracie McFerran.

Their children have additional needs and this led to a desire to develop a treat that they could enjoy and yet not be affected by additives and e numbers! They tasted so good that the duo quickly developed a range that is now enjoyed not just by the children, but by adults too. Their sumptuous range uses only natural flavours and is hand-made, while the majority of the marshmallows are gluten and egg free, giving them a shelf-life of three months. Camran Crafts will now work on their brand with the Simply Better team from Dunnes Stores.

These two companies were among more than 20 from Northern Ireland to be named among the winners and commendations in the annual celebration of the best of Irish food and drink.

Winning in the Salad & Vegetables – UnPrepared category: Irish Lumpers from Glens of Antrim Potatoes.

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Invest NI: Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards

Rathdaragh Irish Extra Mature Cheddar for Lidl, produced by Dale Farm, Belfast, won in the Cheese- Hard category.

Spar Select Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar Crisps, produced by Golden Wonder, Tandragee, County Armagh, winner in the Bagged Snacks - Savoury category.

Crisps for Spar in Bagged Snacks - Savoury; • Forest Feast of Craigavon, County Armagh, for its Dunne’s Stores Cacao Mix in Bagged Snacks - Sweet; • Dale Farm, Belfast, in Cheese - Hard for Rathdaragh Irish Extra Mature Cheddar for Lidl; • Mash Direct, Comber, County Down, for Veggie Burgers in Free-From Chilled; • Avondale Foods, Lurgan, County Armagh, for Cook at Home Potato Gratin for Dunnes Stores.

Powerful Marketing Tool The producers were honoured at the fourth annual awards during a ceremony hosted by Ballymaloe chef and cookery writer, Rachel Allen, at the Mansion House in Dublin.

“The Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards have become a major part of the Irish food calendar,” says Helen Lyons, group publisher at Metropolis Media, who organised the event.

Winner in the Wheaten and Soda Bread category: SuperValu and Centra Sean Brown Soda Bread, produced by Genesis Crafty.

Farmageddon, a brewery cooperative from Comber, County Down, lifted a Platinum Irish Quality Drinks Award for its Pale Ale.

Artisan Producers Northern Ireland artisan producers swept the awards in key categories such as Cider, Ales and Porter and Liqueurs. Tempted Irish Cider, based in Lisburn, County Antrim, gained the platinum award for its recently launched Elderflower Cider.

There were other major awards for two Portadown-based companies, Mac Ivors and McCann’s. Farmageddon, a brewery co-operative from Comber, County Down gained a platinum award for its Pale Ale and gold for its Irish Export Porter. Niche Drinks in Derry was awarded gold for its Tesco Finest Salted Cream Liqueur.

The revival of the historic Irish Lumper potato gained Glens of Antrim Potatoes a category award in the Unprepared Salads category. The potato dates back to the 1840s.

Category Winners There were category wins for the following Northern Ireland food and drink: • Golden Wonder, part of Tayto, Tandragee, County Armagh, for its Select Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar

Mash Direct’s Veggie Burgers won in the Free-From Chilled category.

Picking up an Irish Quality Food and Drink Award is a powerful marketing tool, with many past winners using the awards’ logos on their packaging and in national press, television, and outdoor advertising.

The awards themselves are organised into two distinct sections: Irish Quality Food Orange, Mango and Awards, products Gin Marshmallow from for the multiple and Camran Crafts, one independent grocery of Northern Ireland’s retail market; and smallest companies, the Irish Quality who were named Dunnes Stores Simply Drink Awards, Better Small Producer alcoholic drinks for of the Year. the retail sector.

Tempted Irish Cider, based in Lisburn, County Antrim, took home the Platinum Award in the Ciders category for its recently launched Elderflower Cider.

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Invest NI: Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards

Overall Northern Ireland Award Winners 2016

Gold Winner Christmas Q

Aldi Exquisite Mince Pies Genesis Crafty, Magherafelt, County Derry

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Small Producer of the Year Orange, Mango and Gin Marshmallow Camran Crafts, Carrickfergus, County Antrim

Bagged Snacks Savoury Category Winner:

Spar Select Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar Crisps Golden Wonder, Tandragee, County Armagh

Commended:

Aldi Brasserie Thai Sweet Chilli Crisps Golden Wonder, Tandragee, County Armagh

Bagged Snacks Sweet Category Winner:

Dunnes Stores Cacao Mix Forest Feast, Portadown, County Armagh

Bread - Morning Goods Commended:

Lidl Connell Bakery Mini Pancakes Hovis, Belfast

Bread - Wheaten and Soda Breads Category Winner:

SuperValu & Centra Sean Brown Soda Bread Genesis Crafty, Magherafelt, County Derry

Cereals - Porridge Highly Commended:

Lidl Deluxe Organic Wafer Oats White's Speedicook, Tandragee, County Armagh

Cheese - Hard Category Winner:

Lidl Rathdaragh Irish Extra Mature Cheddar Dale Farm, Belfast

Children's Food Highly Commended:

Heavenly Crispy Veggie Sweet Beet and Shallot Waffles Heavenly Tasty Organics, Augher, County Tyrone

Christmas Q - Bakery & Desserts Category Winner:

Aldi Exquisite Mince Pies Genesis Crafty, Magherafelt, County Derry

Coffee Highly Commended: Continental Coffee Johnsons Coffee, Hillsborough, County Antrim

Free From - Chilled Category Winner:

Vegetable Burgers - Mash Direct, Comber, County Down

Free From - Frozen Highly Commended:

Pizzado Gluten Free Cheese and Tomato Choice Pizza, Portaferry, County Down

Free From - Savoury Highly Commended:

SuperValu Gluten Free Pepperoni Pizza Crust and Crumb, Derrylin, County Fermanagh

Meat - Beef Steaks Commended:

Lidl Hereford Fillet Steaks Linden Foods, Dungannon, County Tyrone

Meat - Innovation Commended:

M&S BBQ Grill Louisiana BBQ Spatchies Moy Park, Craigavon, County Armagh

Meat - Poultry Highly Commended:

M&S BBQ Grill Jamaican Jerk Spatchcock Moy Park, Craigavon, County Armagh

Pizzas Highly Commended:

Lidl Italiamo Goats Cheese, Spinach & Caramlised

Onion Pizza Crust & Crumb Bakery, Derrylin, County Fermanagh

Commended:

Pizzado Pepperoni Choice Pizza, Portaferry, County Down

Quiches, Pies and Pasties Commended:

Lidl Chef Select Single Serve Premium Pies - Beef & Stout Daily Bake, Armagh, County Armagh Lidl Deluxe Goats Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Quiche McColgans, Strabane, County Tyrone

Salad & Vegetables UnPrepared Category Winner:

Irish Lumpers - Glens of Antrim Potatoes, Cushendall, County Antrim

Salad - Prepared Highly Commended:

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Charlotte Mint & Yogurt Potato Salad Avondale Foods, Lurgan, County Armagh Lidl Meadow Fresh Mediterranean Salad Bowl Willowbrook Foods, Killinchy, County Down

Commended:

Country Kitchen Sweet Chilli Noodle Salad Avondale Foods, Lurgan, County Armagh

Vegetables - Prepared Highly Commended: Aldi Shredded Kale Willowbrook Foods, Killinchy, County Down

Crispy Onions Milgro, Coleraine, County Derry

Commended:

Lidl Deluxe Stuffed Flat Mushrooms with Leek & Wensleydale Cheese Hughes Mushrooms, Dungannon, County Tyrone

Side Dishes Category Winner:

Dunnes Stores Cook at Home Potato Gratin Avondale Foods, Lurgan, County Armagh

Highly Commended:

Lidl Deluxe Stuffed Flat Mushrooms with Cheddar, Smoked Bacon & Rosemary Hughes Mushrooms, Dungannon, County Tyrone

Soups Commended:

Vegetable Soup with a Spud Morrow Foods, Cookstown, County Tyrone

Irish Quality Drink Awards Ciders Platinum:

Tempted Elderflower Cider Tempted Cider Company, Lisburn, County Antrim

Silver:

Plum & Ginger Cider Mac Ivors Cider Co., Portadown, County Armagh

Bronze:

Lidl The Crafty Brewing Company Crafty Dry Cider McCanns Cider, Craigavon, County Armagh Lidl The Crafty Brewing Company Crafty Medium Cider McCanns Cider, Craigavon, County Armagh

Pale Ales & IPA Platinum:

Farmageddon Gold Pale Ale Farmageddon Brewing CoOp, Comber, County Down

Stouts & Porters Gold:

Farmageddon India Export Porter Farmageddon Brewing CoOp, Comber, County Down

Liqueurs, Speciality Spirits & Fortified Wines Gold:

Tesco Finest Salted Caramel Cream Liqueur Niche Drinks Co. Derry

NEW EUROPEAN TOBACCO REGULATIONS The journey ahead

20 May 2016 Introduction of new packaging regulations

Tobacco products that were produced before 20 May 2016 remain compliant with the law and can continue to be sold at retail until 19 May 2017

20 May 2017

Only tobacco products that comply with the new packaging rules can be sold from this date*

*For full details, please visit jti.com/Ireland.

Alternatively, speak to your JTI contact, call 01 404 0240 or email customerservices.ireland@jti.com.

64|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

ECR Ireland Leaders’ Congress

Leading By Example The ECR Ireland Leaders' Congress, held recently in Dublin, had some timely advice for Irish retailers.

CONSUMERS value experiences. That was the message at the third Efficient Consumer Response [ECR] Leaders' Congress, which took place recently at University College Dublin.

“Achieving authenticity is difficult,” announced Ken Hughes, Consumer and Shopper Behaviouralist, in the event's key-note address. “Have an authentic, genuine connection with the shopper and consumer. The consumer needs to feel as if he or she owns the brand.”

This year's Congress was conducted with the dual themes of ‘Innovation for Growth’ and ‘New Ideas for New Consumer Behaviour’. The message for retailers was that consumers in 2016 prioritise the shopping experience. “Evoke an emotional response,” advised Hughes.

The motivational speaker used an example of a coffee shop that offers free umbrellas to its regular customers on rainy days, which they can return at a later date: a memorable alternative to the standard ‘one free coffee for every 10 purchased’.

Convenience retailers across the country are already ahead of the pack, you might argue. Most local retailers have a close relationship with the consumer and the community, but the advice applies as much to brand communication as it does to in-store offering.

Reaching The Millennials Online, connected technology and social media, is the essence

of existence for the 18-34 millennial shopper. Even small retailers should try and meet tech expectations.

According to John Dillon, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers [PwC], who spoke at the event, social media is a huge influencer: “Of those that had an

Pictured are (l-r): Declan Carolan, ECR Ireland General Manager; Deirdre O’ Donoghue: ECR Ireland Co-Chair and CEO, Nestlé Ireland; Brian Donaldson, ECR Ireland Co-Chair and CEO, The Maxol Group.

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ECR Ireland Leaders’ Congress from their current standing of 18%, securing growth through “increasing store numbers, evolving ranges and innovative campaigns”.

This will come at the expense of the multiples, whose share has fallen from 47% to 45% over the last year, and will drop to 42% by 2020. The convenience sector, on the other hand, is likely to remain static: 36% in 2015, 37% in 2016, and 37% in 2020.

Ken Hughes, CEO of Glacier Consulting, addresses the Congress.

interaction with a favourite brand on social media, 64% said that it led them to respect or value the brand more.”

So retailers need to develop a strategy for the digital age, creating a ‘Total Retail’ experience that connected consumers demand and expect. “We've been really bad at talking to shoppers and consumers,” said Hughes. “It's been a one way street: a communication not a conversation. We need to get our head around that in retail.”

Panellists and speakers at this year's event included: Eoin Butler, Supply Chain Manager, Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland (MRPI); Brian Lee, MD of Chopped, and Aoife Kearney, Food Concepts Executive, Maxol Group.

New Consumer Behaviour This year's ECR Congress addressed a consumer shift towards healthy products. Matt Clark, Commercial Director of Nielsen Ireland, spoke about how the global consumer trend for health foods is impacting shoppers nationwide.

In Ireland, 29% of consumers are sugar-conscious, compared to 22% in Europe. 25% of are concerned about following a low fat diet, compared to 20% of our continental cousins, and 62% avoid artificial flavours. In Nielsen's surveys, two out of three Irish respondents were willing to pay higher prices for food and drink brands that do not contain “undesirable” products. This might account for a 287% growth in protein bars. But it does not necessarily require a rush to find new products.

“It's quite hard to put something completely different out there and for it to be sustainable,” remarked Stephen Dillon, Sales Revenue Planning Controller Ireland and Chocolate lead at Modelez, during a panel discussion. “Usually, it's an established food trend creating something different.”

During an address titled Putting Health at the Centre of the Store, James Walton, Chief Economist for grocery insight group IGD, added: “Sometimes we feel we have to come up with something new and exciting, but we should also use the brands we have to create innovative variants.”

Dealing With Brexit Nielsen's Matt Clark talked about the potential repercussions of the Brexit vote on Irish consumers.

Currency fluctuation will have the biggest short term impact, he said: “We are now in a position where goods are cheaper in Northern Ireland.”

Thirty-four consecutive months of Irish grocery price deflation has not helped matters. While prices are falling, costs have gone up 6% since 2008. “Current prices for food and drink are about 11% beneath 2008 peak figures,” announced Walton.

The bigger picture of consumer behaviour points to the rise of the discounters. According to Clark, discounters are expected to reach a 21% share of the Irish market by 2020,

Innovation for Growth Three speakers at this year's ECR Congress addressed the popularity of innovative drinks brands. Nicola Barrett, Global Marketing Manager for Jameson Innovation, talked about Jameson Caskmates, a whiskey brand aged in oak barrels. David Higgins, Head of Innovation Commercialisation for Diageo, spoke of the rise of craft beer and offbeat Diageo brands such as Parrot Bay, the frozen alcoholic cocktail, and the continued rise of Captain Morgan rum.

“Craft doesn't have to be small; it just needs to be credible. Consumers are changing. We can't get away from that fact. People's expectations have risen dramatically.

People want authentic, credible brands,” Higgins said.

Musgrave Food Academy Eamon Howell, Trading Director at MRPI, was in attendance to tell the story of Musgrave's Food Academy. According to his stats, SuperValu remains Ireland's top retailer with a turnover of €2.6 billion, and a database of 221 stores, employing a 14,500 taskforce. Centra has €1.7 billion turnover, 463 stores, and 11,000 employees.

The Food Academy was established two years ago with the purpose of nurturing food and drink manufacturers across Ireland. “Food Academy is all about collaboration: a partnership with Bord Bia, Local Enterprise Office [LEO], and SuperValu,” explained Howell. “Passionate, local producers being mentored by entrepreneurial retailers.”

How does it work? If a local producer has a product or a concept, their local LEO directs them to SuperValu. This leads to registration, workshops and mentoring, before a product finally reaches shelves in SuperValu.

Musgrave’s Food Academy now supports over 300 producers, selling products in local, regional and national stores, amounting to €25m in retail sales. Food Academy indirectly supports 1,500 jobs and has led to the success of brands such as the family-run Happy Pear, which offers local, organic and seasonal produce.

Reading between the lines at this year's ECR Leader's Congress, the future of food and drink in Ireland appears collaborative as well as innovative.

Declan Carolan, ECR Ireland General Manager.

66|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Drinks News Best Ever Line-Up for Whiskey Live Dublin IRELAND’S premier whiskey tasting event, Whiskey Live Dublin, returns with a bigger than ever line-up of Irish and international whiskey showcased across two sessions (13:30-17:00 and 18:00-21:30) on Saturday, November 5 in The Printworks, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2.

Whiskey Live Dublin will feature an eclectic collection of whiskeys from around the world, as well as Irish gins, vodkas and craft spirits. Event organiser, Ally Alpine of the Celtic Whiskey Shop, said, “We have all seen the whiskey industry flourish over the last number of years.

We have witnessed lots of innovation, both in terms of product development and in the opening and expansion of so many distilleries across Ireland. This is great news for us, and most importantly, our visitors, who should expect to see the fruits of over 60 unique exhibitors at this year’s show.” Visit www.whiskeylivedublin.com for more details.

CRAFT BREWERS TO TURNOVER €60M IN 2016 IRELAND’S craft beer market is continuing to grow, both domestically and internationally, according to a new Bord Bia report. The ‘Craft Beer and Microbreweries in Ireland Survey 2016’ found there are 62 microbreweries operating in Ireland today, of which 48 are production microbreweries and 16 are contracting companies. In 2015, the total turnover of craft beer producers was estimated at €40m, while the outlook remains very positive with a projected turnover of €59m for 2016. Over 50 of Ireland’s top microbrewers and cider makers participated in the sixth annual Irish Craft Beer Festival in the RDS, Dublin, recently, where 12,000 people sampled over 300 different craft beers and ciders. Pictured at the launch of Bord Bia’s new report on the craft beer market in Ireland, were (l-r); Denise Murphy, Beverages Manager, Bord Bia; Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD; and Seamus O’Hara of Carlow Brewing Company.

Stonewell Rós Cider Named Supreme Champion STONEWELL Rós Cider from Cork has beaten off stiff competition from food and drink producers all over the island of Ireland to be awarded the coveted Supreme Champion title of the 2016 Blas na hEireann, the Irish Food Awards, sponsored by Bord Bia. “We use all natural ingredients,” explained Geraldine Emerson from Stonewell Cider (pictured). “The Rós cider has a very pure, clean taste. This award is great because it is recognition for all the work that goes into making it. We’re delighted.” Ciders also made it to the top of the pile in the Best Artisan Category, proudly supported by Bord Bia. In a first for Blas na hEireann, there was a tie for the prize which was won jointly by Tempted? Elderflower Cider, made by Davy and Janet Uprichard near Lisburn, and MacIvors Plum and Ginger Cider, made by the MacNeice family in Armagh.

CENTRA REVEALS NEW LOOK ‘WINES WE LOVE’ CENTRA has revealed its refreshed ‘Wines We Love’, a selection of 10 wines hand-picked by Centra’s expert WE LOVE wine team which promises something for everyone. As shoppers’ preferences and tastes change throughout the season, Centra has adapted and refreshed the range to ensure that ‘on trend’ wine is conveniently available in customers’ nearby Centra store.

The range is perfect for shoppers who are short on time but don’t want to compromise on taste or quality. The range is also ideal for novice wine drinkers, as these expertly chosen top 10 wines help to reduce uncertainty when trying to select the perfect wine. Prices start at just €8 and there is a selection of five white wine and five red wines from some of the most popular regions.

NGE

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At Centra, we have created an exciting range of Wines We Love. These expertly chosen wines are exclusive to our stores making selecting that perfect wine a little more simple.

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NEW LOOK FOR SMITHWICK’S SMITHWICK’S recently unveiled its new brand identity and packaging, created by Design Bridge, which celebrates the brand’s rich Irish heritage, its strong links to Kilkenny and brewing. Taking inspiration from Kilkenny’s rural setting, its impressive castle and the city’s vibrant music, culture and craft communities; the new identity also pays homage to historic beer mats, original labels and advertising from the Smithwick’s archives. The new design was brought to life by Dublin based illustrator Peter Donnelly, who created a set of wood-block style hand-drawn illustrations that symbolise key aspects from Smithwick’s rich heritage. The colour palette is inspired from original labels, brewery signage and pubs around Ireland. Smithwick’s also launched its new television ad, ‘We’re in it, for the love of it’ recently, bringing together home-brewers from across Ireland and the Smithwick’s brewers, all of whom are pursuing their passion for brewing great ales.

MORE GREAT WINE RECOMMENDATIONS

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Biscuits, Cakes & Bars

Treat Time Irish consumers love their treats, as evidenced by the popularity of biscuits, cakes and bars.

THE move to healthier products is a real and genuine trend amongst Irish consumers. However, we still love to treat ourselves, as evidenced by the size of the biscuits, cakes and bars market here.

Indeed, biscuits and snack bars experienced current value growth of 2% in 2015, with value sales rising to €303m, according to the latest report into the sector from Euromonitor International. Growth in the category is being driven by rising sales of savoury biscuits, with volume sales in the category increasing by 5% in 2015, Euromonitor maintain. In contrast, volume growth was marginally negative in sweet biscuits in 2015 and value sales increased by 1%, as Irish consumers are consuming fewer products with high sugar content generally, according to the Euromonitor report.

New products, healthier options and even the excitement

of a new entrant to the mainstream biscuit market, in the shape of East Coast Bakehouse, should see continued movement in this category over the coming year.

Maryland Choc Chip Cookies, one of the nation’s favourite biscuits.

Burton’s Biscuit Company Despite changing attitudes to health and sugar, biscuits remain an integral part of the consumer snacking mission. Burton’s Biscuit Company reveals merchandising, NPD and meeting consumer trends are key when it comes to driving sales of its €1m biscuit brand, Maryland (Source: Kantar, spend 52 w/e 23/05/16) With people leading busier lifestyles and an increasing number of consumers looking to entertain at home, treatier biscuits have seen significant growth in comparison with everyday biscuits and chocolate biscuit bars. Sales show that biscuit shoppers are on the lookout for more Burton’s Biscuit Company’s Maryland Creations range simplifies the treatier biscuit offering for shoppers and is more distinctive, driving stand-out on-shelf. indulgent biscuits that can be enjoyed as a treat.

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Biscuits, Cakes & Bars Earlier this year, Burton’s Biscuit Company tapped into this trend when a new look was unveiled for the €1m brand Maryland, combining its special treat products into a single premium range, Maryland Creations. The Maryland Creations range simplifies the treatier biscuit offering for shoppers and is more distinctive, driving stand-out on-shelf.

The new-look Maryland Creations range, unveiled earlier this year, not only unifies Maryland’s special treat products, but also marks the introduction of a new SKU, Maryland Creations Choc Dipped, a first for the Maryland brand, featuring a milk and dark chocolate chunk cookie half-coated in milk chocolate.

Maryland Double Choc, hugely popular with Irish consumers.

The range is joined by ‘the next development in filled cookies’, Maryland Soft Centres, which use Burton’s industry leading technology to create large crunchy cookies, filled with a smooth milk chocolate cream.

Maryland Soft Baked also joins the range with a new Fudge Choc Brownie variant, with Maryland Big & Chunky completing the line-up, with improved recipes for its leading Milk & Dark and Hazelnut Crunch variants.

“With the introduction of Maryland Creations, we’ve simplified the offering for shoppers and created a true beacon biscuit treat range that’s driving shoppers to the fixture and

Maryland Mini Choc Chip Cookies come in packs of 6 x 25g, which offer value and choice for those shoppers looking for their favourite biscuits to enjoy as a permissible snack.

in turn, helping retailers grow the Maryland brand in-store,” says Vicky Beresford, Burton’s Biscuit Company’s Category and Shopper Manager.

Permissibility and portion control continues to be high on the shopper agenda, and there can be no doubt that this represents a great opportunity for the biscuit category.

Sweet biscuits are already the number one choice for snacking in the home, but people have a very limited offer of traditional biscuits when they’re on the move.

Recognising that there was a lack of market-leading biscuits that could be eaten on the move, Burton’s launched snack pack formats to cater to changing consumer habits and enable retailers to plug the gap in the market. Maryland Mini Choc Chip Cookies and Mini Double Choc Chip are available in packs of 6 x 25g, which offer value and choice for those shoppers looking for their favourite biscuits to enjoy as a permissible snack, and also offer ideal portion control as an after school snack.

Retailers can boost biscuit category sales by taking into account the reasons shoppers are buying biscuits and merchandising the fixture accordingly.

“It’s important for retailers to remember that success isn’t just about stocking best-sellers. Customers shop by mission, so it’s crucial that retailers recognise this to ensure they’re getting the best return from the fixture,” says Beresford.

“In the main, shoppers are buying biscuits as a top-up because they’ve run out, they’re looking for a family treat or buying for a special occasion. With Maryland Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate and Chocolate Chip Hazelnut variants (available in 200g ,230g single packs and 400g twinpack), Maryland snack packs and the Maryland Creations range, the Maryland brand offers a biscuit for every occasion.”

Innovative NPD from Burton’s Biscuit Company continues to create new profit opportunities for retailers; a trend set to continue with exciting plans for the Maryland brand in 2017.

McVitie’s Enjoyed

by Irish families for generations, McVitie’s is a muchloved iconic biscuit brand.

The brand has been continuously focusing on product quality, winning innovation and a strong support plan.

2016 is the year McVitie’s brings several new products that are guaranteed to August saw the launch of McVitie’s Gluten-Free create some Original Hobnobs and McVitie’s Gluten-Free Milk excitement Chocolate Hobnobs. into the biscuit category.

Driving the “on-the-go” trend further McVitie’s launched new ‘To Go’ snack packs this June. The ‘To Go’ range

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Biscuits, Cakes & Bars

Digestives Nibbles offer the well-loved taste of the number one McVitie’s Digestive biscuit range in a chocolatey bitesize format.

is available to stock in two formats; a multi-pack and individual on-the-go portion packs. Within the multi-pack range, shoppers will be able to choose from three variants, McVitie’s Original, Milk Chocolate Digestives, as well as McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Hobnobs. The individual on-thego packs of two biscuits will be available for Milk Chocolate Digestives and Milk Chocolate Hobnobs.

Another exciting part of the McVitie’s 2016 innovation plan is expansion into the Free-From sector with the launch in August of two new products, McVitie’s Gluten-Free Original Hobnobs and McVitie’s Gluten-Free Milk Chocolate Hobnobs. The high proportion of naturally gluten-free oats in McVitie’s Hobnobs allows the recipe to be converted without any compromise on the biscuits’ great signature taste and crumbly texture.

The major innovation for the brand this year has been new Digestives Nibbles, offering the well-loved taste of the number one McVitie’s Digestive biscuit range in a chocolatey bitesize format. This innovation is the first result of the synergy between McVitie’s and its Turkish parent company, Yildiz Holding, which acquired the brand in 2015. More recently, this has all been brought under a new global company, “pladis”. The new entity also includes internationally recognised brands Godiva, a leading premium chocolate brand worldwide, and Ulker, the leading biscuits and confectionery brand in Turkey and the Middle East. Together, they form a $US5.2 billion business, positioning pladis as a global leader in the category, enabling McVitie’s to use it a platform for more innovations.

The major innovation for McVitie’s this year has been the high profile launch of new Digestives Nibbles.

Harnessing the power of the McVitie’s brand, pladis plans to modernise and grow it by unlocking new occasions and creating fresh interest in biscuits to drive category growth and, therefore, sales for retailers.

East Coast Bakehouse East Coast Bakehouse, Ireland’s newest biscuit brand, has recently launched with four delicious cookies: Choc Chunk, Caramel & Pecan, Choc Enrobed Choc Chunk and Stem Ginger & Choc Chunk. The range was launched and tasted by thousands of consumers at Bloom 2016, getting a universal ‘thumbs up’!

Made with East Coast Bakehouse’s delicious cookie Irish butter and range: Choc Chunk, Caramel & Pecan, Irish oats and Choc Enrobed Choc Chunk and Stem proudly baked in Drogheda by a team Ginger & Choc Chunk. of biscuit bakers, East Coast Bakehouse is targeting Irish biscuit lovers who are seeking better biscuits with quality ingredients, as well as switching consumers from imported biscuits, which account for 99% of biscuits sold in Ireland.

“Baking biscuits that people love is our number one priority at East Coast Bakehouse and we want to produce biscuits with just that bit extra that will get people talking,” notes a company spokesperson. Their Stem Ginger & Choc Chunk was selected as a result of over 2,000 taste tests at Bloom and their Choc Chunk Cookie was a Blas na hÉireann finalist.

With a strong launch budget of over €250,000 that includes radio, sampling, digital, PR and shopper marketing, East Coast Bakehouse aims to capture a significant share of the growing cookie segment. Available in 12 x 160g shelf ready packaging and with an RRP of €2.40 - €2.55, the East Coast Bakehouse range is firmly targeted at the mainstream biscuit consumer, with more exciting biscuit launches across the biscuit category in the coming months.

To stock up, contact Primeline Sales and Marketing or your local wholesaler / cash and carry.

70|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Invest NI: Biscuits, Bars & Cakes

Let Them Make Cake!

Invest NI highlight some of the Northern biscuit, bar and cake suppliers who are seeking to grow their presence in the Republic of Ireland, as part of Northern Ireland’s Year of Food & Drink 2016.

NORTHERN Ireland’s Year of Food & Drink 2016 aims to increase the presence and amount of NI food and drink brands in the retail and foodservice sectors in the Republic.

This month, the focus is on the Northern biscuit and cake brands looking to make waves here.

Ditty's Home Bakery Robert Ditty is a second generation artisan baker who is committed to using local ingredients in his products where possible. He uses local artisan producers such as traditional smoke houses, organic dairies and local farmers to offer a broad range of specialty biscuits, pastries, breads and savoury foods.

Ditty’s, based in Castledawson, Co. Derry, has a thriving wholesale business that operates on a local, national and international level.

Robert combines natural ingredients with traditional baking techniques and time honoured recipes to produce a wide range of Northern Irish bakery products. In particular, Ditty’s famous oatcake range is testament to Robert’s close relationship with producers throughout Ireland and the range has featured at numerous prestigious events, such as the Ryder Cup and Wimbledon, as well as being awarded several Taste Awards. Most recently, Ditty’s oatcakes were served at the State banquet in Dublin Castle to honour HRH

Queen Elizabeth.

Robert set up the Artisan Bakers of Northern Ireland in 2001, a group of six like-minded bakers whose purpose was to combine skills, knowledge and expertise to produce a range of authentic regional breads, cakes and biscuits that reflected the tradition and heritage of the northern counties.

For more information, see www.dittysbakery.com.

Genesis Crafty Founded in 1968, McErlain’s Bakery in Magherafelt Co. Derry, is a family run, independent craft bakery which produces a range of artisan branded and own label bread and confectionery items sold throughout the UK and Ireland via retail and foodservice.

McErlain’s was rebranded in 1999 to become Genesis and has since rebranded as Genesis Crafty, with the latest updates to the brand occurring in 2013.

Genesis Crafty is run by six brothers who make baking amazing. They take pride in baking everything the traditional way. Using their age old recipes, they bake award winning products, superior in taste and full of flavour for everyday enjoyment.

From 2010, Genesis Crafty have supplied M&S with a with Raspberry Jam Bakes, Lemon Jam Bakes, Iced Tops, a

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Invest NI: Biscuits, Bars & Cakes Brown Soda Bannock and Wheaten Scones. Since then, they have continued to grow the business with M&S by supplying mince pies, a range of tartlet products and seasonal lines.

In terms of the Genesis Crafty brand, in 2016 the full cake range was re-launched with new packaging, eight additional lines and a full marketing campaign to support the launch, including TV. For more information, see www.genesiscrafty.com Holmes Bakery Holmes Bakery, which was established in 1937 in Craigavvon, Co. Armagh, was acquired by Woodwin Catering Ltd in 2009 and produces a superb range of savoury bakes, desserts and biscuits.

The family of products which are marketed under the distinctive ‘Holmes Bakery’ brand represent a unique blend of traditional recipes and ingredients with convenience.

Holmes Bakery operates from a state-of-theart production facility and has a longstanding commitment to new product development within the ready to eat market.

The company employs 35 people at Craigavon and distributes its product range by means of its own fleet of temperature controlled vehicles.

The company supplies a range of customers, including symbol groups, independent retailers, forecourts and foodservice customers, including hotels, restaurants, schools and hospitals across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. A full range of private label solutions are also available.

For more information, see www.facebook.com/ holmesbakery/.

Howell House Supplying the multiple sector as well the convenience and independent trade, Lisburn-based Howell’s has become a firm favourite from its number one selling product Jammy Joeys, to a delicious range of cakes and biscuits.

For more information, see www.irwinsbakery.com.

Kitchen Bakes Ltd Kitchen Bakes is a family owned and managed business, established in 1986, that specialises in the production of an extensive range of fresh and frozen bakery products. The business operates from premises at the Mahon Industrial Estate in Portadown.

Kitchen Bakes are commited to manufacturing sweet and savoury bakes, providing their customers with a high quality range of products which offer convenience. Their products are designed to be delivered in catering or in retail packs.

They currently supply supermarkets, convenience stores, coffee shops, delicatessens and catering companies.

Over the years, Kitchen Bakes has expanded to become a symbol of quality throughout Northern Ireland.

For more information, see www.kitchenbakes.co.uk.

New Found Joy New Found Joy, based in Lurgan, Co. Armagh, is a premium, award winning artisan bakery, specialising in producing delicious gluten free treats for the specialty food market.

After seeing the growing demand in the gluten free market, New Found Joy decided to develop a range to meet this growing need. Not only are their products hand made by experienced bakers who are passionate about the gluten free market, but they use the best local produce available to ensure their customers get quality products time and time again.

For more information, see www.newfoundjoy.co.uk.

The Yellow Door Bakery The Yellow Door Deli, founded in 1993 is a family run company comprising a successful outside catering business, cafes, delis and the wholesale bakery business.

The company has won a raft of awards, and now has a stand-alone factory dedicated to producing authentic artisan bread, desserts and patisserie.

They offer a large range of real bread and desserts, made with pride in the traditional way with the highest quality ingredients, including unbleached flour.

They do not use any artificial colours, preservatives, yeast enhancers or additives.

Passionate about the quality of regional ingredients, they use local free range eggs, milk, cream, buttermilk, butter and cheese. Flour is also milled locally.

The team of dedicated bakers and patisserie chefs work throughout the night and early hours of the morning to ensure that the Yellow Door’s product range is as fresh as possible. The company continues to innovate and will produce bespoke products where appropriate.

Yellow Door Deli delivers directly to foodservice customers within Northern Ireland and to the Republic of Ireland six days a week. Their products are also available through a select number of distributors.

For more information, see yellowdoordeli.co.uk.

WIN the ‘Have It All’ break

Enjoy a light, tasty lunch with Half Fat Butter

with

THE PERFECT BAKED POTATO Half Fat Butter

Delicious baked potato with a crisp, golden skin which is light and fluffy on the inside!

INGREDIENTS • • • • •

Now, put your feet up while you are reading this. Because if you win this prize you are going to the west of Ireland on a break that redefines the meaning of the word - pamper.

1 medium baking potato 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt Connacht Gold Half Fat butter Freshly ground black pepper

You and your partner [or BF] will be invited on an overnight break at the award winning Kilronan Castle Estate & Spa. And you’ll be cordially invited to join style and beauty blogger Pippa O’Connor on 1st December for ‘a fun & fabulous evening with the girls’ at the castle Aside from the fun there will be lots of practical fashion tips.

METHOD Preheat the oven to 150° C. Scrub the potato, and pierce the skin several times with a knife or fork. Rub the skin with olive oil, then with salt.

To win this fabulous prize [oh, did we mention a free Connacht Gold goodie bag as well] simply log onto:

www.connachtgold.ie/ competition

Pippa will be joined by celebrity chef Joe Shannon [TV3 Ireland AM]. And just to get you in the mood your evening will commence with a Champagne and Canapes reception.

Place the potato in the preheated oven, and bake for 75 minutes, or until slightly soft and golden brown.

Slice the potato down the centre, and serve with Connacht Gold Half Fat butter and black pepper.

WE HELP THOSE IN OUR TRADE WHO HAVE FALLEN ON HARD TIMES

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07/10/2016 16:25

WE HELP HELP THOSE THOSE IN IN OUR OUR TRADE TRADE WHO WHO WE HAVEFALLEN FALLEN ON HARD TIMES HAVE FALLEN ON HARD TIMES HAVE ON HARD TIMES HAVE FALLEN ON HARD TIMES Show your Support and join us at our annual Show your Support and join us at our annual IGBFWE Christmas Lunch on Friday 2nd December 2016 in the HELP THOSE INOUR OUR TRADE WHO WE HELP THOSE IN TRADE WHO Doubletree by Hilton, Burlington Road, Dublin WE HELP THOSE IN OUR TRADE WHO 4.

HAVE FALLEN ON HARD TIMES

Name: Show your Support and join us at our annual Show Lunch your Support and join usDecember at our annual IGBF Christmas on Friday Friday 2nd 2016 in the IGBF Christmas Lunch on 2nd December 2016 in the Email Address: IGBF Christmas Lunch on Friday 2nd December 2016 in the Doubletree by Hilton,Burlington Burlington Road, Dublin 4.

Doubletree by by Hilton, Doubletree Hilton, BurlingtonRoad, Road, Dublin Dublin 4.

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Show your your Support Support and and join join us us at at our our annual annual Show Company Name & Address: IGBF Christmas Christmas Lunch Lunch on on Friday Friday 2nd 2nd December December 2016 2016 in in th t IGBF Doubletree by

by Hilton, Hilton, Burlington Burlington Road, Road, Dublin Dublin 4.

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MobileNo: No:Please forward this booking Landline: Mobile Landline: Hotel formSolutions, together with full prepayment in advance to:

Unit B10,forward Clonlarathis Avenue, Baldonnell Business Park, Baldonnell, Dublin 22 Please booking formHotel together with full prepayment in advance to: Solutions, Please forward this booking form together with full prepayment in advance to: Telephone: 01 630 9211 Email: stuart@hotel-solutions.ie Unit B10, Clonlara Avenue, Baldonnell Business Park, Baldonnell, Dublin 22 Hotel Solutions, Telephone: 01 630 9211 Email: stuart@hotel-solutions.ie Hotel Solutions, *Tickets for event will beissued issuedonon first come served basis, so book to avoid disappointment. forthis this event will be aa first come firstfirst served basis, so book early early to avoid disappointment. * Tickets Unit B10, Clonlara Avenue, Baldonnell Business Park, Baldonnell, Dublin 22 Unit B10, Clonlara Avenue, Baldonnell Business Dublin 22 Tickets for this event will be issued on a first come first served basis, so Park, book earlyBaldonnell, to avoid disappointment. * Telephone: 01 630 9211 Email: stuart@hotel-solutions.ie Telephone: 01 630 9211 Email: stuart@hotel-solutions.ie

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Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|73

What's New LOCTITE SUPER GLUE PERFECT PEN NEW from Loctite, the Super Glue Perfect Pen provides fantastically precise and clean repairs. The new device in the shape of a pen allows a drop to drop application with no mess. It is as easy as using a pen! The advanced filling process has been specifically designed to prevent accidental glue dripping. Its easy to close anti clog cap prevents clogs and allows multiple use as often as you need it, while the soft grip pressure system allows the user to easily and comfortably apply the desired quantity of glue in a precise manner.

ANDREX LAUNCHES CLASSIC CLEAN ANDREX has launched a significant improvement to its flagship Classic White variant, as well as renaming it Andrex Classic Clean.

Designed for a better clean, the new Classic Clean provides thicker and embossed sheets featuring the Andrex logo, making it undeniably Andrex, while the essential touch of cotton from Andrex Classic White remains. Perfectly balancing softness and strength, the new variant will keep families feeling clean and confident. Classic Clean is the biggest product change in 60 years, so Andrex has invested significant time and money to ensure it offers consumers an improved experience. Karel van der Mandele, Andrex UK Marketing Director said: “Our brand promise at Andrex is to elevate the standard of clean and Andrex Classic Clean will help families continue to feel clean and confident. We’re so proud of Andrex Classic Clean that we’re putting our brand signature on every sheet.”

MOY PARK SIZZLES WITH NEW RANGE MOY Park has created a new range of ready-toheat products under the Moy Park brand, Chicken Chargrills. The range was developed to address a gap in the chilled, coated poultry category for a new convenient product suitable for a range of meal occasions. “Moy Park’s range of Chicken Chargrills includes, Original, Barbecue and Sweet Chilli variants, and will provide a quality, chilled alternative to what is currently available in the frozen category,” explains Briege Finnegan, Brand Marketing Manager for Moy Park. “As market leaders in innovation we seek to inspire consumers through on-going product development.” Moy Park Chicken Chargrills are made with 100% breast meat, are baked rather than fried, and can be heated in the microwave in under two minutes. The product launch will be supported with an integrated marketing campaign that will include PR, trade press advertising and digital media.”

FRANCISCAN WELL GETS CANNED! LEADING Irish craft beer brewer Franciscan Well is bringing its award winning range of craft beers into canned format. The range, which includes Ireland’s number one craft beer, Franciscan Well Rebel Red, as well as the acclaimed Friar Weisse and multi-award winning Chieftain IPA, is available in a 330ml can for the first time in retailers and off licences across Ireland, with selected bars also stocking the products. The announcement marks the first time Franciscan Well, which is brewed in Cork, has canned any of its beers and also the first time that Friar Weisse or Chieftain IPA will be available for purchase in off licenses.

AVONMORE ADDS A SPLASH OF MAGIC

NUTRAMINO LAUNCHES IN IRELAND

CONSUMERS can add a ‘Splash of Magic’ to all their favourite dishes with Avonmore Cream this winter and transform ‘ordinary’ dishes into ‘plate-lickingly, second helpingly good’ mealtimes. From creamy morning porridge to spicy evening curries and of course the mid-morning coffee fix, Avonmore Cream is the secret ingredient that transforms everyday meals into mouth-wateringly delicious feasts. A simple splash of Avonmore Cooking Cream, with just half the fat content of ordinary cream, will still provide all the creamy goodness that you would expect, but with less calories. Avonmore Cooking Cream is resilient and able to withstand higher cooking temperatures than regular cream. The stable nature of Cooking Cream means there is no fear of sauce separating and the cream will not ‘split’. Boasting a luxuriously thick consistency, Avonmore Cooking Cream is just perfect for curries, carbonaras, pasta sauces, gratins and savoury treats.

NUTRAMINO, Ireland’s newest range of sports and lifestyle nutrition products, has been launched in Ireland with the news that it will be distributed across all Topaz stores nationwide by Glanbia Performance Nutrition, a division of the Glanbia group.

The Nutramino range available in Ireland includes protein bars and recovery shakes, energy drinks, protein water, protein powders and energy shots. The Nutramino product range offers 20-50g of high quality protein per serving, so it’s a win-win for anyone looking for a great-tasting, protein-rich product. While new to Ireland, Nutramino originally hails from Denmark, where it was founded in 2002. In addition to Topaz, Nutramino is also available in gyms, SuperValu stores and selected convenience stores, including Applegreen forecourts, Spar, Mace and Centra.

74|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

National Minimum Wage

Minimum Standards Caroline McEnery, MD, The HR Suite, and member of the Low Pay Commission, examines the evolution of National Minimum Wage legislation and argues the case for the Commission’s recommendation of a 10-cent increase in the hourly rate.

THE National Minimum Wage was introduced in Ireland by the National Minimum Wage Act 2000. In short, it is an hourly rate of pay to which employers must pay employees.

According to The Irish Examiner [2014], a Movehub study conducted across 214 countries highlighted that Ireland had the seventh highest minimum wage at just over €18,000 a year, ahead of France, the Netherlands, and Canada. In addition, while Ireland had the seventh highest minimum wage before tax, it has the fourth highest minimum wage after tax, behind Australia, Luxembourg and Guam.

The History of the Minimum Wage in Ireland The first minimum wage was implemented in April 2000 at a rate of €5.59. From July 2011, the National Minimum Wage guaranteed an hourly wage of €8.65 to adult employees over the age of 18 with at least two years’ previous employment experience – this has subsequently risen to €9.15. For those under 18, lower rates of pay were set to take into account the inexperience of the young person entering employment.

An experienced adult worker is an employee who is not under the age of 18 years, or in the first two years after the date of first employment over the age of 18, or a trainee undergoing a course that satisfies the conditions which are set out in S.I. No. 99 of 2000.

Employees who are close relatives to the employer and those undertaking structured training schemes, such as apprenticeships, are exempted from complying with the National Minimum Wage.

There are several elements not considered as pay for the purposes of the Act, including: overtime premium; tips; premiums for working public holidays or Sundays; payment in kind or benefit in kind, other than board and/or lodgings etc.

Many organisations cover their employee’s entitlement for working on a Sunday via payment of a Sunday premium.

This payment is not deemed as part of the National

Minimum Wage. It is classed as an extra entitlement.

An employer is obliged to record hours worked and retain such records for three years for review at any time. The employer must also provide an employee with a contract of employment, which must include a pay reference period that cannot exceed one calendar month (i.e. the pay reference period for the company is Sunday to Monday: the week the roster runs from, during which time the wages are calculated and paid a week in lieu on a Thursday).

An increase in National Minimum Wage does not infer an automatic right for other employees on rates above and beyond the minimum rate to gain an increase in their wage.

The issue of National Minimum Wage, pay reference periods etc. are common elements investigated by the Workplace Relations Inspection Service (formerly NERA).

Breaches of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 are dealt with via the Workplace Relations Commission and the employee can continue to work as per normal without victimisation or penalisation whilst waiting for the case to be heard.

The Low Pay Commission: 2014 saw the introduction of The Low Pay Commission to examine the National Minimum Wage rate which at the time was set at €8.65, and I was one of nine experts appointed by the Government to the Commission. On an annual basis, this body is set to advise the Irish Government on the appropriate rate for the National Minimum Wage.

Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|75

National Minimum Wage About the Author

The first recommendation was to increase the National Minimum Wage from €8.65 to €9.15, but we recommended the rate not be implemented until late 2015 at the earliest, in order to give seasonal employers a chance to get through the early and often quieter months of the year.

The rate had been viewed by the Commission as a sustainable increase and they were hopeful that the Government would implement it in the October budget.

The Commission made strong recommendations to the Government that the anomalies that currently exist for both employees and employers in relation to PRSI and taxation variances needed to be addressed if a wage increase is to make a difference in real terms for both employees and employers.

This recommendation was accepted by the Government and under SI 442/2015 the National Minimum Wage for an experienced adult employee was increased to €9.15 per hour since January 1, 2016.

Further Increases?

In July 2016, a second recommendation report was issued to the Government. The Low Pay Commission report recommended a proposed increase in the National Minimum Wage by 10 cent. In making the decision, the Commission considered the regional aspects and the cost of living in essentially a three-tiered economy, made up of Dublin, major cities like Cork and Limerick, and then the rest of the country.

The Commission have also examined the employment and unemployment rates generally, how earnings have

THE HR Suite are based in Tralee, Co. Kerry, and provide human resources consultancy, employment law advice, training and recruitment services to businesses throughout Ireland. MD Caroline McEnery has over 20 years’ experience in providing HR services to Irish companies. She is a member on the Low Pay Commission and is also an adjudicator in the new Work Place Relations Commission.

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact our office on (066) 7102887 or (01) 9014335 or email info@thehrsuiteonline.com. Website: http://thehrsuiteonline.com.

changed since the minimum wage was last increased and what impact a change to the minimum wage would have on employment, the cost of living and on national competitiveness, as required by the National Minimum Wage Act 2000.

The considerations of Brexit, inflation and the fundamental concern to balance a basic statutory minimum pay rate that is fair, with one that is sustainable and which allows employers to continue to create quality sustainable jobs, were all taken into account in reaching the decision.

It has been recommended by the Commission that any increase would be implemented from January 2017. This recommendation and report was considered by the Minister, who announced the increase to i9.25 in Budget 2017.

Living Wage Vs Minimum Wage There has been much publication in regards to the idea of a ‘living wage’ as opposed to a minimum wage. Supporters of the living wage refer to a wage which is high enough to maintain a normal standard of living, and have indicated that €11.50 is the rate that supports a living in Ireland, with the Living Wage Technical Group supported by large unions such as UNITE and SIPTU. Today, many employees in Ireland on the National Minimum Wage are those within the services sector and there lies the biggest challenge for employer wage cost management (e.g. hotels, restaurants and retail) and where the wage bill constitutes one of the largest overheads.

It remains to be seen as to how and when/if the current Programme for Government will increase the minimum wage to €10.50 over the next five years to ensure fair wage rates in conjunction with sustainable rates and one which allows employers to continue to create and maintain sustainable jobs.

76|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Forecourt Focus: News Topaz Reveal Summer Play Or Park Winners

THREE lucky Topaz After choosing to play their customers have recently points in their local retailer, Topaz won all expenses paid, have revealed that the three once in a lifetime summer winners are: Prasad Rao trips to some of the from Clonee, Co. Meath, who won world’s most exciting a week-long South African Safari destinations. One worth €15,000; Fiona Curley from Meath couple will be Fermoy, Co. Cork, who won a ninejetting off on an African day trip down under, including a Safari, two Cork sisters Great Barrier Reef tour and a hot are going diving in the air balloon flight; Eric Byrne from Great Barrier Reef and Carbury, Co. Kildare, who won a a Kildare family will week-long family trip to Mexico, be saying ‘Arriba’ to including tickets to an authentic Mexico City, thanks to Mexican wrestling match and Topaz Play Or Park. dinner for two at the Michelin Play Or Park gives starred Pujol restaurant.

Topaz Play and Park Prize winner Eric Byrne (centre) is pictured customers the chance Paul Guy, Head of Loyalty with Paul Guy, Topaz Head of Loyalty (left) and Joe Chetty, Topaz to play their points to at Topaz, said: “We’re delighted Area Manager, at Topaz Grange Castle, Clondalkin. be in with a chance to announce the three summer to win that month’s prize, or park their points to play at a winners of Play or Park and give these incredible trips of later date. Upcoming prizes for 2016 include a brand new a lifetime to a group of very worthy winners. From Lion Seat Ibiza car, a magical trip to Lapland and even free fuel spotting in Africa, diving in one of the world’s seven wonders, for a year. Every time customers decide to play, they are to experiencing the culture shock of a place like Mexico City, guaranteed to get a free Topaz treat, such as a bottle of it’s great to know that these experiences will be enjoyed by water and popcorn or a bar of chocolate and a soft drink. such deserving families.”

Maxol and Aware Launch Community Mood Walks MAXOL and Aware are launching a series of community Mood Walks across the country to raise funds for Aware, while encouraging members of the community to come together and get to know their neighbours, all for a good cause. The inaugural Mood Walks took place on October 1, organised Maxol Ringsend in Dublin and the Maxol teams at The Crossings in Naas and Maxol N7 Services.

Already a well-established structure in Northern Ireland, the purpose of Maxol Mood Walks is to raise money for Aware, all of which is put directly back into the services of the charity to help educate and provide support to people who may be directly or indirectly affected by depression. Maxol recently announced Aware as its chosen charity partner for the next two years.

“The Aware Mood Walks supported by Maxol are already a great success in Northern Ireland and we’re thrilled to bring these walks to communities in the Republic of Ireland with the help of Maxol,” said Gerry O’Brien, Head of Fundraising and Business Development at Aware.

Meanwhile, Maxol Sandyford showed its support for Aware

Participants at a community Mood Walk in Northern Ireland

via a bake sale on Septmber 23 and 24, which also saw car washes, raffles and face painting helping to raise funds for the charity.

Always FRESH MILK

and the SAME BEANS as our coffee shops

Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|77

Forecourt Focus: News Applegreen Celebrates at Crumlin Children’s Hospital

THE Applegreen Charitable Fund committee recently visited the Radiology Department at Our Lady’s Children’s Pictured at the updgraded digital x-ray rooms Hospital, Crumlin at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, to view the are Adrian Giffney (centre), chair of the upgraded digital Applegreen Charitable Fund, with Angela Byrne, Head of Radiology Dept, and Joe x-ray rooms.

Barrett, COO Applegreen.

The two-year partnership with Applegreen and Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin 2014/15 raised a total of €379,752, which went directly towards the upgrade of two x-ray rooms in the Radiology Department. The digital x-ray machines contribute to faster treatment of young patients and superior quality images for doctors for diagnosis, which leads to less time required in the x-ray department.

The funds were mostly raised from Applegreen’s 1 cent campaign, whereby one cent from every shop and shop and fuel transaction is automatically donated to the charity fund, with no additional cost to the customer. Funds were also donated through counter top boxes placed in all Applegreen stores nationwide and from a large number of store and Head Office charity events.

“We are delighted to see that all our hard work has paid off, supporting Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, for the past two years,” said Joe Barrett, Chief Operations Officer of Applegreen. “We hope and believe we have made a difference to the patients, families and staff at the Radiology Department. Our charity lies close to the hearts of all of us who work in Applegreen and I would like to thank the staff for always going the extra mile to support the fund.”

Sporting the Best Gear From Maxol

MAXOL has had a busy few months celebrating the company’s new TV commercial entitled ‘Little Girl’. To mark the launch of the TV ad, Maxol ran a competition on its website, ‘Win Gear For Your Team’, which gave local sports clubs nationwide the opportunity to win new jerseys and equipment for their team. The lucky winners include the Under-12 ladies Gaelic football team from Castletown, Co. Wexford, Under-12 boys Hurling team from Clarecastle, Co. Clare, and Under-18 Port Dara Girls Rugby Team from Portarlington, Co Laois.

“At Maxol, we understand how much time and effort is spent training for matches, and of course the determination and passion that goes into making a great team,” noted Fergal Harrington, Group Brand Development Manager, the Maxol Group. “Every sportsperson wants to feel and look confident on the pitch, and we hope that the winning teams enjoy wearing their new gear. We wish all the teams the best of luck with their upcoming matches, I’m sure they will do their teams, themselves and their clubs proud.”

Pictured wearing their new jerseys from Maxol’s ‘Win Gear For Your Team’ competition were the Under 18 Port Dara Girls Rugby Team.

Re.Store Wins Best Breakfast Solution Award

Restore: winner of the Best Breakfast Solution at the Irish Café Quality Food Awards 2016.

RE.STORE has won the coveted ‘Best Breakfast Solution’ award at the Irish Café Quality Food Awards 2016. Coming top trumps in the category for its scrumptious breakfast burrito offering came as the icing on the cake to a night which was rounded off by a highly commended recognition for Irish National Café Chain of the Year.

“With Re.Store, we want to continue to evolve and redefine the forecourt food and drink offering in Ireland and we’re thrilled to receive this recognition and be listed as one of Ireland’s leading café chains,” noted Ellis Firth, Brand Manager of Re.Store.

To find out what Costa Express can offer you contact: ROI tel: 021 500 3526 NI tel: 02892 688349

78|Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie

Shelf Life TWO iconic Irish family brands, Flahavan’s and Keelings came together recently for National Porridge Week from October 10-16 to celebrate sharing a breakfast moment of porridge and fruit together as one for all the family to enjoy. To encourage the Share a Breakfast Moment, Flahavan’s and Keelings are offering an exciting 50c discount coupon on each other’s brands in retail stores nationwide. Consumers who purchase Keelings products (specifically berries - Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries and Blackberries) during the month of October will get a 50c coupon off the purchase of a Flahavan’s product and vice versa.

Pictured enjoying a healthy breakfast at Keelings Farm in Swords are Ellen Flahavan from Flahavan’s (left) with Daniel Lynch (7), Caoimhe Barrett (7) and David Keeling, CEO, Keelings Retail.

DEEP RiverRock is passionate about encouraging hydration, offering a great range of convenient, enticing and healthy drinks for enhanced mental and physical performance. Expanding this offering, the latest innovation of the Deep RiverRock flavour range now offers all of its flavour variants sugar-free, with no calories. In response to consumer feedback, Forest Fruits and Lemon and Lime will relaunch with a new recipe this month, joining Deep RiverRock Strawberry, to offer a full zero sugar range of great tasting flavoured water, all with no calories. “We are committed to continuing our innovation into 2017, to offer increasing options for healthy beverages,” said Oonagh Gildea, Deep RiverRock Marketing Manager. The new Deep RiverRock sugar-free, no calorie range will be available in 500ml and 1.5L packs.

ATLANTIS Seafoods, a family run business based near Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford, were the proud recipients of the coveted ‘Seafood Innovation Award’ sponsored

by BIM at this year’s Blas na hEireann Awards in Dingle, Co. Kerry. Atlantis Seafoods received the award for their Kilmore Quay Haddock Goujons, developed to meet a growing consumer demand for fresh, local and convenient seafood which is easy to cook and gluten free. Pictured are Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD; John Kenny, MD, Atlantis Seafood; Paul Ward, Manager of BIM’s Seafood Development Centre; and Artie Clifford, Chairman, Blas na hEireann.

AS part of a competition run by Brandy, the country’s biggest home grown dog food brand, four dogs from all corners of Ireland are now ‘in the picture’ to have their portrait on thousands of packs across the country. A border collie from County Galway, a cockapoo from Belfast and cross breeds from Dublin and Killarney have been chosen from hundreds of entries to represent Connaught, Ulster, Leinster and Munster in the overall final in a bid to be named the Face of Brandy 2016. The overall winner will star on selected packs of Brandy Dog Food for three months, with all four finalists winning a dedicated photoshoot with their prize pet, a printed photo in presentation box and, of course, a supply of Brandy Dog Food. Pictured is Buddy, from Killarney in County Kerry, the Munster winner in the Face of Brandy 2016 competition, with owner Jackie Toner and her daughter Gráinne. For more information, see www.facebook.com/ brandydogfood or www.macklepetfoods.com/brandy/.

IN a year that saw Mr. Tayto launch his own Emojis, rivaling those of Kim Kardashian, and travelling to the Euros supporting the boys in green, the crisp icon has been extremely busy! And now he relaunches his website: http://taytocrisps.ie. The new website is a one-stop shop for all Tayto activity, full of fun things to do, from listening to Tayto’s flavoursome Spotify playlists, which include the likes of Mr. Tayto’s cheesy tunes and Mr. Tayto’s party pumping music, to his top five weekly picks of where to have the craic. Mr. Tayto has also created his very own games, Tayto Run, Whack a Pack and Tayto Says, with whoever tops the leaderboard each month winning a box of Tayto crisps.

IRISH owned food company Murryhill Foods have launched Crumble’n’Crunch, a range of crumbled cheese with complementary toppings, designed to enhance salads and pizza dishes. Already available in 15 SuperValu stores in the Dublin area, the range is launching nationally and is “a great way to quickly put together a healthy and tasty meal with the best ingredients,” according to Murryhill Foods owners Aine Kinsella and Niamh Duffy (pictured).

CPM has announced the appointment of Ciara Kellett as Commercial Director of CPM Ireland, the outsourced field marketing and sales solutions specialists. Ciara brings 20 years’ experience in the retail, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and foodservices industries within Ireland.

Ciara joins CPM Ireland from Musgrave Wholesale Partners where she was the Head of National Accounts, Retail and Foodservices for the past three years. Prior to this, Ciara was the Commercial Manager for NGage at Johnson Brothers. Her earlier career focused on the field marketing side of the business, serving as the Commercial Operations Manager for Astra Sales Promotions.

THE exclusive HiPP ‘Free From’ baby care range has arrived in Ireland and is exclusively available in over 60 Tesco Ireland stores nationwide and from Tesco.ie. The HiPP ‘Free From’ and Ultra-Sensitive Baby Care is a range of products that are completely free from any nasties that sensitive skin doesn’t like. With a unique ‘no tears’ formulation, this new range has been carefully developed to make every bath gentle, soothing and kind to baby’s skin. The range includes five brand new products suitable from baby’s first bath onwards, including Goodnight Baby Bath with added calm; Foaming Hand Wash (and refill); Head to Toe Baby Wash – 400ml; and Baby Shampoo – 200ml.

Smile for success -

join MACE and you and your customers will be smiling.

Our vision is to be Ireland’s favourite forecourt and neighbourhood store by surpassing our shoppers’ expectations. Great value deals, innovative food solutions, a health and wellness initiative, Fairtrade coffee suppliers and an ever-expanding MACE Own Brand range will give your shoppers more reasons than ever to keep coming back to you. Supported by a nationwide advertising campaign and local marketing support, you will have access to an incredibly supportive MACE team of people.

To find out more contact John Tully – 086 818 9312 (Regional Manager North) Liam Attridge – 086 852 1362 (Regional Manager South) www.mace.ie |

facebook.com/maceireland

e l n a o r ugh u t a N b w o e r n ns* r o f Only 63% of mums use baby wipes from birth. That’s why we’re introducing Huggies® Newborn Wipes; our softest, most natural baby wipe, designed specifically to care for even the most sensitive skin.

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