Retail News September 2017

SEPTEMBER 2017

CELEBRATING

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7 - 20 1 5 7 9 GREAT YEARS

TOBACCO PACKAGING changes 2017-2018 TPD2

20TH MAY 2017 – 28TH SEPTEMBER 2017 From 20th May 2017, only TPD2 packs can be sold at retail.

TPD2

PLAIN PACKS*

29TH SEPTEMBER 2017 – 28TH SEPTEMBER 2018 TPD2 products manufactured before 29th September 2017 can continue to be sold at retail until 28th September 2018.

Tobacco products in plain packaging will also be available during this period as TPD2 packs sell through.

FROM 29TH SEPTEMBER 2018

PLAIN PACKS*

From 29th September 2018, only tobacco products in plain packaging can be sold at retail.

JTI IS YOUR KEY PARTNER

For more information, speak to your jti contact, call 01 404 0240, email customerservices.ireland@jti.com or visit jti.com/ireland *UK market example for illustrative purposes only

Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie|1

News

The Great Claims Scandal: Will Nobody Call a Halt?

EVERY store owner and manager across the country knows about the issue of rising insurance premiums and the growth of compensation culture. It’s a real problem for the retail trade, with spurious claims increasing every year and the high legal costs involved in defending against such claims leading to many insurers setting with the claimant, sometimes without even notifying the store in question.

So what can be done about it?

On the back of an updated survey

by RGDATA into the experiences of its members when it comes to insurance, we talk to retailers about what RGDATA Director General, Tara Buckley, calls the “claims bonanza” sweeping across Ireland and advise on some steps to curb the problem (Page 16). Surely it’s time to stamp out fraudulent and exaggerated claims before jobs and stores are lost.

Also inside, Food Lawyer Raymond O’Rourke examines the likely implications of Brexit for the Irish agri-food sector and advises the Irish government on what they should seek as part of the negotiations (Page 14).

As the National Lottery celebrates its 30th birthday, Sales and Operations Director, Niall Andrews explains how retailers have always been and will always be central to the Lottery’s success here (Page 20). We also reveal the shortlisted finalists for this year’s Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards (Page 42).

Kathleen Belton, Editorial & Marketing Director.

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Southern retailers fighting crossborder threat.

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Grocers Fun Run launched; ABFI welcomes falling alcohol consumption.

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Drinks groups fear for “perfect storm”; Aldi to open Blackrock store.

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SuperValu remains on top despite Tesco turnaround; Senior appointments at Musgrave.

CPM unveils new branding and website; McGuinness welcomes step forward for fairer food chain; Networking event for women in Ireland’s seafood industry.

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Retailers Against Smuggling slam proposed excise increase; Change of ownership at Febvre.

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Food lawyer Raymond O’Rourke explains the potential scenarios post-Brexit and advises the Irish government on what they should seek as part of the negotiations.

Fraudulent claims, exorbitant awards, rising legal costs and a “toothless” Personal Injuries Assessment Board are all contributing to unsustainable hikes in insurance costs for retailers.

What can be done to curb the problem before stores are forced to close?

National Lottery 20

As the National Lottery celebrates 30 years in Ireland, Niall Andrews, Sales and Operations Director,

BIM have released a shortlist of eight finalists for the BIM Young Fishmonger 2018 Awards, as well as launching the Seafood Retail Business Awards 2018.

Fulfil 28

How customer-focused innovation is driving Fulfil’s success.

Musgrave Golf Classic 34

July’s Musgrave Golf Classic at Mount Juliet was the 25th time the Group have held this fantastic event, which raises much-needed funds for the IGBF.

Nivea 41

Nivea’s new Q10 plus C Energy range gives skin a fresh, natural boost, leaving behind a smoother, more radiant complexion.

Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards 42

Insurance 16

R

Seafood Awards

Brexit and the Irish Agri-Food Sector 14

RS

EA Y 0 6 1957- 2017

explains how retailers remain at the core of the business.

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ating Celebr

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Contents

a il N e w et

The finalists for the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards have been announced, with 90 categories packed with deliciously unique products from across the country.

42

Focus on HR 54

How to attract and retain the right people for your organisation in the digital age: The HR Suite advise you on the do’s and don’ts of modern recruitment.

Regulars & Reports

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Published by: Tara Publishing Ltd,

Kathleen Belton

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Web: www.retailnews.ie Email: kathleenbelton@retailnews.ie

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Industry News Retail Ireland: Monthly Update Confectionery Cereals Fuels Drinks News Forecourt Focus: News Retail Technology What’s New Shelf Life

2|Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie

News

Southern Retailers Fighting CrossBorder Threat RETAILERS south of the border are proactively responding to threats of cross-border shopping, industry representatives have told Retail News.

A sustained price war in the Irish grocery sector has led to discounting and prices in Irish stores are falling monthly. “We're back on 2008 price levels, so Irish retailers have been quick to react,” said Thomas Burke, Director of Retail Thomas Burke, Director, Retail Ireland. “They're doing Ireland. everything in their power to try and maintain as much of that spend here in the local economy.”

Vincent Jennings, CEO at the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA), urged business organisations to create “proactive and progressive” initiatives to keep shoppers from crossing the border in the run-up to the busy Christmas period.

Retailers in the border town of Dundalk have fought back against the threat of cross border shopping through the introduction of a gift voucher scheme. Local businesses can purchase vouchers, from the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce, as tax free Christmas bonuses for their employees. The vouchers, in denominations of €5, €10, €20 and €50, can be redeemed at local retail outlets.

“Last week, an employer bought €8,000 worth of vouchers,” Michael Gaynor, Chamber President, told Retail News. “We've sold almost €800,000 since the scheme was introduced 18 months ago and all that goes back into the local economy. We've already sent 50,000 flyers out to publicise the scheme and hope to sell at least another €250,000 for Christmas. At the moment, we have 273 local retail units involved in the scheme. We have huge community support for this. All the businesses, banks, etc., are behind it.”

Border towns are accustomed to people travelling to get the best deal on groceries. At present, the currency conversion is much the same as it was before Christmas 2016 - when €1 could buy you around £0.90. This is still a dramatic leap on the £0.77 levels, prior to the Brexit vote. Some economists predict the single currency will be more valuable than Sterling in 2018, which could lure more shoppers into Northern Ireland.

Burke described the currency fluctuation as a “Sword of Damocles” hanging over the industry. But the floodgates have yet to open.

“We've noticed a little bit of a slip across the border but

it hasn't been significant,” continued the Retail Ireland Director, “not to the extent of 2008/2009 when we saw significant leakage across the border. It was close to parity at the time and we saw headlines about queues into Newry.

We haven't seen anything like that scale of exodus on Vincent Jennings, CEO, CSNA. this occasion. But the concern for retailers is the potential is there for that to happen again.”

Border towns remain optimistic. A new €25m development is opening in Dundalk before Christmas, featuring a 17,600 square feet SuperValu store that contains a butchery counter, fish counter and fresh bakery. This flagship supermarket, a €7m investment, will accept the Chamber of Commerce's vouchers, according to Gaynor.

Value for money is retail's best option in keeping business local, said Burke. “While it's a challenging time to be an Irish retailer, it's a very good time to be an Irish consumer. As long as we continue to offer that good value for money here in the domestic market and give consumers no reason to travel elsewhere, then they'll continue to shop locally.

Experiential shopping is another way in which retailers can differentiate themselves from their Northern competitors, he continued.

“Make shopping in your outlet or store an enjoyable experience. Give people a reason to come into the store. That can trump perceptions of saving a couple of euro north of the border, and making that long journey where the travel cost wipes out the benefit. It's about trying to work with your consumer, trying to understand what your consumer wants.

That's the main route to retaining business and consumer spend in your own store.”

Dundalk's Chamber of Commerce is taking the bull by the horns. At present, it is running a marketing training programme to help local retailers plan their Christmas campaigns. But despite ingenious initiatives, retailers often find themselves at the mercy of government policy. Utility costs are rising; there could be a further increase in the National Minimum Wage following the next budget; and insurance costs remain a headache.

Colm Jordan, Irish Beverage Council Director, has called on the Minister for Finance to defer the proposed sugar-

Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie|3

News sweetened drink tax, as this will only add to cross border woes.

“We are forecasting that 11% of sugar sweetened drink sales will be lost to crossborder shopping and the unofficial grey market.

Michael Gaynor, President, That Dundalk Chamber of Commerce. amounts to a €30m loss to our economy in a full operating year of the sugar tax. This must be seen in context: the soft drink tax will only raise €40m.”

On top of that, some local authorities are not helping matters. Vincent Jennings encourages the introduction of initiatives such as free parking outside shops for limited periods, but believes that local councils are not always forthcoming.

“Some local authority managers are progressive. Others can't get it past the post,” he argued. “You may get some elected officials with a business background, but most of these initiatives are not done as a result of the local authority. They are done as a result of local business people. Ultimately, business people should have a greater level of say in how the money is spent and how initiatives that assist businesses within the area should be implemented.”

For now, border retailers are confident there will not be convoys of vehicles going north of the border before Christmas 2017 - the exchange rate remains much the same as it was this time last year, when there was no great exodus.

Some retailers in Newry, however, are already offering £1 for €1 deals. “They're going to start their advertising campaigns, as we head towards Christmas, for southern shoppers to come north,” said Burke. “There is evidence that footfall is increasing in Northern Ireland, but they have their own challenges in terms of prices. We are starting to see significant price inflation in the UK and Northern Ireland as a result of the weaker pound.”

For retailers in Dundalk, meanwhile, it's business as normal. “There is always a risk in currency fluctuation,” said Michael Gaynor.

“At the same time, I think our retail offerings are strong enough to survive. In the future, we will look at other ways of coming through this.

Border retailers tend to be a strong lot. They tend not to lie down and roll over. They will be in there fighting for their pitch.”

Grocers Fun Run Launched WITH only five weeks to go to the Grocers Fun Run, the inaugural race event was officially launched at the IGBF Sporting Legends lunch in the Aviva Stadium recently.

Sponsored by Keelings, the Grocers Fun Run is a fun family event which will be held on Sunday, October 8, 2017, in Corkagh Park, Dublin. This initiative invites people from within the grocery industry, together with their families and friends, to participate in a 5k run (or walk) in the park. There will be a 2.5k run for children participating and family entertainment will be provided on the day. All participants will receive a goodie bag and t-shirt and will get a medal and certificate on completion.

“Keelings are delighted to be involved in the sponsorship of this new fundraising initiative with the Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund,” said Conor Kilduff, IGBF President of Appeals and Sales & Marketing Director at Keelings. “This event encourages people from within the grocery industry, together with their families and friends, to get active and run or walk for a great charity cause.”

Spaces will be limited for this event so register early to avoid disappointment. For more details and to register, visit www.thegrocersfunrun.com.

Pictured at the official launch of the Grocers Fun Run at the IGBF Sports lunch in the Aviva are (l-r): Dublin football star Bernard Brogan; Isabella Lloyd, GFR mascot; Conor Kilduff, IGBF President of Appeals and Sales & Marketing Director at Keelings; and Irish football legend, Niall Quinn.

ABFI Welcomes Falling Alcohol Consumption THE Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI) has welcomed the latest figures from the European Commission, which show that the Republic of Ireland experienced the steepest drop in alcohol consumption of 20 EU countries between 2000 and 2014, at 23.6%.

"In 2005, Ireland was 9th in the EU for alcohol consumption, we now stand 18th out of the EU’s 28-member states,” stressed Patricia Callan, ABFI Director. “As an industry, we’ve openly supported the introduction of legislation to tackle alcohol misuse and the Patricia Callan, Director, consumption of alcohol by young people.

ABFI. However, there’s no evidence to support certain aspects of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill, which we believe will do nothing to tackle misuse but will jeopardise jobs and local economies.”

4|Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie

News Drinks Groups Fear for “Perfect Storm” TWO of the country’s leading drinks representative groups have warned the Government that we face a “perfect storm” in the coming months, as a range of factors converge to create unique challenges for Ireland.

According to the Irish Beverage Council (IBC), the combination of cross border shopping, uncertain all-island trade post-Brexit and the increasing cost of the weekly shop through new consumer taxes, all threaten to facilitate a “perfect storm”.

The same phrase was used by the Irish Wine Association (IWA) for the combination of Ireland’s high excise duties, combined with the weakening of Sterling (driving cross-border shopping and curtailing tourism from Britain) and the negative impact of Brexit.

Both organisations are petitioning Government for change.

The IWA has called for an alcohol excise reduction in the upcoming Budget, stating that Ireland’s penal excise rate is bad for jobs, consumers and tourism. “Over the coming years the industry will struggle to perform and provide the €380m it paid in excise to the Exchequer in 2016, unless the Government takes immediate action to reduce excise rates,” warned Chair of the Irish Wine Association, Jim Bradley.

The IBC, meanwhile, has called on the Minister for Finance to defer the proposed sugar-sweetened drink tax. The Ibec group have forecast that Colm Jordan, Director, Irish 11% of sugar sweetened drink Beverage Council. sales will be lost to cross-

Aldi to Open Blackrock Store ALDI Ireland plans to open a new store as part of the expanded Frascati Shopping Centre in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. The new outlet will be one of Aldi’s new concept stores which feature its latest layout and design. In keeping with consumer demands, fresh produce will be displayed more prominently at the front of the store. Aldi recently announced its €60m investment in Project Fresh, which will also see its existing store portfolio nationwide refitted to this format.

“We are excited to be expanding our Dublin presence at such a fantastic location,” noted Aldi Group Managing Director, Giles Hurley. “Aldi always aims to offer the very best in award winning quality and unbeatable value for money to our customers and we are confident that our presence in the new and improved Frascati Shopping Centre will make Blackrock an even more attractive destination for shoppers.”

Aldi’s Blackrock store will be the newest anchor tenant in the refurbished Frascati Shopping Centre, which will increase in size from 100,000 to 170,000 square feet upon completion, with an additional 23 retail units and space set aside for dining with views of Dublin Bay. Aldi joins existing anchor tenants Marks and Spencer and Debenhams and will provide a catalyst to introduce new tenants into the centre.

border shopping and the unofficial grey market, amounting to a €30m loss to our economy, while it claims the soft drink tax will only raise €40m.

“In the past 34 months, the Department of Finance has changed how much they predict the tax will raise on five separate occasions,” revealed Irish Beverage Council Director, Colm Jordan. “The prediction fell 53% between April and July alone. This shows there is uncertainty about how the tax will work.”

He maintained that the loss to the Exchequer and the uncertainty as to how the tax will work, along with the fall-out from Brexit, makes it impossible to design a workable, fair or equitable sugar-sweetened drink tax. “It’s a perfect storm,” he claimed. “The only logical step is to defer the proposed tax.”

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News SuperValu Remains on Top Despite Tesco Turnaround THE latest grocery market share figures from Kantar Worldpanel in Ireland, for Total Take Home Grocery - Ireland Consumer Spend the 12 weeks ending August 13, 2017, show that despite 12 Weeks to 14 Aug 2016 12 Weeks to 13 Aug 2017 change** strong sales growth of %* %* % 3.4% by Tesco, SuperValu Total Grocers 100.0% 100.0% 2.2 has retained the position Total Multiples 88.7% 88.8% 2.2 of Ireland’s largest grocery SuperValu 22.5% 22.2% 0.4 retailer.

Tesco 21.8% 22.0% 3.4 “A year-on-year sales Dunnes 21.1% 21.1% 2.0 growth of 0.4% was enough Lidl 11.9% 12.0% 2.7 for SuperValu to hold onto Aldi 11.4% 11.5% 3.4 the top spot in the face of Other Outlets** 11.3% 11.2% 1.5 a strong challenge from Tesco,” revealed David *= Percentage Share of Total Grocers Berry, Director at Kantar **= Includes stores such as M&S, Boots, Spar, Centra, Greengrocers, Butchers And Cross Border shops Worldpanel. “SuperValu has improved the number of from 64% to 59% - that’s a reduction of 68,000 in absolute items sold per trip but has terms. However, this decline in footfall is cancelled out by a done so at a lower price point and now holds a 22.2% share of healthy improvement in how much shoppers are spending. The the grocery market, down 0.3 percentage points on last year.” average Dunnes basket now includes an additional item and is This is the fourth consecutive period of growth for Tesco, worth an extra €2, suggesting that it’s performing well in the which is a clear indication that it’s achieved a turnaround in larger ‘main’ shop of the week and less so among smaller topperformance. “This is also only the second time since July up trips. If Dunnes can encourage some of its lapsed shoppers 2014 that Tesco has posted a year-on-year increase in market to return to the store, then it could be seeing a healthy increase share,” Berry explained. in sales growth and market share.”

The overall grocery market has seen growth of 2.2%, Lidl continues to perform ahead of the market, with sales despite deflation holding steady at 0.5% for the second month growth of 2.7% ensuring the retailer could achieve a market in a row. share ahead of 12% for a second period.

In third place, Dunnes Stores has maintained its market Meanwhile, Aldi has tied with Tesco for the title of fastest share at 21.1%, with sales increasing by 2.0% in comparison growing retailer this period. Its sales growth of 3.4% has with last year. “There are some interesting dynamics boosting improved its market share to 11.5%, matching the record level Dunnes’ performance this period,” Berry explained. “The it first saw in March of this year. number of households shopping with the retailer has fallen

Senior Appointments at Musgrave MUSGRAVE has announced the appointment of David O’Flynn to Chief Financial Officer, while Nicky Hartery has been appointed as Chairman to the board of Musgrave Group plc.

A chartered accountant and MBA, O’Flynn joins the company Board of Directors as an Executive Director and Company Secretary. At Musgrave since 2005, O’Flynn has successfully held divisional and Group roles, including interim Group Finance Director David O’Flynn, Chief and, more recently, Head of Financial Officer, Business Development.

Musgrave.

“David has made an invaluable contribution to Musgrave since joining the business in 2005,” said Chris Martin, Musgrave CEO. “He has already played a key role as part of our Growing Good Business strategy in his previous role as Head of Business Development, with recent accomplishments including leading the acquisition of CJ O’Loughlin, Allied Foods, and the launch of our partnership with Alibaba, which has opened up new

export opportunities for Musgrave. His strong track record of leading finance teams and identifying new business opportunities will help us deliver long-term sustainable growth, capitalising on the anticipated expansion of the grocery and foodservice markets across the island of Ireland and Spain.”

The CEO also thanked outgoing CFO Tim Kenny for his long service with Nicky Hartery, Chairman, Musgrave and for playing Musgrave Group plc. a key role in some of their “most significant business milestones” during this period.

Welcoming the new Chairman, Martin noted how “in his role as Non-Executive Director, Nicky has already made a valuable contribution to the business and I know we will continue to benefit from his deep expertise, particularly in the area of supply chain.” The CEO also thanked outgoing Chairman Peter Lacy for his “support and wise counsel over many years”.

6|Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie

News CPM Unveils New Branding and Website CPM, Ireland’s longest established outsourced field sales provider, recently unveiled its new website and branding, as part of celebrating its 30th anniversary in Ireland and 80 years in business globally.

CPM held a reception in the prestigious members club, Residence, in the heart of Georgian Dublin, where clients, partners and employees toasted a new faster, sharper and fresher image, reflective of where the company is today and its progressive plans for the future.

Lorraine Butler, Managing Director of CPM, provided insights into how the company focuses on true “clientcentricity”, with a strong commitment to technology and innovation. She also revealed some exciting plans for the company as it is diversifying into contact centres and online.

Pictured at the launch of the new CPM website and branding is Managing Director, Lorraine Butler.

McGuinness Welcomes Step Forward for Fairer Food Chain VICE President of the European Parliament, Mairead McGuinness MEP has welcomed progress towards a fairer food supply chain with the publication of the European Commission’s impact assessment on the issue, the first step in the process to enable Mairead McGuinness MEP, EU legislation to combat Vice President of the European unfair trading in the food Parliament. chain to be tabled by March 2018.

“Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) can involve a variety of actions, usually by large retailers who abuse their power in the food supply chain and ultimately push down farm incomes,” she said. “UTPs threaten the very sustainability of the supply chain and reduce consumer choice.”

While past voluntary measures to discourage such practices were welcome, McGuinness believes that EU

framework legislation is required to eradicate UTPs and create a more level playing field for all.

The European Commission paper outlines four possible scenarios to solve the problem of UTPs: • Maintaining the status quo and allowing member states themselves to legislate on the issue; • The introduction of EU-wide non-legislative guidelines and recommendations for all member states; • The implementation of EU framework legislation to prohibit UTPs and roll-out of common minimum enforcement standards to complement national standards to protect farmers, SME processors and their associations, giving them the right to insist on written contracts; • Minimum framework legislation for the whole supply chain; common general criteria that would give member states leeway on national issues; member states could then help stakeholders to draw up codes of conduct and make compliance mandatory.

Draft EU legislation to counter UTPs is likely to be tabled

by March 2018, after which the European Parliament will then review the proposal.

Networking Event for Women in Ireland’s Seafood Industry

Pictured with Jim O’Toole, BIM CEO, are Trudy McIntyre, member of the National Inshore Fisheries Forum, and Leonie Noble from the Women’s Industry Network Seafood Community Australia.

BORD Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) recently hosted a networking event in the Radisson Hotel, Dublin Airport, aimed at women working in Ireland’s €1 billion seafood industry to ascertain if a professional networking forum will support and drive greater female participation in the sector.

“This is an important event that not only celebrates the many dedicated and talented women in Ireland’s seafood industry but enables us to discuss how women in this sector can, as a professional forum, provide support, share information and enhance their capacity to contribute to the industry’s future,” noted Jim O’Toole, BIM’s CEO. “Increasing the visibility of women in the seafood industry is hugely important,” said Leonie Noble, President of the Australian Women’s Industry Network Seafood Community, who facilitated the event. “55% of the industry globally is made up of women but less than 5% sit in management positions. This needs to change and discussing how to do this is the first step to make it happen.”

Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie|7

News Retailers Against Smuggling Slam Proposed Excise Increase RETAILERS Against Smuggling (RAS) have called on the Tax Strategy Group (TSG) to justify their recommendation that this year’s Budget impose an excise increase of up to €1 on tobacco for the seventh year running. RAS believes that yet another increase will simply ensure that smuggling remains a lucrative crime, and will put small retailers out of business.

“A legitimate retailer selling tobacco at circa €11.50 per pack simply cannot compete with the €5 smuggled pack,” argued RAS spokesperson, Benny Gilsenan. “At less than half the price of a legitimate pack, it is no wonder that people

are turning to criminal gangs and shunning legitimate retailers. Consistent excise increases and limited resources for Revenue are the reason Ireland has the third largest illicit trade in the EU.” Gilsenan argued that smuggling will only become more lucrative with this excise increase, particularly given the fluctuating Sterling and the uncertainty around Brexit. “We call on the Government not to punish retailers,” he pleaded. “We have been down this road before, and it has produced the same results. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Change of Ownership at Febvre FEBVRE & Company Limited has concluded the sale of its business to members of the management team, together with a private investment group. Under the new structure, Jim Bradley, current CEO, becomes Chairman; Financial Director, Liz Coogan is the new Managing Director and Aidan Farrell is Operations Director.

The sale ensures continuity of employment for all Febvre employees, who will hold all current terms and conditions. The Febvre name

will be retained and the business will continue to operate from its premises in the Sandyford Business District.

“Today’s announcement is an important milestone in the development of Febvre”, said Liz Coogan, incoming Managing Director. “Febvre has been to the forefront of the wine industry in Ireland for over 50 years. The introduction of new capital will give the company a solid platform Liz Coogan, new with a long- term focus to enhance and grow its Managing Director of position as a market leader in the wine industry.” Febvre & Co Ltd.

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8|Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie

Industry News

ABP Ireland Strike Gold ABP Ireland were quadruple winners at the prestigious annual International Taste and Quality Institute (iTQi) Awards. The Brusselsbased institute is a leading global authority when it comes to testing and promoting superior food and drink products. ABP Ireland received three golden star awards for its Tipperary Dry Aged Black Angus Rib Eye Steak and Hereford Dry Aged Rib Eye Steak products. The company’s Hereford Dry Aged Striploin Steak and Tipperary Dry Aged Black Angus Striploin Steak received two golden star awards. “We are absolutely delighted to have won these awards. This is further endorsement of our Ultra Tender process, which has seen ABP beef in over 100 Michelin starred restaurants across the world,” said Eoin Ryan, European Sales Manager, ABP Food Group, pictured (left) with John Durkan, Head of Sustainability, ABP Food Group.

Hat’s Off to Keelings PICTURED wearing a berry bespoke hat inspired by Keelings fruit was Julie Husman, along with Clapper the pony, at the RDS Horse Show. Visitors this year could enjoy delicious strawberries and cream from ‘Keelings Vintage Berry Bus’, while the little ones had fun at the ‘Love to Grow Kids Zone’.

Daybreak’s Heart Help DAYBREAK hosted a national coffee morning recently to raise funds for its charity partner, Irish Heart, the national charity working to achieve better outcomes for those affected by heart disease and stroke. The fundraising events ran across 200 Daybreak stores nationwide, with customers invited to make a small donation in return for a cup of tea or coffee, with all proceeds going to support the work of Irish Heart. Daybreak has partnered with Irish Heart as its Charity of the Year since 2016, with €42,000 raised for the charity last year through a wide range of national and local community activities. These funds contributed to Irish Heart’s life-enhancing programmes, including CPR training, stroke support groups, and freephone helpline. Pictured are Damien Osborne, owner of Daybreak Clonliffe Road, with Laura Quinn, Corporate and Major Donor at Irish Heart Foundation, and Philip Cullen, Assistant Brand Manager, Daybreak.

Spar

Launches Better Choices Kids Campaign SPAR have launched a Better Choices Kids campaign for 2017, just in time for the back-toschool season, offering a range of convenient, healthy options from across the fresh food, deli and grocery ranges. The kid-friendly selection, which is packed with dietician-approved products, also caters for individuals with varying nutritional needs with gluten-free, low fat and high protein products available. The 2017 Spar Better Choices Kids range includes fresh cut tropical fruit salad, carrot and hummus packs as well as a selection of salad options. Other firm favourites include 5-a-day fruit packs and Flahavan’s Pot Oats (46g). An array of Vegified Juices (300ml) as well as a selection of Innocent Smoothies (360ml) can also be purchased. The campaign was launched by brand ambassador, Claudine Keane, who is passionate about providing her children with healthy foods, and is pictured with her son, Robert Junior.

Costcutter Champions Children’s Causes with Keith Duffy COSTCUTTER has announced a new corporate partnership with the Keith Duffy Foundation. The convenience store group, operated by Mallow-based Barry Group, is the first corporate partner signed up by the Foundation, which aims to provide practical support to chosen children’s charities across the country. Speaking at the charity partnership launch with Costcutter, Keith Duffy said that his 14 years’ experience fundraising for autism was being put to very good use with the new Foundation: “We want to go direct to the people in need, helping individuals, families and schools, in particular, so that funds raised make a real and immediate difference. Costcutter’s support in achieving this will be invaluable.” One of the first fundraisers under the Costcutter banner will be a Father & Son Run in both Cork and Dublin this coming October, with Costcutter owners and staff taking part alongside the public.

10|Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie

Industry News

SuperValu Partners with eir for Real Rewards SUPERVALU has announced a new partnership with eir as part of its Real Rewards loyalty programme. The partnership represents a further milestone in SuperValu’s ambition for Real Rewards to become the number one loyalty programme in the country, through the addition of a range of exciting new partners and an investment of €40m. The new partnership with eir means that SuperValu customers can now collect Real Rewards loyalty points by linking their eir broadband or landline account, as well as using points to avail of discounts of up to €60 off future eir bills.

Pictured at the announcement are SuperValu Managing Director, Martin Kelleher, with eir CEO, Richard Moat, and Toni Mack, Supervalu Killester employee.

Aldi’s on FoodCloud Nine!

ALDI’S store on Main Street, Ballincollig, recently became the first Aldi store in Ireland to donate 25,000 meals to charity through FoodCloud. Pictured making the announcement are (l-r): Iseult Ward, FoodCloud Co-Founder and CEO; Ciara Hosford, Aldi Main Street Ballincollig Store Deputy Manager and Charity Champion; and Aoibheann O’Brien, FoodCloud Co-Founder and CEO of FoodCloud Hubs. Since November 2014, Aldi stores throughout the country have donated surplus food to community groups and local causes through FoodCloud. Aldi’s Main Street Ballincollig store has donated more meals than any other Aldi store in the country, providing almost 11,000 kilograms of surplus food, equating to a saving of €35,000 for the charities and community groups involved.

New XL Store Launches in Ros na Rún

TG4 and BWG Foods, owners and operators of the XL brand in Ireland, have announced a new sponsorship agreement to open an XL store on the set of Ireland’s only Irish language soap. The three-year agreement sees the introduction of a newly branded XL local “Siopa” to the Ros na Rún streetscape, with new storylines being developed for the series around the opening of the new store. “XL is celebrating its 20th birthday this year so this new partnership with Ros na Rún is a nice way to mark this and have our presence in one of the best known local towns on Irish television,” said John Moane, Managing Director, BWG Foods Wholesale. “We’re delighted to have reached agreement with TG4 on what is an exciting sponsorship for Irish television - one that will bring the XL brand directly to over 150,000 viewers across Ireland twice a week.” Pictured inside the SL ‘siopa’ are Colm Fitzsimmons, XL National Business Development Manager; Paul McCluskey (aka Vince de Búrca, Owner of An Siopa in Ros na Rún); and John Moane, Managing Director, BWG Wholesale.

Adtower Signs Up with Digital World Leader

Lidl Ireland Secures Over 50 New Irish Suppliers 54 NEW Irish suppliers are working with Lidl Ireland on the ‘Best of Ireland’ food promotion, which saw over 71 products go on sale in all 153 Lidl stores across the Republic of Ireland from September 11 for a limited period. The suppliers and products were chosen by Lidl Ireland as part of the Kick Start Supplier Development Programme, designed to give small suppliers the chance to supply Lidl with a guaranteed volume of their products for the limited edition food promotion. The range is vast and covers everything from artisan Irish cheeses, gourmet chocolate chip & honeycomb sausages and glutenfree beef burgers to Greek style frozen yoghurt, gourmet marshmallows and premium granola. The suppliers selected to be part of the programme have attended a series of free, comprehensive seminars which guided them through the process and taught them skills to help grow their business ahead of their products going on sale at Lidl, carried out

by Lidl Ireland and Bord Bia.

ADTOWER Digital Media has entered in to an exclusive agreement with Canadian company, BroadSign, which will enable it to significantly enhance its innovative digital out of home platform, with the introduction of an automated digital signage content management system. Headquartered in Montreal, BroadSign’s unique, campaignbased model provides efficiency, flexibility and reliability compared to playlist-based alternatives. Effectively, Adtower Digital Media customers will be able to avail of cloud-based software, which will provide the ability at relatively short notice, to change the content across the key digital products, Digitower and DigiXtower. “This marks the effective introduction of real-time content management to advertising in Ireland,” according to Vincent Whelan, Managing Director, Adtower Limited.

Daire Nolan Head of Commercial Fuels 01 512 4800 087 961 7552

daire.nolan@applegreen.ie

Joe Hanney Business Development Manager Connacht area & Donegal 087 410 0000

joe.hanney@applegreen.ie

David Watson National Sales Manager Leinster, Monaghan & Cavan

Ray O’Sullivan Commercial Fuels Manager Munster area

david.watson@applegreen.ie

ray.osullivan@applegreen.ie

086 130 0219

086 464 1565

12|Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie

Industry News EuroSpar to Provide Heart-Saving Equipment EUROSPAR has launched a new community initiative which aims to deliver a Defibrillator at each of the country’s 50 EuroSpar supermarkets, many in areas that are not currently serviced by a defibrillator. RTÉ’s Michael Lyster was on hand to help launch the initiative at the Radisson Blu St. Helen’s Hotel, Dublin with Malachy Hanberry, EuroSpar Managing Director, and David Menzies, Co Chair and Medical Director, Cardiac First Responders Ireland. Michael suffered a cardiac arrest in 2015 and had to be resuscitated by the National Ambulance Service using a defibrillator so he fully understands the importance of publically accessible defibrillators in our communities. “I’m delighted to help launch the Defibrillator at every EuroSpar supermarket initiative, as this equipment can really mean the difference between life and death,” he said. “Having a defibrillator in a public space raises the profile of heart disease and ensures that people know where to find one when an emergency occurs. I look forward to the day when each EuroSpar has a defibrillator in place.”

Lyons Tea Supports Pieta House LYONS Tea is to again partner with Pieta House, the suicide, self-harm and bereavement care charity, for a second year. Lyons invites trade customers to pledge their support to Pieta House and, for every special case of Lyons Original 600 purchased, Lyons will donate 50c to the charity, while trade customers can also pledge their support online at ufs.com/pietahouse and Lyons will donate 50c to Pieta House. Customers of Unilever Food Solutions also have the opportunity to make a charitable donation worth €5 to Pieta House by using their Chef Rewards points on the loyalty programme during September and October (ufschefrewards.com). Retail customers will be able to show their support by purchasing promotional boxes of Lyons Original Blend 80s: for every box sold, Lyons will donate 10c to Pieta House. Lyons tea drinkers will be able to support Pieta House at a number of events being planned to mark World Mental Health Day on October 10.

Pictured are (l-r): Jim Reeves, Customer Director Ireland at Unilever Food Solutions; Brian Higgins, CEO of Pieta House; and Paul Kelly, Head of Marketing, Unilever.

Lidl Commit to Reduce Food Poverty with FoodCloud LIDL Ireland has committed to donate one million meals to Irish charities by 2020 in conjunction with FoodCloud. With one in eight people in Ireland experiencing food poverty, this partnership will see all 152 Lidl stores and three warehouses in Ireland partnered with hundreds of local charities who will benefit from the store’s surplus food. This is one of 24 targets set by Lidl as part of their Origin Green strategy. “The rollout of a national food redistribution programme supports our objective to reduce food waste and positively contribute to the communities in which we operate,” noted Deirdre Ryan, Head of CSR for Lidl Ireland. “Working with FoodCloud enables Lidl to connect with hundreds of charities across Ireland and support them in a meaningful way. The feedback we have received to date has been fantastic and our store teams are extremely engaged with the project.” Yvonne Connolly and Iseult Ward, CEO and CoFounder of FoodCloud, are pictured at the announcement.

SuperValu to Sell €32m of Irish Potatoes

SUPERVALU expects to sell €32m in home grown Irish potatoes this season. Their new season potatoes are grown by Wexford brothers, John and Chris Fortune (pictured), second generation farmers based in Kilmore, Co. Wexford. As longstanding suppliers to SuperValu for the last 15 years, the Fortune brothers are seasoned crop farmers, who have been growing Irish potatoes on their family farm for over 30 years. John and Chris also supply SuperValu with baby salad potatoes and are one of the few Irish famers who specialise in growing and harvesting baby potato crops. John and Chris Fortune will provide SuperValu stores across Ireland with a rich supply of New Season Irish potatoes, including Roosters and Queens, with Kerr’s Pinks and Golden Wonders.

Coca-Cola HBC Steps Up for North East COCA-COLA HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland recently donated 10,032 bottles of Deep RiverRock water to the Order of Malta Ambulance Corp, Drogheda, to help alleviate some of the water challenges that were being faced by the North East region. “With the recent water challenges across the North East, we were proud to be able to lend our support to the region with the donation of more than 10,000 bottles of our Deep RiverRock water,” noted Coca-Cola HBC’S Regional Manager Paul McDonnell, pictured with Senator Ged Nash and David Mulholland, Field Sales Area Manager, Coca-Cola HBC.

Tá XL Ros na Rún ar oscailt anois!

XL Ros na Rún is now open!

Bígí linn gach Máirt agus Déardaoin ag 8:30 i.n. ar TG4 Tune in every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30pm TG4

Margaí iontacha i do shiopa áitiúil

14|Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie

Brexit and the Irish Agri-Food Sector

Dealing With the Reality of Brexit

Food lawyer Raymond O’Rourke examines the likely implications of Brexit for the Irish agri-food sector, explains the potential scenarios and advises the Irish government on what they should seek as part of the negotiations.

OVER the last months, many of you have probably attended various Brexit breakfasts and found yourself confused, unsure and sometimes wondering what is all the fuss about. Maybe like decimalisation back in the 1970s, it will all work out fine in the end, with limited disruption to your business. As a specialist Food Lawyer with many years' experience working for the EU institutions, my view is that you should be vigilant and prepare for many changes in your sector in the future, whether you export or import food products to/from the UK. Politicians regularly use easily understandable phrases in media interviews so we have heard a lot about ‘frictionless’ and ‘seamless’ borders; that the EU as a whole has as much to lose

from Brexit as the UK. With the UK leaving the European Union, the important issue for the Irish retail food sector is what will be the future relationship between the UK and the future EU 27 (including Ireland).

The Single Market and Customs Union For the food retail trade, two of the most important aspects of existing economic and trading relationships between Ireland and the UK are the Single Market and the Customs Union.

The Single Market consists of four freedoms: free movement of persons, goods, services and capital.

The important freedom for the retail food sector is goods – but what does it actually mean? It means that the legislation covering the composition,

hygiene and labelling of foodstuffs is completely harmonised. There are national exceptions in particular cases but in reality, if you produce a food product, it must be produced under hygienic conditions, be labelled and undergo official controls at the Irish level under rules all agreed at EU level. The outcome of this process is that your food product can be traded throughout the EU without hindrance, once it is produced in accordance with these EU-wide rules.

The Customs Union is a foundation of the European Union and an essential element in the functioning of the Single Market. The Customs Union facilitates free trade between EU states by ensuring that they all charge the same import duties to countries outside the union.

The countries also agree not to impose

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Brexit and the Irish Agri-Food Sector

tariffs on goods travelling between countries in the union. The agreement reduces administrative and financial trade barriers, such as customs checks.

The majority of work undertaken by Member State customs administrations deals with EU external trade with third countries.

Dreams of a Frictionless Future The UK Government has said that it wants to leave the Single Market and the Customs Union but that it will be able to negotiate an arrangement whereby trade will flow between the UK and the EU in much the same fashion as it does at present.

The EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, speaking to the EU’s Economic and Social Committee on July 6, could not have been clearer: “I have heard some people in the UK argue that one can leave the Single Market and keep all of its benefits: that is not possible. I have heard some people in the UK argue that one can leave the Single Market and build a Customs Union to achieve ‘frictionless trade’: that is not possible.”

He went on to state definitively that only membership of both the Single Market and the Customs Union permitted the current “frictionless” trading arrangements the UK Government constantly makes reference to in all its statements about Brexit.

The Divorce Settlement: Possible Scenarios The negotiations taking place at present are to deal with what might be called the ‘divorce’ settlement – what are the outstanding budgetary liabilities for the UK since the EU has a multiannual financial framework (2014-2020); the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and the border arrangements between Northern Ireland/Ireland. Once settlement on these issues has been agreed, then the EU and the UK will begin discussions on the future trading arrangements between the EU and UK. If a ‘divorce’ settlement can be agreed, what are the post-Brexit options for the UK: Norway (European Economic Area - EEA): continued full access to Single Market, must fully adopt EU regulations without any chance to amend. Fully integrated Customs Union arrangement with the EU, which includes no tariff access to the EU. Switzerland (European Free Trade Area – EFTA): not full access to Single Market; rather sector-by-sector agreements. Fully integrated Customs Union arrangement with the EU, which includes no tariff access to the EU. Turkey-EU Customs Agreement: partial access to Single Market and tariffs apply to certain goods.

World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules – same access to Single Market as Russia or China, which is limited sectorby-sector. Tariffs applied to all goods.

None of these arrangements will be good for Ireland but obviously the Norway or Switzerland options offer the least disturbance to trade between Ireland and the UK. The difficulty is that the UK Government has boxed itself into a corner by stating before the negotiations have begun that they don’t want to be part of the Single Market and the Customs Union. The Turkish example may therefore seem attractive but is really only a marginally better version of WTO rules.

Free Trade Agreement The UK has stated that it would like to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with the EU: such Agreements are similar to those that the EU has recently negotiated with Canada and Japan, which took many years to complete. In the interim, the UK would be allowed trade normally as it does at present for a few years BUT they would have to pay for the privilege and I am sceptical whether the Westminster parliament and UK

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 both Bord Bia and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), where he is Vice Chair, and was previously a Board Member of the FSAI, and current Chairman of the Consumers Association of Ireland.

media would accept the scenario where they must pay large sums of money to an organisation, the EU, which they thought they were leaving.

Advice for Ireland In my opinion, I don’t see the UK Government changing their view on leaving the Single Market and Customs Union, so we are facing a Free Trade Agreement at best or even a WTO situation at worst. In that case, I believe the Irish Government should: 1. Advocate that tariff rates on food and agricultural products exported to/imported from the UK should be 0% as they are at present by incorporating the EU Schedules of Concessions into a Free Trade Agreement. If the UK is in a WTO situation, again Ireland should negotiate with its EU partners for the lowest possible tariff rates.

2. Obtain a commitment that the UK agrees to legislative equivalence with the EU’s stringent food safety rules.

3. Negotiate with our EU partners so that UK agrees to a minimal customs regime for food products from EU countries, in particular Ireland, covering all issues from documentation to VAT/tax matters.

16|Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie

Insurance

Insuring Our Survival?

Fraudulent claims, exorbitant awards, rising legal costs and a “toothless” Personal Injuries Assessment Board are all contributing to unsustainable hikes in insurance costs for retailers. What can be done to curb the problem before stores are forced to close?

RISING insurance costs are a real concern for retailers right across the country, with some premiums rising by multiples of what they were just a few short years ago.

It’s the sheer volume of claims that’s pushing premiums through the roof, according to the insurance industry.

However, last year saw RGDATA survey its members on the issue, finding that 30% of retailers who saw an increase in their insurance premium had no claims.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the real problems are (a) false or spurious claims and (b) the amounts

awarded to claimants, while unrealistic reserves are being set by insurers for outstanding claims, all of which are driving up premiums.

Luke Moriarty, whose Moriarty Group owns three SuperValu stores and two hotels, has seen an increase of 41.88% in the last two renewal periods, with one property in particular increasing by 103.5%. Centra retailer Adrian Conlon’s premium has effectively doubled in the last eight years for his Athy store.

The 2016 RGDATA Insurance Survey found that 44% of retailers had recent

insurance claims, with personal injury claims accounting for 77% of total claims. 34% of all retailers surveyed had been notified of at least one new personal injury claim in the last 12 months.

RGDATA updated their 2016 survey this year, asking a number of members if they had a claim made against their business in the last two years. Just 17.39% of respondents had no claims made against them, with a massive 34.78% of retailers having been subject to five or more claims in a two-year period. Of the claims made, 57.9% were public liability claims.

“Our members realise that public liability insurance exists for a reason,” Tara Buckley, Director General of RGDATA, tells Retail News. “They understand that accidents happen and sometimes people deserve to be compensated for those accidents. But the situation we have today is that certain members of the public and some solicitors see the whole area of public liability as a bonanza.”

Serial Claimants and Spurious Claims Many retailers face the persistent

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Insurance claim without ever contacting the store.

“It should be illegal for an insurance company to pay a claim without at least engaging with the insured,” argues Adrian Conlon.

Padraig Donoghue owns SuperValu and Centra stores in the Cavan area, and when it came time to renew his insurance premium, his previous insurer didn’t want to insure them again because there had been a number of claims in the previous months. Padraig estimates that out of the last dozen claims made against his store, perhaps one was genuine and the rest varied from exaggerated to fraudulent.

“The insurance company are paying out on these suspect claims without discussing it with me,” Padraig sighs.

“We employ over 100 people; we invest in our people and our stores to make sure we have the best hygiene and safety standards and we never break the law.

And yet if somebody decides to take a fraudulent claim against us, the law is on their side from the very start.”

problem of serial claimants and spurious claims. One retailer we spoke to revealed that he has had four claims by members of the same family for falls in his store, three of which have been settled by his insurance company (with the fourth pending), despite his insistence that they are fraudulent claims. “With four members of the one family claiming to have fallen in one store, can somebody not see that this is a stitch-up?” he asked.

“It is no secret and has been widely discussed in the media that there is a real problem at the moment with fraudulent claims being made and more worryingly, those claims being successful,” explains Luke Moriarty.

“While you cannot believe every claim to be a suspect one, I believe businesses are certainly more aware of this growing trend.”

One store owner argued that in three of the claims against his store, he believes the accidents were caused by the plaintiff’s own negligence. “I believe our systems and CCTV would for any reasonable person show that our actions did not cause the incident,” he said. “In two of these cases, the plaintiffs have previously claimed for compensation in other incidents. In two of the cases, the insurance company have approved settlements with I believe undue haste and in excessive amounts in relation to the alleged injuries/losses alleged.”

This is an all too familiar story for retailers around the country. One retailer

we spoke to had clear CCTV footage of a person deliberately pouring water onto his shop floor, then watching while their partner ‘fell’ in the water. Rather than fight the claim, the insurance company settled.

Some of the store owners we spoke to told us that their insurance company not only didn’t inform them of a claim against them, but actually settled the

Moving the Burden of Proof Padraig is referring to the fact that when it comes to public liability claims in Ireland, the burden of proof rests with the insured rather than the claimant. In essence, a retailer who is the subject of a claim has to prove that they weren’t negligent, rather than the plaintiff having to prove that they were. This is something that pretty much every retailer would like to see changed.

“The law needs to be fundamentally

18|Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie

Insurance changed,” argues Adrian Conlon, “whereby the onus is on the litigant to prove that the insured is negligent. At the moment, we are guilty until proven innocent. You could walk into my shop tomorrow, place a banana skin on the ground, take a photo of it and then go to a solicitor and say, ‘I slipped on a banana skin at the entrance to that shop, hurt my back and I can’t work, I can’t lift anything and I can’t make love to my wife’: that solicitor can then decide to sue for astronomical amounts of money.”

Luke Moriarty believes that the law should be “more evenly weighted”. While acknowledging that businesses should be able to show that they took appropriate measures to ensure that their property was fit for purpose and safe for customers’ use, he feels “a greater onus on claimants to show proof of negligence or a safety breach should be required. Claims should only be eligible through the courts if certain criteria are met by the claimant to prevent fraudulent claims.”

Padraig Donoghue believes that something has to be done about serial claimants and the legal system that allows them to prosper. “At the moment, habitual claimants are putting in suspect claims all the time and there is nothing to stop them,” he argues. “Insurance companies are just paying up on these claims because the cost of going to court is so high, so it’s quicker and cheaper just to pay off these spurious claims.”

Rising Legal Costs Irish legal costs are the biggest concern for Liam Ryan, whose Ryan SuperValu Group owns a number of SuperValu stores throughout the country, including stores in Togher, Glanmire and Douglas in Cork, and Kilmallock, Co. Limerick, as well as a Centra store in Aherla, Co. Cork, employing more than 500 people across the Group.

The Ryan Group did a survey on the

insurance and legal costs of three of their stores, with some very interesting results. 58% of the total amount paid out was claimants’ legal costs, so the plaintiffs got just 42% of the amount awarded.

One problem for insurance companies is that the cost of fighting a claim, even if they win, can be far higher than the cost of settling, with Luke Moriarty admitting that for insurers, “it can sometimes make more commercial sense to settle. In many instances, insurance companies will settle based on the nuisance element of the case, combined with, as always, the costs involved.”

Some of the retailers we spoke to called for a form of data/information sharing to enable business owners to weed out the serial claimants from the genuine ones. Others called for the Book of Quantum to be radically revised and then enforced as there is no consistency with regard to awards.

Some commentators have called for a clampdown on fraudsters by making fraudulent claims a statutory offence.

“There should be a duty of care on the legal profession to ensure that a claim is genuine,” Liam Ryan states.

“If you walk into a solicitor’s office tomorrow and say you fell in a shop in Monkstown and hurt your knee, the

solicitor should have to take reasonable steps to ensure that this incident did occur and that there is a case for the retailer to answer before he sends a solicitor’s letter. The solicitor should also establish if you have any previous claims.

I believe the legal profession has a duty of care to you, me and other members of the public, a responsibility to themselves and their profession. But there doesn’t seem to be any great willingness on the part of the legal profession to change the system because they are all drinking from the same financial trough.”

We’ve already mentioned the issue of inflated insurance premiums, but the problem for Liam Ryan was getting a reasonable insurance quote at all. An extraordinary incident when part of a roof came free in a storm, causing injury, resulted in a sizeable claim against the Ryan Group. Liam accepts that it was a genuine claim as a result of an accident that was out of anybody’s control. “It was a legitimate claim and I have no problem with that – this is the reason why we have insurance in the first place,” he says. But that one extraordinary incident pushed his insurance premium to unaffordable levels, and led to the extraordinary decision for three of the Group’s stores to effectively become self-insured, as they have the economies of scale to make it viable.

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Insurance

Personal Injuries Assessment Board All the retailers we spoke to referred to the ever-growing amounts being awarded to claimants. In many situations, solicitors are advising their clients to ignore the judgements of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) and take their case to court, promising much higher financial compensation, with attendant hikes in legal fees.

“The remit of the PIAB, which was set up in 2004, is to assess claims of compensation for anyone who has been in an accident and suffered an injury.

The board will do this without the need of high costs usually associated with personal injury claims. Unfortunately, there is a trend emerging where people are not accepting the PIAB ruling, believing that the awards they will receive by securing the services of a legal representative (and the fees that this will entail) will ultimately deliver higher settlement awards for them,” explains Luke Moriarty.

“The Personal Injuries Assessment Board is a toothless organisation,” opines Adrian Conlon. “They are making judgements but solicitors are then rejecting them, promising the claimants that they’ll get more if they go to court.”

Sadly, the unscrupulous solicitors are often being proved right, as judges hand out vastly inflated sums of money to claimants. Adrian cites one case, where a customer slipped on his forecourt in diesel spilled by a previous customer and received a claim in the region of €16,000 for “localised bruising on his posterior”.

Luke Moriarty cites the “precedents being set by judges issuing exorbitant awards” as a real concern, arguing that amounts awarded in Ireland are far higher than similar cases in the UK and Europe. RGDATA have long argued that the PIAB’s decision in any case should be compulsory, perhaps with the option of appeal through the PIAB on a point of law.

They also believe, as do the retailers we spoke to, that it is a small group of solicitors who are knowingly taking on these spurious claims.

“These unscrupulous solicitors are driving this business because they’re getting an income from it,” Adrian Conlon states.

Luke Moriarty feels that there is an element of “aggressive marketing from some legal representatives” offering ‘No Win / No Fee’ services, effectively making it it a ‘zero risk’ strategy for exaggerated or fraudulent claims.

The Rise of Claims Culture There is now a “claims culture” in Ireland, according to Luke Moriarty, who feels that if nothing is done to address the situation and the subsequent spiralling insurance costs, it will have a detrimental effect on retailers, especially the small to medium sized operators.

“This is a serious menace and we have to do something about it,” Liam Ryan asserts. “We are all in business to make a living, but we need to look at it realistically. What is a reasonable payout for an injury? Not the astronomical sums that are being paid out today. We have to look at what is a reasonable liability, what is a reasonable injury and how to deal with them.”

“It is publicly acceptable to make an exaggerated or superficial claim and get €10,000-20,000, while the solicitor gets at least as much. I think there is a duty of care on behalf of the Government to change that mentality and that system.”

“This is a significant issue,” sums up Tara Buckley. “It’s threatening jobs, and threatening shops, many of which are in rural town centres. If something is not done to stop the claims bonanza, stores will close.”

20|Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie

National Lottery

30 Years of National Lottery As the National Lottery celebrates 30 years in Ireland, Niall Andrews, Sales and Operations Director, Premier Lotteries Ireland, explains how retailers remain at the core of the business, as it looks to grow Lottery sales to a €1 billion business by 2020.

In 1987, former US President Ronald Reagan delivered his famous speech at the Berlin Wall, a yellow cartoon family called The Simpsons appeared on TV for the first time, Stephen Roche won the Tour de France, Johnny Logan won his second Eurovision, U2 released The Joshua Tree and Jack Charlton’s army qualified for their first major tournament. On March 28 of the same year, the Irish National Lottery launched, selling instant-win scratchcards in retail outlets across the country.

The following 30 years saw the National Lottery thrive, adding the Lotto in 1988, the Winning Streak TV gameshow in 1990 (Europe’s longest-running TV gameshow), TellyBingo in 1999 and EuroMillions in 2004. Premier Lotteries Ireland’s Sales and Operations Director, Niall Andrews explains how retailers have always been and will always be central to the Lottery’s success here.

How have retailers contributed to the success of the National Lottery over the last 30 years?

As the core distribution channel for the National Lottery, retailers have been the driving force in the success of the National Lottery for the past 30 years.

Since 1987, sales have exceeded €16 billion, generating a massive €5 billion for Good Causes all over Ireland. Our retail partners have helped to make over 800 millionaires in Ireland with a grand total of €8.8 billion in prizes paid out to our players. In the last 30 years, retailers have earned almost €1 billion and also benefitted from additional footfall, driven by the availability of National Lottery games in-store. With 56 draws every week, six which are live on TV, over 675,000 National Lottery transactions are processed through the retail network across the country on a daily basis.

How important has the sense of partnership between the Lottery and retailers been since the very beginning?

The National Lottery has always recognised the importance of our retail partners to our business.

In particular, we pride ourselves on the success of the National Lottery Agent Council, which was established over 20 years ago to provide a Niall Andrews, Sales and Operations Director, collaborative platform Premier Lotteries Ireland. between the National Lottery and retail partners on the development of the National operations room which monitors all Lottery in Ireland. We work very transactions across our full retail estate, closely with the Agent Council, which ensuring our retailers provide quality consists of representative retailers service to their customers. from RGDATA, CSNA, NFRN and IPU, on It’s not only our winners who hit new innovations, growth initiatives and the headlines for mega jackpot wins. product development. This has played a When celebrating the success of huge crucial role in our joint success. jackpots, we ensure our retailers play an important role in the message we How do you ensure that retailers feel communicate to our players and to the valued by PLI? media. One such retailer who comes to Last year, Premier Lotteries Ireland mind is the Carey family from Co. Mayo, rolled-out a massive €3m investment in who are probably the luckiest lottery its retail partners through the Star Store retailers in Ireland, selling prizes of over programme. This delivered a remarkable €30m in 30 years. Lorraine Carey, owner increase in sales through our excellence of Carey’s Newsagent in Belmullet, has programme, joint business planning achieved celebrity-like status in her approach and rewards scheme. The role as an ambassador for her lucky initiative focused on a number of customers, who have scooped lifestrategic areas where retailers could changing wins. maximise their commission by further We are always keen to share this promoting the National Lottery product jackpot success with our retailers. We range in-store. This initiative has work closely with our winning stores, been supported with a comprehensive putting them front and centre of the incentive scheme to recognise and celebrations with in-store media events reward those who have reached the and PR activations. Last January, we very highest standards of excellence in also successfully collaborated with execution at store level.

Applegreen to roll-out a nationwide We also have a 365-day-a-year promotional campaign to celebrate their

Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie|21

National Lottery

30 Years of the

National Lottery 1987

The first ever National Lottery Grand Prize Game takes place live on the Late Late Show in 1987.

1988 Ireland’s favourite game, Lotto launches.

1989 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is pictured with presenters Marty Whelan and Nuala Carey at a special live Lotto draw in front of an invited audience to mark the National Lottery’s 30th birthday. €88.5m EuroMillions jackpot win in Lusk, Co. Dublin.

You are predicting that Lottery sales will be a €1 billion business by 2020; how achievable is this? What needs to happen for that to take place?

In 2016, National Lottery sales grew by over €70m on the previous year to over €750m, and robust business plans currently in place will ensure that similar growth is recorded this year. Our investment in the retail network, coupled with innovative game changes, saw us become the fastest growing lottery in Europe last year.

Further significant investment in retail is being made in 2017 to roll out new display units and world class point of sale units with digital jackpot messaging right across our agent network of 5,000 retailers.

What does the launch of last year’s Star Store initiative mean for retailers?

The Star Store programme is an innovative programme designed to create a new standard of excellence in Lottery retailing, and to drive sales growth and profitability for retailers.

It has been constructed with the retail agent and supported by a ‘best in class’ service and distribution model.

This an all-encompassing programme which looks to optimise all elements in the execution and delivery of the Lottery offer in-store. It focuses on a number of strategic areas, such as equipment positioning, product range, availability, display and merchandising standards, promotion and execution.

Star Mark, a highly progressive scoring system, is used to measure against the new standard and helps ensure opportunities for sales growth in stores are identified and fully maximised.

History is made in 1989 when Rita Power from Co. Galway becomes Ireland’s first Lotto millionaire.

1990 Europe’s longest running TV Gameshow, Winning Streak, launches in September 1990. To date, over €170m has been won on the popular show.

1991 The National Lottery celebrates Dublin’s year as European City of Culture in 1991 by hosting a concert by the legendary Luciano Pavarotti in College Green.

1992 1992 sees the introduction of a new prize category in Lotto. Players can now win a prize for matching three numbers plus the bonus number. Lotto changes from 6/36 to 6/39.

1993 Galway’s Marie Burke breaks Lotto records when she wins a jackpot of over £3m.

1995 Sligo’s Breege Carrabine becomes the first ever TV Gameshow millionaire in Europe thanks to the National Lottery.

1997 78 lucky Fame & Fortune winners take a trip of a lifetime to Paris on Concorde in 1997, courtesy of the National Lottery.

1999

Earlier this year saw an €88.5m EuroMillions jackpot winning ticket sold in Applegreen, Lusk, M1 North.

July 2005 saw Limerick’s Dolores McNamara scooping €115m on the EuroMillions.

The National Lottery launches TellyBingo: the TV bingo game continues to be a popular choice among players today.

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National Lottery 2000 Families from across Ireland travel to Lapland to visit Santa in 2000 thanks to Winning Streak.

2001 The ESB makes history in 2001 by becoming the company with a record number of Lotto winning groups.

2002 The Lotto Plus game is revamped with the addition of the Lotto Plus 2 draw, giving players the chance to win an extra top prize.

2004 The National Lottery introduces the EuroMillions game to players in Ireland, giving them the chance to win riches beyond their wildest dreams.

2005 Limerick’s Dolores McNamara smashes National Lottery records to become the biggest ever jackpot winner, pocketing over €115m in the EuroMillions game.

2006 A new base jackpot of €2m is introduced in the Lotto game in 2006.

2007 Shane O’Donoghue presents the Lotto draw live from Cork City, the first time the Lotto draw takes place outside Dublin.

2008 The National Lottery launches a new brand identity and Carlow’s Dan Morrissey syndicate makes Lotto history by winning the biggest ever jackpot worth over €18.9m.

The first Lotto draw took place in 1988.

There was some consternation in the last few years with the roll-out of new terminals, which had some teething problems. Were there lessons to be learned from that for Premier Lotteries and retailers?

The National Lottery technology and systems upgrade in 2014 was the largest technology roll-out in the history of retail in Ireland. The significant outage that occurred on the Telefonica Network in Spain in February 2015 was an extremely rare event, where their primary and secondary systems failed at the same time due to a snow storm in Spain, which caused the core data network and back-up for Telefonica to fail. Millions of customers across Europe were affected, including a number of corporate customers in Ireland.

Additional features have since been added, whereby the lottery terminal will send a signal every three minutes to confirm that it is connected to the host system. If it finds it is not connected, it will automatically switch to another network. This means that if one network goes down, a retailer’s connection can switch quickly to other mobile networks to re-establish the service. Network uptime overall has been over 99% above industry average, which performs ahead of other services using 3G such as ATM’s.

The National Lottery celebrated Dublin’s year as European City of Culture in 1991 by hosting a concert by the legendary Pavarotti in College Green.

When are we likely to see your new predictive ordering system for scratch cards?

SUGU, our predictive ordering system, is one of a series of initiatives which is being rolled out to support the retail channel to improve efficiencies for the supply chain and to improve stock management and inventory control. Stocking over 5,000 retailers each week with National Lottery scratch cards and other consumables is a tremendous operational feat and we have two separate facilities on-site and off-site which distribute over €4.5m worth of

2009 Play Online launches in 2009, giving National Lottery players the convenience of playing instant win and draw games over the Internet.

2010 The 2010 National Lottery Skyfest fireworks spectacular takes place over the majestic St. John’s Castle in Limerick.

SuperValu in Knocklyon, Co. Dublin, sold a €12.8m winning Lotto ticket.

Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie|23

National Lottery 2011 A record number of over 14,000 runners, joggers and walkers take part in the National Lottery Dublin Marathon in 2011.

2012

78 lucky Fame & Fortune winners took a trip of a lifetime to Paris on Concorde in 1997 thanks to the National Lottery.

Play Online launched in 2009 giving National Lottery players the convenience of playing instant win and draw games over the Internet.

products to our retailers each and every week.

SUGU is currently live in the PLI business and will complete a comprehensive test cycle to ensure accuracy and efficiency before a phased roll-out to our agent network through Q.4 2017 into 2018, when consumables ordering will be processed through the Lottery terminal and consolidated with the new Scratch Card auto-ordering system.

sales team, implementing retail excellence by fully executing a Star Store programme.

By doing so, retailers will benefit from incremental impulsive sales of Lottery products. As part of the Star Store programme, PLI works in partnership with all retail partners on a Star Business Plan, which is a joint approach to driving sales and profitability in-store, increased visibility, information sharing with joint ownership and responsibility between the National Lottery and retail partners.

We know from our research that National Lottery games are some of the most impulsive products across our retailers' business. Draw games and scratch cards, in particular, are two of the most impulsive products in FMCG, with impulse purchase accounting for 40% and 75% of sales respectively.

The more the retailer put in, the more commission from the €45m commission paid to our 5,000 retail sales agents. And the National Lottery aims to increase commission to retail partners to €60m by 2020.

There’s a quote in your promotional material that “Lottery is the most profitable two feet of space in your store”. Do you have the figures to back that up?

Lottery commands the greatest share of spend of all impulse FMCG categories in-store. An independent Nielsen Scantrack report outlined that total retail Lottery sales are growing at a rate of 11% compared to other FMCG impulse lines.

What can retailers do to maximise their returns from lottery, both scratch cards and draws?

Retailers can drive their sales by working closely with the National Lottery

How can the Premier Lotteries Ireland and its retailers look forward to another 30 years? What does the future hold?

Premier Lotteries Ireland takes a very

Winning Streak, Europe’s longest running TV gameshow, began broadcasting in 1990.

The National Lottery celebrates 25 years of making magic happen in Ireland.

2014 An Post National Lottery Company transitions to Premier Lotteries Ireland.

2015 National Lottery launches bigger, better Lotto.

2016 A Dublin Bus drivers syndicate wins a €23.8m EuroMillions Jackpot.

2017 €5 billion is raised for Good Causes as the National Lottery celebrates its 30-year anniversary. positive long-term view of the Irish market – we see potential to grow by innovating our games, the way people play, and the way we share and communicate with our players and our retail partners. Our retail business will continue to be the primary driver of sales for National Lottery games, which will continue to increase and generate invaluable funds for Good Causes for another 30 years and beyond!

TellyBingo has been a fixture on our TV screens since 1999.

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Retail Ireland: Monthly Update SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED FOR RETAIL IRELAND SUMMIT 2017 WE are delighted to confirm details of the Retail Ireland Summit 2017 - Exploring Experiential Retail, which takes place on Thursday, October 12, at the Guinness Storehouse.

For our 2017 event, we will explore how retailers have found a powerful way of drawing in consumers through collaborations, creativity and the provision of personalised and engaging experiences.

These techniques will revolutionise how your customers shop for, learn about and interact with your products.

Our key note speaker for 2017 is Clare Bailey, founder of The Retail Champion.

Clare (formerly Clare Rayner) is one of the most well-known and respected retail experts in the UK and her session will focus

on the future of the high street, and how technology is driving fundamental change in the way consumers and businesses interact.

Clare Bailey will be joined by industry expert Andrew Busby, Founder and CEO of Retail Reflections, and speakers from global brands, including Aramark, BWG and many more in what will be a highly engaging and informative event.

Tickets €270 + VAT Member €320 + VAT Non-member Bookings and further details are now available on the event’s dedicated website at www.retailsummit.ie.

Clare Bailey, founder of The Retail Champion, key note speaker at the Retail Ireland Summit 2017.

Government-Controlled Costs Threaten Retail Recovery RETAIL Ireland recently published its latest edition of Retail Ireland Monitor, which reviews the performance of the sector over the second quarter of 2017. The latest edition highlights growing concern amongst Irish retailers that the sector’s competitive position is being undermined as costs increase, and identifies particular concerns regarding government controlled costs, such as commercial rates, the minimum wage, and levies attached to utilities.

The CSO’s latest data reports that retail sales values grew by 3.7% in the first half of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016. Despite solid growth in the first six months of the year, our Monitor reports that retailers remain cautious and uncertain about what the second half of 2017 will bring in terms of trading performance. With prices now below 2008 levels, retailers remain addicted to deep discounting as a means of driving footfall and additional spend. At the same time, government controlled input costs continue to grow and retailers’ margins dwindle, threatening the very existence of certain high street brands.

Key retail trends set out in the Retail Ireland Monitor include: •

Supermarkets and convenience stores: the most significant aspect of the June retail sales figures for supermarkets

•

•

•

and convenience stores is the early signs that deflationary pressures are easing. This is the first time this category of retail has not seen volume growth lead value growth in 12 months or more.

DIY and hardware stores: a strong performance was recorded this quarter, underpinned by a strong April, driven by the timing of Easter and benign weather conditions.

The early gardeners were out in force and this was reflected with good growth in plants, garden accessories, equipment, treatments and exterior paint and woodcare.

Department stores: overall, a positive quarter for department stores, with continued strong online growth, and improved store footfall over the period. However, Dublin city centre footfall remains difficult, and the ongoing Luas cross-city works will continue to prove challenging through to the end of Q3 2017.

Books, newspapers and stationery stores: the decline in the book market value has slowed down in Q2, as exchange rates start to come more in line with last year and Sterling-based price deflation has less of an impact.

Stationery is performing in line with last year, both in value and volume terms, despite discounting in the marketplace.

News and magazines continue to decline both in volume and value terms.

Retail Ireland Submits Budget 2018 proposals DURING August, Retail Ireland formally submitted its Budget 2018 proposals to the Minister for Finance. Our Budget 2018 submission called on government to address spiralling costs and support retailers who find themselves under pressure from the uncertainty of Brexit. In particular,

it sought to keep the retail sector competitive through the retention of the 9% VAT rate and the maintenance of the National Minimum Wage at its current rate of €9.25. Please visit www.retailireland.ie to consult a copy of our pre-budget submission.

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

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

Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie|25

Seafood Awards

BIM Announce Young Fishmonger Finalists BIM have released a shortlist of eight finalists for the BIM Young Fishmonger 2018 Awards, as well as launching the Seafood Retail Business Awards 2018.

The current holder of the Young Fishmonger title in the Supermarket Seafood Counter category, Eimantas Zvirblis, pictured outside Donnybrook Fair’s flagship store in Malahide.

BORD Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the Seafood Development Agency, has announced the shortlist for the BIM Young Fishmonger 2018 awards.

Eight fishmongers from around the country will now compete for the Independent Seafood Specialist 2018 and Supermarket Seafood Counter 2018 awards, to be presented at BIM’s Seafood Retail Awards on November 16 in the Wineport Lodge, Glasson, Athlone.

For the first time in the competition, there are a record number of female finalists, with three female finalists out of four in the independent seafood specialist category. Overall, there is an even split between the genders, with four female and four male finalists.

The finalists are: Independent Seafood Specialist Category: • Alan O’Loughlin, Ballycotton Seafood, English Market, Cork City • Anne Stephens, The Fish Market,

• •

Glenroyal Shopping Centre, Maynooth, Co. Kildare Elzbieta Szepielewiz, Nick’s Fish, Ashbourne, Co. Meath Renêe Tallon, East Coast Seafood, Malahide, Co. Dublin

Supermarket Seafood Counter Category: • Ian Doherty, SuperValu Sundrive Crumlin, Dublin 12 • Scott Smullen, Dunnes Stores, Cornelscourt, Dublin 18 • Jamie Mepham, Dunnes Stores, Briarhill, Galway • Katarina Curmova, Dunnes Stores, Dublin Road, Longford “As a country, we need to celebrate the skills of our seafood industry and the BIM Young Fishmonger competition is designed to reward and recognise talent as well as also encouraging and training new entrants into a sector which has experienced a marked rejuvenation in recent years,” said Jim O’Toole, BIM’s

Chief Executive, outlining the motivation behind the annual competition.

“With more than 500 independent and supermarket seafood counters nationwide and domestic sales reaching €245m, the sector is responding to the increased market demand for seafood.

BIM’s role in upskilling and mentoring fishmongers will enable the sector to realise its full potential. We wish all our talented finalists good luck in the last phase of judging. We are looking forward to announcing the 2018 winners at the BIM Seafood Retail Awards in November.”

The final eight will now receive in-depth visits by the judges to assess their knowledge of seafood, their understanding of quality issues, skills, techniques and customer service. The final stage of the Young Fishmonger competition will take place in October and will rigorously test the finalists’ skills, with each fishmonger required to fillet and prepare a range of fish and shellfish under time constraints, as

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Seafood Awards

well as discussing their future plans and ambitions for their career in the seafood sector.

In addition to a higher female participation in the competition this year, there are two finalists, Anne Stephens from the Fish Market, Maynooth, and Katarina Curmova from Dunnes Stores, Longford, who have achieved a place in the finals for the second year running.

Both Anne and Renêe’s husbands, George Stephens and James Kirwan were also previous winners of the competition.

Spreading the Passion The current holder of the Young Fishmonger title in the Supermarket Seafood Counter category, Eimantas Zvirblis, who works in Donnybrook Fair’s flagship store in Malahide, has seen a real benefit to lifting the award, which is proudly displayed in-store, while a sandwich board outside the shop highlights Eimantas’ win.

“Winning the award has meant a lot,” he grins. “People recognise me. I’m trusted as a good fishmonger. A lot of our customers have come in to the store to congratulate me.”

The Lithuanian-born fishmonger is also “working much harder than before,” he laughs, as his success has undoubtedly brought more business to the seafood counter in the busy Malahide store. Passionate about seafood,

Eimantas believes that spreading this passion is “a very important part of being a fishmonger.”

Eimantas’ handiwork is easy to see. The impressive seafood counter is brimming with delicious prepacked value-added options, ready for customers to fry or bake with minimal fuss.

“I spend a lot of time getting all the details right,” he says proudly. “I make sure each piece of fish is perfect, as I like it. I want the customer to get a fish dish that they can cook with no hassle.”

The focus on convenient, valueadded seafood is what the young fishmonger is most proud of, and he is regularly seen behind the counter filleting fish, adding sauces and experimenting with his own recipes.

“Adding value to the fish in-store is all my creation,” he smiles. “Before, the counter pretty much specialised in whole-fish, but I’ve changed things, adding value to the seafood.”

Eimantas’ passion in life is fish and the young fishmonger realised he had a skill in this area when working for the Dublin Smoked Fish Company in 2010.

He also previously worked in Nicky’s Plaice in Howth, where he developed his customer service skills.

As part of his prize, BIM sent Eimantas to Rick Stein’s Cookery School in Padstow, Cornwall. The celebrity chef himself wasn’t there (“I think he was

in Asia, filming a new TV show”) but despite not getting to meet the famous fish lover, the experience was extremely worthwhile.

“I loved it,” he enthuses. “I picked up a few tricks while I was there. I’m always listening, so I can pick up some new ideas, new tricks, and get better.”

Building Trust with the Consumer So did the award give him a confidence boost? “I’ve always been pretty confident,” he laughs. “But what has changed is that a lot more customers now recognise me. If I’m not on the counter when they get here, they might walk around the store for a while until I’m back because they trust me when it comes to fish.”

Eimantas believes in making seafood accessible for all and he loves passing on his knowledge to customers: “Some of our customers really didn’t know much about fish, the different types of seafood, how to prepare it or how to cook it. But I’m passionate about showing them how to cook it, giving them a few tips and you find these are the people who come back again and again, and are willing to try different species of fish.”

A Growing Sector The result is that seafood sales are soaring, as consumers tap into the taste, versatility and health credentials of seafood. “Fish is becoming more

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Seafood Awards

The finalists in the BIM Seafood Retail Business Award: Donagh Good, Laura Desmond, Lar McCarthy, Gerard Collier, Scott Smullen, Daniel Drwal, Dan O’Regan, and Piotr Wojakowski. popular all the time,” Eimantas insists, “particularly amongst customers looking for healthy choices and healthy living.”

The fishmonger often eats seafood seven days a week and is constantly trying new dishes. So when pushed, what’s his favourite recipe?

“For something tasty and quick, prawns with ginger, chilli and soy sauce makes for an easy and tasty stir-fry, but if it was something more fancy, I’d go for halibut, which is a really tasty fish but maybe a little more expensive, baked in a white sauce.”

The affable award winner is always on the look-out for new ways to prepare and promote his passion. We wondered if he also harboured any ambitions to open his own store? “I’ve been thinking about it, somewhere down the line,” he admits. “It’s definitely in my head.”

BIM Seafood Retail Business Awards Building on the success of the Young Fishmonger Awards, BIM has launched the BIM Seafood Retail Business Awards 2018. BIM are specifically looking for retail managers that can demonstrate successful business models, excellent understanding of seafood, coupled with outstanding business and sales acumen, with no age limit on entrants.

Applications were invited for the inaugural Seafood Business Retail Awards under two headings, Supermarket Seafood Counters and Independent Seafood Specialists. Four candidates from across Ireland have now been shortlisted in each category.

The competition finals take place during September, when each of the finalists will present to a panel of business experts, including retail mentor James Burke, financial advisor Moira Creedon, and Ronald Hoevenaars, a food business mentor from Holland, who brings an international element of insight into progressive seafood retailing.

The Right Skillset “The objective of this competition is to identify the seafood business with the best seafood business skillset,” explained Jim O’Toole, CEO, BIM. “The judges will be taking a critical look at management structures, future growth plans, sales and profit performance.

In September, the finalists will need to reflect to the judges how they have implemented what they have learned through their mentoring with the experts in BIM for the benefit of the business, and how they plan to grow their businesses into the future. I wish

them all the very best of luck.”

The finalists are: Independent Seafood Specialist • Donagh Good, Good Fish Shop, Carrigaline, Co. Cork • Laura Desmond, Reid’s Fish Market, Howth, Co. Dublin • Lar Mc Carthy, The Fresh Fish Shop, Bandon, Co. Cork • Gerard Collier, Fisherman’s Catch, Clogherhead, Co. Louth Supermarket Seafood Manager • Scott Smullen, Dunnes Stores, Cornelscourt, Dublin 18 • Daniel Drwal, Tarpey's SuperValu, Cavan • Dan O’Regan, Garvey's SuperValu, Tralee, Co. Kerry • Piotr Wojakowski, Field's SuperValu, Skibbereen, Co. Cork The winners of the BIM Seafood Retail Business Award 2018 will receive a prize package of business supports worth €15,000, including branding and promotional advice, PR training, business mentoring and support, helping to further develop their business into the future.

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Fulfil

Fulfil-ing Its Early Promise

How customer-focused innovation is driving Fulfil’s success.

SINCE launching in early 2016, Fulfil has been shaking up the Irish snack market.

With innovation at the heart of the brand, Fulfil is driving Ireland’s healthy snacking revolution. Fulfil’s vitamin and protein bars have proven to be a huge hit with health-conscious, on-the-go consumers nationwide. Having sold 15m bars in 2016 and driven overall growth in confectionery, Fulfil is now Ireland’s fastest growing confectionery brand, and is the number one value driving brand in convenience with 71% market share (Source: Nielsen ScanTrack Unit Sales Data, June 18, 2017).

Innovation and NPD Co-founders, Niall McGrath and Tom Gannon attribute Fulfil’s early success to the intensive market research they carried out into global consumer trends.

They identified a gap in the market for a snack that was both healthy and tasty, and enlisted the help of former Irish Olympic athlete, David Gillick, to create a ‘better for you’ snacking option that tastes great but also provides functional benefits.

Fulfil bars are low in sugar, high in protein, and are the first protein bars in the world to provide 100% RDA of nine multivitamins. Fulfil also took an innovative approach in terms of

its positioning. While competitors at the time were very much focused on the ‘muscle segment’, Fulfil instead positioned itself as a lifestyle brand, ensuring that the brand was relevant to the everyday lives of a broader segment of consumers. Although the brand is very popular with those who are into fitness, Fulfil is squarely aimed at what they term ‘Everyday Champions’, seeking to replace the sugary chocolate bar as a healthier option for coffee breaks or afternoon snacks.

Having initially launched with four variants, Fulfil has focused heavily on NPD and now offers 11 options. All of its newer flavours have come about

as a result of consumer feedback and suggestions, which were then refined by the brand.

Niall McGrath and Tom Gannon, both former employees of Richmond Marketing, highlight the importance of putting the consumer at the core of the innovation process. “We keep consumers at the heart of everything we do, reaffirming our product quality, generating new news for the category, and also giving us fresh ideas to work on for the future,” says McGrath.

For its most recent product launch, Fulfil asked consumers for their input into the flavours they would most like

Fulfil enjoyed sales of a massive 15m bars during 2016.

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Fulfil Irish football team.

Fulfil purchased a passing skills machine, used by teams such as Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester United, and Ireland’s players use the machine for commercial activities, while the FAI will also loan it out to Airtricity League of Ireland clubs.

To drive trial, Fulfil has also invested in an extensive sampling programme nationwide. It continues to support retailers by delivering stand-out pointof-sale displays, which have been positioned in more than 2,000 stores.

What’s Next?

2017 continues to be a very exciting year for Fulfil. The brand will continue to lead and inspire the category, supporting the current range, while also focusing on more NPD. Additionally, Fulfil is talking to Irish retailers about how the healthy snacking category can be moved from the back of the store up to beside the till.

Fulfil has a strong sporting connection, having become the official snack of the Irish football team earlier this year. Pictured at the announcement are cofounders Niall McGrath and Tom Gannon with Irish management team, Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane. to see. Fulfil then worked up samples and hosted a Fulfil Flavour Lab where they tested the flavours with consumers.

As a result of this, the brand launched three new flavours in July 2017; Triple Chocolate, Chocolate Orange and Lemon Zinger.

Fulfil Café This uncompromising focus on consumer needs is also evident in Fulfil’s newest innovation, the Fulfil Café. Located at 8/9 Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2, the Fulfil Café serves a delicious range of sweet and savoury ‘snacks with benefits’, from Fulfil smoothies to fro yo and crêpes.

Consumers are invited to grab a Fulfil bar, pick their treat and then choose a topping, as the Fulfil bar is used to make a tasty smoothie, fro yo or crêpe.

The menu choices are a direct response to the way in which Fulfil’s customers have been creatively using Fulfil bars in recipes, and sharing their results on Instagram. The Fulfil Café also builds on the success of Fulfil’s previous pop-up café on South William Street, which opened for a week in October 2016. This incarnation resulted in queues at lunchtime of over an hour, and saw Fulfil inundated with customer queries about future stores. Niall and Tom hope that this permanent café will be just as commercially successful, as well as being a springboard for taking the brand’s consumer-driven NPD to the next level.

The Fulfil Café in Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2, serves a delicious range of sweet and savoury ‘snacks with benefits’, from Fulfil smoothies to fro yo and crêpes.

Sponsorship and Sampling Fulfil is now investing in sponsorship as a means of engaging with consumers through their passion points, and growing brand awareness even further.

Earlier this year, the brand announced a three-year partnership with the FAI, becoming the official snack of the

Fulfil has focused heavily on NPD, with new flavours being launched as a result of consumer feedback and suggestions.

“We firmly believe that Fulfil does not sit in the confectionery segment, as our offering is different, as is the consumer and the occasion,” Gannon explains.

“Our biggest consumers are 15-34 year olds who are ‘abstaining’ from buying high sugar confectionery products and are looking for a healthier option. There is no reason why every retail store should not have a ‘healthy snacking bay’ next to its ‘confectionery bay’, giving millennial consumers exactly what they demand. This is already happening in the US and Nordic regions, and this is the message that we are delivering to Irish retailers.”

On top of these local ambitions, Fulfil also plans to expand the brand internationally in the coming months, with listings secured in a number of other European markets.

To keep up to date with all of these exciting developments, follow Fulfil on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or visit the Fulfil website: www.fulfilnutrition.com.

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Confectionery

Sweet Surrender Irish consumers’ love of treats shows no signs of abating, with growth across chocolate confectionery, sugar confectionery and gum.

HEALTH and wellness continue to dominate public consciousness, yet the fact remains that Irish consumers have a sweet tooth and continue to treat themselves.

While many consumers are seeking a healthier lifestyle, they still have “cheat days” or “cheat meals” where they will indulge themselves and still see indulgence as an escape, particularly at seasonal periods like Easter and Christmas.

Chocolate confectionery remains relatively robust as the Irish love of chocolate treats continues, according to the latest report into the sector by Euromonitor International. Chocolate confectionery is predicted to increase at a constant 2016 value of 4% annually over the coming years, with sales expected to reach €779m in 2021, as consumers continue to indulge in chocolate treats. The volume is also expected to increase at an annual rate of 3% over the forecast period.

Sugar confectionery increased by 3% in current value terms in 2016 with sales of €204m, claim Euromonitor, who cite promotional activity and product innovation as the main drivers of growth.

While not as dynamic as chocolate confectionery, Euromonitor predict annual growth rates of 1% in both constant 2016 value terms and volume terms over the coming years, to reach €216m and 19,000 tonnes in 2021.

Gum is the star performer in the confectionery category, according to Euromonitor, with 5% value growth last year, with sales of €70m recorded.

Gum continues to be driven by an ever increasing demand for health and wellness, with sugar-free gum driving sales. This was evident in the demand for sugar free gum increasing by 2% in volume terms in 2016, whereas the sugarised gum and bubble gum categories have both seen a decline in volume terms of 6% and 8% respectively, Euromonitor maintain. They predict value growth of 2% over the coming years, to reach €78m by 2021.

Nestlé Nestlé is launching a new bar to join its popular KitKat Chunky range, and it’s inspired by a much-loved dessert – the New York cheesecake! KitKat Chunky New York Cheesecake combines smooth milk chocolate, and crispy wafer, topped

off with a creamy tasting layer of New York Cheesecake filling: it’s a taste of New York in a bar. This follows on the launch earlier this year of a Peanut Butter variant of its popular KitKat Bites format, with a white chocolate version to follow in the next few weeks.

The KitKat Chunky New York Cheesecake launch forms part of the brand’s strategy to excite consumers by rotating new flavours each year. Last year’s variant, KitKat Chunky Cookie Dough, was the biggest chocolate singles launch in 2016[1] (Source: IRI extended snack outlets value sales data to 52 w/e 31st Dec 2016), proving consumers love to try new flavours from the brand.

“Following the incredible success of KitKat Chunky Cookie Dough last year, we’ve seen a surge in demand for American inspired flavours in confectionery,” noted Maria McKenna, Marketing Manager, Confectionery, Nestlé Ireland. “KitKat Chunky New York Cheesecake taps into this trend, and has really captured the imagination of the Irish public. The combination of smooth milk chocolate and crispy wafer, with a thick layer of

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Confectionery

KitKat Chunky New York Cheesecake has the perfect balance of the taste of sweet vanilla and tanginess consumers would expect from a New York cheesecake dessert. creamy vanilla cheesecake filling is proving very popular with consumers, who’ve already managed to get their hands on a bar!”

The new bar can be identified by an eye-catching pack design illustrating the iconic New York Skyline coupled with a

reformulation. Within weeks, its flagship brand, KitKat, launched a new recipe adding extra milk and extra cocoa to the chocolate. With 20% extra milk and 13% extra cocoa, this move allowed the company to take some of the sugar out of the recipe compared to the previous version it replaced. With no new ingredients added, no artificial colours, sweeteners or preservatives, it meant Nestlé Confectionery is teaming KitKat still tasted just as great as before. up with digital movie retailer Sky This move was quickly followed Store for a promotion that rewards by the announcement that Nestlé’s consumers with a €7.99 Buy & Keep family favourite white chocolate brand, movie voucher in return for collecting Milkybar was also reformulating to four promotional packs from its range increase the amount of milk in its recipe. of best-selling sharing bags.

The percentage of milk in the new recipe increased from 26% to 37.5% to make milk the brand’s number one ingredient, Rowntree’s Randoms. As part of the a message that was communicated recipe change, the sugar removed has on-pack and via a TV, outdoor and digital been replaced by increasing the fibre advertising campaign. Increasing the content. These brand new versions are milk content also allowed the company to make a further sugar reduction.

White chocolate fans will also be delighted to hear that a Milkybar sharing bag format is also being added to the range from next month.

Nestlé Nestlé’s Walnut Whip brand recently whipped up a social continued media storm with the news that it was launching three new further with its variants, Delicate Vanilla, Delicious Caramel and Delightful commitment Mint. through the launch of new 30% less sugar versions being offered alongside the existing, of two of its best-selling products classic products to promote greater Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles and choice within confectionery. Clearly

Nestlé launched new 30% less sugar versions of two of its best-selling products: Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles and Rowntree’s Randoms. delicious shot of the product.

Earlier this year, Nestlé announced that it would reduce sugar by 10% across its confectionery portfolio through a range of methods that included

Milkybar was reformulated to increase the amount of milk in its recipe from 26% to 37.5%, making milk the brand’s number one ingredient.

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Confectionery branded as Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles 30% Less Sugar and Rowntree’s Randoms 30% Less Sugar, they are available in sharing bag formats and also, for a limited period, in a single bag format.

The Rowntree’s 30% Less Sugar range was the result of over two years of research and development, which saw the company trial as many as 76 different versions to ensure that the final product was just as good as the full sugar versions. Prior to launch, 9,000 consumers got the chance to try the new products as part of a large-scale blind taste test led through social media.

Blank packaged product samples were sent to consumers asking for feedback using the hashtag #RowntreesTasteTest.

The consumers did not know that the sweets were different to the regular range and the response was overwhelmingly positive, describing the sweets as ‘juicy’, ‘fruity’ and ‘chewy’.

When the new range launched, Nestlé supported it with a campaign advertising the fact that while it was 30% Less Sugar, it was still ‘100% Fruity’.

These innovations are all part of a number of Nestlé’s initiatives to improve its products through a range of methods and make incremental sugar reductions in different ways that, when added up, are a positive step overall to removing sugar from the nation’s diet, while maintaining the taste.

Other news from Nestlé Confectionery this year includes the launch of their much loved mint brand Polo in a new format - Polo Pots.

Available in three best-selling varieties: Original, Sugar Free and Sugar Free Extra Strong, these new recyclable pots offer consumers the chance to buy the iconic brand in a format that is convenient, especially for those ‘on the go’. This month will also see Nestlé’s Yorkie brand launch a new protein chocolate format, again another innovation that will be welcomed by those looking for a convenient on the go format.

Nestlé’s Walnut Whip brand recently whipped up a social media storm with the news that it was launching three new variants, Delicate Vanilla, Delicious Caramel and Delightful Mint, with many mistakenly assuming they would be replacing the well-loved classic.

However, the company were quick to assure consumers that the new formats were being launched to offer consumers more choice, as they were now extending the range to make some variants available without the walnut.

Next month also sees the launch

of an exciting new on-pack promotion as Nestlé Confectionery team up with digital movie retailer Sky Store for a promotion that rewards consumers with a €7.99 Buy & Keep movie voucher in return for collecting four promotional packs from its range of best-selling sharing bags. This promotion will also benefit from an advertising support campaign, including TV, digital and social media.

Mondelēz Chocolate represents almost 77% of the total confectionery market in Ireland and as the largest manufacturer with over 45% share, Mondelēz is home to some of Ireland’s favourite chocolate brands, including Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milk

Tray, Roses, Cadbury Creme Egg and Toblerone.

Earlier this year, the Dublin based Cadbury manufacturing site in Coolock celebrated 60 years of delivering top quality consumer favourites that are not only consumed at home but also exported to chocolate lovers worldwide.

While consumer tastes and shopping habits have changed in the past 60 years, the Cadbury brand in Ireland has constantly adapted to suit these needs, which is why the Cadbury Dairy Milk brand could be considered as the icon of the chocolate category.

Cadbury Dairy Milk is Ireland’s number one chocolate brand, worth almost €60m in value sales and growing, which is almost a 20% share of the total

The Cadbury Dairy Milk plain eight square bar is the top selling impulse SKU in the market. chocolate category. Growth, fuelled by significant media investment, innovation and customer support, looks set to continue into 2018 and beyond, with the recent announcement that Cadbury has partnered with the Premier League, a three-year deal that will see the entire Cadbury portfolio benefit. The

partnership officially launched in August with a high reach media investment to announce the association across outdoor and digital. To celebrate the launch, football legends Robbie Fowler, Niall Quinn, Shay Given and Jason McAteer were on hand, along with the Premier League Trophy, spreading the joy of

Cadbury Selection Boxes are a key element of the festive season for generations of Irish consumers.

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Confectionery chocolate and the Premier League to consumers and media outlets, including a special live event partnering with sports media group, Second Captains.

Always pushing boundaries, Cadbury Dairy Milk continues to excite consumers with award winning campaigns, most recently with the Cadbury Dairy Milk Taste campaign celebrating its fresh milk credentials with a highly visible campaign in June spanning across digital, PR, outdoor and experiential.

Earlier in the year, the Cadbury Dairy Milk portfolio welcomed two new editions, Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Mint and Peanut Butter. The combination of the number one chocolate brand and global number one biscuit brand has already proved a massive hit with shoppers. The jewel in the crown, however, is the shopper favourite Cadbury Dairy Milk plain 8 square bar manufactured in Ireland - the number one bestselling impulse SKU in the market and worth €6.3m. Impulse chocolate is the largest sector in the chocolate category, accounting for over 40% of chocolate sales, and with seven of the top 10 SKUs, Mondelēz is the number one manufacturer in the sector, claiming over 50% Share MAT (Source: Nielsen 52w data to August 2017).

Consumer focused innovation has proved a recipe for success for Cadbury Dairy Milk and this, coupled with investment in exciting consumer communication and customer support, warrants the range being a must stock for all retailers.

With Christmas just around the corner, Mondelēz is gearing up for another exciting season. Christmas chocolate sales accounted for over €31m in value sales in 2016, with Mondelēz commanding a 37.8% share and recording an impressive +8.8% increase in unit sales (Source: Nielsen 2016 Christmas Review).

In 2017, Cadbury will once again signpost the start of the season with a packed calendar of consumer communications, PR, POS solutions and in-store support, ensuring their range is the first choice for shoppers.

While traditional chocolate treats across selection boxes, advent calendars, boxed and novelties remain must stock lines for retailers, this year Mondelēz will again introduce new products across the Cadbury, Green & Black’s and Toblerone portfolios that will assist retailers in capitalising on lucrative impulse purchases during the Christmas period.

The advice for retailers to maximise

sales this season is to ensure visibility of seasonal chocolate formats, maximising the use of secondary store features using seasonal point of sale solutions and following proven merchandising principals for the confectionery aisle from early in the season.

Lindt Boasting double digit growth of +16% and a market share of 11.3%, Lindt Lindor maintain their position as Irelands number one premium boxed chocolate brand (Source: AC Nielsen 52 weeks to July 16, 2017, MAT). With a wide range of flavours and attractive formats, Lindt Lindor are guaranteed to cater to all your customer’s needs this Christmas.

From the limited edition Lindor Hazelnut to the classic Lindor Milk recipe, the Lindor Cornet range will excite and engage your customers with a delicious range of flavours to choose from. As ever, Lindt continues to bring innovation to the market and this year sees the launch of the Lindor Christmas Tree: 125g of smooth melting bliss in a seasonal Christmas Tree shape.

On the back of their strong performance in the market, Lindt will deliver a massively up-weighted national support plan behind the Lindor brand this Christmas, with Lindor TV advertising returning to screens and a strong push in-store with premium point of sale and display. Lindt Lindor 200g retails at €6.99 and the Lindor Christmas Tree 125g retails at €6.

Lindt is further helping to ‘Bring the Magic Home’ with the launch of some of the most exciting new products just in time for Christmas 2017. Lovingly created by the Lindt Master Chocolatiers, shoppers can look forward to creating magical family moments with the adorable Lindt Teddy and a collection of

With a wide range of flavours and attractive formats, Lindt Lindor are guaranteed to cater to all your customer’s needs this Christmas. new creations to the Lindt Teddy range, including the Lindt Teddy with Christmas Jumper 200g, now available in festive green, as well as the limited edition Lindt Teddy Red and Pink 100g.

For dark chocolate lovers looking for a bit of sophistication this Christmas, Lindt is introducing the Lindt Excellence Advent Calendar, unique to the market with two delicious thin and intense squares of Ireland’s number one dark chocolate brand, Excellence, to enjoy every day in the countdown to Christmas (Source: AC Nielsen, 52 weeks to July 16, 2017 MAT).

This year sees the launch of the Lindor Christmas Tree: 125g of smooth melting bliss in a seasonal Christmas Tree shape.

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Musgrave Golf Classic

Musgrave Tees Off for IGBF July’s Musgrave Golf Classic at Mount Juliet was the 25th time the Group have held this fantastic event, which raises much-needed funds for the Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund.

ONE of the most enjoyable and hotly contested Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund (IGBF) events of the year is always the Musgrave Golf Classic. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the event, which has been held at Mount Juliet Golf Club, Co. Kilkenny, every year since 1993.

The annual Musgrave Golf Classic was started by the late Ray Burke, former Musgrave Commercial Director, during his term as IGBF President of Appeals. Over the years, Ray was ably assisted by Kieran Whyte, current owner of Whyte’s Centra, Cork, with John Cooney, Off Licence Trading Manager, Musgrave, taking over the mantle in 1998. “The outing is a firm favourite amongst those who support various IGBF golf events,” explained John “It has become so popular that we have a waiting list every year for teams to play.

This year’s outing took place on July 13, and we were delighted to be joined by six past presidents, plus we also had 10 teams who have never missed a Musgrave outing in Mount Juliet tee-ing off on the day.”

The winning team from General Mills.

This year’s Musgrave Golf Outing saw no fewer than six past IGBF Presidents of Appeals taking part. Pictured are (l-r): Gus O'Reilly, Executive Secretary, IGBF; former IGBF Chairman and President, Joe Keane and current Chairman, Donal O’Shea,; with former Presidents of Appeals Noel Keeley, Musgrave Wholesale Partners Managing Director, and Seamus Scally, former Musgrave Group CEO; Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, Musgrave; former Presidents Derek Mooney, Sales Director of JTI; and Neil Finlayson, Sales Director, Mars Ireland.

Organiser of the Musgrave Golf Classic, John Cooney, Off Licence Trading Manager, Musgrave.

Key Fundraising Event The evening began with a pre-drinks reception, with Musgrave Managing Director, Martin Kelleher, patron of the outing, thanking all the suppliers for

The teams from Total Produce and Irish Pride.

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Musgrave Golf Classic their support this year and over the last quarter of a century. A cheque for €35,000 was then presented to Donal O’Shea, IGBF Chairman.

“The IGBF is very dependent and thankful for the goodwill of individuals and the continued support of retailers and suppliers who organise special events to support the fund,” Donal noted. “The Musgrave Mount Juliet Golf Classic is one of the key fundraising events of the IGBF calendar.”

The IGBF Chairman went on to note how John Cooney and the Musgrave Group have been the bed-rock of this great event: “Their support captures the essence of why the IGBF has been so successful over the years.”

For over 33 years, the IGBF has supported individuals and families who have fallen on hard times. It currently supports 260 families or nearly 500 individuals. These people are ex-retailers or shop workers, exsuppliers or manufacturers, who through unemployment, sickness or death have fallen on hard times. When times are tough, a helping hand is greatly appreciated.

The Winning Team At the prize-giving ceremony, it was revealed that the team from General Mills had emerged victorious, pipping Tennant & Ruttle, the runners up playing in their 25th outing. Winning captain Andrew Burke was delighted with his team’s record-breaking score of 119 points, and thanked everyone associated with organising this great event.

Kellogg Ireland have long been supporters of the Musgrave Golf Classic, with Jim McNeill, Managing Director, explaining how “this event has raised hundreds of thousands of euro for the less fortunate in our industry. As a supplier, we are proud to be associated with the success of this event and I personally have many a fond memory of this great event, I look forward to the next 25 years.”

He noted how the Kellogg Ireland team haven’t managed to win it yet, but remains hopeful for next year’s event, which is already being talked about.

Derek Mooney, Sales Director of JTI Ireland and former IGBF President of Appeals, summed up the allure of the Musgrave Golf Outing: “It is an event that everyone wants to participate in, to see what cap John will wear on the night and to hear his comical speech! As a Past President of the Fund, I know the importance this outing has to the overall funding of the Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund. I wish both Musgrave and John Cooney continued success with this event and look forward to playing in many more such events in the coming years.”

Musgrave Managing Director, Martin Kelleher, is pictured presenting a cheque for €35,000 to Donal O’Shea, IGBF Chairman.

The team from Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard at the Musgrave Golf Classic.

Teeing off for the IGBF: the Diageo Ireland team.

Driving growth across the fairway: the team from Edward Dillon & Co.

The Kellogg Ireland team.

The team from JTI Ireland, including former IGBF President of Appeals and JTI Sales Director, Derek Mooney (second from right).

Runners-up in the Musgrave Golf Classic, the team from Tennant & Ruttle.

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Breakfast Cereals The Irish breakfast cereals market is one of the staples of the entire grocery market, and is valued in the region of €227m.

Cereal Numbers!

BREAKFAST cereals remain a vital part of the weekly shop for most Irish households, with Irish consumers amongst the biggest per capita consumers of breakfast cereals on the planet.

Health and wellness remained the leading trend influencing the performance of breakfast cereals in 2016, according to the latest report into the sector by Euromonitor International.

Irish consumers continue to place high importance on health considerations and the nutritional content of products, and are more reluctant to purchase cereals with high levels of sugar usually associated with weight gain. This was particularly reflected in children’s breakfast cereals and ready-to-eat cereals, according to Euromonitor, with the former experiencing a significant decline in sales during 2016, being increasingly substituted for healthier breakfast options such as porridge, gluten-free, and organic product lines, which have better nutrient profiles.

Euromonitor argue that the trend

towards health and wellness will continue to exert major importance on the performance of breakfast cereals, predicting that health considerations will be the key factor driving consumers’ purchase decisions. Future growth will be fuelled by the creation of healthier breakfast innovations promoting healthier lifestyles.

Porridge oats, gluten-free and organic product lines are expected to be increasingly popular in the coming years and gain a wider consumer audience of all age groups. “A health and wellness strategy will be a strategic business imperative, not an option in the forecast period,” the Euromonitor report reveals. “Looking ahead, there are major opportunities for Irish organic cereals to grow as the demand for organic food in Ireland grows at a remarkable pace.”

For the retailer, cereals remain a key category in-store. Indeed, a shopper basket with a cereal in it is worth up to four times more than the average (Source: Dunnhumby & EYC Symphony Data 2015).

Weetabix Additions Weetabix, the number one breakfast cereal (Source: Nielsen Scantrack data to 15/07/17), is launching its Weetabix Additions range in the convenience channel. Following a hugely successful launch in grocery multiples at the beginning of the year, where it has delivered incremental category growth, the brand is hoping to replicate similar success in convenience.

Weetabix Additions was created to drive mass appeal within cereals; the new cereal takes the widespread popularity of Weetabix, and adds delicious fruit pieces. Weetabix Additions is available in two recipe combinations – Apple & Raisin and Coconut & Raisin.

“We’re excited to bring Weetabix Additions to convenience stores,” enthuses Kevin Verbruggen, Head of Brand at Weetabix. “Many people add fruit to their breakfast cereal, for added taste and health, though they often don’t have the time. We’re making it more convenient for shoppers to make a positive choice each morning, by

n o i t i d d A w e n ! y y l i t s m a t a f A x i b a t e e W e h t to

New Weetabix Additions.

It all adds up to more sales.

Have you had your Weetabix?

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Breakfast Cereals loyal customer base, they have gained share in a competitive market driven by a strong performance growth. This is in part supported by the success of their partnership with Operation Transformation, which saw them give away 200,000 free packs of porridge in one day.

“This was a first for us, with bespoke limited edition packaging, to support this hugely popular TV programme in sharing a very important health message around the benefits of oats,” explains Moya Verling, Brand Manager, Flahavan’s. “The message was simple: if the initiative could get more people in Ireland eating porridge for breakfast, we would have a healthier nation. Flahavan’s got on board and supported the initiative with 200,000 free packs around the country, supported by in-store, digital, TV and radio activity.”

While traditional porridge still accounts for the largest share of the market, innovation in convenience products is driving growth in the category. Continuous investment in innovation is key to Flahavan’s success:

Weetabix Additions, which takes the widespread popularity of Weetabix, and adds delicious fruit pieces, is available in two recipe combinations – Apple & Raisin and Coconut & Raisin. adding tasty fruit to the nation’s favourite breakfast cereal.”

Accordidng to Verbruggen, “Weetabix is increasing in popularity, and has strengthened its number one position. The public have loved the return to our ‘Have You Had Your Weetabix?’ TV advertising campaign.

Whilst Weetabix Original is a muststock item for many retailers, displaying Weetabix Additions can add excitement and growth to the category.”

Flahavan’s Flahavan’s is Ireland’s favourite porridge brand and continues to drive growth in the breakfast category, according to the company. While the total breakfast cereal sector is experiencing decline across all metrics, the hot oats category is in growth, mainly driven by an increase in new consumers to the category, according to Flahavan’s.

Testament to the consistent high quality of Flahavan’s oats, and their

Flahavan’s have unveiled the Super Oats drum, with a free scoop for easy measuring, supported by a heavyweight launch plan.

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Breakfast Cereals it allows them to retain their loyal customer while all the time encouraging new entrants into the category. Their innovation strategy is supported by a focused investment in researching and understanding changing customer needs and this has been key to successfully launching the right products for specific consumer needs. Recent new additions to the range include a variety pack of sachets, the relaunch of Organic sachets and Pots, and the launch of a new Red Berry Granola to support the already established Toasted Nut and Original varieties.

Flahavan’s have also launched the Super Oats drum, which is sure to be a hit with Irish children. Following extensive research, they identified that many parents who already understood the health benefits of porridge wanted to provide the same wholesome, natural, healthy breakfast for their children. Children of school going age tended to be influenced by peers in school, so parents were looking for a porridge product that would appeal to children in the form of ‘healthy pester power’ and so Flahavan’s launched Super Oats Flahavan’s Super Oats is super for active kids as its smoother texture appeals to younger children, and the oats are a source of protein, which contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. The oats are high in fibre, 100% Irish wholegrain, providing a slow release of energy and helping to sustain children’s energy levels throughout the morning.

Super Oats is available in drum format with a free scoop for easy measuring and is microwave ready in two minutes. A full launch support plan will be rolling out in September to support the product.

Kellogg’s has changed the recipe of its cereal and milk bar range to cut the sugar levels and increase Vitamin D and fibre, including Rice Krispies Bars.

Kellogg’s Kellogg’s has changed the recipe for the three products in its cereal and milk bar range to cut the sugar levels. Coco Pops Bars have been reduced by 24% and Frosties and Rice Krispies Bars by 19%. As part of the recipe change, the cereal and snacks company has also added Vitamin D and extra fibre to these lunchbox favourites.

Since 2010, Kellogg’s food development team have listened to parents and worked hard to meet rising demands for lower sugar options. The company has an ongoing programme to reduce sugar in its food.

“This reformulation is part of Kellogg’s commitment to giving people more of what This Christmas, the Kellogg’s ‘24 bowls til’ Christmas’ breakfast advent calendar offers they want and need, like cereal lovers the chance of trying a different Kellogg’s cereal every day as they count fibre and added vitamins and down to the holidays. minerals and less of what they loved tradition offers cereal lovers the chance to try a different don’t, like salt and sugar,” Kellogg’s cereal every day as they count down to the holidays. explained Dr Alexa Hoyland, senior UK nutrition manager. “We The calendar, which comes as a sleeve around a month’s know parents want to give their children tasty snacks that are supply of Kellogg’s variety packs, gives breakfast lovers a daily better nutritionally. That’s why we are reducing the sugar and window that reveals which bowl of cereal from the packs you are increasing the fibre, whilst keeping the great taste of these to eat each day, alongside a festive message. Cereal super fans bars. We also want to provide opportunities for parents to give can enjoy all their favourites including Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, their children the vital nutrient, vitamin D, which we know Kellogg’s Coco Pops and Rice Krispies. children are not getting enough of.”

The calendars will also help consumers to get into the festive This year will also see Kellogg’s unveil ‘24 bowls til’ spirit, encouraging them to join Kellogg’s Christmas party with a Christmas’, its first breakfast advent calendar. Launching selfie competition available on the back of packs. exclusively with Tesco, the alternative take on the much-

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Breakfast Cereals Nestlé Breakfast Cereals Nestlé Breakfast Cereals, made

by Cereal Partners Worldwide, is committing to reduce a further 10% in the average sugar content across its cereal range by the end of 2018.

This move is part of an ongoing programme to reduce average sugar across the product portfolio. These changes will be achieved through a combination of reformulation and by growing the share of lower sugar variants. Since 2010, Nestlé Breakfast Cereals in the UK and Ireland has already reduced its average sugar content by 15% across the portfolio.

Nestlé Breakfast Cereals’ new commitment to improve the nutrition profile of its cereals builds on more than a decade of reformulations in reducing sugar and salt, while increasing levels of whole grain. Nestlé Shreddies is asking Ireland if it’s ‘Shreddie or not?’ as part of a new marketing Breakfast Cereals sold in the UK and campaign, including a fresh new look for Shreddies packs and a widespread Ireland in 2016 contained an additional multichannel advertising programme.

3,600 tonnes of whole grain compared with 2003 levels. across the nation. Offering consumers artificial flavours and colours across our “We believe breakfast is the most healthier and tastier cereals is one of entire product portfolio. Making these important meal of the day and our our top priorities and we are determined improvements is crucial to us offering cereals provide vitamins, minerals and to make breakfast even better for better choices for our consumers while fibre to the diet,” noted Gharry Eccles, everyone. retaining the same great taste.”

UK Regional Vice President of Cereal “We’ll take every opportunity to Meanwhile, family favourite, Partners Worldwide. “We also know that drive forward improvements across Shreddies is asking Ireland if it’s breakfast cereals can play a part in the our range. For example, by the end of ‘Shreddie or not?’ as part of a new efforts to reduce sugar consumption this year, our cereals will be free from marketing campaign unveiled this month by Nestlé Breakfast Cereals.

The campaign will see a fresh new look for Shreddies packs and a widespread multichannel advertising programme.

With new advertisements planned across TV and digital, the campaign is designed to resonate with consumers across Ireland.

By taking a humorous look at two alternative realities, the ads will reflect the chaos of modern life and how the right Shreddie attitude can make a big difference to your day.

“Modern family life can be hectic,” admits Jennifer Good, Nestlé Breakfast Cereals in Ireland. “That’s why it’s important to start your day with the right attitude. Our new brand campaign aims to convey that message to families in a way that will bring a smile to their face, and probably a big nod of recognition.”

Good added, “Shreddies is a source of iron, which contributes to energy release, helping to provide a wholesome and nutritious start to the day. Our cereals help play an important role in people enjoying a healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle – providing vitamins, Nestlé Breakfast Cereals is committing to reduce a further 10% in the average sugar minerals and fibre to the diet.” content across its cereal range by the end of 2018.

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Face Care

Super-Charge Your Skin with Nivea’s Q10 plus C Energy Range BUSY lives wreak havoc on our skin. Now, women can supercharge their skin with Nivea’s new Q10 plus C Energy range.

Ireland’s number one face care brand has introduced a highly effective formula, with powerful Q10 and Vitamin C ingredients which gives skin a fresh, natural boost, leaving behind a smoother, more radiant complexion.

New Q10 plus C Energy has been specifically designed so women can recapture their fresher, younger-looking skin, through a superior anti-aging formula that combines its proven Q10 anti-age ingredient with pure Vitamin C to instantly revitalise and brighten the skin’s complexion.

The range contains three new expert products to super-charge your whole skin care regime. It acts against external aggressors such as free radicals generated

by UV rays, environmental pollution and stress.

79973 Trade Advert – Cleansing 185x130 V2

Q10 plus C Anti-Wrinkle Skin Sleep Cream This super smooth formula is the first mass skincare product to feature Pure Vitamin C in a unique and original formulation. The innovative sleep treatment sinks deep into the skin during the night, effectively tackling oxidative stress at a cellular level.

Q10 plus C Anti-Wrinkle and Energy Day Care Cream SPF 15 This hydrating, comforting and luxurious moisturiser enhances the skin's natural radiance with Vitamin C, while protecting it from damaging UV rays with SPF 15.

Q10 plus C Anti-Wrinkle Energy Eye Cream This instantly revives and brightens tired eyes.

It features a 18:41 highlyHR.pdf 1 23/08/2017

concentrated Coenzyme Q10 and pure Vitamin C formula that works to condition, smooth out and soften the visual appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the delicate eye area.

CLEANSING FROM | *Nielsen ROI Extended Scantrack 52 week data to 12th June 2016 (Copyright © 2016, The Nielsen Company).

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Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards

Finalists Announced for Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards The judges have released the shortlist for the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards.

THE finalists for the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards have been announced, with 90 categories packed with deliciously unique products from across the country.

Categories include a bevy of bread beauties from savoury to sweet, soda breads to scones; a festive feast of Christmas produce from seasonally spiced yogurt to speciality salmon sides; dairy delights including a lullaby milk and other categories from delicatessen to desserts, fish to frozen, ‘food to go’ to fresh produce and meats from bacon to beef, burgers to barbecue, poultry to puddings.

This year’s Irish Quality Drink Awards pack a punch, with a wide range of entrants from stout to organic sauvignon, and from champagne to cider.

All retailers, food producers and manufacturers across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were invited to enter products for the chance to achieve industry acclaim.

The awards include The 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.

New this year are the Irish Foodservice Awards, to recognise excellence in the foodservice sector, and the Irish Good Choice! Awards for the ever-growing healthier options categories. The Small Producer Award is sponsored by Dunnes Stores Simply Better, while a new arrival this year is the Irish Food Hero Award, designed to recognise the unsung heroes of the Irish food sector, sponsored by Tesco.

A prestigious team of judges spent four weeks tasting entries from across Ireland at the Dublin Institute of Technology’s School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology and whittled entries down to the finalists. The results will be announced at a sumptuous gala dinner on October 26 at a new venue: Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin 4.

Bigger & Better Than Ever “This year’s awards have been bigger and better than ever – our best yet!” enthused Helen Lyons, Publishing Director of award organisers, Metropolis Business Media. “We have been in awe at the standard of the food and drink we have tasted and tested over the past month – it has been very tough for our expert judges to choose our finalists.

Everyone is a winner here.”

Last year’s winner of 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,” noted Pat Whelan, CEO at James Whelan Butchers.

Sponsors The awards have once again been headline sponsored by innovative packaging company Graphic Packaging International. Other sponsors include Dairymaid, Invest Northern Ireland and Sacla’.

The Irish Good Choice! Quality Food

A prestigious team of judges spent four weeks tasting entries from across Ireland at the Dublin Institute of Technology’s School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology.

Awards are working in partnership with the Coeliac Society of Ireland, who play an important role during the stringent judging process of the new awards, focusing on the healthier and Free From market.

Full category descriptions are detailed on the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards website: irish.qualityfoodawards.com.

Make sure you stay up to date with the latest news and competitions via the IQFA Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ IrishQualityFoodAwards and on Twitter @IrishQFAs.

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Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards Irish Quality Food Awards Shortlist Biscuits - Savoury • Aldi Specially Selected Gourmet Cracker Sea Salt - Fairway GB • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Multi Seed Rye Crackers - Sheridan’s • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Wholemeal Crackers - Sheridan’s • Tesco Finest Italian Chiappe Flatbread Crosta Mollica Biscuits - Sweet • Aldi Specially Selected Shortbread Rounds Lemon - Deans Of Huntly • Dunnes Stores Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies - CSM • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Handmade All Butter Belgian Chocolate Shortbread West Cork Biscuit Company • Dunnes Stores Simply Better All Butter Oat & Cranberry Cookies - West Cork Biscuit Company • Spar Select Shortbread Chocolate Biscuit Brogan’s Bakery Bread - Loaves and Rolls • Dunnes Stores Signature Sourdough Staffords • Dunnes Stores Ancient Grains Cob Staffords • Tesco Spelt and Honey Demi Baguette Aryzta Bread - Morning Goods • Aryzta Food Solutions Cranberry and Lemon Drizzle Scone • Dunnes Stores Fruit Scone - O’Keeffe’s • Dunnes Stores Pain au Chocolat - Deli France • Lidl Connell Bakery Mini Pancakes - Hovis • Tesco Finest Croissants 4 Pack Lantmannen • Tesco Finest Strawberry Rhubarb and Ginger Muffin – Aryzta Bread - Speciality Breads • Aryzta Le Parisien Rustique • Tesco Finest Cranberry Pumpkin & Sunflower - Aryzta • The Breadski Brothers Spelt Bread Bread – Wheaten and Soda Breads • Aldi Specially Selected Fruited Wheaten Stapletons • Dunnes Stores Sprouted Grains Soda Staffords • Tesco Finest Chia & Cranberry - Stapletons Cakes - Large Cakes • Dunnes Stores Bunting Celebration Cake Brogans Bakery • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Handmade All Butter Lemon & Irish Blackcurrant Layer Cake - Sam’s Cookies • Tesco Finest Coffee & Walnut Cake Memory Lane Cakes Cakes - Small Cakes • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Handmade All Butter Irish Raspberry Bakewell Slices - Sam’s Cookies • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Handmade Belgian Chocolate Salted Caramel Shortbread Slices - Sam’s Cookies • Lidl Apple and Blackberry Trellis - Golden Bake

Cereals • Aldi Specially Selected Indulgent Granola Salted Caramel - Pioneer Foods • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Handmade Red Berry Granola - Foods of Athenry • Lidl Crownfield Seeds for Cereal - Crunchy Linseed - Virginia Health Food • Tesco Finest Seven Nut Granola - Bokomo Foods Cereals - Porridge • Aldi Kavanaghs Organic Porridge Oats – White’s Speedicook • Grandma Henvey’s Gluten Free Oats • Lidl Deluxe Organic Wafer Oats – White’s Speedicook Cheese - Hard • Aldi Specially Selected Irish Vintage Cheddar - Carbery • Dunnes Stores Simply Better 30 Month Matured Vintage Irish Cheddar Traditional Cheese Company • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Cave Aged Gruyere - Traditional Cheese Company • Lidl Rathdaragh Irish Extra Mature Cheddar - Dale Farm • Tesco Finest Abondance Cheese - Castelli Cheese - Soft • Aldi Specially Selected Irish Buffalo Mozzarella - BaileyVale • Dunnes Stores Creamy & Fragrant Wexford Camembert - Carrigbyrne Farmhouse • Tesco Finest Camembert D’isigny En Normandie - Castelli • Tesco Finest St. Felicien - Castelli Cheese - Speciality • Aldi Specially Selected Flavoured Irish Goats Cheese Log Honey, Thyme & Garlic Bluebell Falls • Dunnes Stores Irish Soft Cheese with Pesto Layer - Killowen • Lidl Deluxe Tipperary Blue - Cashel Blue • Tesco Finest Gorgonzola Piccante - Castelli Children’s Food • Aldi Mamia Chicken & Veg Hotpot • Dunnes Stores Irish Baby Strawberries • Organix Goodies Carrot Soft Oaty Bar • Pip and Pear Fishy Dishy Chocolate and Confectionery • Aldi Roisins Chocolate & Orange Bar Aines Chocolates • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Salted Caramel Fudge - Mella’s Fudge • Tesco 74% Cocoa Ivory Coast Plain Chocolate - OP Chocolate Christmas Q - Bakery, Desserts & Confectionery • Dunnes Stores 6 All Butter Mince Pies Sargent Bakery • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Plum Liqueur Pudding with an Apricot & Roasted Nut Topping & a Hidden Plum Centre - Seery’s • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Handmade Belgian Chocolate Florentine Selection - Sam’s Cookies • Lidl Mince and Brandy Trellis - Golden Bake • Tesco Mince Logs - Golden Bake

Christmas Q - Cakes • Aldi Gluten Free Iced Fruit Cake - Denise’s Delicious Gourmet Food • Dunnes Stores Christmas Portuguese Tart - Mannings Bakery • Dunnes Stores Fully Iced Christmas Cake Brogans Bakery Christmas Q - Fish • Aldi Specially Selected Salmon Side, Lemon Lime & Pepper Marinade Morgans Fine Fish • Dunnes Stores Make Christmas Mini Smoked Salmon Terrines - Keohane Seafoods • Dunnes Stores Make Christmas Smoked Salmon Selection - William Carr • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Oak & Hickory Smoked Salmon - Dunns of Dublin / Oceanpath • Tesco Finest Scottish Smoked Salmon Trio - Farne Salmon & Trout Christmas Q - Meat • Aldi Specially Selected Angus Fillet Barrel - ABP Cahir • Aldi Specially Selected Exquisite Free Range Turkey parcel with a Plump Fruit Stuffing - IGWT • Aldi Specially Selected Stuffed Roast Cooked Turkey Crown with Cranberry and Apricot Stuffing - Carroll Cuisine • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Award Winning Honey & Clove Baked Irish Ham O’Brien Fine Foods • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Bronze Turkey Crown with Cranberry, Apricot & Clementine Stuffing - Hogan’s Farm • Hogan’s Farm Charlesfort Turkey Roulade • Tesco Finest Free Range Bronze Turkey Joint Stuffed with Cranberry and Orange Stuffing and Wrapped in Parma Ham Grove Turkeys • Tesco Irish Hand Trimmed Jewelled Lamb Leg - Hilton Foods • Tesco Irish Unsmoked Dry Cured Ham with Mulling Spices and a Honey and Apple Glaze - Hilton Foods Christmas Q - Savoury • Aldi Specially Selected Stuffing Cranberry, Apricot & Orange -TS Foods • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Continental Cheese Board Selection - Traditional Cheese Company • Tesco Finest Camembert Sharing Bread Bakkavor Christmas Q - Sweet • Aldi Specially Selected Ballycastle Flavoured Cream - Green Valley Farms (Killowen) • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Handmade Cranberry Sauce - Wexford Preserves • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Seasonally Spiced Cranberry & Orange Farmhouse Yogurt - Killowen Farm • Lidl Deluxe Brandy Cream - Aurivo • Tesco Extra Thick Brandy Cream - Arla Foods Cold Beverages - Juices • Aldi Specially Selected Orange Juice Smooth • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Freshly

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Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards Irish Quality Food Awards Shortlist •

Squeezed Valencia Pure Orange Juice Keeling’s Juices Keeling Juices Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice SiSú Daily Greens SiSú Zesty Summer Fruits

• •

Cold Beverages - Soft Drinks • Aldi Ridge Water Tonic • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Made Valencia Orange Lemonade - Ballycross Apple Farm • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Raspberry & Wexford Rhubarb Cordial Naturally Cordial • Lidl Deluxe Italian Apple Presse Glenpatrick Spring Water Co. • Naturally Cordial Lemon & Raspberry Cordial

•

• • •

Cooking Sauces • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Italian Puttanesca Pasta Sauce - Taste With Gusto • PEPPUP Roasted Pepper and Tomato Pasta Sauce Dairy - Butters and Spreads • Kerry Foods Dairygold Softer • Kerry Foods Golden Cow Softer • North Cork Cooperative Creameries Pure Irish Creamery Butter Dairy - Chilled • Aldi Clonbawn Sour Cream - Light Version - Green Pastures • Bainne Codladh Lullaby Milk • Dunnes Stores Delicate & Smooth Crème Fraiche - Natural Dairies • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Fresh Irish Madagascan Vanilla Bean Custard - Spice O’Life • Kerry Foods Dairygold Deli Smokey Chipotle • North Cork Cooperative Creameries Kanturk Dairies Wholemilk • Tesco Fresh Organic Milk - Aurivo Consumer Foods Dairy - Yogurts • Aldi Specially Selected Authentically Strained Flavoured Greek Style Yogurt, Mandarin and Lime - Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt • Aldi Specially Selected Greek Style Yogurt, Mango & Nectarine - Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt • Aldi Specially Selected Authentically Strained Flavoured Greek Style Yogurt, Raspberry & White Chocolate - Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt • Lidl Coolree Creamery Deluxe Irish Premium Lemon Curd Yogurt - Irish Yogurts Delicatessen - Antipasti • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Italian Grilled Peppers - Taste with Gusto • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Italian Sundried Tomatoes - Taste with Gusto • Tesco Kalamata and Green Olives with Feta - Katsouris Brothers • Tesco Meditterranean Platter - Katsouris Brothers Delicatessen – Continental Meats • AtasteofSol Iberico Chorizo Belotta

• •

•

AtasteofSol Iberico Jamon Belotta Aldi Specially Selected Iberico Chorizo Continental Fine Foods Dunnes Stores Simply Better Spanish Charcuterie Selection - Redondo Dunnes Stores Simply Better Spanish Jamon De Bellota 100% Iberico - Redondo Tesco Finest Bresaola - Salumificio Fratelli Beretta Spa Tesco Finest Spanish Platter Winterbotham Darby & Co.

Delicatessen - Dips • Aldi The Deli Pesto Topped Houmous Zorba Foods • Dunnes Stores Broad Bean & Pea Dip Orexis • Tesco Extreme Chilli Houmous - Bakkavor Delicatessen – Pre-Cooked Meats: Joints • O’Brien Fine Foods Brady Family Glazed Ham on the Bone • O’Brien Fine Foods Brady Family Turf Smoked Ham • Tesco Finest Counter Roast Ham on the Bone - Kerry Foods Delicatessen – Pre-Cooked Meats: Prepacked • O’Brien Fine Foods Brady Family Just Add Wood Smoked Shredded Ham • O’Brien Fine Foods Homebird Irish Roast Chicken • O’Brien Fine Foods Homebird Irish Roast Turkey • Tesco Finest Carved Beef - O' Brien Fine Foods Delicatessen – Other Deli Products • Mama Nagi’s Sweet Bengali Chilli Paste • Tesco Finest Giant Cous Cous Feta & Lentils with Roasted Red Peppers Desserts and Puddings • Couverture Sticky Toffee & Date Pudding • Dunnes Stores Light & Zesty Sicilian Lemon Cheesecake - Prestige • Murphys Home Bakery - Cuisine De France Apple Tart • The Elizabeth Ann Dessert Collection Chocolate & Raspberry Tart Eggs • Aldi Healys Farm Omega 3 Free Range Eggs 6 pack - The Nest Box • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Free Range Corn Fed Large Eggs - Greenfield Foods Fish - Fresh & Frozen • Aldi Specially Selected Organic Irish Salmon Fillets - Goodfish • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Cooked Irish Lobster - Shellfish Ireland • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Fresh Organic Irish Salmon Darnes - Keohane Seafoods • Tesco Hake Fillets - Good Fish Processing (Carrigaline) Fish - Prepared • Dunnes Stores Lightly Smoked Salmon Darnes - Keohane’s Seafood • Lidl Deluxe Salmon Sensation - William Carr • Lidl Deluxe Seafood Chowder - Galmere Fresh Foods

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Tesco Finest Sweetcure Mackerel Strips Nor-Sea Foods Tesco Finest Traditionally Smoked Haddock - Good Fish Processing (Carrigaline) The Fresh Fish Deli Traditional Smoked Haddock Fish Cakes

Fish - Smoked • Aldi Specially Selected Irish Organic Cold Smoked Salmon - Carr & Sons • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Oak & Hickory Smoked Trout - Dunns of Dublin • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Oak Smoked Organic Irish Salmon with Honey & Dill Burren Smokehouse • Tesco Finest Smoked Salmon - Farne Salmon and Trout Food To Go • Applegreen Vitality Salad - Deli Lites • Aldi Tasty Turkey Slimbo • Dunnes Stores Edamane Bean Salad • Dunnes Stores Pomegranate & Mixed Leaves Salad - Nature's Best Fresh Produce Fruit: Prepared • Aldi Mango Chunks - Simply Fruit • Dunnes Stores Melon Free Fruit - Freshcut Foods • Tesco Melon and Pineapple Finger Trio Bakkavor • Tesco Strawberries Grapes Blueberries & Blackberries - Berryworld Fresh Produce Fruit: Unprepared • Dunnes Stores Irish King Strawberries Grower: Pat Clarke • Dunnes Stores Perfectly Ripe Mango Total Produce • Keelings Sweet Eating Irish Strawberries • Tesco Finest Raspberries - Keelings Fresh Produce Salad: Prepared • Dunnes Stores Irish Atlantic Dillisk Seaweed & Baby Leaves with an Asian & Sesame Seed Dressing – Nature’s Best • Dunnes Stores Kale Slaw – Nature’s Best • Lidl Deluxe Braised Lentil & Beetroot Salad - Galmere Fresh Foods • Lidl Deluxe Lentil & Goats Cheese Salad • Lidl Deluxe Fresh Potato Salad with Bacon - Willbowbrook Foods • Lidl Meadow Fresh Mediterranean Salad Bowl - Willowbrook Foods • Tesco Three Bean Salad - Nature’s Best Fresh Produce Salad: Unprepared • Aldi Specially Selected Piccolo Tomatoes Donnellys • Aldi Specially Selected Sunstream Tomatoes - Donnellys • Dunnes Stores Perfectly Ripe Baby Avocados • Tesco Finest Mini San Marzano Tomatoes Total Produce Fresh Produce Vegetables: Prepared • Aldi Specially Selected Stir Fry Veg Willowbrook • Dunnes Stores Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato Fries - Nature’s Best • Dunnes Stores MFF Vegetable Fajita Kit Nature’s Best • Milgro Crispy Onions Original Flavour • Tesco Corn on the Cob - Nature’s Best

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Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards Irish Quality Food Awards Shortlist Fresh Produce Vegetables: Unprepared • Aldi Tom O’Hanlons Potted Herbs - Iverk • Aldi Specially Selected Roosters - Iverk • Dunnes Stores Irish Wet Garlic - West Cork Garlic • Kerrigans Mushrooms Pesticide Free • Meade Potato Company Rooster Potatoes • Tesco Sweetheart Cabbage - Gilfresh Produce Frozen Food - Savoury • Aldi Specially Selected Sweet Potato Fries - Handy Foods • Dunnes Stores 10 Duck Spring Rolls with Hoisin Sauce - We Are Spiced (Global Foods) • Tesco Salt & Pepper Crinkle Chips Fullers Foods International Frozen Food - Sweet • Aldi Specially Selected Hand Rolled Roulade - Fusco Foods • Dunnes Stores Dutch Apple Pie Specialiteiten Bakkerij • Dunnes Stores Simply Better French All Butter Tarte au Citron - Boncolac • Ice Cream Treats Ltd Yomega 3 Raspberry Greek Style Frozen Yogurt • Morelli Ice Cream Double Cream Vanilla Ice Cream • Tesco Finest Valencia Orange Juice Lollies - R & R Ice Cream Home Baking • Dunnes Stores Baking At Home Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix - Gempack • Dunnes Stores Sweet All Butter Pastry Case - Pidy Foods • Tesco Red Velvet Cake Kit - Symingtons Jams, Sweet Spreads & Sauces • Aldi Kilcree Gold Manuka MGO 100 Mileeven • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Limited Edition Handmade Seville Orange Marmalade - Wexford Home Preserves • Healy Family Raw Honeycomb • Lidl Deluxe Raspberry and Cinnamon Preserve - Follain Meat - Bacon • Aldi Specially Selected Bacon Medallions Smoked Honey - Oakpark • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Dry Cured Irish Rashers - Callan Bacon • Lidl Glensallagh Honeycure Bacon Honeyvale Foods • Lidl Glensallagh Streaky Bacon Smoked Honeyvale Foods • Tesco Finest Maple Back Rashers - Hilton Foods Meat - Beef • Aldi Specially Selected Rib on the Bone ABP Cahir • Tesco Finest Irish Angus Carvery Ribbon Roast - ABP • Tesco Finest Irish Angus New York Ribbon Steak - ABP Meat - Beef Steaks - Fillet • Aldi Specially Selected 28 Day Matured 8oz Fillet Steaks - ABP Cahir • Lidl Inisvale Fillet Steak - Liffey Meats • Dunnes Stores Simply Better 14 Day Matured Irish Angus Fillet Steak -

•

Tendermeats Tesco Finest Irish Angus Beef Fillet Steak - Hilton Foods

• Meat - Beef Steaks - Rib Eye • Aldi Specially Selected Black Angus Rib Eye Steak - ABP Ireland • Aldi Specially Selected Angus 30 Day Tipperary Dry Aged Ribeye Steak - ABP Cahir • Dunnes Stores Simply Better 28 Day Matured Irish Angus Rib Eye Steaks Tendermeats • Tesco Finest Irish Angus Rib Eye - Hilton Foods

Meat - Beef Steaks Striploin-Sirloin • Aldi Specially Selected Black Angus Striploin Steak - ABP Ireland • Aldi Specially Selected Tipperary Dry Aged Black Angus Striploin Steak - ABP Ireland • Dunnes Stores Simply Better 28 Day Matured Irish Angus Striploin Steaks Tendermeats • Sheelin Dry Aged Striploin Steak - Liffey Meats • Tesco Finest Irish Angus Striploin Steak Hilton Foods Meat - Burgers and Meatballs • Dunnes Stores 2 Applewood Cheddar & Jalapeno 6oz Beef Burgers - Meat & More • Dunnes Stores 2 Sundried Tomato & Mint 6oz Lamb Burgers - Meat & More • Tesco Finest Irish Beef Meatballs World Taste Italian Herb - Hilton Foods • Tesco Finest Pepper Edge Irish Angus Beef Burgers - Hilton Foods Meat - Game • Aldi Specially Selected Lemon Pepper Duck Fillets - Silver Hill Foods • Lidl Confit Duck Legs - Silver Hill Foods • Lidl Duck Breast with Garlic & Pepper Silver Hill Foods • Silver Hill Farm Crispy Roast Half Duck with Chinese Pancakes and Hoi Sin Sauce Meat - Lamb • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Connemara Hill Lamb Fresh Irish Lamb Rump Roast Tendermeats • Garrett’s EasiCarve Leg of Lamb • Lidl Inisvale Rack of Lamb • Tesco Irish Lamb Loin Chops with Herb and Mint Marinade - Hilton Foods • Tesco Irish Lamb Rack - Hilton Foods Meat - Pork • Aldi Specially Selected Irish BBQ Flavour Ribs with Hickory BBQ Sauce - ABP Foodgroup • Dunnes Stores Cook at Home Apple & Blueberry Stuffed Pork Fillet - Meat & More • James Whelan Butchers Heritage Cure Ham • Kerry Foods Fire & Smoke Chipotle Ham Shavings • Tesco Finest Pork Rib Rack with Apple and Cinnamon Sauce Meat - Poultry • Aldi Specially Selected Cook in the Bag Chicken with Black Pudding Stuffing topped with Bacon - Carton Bros

• •

• •

Dunnes Stores Cook at Home Black Pudding Stuffed Chicken Breasts Coated in Crispy Breadcrumbs - Shannonvale Dunnes Stores Simply Better Fresh Irish Corn Fed Chicken Crown with Cranberry, Clementine & Apricot Stuffing and a Sage Butter Star - Carton Brothers Hogan’s Farm Traditional Free Range Woodland Bronze Basted Turkey Crown Garrett’s EasiCarve Chicken

Meat - Puddings • Clonakilty Blackpudding • Garrett’s Nana Lizzie Black Pudding • Meere’s Traditional Square Black Pudding • Rudd’s Black and White Pudding Roulade • Rudd’s Black Pudding • Rudd’s White Pudding • Tesco Finest Mini Pudding Chubs - Crinkle Fine Foods Meat - Sausages • Arthur Mallon Foods Mallon’s Gourmet Sausage Smoke Infused • Asda Extra Special Pork & Sweet Chilli Sausages - Finnebrogue Artisan • Clonakilty Blackpudding Sausages • Dunnes Stores Simply Better 6 Superior Fennel & Garlic Irish Pork Sausages Arthur Mallon Foods • Dunnes Stores Simply Better 6 Superior Habanero Chilli Irish Pork Sausages Arthur Mallon Foods • Tesco Finest Traditional Sausages - Hilton Foods Oils, Vinegars, Relishes & Chutney • Aldi Specially Selected 100% Irish Rapeseed Oil - Donegal Rapeseed Oil • Aldi Specially Selected Irish Relish Caramelised Red Onion • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Aceto Balsamico Di Modena IGP Balsamic Vinegar of Modena - Del Gusto • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Sicilian DOP Val Di Mazara Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Del Gusto • Tesco Finest Hot Habenero Chilli Relish Pasta, Rice & Grains • Aldi Microwave Mediterranean Quinoa Fiddes Payne • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Italian Burrata and N’duja Mezzelune - Bertagni • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Italian Egg Bronze Die Lasagne Sheets - Taste with Gusto • Tesco Finest Pumpkin & Amaretti Ravioli Voltan SpA Pizzas • Aldi Specially Selected Spicy Salami Pizza - Stateside Foods • Dunnes Stores Goats Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Pizza • Lidl Italiamo Goats Cheese, Spinach & Caramlised Onion Pizza - Crust & Crumb Bakery • Tesco Finest Wood Fired Spicy Italian Meat Pizza - Bakkavor Quiches, Pies and Pasties • Aldi Specially Selected Chicken & Chorizo Pie • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Handmade West Cork Gubbeen Chorizo & Irish Potato

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Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards Irish Quality Food Awards Shortlist • • •

Quiche - Zanna Cookhouse Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Goat’s Cheese & Caramelised Red Onion Quiche Zanna Cookhouse Tesco Finest Goats Cheese & Red Pepper Quiche - Greencore

Ready Meals & Ethnic Ready Meals • Dunnes Stores Cook at Home BBQ Pork Shoulder with an Apple & Cumin Sauce Meat & More • Lidl Chicken & Brocolli Bake - Emaan Meal Solutions • Simon’s Fish Pie • Simon’s Thai Prawn Curry • Tesco Irish Classics Bacon & Cabbage Dinner - Country Crest Ready to Cook • Aldi Butchers Selection Rotisserie Whole Chicken Cook in the Bag - Carton Bros / Western Brand • Dunnes Stores Cook at Home Herb Crusted Bone in Pork Chops with a Wholegrain Mustard Butter - Meat & More • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Fresh Irish Monkfish Fillets Wrapped In Prosciuttio Di Parma - Keohane Seafoods • Tesco Green Thai Chicken Fillet with Chilli & Lime Crumb - Manor Farm Sauces and Salad Dressings • Aldi Bag in the Bowl Dressing, Raspberry – Nature’s Best • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Made Honey & Mustard Dressing - Derrycamma Farm • Fused Cheeky Chilli Soy Sauce • Fused Glorious Ginger Soy Sauce Side Dishes • Dunnes Stores Broccoli, Quinoa & Kale with a Lemon and Chive Butter - Avondale • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Cheddar Cheese Fennel & Leek Bake - Wonderfoods • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Potato & Leek Bake - Wonderfoods • Mash Direct Carrot & Parsnip Fries Snacks - Savoury Crisps • Keogh’s Atlantic Sea Salt & Irish Cider Vinegar Potato Crisps • Keogh’s Chorizo & Cherry Tomato Potato Crisps • Keogh’s Sweet Chilli & Irish Red Pepper • O’Donnell’s Ballymaloe Relish and Cheddar Cheese Crisps Snacks - Savoury • Dunnes Stores Mini Salted Pretzels Boehli • Golden Popcorn Salty Sea Epic • Golden Popcorn Sweet & Salty Dynamic Duo • Spar Select Sweet & Salt Popcorn - Food Stories • Tesco Finest Roasted Nut Selection Besana Snacks - Sweet • Aldi Specially Selected Popcorn Extra Butter Toffee - CPAC Foods • Golden Popcorn Sweet Love Story Soup • Aldi Specially Selected Tomato & Basil

• •

Soup - Glanbia Consumer Foods Dunnes Stores Coconut & Chilli Ramen Soup with Chicken Dunnes Stores Pea, Kale & Buckwheat Soup

Teas & Other Hot Beverages • Aldi McGraths Reserve Tea bags - Robert Roberts • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Handmade Belgian Hot Chocolate & Seville Orange Swirl Stick - Aine’s Handmade Chocolates • Lidl Green Rooibos and Peach Tea • Tesco Gold Blend Tea - Punjana Value Q - Ambient • Dunnes Stores MFF Salted Popcorn - Kolak • Lidl Simply Roasted & Salted Peanuts Pittjes • Lidl Simply Tortilla Chips - Snack Food Poco Loco Value Q - Chilled • Aldi Light Mild Red Sliced Cheddar Carbery • Dunnes Stores My Family Favourites Irish Mature Red Cheddar - Bandonvale • Tesco 16 Irish Pork sausages - Hilton Foods • Tesco Vintage Irish White Cheddar - Adams Foods Value Q - Frozen • Aldi Oakhurst 6oz Beef Burger - Dawn Meats • Dunnes Stores My Family Favourites 4 Breaded Cod Fillets - Pickenpack • Tesco Crispy Potatoes - Fullers Foods

Irish Quality Drink Awards Shortlist Red Wine Under €12 • Tesco Finest Faugeres - Advini • Tesco Finest Lambrusco Reggiano Cantine Riunite & CIV sca • Tesco Finest St Chinian - Les Vins Skalli • Tesco Valpolicella Ripasso DOC - Liberty Wines Red Wine Over €12 • Aldi Domaine Pere Papite Chateauneuf Du Pape - Benoiot & Valerie Calvet • Artiga Fustel La Cuna de la Poesia Reserva doc Rioja 2012 • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva Campomaggio Cassidy Wines • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Esquinas De Argento Malbec - Cassidy Wines • Lidl Saint Emilion Gran Cru AOC - Union de Producteurs • Tesco Finest Minervois - Les Grands Chais de France • Tesco Finest Margaux - Maison Sishel Rose Wine • Aldi Exquisite Collection Cotes de Provence Rose - Lacheteau • Tesco Finest Provence Rose - Castel White Wine Under €12 • Aldi Exquisite Collection Clare Valley Riesling - Louis Latour • Lidl Cimarosa New Zealand Sauvignon

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Blanc Marlborough Tesco Finest Albarino - Felix Solis Tesco Finest Chilean Organic Sauvignon Conchay Toro Tesco Finest Gaillac Perle - Castel

White Wine Over €12 • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Tiki Grey Label Sauvignon Blanc - Cassidy Wines • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Principesco Pinot Grigio IGT - Cassidy Wines • Tesco Finest Sancerre AOC - O Moore & Co. • Tesco Finest Vire Clesse Chardonnay 75Cl O Moore & Co. • Tesco Pouilly Fume Appellation Pouilly Fume Controlee - O Moore & Co. Champagne • Aldi Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut Champagne Warehouse • Tesco Finest Premier Cru Champagne - O Moore & Co. • Tesco Finest Rose Non Vintage Champagne - O Moore & Co. • Tesco Finest Vintage Champagne - O Moore & Co. Sparkling Wine • Aldi Prosecco DOC Mini - Copestick MurraySolutions • Dunnes Stores Simply Better Prosecco DOC Extra Dry - Cassidy Wines • Tesco Finest Pignoletto Doc Vino Spumante Brut - IWC • Tesco Finest Prosecco Docg 75cl Cantine Riunite & CIV SCA Beer • Aldi O’ Sheas Stout - Carlow Brewing • Aldi Perfect Storm IPA - MCM Spirits & Liqueurs • Aldi Brown Bear IPA - Altech • BRÚ Lager Cider • Lidl The Crafty Brewing Company Crafty Dry Cider - McCann’s Cider • Lidl The Crafty Brewing Company Crafty Medium Cider - McCann’s Cider Gin & Vodka • Aldi Boyles Gin - Blackwater Distillery • Anchor Spirits Ireland Thin Gin • Lidl Wild Burrow Gin • Tesco Finest French Vodka - Distilleries de Matha (ROI) • Tesco Finest London Dry Gin - G & J Greenall Brandy, Rum & Whiskey • Anchor Spirits Ireland Spike Island Irish Rum • Aldi Highland Black Whisky - Quality Spirits • Hibernia Distillers Hyde Single Grian Irish Whiskey • Tesco Finest Xo Brandy - Distilleries de Matha (ROI) Liqueurs & Speciality Spirits • Aldi Specially Selected Irish Cream Liqueur • Feeney’s Irish cream Liqueur • Lidl Deluxe Irish Cream Liqueur • Muldoon Irish Whiskey Liqueur • Tesco Finest Salted Caramel Cream Liqueur

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Berocca

Berocca Energises Vitamin Market BEROCCA, Ireland’s number one energy vitamin (Source: Nielsen combined Scantrack, Discounters & Dunnes Value share read June 2017) will continue to support and drive innovation in the energy vitamins category across the rest of 2017. With 35.2% value share of the market, Berocca is a vital value driver within the multi-vitamin category, growing double digit and outperforming the market on the latest 12-week and four-week periods (Source: Nielsen combined Scantrack, Discounters & Dunnes Value share read June 2017), driven by the successful launch of new Berocca Fizzy Melts for easy on-the-go consumption.

Having been on TV in August with its new Chameleon campaign,

‘Feel Energised’, the brand is back on TV in September and October, continuing to support the launch of its new ‘No Water Needed’ Berocca Fizzy Melts. This continued support will also extend to in-store tastings across select retailers nationwide.

Another key piece of news this month is the launch of Berocca Orange Effervescent 45 pack (RRP €15.99). The large pack aims to help retailers drive value back into the category, while offering more value to consumers.

For more information please contact your local Jaymark representative or

Sarah Murphy at Jaymark Sales & Marketing. Tel: (01) 4081400. Email: sarah.murphy@johnsonbrothers.ie.

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Fuels

Igniting the Market Irish consumers are lighting real fires again, as demand for spot heating in the home increases, alongside increased demand for mobile heating appliances.

AS consumers bid to keep their central heating costs down, we have seen a return to the lighting of open fires, right across the country. Spot heating the home is growing in popularity, as consumers can save money by heating specific areas, rather than running their central heating throughout the whole house. This growth in the ignition market has been matched by increased sales of mobile heating appliances, as more and more consumers seek to curb spending wherever they can.

Bord na Móna For over 80 years, Bord na Móna, the largest supplier of solid fuel in Ireland, has led the way in designing an innovative and convenient range of solid fuel solutions for Irish consumers.

The company recently launched its site preparation works for its €20m smokeless coal plant at Foynes, Co. Limerick.

Speaking at the launch, Eddie Scaife, Head of Bord na Móna Fuels, said that while the company has been supplying the Irish consumer with what they need to heat their home for generations, Bord na Móna are looking forward to supplying cleaner, smokeless coal that can be relied on and that crucially will perform

Bord na Móna Fireheat Coal Briquettes: perfect for consumers looking to enjoy an intensely hot coal fire that will last long into the night.

Bord na Móna’s Stove Coal Briquettes are specially designed for maximum heat efficiency in multi-fuel stoves.

as well as traditional coal products.

The development is good for the environment, good for jobs and good for the consumer.

This season, Bord na Móna is introducing newly designed and rebranded packaging across its smokeless coal briquette range. The consumer can select from the new

Fireheat Coal Briquette range if they are looking to enjoy an intensely hot coal fire that will last long into the night.

The Stove Coal Briquettes are specially designed for maximum heat efficiency in multi-fuel stoves. The new design features consumer led benefit icons to demystify and educate on smokeless coal.

FUEL UP YOUR SALES STOCK UP TODAY WITH IRELAND’S NO.1 SMOKELESS SOLID FUEL

Supporting our products with

NATIONAL TV / DIGITAL / IN-STORE POS

Call us on 1850 744 755 or contact your local Sales Area Manager www.bordnamonafuels.ie

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Fuels offer more choice for consumers in the future. For more information, see www.bordnamona.ie.

Homestead After the launch of the Homestead brand in 1986, the firelighter range quickly became a staple product within the brand’s portfolio, generating considerable sales in this category.

Bord na Móna's Firequick range suits consumers looking for a product with quick lighting and shorter burn time.

SHS Group Acquires Standard Brands THE SHS Group has announced the acquisition of international ignition products manufacturer and supplier Standard Brands (UK) Ltd. This adds the Zip and Sunny Jim brands to an existing portfolio of owned brands and distribution agreements in the household category. SHS owns premium brands including WKD, Shloer, bottlegreen and Maguire & Paterson matches, and distributes leading products such as Mars Drinks, Ryvita, Jeyes and Dettol in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Standard Brands has a sales office in Leatherhead, Surrey, with manufacturing and operations based in Co. Louth, Republic of Ireland. The acquisition is subject to clearance by the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Homestead’s firelighter range is a staple product within the brand’s portfolio, generating considerable sales in this category.

Bord na Móna are launching Peat Nuggets in a 20kg convenience size bag.

The Firequick range suits consumers looking for a product with quick lighting and shorter burn time.

Overall, the new design will benefit consumers at point of purchase to choose the right fuel to suit their particular needs.

Also launching this season is Peat Nuggets in a 20kg convenience size bag. This is a smaller peat briquette with all the great benefits of Bord na Móna’s original, iconic peat briquettes with consistent quality and performance.

The peat nuggets are perfect for a fast lighting, warm fire with bright golden flame and a distinctive Irish peat smell.

At Bord na Móna, fuelling a sustainable future is the heartbeat of the business and the company continues to

It is estimated that Homestead Firelighters account for 53% of the total firelighter sales within symbol groups and independent retailers, while rivalling the two leading brands in Ireland.

Over 70% of households have open fires and the ignition sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the household category.

The Homestead fuels range consists of two skus of firelighters, 30’s and 60’s, as well as a Firelog, which was introduced to the range in early 2005.

With the increase in trading of Firelogs in the Irish market, a full review of the Homestead promotion plan took place and Homestead have introduced a new 700g log at a continuous ‘4 For €5’ RSP, while maintaining a healthy margin for the retailer.

It is estimated that Homestead Firelighters account for 53% of the total firelighter sales within symbol groups and independent retailers, while rivalling the two leading brands in Ireland.

Homestead have introduced a new 700g Firelog at a continuous ‘4 For €5’ RSP, while maintaining a healthy margin for the retailer.

52|Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie

Fuels Homestead Brand Manager Janice Gibney is delighted to come to the table with this increased investment, which will ensure retailers are continuously competitive for the full season.

Flogas Retail customers are always seeking cost-effective solutions to control their home heating bills and Flogas Superser heaters are a recognisable and Flogas Superser heaters are perfect for that proven bestseller. cosy feel, including the Flogas Superser Radiant “Flogas Superser heaters model. The Superser heater range is exclusively are the perfect solution for available from Flogas. cost-conscious customers,” said Eoin O’Flynn of Flogas Ireland, temperatures, making it safer, while the exclusive distributor for Superser in it’s fitted with easy glide castors, which Ireland and the UK. “They are extremely allows for trouble-free moving from useful as an instant, economic and room to room. portable way to ‘spot-heat’ a room Portable and stylish yet extremely quickly, as many customers find it far functional, the Flogas Gaslight cylinders cheaper than turning on the central have been a great success and are heating for an hour or two.” getting an excellent response from Flogas supplies two very customers due to the benefits they offer. contemporary looking and stylish Not only are Flogas Gaslight cylinders mobile heaters, the Superser Radiant about half the weight of the traditional and Superser Catalytic. In particular, steel cylinders, the semi-translucent the Superser Catalytic burns exterior allows customers to see exactly without a flame and has lower touch how much gas they have left.

Keep them snug with Superser Exclusive distributor for Superser heaters in Ireland & the UK In this chilly current climate, your customers will be looking for new ways to heat their homes this Winter. So why not offer them a super snug alternative? Super economical, super efficient and exclusive from Flogas, Superser is the simplest way to heat any room in an instant.

• The Original Mobile Gas Heater • Leading Brand - Highest Quality • Full Range at Competitive Prices • Nationwide After Sales Service • Modern Design With Latest Safety Features • Backed By National Advertising & Promotions

To order call Flogas on T: 041 983 1041 | E: info@flogas.ie www.flogas.ie

Wherever you are

The Flogas Gaslight cylinders are as safe as steel cylinders and won’t leave rust marks on patios or decks. They fit all leading brands of LPG appliances, making them ideal for caravans, campervans, motor homes, barbeques and patio heaters. The cylinders are available in 5kg and 10kg sizes in selected outlets nationwide. For more information, contact Flogas on (041) 9831041 or visit www.flogas.ie.

Model Karena Graham shows off the lightness of the new Flogas Gaslight cylinder, available in 5kg and 10kg sizes.

Supe Exclu rser s from ively Floga s

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Drinks News Edward Dillon Celebrates 150 Years

Guinness TV Ad Celebrates GAA Volunteers

EDWARD Dillon celebrated its 150th anniversary at a stunning gala dinner in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham recently. Over the last 150 years, Edward Dillon’s enviable portfolio of brands has become part of the fabric of both historic and contemporary Irish society, from Hennessy Cognac to Bacardí Rum and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey. Hosted by CEO, Andy O’Hara, guests included Lord & Lady Henry and Iona Mountcharles, British Ambassador to Ireland, Robin Barnett, Louis Fitzgerald, Tom Moran, Charlie Chawke, Tom Shipsey, Paul Cadden and Noel Keeley. RTE’s Shay Byrne acted as MC for the evening, while Global Maison Ambassador for Hennessy Jean Michel Cochet raised a toast to Edward Dillion with Hennessy X.O to close out the evening. Pictured at the event are Edward Dillon CEO, Andy O’Hara, with Avril O’Hara; Tom Shipsey, Stonehouse CEO, and Deirdre Shipsey.

AS the 2017 GAA AllIreland Senior Championships entered the final stages, Guinness launched its latest TV advertising campaign, ‘Behind Every Great Town’, celebrating the everyday GAA volunteers, who willingly give their time in communities across Ireland all year round. The advertisement features four real GAA volunteers from each of the four provinces: Castlegregory, Co. Kerry; Inishbofin, Co. Galway; Slaughtneil, Co. Derry; and Ongar, Dublin 15. “Our ad celebrates the people whose selfless efforts and dedication to their local clubs enhances the towns and communities they live in, as well as making the GAA the vibrant, progressive and inclusive organisation that it is today,” explained Guinness Brand Manager, Chloé McEvoy. “Driven by a sense of pride and belonging, these volunteers truly are the life and soul of the GAA.” Pictured is one of the stars of the ad: Wendy McEldowney from Slaughtneil, Co. Derry,

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard Release Results

IRISH Distillers Pernod Ricard enjoyed another successful financial year in 2016/2017 (year ending June 30), with the acceleration of the global development of Jameson Irish Whiskey and its premium Single Pot Still Irish whiskey range.

Recent product launches enjoying continuing success include Jameson Caskmates, which experienced +110% volume growth and +103% value growth in 2016/17, as well as the successful launch of its Method And Madness brand. Jameson continues to spearhead the renaissance of the Irish whiskey category with the brand reaching its 28th year of consecutive growth, making it the most dynamic premium spirits segment globally. Volume growth was +13% for the year, with value growth of an impressive +15%.

“Thanks to increased investment and commitment to innovation, the international Irish whiskey renaissance is continuing at full speed. Jameson continues its phenomenal growth story, experiencing 28 years of consecutive growth with more than 71 markets across the world achieving double- and triple-digit growth,” noted Jean-Christophe Coutures, Chairman and CEO of Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard (pictured).

Appointments at Febvre FEBVRE Wine Company has announced two senior appointments.

Brendan Doyle has been appointed Commercial Director.

Brendan has extensive experience in this area, having spent 28 years in front-line selling. He joins Febvre with a proven track record in the drinks industry, where he held roles in on-trade, off-trade, wholesale and working with multiples, both in UK and Ireland. Prior to his appointment, he was Sales Director On-Trade at C&C Gleeson.

Febvre’s new Brand Manager, Audrey Underwood will focus on the development of various brands within the portfolio.

Audrey’s marketing experience spans across IT, food, FMCG and the motor industry. She brings a passion and drive for marketing and branding to Febvre.

O’Briens Wines at Ardkeen FAMILY business owners and brothers Jim, Brendan, and Kevin O’Brien officially opened the doors of their new 1500 square feet O’Briens Wines Store at Ardkeen Shopping Centre, Waterford, recently. The Waterford O’Briens Wines store is open seven days per week, offering a ‘try before buy’ experience with weekly wine tastings and craft beer and spirits ‘tasting club’ nights. O’Briens Wine import directly and exclusively from over 100 wineries worldwide and offer a range of over 1,000 exclusive wines along with a variety of over 160 world and craft and ice-cold beers and an extensive variety of internationally renowned spirits. Pictured are Group Managing Director, Brendan O’Brien; Company Director, Grattan O’Brien; Director of Wine, Lynne Coyle MW; and store manager, Paul Murphy.

54|Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie

Focus on HR

The Rules of Attraction How to attract and retain the right people for your organisation in the digital age: The HR Suite advise you on the do’s and don’ts of modern recruitment.

RETAIL has traditionally attracted a steady flow of candidates to fill vacancies. However, when it comes more specialised or senior roles within retail, are we facing a battle to attract top talent in the current climate?

Retailers must analyse their internal succession planning as well as their ability to retain top talent. In recent years, attracting candidates to specialised roles such as bakers, butchers and chefs has become a challenge, due to a general shortage in the market, as has the recruitment of management roles such as fresh food managers, charge hands and general managers.

Recruitment has dramatically changed over the last 20 years, with the arrival of social media and digital recruitment channels used for advertising and talent attraction. Print media as a tool now for advertising is practically obsolete. If you don’t have access or presence on an online platform to advertise, network with and

attract candidates, you will have very little success of guaranteeing your role has been seen by the best possible talent on the market.

It is also important to stocktake your current employees. Look at the talent pool you currently have, examining their skills, abilities and potential, to ensure you don’t overlook a current employee for a potential senior appointment. You need to be mindful of staff morale and to be seen as an employer that will progress and offer promotional opportunities to staff.

When you have decided that you are going to recruit for a particular role, you should firstly create a detailed job analysis in order to draft the job description. This should take careful analysis of the role that you want to fill, the skills and abilities they need, qualifications, personality traits and relevant experience that would differentiate one applicant from another.

You don’t want to be in a position if an employee starts that after two months,

they are doing tasks that were not in the job description and then feel disgruntled that they were not made aware of such tasks during the recruitment phase. As basic as this sounds, many companies regularly fail to give careful consideration to a job description. A good job description, which will become your advert, will help attract the best calibre candidates and hopefully deter those who are not suitable from applying.

Ensure that you are communicating clearly with your recruitment team or hiring partner to ensure they have a clear idea of the specifications of the role, so that they have a clear understanding of the type of person you are looking for. Also, be aware that recruitment should always be a continuous process: you need to build a network of desirable candidates so that you have potential candidates to contact when a role within your organisation becomes available. Candidate databases or social networking with candidates via

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Focus on HR About the Author

Organisations that win talent provide a positive recruitment process.

LinkedIn, Facebook etc. is imperative, The War on Talent so that your organisation can be more Talent management is imperative in proactive in your recruitment approach, any industry that struggles to attract as opposed to reacting only when a and retain the right people. With most vacancy becomes available due to sectors suffering the War on Talent, it is somebody leaving. imperative that a company holds a good Continuous learning and reputation as an employer to attract development is now imperative if you talent. If you have happy employees, want to attract candidates and, perhaps you will retain talent, while you are more importantly, retain employees. also in a better position to encourage It’s not all about the money anymore: current employees to share current job employees will easily swap employers opportunities with their social network. or jobs to learn new skills, even if the If you are active online and on social pay is comparable. You should also media, use it to promote your company’s integrate diversity into your workplace: values and your corporate social this entails putting together a makeresponsibility updates. Top talent will up of employees from different often research a company to get an idea backgrounds, such as different marital of that company’s culture and values, or family status, sexual orientation to see if they think they are the right and ethnic backgrounds. An employer fit for that company or not. Employers that offers this range of diversity will should also accommodate candidates become known as an employer of choice, thinking of moving back from abroad by boosting your reputation, but also giving facilitating them with Skype interviews you access to a diverse range of potential etc. employees with different backgrounds If the interview is a positive and experiences.

In this age of millennials, who are constantly aware of potential opportunities and do not believe in the notion of a ‘job for life’, it is imperative that you create a positive reputation as a great employer. With the rise of social networking, it is important you use this tool to reach out to people: it is now If you are active online and on social media, use the top way candidates find out it to promote your company’s values and your about new jobs. corporate social responsibility updates.

THE HR Suite provides a full range of HR and business services to organisations nationwide.

Our objective is to raise the standards and performance of your organisation, while ensuring legal compliance at all times. We take a best-practice approach to outsourced HR management and our services include dispute resolution, performance management, training, and disciplinary and grievance management. We have a dedicated recruitment department to assist our clients with recruitment and selection. Our team of qualified professionals offer a superior service to our clients via telephone and email support, on-site visits, and representation as required.

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 Workplace 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. experience, candidates that may have had reservations or doubts pre-interview may change their minds. If you are losing candidates at interview stage, you need to reassess your interviewing techniques with your hiring managers and HR team. Make sure you keep candidates updated after the interview.

Organisations that win talent provide a positive recruitment process. Also remember that candidates that you don’t hire can also influence your company’s reputation.

As people and technology have evolved, a lot of changes have also taken place when it comes to traditional recruitment methods. In order to access a wide pool of potential candidates and with a limited pool of suitable candidates in the current market, organisations need to look at extra tools, supports and recruitment partners as part of their hiring process.

If you require further information or advice on recruitment, please do not hesitate to contact our HR Consultants on (01)9014335 or (066)7102887 or email us at info@thehrsuiteonline.com.

56|Retail News|September 2017|www.retailnews.ie

Forecourt Focus: News Top Oil Partners with IHI

Topaz Raise a Teacup!

TOP Oil has announced a new partnership with the Irish Hospitality Institute (IHI). The new partnership will give members of the Irish Hospitality Institute and hospitality industry the opportunity to avail of support and offers from Top Oil. As part of this new partnership, Top Oil will be working with the IHI on driving awareness Pictured are (l-r): James Fitzgerald, and efficiency in their Regional Manager South at Top Oil, and members’ energy usage.

Matthias Muller FIHI, IHI President & This new partnership will General Manager Abbey Court Hotel, also give members of the Nenagh.

Irish Hospitality Institute access to home heating oil, commercial fuel and competitive commercial fuel card rates.

“We are delighted to join the IHI, a great organisation supporting the hospitality industry,” noted James Fitzgerald, Regional Manager South at Top Oil. “Working with the IHI, we have identified opportunities to support and develop synergies across the fuel and hospitality business. We are very interested in working with an industry focused on quality, customer service and steeped in heritage in Ireland, like ourselves.”

TOPAZ ‘raised a teacup’ to the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation over the August Bank Holiday weekend, by donating 50c of the ‘Add a pastry for €1’ offer in its Re.Store retail outlets to the children’s charity.

The campaign is part of Jack & Jill’s 20th Anniversary celebrations, which involve Afternoon Teas held throughout the country to raise money for essential services. This campaign also marks €200,000 raised to date by Topaz for the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation, through various campaigns including ‘Small Change for Big Change’, and their recent ‘Lego Exchange’ drive, where customers could donate loose Lego to Topaz stores to raise money for Jack & Jill. The partnership, launched in 2015, will see Topaz raise €400,000 in vital funds for the children’s organisation – and the Raise a Teacup campaign is the latest drive in this initiative.

Maxol Runner-Up in International Convenience Retailer Award MAXOL received an Honourable Mention in the International Convenience Retailer of the Year category at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Awards. The overall winner of the 2017 award was Spar Natural, Gran Canaria, Spain.

Maxol M3 Mulhuddart Services was chosen by the judges to receive the accolade as a Large Format store, signifying the progression of the new retail offering that has been evolving within Maxol over the last two years.

“We consider it a real honour and achievement to gain recognition from NACS as the organisation that sets the world standard in convenience store retailing,” said Brian Donaldson, CEO, The Maxol Group. “We are working hard at Maxol to bring consumers the choice and quality they want and deserve. This tribute, from such an esteemed panel of experts, gives us and our independent retailers real encouragement that we have made significant progress in creating a best in class retail experience for our customers. I want to thank our licensees Donal and Liam Fitzpatrick and all of their staff for making this award possible.”

Pictured at Topaz Service Station, Citywest, are Topaz Brand Ambassador and Ireland rugby legend Alan Quinlan with Wendy Griffin and her son Eric Fitzpatrick (4). A patient of Jack and Jill, Eric has an extremely rare form of epilepsy which leaves him with weak muscle tone. Eric is the only child in Ireland and one of less than 100 in the world with this condition.

Always FRESH MILK

and the SAME BEANS as our coffee shops

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Forecourt Focus: News Applegreen Celebrates 25th Anniversary APPLEGREEN is marking its 25th anniversary, and to celebrate is giving its customers the birthday presents, with 25 lucky winners over 25 days winning free fuel for a year.

On hand to celebrate the anniversary and to launch the competition was new employee, Dustin the Turkey. Speaking on his first day on the job, Ireland’s premier poultry puppet enthused, “I’m all about supporting Irish brands and this one has good food, great fuel and an unreal competition to match: go on ya’ good things and make sure you enter this one.”

Also speaking at the anniversary event in Applegreen Lusk, CEO Bob Etchingham said, “All of the people in Applegreen can be proud of our achievements over the past 25 years. We have grown an Irish business and then expanded it internationally. We are delighted to celebrate our 25th anniversary with our customers by offering free fuel for a year to 25 lucky customers over 25 days.

We are equally excited about the future for our business and look forward to continuing this journey with our customers.”

Every Applegreen customer who spends €40 or more on fuel at any Applegreen forecourt has the opportunity to enter

Topaz Announce July Winner NOLLAIG Previs from Co. Cork has been announced as the July 2017 winner of Topaz Play or Park, and will now be driving for free for a year after winning fuel, tax and insurance for her vehicle!

With some extra cash in her back pocket thanks to Topaz, Nollaig is delighted that she will have the opportunity to indulge in an extra treat or two with her eightyear-old daughter Alena.

Nollaig Previs is pictured with Topaz Loyalty and Insights Manager, Richard Pollock.

Dustin the Turkey was joined by Applegreen founders Joe Barrett (left), Chief Operations Officer, and Bob Etchingham (right), Chief Executive, to celebrate the forecourt retailer’s 25th anniversary. the competition, while online entries are available without purchase. A winner will be chosen at random daily for 25 days.

To find out more visit applegreenstores.com/25years.

‘Let’s Do Lunch’ at Maxol MAXOL Newport Road, Westport, recently treated customers to a free lunch, as it hosted ‘Let’s Do Lunch!’ to highlight the exciting food offers available from Maxol’s own speciality Customers arrive for ‘Let’s Do Lunch!’ at the forecourt of sandwich menu, Maxol, Newport Road, Westport.

Moreish, and the Carvery Sandwich Shop, alongside samples from Bewley’s delicious new summer range.

The Midwest Radio 96.1FM Satellite Cruiser stopped by for a special broadcast of the Mid Morning Show and a spinning wheel offered customers the chance to win lots of great giveaways. The winner of Maxol’s online competition for tickets to this year’s Harvest Country Music Festival was in attendance to claim her prize, while fun for kids included face painting and balloon modelling.

“I was delighted to host ‘Let’s Do Lunch’ with Maxol,” noted Padraic Delaney, Maxol licensee at Maxol, Newport Road, Westport. “It’s important to us to offer customers a top-quality range of food offerings for all times of the day, with a focus on fresh and healthy options. This is the perfect way to spread the word about our delicious menus. We really enjoyed treating our new and existing customers and we hope they had a great afternoon of fun, music, and prizes.”

To find out what Costa Express can offer you contact: ROI tel: 021 500 3526 NI tel: 02892 580207

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Retail Tech No Card Payments? No Thanks - Survey Reveals Consumer Preferences 43% of Irish consumers have at one stage intentionally avoided a shop that didn’t have card or contactless payment facilities, according to a new survey by card payment provider BOI Payment Acceptance (BOIPA).

“Nearly half of those surveyed have at one stage intentionally avoided a shop that didn’t offer card or contactless payment facilities,” explained Brian Cleary, Managing Director of BOIPA. “This represents a sizeable loss of business for those yet to adopt this technology.

In response to this finding, we have developed a trial product offering merchants the opportunity to trial our card terminals for six months. If they fail to see a minimum 10% growth in sales, they can cancel the service at no extra cost.”

The survey, conducted by Amarach Research among 1,000 Irish adults, found that almost three-quarters (73%) of Irish card holders use contactless payments, two-thirds at least weekly, with ‘millennials’ (25-34 year olds) Brian Cleary, Managing Director of BOIPA. being the most prolific users of contactless payments – 81% Pay, and this is highest among millennials (25%). However, have used it at least once. of those that have used or do use mobile payments, it was “Despite the relative newness of the technology, narrowly preferred over payment with debit cards (50% vs 44%). contactless payment has already made a significant impact Irish people spent approximately €9 billion online in 2016 on consumer spending habits. When we conducted a similar and this is expected to grow to €14 billion by 2021. However, survey in 2016, 54% used contactless and 45% used it at 53% of consumers still prefer shopping in person. An additional least once a week—in just over a year, those numbers have 21% favour online shopping and the remaining 26% have no increased significantly, to 73% and 66% respectively,” said preference. Over a quarter (26%) of those surveyed would go Cleary. to a competitor if online shopping was not an option with their Mobile payment services, which allow consumers to pay for preferred retailer. goods and services via their smartphone, have recently been Online shopping proved most popular amongst millennials, adopted by some financial institutions in Ireland. This usage is, with 33% favouring making online or in-app purchases on items however, still relatively limited: only 12% of Irish consumers including groceries, clothes, air travel, books and music versus have used mobile payment services like Apple Pay or Android 15% or less for those aged over 45.

Payzone Reveals 2016 Results PAYZONE has reported sales of €155.1m for the 12-month period ended September 30, 2016, down 5% from €162.9m in the previous financial year. Accounts recently filed with the Companies Registration Office (CRO) show an operating profit of €5.8m (2015: €5.3m) for the 12-month period.

Jim Deignan, Chief Executive, Payzone Ireland, said that the 2016 financial results reflect the ongoing diversification of the company’s revenue base. “During 2016, as expected, the reduction in mobile top-up sales continued, affecting gross turnover figures. However, the business performance, in terms of operating profit, was strong as we diversified further into customised payments solutions. Our deep knowledge of the e-payments industry, together with our technical expertise, means we are well placed to adapt quickly to developments in the marketplace.”

Payzone’s recent acquisition of the EasyPaymentsPlus and MyEasyPay payment platform businesses demonstrates its continued development of the customised payments solutions business, and the company plans to continue diversifying into a wider range of e-payment solutions and channels.

“Our objective is to drive greater efficiency for clients and increased revenues for our retail partners through the delivery of innovative e-payment services, with a renewed focus on consumer payment solutions,” Deignan said.

Jim Deignan, Chief Executive, Payzone Ireland.

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What’s New GSK ON TOP IN ORAL CARE GSK has become the number one manufacturer within the oral care category in Ireland across all channels including grocery and pharmacy (Source: Nielsen Scantrack, Multiples ROI, Sales Value MAT Jun 18/17 & Quintiles IMS, Total Pharmacy OTC Sales Value, MAT ending June 2017). The GSK oral care portfolio in Ireland includes leading brands such as Aquafresh, Corsodyl, Sensodyne and Poligrip. The success across the toothpaste, mouthwash, accessories and denture ranges from GSK is attributed to new product innovation and a marketing campaign involving TV advertising, digital and strong levels of in-store shopper activations. “We are delighted to have become the number one manufacturer within the oral care category in Ireland; this is testament to our fantastic range of oral health products that shoppers love, trust and need,” said Eilis Tobin, Marketing Manager, Oral Care at GSK.

KEELINGS HAMPER GIVEAWAY THE busy back to school season is the perfect time for Keelings Snack Pots, the ideal lunch box filler for any parent seeking some inspiration!

Keelings Snack Pots, packed full of super nutritious and delicious fruit including sweet strawberries, refreshing grapes and blueberries, are the perfect snack-sized fruit portion for 1 of your 5 a day. To help children jump back into the school term, Keelings offered the chance to win one of two ‘Back to School’ hampers worth €150!! It includes a €100 ‘One 4 All Voucher,’ Keelings Snack Pots, and lots more back to school goodies. To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic ‘Back to School’ hamper, consumers had to upload a picture of themselves or a loved one on their first day of school to their Facebook, Instagram or Twitter account with the hashtag #KeelingsBackToSchool.

KP LAUNCH ‘ON THE GO’ NUTS UTILISING the strength of the KP brand along with exciting, new and on trend flavour combinations, KP Nuts are delighted to announce the launch of its new On the Go range.

The new range is available in-stores and in four mouth-watering flavours; Fruit and Nut and Orange Nut Fudge Energy mixes and Dry Roasted and Original Salted! Consumers are always on the move and want a handy, nutritious snack that can be consumed On the Go. KP has recognised that consumers are increasingly looking for protein filled snacks that help provide a steady source of energy throughout the day - KP peanuts are 26% protein.

AVONMORE BALANCE MILK NEW Avonmore Balance is a low fat milk, fortified with extra protein, iron and vitamins to help put back in what life takes out.

Developed specifically with women in mind, Avonmore Balance has 30% more protein than standard milk to support muscle development, while added iron helps guard against tiredness and fatigue. Fortified with folic acid for maternal tissue growth during pregnancy, Avonmore Balance also has added Vitamin C to aid iron absorption and help immune function, while Vitamin D helps absorb calcium, making it easier to maintain life’s equilibrium. “Avonmore Balance provides consumers with a nutritionally balanced milk to help keep their bodies in balance, whilst also providing them with the same great taste and quality they expect from Avonmore,” said Grainne Murray, Brand Manager, Glanbia Consumer Foods.

EYE-CATCHING OOH FOR CLUB ZERO SUPER SPLIT

ISPCC PARTNERS WITH TIPPERARY KIDZ THE ISPCC has announced a partnership with Tipperary Irish Water. Tipperary Kidz was joined by ISPCC supporter and TV presenter, Karen Koster to launch the new partnership, which will see Tipperary Kidz make a donation from every pack sold to help fund the charity’s Childline service. As a product that is consumed by children on a daily basis all over Ireland, partnering with the ISPCC was a natural and appropriate fit for Tipperary Kidz, according to brand manager, Justine Byrne: “The ISPCC’s Childline logo and phone number will be positioned on the Tipperary Kidz water pack, ensuring it is easily seen by those who need it – children.”

Karen Koster is pictured with Kiki Deegan Hughes and Alex Murray, both aged nine.

KINETIC, the global leader in activating audiences on the move, together with media agency, Mindshare and creative agency Oliver Ireland, have teamed up with Britvic, to promote its new juicy orange and smooth vanilla drink, the New Club Zero Super Split, with a colourful and innovative OOH campaign. The exciting campaign combines a number of seemingly normal billboards with an unexpected, fun 3D special build of a giant 3D New Club Zero Super Split replica, successfully bringing the campaign to life for passers-by on Dundrum Road, Macken Street (Dublin) and Gerald Griffin Street (Cork). The outstanding build measures four metres in height.

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Shelf Life NESTLÉ Ireland staff in Dublin took part in a static cycle to raise funds for their Charity of the Year, Down Syndrome Ireland. The partnership involved over 700 employees from Nestlé Ireland, Citywest and Nestlé's Wyeth Nutrition infant formula plant in Askeaton, Co. Limerick, who have committed to raise €70,000 over two years. Pictured are Nestlé Ireland staff (l-r): Rachel Kumar, Christopher Dowdall and Rachel Galligan.

CONGRATULATIONS to Boyne Brewhouse and Cooney’s Irish Cider, who each scooped two international awards at the 2017 World Beer Awards and World Cider Awards in London recently. Boyne Brewhouse Saison received the ‘Country Best – Ireland’ award, while Boyne Brewhouse IPA won the ‘Country Gold – Ireland’ category. Cooney’s Irish Cider won the ‘Best Irish Sparkling Cider’ category and was also named ‘Best Style’ winner.

FYFFES are taking to the road with their new ‘pop up kitchen’ to raise funds for new multisensory equipment at Temple Street Children’s Hospital, with eight events in six locations across Dublin, Cork, Galway and Wicklow. Parents and little ones were invited to come along to the Fyffes Kitchen and help themselves to a tasty frozen banana-pop, coupled with melted chocolate and a variety of toppings. All discretionary donations received will go directly to the hospital. Those unable to visit the 'pop up' locations can still make a donation by texting the word BANANA to 50300. Siblings Ellie (5) and Ryan (3) Connor are pictured with Fyffes Marketing Manager, Emma Hunt-Duffy, and Celine Nic Oireachtaigh, Temple St. Hospital.

KEOGH’S Farm has added a brandnew range to its award-winning potato product portfolio. Ploughed with deep ridges for even more flavour, Keogh’s Crinkle Cut Crisps are available in four delicious flavours: Irish Cheddar and Red Onion, Atlantic Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar; Flame Grilled Irish Steak; and Irish Sea Salt and Crushed Black Pepper. See www.keoghs.ie for more information.

THE Panther, the world’s fastest ‘water car’ drove up the River Liffey recently to mark the arrival of miles, the new innovative fuel brand from Topaz. Miles is a next generation fuel containing a unique blend of additives designed to take motorists up to 3% further.

IRISH Women's Rugby World Cup player Nora Stapleton converts a winning goal to officially announce Lucozade Sport Low Cal was an official supplier to Rugby World Cup 2017 and The Irish Women’s Rugby Squad.

Captain Niamh Briggs, Sophie Spence and Nora also took part in Lucozade Sport’s ‘Made to Move’ session for an exclusive beach workout with author and entrepreneur Pat Divilly, where a group of over 40 lucky rugby fans were put through their paces, gaining valuable insights to help improve their overall agility, endurance and strength.

SPAR has announced its renewal of the title sponsorship of the University Concert Hall, Limerick Panto, which this year is the most magical of them all, Cinderella. The Robert C Kelly and University Concert Hall produced Panto is now in its sixth year and has grown to become one of the most eagerly anticipated in the country, with a host of Irish showbiz names starring in it since 2012. Pictured at the announcement at Spar Hurlers Cross, Castletroy, Limerick, are Myles Breen, Ugly Sister; Sinead Hope, UCH; Richard Lynch, Ugly Sister; Robert Nutty, owner of Spar UL; and Leanne Moore, Fairy Godmother.

RUGBY stars Rob Kearney, Noel Reid and Dave Kearney are pictured at the launch of Tiger Street Eats at The Mart Creative Hub, Portobello, Dublin. Tiger Street Eats is a culinary collaboration between Tiger Beer and Hawker Chan Hon Meng, owner of the first Michelin starred street food stand, Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle, in Singapore. Guests at the event enjoyed Hawker Chan Hon Meng’s Michelin starred street food alongside a refreshing Tiger Beer.

HB ensured it was geared up for a sizzling summer with a first-to-market Digital Out of Home advertising campaign that featured location-specific and weather-triggered content. When the temperature hit 17 degrees or higher, the humorous and colourful content was displayed in real-time on digital OOH formats.

Pictured at HB Ice Cream's Digital Out of Home Advertisement on Mespil Road are (l-r): Finola Geraghty, Mindshare; Lynne Andrews, Unilever HB; Susan Dukes, Adtower; Rachel McCloskey, Kinetic; and Conor Murphy, Adtower.

Noticeto to Members Members Notice Annual General Meeting the I.G.B.F. TheThe Annual General Meetingofof the I.G.B.F. Will onTuesday, Tuesday 10th October Willtake takeplace place on 18th October, 20162017, At Clayton The Hotel, Burlington 4 at 5.30pm DoubleTree Hotel,Road, DublinDublin 4 at 5.30pm

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