MARCH 2013
E M S S I K
H S I R I I’M
galaxy.ie
5 Key Reasons to Choose Silk 2nd biggest confectionery brand in Ireland, and growing… Galaxy is the fastest growing of the top 5 chocolate brands in Ireland. A staggering 14 million packs consumed last year… This year, we’re rolling out a huge, half million Euro, multi-channel marketing campaign, including our brand new TV ad, starring Audrey Hepburn.™ In 2013, we will continue to focus on making Galaxy top of mind for your consumers and would advise you to stock up now to meet consumer demand.
Sources: Nielsen MarketTrack Total Chocolate Value Sales FY, H1 & H2 2012
4|Retail News|March 2013|www.retailnews.ie
Contents The Tobacco Debacle THE European Commission has proposed a series of revisions and amendments to the Tobacco Products Directive (2001/37/EU), which, if implemented, will serve to drive more Irish consumers into the illicit trade, which will take revenue out of legitimate retailers and the Government coffers. The end result will be a bigger black market and fewer jobs in the retail sector, as legitimate retailers have to cut staff numbers, and perhaps even close down. At the same time, the draft proposals, which include banning certain tobacco products, like menthol and ‘slim’ cigarettes, and limiting RYO pack sizes, will not have the desired impact on public health. Act now and contact your local Ministers, TDs, Senators and Councillors to let them know how these proposals would severely impact on your business. See page 30 for more details, as well as a ready-to-use letter template to post or email to your local public representatives. Also in this issue, food lawyer Raymond O’Rourke examines the fallout from the horsemeat scandal (Page 34). He looks at the lessons learned and calls for full origin labelling throughout the food chain to ensure something like this cannot happen again. The SHOP exhibition as we know it is no more. This year’s event has a new name, a new venue and a new owner. Food & Hospitality Ireland Incorporating SHOP is taking place on September 18 and 19 in the Industries Hall, RDS, Dublin. In this month’s Retail News Interview, event organiser Tim Graham talks us through the changes (Page 20).
News
6
Retail Market Shows Signs of Rebound.
20 This year’s SHOP
7
The Burden of Commercial Rates.
8
Tackling the Horsemeat Scandal.
9
Illegal Cigarette Consumption on the Rise; Horsemeat Contamination Shifts Shopper Habits.
30
Retail News Interview
exhibition will have a new name, a new venue and a new owner. Event organiser Tim Graham, GM of Irish Services Montgomery, explains the reasons why.
Tobacco Products Directive
30 Tobacco Regulations
to Cost Retail Jobs: An Open Letter to the Government.
10 RGDATA Calls for Retail Profits to be Made Public; SuperValu To Create 300 New Jobs.
11 MACE Back on TV; Bloom Returns in June;
20
Centra Conference
Retail Ireland: Monthly Update
22 Retail Ireland
Rubbishes Consumers’ Association of Ireland Survey; Establishment of Government Retail Group; Conference Speakers Named.
12 Drinks Industry Worth Over €2.8 Billion to Economy.
Confectionery
23 M&Ms’ legend, Ms Green talks about celebrating St Patrick’s Day at home in Ireland, and the trials and tribulations of being a world celebrity.
18 Shop Equipment
18 You can use your store
Kathleen Belton Editorial Director.
32 Centra’s National
Retailer Conference took place in Killarney recently, with the group revealing retail sales of €1.435 billion for 2012 and presenting the Centra Store of the Year Awards.
Horsemeat Scandal
34 Raymond O’Rourke, Food & Consumer Lawyer, asks how the horsemeat scandal could have happened and what lessons can be learned from the fall-out.
On The Vine
44 Jean Smullen looks
space more efficiently by utilising WonderBar shelving and queue management systems from Shop Equipment Ltd.
23
at Ireland’s rekindled love affair with French wine.
Regulars & Reports
14 Industry News 24 Home Care & Laundry Managing Director: Patrick Aylward
Published by: Tara Publishing Ltd,
Editorial Director: Kathleen Belton
14 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2. Tel: (01) 6785165 Fax: (01) 6477127
Editor:
John Walshe
Sales:
Kathleen Belton kathleenbelton@retailnews.ie
Web: www.retailnews.ie Email: kathleenbelton@retailnews.ie
Brian Clark
brian@retailnews.ie
Subscription to Retail News: e95 plus VAT Email: aoife@tarapublications.ie
Marion Earner
marion@tarapublications.ie
Origination by: Rooney Media Graphics
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36 Baby Food & Care
Chief News Reporter: Pavel Barter Wine Correspondent: Jean Smullen
Printed by: W&G Baird
Reproduction without written permission is strictly prohibited.
43 Drinks News 46 Shelf Life
*
Based on a study conducted by him! research & consulting, August 2011. *Recommended only, customers are free to set their own price. OV7299
6|Retail News|March 2013|www.retailnews.ie
News
Retail Mar Shows Sig Rebound EUGENE Scally, the owner of the award-winning SuperValu Clonakilty, is brimming with confidence. Business profitability has picked up in recent months, and consumers are paying particular attention to the store’s fresh food range. Local produce is in high demand, according to Scally, and despite the general economic malaise, more people are shopping local than in recent years. “We’re involved in many aspects of the local community GAA sponsorship and so on,” he said. “Our staff really stepped up to the task and now we’re starting to see all that hard
Eugene Scally, owner, Scally’s SuperValu, Clonakilty.
work pay off. I think things are looking up for the year ahead.” It’s an opinion shared by the wider industry. A recent report from IBEC suggests consumer sentiment will recover during 2013, in the absence of further bad news. According to Reetta Suonperä, IBEC senior economist, the recent promissory note deal is likely to boost consumer confidence. Figures from IBEC’s Irish Consumer Monitor suggest that Irish household spending will stay at +0.2% in 2013, and increase to 0.7% next year. “The marketplace has stabilised,” suggests Joe Doyle, proprietor of Dublin’s gourmet food retailer Donnybrook Fair. “We’ve seen the bottom and now the only way is up. I think that’s happening generally across the whole economy. Retail is no different. Once we’ve progressed with what we’re doing and keep improving, I think we’ll see increase in turnover.” What makes him optimistic about retail growth? “I suppose it’s the stabilisation in the overall economy. Hopefully that will filter down to confidence in the market, notwithstanding more money taken out of the consumer’s pocket through
different taxes and everything else. There’s a sense of confidence out there. That helps.” David Fitzsimons, CEO of Retail Excellence Ireland (REI), says a number of factors contribute to this renewed confidence. ”Those in employment are feeling better about job security. Unemployment has fallen for the first time in about five years.” According to the Central Statistic Office, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell sharply to 14.2% in the fourth quarter. Fitzsimons continues: “I think we’re going down the right road. Sentiment is improving. There’s price inflation growth in certain pockets of the residential housing market in Dublin. That’s good news.” Other factors contributing to recovery include lower rents. “Rents have come back a lot,” said Doyle. “There is competitive marketplace for rents. As a result, there isn’t the draconian situation where you just see rents going up and businesses aren’t continually going up.” Scally namechecks his staff at Supervalu Clonakilty,
Joe Doyle, owner, Donnybrook Fair. who are willing to rise to any challenge: “Retention of good people is a lot easier than it used to be.” The equine DNA controversy has driven consumers back into the arms of local retailers who sell local produce, added Scally, whose fresh business has benefited as a result. “The equine DNA scandal is potentially good for the food sector into the medium term,” said Fitzsimons. “I think there has been a race to the bottom. Standards have dropped,
www.retailnews.ie|March 2013|Retail News|7
News
rket gns of obviously. If consumers start thinking more about value and food prominence, I think that’s good. It’s important we have a fragmented, competitive food industry in Ireland, one that isn’t dominated by three players and offers choice to the consumer at different price points.” Despite the grocery sector’s optimism, ever-present pitfalls include the cost of doing business here. “It’s an area we’re all keeping an eye on closely,” said Doyle. “Electricity and gas are creeping up and there’s not much we can do about it.” The government can also help boost longer-term consumer and retailer confidence. Fitzsimons calls for a more flexible social welfare system. “Last Christmas, retail employed nine million hours of seasonal temporary work. A lot of retailers were critical of the fact that they found it difficult to get people because it takes time for people to go back on the dole.” IBEC reckon a return to a 5-6% consumer savings level could deliver a further boost to the domestic economy. Doyle is confident this can happen: “We’ve seen stability, definitely.
In certain areas, growth as well. I hope this year we’ll see more of it. You have to work harder at finding growth and becoming more creative. The glass has to be half full instead of half empty. That’s what keeps us all going.” The boom times, however, are a distant memory. “If we keep going down the same road, we’ll get out of it. We’ll never return to where we were, obviously. It’ll only be marginal growth and there’s still lots more failure to happen in the Irish market,” concluded Fitzsimons.
David Fitzsimons, CEO of Retail Excellence Ireland.
The Burden of Commercial Rates IN the realm of Irish retail business, commercial rates are the elephant in the room. “Commercial rates are a serious outgoing for a lot of businesses,” said Tommy Davenport, Rating Surveyor at Lisney’s. “They’re completely unlike rent. If your rent was agreed at the height of the market, some landlords may give allowances to tenants in order to keep them there in situ for a year or two. Rates are a tax. There’s no real reduction in rates, other than you might be able to come to some agreement with a local authority whereby you stagger your payments over a longer period of time.” Commercial rate players in Ireland are the only ones financing local government. “There are no residential rates because they were abolished back in 1978. Agricultural rates were abolished around that time as well. Government don’t pay rates on their buildings. The only people who finance local authorities are commercial rate payers. If everybody was brought into the rating net - residential, farmers, government paid - you would see a reduction in the level that commercial occupiers pay.” The valuation office (VO) is hoping to rectify matters and bring in a more equitable system by undertaking a complete rate revaluation of the country. Thus far, properties in Fingal, Dun Laoghaire and Rathdown have been completed. Dublin City Council, which amounts to 22,000 properties, is expected to be finished by the end of 2013. The programme has been a long time coming, having been instigated in the Valuation Act 2001. This is the first valuation programme in Ireland since the 19th century. “The rates will be based on 26.4% of the rental value of the premises, as of April 2011,” explained Davenport. “It’s the standard multiplier applied to all categories of properties.” Is the revaluation in a retailer’s favour? That is debatable. If a rate payer wishes to appeal a valuation, under the Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2012, he or she is now denied part of the appeal process. “Fewer appeal procedures are probably worse from a rate payer’s point of view,” said Davenport. “It will probably accelerate the process from the viewpoint of the valuation office, but it won’t necessarily assist the rate payers.” Furthermore, the VO will only revisit a valuation if there has been a “material change of circumstance” to the property. For example, if a forecourt has been bypassed and profits have fallen, rates remain the same if the property has not been physically changed.
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News
Tackling the Horsemeat Scandal EU member states have moved to deal with the horsemeat scandal with large-scale product testing taking place throughout Europe. In an extraordinary meeting of the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCOFCAH) held in Brussels, food safety experts from across Europe endorsed the Commission’s proposals for large-scale testing of beef products to check if they contain horse DNA. The testing plan introduces a coordinated two-pronged meat control and testing plan across member states to tackle the horsemeat crisis, which includes: • Controls, mainly at retail level, of foods destined for the final consumer and marketed as containing beef to detect the presence of unlabelled horse meat (indicative total number of 2250 samples across the Union, ranging from 10 to 150 per Member State). Under current EU rules, the labelling of foods which only suggest the presence of beef meat where other species of meat may actually be present, is misleading and in breach of legislation. In the same way, labelling of foods containing horsemeat is not in line with the EU food labelling legislation, if the presence of horse meat is not mentioned in the list of ingredients. • Testing of 1 sample for every 50 tons of horse meat for the presence of possible
residues of phenylbutazone in horse meat: Each member state will carry out a minimum of five tests. Phenylbutazone is a veterinary medicinal product whose use in food producing animals, including horses, is illegal. The EU will part finance the testing programme, with the results reported to the European Commission which will collate them in the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) so that they can be immediately used by member states. For more information, see: http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/ rapidalert/index_en.htm The EU plan has been criticised by Ireland East MEP Mairead McGuinness, who warned that the EU is in danger of treating the symptoms - but not the cause of food fraud, as exemplified by the horsemeat scandal. “In the European Retail Action Plan, recently adopted by the European Commission, one of the key priorities identified is ensuring fairer and more sustainable trading relationships along the food supply chain. The length of the food supply chain is a matter of great concern and is not sustainable,” McGuinness warned. “We have ever greater pressures from retailers for lower cost food products. The major food processors and retailers have tremendous power and influence on what happens in the food supply
chain. They have a huge responsibility to establish sustainable relationships with producers in the supply chain, yet we have discovered that they do not actually know all of the links in their supply chain and therefore, cannot give consumers any guarantees of the authenticity of food. “It is also deeply unfair to farmers who ultimately carry the cost of consumer loss of confidence in food products when scandals occur. I am calling on the Commission not to waste this crisis and to look in detail at the fractured food supply chain and propose effective measures to mend it. “This means tackling the length of the chain and the number of operators pulling out of it. It is also time to put greater responsibility onto retailers to verify and authenticate their suppliers.”
As part of the EU-wide coordinated control plan, 50 additional food samples are being checked for horse DNA this month in Ireland. These include products marketed or labelled as containing beef as a major ingredient such as minced meat, meat products and meat preparations. In addition to the EU programme, officials from the Department of Agriculture and the FSAI have met with representatives from the meat processing, retailing and catering sectors and agreed a protocol for DNA testing of beef products to check for adulteration with horse meat. The Department is also introducing a positive release programme for horses destined for the food chain, while there will be a centralised equine database.
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News Illegal Cigarette Consumption on the Rise THE latest figures from MS Intelligence have shown that the level of non Irish duty paid (NIDP) cigarettes in Ireland has risen to 28.2% in 2012, making it the second biggest tobacco supplier in the country. The research, which was carried out by collecting empty packs from 22 towns and cities across the country, indicates a large increase since 2011 when NIDP was measured at 24.5% in Ireland. The highest incidence of NIDP cigarettes in Ireland was measured in Waterford, which has an average level of 33.3% or one-in-three cigarettes being purchased from the black market. Despite the high level of NIDP
in Waterford, there were only three convictions in 2012 related to the illegal tobacco trade. The second highest incidence was recorded in Navan, which had an NIDP of 31.7%, while Limerick was 31.4%. Dublin was fourth highest in the research, registering a NIDP of 30.2%, while Cork (29.3%), Letterkenny (29.5%) and Bray (30.2%) were also all above the average national level of NIDP. A spokesperson for the Irish Tobacco Manufacturers Advisory Committee said; “There is no great surprise in these figures. We felt that, given the large increase that was put on legitimate cigarettes in December 2011,
there would be an upsurge in the illegal market and that is exactly what has happened. The shocking reality is that one third of tobacco consumed in Ireland in 2012 completely avoided excise and VAT.” New EU rules on tobacco, which proposes to ban 46% of legitimate tobacco products, will push this figure even higher, with 84% of consumers saying they will purchase tobacco products from alternative sources if they become unavailable through legitimate Irish retailers. “Ireland continues to be a haven for international crime syndicates who can operate here within the illegal tobacco
market on the premise it is low risk, with paltry fines, and high reward, with gangs making over €3m a week in Ireland. Since this has become a major problem, the Government has done nothing to try and reverse this NIDP figure, which would see hundreds of millions flow back into the Irish economy and the retail sector,” the spokesperson said.
Horsemeat Contamination Shifts Shopper Habits THE latest supermarket share figures from Kantar Worldpanel in Ireland, for the 12 weeks ending February 17, reveal the initial impact of January’s horsemeat scandal on consumer shopping habits. “The impact of the horsemeat issue has so far only affected what consumers put in their baskets rather than where they do their shopping,” said David Berry, Commercial Director at Kantar Worldpanel. “For the four weeks ending February 17,
frozen burger sales were down by 42% as shoppers chose to buy alternative meals.” Aldi continues to set the pace with sales growth of 29%, increasing its share of the market from 4.6% last year to 5.9%. “What is notable from Aldi’s performance is that it has grown sales of fruit and vegetables – the most valuable grocery category – by 39% this year,” Berry notes. “Among the big three supermarkets, Dunnes is the only grocer to increase its
share of the market. Benefiting from bigger shopping baskets, the retailer beat the market with 4.1% sales growth. Tesco’s performance has improved slightly since January but still remains behind the market, leading to a drop in market share for the second successive period,” he said. The 0.8% growth seen in the market is the highest level since December 2011 and is attributable to the continued increase in the price of groceries.
MARKET SHARE - TOTAL GROCERY Includes expenditure across Food, Beverages, Alcohol, Household and Health & Beauty categories
Total Take Home Grocery - Ireland Consumer Spend 12 Weeks to 19 Feb 2012 %*
12 Weeks to 17 Feb 2013 %*
change %
100.0%
100.0%
0.8%
Total Multiples Tesco Dunnes
87.3% 28.1% 23.2%
88.7% 27.7% 24.0%
2.3% -0.5% 4.1%
SuperValu Superquinn Total Discounters Aldi Lidl Other Outlets**
19.9% 5.6% 10.4% 4.6% 5.8% 12.7%
19.8% 5.4% 11.7% 5.9% 5.8% 11.3%
0.1% -3.3% 13.4% 28.9% 1.2% -9.6%
Total Grocers
*= Percentage Share of Total Grocers **= Includes stores such as M&S, Boots, Spar, Centra, Greengrocers, Butchers and Cross Border Shops
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News
RGDATA Calls for Retail Profits to be Made Public RGDATA has urged Government to lift the “veil of secrecy” regarding the profits made in Ireland by large global grocery retailers. “Each of the large multiple retailers operating here go to inordinate lengths to conceal details of the turnover and profit generated by their activities in Ireland,” stated RGDATA Director General, Tara Buckley, addressing the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. “Lifting the veil on the profits made by the largest players in the market will provide much-needed transparency and will allow suppliers, the Government and consumers to test claims by large retailers that their actions in squeezing suppliers and producers are always driven by a constant focus on the well-being and betterment of consumers,” Buckley said. A delegation from RGDATA, led by Co. Cavan retailer John Foy and including independent retailers Joe Doyle of Donnybrook Fair and Richard Nolan of Nolan’s in Clontarf, outlined independent retailers’ views on the proposed code of conduct for the grocery sector, food labeling,
support for local producers and the impact of pricing policies on Irish farmers and suppliers. RGDATA outlined how locally owned grocery shops provide 90,000 jobs and contribute €3.6 billion to the Irish economy and are the greatest supporters of Irish producers and suppliers. “Money spent in Irish owned shops on Irish products is worth four times more to the local economy than that spent in the German or UK multiples,” Buckley told the Committee. RGDATA President John Foy urged the Committee to address the misleading labelling that is confusing consumers about what products are genuinely Irish. Independent retailer and food manufacturer Joe Doyle of Donnybrook Fair called for greater supports for indigenous Irish food producers, while family grocer Richard Nolan urged that the red tape burden on independent shops be addressed as a matter of urgency. Nolan went on to raise the issue of pricing in Ireland compared to that in the
SuperValu To Create 300 New Jobs SUPERVALU has reported retail sales of €2.1 billion in 2012, described by Martin Kelleher, SuperValu Managing Director, as “a very good performance, which is ahead of the overall market”. During 2013, SuperValu hope to add a further 300 new jobs to their 12,000-strong workforce, as the group is set to open three new stores, and extend and refurbish a further 40, as part of a €20m investment programme by their retail partners. 160 of these positions will be created with the opening of two greenfield sites, located in Celbridge, Co. Kildare, and Milltown Malbay, Co. Clare. According to Kelleher, SuperValu’s strong sales performance was achieved “by delivering value to shoppers through price reductions, promotions and our extensive SuperValu own brand range; the unrivalled quality of our Irish produce which shoppers can really trust; our place in the community and our commitment to deliver the best fresh food offer in the market, with ranges such as ‘Prepared by our Butcher’. “SuperValu is a fantastic local success story and we are extremely proud of our contribution to local Michael Morgan, SuperValu Sales Director; Martin communities, where quite Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu; and Edward Dick, often the store is the biggest SuperValu Council Chairman, pictured at the 2013 SuperValu employer in the area.” Conference.
RGDATA President John Foy, RGDATA Director General Tara Buckley, and RGDATA members Joe Doyle and Richard Nolan, are pictured outside Leinster House, where they presented to the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. UK, explaining that in 2009, he began to deal directly with a UK co-op, rather than Irish wholesalers. “That decision is the reason I am still in business today,” he told the Committee, describing the difference in pricing between the UK and the Republic in some cases as “criminal”. The RGDATA presentation is available at www.rgdata.ie
Retail Ireland Welcomes Cigarette Seizure RETAIL Ireland has welcomed the recent seizure at Dublin Port of 713,000 cigarettes, with an estimated retail value of €314,575 and a potential loss to the Exchequer of €253,257. Commenting on the issue, Retail Ireland Chairman, Frank Gleeson said: “The seizure is just the tip of the iceberg. Retail Ireland estimates that almost 30% of the Irish cigarette market is made up of illicit product, with over 1.8 billion cigarettes smoked in Ireland sourced from the black market. “This illegal trade has a devastating impact on retailers, who are already struggling to keep people in jobs,” he continued. “We estimate this activity costs the Exchequer up to €750m per annum in lost taxes. This money flows right into the hands of criminals. We need to see urgent action from Government, including investment of more resources into detecting cigarette smuggling, to put an end to criminals reaping large amounts of money from black market trade.”
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News
MACE Back on TV Getting It MACE has launched a new TV ad campaign celebrating The Gathering and featuring brand ambassador Brendan O’Connor as part of a €150,000 marketing investment by brand owners BWG Foods. The ad, directed by IFTA Award winning Director David Caffrey of Love/Hate fame (pictured with Brendan), is called ‘A MACE Gathering’ and is themed around this year’s Gathering celebrations, with Brendan O’Connor playing host to his hungry and uncannily similar looking relatives from the States. The wider campaign includes a nationwide competition also linked to The Gathering, entitled ‘Gather ‘em Home’, which will see MACE bring four lucky ex-pats back to Ireland for this year’s St Patrick’s Day festivities.
“As the longest established convenience store in Ireland, we were keen to support this year’s The Gathering festival and it’s now turned into a significant campaign for the brand,” noted Suzanne Weldon, Marketing & Communications Director at BWG Foods. “In keeping with all things Irish, we’re delighted to have MACE ambassador Brendan O’Connor on board once again and of course the talented and award winning David Caffrey.”
Bloom Returns in June BORD Bia’s Bloom, Ireland’s largest gardening, food and family festival, is set to return to the Phoenix Park, Dublin from Thursday, May 30, to Monday, June 3, 2013. Now a key feature of the June Bank Holiday Weekend events calendar, Bloom continues to blossom and grow each year and this is the seventh year of the event, which is expected to attract more than 80,000 visitors over the five days. The Bord Bia Food Village will once again host some of our finest artisan food producers, daily live cookery demonstrations from some of Ireland’s best
Chef Neven Maguire at Bloom 2012.
known chefs and a range of craft beers and whiskeys in the ‘Bloom Inn’. “We are really excited about Bloom 2013,” said Gary Graham, Bloom Show Manager. “It is wonderful to see the show evolve and grow each year, building on the success of the core show garden and food features while incorporating new attractions and areas to keep visitors entertained. For instance, this year we will host the Irish Cheese Awards for the first time. Bord Bia’s ‘Origin Green’ programme will bring a strong sustainability aspect to this year’s event, which will be reflected in a number of features. We are also embracing The Gathering as we recognise Bloom to be the perfect platform for it, and we are working closely with Fáilte Ireland to host The Gathering of Gardeners from Ireland and overseas.” See www.bloominthepark.com for more information.
Right at 40 EVERYONE is familiar with the barcode and recognises they save time and money, bringing efficiency and accuracy to business operations. Barcodes are scanned at critical control points in the supply chain: cross docking, goods inwards and point of sale. However, when barcodes fail to scan, the entire process is disrupted, adding unnecessary cost and impacting trading relationships; so getting them right is of paramount concern for all trading partners. The barcode is 40 this year and surprisingly, research conducted by GS1 Ireland shows that we still don’t know it all at 40 (Source: GS1 Ireland Retail Barcode Quality Study November 2011)! The research established that 8% of shopping baskets contained products with problem barcodes. Considering the frequency of errors and the time it takes to resolve them, it can cost retailers up to two or three staff per year in equivalent terms. As a result, industry, under the auspices of the GS1 Retail Technical Committee, is taking proactive steps to address barcode quality issues and is performing audits of barcodes that fail to scan first time, every time. To maintain good trading partner relationships and avoid products being identified as problematic, there are several steps both suppliers and retailers can take to ensure barcode quality. Most importantly, when creating a barcode, it should be verified. Simply scanning a barcode does not tell if it can be read on all types of equipment. Verification is a quality checking service offered by GS1 and other solution providers that identifies if barcode symbols meet the necessary standards and industry requirements. So, for good quality barcodes what do you need to know? 1. Select a high quality print process that is suitable for the packaging material. 2. Ensure the symbol is the right size in accordance with global guidelines. 3. Locate the barcode in the right place on the product, without obstructions. 4. Get the colour combination right - dark bars on a light background. 5. Ensure the barcode number itself is right. GS1 barcode specifications available from www.gs1ie.org.
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News
Drinks Industry Worth Over €2.8 Billion to Economy A NEW report from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) has found that the Irish industry is responsible for total purchases of over €2.8 billion each year. Industry purchases include ingredients used in processing, such as apples, barley and milk, as well as industrial services, nonindustrial services like IT and marketing, and labour costs. Measuring the value of inputs is a method of evaluating an industry’s contribution to the domestic economy. The report, ‘Purchases of Inputs by the Drinks Industry’ by Anthony Foley of Dublin City University Business School on behalf of DIGI, shows that in addition to the direct economic benefits of 64,000 jobs, over €1 billion in exports, €1.8 billion tax revenue in VAT and excise and almost €7 billion in personal expenditure (including VAT), the drinks industry is a very substantial purchaser of inputs. Wage, salaries and personnel costs are one of the highest inputs and total €1 billion per annum, with retail, wholesale and on/offtrade sectors paying €690m in personnel costs each year and the manufacturing sector paying a further €311m. Purchasing of Irish materials and services for use in drink manufacturing in Ireland is worth €800m to the domestic economy. Of the total purchases by manufacturers (€1.558 billion, excluding goods bought for resale), a high proportion of those materials and services are domestically sourced, at 62% and 42% respectively. The latter figure includes the 50k tonnes of apples, 200k tonnes of barley, 300m litres of milk purchased from Irish farmers by the Irish drinks industry each year. While personnel costs are the highest input purchased by the retail, wholesale and on/off sectors, at €690m per annum; this is closely followed by the amount spent on materials and services other than food and drink at €583m. The amount spent on food purchasing is valued at €243m. The total value of retail sales is €7 billion.
Peter O’Brien, Chairperson of DIGI and Diageo’s European Corporate Relations Director, is pictured with economist Tony Coley of DCU Business School, report author, on a barley farm in Athy, Co. Kildare. “The drinks industry, both manufacturing and retail, plays a very substantial role in the procurement of inputs as is apparent from this report,” noted report author, Anthony Foley. “Previous DIGI reports have identified the direct economic benefits which derive from the drinks industry in terms of employment, output, exports and tax revenue and the positive impact which the sector has on tourism. An industry also contributes to the economy through its procurement from other suppliers.” The Chairperson of DIGI and Diageo’s European Corporate Relations Director, Peter O’Brien said: “The economic contribution that the drinks industry makes to the Irish domestic economy each year, as detailed in this report, demonstrates the importance of the sector. What is particularly significant is the high proportion of investment in domestic service and materials - 62% in services and 42% in materials – worth €800m, and greatly exceeds the domestic content levels of other leading sectors in the country, such as the high-tech and chemical sectors. It is apparent that where the industry can, it is supporting domestic business. In addition to purchases, the industry is responsible for 64,000 jobs, over €1 billion in exports, €1.8 billion tax revenue in VAT and excise and almost €7 billion in personal expenditure (including VAT).”
Meanwhile, the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI), which represents drinks manufacturers and suppliers in Ireland, has welcomed export figures from the CSO, showing that beverage exports grew by 2.4% in 2012. Drinks exports in 2012 were valued at €1,112m, a rise of €26 million on 2011 data. In an indication of the potential of the sector, drinks industry exports outperformed total goods, which increased by 0.9%. Individual drinks categories such as whiskey, beer and cider all continued to grow, as the demand for Irish drinks products on international markets continues to build. In 2012, over 9.1 million kegs of beer and 50 million bottles of whiskey were exported. Describing the drinks sector’s potential for growth as “truly great”, acting ABFI Director, Jean Doyle, said, “The announcement of further growth in drinks industry exports shows the potential for the drinks industry to help support Irish economic recovery through export growth.” However, Doyle warned that “we must also be aware of the importance of a solid domestic market. Without a strong domestic base, the industry will be unable to establish itself as a major competitor on global exports markets. The Government must be cognisant of this when devising legislation which will affect the industry and its ability to market, promote and sell its products.”
Alcohol Consumption Falls Again FIGURES from the Revenue Commissioners show that alcohol consumption in Ireland declined once again in 2012, thus continuing a trend of falling consumption levels evident since 2001 according to the DIGI report. Alcohol consumption in Ireland declined by 12.5% between the years 2007 and 2012, and has fallen by 19.1% since consumption levels peaked in 2001. The current average consumption levels are at 11.681 litres of alcohol per adult per annum (lpa), a decrease of 0.5% on last year’s figure of 11.743 lpa. In 2001, the lpa was 14.44. “Consumption of alcohol in Ireland has been declining for over a decade, with average Irish consumption now at 11.681 litres per adult,” said Chairperson of DIGI and Diageo’s European Corporate Relations Director, Peter O’Brien. “Weakness in the domestic economy and the continued pressure on discretionary income are clearly having a negative effect on the drinks sector. In addition there has been a substantial societal shift in many areas, leading to reduced alcohol consumption: increasingly we are seeing people opting to dine out, and people are choosing to enjoy alcohol as an accompaniment to food. Education initiatives, like the drinkaware.ie programme, have been responsible for promoting the responsible use of alcohol, while at the same time challenging anti-social drinking behaviours.”
Fast just got faster for retailers, thanks to Visa contactless payments Visa Europe is rolling out contactless payments across Ireland and Centra, SPAR, EuroSPAR, Mace, Marks & Spencer, Arnotts, McDonald’s and Boots have all signed up to offer the service to their customers. Cloudberries, an Irish delicatessen café on Main Street in Cabinteely, is one of the first retailers in Ireland to have begun to use contactless payments and it has made a huge difference to their business. Visa contactless technology provides cardholders around Europe with a faster and more convenient form of payment than using cash and cheques. Suzy Pierce established Cloudberries with a simple idea – to offer good hand-made food, all made on the premises from locally sourced produce at affordable prices with great service. Suzy explains: “We aim to be a place where you want to come back to again & again, whether for our artisan coffees & teas, gourmet sandwiches, or delicious cakes & desserts.” In under a year, it has quickly become one of the most popular shops in Cabinteely.
Fast, Secure and More Convenient Cloudberries’ peak business hours are during lunch, where customers from nearby offices will call in for soup and a sandwich, with the potential for a queue to form quickly. Suzy and barista Paul Grimes need to ensure that their customers can experience the same great service every day. When the customer is ready to make their purchase, they simply touch the contactless reader with their Visa contactless card.
Paul believes that the ability to offer customers the opportunity to pay using their Visa contactless card has made a big difference to his job. “With contactless, I am able to do two things at once – prepare a delicious cup of coffee and let the customer pay instantly and be quickly on their way. The queue moves fast, which means that people know they won’t be under pressure to enjoy their lunch. We see the same faces every day, which is a sure sign that people not only enjoy the food, but also love the service.” Any food service business can benefit from contactless payments as staff do not have to handle cash.
This symbol lets customers know they can pay with Visa contactless cards
Using a Visa contactless card is easy and customers can quickly pay for anything €15 and under. As an added security measure, users will occasionally be asked to provide their PIN. While contactless payments are a new service, it was as quick and convenient for Cloudberries to learn how to use as it is for their customers to pay. Paul explains: “It’s very simple. You only have to be shown once and you remember it easily. There’s more involved in a regular card transaction than a contactless payment, so it’s great to have one less thing to worry about during a busy lunchtime.”
Speed is key to contactless payments, therefore it will be extremely popular for any busy business where customers make lots of low value purchases – such as supermarkets, fast food restaurants, pubs, cafes and convenience stores. Irish consumers are estimated to spend 11.2 million minutes queuing in shops on a daily basis. Contactless payments have the potential to lead to quicker transaction times and reduced queues. Contactless payments also put retailers on a path to accept mobile payments in the future as the same terminal has the technology to accept payment via a contactless card or mobile phone. There are already more than 540,000 contactless terminals throughout Europe which accept Visa contactless enabled cards and phones. With approximately 71% of the Irish population now owning a smartphone, retailers need to think about integrating contactless technology into their business in order to ensure that they can offer a faster more convenient way to pay. In retail, every second counts so take the time to find out more about contactless payments and how they can benefit your business by contacting any of the Visa card acquirers. For more information on contactless payments and acquiring organisations, visit www.visa.ie/acceptcontactless
Cloudberries is based at 2 Main Street, Cabinteely, Dublin 18 and is open from 9 – 5pm Monday to Friday. Cloudberries’ acquiring bank is Elavon.
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Industry News Munch Time Ireland 2013 Launched PICTURED at the launch of Munch Time Ireland 2013 are Niamh Fortune, President of the Reading Association of Ireland, and Coilin Bracken, Account Manager for Lactalis Nestlé Chilled Dairy in Ireland, with Naomi Casey, age 6, daughter of Veronica Casey, the 2012 winner of Munch Time Ireland. Munch Time Ireland is a story writing competition that calls for budding authors to submit short stories that are 600-800 words, aimed at little ones, aged between 2 and 5. For the second year, the Reading Association of Ireland is championing the Munch Time campaign, alongside new partner, parenting website – MyKidsTime.ie. See www.munchtimeireland.com for more information.
Costcutter is New Cork Camogie Sponsor Subway COSTCUTTER are the new sponsors of Cork Camogie, with Barry Group’s franchise Partners chain having signed a six-figure, three-year deal that will see Costcutter sponsor all with grades of the Cork county camogie teams from Under-16 right through to Senior Applegreen level. “Costcutter is proud to be local, and one of the greatest bonds in any local on New Irish community is the GAA. Camogie is at the very heart of that and we are proud to Stores THE Subway brand has announced a new partnership with one of Ireland’s leading independent forecourt retailers, Applegreen, which will see new Subway stores open in two of Applegreen’s leading service station locations, Gorey in Co. Wexford, and Uckfield in East Sussex, UK, with more sites due to open later this year. “The Applegreen Food Team is constantly looking for innovative solutions to help our busy customers through their day,” said Adrian Grimes, Head of Food, Applegreen. “Therefore, with its convenient, fresh approach, a Subway store was a natural complement to our existing forecourt offer.”
partner with and support the game,” said Barry Group Managing Director, Jim Barry. “Costcutter have stores owned locally in Cork City and county and we’re really looking forward to supporting the players who live and work in our communities.” Pictured at the announcement of Costcutter as the new sponsor of Cork Camogie are members of the Cork Senior Camogie Team with Jim Barry, Managing Director of Barry Group.
Strong Performance from Nestlé NESTLÉ SA’s global financial results highlight the UK & Ireland as growth markets for the company in 2012, despite the tough economic environment. Nescafé continued to lead the coffee category by providing consumers with innovative new products such as Nescafé Azera, the instant barista style coffee, successfully launched in 2012. Nescafé Dolce Gusto, which provides coffee-shop quality at home for a fraction of the price, increased sales of coffee pods by nearly 40%. During 2012, the first Nescafé Dolce Gusto shop opened in Ireland. Sales of Kit Kat, Nestlé’s leading confectionery brand, increased in 2012, which also saw strong performances from Rolo and Yorkie. “2012 was a strong year for Nestlé UK & Ireland,” said Nestlé UK & Ireland Chairman & CEO, Fiona Kendrick. “Our consumers are adapting to the tough economic climate by changing the way they shop. We have grown our business by responding to this new reality, particularly in fast growing channels such as online shopping, convenience stores and discounters, as well as the more traditional outlets.”
Audrey Stars for Galaxy SUNDAY, February 24 saw Audrey Hepburn return to screens across Ireland as chocolate brand Galaxy launched its new advertising campaign. The ultimate screen and style icon stars as the new ‘Galaxy Girl’, with the brand reviving its signature strapline, ‘Why have cotton when you can have silk?’ In a world first, the star is brought back to life using cutting edge post-production CGI techniques, to create what appears to be never-before-seen footage of Audrey in a Galaxy advert. Set in the 1950s on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, the setting is reminiscent of the romantic look and feel of award-winning classics that shot Audrey to fame. “This new and beautifully created piece of cinematography set to grace Irish screens over the coming weeks is a timeless combination of chocolate and pleasure, guaranteed to unlock your inner icon,” noted Aisling Hogan, Galaxy Brand Manager, Mars Ireland.
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Industry News EUROSPAR and Cuisine de France Sponsor GAA Gathering EUROSPAR and Cuisine de France were sponsors of Comórtas Peile Páidí Ó Sé 2013, the world’s largest GAA Club gathering, which took place recently in Ventry and all over the Dingle Peninsula in Kerry. Minister Leo Varadkar and MEP Sean Kelly were among the spectators at the Gaelic football tournament and festival, which was attended by over 1,300 participants, including native Germans, Spanish, Scottish, Belgians, Welsh and English, who competed against Irish clubs. The Comórtas, worth in excess of €500,000 to the local economy, is the brainchild of Páidí Ó Sé, the legendary winner of eight All-Ireland senior football medals as a player and two as Kerry manager. Páidí passed away suddenly on December 15, 2012, at the age of 57 and so this year the Comórtas was not only a celebration of Gaelic Games but of Páidí’s life and times. Pictured at the event are MEP Sean Kelly, Marc Ó Sé and Willie O’Byrne, Managing Director of BWG Foods.
Creme Egg Goes Gospel AS part of the ‘Have a fling with a Creme Egg’ campaign, Cadbury Ireland recruited the Dublin Gospel Choir for a Valentine’s fling to serenade fans on Facebook and Twitter. The campaign started by encouraging fans of Cadbury Ireland on Facebook and Twitter to start their Creme Egg fling by submitting their finest pick-up line through a mobile site. Over the course of two weeks, thousands of fans submitted hundreds of unique pick-up lines. 600 fans received surprise chocolate deliveries from their Creme Egg fling and 1,200 received a short Valentine’s video email with the Dublin Gospel Choir performing their pick-up line including “If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put U N I together” and “My doctor said I need a little Vitamin U” among others.
New Carlsberg TV Ad
Flora Women’s Mini Marathon PICTURED at the launch of the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon, which opened for registration on Wednesday, February 20 are (l-r): actress Vivienne Connolly, consultant dietician, Harriette Lynch and Masterchef’s Nicha Maguire. This year Flora has teamed up with Nicha to create a new Flora Cookbook using participant’s recipes. Approximately 15 recipes will be chosen and each winner will receive €250 and VIP treatment on race day. Full details can be found on the Flora Women’s Mini marathon Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ FloraWomensMiniMarathon, and recipes can be sent to recipes@floracookbook.com.
CARLSBERG’S new TV advertisement, Spartacus, aired in Ireland first before any other market in the world. An inspired take on the 1960s film of the same name, Spartacus is set in an ultra-modern skyscraper office where hundreds of people are working in an extremely orderly and mundane environment. “We’re delighted with our new TV ad ‘Spartacus’ which will hopefully excite the Carlsberg drinker and reiterate solidarity amongst friends, something which is embedded in the brand ethos,” said Julie Allman, Senior Brand Manager at Carlsberg. To view the new ad, visit facebook.com/CarlsbergIreland.
Knorr Gets Versatile KNORR has launched two new ‘Ridiculously Versatile’ sauces as part of its popular Knorr Create More Concentrated Sauce range: Knorr Create More Spicy Tomato Concentrated Sauce and Knorr Create More Tomato & Basil Concentrated Sauce. To celebrate the launch, Knorr is calling on chefs around the country to show just how versatile the sauces really are, with the 10 best challenges winning an Apple iPad mini. By logging on to the Knorr Create More website (www.knorrcreatemore.ie) and the dedicated Knorr Create More YouTube channel, chefs can challenge brand ambassador Steve to use the sauces in an innovative and creative way.
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Industry News Yoplait Launches New YogHurt TO help tackle vitamin D and calcium dietary shortfalls in the Irish diet, Yoplait, one of the leading yoghurt companies, is launching a new yoghurt: Cal-in+. Products like Cal-in+, which provide 100% of the vitamin D RDA in just one 125g pot (i.e. 5 micrograms - EU), will make it much easier for people to get enough of this vital bone health nutrient. It is also notable that daily consumption of Cal-in+ will also provide 50% of the calcium RDA. As a result, Cal-in+ is set to help maintain healthy bones as part of a balanced diet. Each pot (125g) of Cal-in+ contains less than 125 kcals and less than 2.3g saturated fat. Cal-in+ comes in three delicious flavours: strawberry, vanilla and apricot. The RRP for Cal-in+ is €2.49 for a pack of four yoghurts.
IFWG Winners Announced SIX Irish food companies were presented with a much-coveted Irish Food Writers’ Guild (IFWG) Food Award recently. The winners represent the very best of Irish and were rewarded for their outstanding produce and important contribution to helping retain Ireland’s reputation, at home and abroad. According to the Irish Food Writers’ Guild, trust has become one of the most important ingredients in food production in Ireland today and the Guild’s members urged immediate action on labelling and transparency, not just in Ireland but right across the EU. But the good news is, in terms of artisan food produce, the future of the food industry in Ireland is in great hands. The 2013 winners include Highbank Orchard Syrup, Toons Bridge Dairy, Connemara Hill Lamb Ltd, Sheridan’s Cheesemongers, Cookies of Character, and Irish Seed Savers Association. Pictured are Martin Joe Kerrigan, Connemara Hill Lamb Ltd; Elisabeth Ryan, Sheridan’s Cheesemongers; Richard Graham-Leigh, Cookies of Character; Derry Clarke of L’Ecrivain Restaurant; Julie Calder-Potts, Highbank Orchard Syrup; Sean Ferry, Toons Bridge Dairy; and Geraldine Tobin, Irish Seed Savers Association.
Limited Edition Tayto Pack ‘as Gaeilge’ TAYTO have launched a limited edition Tayto Cheese and Onion 6-pack designed completely ‘as Gaeilge’. The pack celebrates Tayto as a proud Irish product that has been on our shelves since 1954, now selling over a million units worldwide each day. The new Tayto pack pays homage to the retro 1980s design that will be remembered by Tayto lovers everywhere. The taste is the same delicious Cheese and Onion flavour, invented by Joe ‘Spud’ Murphy in the mid 1950s, that has inspired many other crisp brands worldwide. Raymond Coyle of Tayto said, “Tayto is incredibly proud to be Irish and with Seachtaine na Gaeilge and St. Patrick’s Day both taking place in March, we thought it would be the perfect time to reintroduce our limited edition, as Gaeilge six-pack!”
21 Years of Lily O’Brien’s AN Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD is pictured at Lily O’Brien’s Chocolate Factory in Newbridge with Senator Mary Ann O’Brien to celebrate 21 years of Lily O’Brien’s and to mark the company’s sponsorship of The Big Egg Hunt in aid of the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation, of which Mary Ann is the co-founder. As part of the celebrations, the Taoiseach saw first-hand the largest chocolate egg ever made in Ireland, created by Lily O’Brien’s in celebration of its title sponsorship of the Big Egg Hunt in aid of the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation. Standing 2.4m tall and weighing more than 880kg, the chocolate egg was hand decorated with white chocolate lilies and jewels. “We’re thrilled to be title sponsor of this magical event which brings culture, art, social responsibility and family fun to Dublin City in the lead up to Easter,” noted Mary Ann O’Brien.
Cadbury Wispa Launches New Instant Hot Chocolate NUMBER three chocolate singles brand, Cadbury Wispa (Source: ACNielsen, Total Scantrack, Value Sales, MAT 30/12/12) is set to shake up the instant hot chocolate category with the launch of its first ever hot beverage, Wispa Hot Chocolate. The new product will bring the famous Wispa bubbles to cups across the country, with a luxurious foamy top helping to create a coffee-house experience at home and bring younger consumers to the instant hot chocolate category. Available in a 246g jar and a convenient 27g sachet, both of which are Fairtrade Certified, Wispa Hot Chocolate makes it quick and easy to prepare a delicious drink, simply by adding hot water and a splash of milk. The launch will be supported by ATL marketing investment, including TV advertising, digital and in-store activity and launch promotions, to help drive trial purchases.
OVER 5 MILLION TRAYS
FITTED WORLDWIDE
RETAILERS REAP THE REWARDS • • • •
•
Now in Thousands of Stores
Automatically utomatically feeds and faces off product. Increase ncrease shelf space by 25 - 35% Reduces d llabour b 7 - 10 weeks k per annum (8 ffoott section) ti ) Multi purpose • Coolers / Chillers • Confectionery • Bagged Sweets • Storewide Applications Easily retrofitted to standard shelving.
For use in candy, gum, bagged salad and cheese, pre-packed meat, frozen food & more.
Case Study: Centra Westland Row Store owner Ronan Frayne commented: “ We installed the Wonderbar system supplied by SEL two months ago and have found it to be very beneficial. There has been and immediate uplift in sales for our bagged sweets/confectionery by 25%. We would have no difficulty in recommending this to any of our fellow retailers”.
BEFORE Shop Equipment Ltd. 4052 Kingswood Drive, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24 Ph: 01 403 5300 | Fax: 01 403 5301 Email: sales@sel.ie | www.shopequipment.ie
AFTER
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Shop Equipment
Raising the Bar
You can use your store space more efficiently by utilising WonderBar shelving and queue management systems from Shop Equipment Ltd. Imagine there was a way you could increase your turnover, grow the amount of stock you had on display and reduce the need for merchandising, without a massive revamp of or reinvestment in your store. Thanks to brand new innovations like WonderBar shelving and queue management systems from Shop Equipment Ltd (SEL), you don’t need to imagine. In broad terms, both WonderBar and the queue management system use space more efficiently for the retailer. “With margins being squeezed all the time, any uplift is to be welcomed, and both the WonderBar and the queue management system can bring a sizable sales boost,” explains Martin Hendricken, Point of Purchase Manager, SEL.
The WonderBar push-feed shelf system allows retailers to increase their shelf space by 25-35%, effectively fitting eight facings where previously there were six. Being a push-feed system, it automatically feeds and faces off product, meaning there is less need for staff members to physically merchandise the facings. Indeed, SEL worked with one supplier who found that using WonderBar meant that their merchandisers had to visit a store once a week, where previously it had been up to three times. “Push-feed systems have proved popular in soft drinks in the past, but WonderBar takes that concept and brings it to the entire ambient and chilled grocery spectrum,” says Martin. “Thanks to the push-feed system, your facings are always fully faced off, even if you’re down to one pack, which means that retailers don’t have to invest in too much stock holding.”
display. The ‘pusher’ itself can also be branded with a logo or pack graphic, so when it’s empty, a member of staff knows immediately what product to re-stock. The WonderBar is also fitted with the new standard 39mm Shelf Edge Label (SEL) strip, which has replaced the 30mm strip. SEL took on the Irish agency for WonderBar from late last year, initially launching it into certain trial stores, which have already experienced significant uplift in sales. One leading confectionery supplier saw a sales
Best Product In Years
Martin Hendricken, Point of Purchase Manager, SEL.
SEL first encountered WonderBar at Global Shop 2012 in Las Vegas, when a retail tour organised by POPAI brought them to a Walgreens outlet. “Walgreens’ Operations Director said that WonderBar was the best product he had seen in years. As soon as I heard that, I knew we were onto something,” Martin reveals. WonderBar is basically a cassette and a bar, which fits easily onto existing shelf units, as they come in 370mm, 470mm or 570mm sizes. The telescopic cassette is fitted with a ‘pusher’, ensuring that the product is always faced off at the very front of the
SEL took on the Irish agency for WonderBar from late last year, initially launching it into certain trial stores, which have already experienced significant uplift in sales.
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Shop Equipment increase of 25% when they utilised branded WonderBar facings.
Reinvigorating Sales
Ronan Frayne, store owner, Centra, Westland Row, Dublin, reported an immediate sales uplift of 25% in bagged confectionery two months after installing WonderBar. “We would have no difficulty in recommending this to any of our fellow retailers,” Ronan noted. “Installing the WonderBar has reinvigorated my dairy and provisions sales,” enthuses Niall Mahony, owner, Centra, Washington Street, Cork. “We took all the old shelving out of the open deck cabinet and replaced it with the WonderBar system. What was immediately apparent was the extra products that would physically fit into the same space. I would estimate that an extra 15-20% more products were able to be merchandised into the fridge.” Stock rotation became easier, according to Niall, and because of the loading system in the trays, the fridge always looks full, “even if you are down to the last item in a particular product space”. Making orders also became much easier, the store owner maintains, “because merchandising and planograms were easier to implement and out of stocks were very apparent and obvious”. Following its success so far, Niall has ordered the WonderBar system for
the adult snack section and has plans to implement it further throughout the store.
Queue Management System
SEL also carry an impressive queue management system, essentially a range of display units which guide the customer to the till in an orderly fashion, while also encouraging them to pick up additional impulse purchases as they do so. “Confectionery and snacks are very good impulse lines, but you can also include newspapers and chilled drinks – we’re incorporating a chiller unit into our queue management system and we expect it to perform very well,” notes Martin, who describes SEL’s system as “the most competitive on the market”. “To lower the unit cost, we made our queue management systems 1.25 metres long and 1.1 metre high, as opposed to the norm, which is 1m bays,” he reveals. “We did this so our retailers can fit extra products and extra shelves onto the unit. It’s about bringing down the cost per square centimetre for retailers.” Like the WonderBar, SEL’s queue management system can be assembled and fitted by retailers themselves, and it takes standard supermarket shelving, as well as using standard shelf dressing and POS material. According to the latest research from POPAI, the ideal queue length involves 30 seconds of shopper dwell time, and the shopper who purchases most from the queue rail is the shopper next in line to be served - known as the ‘me next position’. This shopper also has the best visibility of the kiosk or till area products. In forecourt marketing, a 30 second dwell time in the queue area, encourages impulse purchases and can increase gross profits by up to 6%. “We’re starting to see queue management systems being introduced to far more stores, from symbol group and convenience outlets to department stores,” notes Martin, “because for a small investment, you can see a sizable increase in turnover.”
POS Material
The WonderBar push-feed shelf system allows retailers to increase their shelf space by 25-35%, effectively fitting eight facings where previously there were six.
Martin is keen to stress that SEL’s portfolio also includes a range of POS material: “We’re known for being a shelving company, but we are also the largest supplier of POS material in Ireland, as well as display bins, trolleys, baskets and much more.”
SEL’s impressive queue management system guides the customer to the till in an orderly fashion, while also encouraging them to pick up additional impulse purchases as they do so.
Indeed, SEL’s product range includes a range of shelf talkers and risers, adhesive datastrips, menu holders, leaflet dispersers, hooks, stands, news quads, news-towers, magazine racks, bottle towers, card racks, window cable display systems and the AS arm kit, a magnetic arm for over or under shelves, which is perfect for differentiating category signage on standard shelves or in chilled units. This family-owned Irish company is no newcomer to Ireland, having been established in 1951. Currently employing a staff of 42, SEL are headquartered at City West, Dublin, where they have more than 18,000 square feet of space, along with additional warehousing in Rathcoole, Dublin. They successfully tendered for the National Lottery PlayStand contract in 2012 and began distributing WonderBar in Ireland late last year. “We’ve been around for a long time, serving the needs of retailers from all sectors and all corners of Ireland,” Martin summarises. “Our aim is to provide our customers with everything they need to equip their retail store and maximise their return on investment. With products like WonderBar and our queue management systems, we’re allowing our customers to maximise the potential of their store.”
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Retail News Interview This year’s SHOP exhibition will have a new name, a new venue and a new owner. Event organiser Tim Graham, GM of Irish Services Montgomery, explains the reasons why.
Tim Graham, General Manager, Irish Services Montgomery.
Big Changes for
SHOP Exhibition THE SHOP exhibition is changing its name, venue and its owner this year, in what is the biggest shake-up in years for the annual retail, food & drinks and hospitality expo. “SHOP as it was is no more, but the good news is that it is now part of Food & Hospitality Ireland Incorporating SHOP,” explains Tim Graham, General Manager, Irish Services Montgomery, part of Fresh Montgomery, the international exhibition organisers who have taken over both the SHOP and IFEX events from European exhibition group easyFairs. Both exhibitions will be run by Fresh Montgomery, with Montgomery’s Irish Services business assuming operational control of SHOP from its Dublin base, with IFEX run out of the Fresh Montgomery Belfast and London offices. Caroline McGuiness is transferring to the Fresh Montgomery business with the sale and will lead the sales operations on both exhibitions.
Toby Wand, Managing Director of Fresh Montgomery, notes how the company is “delighted to get this opportunity to broaden our market leading food and hospitality exhibition
portfolio. We’re extremely well placed to invest in these events and develop them for the benefit of their exhibitors and visitors. This move demonstrates our commitment to the long term, and we look forward to strengthening the events’ foothold as the market leading food and drink exhibitions in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.”
Market Leading Trade Shows
The Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland’s Shop of the Year, National Sausage and Puddings Finals and Speciality Foods competition will once again take place at Food & Hospitality Ireland.
Tim Graham explains that while Irish Services Montgomery has been part of Montgomery Exhibitions for more than a decade, they “operate very much independently, but we have the support and the resources of the parent company to call on”. The expertise at their disposal is vast, with Fresh Montgomery having become “the market leading trade show organiser in the food, drink and hospitality sectors”, according to Tim. Fresh Montgomery’s portfolio of exhibitions includes IFE, which took
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Retail News Interview place from March 17-20 at ExCeL in London, which is the largest food and drink trade event in the UK, as well as the Speciality and Fine Food Fair, which takes place in London’s Olympia on September 8-10, and recently launched IFE Africa, which will run in Johannesburg, South Africa, also in September. Belfast-born Tim has been working with Irish Services Montgomery for nine years, having previously worked in publishing and events in Ireland for many years. Prior to that, he worked for the events section of The Guardian newspaper in London. He’s really excited about the opportunity to develop Food & Hospitality Ireland Incorporating SHOP into the leading event of its kind in Ireland. “Very much so,” he enthuses. “We’re bringing as many new elements as we can to the show to really bring the whole industry together. We’re going to organise a really vibrant event that will bring a host of buyers, including, importantly, new buyers, to exhibitors. We want to grow this event, alongside our exhibitors, as the years go by.”
Food & Hospitality Ireland Incorporating SHOP is taking place on September 18 and 19 in the Industries Hall, RDS, Dublin.
Tim feels that in recent years, SHOP had lost its focus somewhat. “The last editions of SHOP have been much smaller than it was a number of years ago,” he says. “Obviously, the recession has played a large part in that across every business in Ireland, but aside from the economics, we felt that SHOP had lost its identity. We want to give it a clearly defined identity. We want to take a core element of the show, which is the retail side of SHOP, and incorporate that into the food and hospitality side of the business.”
New Venue
Food & Hospitality Ireland Incorporating SHOP is taking place on September 18 and 19 in a new venue. It’s still in Dublin’s RDS, but this year’s event is moving from Simmonscourt Pavilion to the Industries Hall. “It’s in the main
building of the RDS, and has old stone walls and wooden ceilings, which form a perfect backdrop for the type of products we’re going to have exhibiting,” Tim notes. Despite the change of name and venue, however, the exhibition will retain some of the features which made SHOP so popular with exhibitors and visitors alike. To that end, the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland’s Shop of the Year, National Sausage and Puddings Finals and Speciality Foods competition will once again take place at Food & Hospitality Ireland. “We want to keep some of the strengths of SHOP, like the seminar theatre, which is going to be called the Spotlight Stage,” Tim reveals. “We’re getting some big names and interesting people to come along, and we’re also changing the format so it is more interactive with the audience. The whole idea is to give advice to the sector, so they can get ideas and be inspired.”
Irish Quality Food Awards
Another coup for the event is the launch of the Irish Quality Food Awards, which will take place alongside the show in a venue close to the RDS. In the UK, these are amongst the most prestigious awards for food and drink products on sale in UK grocery outlets and it is expected that the Irish awards will soon gain similar traction here. “There will be a certain amount of cross-over, in that we will make a feature of the final short-listed products at Food & Hospitality Ireland and we’re working with the Awards organisers to really make the most of both events,” Tim notes.
Food & Hospitality Ireland Incorporating SHOP is set to be the most vibrant food, hospitality and retail show in Ireland.
Chef’s Demo Area
The General Manager also explains that Food & Hospitality Ireland will include a chefs’ demo area. “We want to work with some local, artisan suppliers, so the chefs will be using Irish products and showcasing what you can do with local foods,” Tim states. “It creates theatre at the exhibition and it also brings the food and the products to life. “Rather than having lots of little things going on, we want to have three or four very strong features that really work. We’re investing heavily in them to make sure they look great, specifically appeal to the sector and have lots of interaction with visitors,” Tim stresses. “There are a lot of exciting developments taking place,” Tim concludes. “Our aim is to have the most vibrant food, hospitality and retail show in Ireland and this is a great opportunity to be part of that. I’d advise everyone to register for the show as a visitor or, better still, get in touch with our sales team to find out about exhibiting or becoming a sponsor of the event.” For those interested in exhibiting, contact Caroline McGuinness on 048 90431000 or Victor Dunne on 01 2888821 or visit www.foodhospitality.ie.
About Fresh Montgomery FOUNDED in 1999, Fresh Montgomery is a young, dynamic and creative company specialising in organising market-leading events in the food, drink and hospitality sectors. Core business:
Food, drink and hospitality trade show organiser, operating in the UK and beyond. Where Fresh Montgomery does business: UK, Ireland, South Africa and Australia. Employees: 28 Sectors served: Food, Drink and Hospitality. Shows: Food & Hospitality Ireland Incorporating SHOP, Hospitality, Hotelympia, IFE, IFEX, IFEA, Independent Hotel Show, Pro2Pac, ScotHot, Speciality Chocolate Fair, Speciality & Fine Food Fair, Speciality Food & Drink Fair Sydney. Website: www.freshmontgomery.co.uk
22|Retail News|March 2013|www.retailnews.ie
Retail Ireland: Monthly Update Retail Ireland Rubbishes Consumers’ Association of Ireland Survey RETAIL Ireland has said food inflation remains very low in Ireland and the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages has fallen since 2008, according to official CSO statistics. We made the comments following publication of a Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI) report on food prices. Their survey suggested grocery prices had risen by 12% in the last two years, but this was based on a very small sample of branded goods in only a handful of stores. “There’s very modest inflation in the Irish economy,” said Retail Ireland Director Stephen Lynam. “Official figures from the Central Statistics Office’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), which surveys over 50,000 prices taken on 632 item headings, shows that food and non-alcoholic beverage prices have fallen by 6.3% since 2008. “The EU Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices, which allows for international comparisons, shows that the price of food and non-alcoholic prices increased by only 0.6% last year, lower than any other country in the European Union,” he continued. “This 0.6% increase is compared to an EU average increase of 3.0% and increases of 3.2% in the UK.” Lynam noted how, “Irish retailers are offering excellent value for money, despite operating in an extremely difficult environment. Consumer demand has fallen, while costs such as rents, utilities and commodity prices remain high.” Stephen Lynam, Retail Ireland Director.
Retail Ireland Welcomes Establishment of Government Retail Group RETAIL Ireland has welcomed the pro-retailer measures in the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs which was published in February. The key points for the retail sector are: • The streamlining of licences with the establishment of a “single web-based portal where retailers can register once and apply for up to 25 separate licenses, thereby significantly reducing the administrative burden on each retailer”. • Increasing the number of businesses, including retailers, trading online through an online trading voucher for SMEs. Retail Ireland will be working with the Department on this agenda for both large and small retailers. • The creation an inter-Departmental group to consider measures to help the sector and drive growth in the retail sector. The final point is vital and has been a key policy request of Retail Ireland. We will play an active part with this group in 2013, pushing the retail agenda and ensuring retailer-friendly measures are adopted by Government. This “whole of Government” approach to our sector has been missing. This inter-Departmental group is the key to progress and has come about directly as a result of Retail Ireland’s measured, consistent approach.
Retail Ireland Announces Conference Speakers MORE details of Retail Ireland’s first annual conference on May 23 have been announced. The conference’s key-note speaker will be EU Commissioner for Consumers, Tonio Borg, who will speak of efforts in Brussels on the consumer agenda and the Commission’s recent communication, ‘A European Consumer Agenda – Boosting Confidence and Growth’, which speaks of the need for stimulation of consumer expenditure. We will also be addressed by Dr Maureen Gaffney, an expert on change management, emotional intelligence, ‘gender at work’ and on work/life balance. A clinical psychologist, Dr Gaffney has worked with companies in Ireland, UK, Israel, and the US in the areas of leadership, change and transition, emotional intelligence and managing diversity. Her insight will be of huge interest to retailers seeking an insight into how consumers think and act. Given the highly competitive nature of the retail sector, heightened by the reduced spend of consumers, the conference will focus on how the sector and individual retailers can inspire and best connect with consumers. ‘Inspiring the Consumer’ will be the title of the event. More details are available on our website, www.retailireland.ie
EU Commissioner for Consumers, Tonio Borg: keynote speaker at the Retail Ireland Conference on May 23.
Tel: 01-6051558 www.retailireland.ie
www.retailnews.ie|March 2013|Retail News |23
Confectionery Retail News speaks exclusively to M&Ms’ legend, Ms Green, about celebrating St Patrick’s Day at home in Ireland, and the trials and tribulations of being a world celebrity.
We’re Keen on Green Tell us what brought you to Ireland, Ms Green?
Well hello there! I jetted into Dublin in February to start my search for the perfect Irish date to accompany me on my formal and informal activities on the greenest day of the year, St Patrick’s Day! And through a massive TV and outdoor advertising, PR and social media campaign, I have started my search! Are you happy to be here for St Patrick’s Day?
Honestly, I melt for no-one, but to say I am more than delighted and excited to be coming home for St Patrick’s Day is an understatement. Seeing Red and Yellow in successful campaigns such as the ‘Put M Under Pressure’ campaign, which saw them in Irish supporter gear for the introduction of limited edition Irish supporters’ pouches across Peanut, Chocolate and Crispy variants, made me realise that the world is my M&M and I wanted to crack Ireland! Tell us about some of your activities on your visit here?
Well, I have just had the best time. I met with the wonderful Lord Mayor of Dublin, Naoise Ó Muirí, who officially welcomed me to Ireland. I also met with one of Ireland’s most prolific match makers, Clareman Willie Daly, to see if he could help me find the ideal partner. What’s the best thing about Ireland?
Well, in my honour, stores all over the country are going green with my lovely self, inviting consumers to have some fun and take part of the campaign. All they have to do is enter through
Facebook at facebook.com/mmsireland. It’s so great to see how much of an impact I’m making in stores nationwide!
Favourite website?
How was your quest for the perfect match supported?
Favourite politician?
My search for the perfect match has been helped by a fantastic advertising campaign, which includes TV, outdoor, online, radio and engaging POS, which built incredible impact in-store. The activity has also been fully supported by a PR and Digital campaign, which has helped me no end! What are your next plans?
Well I’ll be jetting off next to the M&Ms World in New York - and one M&Ms consumer will be in with the chance to go with me to Times Square! All they have to do is enter through Facebook at facebook.com/mmsireland.
The M&Ms website of course! Full of games, recipes and information on my lovely self! www.m-ms.com Why the Lord Mayor was a darling when he welcomed me to Ireland, a person who I admire almost as much as myself. Most annoying public figure?
Mr Yellow gets on my last nerve, he can be so irritating! Biggest fear?
Waking up one day and not being as beautiful as I am: that thought is simply terrifying! Greatest achievement to date?
Why, how beautiful I am of course!
One of my greatest achievements to date has been the opening of the M&Ms World at Times Square in New York - and I’m sure that taking part in the St Patrick’s Day pre-parade in this fair isle will equal that sense of achievement.
Favourite quote?
What’s your best attribute?
Girls just want to have fun.
Honey, I can’t even choose. That’s your job.
What’s the last compliment you received?
How do you get your news; print or web?
I find the web much easier, plus I don’t like to get any ink on my hands from newspapers.
Do you breakfast or ‘deskfast’ in the mornings?
Favourite grocery shop?
A lady like myself always makes time for breakfast… I love some light fruit and an Earl Grey tea.
Any shop that sells my beloved M&Ms is a favourite of mine.
How do you get to work?
Why, I get chauffeured, honey! International product you would like to see available in Ireland?
Sephora; I just love all the beauty products that are on sale under one roof. A sweetie like me is spoilt for choice.
Favourite time of the day?
The evening time, when I get to catch a movie and eat some delicious chocolate goodies! Best ad on telly?
Facebook or twitter?
Both! I love to speak to my darlings every day!
The Chanel Coco Mademoiselle ad shot in Paris; Keira Knightley looks divine, much like myself.
24|Retail News|March 2013|www.retailnews.ie
Home Care & Laundry The time is right to stock up on home care and laundry products as consumers embark on the valuable spring clean.
A Clean Sweep CONSUMERS need home care products, whatever the economic climate, which is good news for retailers, particularly at this time of year, the traditional spring cleaning season. Four dominant companies control the overwhelming majority of sales in home care in Ireland, according to the latest report into the sector by Euromonitor. Three are the global home care giants Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Reckitt Benckiser, whilst the fourth is Allegro, an Irish distributor of merchandise for SC Johnson & Son and Sara Lee. Their dominance is only threatened by private label, and any market share erosion which has taken place has largely been due to private label. This suggests a binary market of strong international brands and vibrant private label. There appears to be little room for smaller independent home care producers. For the smaller indigenous companies to thrive, they need to be operating in niches which are largely neglected by the dominant players in the market. In an era when price promotions are more commonplace, it would seem that
having deep pockets is necessary in order to preserve the inevitable margin hit associated with discounting. Growth in private label predates the recession of the last few years. However, the recession cemented the place of private label and discount brands in the Irish consumer psyche and supermarkets and discounters refocused private label as a quality alternative at a significantly lower price point right across the home care spectrum. Euromonitor predict annual growth rates of 1% for home care in Ireland. As volume sales are expected to increase by half of the growth in value sales, pricing will remain the key driver of growth. The category will experience low growth in absolute terms, as maturity and economic woes represent significant limits to growth. In the laundry sector, Euromonitor report a noticeable shift in purchasing towards more essential items such as detergents, and away from less essential product types, such as carpet cleaners, starch/ironing aids and water softeners. These categories all registered volume declines, as well as current value declines. The shift in consumer sentiment away from
the least necessary categories was a common response to the very painful burden that austerity was having on consumers’ disposable incomes. That said, Euromonitor still expect laundry care to post a constant value CAGR of 1%. The era of price deflation would appear to be consigned to history, according to Euromonitor, with pressures being exerted from increased input costs, as well as higher sales taxes. The dishwashing category was dented by the recession after many years of growth. However, recent years have seen volume growth, combined with strong price increases driving market size, as did new product developments focusing on a more efficient wash. Penetration of dishwashers in Ireland, at 59% still lags behind that of Western Europe, according to Euromonitor, which augurs well for the growth of automatic dishwashing.
Fairy Fresh
Fairy introduced much desired scented products into the auto dish wash market with the launch of Fairy Clean & Fresh Apple Orchard and Fairy
INTRODUCING A RANGE TO DELIVER VALUE TO EVERY SHOPPER
NEW - BASE FAIRY FRESH RRP*: 20s-€8, 36s-€13.79
IMPROVED - MID FAIRY ALL IN ONE RRP*: 24s-€10.99, 34s-€13.79
Fairy, P&G’s leading washing-up brand, is implementing some significant formula upgrades and packaging changes within its portfolio this spring in a bid to tackle the varying requirements of household shoppers across Ireland. Leading the charge is the introduction of much desired scented products into the auto dish wash market with the launch of Fairy Clean & Fresh Apple Orchard and Fairy Clean & Fresh Citrus Grove. These dazzling new SKUs offer an entry price* point in the ADW category. Fairy’s popular All-in-One tabs have also been given a makeover with a striking new packaging design and formula upgrade involving a new two-chamber system. In a shift that is set to expand the auto dish wash market to move away from the use of longer wash cycles, the new formula is so powerful that it produces brilliant cleaning even in shorter cycles.
*Pricing is at the sole discretion of the retailer
PREMIUM
FAIRY PLATINUM RRP*: 20s-€10.99, 30s-€13.79
Tim Rothwell, Assistant Brand Manager for Fairy, comments:
“
These changes to the Fairy portfolio reflect a need from consumers to have reliability and value for money with any dish wash product they use, alongside our desire to provide a solution for every household. The new packaging designs allow for a greater consistency across the Fairy family and will enable individual products and their appropriate benefits to be easily identified on shelf.
”
The changes to the Fairy portfolio will be supported by a significant five month multimedia campaign including TV, digital, in-store, print and PR activity. Multi-million UK & Ireland Media Spend.
26|Retail News|March 2013|www.retailnews.ie
Home Care & Laundry and continues to grow year on year. In 2013, Vanish will spend approximately €1m on media, including the brand’s new 50-second TV copy, which directs consumers to The Vanish Tip Exchange, an online platform for users to share stain solutions and tips with one another. All media activity in 2013 will drive consumers to The Tip Exchange in order to drive penetration and grow stain In 2013, Vanish will spend approximately removers, €1m on media, including the brand’s with Vanish new 50-second TV copy, which directs a strong consumers to The Vanish Tip Exchange, an online platform for users to share stain number solutions and tips with one another. one brand, claiming over 55% share of the category. The Tip Exchange puts the consumer at the heart of the campaign, creating a two-way conversation that allows Vanish to share, learn and engage with consumers.
makeover, with a striking new packaging design and formula upgrade, involving a new two-chamber system. In a shift that is set to expand the auto dish wash market to move away from the use of longer wash cycles, the new formula is so powerful that it produces brilliantly clean dishes, even in shorter cycles.
Finish Quantum with Power Gel
New Fairy Clean & Fresh Citrus Groove features a bold look, which strongly highlights the fresh scent benefit of the formulation.
Clean & Fresh Citrus Groove. This dazzling new range offers reliable cleaning and a burst of freshness for consumers’ kitchens. The range features a bold look, which strongly highlights the fresh scent benefit of the formulation.
Finish, Ireland’s number one dishwasher detergent brand from Reckitt Benckiser, continues to drive category growth through innovation. February 2013 saw the launch of the new Finish Quantum with Power Gel. The new Power Gel delivers an extra pre-soak and scrubbing action, breaking down even the toughest dried and baked-on food: no wonder Finish is recommended
Fairy Unity
Fairy Unity, Fairy’s popular Allin-One tabs, have been given a
New Finish Quantum with Power Gel delivers an extra pre-soak and scrubbing action, breaking down even the toughest dried and baked-on food.
by leading dishwasher manufacturers. It’s available in Original, Lemon Sparkle, Baking Soda and new Apple & Lime Blast fragrance, all supported by a full multimedia campaign. Fairy Unity’s new formula is so powerful that it produces brilliantly clean dishes, even in shorter cycles.
Vanish
Vanish, from Reckitt Benckiser, is Ireland’s number one stain remover
Vanish, from Reckitt Benckiser, is Ireland’s number one stain remover and continues to grow year on year.
Johnson & Johnson Ireland Ltd. Airton Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24 PH: 01 4665200 Fax: 01 4665340
Tee up for ! g i b g n i h t e m o s mers to s u c r u o y e iv G a chance at y winning a luxur Dubai break
Moy Park chicken is 100% Irish chicken, and guaranteed Bord Bia Quality Assured so you know it’s good. And now we’re launching a fully integrated on-pack promotion and advertising campaign that will reach 95% of consumers. It’s sure to get people talking about our fresh tasty chicken.
Stock up now. Call Aidan Fisher, Senior Commercial Manager on +44 (0) 28 3835 2233
28|Retail News|March 2013|www.retailnews.ie
Home Care & Laundry Dettol
Also from Reckitt Benckiser, Dettol with its “Kills 99.9% of bacteria” claims, is the ‘go to’ brand for cleaning the most important areas in the home! 2012 saw the successful launch of Dettol Power and Pure Bathroom and 2013 sees Dettol introduce the New Dettol Bathroom Mousse. This product is targeted at families who are time poor and in need of a quick, effective cleaning solution. The innovative nozzle, with a wide spray, leads to a quick and easy cleaning Dettol with its “Kills 99.9% of bacteria” claims, is the solution for ‘go to’ brand for cleaning the consumer. the most important areas A high impact television in the home. campaign will run to support the launch and this will be complemented with investment through shopper marketing activity throughout the year.
Regina
the Irish market in 2007. Regina Chamomile will be re-launched in April 2013 with a new scented core to freshen up the bathroom, along with the addition of an Aloe Vera balm on the sheets. The re-launch will be supported by media advertising, along with great in-store offers to the consumer to encourage purchase. In the Kitchen Towel category, Regina offers super premium quality, with both Regina Blitz and Regina XXL. This year, these two products will be featured in a media campaign in Q1, Regina Chamomile will be re-launched in April 2013 with a along with price and extra fill new scented core to freshen up the bathroom, along with promotional packs in-store. Now with over 21% market the addition of an Aloe Vera balm on the sheets. share in branded Kitchen Towels (Source: Kantar) in Softis into a 4 and 12 roll variant, in Ireland, Regina is clearly one of the addition to the hugely successful 9 roll pack, ensuring consumers wishing to buy small, medium and large packs are not disappointed when it comes to choosing a super premium toilet tissue. Softis will continue to offer great promotional support in stores for 2013. This year will also see the re-launch of Regina’s In the Kitchen Towel category, Regina offers first Toilet Tissue, which entered super premium quality, with Regina XXL,
The Regina Tissue range, from Intertissue, continues to grow year on year and is fast becoming a favourite amongst Irish households. The product range sits at the most premium end of the market and offers the consumer unbeatable quality in both Toilet Tissue and Kitchen Towel. In 2012, Regina Softis Toilet tissue made its debut on Irish television and 2013 will be no different as the ATL support of Regina Softis continues: the brand will feature heavily on television throughout January and February. This year will Regina Softis will feature heavily on television this year. also see the range extension of
which will enjoy extra fill promotional packs in-store.
most popular kitchen towel brands in the Irish market.
Nicky
2012 has seen another great year for Sofidel’s Nicky brand. Since its launch in Ireland in 2004, Nicky has achieved double digit growth year-onyear. 2012 saw a similar pattern as the Nicky brand achieved 15% growth in the Toilet Tissue category. This has been helped by the introduction of new pack sizes to the Soft Touch label, now available in 4, 9, 16 and 24 roll, and the continued success of the extra fill packs of the premium quality Nicky Elite Toilet Tissue. 2013
www.retailnews.ie|March 2013|Retail News|29
Home Care & Laundry Nicky Lemon’s premium kitchen towel is longer lasting and great for jobs around the kitchen. Both 2 & 4 roll variants will be supported through 2013 with on-shelf promotions.
SCA Ireland
SCA is a global hygiene and This year, Nicky will launch forest company a new Household Towel in a 2 and 8 roll that develops and format, which will give the consumer great value for money in the produces personal standard kitchen towel sector. care products, tissue and forest products, with sales being conducted in will see the launch of Nicky Elite Aloe some hundred countries. SCA Ireland Vera to the super premium sector, distributes and markets some wellwhich will give the consumer a choice known brands, including Cushelle and to trade up into the premium sector Velvet toilet tissue, Plenty household at a reasonable price level. The new towel, Velvet & Tempo facial tissue, Aloe Vera pack will be supported with Bodyform towels and liners and on-shelf promotions, allowing retailers Tena incontinence products. In the to benefit from extra sales in the most recent audit, SCA Ireland is coming year. the number one manufacturer of In the Kitchen Towel category, Total Paper products (Source: Kantar Nicky continues to offer both standard Worldwide Panel, MAT Value Share and premium products to the consumer Toilet Tissue, Household Towel and for all those day-to-day jobs. This year, Facial Tissue over 52 weeks, week Nicky will launch a new Household ending December 23, 2012). Towel in a 2 and 8 roll format, which Cushelle and Velvet toilet tissue will give the consumer great value for and Plenty household towel will money in the standard kitchen towel continue in 2013 to drive sector. In addition to this, the hugely strong brand awareness and successful ‘Nicky Lemon’, a decorated rate of sale through investing kitchen towel with a unique lemon in television advertising and scented core, will be launched in a shopper marketing campaigns. 4-roll variant. At 100 sheets per roll, Plenty household towel claims leadership in the category 19.7% value share (Source: Kantar Worldwide Panel, MAT Value Share Toilet Tissue, Household Towel and Facial Tissue over 52 weeks, week ending December 23, 2012). The focus for the Plenty brand in 2013 is to continue to focus on category innovation and strong marketing investment through TV advertising and shopper marketing activity. One key product 2013 will see the launch of Nicky Elite Aloe Vera to the super premium sector, which will give the consumer initiative in 2013 is a fantastic a choice to trade up into the premium sector at a new line extension to the reasonable price level. range, with Plenty Super
Strong, which delivers the cleaning power of a cloth in a paper towel. Cushelle and Velvet toilet tissue continue to be part of the strongest brands within the SCA portfolio. Cushelle claims a 9.9% value share of the toilet tissue category (Source: Kantar Worldwide Panel, MAT Value Share Toilet Tissue, Household Towel and Facial Tissue over 52 weeks, week ending December 23, 2012). In 2013, the brand will continue to be supported with strong TV advertising, shopper marketing campaigns at store level and digital marketing through Facebook and Pigsback.com. Cushelle is made with an extra ‘whooosh’ of warm air, which plumps up the tissue helping to make it ‘Irresistibly Cushiony Soft’. Velvet toilet tissue currently claims 6.7% value share (Source: Kantar Worldwide Panel, MAT Value Share Toilet Tissue, Household Towel and Facial Tissue over 52 weeks, week ending December 23, 2012). Velvet will continue to support its campaign for trees in 2013, which has already seen four million extra trees replanted through the ‘three trees promise’ which states that for every tree used in the manufacture of Velvet, three more will be replaced. A high impact television campaign will run throughout the year and will be complemented with investment through shopper marketing activity.
The focus for the Plenty brand in 2013 is to continue to focus on category innovation and strong marketing investment through TV advertising and shopper marketing activity.
30|Retail News|March 2013|www.retailnews.ie
Tobacco Products Directive
Tobacco Regulations to Cost Retail Jobs An Open Letter to the Government. Dear Taoiseach, Ministers, TDs & Senators, for the revision of the Tobacco Products December 19, 2012, saw the European Commission adopting a proposal closed in January, severely limiting the Directive (2001/37/EU), while beginning a public consultation process, which opportunity for real debate or examination of many of the issues raised. nging and extremely negative The proposed amendments to the TPD, if implemented, will have wide-ra implications for Ireland’s retailers. products and ‘slim’ cigarettes, while They include banning entire product categories, including mentholated tobacco pack. limiting sales of other products, namely RYO products, to a minimum size 40g packs and other innovations) also slide g The move to prescribe particular pack design details (effectively bannin eiters to reproduce packs and harder serves to effectively homogenise the market, which will make it easier for counterf for consumers to tell counterfeit product from genuine. out. They will succeed only in driving These wide-ranging revisions seem haphazard at best and extremely ill thought 24% of tobacco consumed in Ireland. more adult tobacco consumers to the illicit trade, which already accounts for at least RYO consumer will no longer For example, the decision to ban smaller RYO pack sizes would mean that a current ing the new minimum size 40g pack be able to purchase a 12.5g or 25g pack. This would effectively limit them to purchas circa 220%. This will serve to drive RYO for approximately €15.36, compared to €4.80 for the 12.5g pack, an increase of sizes for much lower amounts. consumers into the black market, where they can purchase tobacco products in smaller the vast majority of licensed tobacco Retail News is a firm believer in the regulation of the tobacco industry, and s to minors etc. However, we believe retailers adhere to the laws regarding the display ban and the sale of tobacco product simply serve to push consumers out will and health, that these new proposals will not have the desired impact on public opposed. ntly veheme of the legal tobacco market and into the illicit trade, and as such, are to be from this channel to the black market Tobacco is estimated to account for up to 40% of turnover, so any revenue lost back as 2011, Retailers Against far As jobs. will have a serious impact on store viability and, by extension, retail of the illicit tobacco trade. ence consequ Smuggling estimated that more than 700 retail jobs had been lost as a direct by a massive 30% since the advent Our industry is already under severe pressure, with retail sales having fallen te consumer spending in the stimula and of the recession. The Government should be trying to curb the black market just the opposite. legitimate retail trade; whereas, the proposed amendments to the TPD will do ors, senators etc to express their Retail News would like to encourage its readers to contact their local TDs, councill beleaguered retail trade. opposition to the proposed amendments, which will further impact on our already Yours sincerely, Kathleen Belton, Editorial Director kathleenbelton@retailnews.ie
www.retailnews.ie|March 2013|Retail News|31
Tobacco Products Directive
HELP
PROTECT Retail Jobs! Retail News wants you to get involved in protecting your livelihood. Please sign the letter below, cut it out and send it to your local TDs, senators, councillors, to let them know you oppose the proposed revision of the Tobacco Products Directive. If the draft proposals as they stand are implemented, they WILL cost retail jobs. Make sure your local politicians understand the implications of these changes and what they will mean for retailers in your area.
This is also available on our website, www.retailnews.ie, so you can cut and paste it into an email, and send it to your local politicians.
!
! Dear Sir/Madam,
I ___________________________________________ would like to express my opposition to the proposed revision of the Tobacco Products Directive (2001/37/EU) for the following reasons:
1. The move to prescribe particular pack design details will make it easier for counterfeiters to reproduce packs and harder for consumers to tell counterfeit product from genuine. 2. The ban on sale of menthol products and ‘slims’ will push more consumers to the non-duty paid sector. 3. Likewise, the introduction of a minimum 40g pack size for Roll-Your-Own product will encourage more consumers into the black market. 4. The bigger the illicit trade, the less money is being spent on tobacco products in legitimate retail channels, which will lead directly to a loss of jobs and outlet closures. While I understand the need to regulate the tobacco industry, I feel the current proposals will not have the desired effects on public health, and will simply encourage more consumers into the illicit tobacco trade, which will directly cost retail jobs.
Yours sincerely,
_________________________________________ SIGNATURE
________________________________________ NAME (BLOCK CAPITALS)
BUSINESS
_____________________________
ADDRESS
_____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________
32|Retail News|March 2013|www.retailnews.ie
Centra Conference Centra’s National Retailer Conference took place in Killarney recently, with the group revealing retail sales of €1.435 billion for 2012 and presenting the Centra Store of the Year Awards. Pictured at Centra’s National Retailer Conference in The Malton Hotel, Killarney, are (l-r): Ian Allen, Centra Sales Director; Martin Kelleher, Centra Managing Director; and Dave Whelan, Chairman, Centra Retailer Council.
Centra Sales Top
€1.4 Billion
million customers per week. The retail chain grew by 1.6%. Centra MD, Martin Kelleher also announced that through a €20m investment programme by retailers, that the brand will add approximately 400 jobs, as 20 new stores are added to its network in 2013. 100 of these will be new jobs created by the opening of a number of new greenfield sites, with the balance created by store extensions and other independent stores joining the Centra network. “Centra’s success, despite the challenging economic environment, can be attributed to our continued focus on delivering value and providing Brenda Ryan, Jennifer O’Hagan and Tom Ryan from Ryan’s innovative Centra in Raheen, Co. Limerick, pictured celebrating the Gold Centra Store of the Year Award 2013. convenience
CENTRA recorded retail sales of €1.435 billion in 2012. This performance, revealed at Centra’s National Retailer Conference in Killarney recently, underpins Centra’s position as Ireland’s number one local convenience brand, serving over three
solutions for shoppers,” Martin Kelleher said. “In 2012, we increased value to our customers by 15% or almost €90m, through price reductions, and continued to evolve our range to stay in tune with consumer trends. This is illustrated by an increase of almost €5m in our ‘Food-toGo’ sales, while our new ‘Table for Two’ range of convenience dinners, delivered sales of over €1.2m.”
New Store Openings
Centra opened 18 new stores in 2012, which Kelleher maintained demonstrated “the continuing preference of Irish shoppers to shop local, saving time and petrol, particularly when they can avail of good value and an innovative range”. “Together with our retail partners, we employ almost 10,000 people, making us one of the biggest employers in the country,” he noted. “As our stores are all locally owned, we also invest back into the community by sourcing from local producers and making a real difference by contributing to local sports clubs and charities. For example, in 2012 our
www.retailnews.ie|March 2013|Retail News|33
Centra Conference retailers spent €40m directly with local suppliers and also donated €2.1m to community organisations.” Kelleher revealed that in 2013, “Centra will continue to adapt to the budget conscious customer by investing in further price reductions, launching new products to cater for specific segments and leveraging our innovation agenda to connect with the modern consumer.” Centra remains committed to local employment and sourcing from Irish producers, purchasing over €1 billion of Irish goods, with 75% of all products sold in store produced or sourced in Ireland. This included €130m of Irish fresh food, in addition to over €40m spent by Centra store owners on products sourced from suppliers within their local community.
Centra Managing Director, Ian Allen, Centra Sales Director and Sonya McCourt from O2, award sponsors.
Independent Retail Auditor
All 460 Centra stores throughout the Republic of Ireland are assessed for the competition, with 13 finalists selected from the nationwide network of stores. The audit undertaken by independent retail consultant, Joe Mary McGroarty, Terry and Sieglinde Murphy from Murphy’s Comerford, focuses on Centra in Rochestown, Cork, are pictured receiving the value, fresh food range Silver Award for Centra Store of the Year 2013 from Martin and quality, hygiene, Kelleher, Centra Managing Director, Ian Allen, Centra Sales customer service and Director and and Sonya McCourt, O2. product innovation. Centra Store of the Year Located in the heart of their Gold Centra Store of the Year Award, Awards communities, Ryan’s, Murphy’s as it recognises and endorses the work The Centra National Retailer and Courtney’s cater for the busy we do to provide our customers with Conference also hosted the Centra lifestyles of their consumers through a top class local shopping facility,” Store of the Year award ceremony, an extensive range of products, with a Tom said. “As a team, we work hard which saw Centra stores in Limerick, concentration on hot-food, deli, fresh on a daily basis to deliver first-rate Cork and Dublin celebrating, having bread, bakery and an array of fresh customer service and excellent value scooped the top awards. fruit and vegetables, all combined to throughout the store. This tough contest, which saw stiff provide exceptional stores for both “This year we placed particular competition from 10 other excellent local shoppers and passing trade. emphasis on providing an innovative finalists from around the country, “These stores are an excellent product offering within the ‘food-toannounced Ryan’s Centra, from example of how a top class store should go’ segment, to ensure that our time Raheen in Limerick as the overall operate,” commented Joe Comerford. strapped, price conscious customers winner, receiving the Gold Award. “They tick all the boxes, from a wide have high quality meal solutions at Murphy’s Centra, Rochestown, Cork, product selection with an excellent all stages throughout the day,” he came a close second, winning the fresh food offering to great value continued. “The strong performance of Silver Award, with Courtney’s Centra, products, with first rate customer our fresh and deli department keeps Fairview, Dublin, receiving the Bronze service. Local sponsorship of many us very focused on areas such as price, Award. community initiatives within the hygiene and quality.” The Store of the Year awards were Raheen, Rochestown and Fairview presented at the group’s National areas makes these Centra stores Retailer Conference by Martin Kelleher, Highest Quality Standards and their staff an Martin Kelleher commended all Centra integral part of retailers for their involvement in the their individual competition and maintaining the communities.” highest quality standards across all aspects of the business. “All Centra retailers and staff Top Class are committed to upholding high Shopping standards, which is the reason that Facility Centra remains the number one Delighted with the convenience retailer in Ireland,” overall win, store he said. “Ryan’s, Murphy’s and owner Tom Ryan Courtney’s Centra stores are a paid tribute to his perfect example of local independent team and said that retailers working hard for their local their dedication, communities and delivering stores enthusiasm and that are recognised as the best in professional Ireland. They work hard to succeed approach is in a very competitive market, by Jimmy Byrne, Carmel O’Connor, Lil Courtney, Barry Fay and Ruta what really meeting the needs of their customers differentiates Vysniauskyte from Courtney’s Centra, Fairview, are pictured and providing choice, good value and Ryan’s Centra. accepting the Bronze Award for Centra Store of the Year 2013 excellent service within their locality “We are from Ian Allen, Centra Sales Director, Martin Kelleher, Centra Managing Director and Sonya McCourt, O2. on a daily basis.” delighted with the
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Horsemeat Scandal
Dealing With the
Mislabelling Scandal Raymond O’ Rourke, Food & Consumer Lawyer, asks how the horsemeat scandal could have happened and what lessons can be learned from the fall-out.
FOLLOWING a Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) authenticity survey of beef burgers in January, it was revealed that certain burgers contained traces of horsemeat not declared in the list of ingredients. This was clearly a consumer protection issue i.e. the fraudulent marketing of mis-labelled ingredients for foodstuffs. Initially, there was no evidence of a food safety problem. There was confusion as to the source of the horsemeat and commentators argued that this is one of the outcomes of a globalised economy. While at first it seemed the horsemeat had originated from other countries – Poland, Romania or the Netherlands – at the end of February, the Department of Agriculture, following Garda investigations, declared that B&F Meats in Carrickon-Suir had been sending horsemeat, which was labelled as beef, to a customer in the Czech Republic, via a UK meat trader. So food companies in Ireland had both participated in food adulteration while at the same time being supplied with adulterated product.
How It Happened
How could this adulteration have happened when consumers have been told in the past decade that the food industry is highly regulated with traceability systems from ‘farm to fork’? In the European Union, numerous food regulations were introduced as a means of regaining consumer confidence in the safety of foodstuffs after the BSE and Belgian Dioxin crisis
in the late 1990s. These laws exist in addition to the rules of the internal market, which support fair trade and the free movement of goods, including foodstuffs, throughout the single internal market.
Consumer Protection Issues Two consumer protection issues are highlighted by the present scandal – the misleading labelling of beef
The horsemeat scandal originally came to light when the FSAI found horse DNA in products labelled as beef burgers.
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Horsemeat Scandal
“
The fines for mislabelling must be increased from the present €3,0004,000 to the tens of thousands of Euros. In addition, the Government should look at introducing into Irish food law a new offence of fraudulently mislabelling food ingredients or products.
Food and Consumer Lawyer, Raymond O’Rourke.
products and the emerging concern about the possibility of the veterinary painkiller phenylbutazone, known as bute, used extensively for horses, entering the food chain. The two issues reflect the two sets of tests to be completed by Member States, agreed by the European Commission & various Agriculture Ministers on Wednesday, February 13 in Brussels. In order to assess the presence of unlabelled horsemeat in foods, the Commission plans a total of 2,250 test samples to be taken across the EU, ranging from 10 to 150 per Member State. One wonders about the effectiveness of such tests, when you note that the UK authorities have completed 2,500 test samples in one week alone. The results will be made public on April 15, but by that stage, there is a possibility that this scandal may be even more serious. The use of horsemeat as a replacement for beef in meat products while continuing to label the product as beef, breaks the main principle of the EU food labelling rules contained in Directive 2000/13, which states that labelling must not “mislead the purchaser to a material degree, particularly as to the characteristics of the foodstuff and, in particular as to its nature, identity, properties, composition, quantity, durability, origin or provenance, method of manufacture or production.” New food labelling rules contained in EU Regulation 1169/2011, which unfortunately do not apply until December 13, 2014, for the first time in EU law place the obligation on
”
suppliers to food businesses not to supply food they know to be noncompliant with food labelling rules: thus, the reason you keep hearing meat traders state they did not “knowingly” supply horsemeat instead of beef to food manufacturers/retailers.
The Lessons to be Learned
What are the lessons to be learned so far from this horsemeat scandal? The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has done the consumer a great service by detecting this major fraud in the first place. The FSAI must continue to strongly enforce EU food laws, both in the food safety area and also in the consumer protection field by means of authentication tests, which were a major part of the agenda of enforcement authorities pre-BSE. Those who have fraudulently supplied product to manufacturers or retailers must be immediately prosecuted. The fines for mislabelling must be increased from the present €3,000-4,000 to the tens of thousands of Euros. In addition, the Government should look at introducing into Irish food law a new offence of fraudulently mislabelling food ingredients or products. Food safety and public health are of paramount importance, but as the horsemeat scandal demonstrates, cases of food adulteration can undermine consumer confidence in the food supply system as profoundly as food safety outbreaks.
In conclusion, full origin labelling throughout the food chain must be introduced immediately, in particular for meat used as an ingredient in processed meat products. Only then can the consumer be truly confident of the authenticity of the food they purchase.
In the EU, numerous food regulations were introduced as a means of regaining consumer confidence in the safety of foodstuffs after the BSE and Belgian Dioxin crisis in the late 1990s.
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Baby Food & Care
Little Treasures The baby food and baby care categories are pretty much recession-proof, as Irish parents want the best for their loved ones. PRICE is not as important within baby and child-specific products as in other beauty and personal care categories, according to the latest report into the
sector from Euromonitor. The main concern for the majority of parents is that the products they are using are the best available for their children
in terms of quality and safety of ingredients. Furthermore, parents also wish to ensure that the products they are using are both beneficial and
Helping to nourish growing babies for over 30 years. *
milupa.ie ,03257$17 127,&( %UHDVWIHHGLQJ LV EHVW IRU \RXU EDE\ $OZD\V FRQVXOW \RXU GRFWRU PLGZLIH SXEOLF KHDOWK QXUVH RU KHDOWK YLVLWRU IRU DGYLFH DERXW IHHGLQJ \RXU EDE\ ,W LV LPSRUWDQW WKDW \RX FOHDQ \RXU EDE\·V WHHWK DIWHU WKH ODVW IHHG DW QLJKW 8VH DV SDUW RI D KHDOWK\ EDODQFHG ZHDQLQJ GLHW 0LOXSD PLONV FHUHDOV FRQWDLQ VRXUFHV RI ,URQ ZLWK YLWDPLQV $ % & DQG '
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Baby Food & Care effective, which has proven positive for medicated products. Baby and child-specific products are expected to achieve a CAGR of less than 1% in constant value terms over the forecast period. The best performance is expected in medicated baby and child-specific products, which is predicted to achieve a 2% CAGR over the period. Parents can be expected to continue to seek the additional benefits of medicated products. Furthermore, the majority of brands within this category are wellestablished, recognised and, probably most importantly, are well-trusted by parents for use on their children. Euromonitor also predict that baby food is going to be one of the fastest growing categories in the global food market. Baby food is effectively recession proof, as consumers want the best for the little ones and value quality and safety over price. Branded products remain top of consumers’ agenda. Indeed, private label penetration of baby food remains extremely low, at less than 2% of the market internationally.
Danone Baby Nutrition
Breastfeeding is best for babies. The World Health Organisation recommends that mothers exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of life and continue thereafter in combination with a weaning diet. If a mother chooses not to breastfeed, or moves on from breastfeeding, the Danone Baby Nutrition range of infant and toddler milks can provide the next best alternative. Cow & Gate has been manufactured in Ireland since 1887 and continues to manufacture infant powdered milk today in its plants in Cork and Wexford. The Milupa/Aptamil Brand, whose powdered milks are also produced in Cork and Wexford, is the top selling baby food brand in Ireland, which continues to drive growth within baby food year on year. Infant, Follow On and Growing Up Milks are the most important part of the baby food category, accounting for over 54% of the category value. The Danone Baby Nutrition range offers a
a significant contribution to a toddler’s daily vitamin D and Omega 3 requirements. Growing-up milks now represent 25% of the total baby/ toddler milk market in volume terms. The wet meal market remains key and Cow & Gate claims market leadership of this sector, with 38% volume market share. The Fruit Pot Category is a very important part of the baby food category and is worth over €5.6m per annum. Cow & Gate 100% Fruit contains only fruit puree, with added vitamin C. Designed for babies and toddlers from four months to three years, they are the ideal way to include fruit in a baby’s diet while they are discovering new tastes and textures. 100% Fruit Pouches, in fun, squeezy pouches, allow for independent and ‘on the go’ feeding for toddlers.
Cow & Gate has been manufactured in Ireland since 1887 and continues to manufacture infant powdered milk today in its plants in Cork and Wexford.
choice of milks to suit both babies’ and toddlers’ individual nutritional needs. Toddlers grow a staggering 40% in height and weight between the ages of one and three years: therefore, a healthy, balanced diet is of utmost importance to facilitate this rapid growth rate. Iron is essential for growing toddlers and is particularly important for brain development. A recent independent Irish survey showed that almost a quarter of Irish one-year-olds were not achieving the recommended amount of iron per day. A toddler needs almost the same amount of iron as an adult male per day. However, their stomach size is about five or six times smaller! Even with a varied diet, it can be tricky to reach the recommended 8mg of iron a day that toddlers require. Cow’s milk is a poor source of iron and and over-reliance on cow’s milk has been identified as one of the main risk factors for iron deficiency anaemia in Irish toddlers, according to Danone Baby Nutrition. Growing Up Milk can be used as part of a toddler’s healthy balanced diet to help them reach their requirements for key nutrients, such as iron. Just two 150ml beakers of Cow & Gate/Aptamil Growing Up Milk provides 45% of a toddler’s daily iron requirements. Growing Up Milk can also provide
The Milupa/Aptamil Brand, whose powdered milks are also produced in Cork and Wexford, is the top selling baby food brand in Ireland.
The dry meal market is valued at €5.9m. The Milupa Dry range, manufactured specifically for the Irish market, has the majority share of the dry market with 65% value. Milupa provides a wide range of nutritious cereals for growing babies, introducing a variety of flavours and textures. Milupa Pure Baby Rice, for example, is an ideal first food when weaning a baby onto solid foods.
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Baby Food & Care Heinz Baby Food
Heinz has been taking care of little appetites for generations with its comprehensive baby food range offering everything for baby from Heinz Mum’s Own Recipe jars and trays, to rusks, baby cereals, juice, potted fruity custard desserts and the Heinz Cook at Home range. The highly successful Heinz Mum’s Own Recipe range is a unique concept in that all the varieties in the range are based on recipe suggestions that Heinz have gathered from real mums. Heinz Mum’s Own Recipe, in its bright, eye-catching packaging, offers lots of delicious breakfast, savoury and dessert varieties across all age stages. Heinz Mum’s Own Recipe also offers some of its most popular savoury recipes across all age stages so baby can enjoy their favourites, such as Cottage Pie, Spaghetti Bolognese and Sunday Chicken Dinner, for longer, while still discovering new, exciting textures. Heinz Fruity Desserts are a blend of creamy custard or yogurt with fruit puree to create delicious varieties
The hugely popular Milupa Sunshine Orange brand.
Milupa cereals are produced from the highest quality ingredients and provide essential nutrients such as iron, calcium and vitamin C, which are important for a baby’s healthy growth and development. The Juices & Finger Foods segments of the baby food category make up 11% in terms of value share (Source: ACNielsen, Scantrack, Value and Volume Sales MAT Jan 27, 2013) Important notice: breastfeeding is best for babies as it is perfectly suited to nourish infants and protect them from illnesses such as ear infections, stomach upsets, diabetes, eczema and obesity. Infant formula is suitable from birth when babies are not breastfed. Followon milk is only for babies over six months, as part of a mixed diet and should not be used as a breastmilk substitute before six months. It is recommended that all formula milks be used on the advice of a doctor, midwife, health visitor, public health nurse, dietician, pharmacist or other professional responsible for maternal and child care.
Heinz Farley’s Rusks, available in packs of nine or 18, are rich in Calcium, Iron and Vitamins and contain no added colours, flavourings or preservatives. Heinz Rusks are also available in Reduced Sugar and Gluten-Free varieties.
The highly successful Heinz Mum’s Own Recipe range is a unique concept in that all the varieties in the range are based on recipe suggestions that Heinz have gathered from real mums.
such as Fruity Custard, Fruit Medley and Fruity Yogurt - Banana. Suitable for all ages from 4-6+ months, each pack contains 4x100g servings in a convenient plastic pot complete with a re-closable lid, making them the ideal dessert or snack solution at home or on the move. Heinz Farley’s Rusks, available in packs of nine or 18, are rich in Calcium, Iron and Vitamins and contain no added colours, flavourings or preservatives. Heinz Rusks are also available in Reduced Sugar and Gluten-Free varieties. The popular Heinz Farley’s cereals range is ideal for breakfast or dessert and includes all the favourites, such as Sunrise Banana Cereal and Strawberry Yoghurt, which are available in 125g packets. Heinz Organic Biscotti are delicious biscuit fingers which have been especially designed to fit perfectly in the hands of babies from nine months
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Baby Food & Care onwards. With 12 individual biscuits per pack, Heinz Organic Biscotti are the perfect delicious snack for mum and toddlers up to 36 months. The range of Heinz Baby Juice remains ever popular in thirst quenching varieties such as Mixed Berries & Apple Juice with Spring Water and Pear Juice with Spring Water in handy 750ml packs. Due to this popularity, Heinz have also launched two of their most popular baby juice varieties in 150ml packs, Apple & Blackcurrant Juice with Spring Water and Apple Juice with Spring Water, making them ideal for when baby is on the move. Whatever the meal occasion, Heinz has something delicious to offer!
HiPP Organic
HiPP Organic, the original organic baby food company, is extending its successful product range with the introduction of Fruit & Savoury Pouches. By leveraging its reputation for quality organic baby food, HiPP Organic aims to accelerate sales and drive further brand growth through their new organic pouch range. HiPP Organic has strategically
placed up to two individual portions of pureed fruit within their fruit pouches, to provide parents with an easy solution to help reach the all-important five portions a day. HiPP Organic has cleverly incorporated organic rapeseed oil, rich in Omega 3, into its savoury pouches. The perfectly sized savoury pouches are the first pouches available for babies, with the additional benefit of Omega 3 fatty acid; crucial for aiding baby’s neurological development during the first Pampers Active Fit, winner of the ‘Practical Pregnancy & two years of Parenting’ Gold Award for Best Disposable Nappy, Older Baby, their life. The new in 2012/2013. pouch range creates significant on-shelf appeal, Pampers Active Fit providing retailers with From Procter & Gamble, Pampers an incremental sales Active Fit, ‘Practical Pregnancy & opportunity. Parenting’ Gold Winner for Best HiPP Organic is Disposable Nappy Older Baby in distributed in Ireland by 2012/2013, is Pampers’ driest and Kelkin Ltd. For further best fitting nappy. Active Fit provides information or to place your up to 12 hours of dryness and with order please contact Kelkin three-way fit, it perfectly adapts to the on 01 4600400. waist, legs and bottom, giving babies
HiPP Organic is extending its successful organic product range with the introduction of Fruit & Savoury Pouches.
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Baby Food & Care the freedom to play their way. Active Fit now has an upgraded ultra soft back sheet for an extra premium feel.
Pampers Simply Dry
Great value is more important to shoppers than ever and Pampers Simply Dry from Procter & Gamble provides trusted Pampers dryness for less. Pampers Simply Dry offers simply great value and dryness with the Extra-Dry Layer, so shoppers don’t have to compromise.
Huggies Pull-Ups and Pull-Ups Night-Time are designed to encourage independence, with special features to teach kids about becoming dry, help make potty training more fun and easier.
everything you ever need to know about potty training.
Caldesene
Pampers Simply Dry offers simply great value and dryness with the ExtraDry Layer, so shoppers don’t have to compromise.
The Caldesene range from Clonmel Healthcare has seen great expansion over recent years and now consists of Caldesene Powder, Caldease Ointment and CaldeSpray. Caldesene Powder is a medicated baby powder that prevents and treats nappy rash. It works by attacking harmful bacteria and soothing skin irritation. Its special formulation also means that it forms a barrier against wetness on a baby’s skin. Caldesene Powder is available in three handy sizes: 20g, 55g and 100g.
Caldease Ointment also relieves the symptoms of nappy rash. Caldease protects irritated skin and soothes minor skin irritations, superficial wounds and burns. Caldease Ointment can be applied before the powder and works to actually put back fluids to the skin area and act as a moisturiser, helping prevent recurrence of nappy rash. Caldease is available in both 30g and the new larger 100g tube. CaldeSpray, the latest addition to the family, is a zinc oxide milk spray for nappy rash. This concentrated spray has excellent skin adherent and skin protective properties, which form a protective barrier against wetness. CaldeSpray contains zinc oxide 10% w/w. Caldesene Medicated Powder contains calcium undecylenate 10% w/w. Caldease Medicated Ointment contains Zinc Oxide 15% w/w. Always read the label.
Huggies
The continued focus for the Huggies Pull-ups brand from Kimberly Clark in 2013 is to supply mums and dads in Ireland with products that provide innovative solutions – so, that means the right product, for the job in hand, helping parents to focus on the more important things in life. Huggies Pull-Ups and Pull-Ups Night-Time are designed to encourage independence, with special features to teach kids about becoming dry, help make potty training more fun and easier. The perfect solution to help your little one on their journey to becoming a big kid and for more comfortable night-times, Pull-Ups Night-Time training pants offer extra absorbency for a good night’s sleep. See www.pottytraining.ie for
The Caldesene range has seen great expansion over recent years and now consists of Caldesene Powder, Caldease Ointment and CaldeSpray.
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Retail Leases
Taking the Sting Out of
Dilapidations Solicitor Terry O’Malley advises retailers on how not to get stung by a dilapidations demand at the end of a retail lease. ON the surrender or termination of a retail lease, a retailer can be left with an unforeseen and costly demand for dilapidations from the landlord. Dilapidations are generally items of disrepair that are covered by the tenant’s covenants in a lease. A landlord can issue a dilapidations demand for any breaches of the tenant’s repairing covenants relating to the physical state of the premises when the lease expires. It is not something many retailers think about when they are agreeing new lease terms with a landlord but it can often come back and sting them at the end of the term.
Obligations in the Lease
Any retailer occupying premises under a retail lease will invariably be expected to keep the premises in good and substantial repair, including regular decoration intervals, often specified in the lease. There is usually also a prohibition on structural alterations and sometimes nonstructural alterations, along with an ongoing duty to ensure general compliance with statutory obligations for electrical supply and gas appliances. So, you may ask, if the lease is clear on the retailer’s responsibilities, why do so many retailers get stung by a dilapidations demand?
The main reason for this is that most retailers are too busy focusing on their core business activity - making sales - to be worrying about running repairs that aren’t absolutely vital to the continued success of their business. Furthermore, tight budgets mean there is often very little funding allocated for the maintenance and upkeep of the store.
Schedule of Condition
Many retailers are unaware of the implied legal consequences of the seemingly harmless terms like “put”, “keep” and “leave” in the context of the repairing covenant. Therefore, unless the retailer is taking on a properly maintained property and has the foresight to insist on a Schedule of Condition, which shows the physical state of the property at the time the lease is granted, they may find out that they are inheriting a liability which will be collected at the expiry of the term. This comes before the retailer even sets foot on the shop floor. So how can a retailer protect himself or herself from a dilapidations demand? As we all know now, the current economic downturn has shifted the balance of power from the landlord to the tenant on the negotiation of any retail lease. Retailers are now seeking to dilute their repairing responsibilities in the lease or at least improve on the inducements offered to take properties in anything less than perfect condition. This might include a longer rent-free period or a reverse premium to attend to the outgoing retailer’s repairs.
Photographic Schedule
The most common way for a retailer to protect themselves from any future dilapidations claim is to insist on a detailed Schedule of Condition being inserted into the lease. This Schedule of Condition should show the physical state of the premises at the time the lease is granted. The easiest way to do this is through a photographic schedule agreed between the parties. So as long
Terry O’Malley, solicitor in the Commercial Property unit at Leman Solicitors.
as a retailer can show the property is the same state of repair at the end of the term as it was on the granting of the lease, the sting of a dilapidations demand will be neutralised. Essentially, provided a retailer tackles the issue of dilapidations during the negotiation of the commercial lease terms and they take all necessary steps to ensure they are in compliance with their repair obligations in the lease, prior to the expiry of the lease, the sting of dilapidations can be neutralised by the tenant before they set foot in their new premises.
About the Author: TERRY O’Malley is a solicitor in the Commercial Property unit at Leman Solicitors. He can be contacted at tomalley@leman.ie
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Drinks News Wolf Blass Joins Findlater THE start of 2013 saw Findlater Wine & Spirit Group appointed the new distributors of the Wolf Blass, Penfolds and Beringer portfolios in the Republic of Ireland. To mark this momentous occasion, Findlater want to reacquaint the Irish wine industry with the legendary Wolf Blass Black Label, the flagship red blend of the Wolf Blass range. The Black Label principle is brilliantly simple: for each vintage, Wolf Blass crafts the finest red blend from selected South Australian vineyards. It’s not about individual regions, vineyards or varieties, but rather fusing them together to create a wine far greater than the sum of its parts. The current 2005 vintage Black Label consists of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon and 49% Shiraz, has garnered multiple 90+ point reviews and is just now coming into its own.
Gilbeys Annual Portfolio Tasting PRODUCERS from all over the world gathered in Dublin recently to showcase over 400 wines at the annual Gilbeys portfolio tasting. Gilbeys has a diversified wine portfolio, including a host of bestloved labels from around the world such as Drouhin, Trimbach, Barton & Guestier, Santa Rita, Faustino, Laurent Perrier, [yellow tail], Blossom Hill and Jaboulet. The 2013 wine list sees a number of new introductions to the brand portfolio, including: Carmen and Dona Paula ranges from Santa Rita Estates; Joseph Drouhin Clos de Mouches and Marquis de Laguiche from Burgundy; the unique Barton & Guestier Passeport range; Churchill’s Douro Estate wines from Portugal; low alcohol (5.5%) wines from Blossom Hill and Black Tower. Those attending included some of the most respected names in the business, such as Anne Trimbach from Trimbach, Arnaud Longuent from Laurent Perrier and Stephanie and Paul Pratt from De Ladoucette Wines (pictured).
Cono Sur Scores in Decanter
CONO Sur wines scored an impressive one-two in Decanter Magazine’s recent panel tasting of Chilean wines under £15 (approx. €17), with both the entry-level Bicicleta Pinot Noir and the Reserva Especial Cabernet Sauvignon scoring very highly with the discerning panel and garnering high praise. Cono Sur Bicicleta Pinot Noir was described as “surely one of the best value Pinot Noirs on the market, with punchy black cherry aromas and a vigorous, tangy, spicy palate profile”. Meanwhile, Cono Sur Reserva Especial Cabernet Sauvignon was labelled “classy, with rounded fine tannins, subtle mint and tobacco notes and layered earthy fruit and cream flavours”.
Pernod Ricard Reports Good Performance PERNOD Ricard have reported a good performance in the first half of the 2012/13 financial year, despite a less buoyant environment than in 2011/12. Half-year sales totalled € 4,907m (excl. tax and duties), representing growth of 6%, while gross margin (after logistics costs) was €3,096m, an increase of 3%, with a gross margin to sales ratio which substantially improved to 63.1% compared to 61.7% in the previous year excluding technical effects. Highlights included excellent growth for Martell and Jameson, a good performance for white spirits but slowdown for Scotch whiskies.
Diageo Commits to Brewing in Dublin DIAGEO Ireland’s recent delivery of 10 new giant brewing vessels underscores the company’s commitment to the future of brewing at St James Gate and represents a major vote of confidence in its Irish brewing operation. The enormous brewing vessels, which are up to 85 feet in length and up to 28 tonnes each in weight, arrived in Dun Laoghaire Harbour recently, after being shipped from Menen in Belgium via Rotterdam. Once erected, the largest of the vessels will be capable of holding just under one million pints at a single time.The arrival of the vessels is part of the €153m expansion and re-development of the St. James’s Gate Brewery. Construction of the project started in early summer 2012 and the plant will start producing beer in June 2013. Mark Chambers,Brewing Manager Diageo, is pictured with one of the brewing vessels.
Heineken Ireland Delivers Positive Performance “HEINEKEN Ireland has once again delivered a very positive performance for 2012 which has seen us grow our market share in both volume and value terms,” said David Forde, CEO, Heineken Ireland, at the announcement of the 2012 results. “Our sustained, high impact commercial programmes have delivered growth across our key brands and helped Heineken Ireland extend its leadership within the lager market.” Heineken Ireland’s portfolio of beers claim a 45% value share of the lager market in Ireland, primarily driven by the success of the Heineken brand, which continues to grow market share, extending its leadership as Ireland’s premium lager, and remains the number one lager, with a 34% value share of the lager market. The remainder of the Heineken Ireland lager portfolio continues to experience strong share of growth in the marketplace, driven primarily by stellar performances from the Coors Light, Tiger, Desperados and Sol brands.
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On the Vine
The Fabled
French Comeback Jean Smullen looks at Ireland’s rekindled love affair with French wine. THE French Rugby team is a good barometer of the country’s wine industry. Never underestimate the French, as they have a happy knack of turning everything around on a coin spin. The same can be said for their wine sales. In 1990, France had 54.7% of a 1.5m case Irish market, selling 807,000 cases annually. By 2011, they had only had a 13% market share, but the Irish market is now 9m cases and the French are now selling 1,135,000 cases annually, which means their overall market for the last 25 years has seen a slow but steady growth. Looking at the winners and losers by country of origin in 2012, ACNielsen figures indicate that France, Spain, Italy, Argentina and Portugal showed good growth in both volume and value sales, with France showing the biggest overall growth in value sales during the 12 month period of the figures. French wine, it appears, is staging something of a resurgence. MAT volume sales of French wine increased by 17.2% for the period September 20112012, with value sales for
the same period increasing by 14.1% (Source: ACNielsen, September 2012). Some of this growth can be attributed to the promotional drives and discounting of French wines in the supermarket and multiple groups. However, the independent off trade are also reporting an increase in sales, with many of the key independent off licences anecdotally reporting a surge in sales of French wine during the busy 2012 Christmas trading period, particularly for mid-priced wines. With the poor harvest in 2012 resulting in a global shortage of wine, it would appear that both the consumer and trade in Ireland are starting to return their focus to Europe. France has not escaped the shortages, it must be said. The EU grubbing up programme, poor harvests and the European recession have combined to ensure that France too has to work hard to meet the global demand for its products. However, there are many strong commercial relationships between the
French Wine UndeR €14 2011 Michel Lynch Classic White €13.99 (Barry & Fitzwilliam) Jean Charles Cazes of Michel Lynch was in Ireland for a tasting recently and this was one of their wines that I particularly liked. In 1932, the Cazes family bought the estate, which is still 100% family owned. This wine is part of the Lynch Bages portfolio. This is one of the famed Wine Geese wine estates, which has an Irish connection. The Classic White is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, which has been tank fermented. The fruit is sourced from Entre deux Mers and Graves. This is a fresh crisp wine with a lovely floral nose. A good, well made white Bordeaux, this wine was a runner up in the NOffLA Gold Star Awards 2013 in the Old World White Under €15 category.
2010 Château Bire Bordeaux Supérieur €11.99 (Ampersand) This is a good value, reliable, well made Bordeaux wine. The estate borders on the Garonne river and the Haut-Médoc appellation and is famous for its Chinese style pavilion, constructed in 1858. The wine is made from a blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc. A traditional Bordeaux, with red and black fruit and a touch of spice, this is a good wine to recommend with meat.
2010 Baron Philippe de Rothschild Pinot Noir €11.99 (Cassidy Wines) This is an IPR wine from the Pays d’Oc region, produced by a well known Bordeaux house. The fruit is sourced from the south of France from vineyards near Limoux. This is a more fruit forward Pinot Noir but with a good price point, which will appeal to Pinot lovers. Wines from this part of France are punching well above their weight and this wine is certainly no exception. Recommend with grilled lamb chops.
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On the Vine Irish importers and the French wine producers and these continue to work well, which means that wine is being allocated here. The most sought after French wine is the Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP), formerly known as Vin de Pays, particularly those from the Languedoc/Rousillion region. It simply means quality wine from a specified area. Indeed IGP wines from anywhere in the South of France are very much sought after. They offer good price/quality value and most producers can also offer a range of appellation wines from Southern Rhone, as well as from the Languedoc appellations, such as Minervois, Corbiere, etc, all of which are very much in demand at the moment.
Cotes du Rhone, AOP Chateauneuf du Pape, Vacqueryas, Rasteau and Gigondas are all the stars of the moment. The classic wine regions from further north still sell strongly here. Bordeaux has a strong consumer following, so too does the Loire, particularly for white wines from AOP Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. Burgundy is still the ‘go to’ region for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Here are a few suggestions to look out for. The reality of the recent duty increase is that realistically €8.99 is now the new entry level price point. We are going to look at wines under €14, €18 and €26, which is a realistic benchmark of key retail price points for quality wine on the Irish market.
French Wine UNDER €26 2009 Château Liversan Haut Medoc Cru Bourgeois €24.99 (Febvre & Co) Classified as Cru Borugeois in 1932, the Liversan estate was built in 1850. It has been owned by the Lapalu family since 1995. This is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvingon, 50% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. This wine has fine blackcurrant fruit with an earthy depth and is a serious, well crafted, good quality Bordeaux.
2007 Guigal AOP Gigondas (Grenache/Syrah) €25.99 (Barry & Fitzwilliam) This is a Rhone Valley wine made by Marcel Guigal. Rated as one of the best producer/negociants from the Rhone, Guigal wines have stood the tests of time with regard to consistency and value for money. Gigondas was once part of the Chateauneuf appellation, but was awarded its own AOP in the 1970s. The wines of Vaquerays, Gigondas, Cotes du Rhone, Languedoc Rousillon, and most importantly Chateauneuf-du-Pape are all predominantly made from Grenache. This wine, however, also has some Syrah in the blend. It has black fruit flavours with a spicy meat character. A star wine, I enjoyed it recently with a spicy chorizo sausage stew, which really worked as a food/wine combination.
French Wine UNDER €18 2011 Gentil, Hugel et Fils €15.99 (Findlater Wine & Spirit Co.) This wine revives an ancient Alsace tradition that wines assembled from noble grape varieties were called ‘Gentil’. Gentil “Hugel” allies the suave, spicy flavour of Gewurztraminer, the body of Pinot Gris, the finesse of Riesling, the grape-iness of Muscat and the refreshing character of Sylvaner. This is a classic Alsatian wine style, that will appeal to the wine enthusiast. Good to recommend with fish.
2010 Ackerman Chantegrieve Pouilly Fumé €15.99 (Ampersand) This is classy Sauvignon Blanc. AOP Pouilly Fumé has a slight edge on its neighbour across the river, the region of Sancerre. The wine enthusiast goes for this, and those in the know will opt for a good quality Pouilly Fumé from vineyards planted on limestone and chalky soils. This is an aromatic French Sauvignon Blanc with lovely grapefruit flavours.
2010 Mouton Cadet Blanc €15.99 (Cassidy Wines) Another classic white Bordeaux, this one is more traditional in style. It is
made from a blend of the three classic Bordeaux white varieties: Sauvignon Blanc 65%, Semillon 30% and Muscadelle 5%. The Sauvignon gives acidity and lemon zest, with Semillon adding honeyed tones and the Muscadelle bring a floral/ aromatic character to the wine.
2010 Louis Jadot Pinot Noir Counverts de Jacobins €15.99 (Findlater Wine & Spirit Co.) Jadot is one of Burgundy’s best known negociant houses, founded in 1859. Today, all the wines made under the Maison Louis Jadot label are Appellation Contrôlée wines from across the region. The vineyards of Maison Louis Jadot are now scattered across 154 hectares of Burgundy, from the Côte d’Or to the Mâconnais and down into Beaujolais. Pinot Noir is a grape which is very much in vogue. The home of Pinot Noir is Burgundy and you have to know your negociant here in order to guarantee quality. Thanks to the quality of the Jadot wines, this is one to recommend to your customers.
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Shelf Life KEELINGS recently launched a specially designed heart shaped strawberry punnet to celebrate Mothers’ Day. These limited edition packs were available to purchase in Tesco and Dunnes stores nationwide. Strawberries are high in fibre and relatively low in sugar, a great source of vitamin C, fibre, potassium and phytochemicals. The latter are nutrients found within plants, which act as antioxidants that scavenge our body for harmful properties that are created naturally in our bodies in response to pollutants in the environment and general living. TO celebrate 231 years of whiskey distilling tradition within the Teeling family, independent Irish whiskey maker the Teeling Whiskey Company has launched its flagship premium Irish whiskey brand, Teeling Whiskey. Jack Teeling, founder of the Teeling Whiskey Company, commented, “Since 1782, the Teeling family have been crafting Irish Whiskey. The entrepreneurial spirit that inspired Walter Teeling back in the 18th century has not been diluted over the years and the latest generation of Teelings are committed to innovating and creating unique Irish whiskeys. Our aim was to create a new Irish whiskey that is contemporary, a salute to our own provenance and which stands out for its quality and unique flavour.” JACK O’Keeffe from Cork Institute of Technology (pictured) has been crowned 2013 Knorr Student Chef of the Year after a thrilling final cook-off at IT Tralee. The cook-off saw 14 of Ireland’s most talented student chefs from catering colleges across the country go head-to-head in a tightly fought contest, before Jack, from Doneraile in North Cork, was crowned this year’s winner. As well as the title of Best Student Chef, Jack won an amazing grand prize, which includes a bespoke perpetual trophy and a once-in-a-lifetime culinary adventure to Girona in Spain, where he will take part in an exclusive Catalan cooking master class and dine at the Michelinstarred El Cellar De Can Roca restaurant.
THE Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has welcomed the appointment of Prof. Michael Gibney as its new Chairman. Prof. Gibney, who is Professor of Food and Health at University College, Dublin’s (UCD) Institute of Food and Health, has a long and distinguished career as a world-leading expert in food science and nutrition. Pictured are (l-r): Prof. Alan Reilly, Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, with Prof. Michael Gibney, who has been appointed as Chairman of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. PICTURED at the launch of Bulmers Forbidden Fruit are Ross Bissett and Belinda Kelly of Bulmers. The line-up for this year’s Bulmers Forbidden Fruit has been announced, heralding a jam-packed weekend of music, art and comedy. From Irish alternative rockers to funk legends to DJ sets, crammed on four stages over two days (June 1 and 2), this festival promises a line-up that will knock your socks off. The stellar line-up over the two days includes Kasabian, Primal Scream, Crystal Castles, Chic, James Blake, Fight Like Apes, Everything Everything, Lee Scratch Perry, Austra and many, many more. SUPERVALU is expecting to sell €20m worth, or over 110,000 Irish spring lambs, in 2013. The first of this new season Irish lamb went on sale on March 12, when the first deliveries hit selected SuperValu stores across the country. For 2013, SuperValu has been working with local growers and producers, to extend the traditional Irish lamb season. By working with the Baltinglass Quality Lamb Producer Group, who focuses on rearing Hill Lamb, which is ready for market in the late spring, the season for fresh Irish lamb will be extended. Through this partnership, SuperValu aims to increase sales with Baltinglass by 15%, further reinforcing the grocery retailer’s commitment to Irish food and Irish farming. Paul Healy, SuperValu Dunshaughlin and Damien Griffin, sheep farmer, Enfield, Co. Meath, are pictured at the launch of SuperValu’s 2013 spring lamb. KEARNS, the much-loved Dublin sausage brand, has launched a new initiative that is set to provide school children across the capital with a warming and filling breakfast each morning and calls on other schools to get involved. The ‘Kearns Breakfast Club’ will offer complimentary breakfasts for one morning each week to pupils in primary schools across Dublin, beginning with the students of St Kevin’s Boys’ School and St Joseph’s Girls’ School. Pippa O’Connor is pictured with students of St Joseph’s Girls’ School, Finglas: Ava Tennyson, Erica Byrne, Kaci Ledwidge, and Amy Poutch. BEST of luck to Pico Communication, your one-stop shop for wine, food and drinks communication in Ireland. The company used to be known as Needham Corporate Communication, but new business, new brands and new people coming on board for 2013 gave them the perfect opportunity to refresh their brand identity. See www.picocommunication.com for more information.
Information Notice for Tobacco Retailers
EU Tobacco Products Directive Proposal The Department of Health & Children is supporting measures, such as a ban on menthol and pack innovation, being proposed by the European Commission in its revised EU Tobacco Product Directive.
PROPOSED MEASURES: 1. Graphic pictorial health warnings to cover 75% of the front and rear of the pack 2. Minimum pack size for RYO to be set at 40g 3. Ban on all menthol brands 4. Ban “Slim” packs i.e. Silk Cut Slims, Vogue 5. Ban all pack innovation i.e. “Slide” packs such as B&H Silverslide and Major
POTENTIAL EFFECTS: s The elimination of 46% of all SKUs on the market and 96% of the RYO segment s An increase in the cost of RYO by 220% from currently €4.80 to approximately €15.36 s Reduced branding leading to a race to the bottom on tobacco prices and reduced profitability s Accelerate the illicit trade of tobacco products as counterfeit alternatives meet demand for banned products
These measures will severely damage your business. Contact your public representatives today!
W E N
McVitie’s has launched Breakfast Biscuits made with wholegrain porridge oats to help sustain consumers through until lunchtime. The brand is available in three delicious avours, and has eye-catching packaging for great shelf standout.
Stock the range or miss out!