Drinks News

Coors Light to rebrand in March 2021 HEINEKEN Ireland has revealed an exciting rebrand for Coors Light. From March 2021, Coors Light will be known as Coors in a leadership move designed to drive ongoing growth in the dynamic American-style light tasting beer category. Coors is renowned for its ‘Peak of Refreshment’ and this brand promise will be brought to life through a refreshing new look that will aim to take the lager to new heights in Ireland. Consumer research shows that with its new design, Coors has increased stand-out, distinctiveness and overall brand appeal. The transition will underline the brand’s mountain cold, refreshing taste and see an extensive programme of investment to support continued growth, with new packaging and point-of-sale material to help drive sales. “The rebrand will bring clarity to consumers as to what Coors stands for and comes as part of an ambitious plan, which sees us amplify the brand’s “Keep It Fresh” positioning, which is a clear point of difference for consumers,” said Wojciech Bogusz, Marketing Director of Heineken Ireland.

Jameson Cold Brew launches in Ireland A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND tipple that infuses the world’s favourite Irish whiskey with natural cold brew coffee, Jameson Cold Brew launched in Ireland to coincide with International Coffee Day on October 1. Produced in Ireland, Jameson Cold Brew marries triple distilled Jameson Irish Whiskey with natural cold brew coffee derived from 100% Arabica beans from Brazil and Colombia. The result is a smooth and distinctive beverage with intense coffee aromatics, complemented by the vanilla nuttiness of Jameson, with notes of toasted oak and dark chocolate. A refreshingly versatile brew, this unique whiskey can be enjoyed over ice, with tonic or cola, or in a Jameson Cold Brew-tini for a sophisticated take on the well-known Espresso Martini. Bottled at 30% ABV, Jameson Cold Brew is now available from €30.50 in retail outlets across Ireland.

Hope Beer joins Guaranteed Irish

DUBLIN brewery Hope Beer has gained Guaranteed Irish membership. Founded in 2015, Hope Beer brews a range of premium craft beers at Howth Junction in North Dublin and became a Guaranteed Irish member following approval by the organisation’s appraisal committee. “We’re really proud to be the latest member of Guaranteed Irish. Being part of such an established and well-respected organisation that champions Irish businesses and jobs is important to us,” said Wim De Jongh, co-founder and Managing Director of Hope, pictured with co-founder Des McSwiggan.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Invivo win global wine accolade

ACTRESS Sarah Jessica Parker’s wine collaboration with Kiwi winery Invivo & Co, Invivo X, SJP, has been awarded ‘Best Launch of the Year’ by the 2020 Drinks Business Awards, which recognise outstanding companies in the alcoholic drinks industry. To celebrate the coveted award, Sarah Jessica and Invivo co-founders, Tim Lightbourne and Rob Cameron, filmed an awards ceremony-style acceptance speech in their homes. “Our judges were impressed by this slick and super professional campaign that is perfectly pitched at its target audience and ‘hits the nail on the head,’” says Lucy Shaw, Editor, The Drinks Business.

Covid-19 continues to impact on Irish spirits sector

IRELAND’S spirits producers have said that the Covid-19 crisis has significantly impacted the sector, hitting production, exports and sales. Drinks Ireland|Spirits, the Ibec trade association that represents the spirits sector, published its Irish Spirits Markets Report 2019, indicating that in the context of current challenges, 2019 will be seen as a “benchmark” year for the industry as it seeks to recover from the Covid-19 crisis in the years to come. “The Irish Government can support the indigenous spirits sector in a number of ways as it seeks to recover from Covid-19,” noted Vincent McGovern, Head of Drinks Ireland|Spirits. “Ireland’s excise taxes are the second highest in Europe and will act as a barrier to recovery. As part of a broad package of measures, the Government should look to deliver a 15% reduction in excise tax on drinks products, which would help the industry and minimise the risk of job losses. In addition, in the immediate term, Government could also look to facilitate a safe and sustainable reopening of the hospitality sector.”

Energy

Pinergy: providing energy clarity for retailers

Pinergy’s transparent approach to energy supply gives you control of your energy waste and treat energy as a resource, not a commodity. We provide: consumption, writes Esme Murphy, Energy • • 100% renewable Detailed data on business electricity: your energy use;Advisor – Retail & Leisure, Pinergy. • Optimisation strategy tailored to your PINERGY provides energy supply and management solutions tailored to the If you would like to discuss your retail needs of retail for both single and multi- energy needs, please contact Esme stores across Ireland. We provide energy Murphy at Esme.Murphy@pinergy.ie or supply and management solutions (087) 7033796, or for more information, tailored to the needs of hotels, stores, visit: cafés, gyms, sports clubs, restaurants https://pinergy.ie/business-electricity/ and bars across Ireland. Pinergy’s 100% a previous month’s bill. Our daily and retail-electricity/. renewable business electricity provides monthly usage reports can help retail detailed data on your energy use and business owners see if they are losingallows for an individual optimisation money through equipment running in strategy tailored to your unique needs. stores overnight or perhaps at weekends Specifically for multi-site retail, when they might have different opening our smart metering technology allows hours. for individual site usage data and the This transparent approach, givingability to compare daily usage across you control of your energy consumption, a number of sites to deliver better is at the heart of how we want to work energy use and savings, while also with our retail customers. The abilitygoing green. We provide easy remote to monitor usage and identify areas of administration, with simplified bills that energy waste in different parts of the show exactly how energy was used, so business allows for a reduction in overall you can separate costs between location spend and smarter business decisions. and within sites. This allows for retail Through driving meaningful change in businesses to identify inefficiencies like how we all think about and use energy,outdated equipment, identify peaks in it’s possible for businesses in retail consumption, night charges and more. and elsewhere to reduce costs and With Pinergy, you get clear, energy usage, while switching to 100% comprehensive data on your energy use renewable energy and reducing their and costs, helpful monthly statements carbon footprint.and ongoing support. unique needs. Practical insight Optimising energy use Our goal is to translate our deepWhile most retail entrepreneurs likely understanding of the global energyknow their costs down to the minute sector into practical, tailored advice details, the traditional way of paying for for our customers, helping them to Esme Murphy, Energy Advisor – Retail & energy allows for no more insight than optimise their energy use, reduce Leisure, Pinergy.

FBD: protecting Irish business for over 50 years

FBD Insurance offers a range of covers designed to help retailers protect their business.

FBD Insurance is one of the leading insurers for retail across Ireland. FBD’s network of 34 local sales offices has business insurance experts ready to help you get great value protection and cover that suits your needs. FBD’s business insurance experts will work with you to provide a tailor-made policy to suit the needs of your retail shop. FBD understands that your business is your priority, which is why they make you theirs. FBD is dedicated to supporting local businesses and is rooted in local communities. FBD works directly with you and your business to give you peace of mind that you are protected by a wholly Irish-owned insurance company with no middleman.”

Why work with FBD?

FBD’s professional approach and personal touch has been at the core of how it has done business for over 50 years. It’s something the company is strongly committed to, and prides itself on:

Dedicated FBD Business insurance expert in your local area with local knowledge and a wealth of experience in business insurance; Advice on risk management; 34 local sales offices nationwide, ensuring they are never too far away when you need them; Tailor made policy to suit you and your business needs; Committed to providing the best service and protection to the local businesses in your community; Swift and efficient claims handling; In business for over 50 years.

Full range of cover

FBD offer a range of cover to suit your needs, including*:

Public and Products Liability:

These are both very important insurance covers for any business involved in the retail sector. Public Liability provides protection should you become legally liable to pay compensation to members of the public for accidental injuries or damage to their property in the course of your business. Products Liability provides protection should you find yourself legally liable for injuries, or property damage, to members of the public in connection with goods you have sold or supplied.

Employers Liability:

FBD provides protection should you be required by law to pay compensation for bodily injuries to an employee in the course of their employment.

Property damage:

Provides protection for your buildings, trade contents and stock against damage caused by a wide range of perils, including fire, escape of water, storm and flood.

Theft:

Theft cover provides protection for loss or damage to your trade contents or stock as a result of theft following forcible or violent entry to your premises or as a result of violence or threat of violence against you or an employee. Talk to FBD to arrange a free assessment of your insurance needs from a local insurance company you can trust. For more information, call: (01) 7617617, visit fbd.ie to find your local sales office or request a call-back.

*Terms and Conditionsand normal underwriting criteriaapply. Please speak to an FBDrepresentative fora fullquotationspecific toyour business. FBDquotationpacks contain full details of terms and conditionsparticular to your business andyour quotation. FBD InsuranceGroupLtdtrading as FBD Insurance isregulatedby the Central bank of Ireland. Business Insurance is underwrittenby FBD Insuranceplc.

FBD’s professional approach and personal touch has been at the core of how it has done business for over 50 years.

Merchandising

Hopkins Merchandising celebrates 30 years

Hopkins Merchandising has been delivering top quality sales and merchandising solutions to some of Ireland’s biggest grocery brands for three decades. MD Declan Hopkins explains the secrets of its success.

HOPKINS Merchandising is celebrating 30 years in the Irish market in 2020. The company completes 20,000 promotional builds every year, running 1,200 tactical campaigns for a host of clients across many retail sectors, including L’Oréal, Danone, Philip Morris, GlaxoSmithKline and Nivea. The company is the brainchild of Declan Hopkins, who began Hopkins Merchandising in 1990, after 14 years working with some of the biggest retail brands in Ireland. Declan left school at the young age of 14 to work for Superquinn, which to this day he still regards as one of his luckiest breaks, as it allowed him to work with the late, great Feargal Quinn, who instilled in him the mission to deliver excellent customer service, which still remains with him to this day. After leaving Superquinn in 1983, Declan joined Chivers & Sons, part of the Cadbury Schweppes group, and spent the next seven years honing his skills and getting to further understand the complex business of retail and in particular, the FMCG sector. In March 1990, Declan took the bold move to leave a very good career with a large company to follow his passion and his entrepreneurial spirit, and Hopkins Merchandising was born on March 26, 1990.

Exceptional customer care

At the time, Hopkins Merchandising was the only official sales merchandising agency in Ireland. The company’s vision was to offer suppliers, manufacturers and distributors into the FMCG sector, primarily into the supermarkets, a top-class sales and merchandising solution that could be deployed and utilised as the needs arises at seasonal times, holiday times, sickness etc. Today Declan has an office and warehousing team of 18 people and a 180-strong field sales team, including full-time employees and contractors. Over the last 30 years, the company has been through many challenging times but has managed to stay on top by continuously and effectively reinventing itself and the services it offers. Now based in a two-acre, 35,000 square feet office, warehousing and training centre, the services and facilities may have changed but the customer care, excellent service and can-do positive attitude still remains very much to the fore. Declan believes that his greatest skills and talents are “merchandising, selecting good people and bringing the best out in them”.

Merchandising

Hopkins Merchandising currently boasts four stand-alone divisions.

Four stand-alone divisions

Hopkins Merchandising currently boasts four stand-alone divisions, The Sales Merchandising Department mainly serves the main multiples with a display, general merchandising and sales solution, as Declan explains: “We currently work with some of the biggest supermarket brands in the country, offering them a varied range of services, including promotional display builds, seasonal displays, general merchandising, box counting and sales relief, which are all controlled and vetted to ensure the highest standards through our web-based reporting portal, which has been developed over the last 15 years and has been a phenomenal success and a huge favourite with our clients.” Hopkins’ Cosmetics Division offers a full one-stop solution, including stand installation, uplift, refit, merchandising and sales service, to some of the biggest brands in the cosmetics field. “Once again, this is operated through our make-up specialists, who with their relationship in-store, give our clients invaluable feedback and help them to drive their business,” Declan states. The Tactical and Blitz Department is the biggest division and also “the most varied within the company,” Declan explains. “Within this department, we cover all trade sectors, including hardware, FMCG, pharmaceutical, entertainment and events.” Hopkins can cover everything from installing planograms, store refits, contract staff, telesales support, POS placements and drives, product sell-ins, distribution audits and field event executions. ”No

Merchandising

Declan Hopkins, MD, Hopkins Merchandising (centre), pictured with Kelly Hopkins, Cosmetics Manager, and Liam Ruane, Operations Manager.

two weeks are ever the same,” according to the MD, “as our clients’ needs change, so do our support and service.” Hopkins’ Warehousing Division is its biggest and most exciting challenge, with over 1,500 pallet spaces – the company is now a key supplier to Penneys, dealing with a number of that company’s cosmetics suppliers, and Declan is keen to point out that Hopkins is actively working with existing and potential clients to meet their warehousing needs: “We have been inundated with queries from our clients in relation to Brexit, and we are working tirelessly to provide them with a workable solution for their forthcoming needs. We are in touch with our clients on a daily basis and still have ample space in our warehouse to accommodate new customers.”

Exceptional management team

Passionate and ambitious, Declan believes that the success of Hopkins is down to hard work, both his own and that of the team he has built up in Hopkins. He prides himself on being always accessible to staff, without ever micro-managing their efforts, “allowing them the freedom to deliver the quality and service the

What their clients say:

company has become renowned for”. The business has evolved from a oneman show, operating out of a converted garage in Malahide, through to a multimillion euro concern. Although the journey has at times been challenging, Declan exudes positivity and is currently tutoring and developing his exceptional management team, who he is confident will bring the business to the next level. When asked about the future, this rigorous planner explains the need to “continually stick with what you are good at, show faith and support in your people, never be afraid to have a punt and, most importantly, always listen to your customers.” Declan is delighted that his company recently celebrated three decades of phenomenal service, but he’s certainly not resting on his laurels and is looking forward to the future. “We have become a force within the retail sector thanks to our can-do attitude and the fantastic range of services we provide, from warehousing, pick pack through to exceptional in-trade execution. Our fantastic team have made Hopkins Merchandising what it is today and we will continue to offer an unrivalled range of services, facilities and exceptional compliance to our clients, right across the country, in the years ahead.”

We have been dealing with Hopkins for two decades, which speaks volumes. During this time, we have always received the highest level of service from Declan and his team. They are very flexible and our deadlines are continuously met.

- Paddy Carmody, Head of Marketing, Nivea.

Danone Early Life Nutrition has worked with Hopkins Merchandising for 14 years and has always found the team willing to go above and beyond to deliver the best results for our business. They support us in many areas, including order capturing, POS/kit placement, merchandising, planogram implementation and many ad-hoc requests. They have also supported the implementation of category projects across all retailers in Ireland, the largest project involving the team working three overnights, and resulted in a winning ECR Ireland project.

- Sarah Dennehy, Category and Channel Development Manager, Danone.

L’Oréal Ireland have been working with Hopkins Merchandising for over 20 years… Thanks to the support of the Hopkins team, we can explore exciting new business opportunities, discuss new ideas, while all the time working collaboratively. This is especially important in these extraordinary and unprecedented times, when we must work together to overcome adversity.”

- Katie Grennan, Commercial Director – CPD Ireland, L’Oréal UK & Ireland.

Marketing & Merchandising

The ‘m’ words

Marketing and merchandising are interconnected but they are not the same thing. When they work together, the result is a win-win for the retailer and brand owner.

MARKETING and merchandising are often clumped together as if they are two sides of the same coin. While the two are interconnected, they are not interchangeable. According to dictionary.com, marketing can be defined as the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising. Merchandising is “the activity of promoting the sale of goods, especially by their presentation in retail outlets”. Effectively, merchandising sells products after the marketing team has (hopefully) driven the consumer to those products. Merchandising usually forms part of the overall marketing plan, and together, the right marketing and merchandising package can help to grow your brand, whether it’s a store or a particular product within that store. Working in harmony, marketing and merchandising can ensure a brand is top of mind with the consumer, which in turn translates into higher sales and increased profits. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But if it were that simple, every brand would succeed and brandowners could sit back and watch the profits roll in; indeed, getting the right marketing and merchandising mix is a difficult job that sometimes seems like a combination of science, knowhow and black magic.

The ‘four p’s’

It is commonly taught that a marketing plan should contain the ‘four p’s’: product, placement, price, and promotions. Marketing is about driving brand awareness and establishing the brand, developing customer loyalty and increasing traffic to the category. Merchandising tends to handle product strategy, such as category and brand planning, pricing and promotional activities. While both marketing and merchandising share the same aim, to sell more products, the very nature of marketing tends to be longer-term, building a brand over time and developing a relationship with the end consumer. Merchandising tends to be more immediate, with shorter-term sales increases the primary goal, although obviously, a successful merchandising effort will have knock-on benefits for the overall marketing plan and the brand strategy going forward. Inefficient communication between marketing and merchandising leads to misaligned product and advertising strategies, which can often result in under-performance. For example, if the marketing team invests a large budget on advertising a brand at a low price point, the merchandising team may not be prepared for the subsequent surge in demand, which can lead to out-of-stocks and lost sales.

Marketing & Merchandising

However, if the marketing and merchandising teams and campaigns are effectively integrated, they can drive higher revenue and margins, raise conversion rates, improve inventory management, and drive customer loyalty.

Working together on promotions

It is crucial for the merchandising and marketing team to work together throughout a product’s life cycle. This is particularly true when it comes to promotions, where miscommunication can have a negative impact on brand performance. Optimising the timing and type of special offers and promotions is vital to get inventory moving without damaging profits. It’s obvious that promotions lead to reduced margins, but there are methods to maximise the return on investment. If implemented properly, a promotion can increase brand awareness and customer traffic, while also leading to happier, more satisfied customers, with a corresponding increase in the chance of their returning to your brand post-promotion. Marketing and merchandising can and do work together, and using displays, signage and other promotional materials such as shelf talkers can help to achieve a successful synergy. Displays can create an atmosphere in-store, helping to establish an identity that customers will relate to, perhaps building trust. Shelf talkers can act as silent salespeople, directing shoppers to certain products, while also helping to grow interest in your store. When they work together, product merchandising and marketing efforts will develop the brand involved, while also creating a positive atmosphere in-store. Using effective POS material can provide potential buyers with additional information that will help convince them to make a purchase. It can even suggest additional similar or complementary products or help to connect with customers by appealing to a common value or evoking a feeling, although this is admittedly more difficult in grocery than, say, a bookshop.

Sharing data

Sharing data between marketing and merchandising teams leads to an integrated overall strategy, allowing retailers to stay on top of the latest trends and better serve their customers with the AS we head towards the busiest period of the retail year and with the unknown challenges the winter months may pose, brands must ensure that their products stay in stock and on shelves, capturing customers’ attention. No brand can afford poor merchandising standards, particularly during this period. Whether you require additional volume shelf filling, tactical merchandising campaigns, POS placements or seasonal sales support,

FMI’s nationwide field teams stand ready to scale up in the locations you require. FMI’s retail expert teams are fully trained in Covid Health & Safety, as well as manual handling, and are experienced at quickly adapting to market and channel needs and the various challenges contained within. FMI manages all elements of field sales and merchandising execution, ensuring that their clients’ products get the best shelf coverage: placing them front and centre to excite consumers and to drive purchase. FMI is focused on ensuring you maximise the Christmas period. The company’s head office team deliver best-in-class field

Marketing is about driving brand awareness, developing customer loyalty and increasing traffic to the category, and a good marketing plan usually incorporates merchandising.

products they want, while also driving more effective marketing spend by focusing on the right products. Remember, today’s consumer is smarter than ever before, with a wealth of information available at their fingertips. Retailers should acknowledge the influence mobile has over the consumer, but it’s not about eCommerce versus traditional bricks and mortar retailers. Instead, the two should work together, creating a multi-channel experience for the shopper. Online doesn’t necessarily mean eCommerce, but if you want to have an influence over customers’ purchasing behaviour, you need to meet them where they are, which is often on their smartphone. This can, however, be done in a more personal, local and relevant way, with more targeted campaigns. As a retailer, you need to not only understand the motivating factors behind shoppers’ behaviour, but also how it will impact your merchandising strategies. Understanding shopper wants, needs and motivations and designing your marketing and merchandising around these could be the difference between

Merchandising support where and when you need it!

success and failure. management, with a suite of reporting solutions to allow you to track ROI be it daily, weekly or monthly reporting. For over 25 years, FMI has been responsible for delivering first class merchandising services throughout Ireland. The company enjoys great relationships with all major retailers and has delivered merchandising services for essential brands, such as Avonmore, Coca-Cola, Jameson, Cadbury, Barry’s Tea and Keelings, as well as other household name FMCG brands. “If you want reliable and efficient merchandising support during the lead-up to Christmas, get in FMI’s retail expert teams are touch with FMI today,” fully trained in Covid Health notes Nicola de Beer, & Safety, as well as manual Managing Director. handling, and are experienced “We support you with a at quickly adapting to market smarter way to sell.” and channel needs.

Vaping

Vype: committed to quality

Combining innovation and quality, Vype is shaping the future of vaping.

IF you are a retailer selling vaping products, it is likely that your customers want to know which product is right for them, their lifestyle and tastes. With several options on the market, one important question is how customers can be assured that their choice of product is up to the highest standards they expect. At Vype, consumer satisfaction is at the heart of everything they do, from product design through to the innovative technologies they use to ensure the best vaping experience possible. Understanding this innovation and expertise can go a long way in assuring your customers they are getting a quality product.

v

Vype has invested in a range of new technologies that enable them to create high quality products.

ggggThe vaping industry is continuing to grow and Vype’s mission is to ensure that quality and innovation is a part of every phase of the production process. They have a network of more than 50 scientists, including toxicologists and bio-scientists, aiming to build the most reliable products possible.

Innovative technologies

Innovation is at the heart of what they do at Vype and they have invested in a range of new technologies that enable them to create high quality products. They use things like Vaping Topography Machines to better understand vaping patterns, as well as Vaping Simulators and stateof-the-art Chromatography Machines to analyse vapour. These machines control the consistency of taste and flavour in each puff, to deliver a satisfying experience. As Vype products go through the testing and quality assurance process, they spend time scrutinising every detail, from what goes into the E-liquids to the vapour that comes out, to make sure their formulations are exactly right. There are multiple choices on the market now for vapers and that is why at Vype, understanding the concerns of vapers is a key part of the product development process. The company prides itself on quality assurance and control throughout the product creation process, taking a meticulous approach to development and ensuring that its devices are equipped with the best safety features.

Ensuring customer confidence

There are a few things that they do at Vype to make sure that customers can have confidence in their devices. For one, they only ever use high-quality ingredients in

The hugely popular Starter Pack from Vype.

their E-liquids, testing each and every batch to ensure that it is traceable and tamper-proof. Furthermore, they work with top scientific experts and technicians to design all their products with safety features that protect against battery overvoltage and over-heating. This is all to ensure that Vype devices are held to high standards in quality control, giving customers peace of mind that their product has been developed under strict scrutiny and with them in mind. The Vype team knows that for those choosing to vape, confidence in their chosen brand is important; that is why they are so passionate about the standards and innovations they have put in place to ensure all customers get the highest quality product possible. Being able to assure customers about the quality of their device is essential, and at Vype, they want to equip you with all the knowledge you need to do so. For more information about Vype, please go to b2b.pjcarroll.ie, contact your PJ Carroll Sales Representative, or contact the company’s Telemarketing Department on 1800 604500.