32|Retail News|October 2013|www.retailnews.ie
Retail News|October 2013|www.retailnews.ie|33
Londis Conference 2013
Londis Conference 2013
Londis
branding expert Mike Hemingway, who enthralled everybody present with a fascinating presentation on the importance of the brand. Mike is one of the highest regarded people in branding around the globe, having previously worked on campaigns for brands as diverse as Kodak, Hugo Boss and Mars. His work on Pantene led to the brand’s worldwide market leadership, whilst more recently, Hemingway’s work on Dove’s ‘Campaign for real beauty’ led to immediate sales increases and pioneered new concepts in marketing. Hemingway’s captivating presentation demonstrated his passion for the importance of values, not just value, in building loyalty amongst consumers and as such he was well positioned to relate his speech back to the Londis message that ‘local matters’. He noted how the nature of what constitutes a brand has changed over time and that today’s successful brands are an “opinion about your category that your prime consumer finds important”. The brand expert left the audience with one final request; that we dream for our customers. Or has he very eloquently put it, “find the sorrow, be the joy”.
Leverages Local Matters
Local Matters was the theme of the 2013 Londis Conference, which saw the progressive Group focus on its role as community retailers across the country. CARTON House in Maynooth was the setting for the 2013 Londis Annual Conference and Retailing Excellence Awards. Attracting in the region of 350 guests, with Londis retailers travelling from all over Ireland, the theme of this year’s conference was ‘Londis, Local Matters’, renewing the Group’s focus on Londis as local community retailers. During his welcome address, Stephen O’Riordan, Londis Chief Executive, put it very simply: “For every Londis retailer, being local really does matter. Being truly local, we are boosting the local community, creating local jobs and keeping money in the local economy. We offer real choice, excellent value and friendly service to the local people upon whom we rely for a successful future in business.”
Norah Casey, Broadcaster and CEO of Harmonia, opened the conference with an inspiring exercise for delegates.
Taking Stock Following O’Riordan’s welcome to all the delegates gathered, the conference was officially opened by broadcaster and publisher Norah Casey, Harmonia CEO. Norah captured the attention of the audience right from the start with an engaging and interactive warm-up session. Norah’s key message focused on the importance of taking stock, whether personally or professionally, to ensure you are applying your skills as effectively as possible. After Norah’s engaging warm-up, David Berry, Commercial Director, Kantar Worldpanel, provided an overview of how consumers currently view the market. He highlighted the importance of the retailer in the sales process, as 75% of purchase decisions are made in-store, thus underlining the importance of key initiatives on the shop floor to help support sales.
indicating that shoppers have kept a tight hold on purse strings over the past five years, maintaining grocery spend against growing inflation. Of particular interest to Londis retailers was the growth of the basket shop, which has risen to 35% of shopping in 2013, compared to 29% in 2007, as consumers increasingly shop little and often. Berry used this statistic to reinforce the important role of local community retailers, essentially underlining the conference theme that ‘local matters’ when it comes to ‘little and often’ purchasing behaviour. While consumers are increasingly aware of what they spend, they are still prepared to spend more in order to buy a promotion. Berry highlighted that during a time when there is increasing pressure on retailers, the emphasis should be on selling more rather than less by increasing the number of items in the basket rather than discounting the items that are there already: the message being that the multi-buy remains an important promotional tactic for retailers.
Key Grocery Trends Berry also highlighted key trends in the grocery market,
What’s In A Brand? Berry was followed by world renowned and award winning
Local Like You Ruth Norton, Group Marketing Manager, Londis, spoke to retailers about how the new Londis brand position ‘Local Like You’ relates back to their everyday experiences with customers. She took the audience through the journey undertaken by Londis this year as it formed a new brand positioning and advertising campaign. At a time when consumers no longer choose between a butcher, a baker or a fishmonger but rather a multiple, a German discounter and a local store, Norton’s address recognised the vital contribution of Londis members to their communities. In her address, it wasn’t just ‘local matters’ which was the key message, it was also ‘together matters’. The work of every retailer, each of their team members and every member of the Group Support Office team combine to bring ‘local matters’ to life in-store. Norton also explained how in developing ‘Local Like You’, it was apparent very quickly that the most important people to deliver this message to consumers, were those donning the Londis uniform, day in and day out. It is every employee in every Londis store throughout the country who is the most important representation of the brand in the eyes of the consumer. This, she said, provided the motivation to the Group Support Office team to renew and re-energise the vital role of customer service in a retailer’s success within
Jonathan Gillan, owner of Gillan’s Londis, Castleknock, Dublin 15, proudly accepts his well-deserved Londis Overall Store of the Year Award 2013 from Marty Whelan, Master of Ceremonies, and Stephen O’Riordan, Londis Chief Executive. Gillan’s also took home the award for Londis Foodmarket Store of the Year 2013. Canavan’s Londis, Inch, Co. Wexford, were proud recipients of the Londis Convenience Store of the Year at the 2013 Londis Retailing Excellence Awards Ceremony. Pictured accepting the award from Marty Whelan and Stephen O’Riordan are Catherine and Martin Canavan, with Store Manager Caroline Doyle. Margaret Molloy is pictured accepting the Group Support Office Employee of the Year Award 2013 from event MC Marty Whelan and Stephen O’Riordan.
Pictured accepting the Customer Service Store of the Year award are Maura and Ray Keating, Keating’s Londis PLUS, Cobh, Co. Cork, with staff member Dionne McSweeney, who was also a nominee in the Londis Store Employee of the Year category. Keating’s also took home the prestigious Londis Supermarket Store of the Year Award.