Retail News June 2010

June 2010

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June10Contents

■ inside view

Keep It Irish!

This month’s RETAIL NEWS has a special message for buyers, store owners and managers all over the country: stocking Irish brands makes sound business sense!

So many of the category leaders across the entire grocery spectrum are home-grown brands, with obvious examples in the bottled water, snack foods, biscuits, oats and yogurts sectors, to name just five. Right across your store, Irish products are matching and exceeding their international counterparts in terms of sales and value. There’s a simple reason for this: Irish consumers love Irish brands.

Indeed, our love affair with indigenous brands is “unique”, according to Sharon Colgan, Programme Director, Love Irish Food, who describes the relationship between our consumers and our brands in our special focus on homegrown hero brands (Page 23-31). Colgan’s sentiments are echoed by Paul Kelly, Director of Food & Drink Industry Ireland, the IBEC body representing food and drink manufacturers: “It has been proved time and again that Irish consumers want Irish products, and the supply base here is able to deliver on that.”

Elsewhere in this issue, Karen Meenan examines the area of men’s magazines, the fastest growing sector in your newsagency (Page 14); Barry Dignam, Head of Sales & Marketing at PostPoint, explains the company’s retailer-focused strategy for development (Page 20); while our Focus on Meat (Page 40) explains how sourcing your product from a Bord Bia approved supplier can help to satisfy consumers about the quality and origin of the meat in your store.

“Over 53 years Kathleen Belton, Editorial & Marketing Director

serving the Irish grocery trade.”

Managing Director: Fergus Farrell Editorial & Marketing Director: Kathleen Belton, email: kathleenbelton@tarapublishingco.com Editor: John Walshe

johnwalshe@tarapublishingco.com

Chief News Reporter: Pavel Barter

Wine Correspondent: Jean Smullen

7 $ 5 $

Published by: Tara Publishing Co. Ltd., Poolbeg House, 1/2 Poolbeg Street, Dublin 2.

Tel: (01) 2413095. Fax: (01) 2413010.

Web: www.retailnews.ie Email: retailnews@tarapublishingco.com Subscription to Retail News: €95 plus VAT Email: aoife@tarapublishingco.com Origination by: Rooney Media Graphics

NEW WHISKEY FROM WORLD’S OLDEST DISTILLERY THE Kilbeggan Distillery Reserve Malt, the latest addition to the Kilbeggan family of fine whiskeys, is produced from the oldest pot still in the world which dates back to 1830.

The Kilbeggan Distillery itself was established in 1757 and is the oldest distillery in the world.

For over 200 years, the Kilbeggan Distillery produced some of the finest whiskey in the world. In 1957, the stills ran dry but 50 years later Cooley Distillery, the multi-award winning independent whiskey distiller, breathed new life into the world’s oldest distillery, and the Kilbeggan Distillery Reserve Malt is the first new whiskey to be distilled at Kilbeggan in over 53 years.

Distilled from 100% malted barley, the Kilbeggan Distillery Reserve, due to the distinctive narrow necks of the ancient pot still design, is an exceptionally smooth and flavoursome Irish Malt whiskey of distinctive character.

The launch also marks the unveiling of the recently rebranded Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey. “The new packaging pays homage to the rich heritage and quality of the Kilbeggan brand, while also maintaining a contemporary look and feel,” noted Jack Teeling, Managing Director of Cooley Distillery. The rebranded Kilbeggan is being rolled out in Germany and the US, with all other markets following suit over the next few months, and will be followed by the release of a range of brand extensions, including a Super Premium Kilbeggan 18 Year Old.

Printed by: Colour World Print

Reproduction without written permission is strictly prohibited.

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June10Contents

Contents June 2010

News 4Retailers Voice Concerns Over Code of Practice; Moy Park to Acquire O’Kane Poultry.

8Musgrave Appoints Seamus Scally as NonExecutive Chairman; National Lottery Releases Results.

SHOP 2010 13SHOP 2010, which takes place from September 28-30 at the RDS, is the mustattend event for the food, drink, retail and hospitality sectors.

Karen Meenan’s News Rack 14Men’s magazines are

4

showing the biggest sales increases across the newsagency sector.

5New Alcohol Legislation on the Way; Tesco to Destroy Redeemable Coupons; Value Centre Opens €2m State-of-theArt Facility in Wicklow.

6BWG Diploma Produces First Set of Graduates; Bord Bia Points to Bright Future for Agri-food Sector.

7Landlords Rejecting Rent Reductions; Retailers Call On Garda Taskforce to Tackle Illegal Trading.

On The Vine 39Jean Smullen reports on some tutored tastings worth noting.

Focus on Meat 40Sourcing your meat

20 The Retail News Interview 20Barry Dignam, Head of Sales & Marketing, PostPoint, talks us through the company’s retailfocused strategy for development over the coming year.

from reputable suppliers is made much easier thanks to Bord Bia’s Quality Assurance Schemes.

Shelf Life 48All the latest news and gossip from the trade.

Special Report: Irish Brands 23Irish consumers love Irish brands: fact! We examine the reasons behind the phenomenal success of Ireland’s home-grown heroes.

Regulars

18

10 Industry News

SPAR Ireland 18Price and value are the keys to success at SPAR Ireland, with their Euro Crunch offers and extended own brand range fuelling growth right across the country.

48

17 Drinks News 47 Update Sectoral Reports

23

34 Pet Food & Pet Care 44 Personal Care 3

June10News

Retailers Voice Concerns Over Code of Practice RETAILERS are calling for the proposed grocery code of practice to allow smaller stores to voice complaints against suppliers. To date, the proposed code has drawn attention over issues of Hello Money, whereby supermarkets reportedly demand payment for shelf space.

The Irish Farmers’ Association, and others, believe such a code (and ombudsman) should let them voice grievances.

“There is clearly an imbalance of power in the supplier-retailer relationship in the grocery trade which leads to unfair practices being employed,” Labour spokesman Willie Penrose TD recently said, referring to supermarkets putting the squeeze on suppliers.

Yet smaller retailers believe it should also give them an opportunity to be heard. “We made it clear the independent sector doesn’t get involved in a lot of the practices being complained about,” RGDATA Director General Tara Buckley told RETAIL NEWS, in regard to her submission to government.

“Our members do not induce Hello Money, or shelf space rental. We made the point that any type of code of practice was only going to be effective if the players were going to have very serious sanctions that would make them think twice. We made the further point that whatever structure was put in place, it

Vincent Jennings, CEO, CSNA. 4

RGDATA Director General, Tara Buckley.

should also apply to independent retailers, who felt they were being treated unfairly by large suppliers.”

Vincent Jennings, Chief Executive Officer of the CSNA, believes any proposed ombudsman, investigating fair trading, should also oversee suppliers in sectors such as telecommunications.

“I’m thinking in regard to O2, Meteor and Vodafone service charges,” Jennings told RETAIL NEWS. “If they impact upon our profitability, then we have to charge more for all the products in our shops than is necessary. We want the ombudsman to be much wider than limiting it to what is traditionally known as grocery product.”

Representatives for independent retailers believe the code should be statutory, although they are realistic about the inevitable outcome. Codes of practice tend to be introduced on a voluntary basis, becoming statutory later on.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe TD, recently told the Dáil that the proposed new competition authority - a merged National Consumer Agency and Competition Authority, as provided for in the code would have the power to search premises and remove documents. Yet this power is already in place as part of the current

Competition Authority. Meanwhile, David Byrne, former Attorney General and European Commissioner, was initially appointed facilitator for the Code of Practice, only to step down due to an alleged conflict of interests. Former Forfás CEO John Travers then took up the position.

“It’s all so unclear at the moment,” said Tara Buckley. “Pronouncements have been made, but we’ve seen no concrete proposals. One person was appointed to look into this, now we have another person. Until we see some concrete proposals, it’s hard to understand where they are going with this.”

Even the issue of Hello Money, one of the instigating factors behind the proposed code, is shrouded in mystery. To date, nobody has come forward to state they were compelled to pay money to a particular group. “The biggest difficulty is, even on an anonymous basis, that no suppliers are willing to come forward and complain,” said Jennings. “All they have to work on is anecdote and a belief that things are unfair. If people are not complaining under the current Competition Act, what makes you think they will do so to the ombudsman?”

Ultimately, smaller retailers fear that whatever the outcome, their voices may not be heard. “It has always been our experience that if you go with a complaint to a competition authority, as a business to business complaint, they pretty much ignore it, or tell you it’s not their remit, or deal with complaints that impact directly on consumers,” said Buckley. “We always felt there is nowhere to go for a business in our position, complaining about the practices of a large supplier.”

Meanwhile, Tesco, Superquinn and Lidl have all opposed the proposed Code of Practice, in submissions to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, arguing that such a code would add significant costs to the industry, risk further job losses, increase retail prices and adversely affect consumers.

June10News

New Alcohol Legislation on the Way NEW legislation promises to consolidate over 70 pieces of alcohol legislation, dating back to 1833. The Sale of Alcohol Bill replaces the Licensing Acts of 18332008, the Registration of Clubs Acts 1904-2008 and unites over 600 statutory provisions, according to Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern TD. As it stands, NOffLA Chairman, Jim McCabe, told RETAIL NEWS, the current state of alcohol legislation is “very convoluted and very difficult to understand”.

“It’s a bit of a minefield,” McCabe noted. “Various pieces of legislation have gone in over the years. I think it’s a good idea to have a codification bill that brings everything up to date. There are many grey areas in the liquor bills.”

The glut of legislation has led to numerous loopholes, such as the incident on Good Friday, 2010, when pubs opened in Limerick. This could also have applied to off-licenses. Off-license owners need not be aware of all the legislation, other than laws regarding the sale of alcohol and responsibility behind the sale of alcohol, said McCabe.

Moy Park to Acquire O’Kane Poultry TWO of the country’s leading poultry firms are to come together in a move designed to accelerate market growth and development for the enlarged business. Moy Park Limited, which is part of the Brazilian food company Marfrig, is to acquire O’Kane Poultry Limited, subject to due diligence.

Making the announcement, Moy Park CEO Nigel Dunlop said that the coming together of the two businesses would bring significant opportunities for market development and expansion: “The poultry markets of Ireland, the UK and Europe are growing. By bringing the resources and expertise of Moy Park and O’Kane Poultry together, we are creating a business with the scale and sustainability of supply needed to meet the very significant growth opportunities that exist across Europe.”

Nevertheless much of the legislation needs to be reconsidered.

“Where a prosecution takes place, your fate is quite draconian, we believe.

A closure order is mandatory. We have made a submission to the codification people about the rights and wrongs of a defence in court. Part of this legislation has kicked in with very stringent signs and closures, yet on the other side, it’s very weak for someone under-age attempting to buy alcohol, or someone buying drink for someone under-age.”

Other weaknesses in the system include the use of the Garda Age Card as the only defence for prosecution, according to NOffLA. This law prevents passport and EU cards being used as a defence. Many of these out-dated laws do not affect the off-trade, since it has not been around as long as pubs, but McCabe expressed concerns that there is still a discrepancy in legislation.

A strategic group on Alcohol and Misuse of Drugs is set to report to government, yet there seems to be no link between this and the Sale of Alcohol Bill.

NOffLA Chairman, Jim McCabe.

There is also an impending code of practice for the off-licence retail business.

“There is also the wholesale license,” said McCabe. “We believe a wholesale liquor license should only be held by someone who sells to a licensed person.

At the moment, they don’t have to. They can sell to anybody. All these weaknesses have cropped up during the different pieces of legislation. It’s a good opportunity to address them.”

Value Centre Opens €2m State-ofthe-Art Facility in Wicklow customers better accessibility, more options in terms of product range, as well as unbeatable value and a flexible delivery service.

“Wicklow is an important strategic location in BWG Wholesale’s countrywide branch network, servicing key geographical areas on the East coast, and that is why we have invested a substantial figure in the upgrading and relocation of the facility,” noted John Moane, Managing Director of BWG Wholesale Division.

“The Wicklow team, headed up by Pat O’Brien, did a fantastic job in making this a seamless transfer between premises.

Our customers stand to benefit from better accessibility, not to mention the most modern and Mayor of Wicklow, Irene Waters, is pictured at up-to-date premises and can be the official opening of the new €2m Value Centre assured of the same great servin Wicklow with Value Centre manager Pat ice, with all existing staff transO’Brien (centre) and staff, along with employees, ferring from our old location.” customers and their families.

WICKLOW has a brand new state-ofthe-art Value Centre following a €2m investment by the Wholesale Division of BWG Group to upgrade and relocate the facility from its previous location.

The new 20,000 square metre facility, located at Glebe Business Park, Port Access Road in Wicklow town, will give

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June10News

BWG Diploma Produces First Set of Graduates THE Class of 2010 from the BWG Foods Diploma in Retail Management, run in partnership with Dublin Institute of Technology, have received their Diplomas in a special graduation ceremony held at DIT Aungier Street. In all, 23 retailers and BWG Retail Operations Advisors picked up their Diplomas, becoming the first students to complete the two-year programme.

The programme was established by BWG and DIT in 2007 to create a bespoke training support for group retailers and provide them the opportunity to apply academic learning to their everyday, individual retail experiences. The Diploma is one of the first of its kind in Ireland and takes insights from both national and international retail best practice.

According to Malachy Hanberry, Sales & Retail Advisory Services Director with BWG Foods, “The graduation ceremony was the culmination of years of hard work for the students, who attained their Diplomas while also working full time in the demanding environment of food retailing. We established the Diploma programme with the aim of assisting group retailers to achieve a leading edge in Ireland’s competitive retail market and I’m pleased to say that our first retail graduates feel that the programme has been enormously relevant and beneficial to them in their business.

“As the industry becomes ever more challenging, the programme has become even more relevant, helping store owner/managers formulate

Pictured at the graduation ceremony for the BWG Foods Diploma in Retail Management are Malachy Hanberry, Sales & Retail Advisory Services Director with BWG Foods, Gold Medal winners James Scanlon, SPAR Henry Street, Limerick, and Lorraine Rabbitte, SPAR Santry, along with Willie O’Byrne, Managing Director, BWG Foods.

goals and business strategies, improve staff performance and ultimately maximise sales revenue.”

Three students were awarded the Gold Medal by DIT for achieving the highest overall academic results during the two year pro-

gramme. These students are: Lorraine Rabbitte, owner, SPAR Shanowen Square, Santry, Dublin 9; James Scanlon, owner, SPAR Henry Street, Limerick City; and Jozanne Spangensberg, HR Manager, Glennon’s SPAR and EURSOPAR Group.

Bright Future for Agri-food Sector IRELAND should adopt a strategy of developing a world-class agricultural industry by 2016 and set itself the goal of becoming the most efficient, most highly innovative food and drink country in the world. This is according to a new report entitled ‘Pathways for Growth’ prepared for Bord Bia by Professor David Bell and Mary Shelman of the Harvard Business School.

The report, which states that Ireland is at an enviable starting point in the race to produce exactly the type of food that a growing number of consumers are demanding, was launched recently at Bord Bia’s ‘Food & Drink Summit - Building Ireland’s Largest Indigenous Industry’, which took place at Farmleigh House, Phoenix Park, Dublin, and attracted over 120 representatives from Ireland’s food and drink sector, including many of the industry’s leading CEOs. 6

Based on a vision that builds on Ireland’s positive image as a food producer and its proximity to the premium European market, the report recommends the setting of specific goals to be achieved by 2016, the creation of an umbrella brand for food and drink and the fostering of a climate of entrepreneurship. Using the working title ‘Come See Us: We’re Open for Inspection’, the vision is based on the promise that “we are natural and we can prove it”.

The report identifies three particular challenges that the authors believe the food industry needs to prioritise, namely fragmentation and a lack of scale, limited consumer orientation in export markets, and low investment in the future of the sector. To counter these challenges, the report goes on to suggest that Irish exporters should be encouraged to collaborate rather than compete ( a strategy based around “Co-opetition”), while

focusing on innovation leading to differentiated market positions and brand building, based around customer feedback, as a means to capturing greater market value.

Tesco to Destroy Redeemable Coupons TESCO UK are planning to destroy redeemable coupons, rather than sending them to a third party for verification, according to reports.

Publishing body PPA and the Institute of Promotional Marketing claim the new policy will prevent brands from challenging the sums.

Tesco Ireland did not respond to requests from RETAIL NEWS to see if the policy will apply in Ireland.

June10News

Landlords Rejecting Rent Reductions

Tip of the Month

this country’s decision makers and let them know that high commercial rent equates to business failure and job losses,” noted Chief Executive of REI, David Fitzsimons. “For months now, we have been appealing to the Government to abolish upward only rent reviews retrospectively.”

Retailers Call for Garda Taskforce to Tackle Illegal Trading ing. This cannot continue. Action must be taken and fast.”

Meanwhile, new research from ITMAC, reveals that the number of smokers purchasing cigarettes from street traders and markets in Dublin have increased from 3.8% for all of 2007 to an alarming 10.8% recorded in the first quarter of 2009. Duty Free purchases have increased from just 2.7% for 2007 to 12% for the first quarter in 2009.

Further research was conducted in Dublin and Cork where high levels of illegal selling were reported to determine consumer’s attitudes to purchasing illegal tobacco products. The main findings that emerged were: • The Black market in cigarettes is quite open and freely available; • Price was the main reason cited as to why people bought illegal cigarettes; • All saw nothing wrong with purchasing ‘cheap cigarettes’ and did not fear the consequences from the law; • All had experienced door-to-door leafleting, houses selling openly, markets and car boot sales and approaches in pubs; • Many sourced cigarettes from friends and family who travelled abroad.

Make sure they know where they can get their mobile top-up by placing point of sale in your store in highvisibility spaces.

PostPoint offers FREE point of sale to support the sale of mobile top-up, simply contact the PostPoint Help Desk on 1980 20 42 20 to request POS or order online at www.postpoint.ie.

Make sure to use your free “Top Up Here” wobbler, included in RETAIL NEWS to help drive sales, compliments of PostPoint.

Summer looks bright with PostPoint!

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RETAILERS Against Smuggling, the representative group for Ireland’s tobacco retailers, has called for a Garda Taskforce to be established to directly tackle the growing issue of illegal cigarette selling and the detrimental affect it is having on the legitimate Irish retail trade.

Speaking at the organisation’s first AGM, Retailers Against Smuggling national spokesman, Benny Gilsesnan, has urged a directed campaign by An Gardaí Siochana to effectively clampdown on illegal trade of black market cigarettes in Ireland: “The criminal is winning the battle against the Irish retailer. We are heavily regulated, we pay as much, if not more, tax than everyone else yet we are not being protected. The black market is now the third biggest tobacco trade in Ireland and the statistics show that this is increasing.

We are an island nation that has an understaffed Customs services, meaning that the contraband and counterfeit cigarettes are always going to get through, so the Gardaí have to have a greater emphasis on a nationwide clampdown. A specially designated Taskforce is the only logical step to successfully win the war against the criminal. The state is losing half a billion every year; we the retailers lost almost €700m million in 2009 from illegal sell-

Make sure to try and push mobile top-up in your shop this month. Schools are out for the summer and kids will want to stay in touch with each other, so why not give them what they want?

PS

LANDLORDS have rejected almost a third of retailers’ requests for rent reductions, according to a survey by Retail Excellence Ireland (REI). Of the 97% of retail respondents who have approached their landlord for a rent reduction, more than 30% received an outright rejection, with 25% claiming they will be forced out of business in the next 12 months if rent reductions are not forthcoming immediately. On foot of these findings, compiled from feedback from 187 member companies, representing approximately 2,200 individual retail stores, REI members have instituted a campaign directed at public representatives to bring about the abolition of retrospective rent review clauses.

“The objective of our rent campaign is to keep this issue top of mind for

I L E TO P U

www.postpoint.ie 7

June10News

Musgrave Appoints Seamus Scally as Non-Executive Chairman MUSGRAVE Group plc have announced the appointment of Seamus Scally as non-executive Chairman designate, to succeed Hugh Mackeown from January 2011.

Hugh Mackeown has been the driving force behind the growth and development of the Musgrave Group for over 40 years, serving in that time as Managing Director, Chief Executive and Chairman, a tenure which saw group turnover grow from €7m to over €4.6 billion. Hugh Mackeown resigns from the Board of Musgrave Group on January 1, 2011.

Seamus Scally is one of Ireland’s best known businessmen.

He served as Group Managing Director of the Musgrave Group from 1997 to 2005 and is currently

a non-executive director of the Group.

Commenting on his retirement, Hugh Mackeown, Chairman, Musgrave Group plc, said, “It is with an enormous sense of pride that I step down as Chairman of a truly remarkable business.

From humble beginnings, our business has evolved to support the growth and development of a highly sophisticated international retail partnership business.

Supporting the growth and long term development of locally owned stores has provided consumers with wider choice and a real alternative to the multiples. While that growth has seen fundamental changes within the business, I am mindful that we have remained true to our values which put an emphasis on long term relation-

ships and not being greedy.

“The business will continue to be at the forefront of delivering change and supporting the growth of a vibrant independent retail sector in all our markets. In Seamus Scally, I have a successor of enormous strength and a depth of experience which is beyond parallel.”

Seamus Scally, Chairman Designate, said, “It’s hard to overstate the contribution Hugh has made to development of retailing in Ireland.

He combined a strong business ethic with a visionary zeal and determination to reshape the retail landscape in Ireland. In so doing, he leaves behind a business that has grown exponentially and continues to bring value and choice into the homes of consumers throughout communities in Ireland, the UK and

Spain. I wish him the very best in his retirement.

“Looking forward, I will continue to work with Chris Martin and the Executive team to drive the business forward. At a time of profound economic challenge in all our markets, partnering with our retailers and supporting hard pressed consumers will continue to be our driving focus.”

Seamus Scally, Chairman Designate, Musgrave Group.

National Lottery Releases Results THE National Lottery raised €263.5m for good causes in 2009, a similar level to the previous year. This brings the overall level of funds raised since the launch of the National Lottery to over €3.4 billion.

Following two exceptional years of growth, overall sales of €815.1m were achieved compared to €840.1m in 2008.

This represents a slight drop of 3% in a challenging economic environment. Over the last three years, National Lottery sales have increased by 20%.

In 2009, total prizes amounted to €438.3m across the different game categories. Together with the funds generated for good causes, this represents an overall return of 86.1% of sales to players and the Irish community.

In 2009, Lotto sales were €336m, compared to €381.4m in the previous year, when sales were enhanced by a record jackpot roll. Sales of Lotto Plus for 2009 were €97.5m, compared to €109m in 2008, while sales for Lotto 5-4-3-2-1 8

increased to €11.2m for the year.

The EuroMillions game benefitted from the excitement around Ireland’s second highest ever win of €29m, resulting in sales of €105.7m in 2009, while scratch cards continue to be an important part of the National Lottery’s business, representing 20% of overall turnover with sales of €163.8m.

“I’m delighted that, despite a difficult economic environment, we raised €263.5m for good causes in 2009 – just 1.6% behind the record level achieved in the previous year,” noted Dermot Griffin, Chief Executive, National Lottery. “We significantly expanded the National Lottery’s portfolio of games with the launch of Play Online, our internet based games offering, and the introduction of our first daily game, ‘All or Nothing’. We also launched an Irish version of the popular ‘Deal or No Deal’ TV game show; expanded our Lotto 5-43-2-1 game and implemented an exciting range of prize promotions.”

The National Lottery will be involved in the development of plans for Ireland’s inclusion in a World Lottery game, which is expected to be launched in 2012.

Dermot Griffin, Chief Executive, National Lottery.

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June10Industry

News

Wellbeing Challenge Delivers Healthy Business Results STARTING the day with a bowl of porridge can significantly boost employee wellbeing and business health, according to the outcome of a month-long healthy living project conducted

by Flahavan’s Porridge and 3fivetwo Healthcare, Northern Ireland’s leading private medical solutions company. The workforce from Antrim-based firmus energy and NI’s leading commercial radio station, Downtown/Cool FM, were the first to take up the wellbeing challenge and underwent a series of health checks immediately before and as soon as they’d completed the programme. “It is clear from the results that the daily consumption of porridge along with a more active,

healthier lifestyle can significantly impact on an employee’s wellbeing and this in turn can enhance overall business productivity,” noted John Noonan, Sales & Marketing Director of Flahavan’s. “We hope more businesses and their workforces will respond to this Challenge and reap the benefits such simple changes can evoke.” Pictured are Gareth Stewart, Cool FM; Catherine Baird, 3fivetwo Healthcare; Johnny Hero, Downtown Radio; and Julie Birt, firmus energy.

SuperValu Sources €27m of Irish Potatoes

Glanbia Wins Corporate Social Responsibility Award

THE potato is still part of the staple diet for most Irish people and Irish farmers are currently harvesting the first of the new season Irish potato crop across counties Wexford and Cork, which are now available in all 192 SuperValu stores throughout the country. Approximately 35,000 tonnes of potatoes are sourced annually from growers in Dublin, Cork, Meath, Louth, Kildare, Donegal and Wexford, making SuperValu the largest retailer of Irish potatoes. SuperValu sold over €27m of Irish potatoes in 2009, with volume expected to increase in 2010. In addition, SuperValu’s independent retail partners also sourced a significant amount of potatoes from local producers, as part of their commitment to local sourcing and supporting their local communities. This amounted to a further €9m worth of potatoes sales in 2010.

Pictured with some of the new season Irish potatoes is Pippa O’Connor.

GLANBIA Consumer Foods has won the Corporate Social Responsibility Award at the All Ireland Marketing Awards 2010 for its ‘Avonmore Big Picnic for Barretstown’ campaign. Pictured receiving the award were Robert Jordan, Marketing Manager, Glanbia Beverages (pictured right), with Aidan Power, Head of Brand & Marketing, EBS Building Society.

Avonmore’s ‘Big Picnic for Barretstown’ has been one of the highest profile CSR programmes in recent years, supported by an extensive communications campaign, including on-pack promotions, advertising, digital, and television sponsorship. The campaign reached millions of consumers, helping raise awareness as well as much needed funds for Barretstown, the therapeutic camp for children with serious illnesses based in Kildare.

Daybreak Launches Retailer Zone Website DAYBREAK have announced the launch of their new ‘Retailer Zone’ website for Daybreak stores. The site offers a number of important benefits for retailers, acting as a central hub for communications from Musgrave. Each store has a unique password to access the site and can visit it to see key information that is relevant to their business, such as marketing updates, trading information, HR advice and resources, legislative changes etc. The Retailer Zone also features a local marketing toolkit that allows stores to create their own personalised marketing materials, such as special offer posters, leaflets, consumer loyalty cards, recruitment adverts and much more. By cutting out their design costs, the website dramatically reduces the costs of local marketing.

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Commenting on the launch of the site, Maurice Cusack, Daybreak Marketing Manager, said: “Feedback from stores on the Retailer Zone has been fantastic. Stores can choose from a wide selection of design templates, and quickly, easily and without any cost, adapt them for their own local marketing initiatives. The fact that important brand information is kept up to date on a central portal is also a big advantage for stores.”

GreatGas Launches FuelCard GREAT Gas Petroleum (Ireland) Ltd has launched the GreatGas FuelCard, offering motorists a faster, more convenient and very cost effective way to pay for their fuel. The GreatGas FuelCard allows cardholders to fill up at any of the 50 GreatGas forecourts nationwide or over 750 DCI (Diesel Card Ireland) affiliated forecourts across the country.

No artificial colours or flavours Contains 25% fruit juice

Irel a N nd’s

50 Family Adventures

Imp o.1 Sugulse Bra ar nd †

to be won

PLUS free activities for all the family* In association with

• Incremental sales and profit opportunities • Heavyweight national TV, Radio, Outdoor, PR and Online Campaign • Full POS suite available For pre-filled shippers and stock orders, contact your local Nestlé Sales Representative or telephone 1890 88 26 07 to place an order.

www.getsetgofree.ie FREE ACTIVITY SESSION* *With promotional wrappers. Applicable to over 18s only. Closing date 31st July 2011. † Source: AC Nielsen 18th April 2010 MAT.

June10Industry

News

Irish Artisan Crisps Sign Distribution Deal With Musgrave O’DONNELL’S Artisan Crisps have signed a new deal with SuperValu and Centra, which will see their products sold in over 660 stores across the country, leading to estimated sales of €100,000.

O’Donnells Artisan Crisps will initially be available in a 50g bag and come in two flavours: Sea Salt & Irish Cider Vinegar Flavour and Mature Irish Cheese & Red Onion. “I’ve spent the last two years researching the market, sourcing unique flavours, developing packaging and creating a brand which is now ready for launch,” said Ed O’Donnell, owner, O’Donnells Artisan Crisps (pictured), “so it’s fantastic to have secured this deal with both SuperValu and Centra as it will mean that my product is now available to the entire population, turning my idea into reality. Now I hope to go about making O’Donnells Artisan Crisps a household name.”

Irish Daily Mail on the Ball PAUL Henderson, Managing Director, Associated Newspapers, and Niamh NicLiam, Marketing Manager, Associated Newspapers, are pictured at the announcement that the Irish Daily Mail have been named International Rules Series sponsors for 2010, while TG4 are sponsors of the Irish team. The first match of the Irish Daily Mail International Rules Series 2010 will take place in Páirc na nGael, Limerick on October 23, when Ireland face Australia for the first time, with the second test in Croke Park seven days later.

“The Irish Daily Mail is Ireland’s youngest newspaper having launched in 2006 and I’m delighted The Irish Daily Mail International Rules Series is our largest sponsorship investment to date,” noted Paul Henderson, Managing Director of Associated Newspapers Ireland. “Those of us who work at the Irish Daily Mail are passionate about sport and understand that our readers share this passion - especially for the GAA.” 12

Crunch Time at Walkers TV Now Awards THE Walkers TV Now Awards, which honour the best shows and stars on Irish TV, returned to Dublin’s Mansion House on May 22, where a host of stars from Irish TV and popular British soaps, Coronation Street and Emmerdale, came together for a glittering black tie ceremony. Excitement reached fever pitch as the winners of the 17 different categories were announced, all but one of which are voted for by the Irish public. The inaugural Walkers ‘Favourite Soap Family’ award was presented by the newly-announced Walkers Family of the Year, the Fahy O’Donnells from Co. Limerick, to the infamous Dingle family from Emmerdale. Pictured at the Awards are Ryan Tubridy, who won a ‘multi-pack’ of prizes for Favourite Irish TV Show (Late Late Show) and Favourite Male TV Presenter, and Kathryn Thomas, winner of the ‘Favourite Female TV Presenter Award, with Nicky Wells, Walkers’ Marketing Manager (centre).

Centra Munster Rugby Summer Camps MUNSTER Rugby stars Peter Stringer and Donncha O’Callaghan scrum down with future rugby stars, Alan Larmour, Daniel Harney, Sinead Larmour, James O’Shaughnessy, Tom Kelly and Ewan Kelly, in Musgrave Park to launch the Centra Munster Rugby Summer Camps,2010. This is the third year of Centra’s sponsorship of the provincial rugby camps, which offer young rugby fans an opportunity to improve their skills and techniques with a panel of top coaches, who are all qualified at mini rugby level under the IRFU Coach Development Pathway. This year, Centra has added

an exciting opportunity for young rugby fans in Munster with the news that all those who register for a Munster Centra Summer Rugby Camp will go into a draw to win the chance to meet and watch their Munster heroes train.

BWG Foods Chooses CODA Solution BWG Foods’ finance team has recently implemented the CODA Financials package from UNIT4 to supply their unified finance system.

“The key criteria were to select a solution that could firstly consolidate the disparate financial data and secondly,

had the capability to provide rapid access to strategic financial information held within that data,” noted BWG Finance Director Aidan Keane.

“The CODA system demonstrated both and it was clear that it would equip our managers with the financial tools they need to thrive in this everchanging retail landscape.” According to Keane, the CODA system has streamlined their business processes, significantly reduced administration costs, improved productivity and enabled BWG to report to the regulator with minimum fuss.

June10SHOP

2010

SHOP 2010: The Retail Event of the Year SHOP 2010, which takes place from September 28-30 at the RDS, is the must-attend event for the food, drink, retail and hospitality sectors.

SHOP

2010 offers visitors a one-stop shop to meet current and potential suppliers and secure new contracts. Set to be bigger and better than ever, the show is building on last year’s successes and new exciting attractions have been introduced to provide a wealth of solutions for your business.

Taking place from the 28-30 September, 2010, at the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin, SHOP 2010 will have hundreds of top exhibitors, innovative products, international competitions, awards, seminars and learnShops, making it a show you can’t afford to miss. Visitors who have pre-registered online will also be given the chance to enter the Daily Draw, were one lucky visitor per day will win €1,000. Winners will be announced at 2pm each day and the prize must be spent with a SHOP 2010 exhibitor.

Floor space for 2010 is already being snapped up by some of

The highly prestigious International Cheese Awards will be making a welcomed return to SHOP 2010.

Ireland’s top companies, such as CBE Ltd, Country Crest, Daikin Europe NV, Martin Food Equipment, Kestrel Foods and PRM Group.

“SHOP provides an open marketplace for potential business and is a proven formula for increasing business,” explains Matt Benyon, Managing Director, easyFairs UK. “In today’s climate, people are looking to do business with companies whom they know can be believed in. The face-to-face nature of SHOP provides visitors with the chance to speak directly to current or new suppliers to forge real relationships and generate some new contracts or discover the ‘next big thing’ emerging from the sector. We have worked hard to add exciting new elements to the show, in order to give visitors an array of attractions that will help strengthen their business.”

International Cheese Awards The highly prestigious International Cheese Awards will be making a welcome return to SHOP and will recognise local and international producers, awarding the best in each category. In 2010, SHOP will also be hosting a cheese and wine tasting evening on September 29.

Visitors will be invited to come along and taste the winning cheeses, accompanied with complementary wines.

New this year will be the learnShops. Not to be missed, they will deliver invaluable major market intelligence on convenience retail in Ireland and the learnShops are free of charge to visitors.

“Launching consumer products to market is evolving at lightning speed.

What worked last week may not work the next,” Matt Benyon adds.

“So at easyFairs, we were keen to get Mintel onboard for SHOP 2010. This will enable visitors to leave the show armed with new strategies, tactics, budgets, channels and measures of success, resulting in retained competitiveness within the sector.”

Special Features & Competitions In addition to business networking and informative seminars, this year the event will be home to array of special features and competitions, one of which is the Product of the Show Awards - known as ‘the’ launch pad for companies to present their products to a captive audience. Others include the Avonmore Irish Latté Art, Coffee in Good Spirits and Coffee Cupping Competitions 2010 and the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland’s, National Sausage and Puddings Final.

To book your stand for SHOP 2010, contact show manager, Leyla Mulvihill on +44 (208) 622 4411. Find details at www.shop-exhibition.com.

13

June10Karen

Meenan’s News Rack

What Men Want Men’s magazines are showing the biggest sales increases across the newsagency sector.

What

is on your magazine shelf right now…. women’s weeklies, women’s monthlies and a few comics?

Perhaps a few TV guides, some puzzle books and Auto Trader?

If you have three-metre bays of magazines in your store, you can increase your turnover substantially by devoting one entire metre bay to men – just men. We are working with 124 stores in every county in Ireland, developing the sales of newsagency, and the target market which is showing the biggest sales increases at the moment is men.

So if you are interested in turning your two or three bays of magazine shelving from a loss-making headache to an opportunity to gain loyal weekly customers buying impulse purchases at 25% full sale or return margin, you need to focus on men.

We have just had some really astonishing sales figures which show that in our stores, sales of men’s titles have increased by double, triple and in some cases six or seven times by just stocking the right titles in the right locations, using the right planogram.

FHM is hugely popular with Irish men.

Why Men’s Magazines?

Why focus on men as a target market? They are not in same recession as women. Women are hunting for bargains, doing without and making do. Women are using coupons and buying value packs and availing of 3-for-2 offers like they never have done before. Women are making thrifty buying sexy and are proud to be labelled as a ‘recessionista’.

Men are different. They are still adopting the same ‘see it, want it, buy it’ attitude to magazine titles, without looking too closely at the price tag.

If a man can no longer afford a golf membership or even a round of golf at the local par three, there is nothing stopping him from buying a golf title for €5 – with you making 25% full sale or return on his little luxury. So why does your shop not have a full range of men’s titles to suit all his desires: cars, gaming, film, music, computing, fitness, health, sport?

A Brief History of Men’s Titles

Empire, one of the most popular film magazines in Ireland.

14

Not so very long ago, magazines were regarded very much as women’s reading and newspapers were aimed mostly at male readers. As far back as the late 1970s, Cosmopolitan toyed with the idea of a Men Only magazine and Cosmo Man was launched as a one-off issue. It sold well at the time but doubts were raised as to whether there would be an enduring market for men’s interest magazines.

In the 1980s, men’s interests were divided into two distinct categories: Top Shelf – well read but not taken home; and specialist titles on cars or football. By the early 1990s, however, the men’s market was changing. With more

June10Karen

women entering the workplace, traditional roles were about to undergo a major upheaval: this movement also changed men – the era of the new man was born. With this new type of male, someone whose interests include cookery, fashion and fitness, as well as the traditional top shelf or cars staples, a new era for magazines was about to unfold.

Monthly titles were launched during the last decade on every aspect of traditional men’s interests: computers, gaming, photography, film, music, golf, football, cars, health, fashion, business, homebuilding and renovating, food and wine, property buying, business and, of course, women!

Men’s Health, a former niche title, now occupies the number one spot, which shows a real opportunity to extend the sales of other titles like Muscle & Fitness and Flex. Stuff and T3 are gadget magazines, both in the top 10.

Top 10 selling UK Monthly titles during 2009 Men’s Health FHM GQ Stuff Men’s Fitness Loaded Front T3 Wired UK Bizarre FHM was the best seller in former years and has been relegated to the number two spot – so watch out for lots of promotional activity to increase sales. There is a special World Cup edition currently in production which should increase penetration.

GQ (Gentlemen’s Quarterly) is one of the leading magazines in all things classy, stylish and sexy for men, not boys: it tends to have a more mature readership. It carries features on politics, sports, food, business, fashion and women. Its readers tend to have a high disposable income, which they spend on cars, holidays and fashion – in that order!

Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness are two titles which target active

Meenan’s News Rack

men who want to make the most of their physical and professional lives.

They give tips on health, grooming, stress nutrition and wealth, and regularly feature on the Top 10 best sellers list.

Men’s Weeklies So successful were men’s monthly titles that publishers had a new confidence that they had created male readers of magazines – a position that would have seemed unbelievable 20 years ago - that two new weekly titles were launched in 2004, Nuts and Zoo. Publishers had hitherto avoided the whole notion of men’s weeklies, still nervous that weeklies were still seen as traditional women’s Blue Ireland, a new, Irish-produced adult fare. Nuts and Zoo have magazine. had two of the most successunemployed or working a three-day ful launches across the newsweek. stand in terms of volume sales.

Nuts and Zoo were bought with a breakfast roll and Lucozade in every Men’s Titles by Genre convenience store at 10 o’clock each The fastest growing sports in Ireland day during the boom time. Now that are cheap sports – walking, runwe don’t have builders and all the ning, cycling and triathlon. Have disposable income that they used you noticed how many people are on to so willingly part with at our till bicycles these days? Cycling is a great points, each day we have to be more way of shifting all the weight gained clever about expanding the range during the boom and saving petrol at of men’s titles to include everyone the same time. Have you any titles on – especially the men who are now your shelf for these customers?

The Daily Profit – Helping You to Manage Your Newsagency THE Daily Profit is a business that takes the pain and frustration out of managing the newsagency department, a third party which acts as a buffer between your two main suppliers, Newspread and EM News Distribution.

They manage your standing orders to make sure that you don’t run out of best-selling titles and that you don’t get box-outs of shelf-warming titles that you know won’t sell in your store.

You don’t have to have wall-to-wall magazines to have the title that your customer wants – you just need to find out what your customers are reading and offer them similar titles in similar genres and watch your sales grow.

Contact: Karen Meenan, The Daily Profit, 3 Warrenhouse Road, Baldoyle, Dublin 13. Tel: 086 6027711. Email: kmeenan@eircom.net.

15

June10Karen

Meenan’s News Rack

best selling titles in the business Hot Press having a loyal sub-category are Business Plus and following, particularly durBusiness & Finance, both home grown ing the summer months publications. when music festivals such While there are no accurate figas Oxegen are held. Uncut, ures available for the Irish market, Kerrang, Rolling Stone, Mix UK sales give a fair indication of what Mag and Mojo are other value is placed on each sector. music titles which have In the UK, the men’s market can shown fantastic growth in be valued (in UK pounds) as follows: our stores over the last year.

Men’s Monthlies (13 titles) £32.2m GT (Gay Times) is celMen’s Weeklies (2 titles) £21.2m ebrating 26 years in print.

Computer Gaming (23 titles) £22.6m It has a wide readership Music – Rock (9 titles) £27.2m and a loyal following but is Computing (33 titles) £23.9m seldom seen on any magazine stand: another opportunity to grow sales missed.

Computing and gaming were very popular during the 1990s, but these sectors are now in decline and are saturated with The massively popular GQ magazine competing titles (33 in computing and Music, particularly rock music, is 23 in gaming during 2005). another area which is of particular Computeractive, is the marinterest to men. This sector (valued ket leader in the UK, selling at £27m in the UK) is worth more more than double the next than the computing sector and is often title, Computer Shopper. PC overlooked. The best selling title in Live, printed in Dublin, is still this category is Q, with NME and very popular on Irish news-stands. In the gaming sector, Xbox 360 Official and the official PlayStation magazine are the big Click, Ireland’s newest movie and gaming hitters. magazine.

Film is more Together, these five sectors are popular during the winter worth over £127m in the UK. To put months: the best-selling this in context, the men’s interest cattitles here are Irish title egory was worth 8% of all UK sales in Click, Total Film and 2009 – roughly the same as women’s Empire. fashion, women’s home interest, teenThere are no Irish men’s age and soap put together! titles per se, but the two Men’s titles generally command a higher cover price than women’s weekly titles – 25% full sale or return of a €8 men’s title at the till point is worth the same net profit as seven or eight copies of a best selling weekly title! So the question you need X Box 360 Official to ask yourself is, do the sales of Playstation M Official men’s interest titles in your store Nintendo Mag Men’s Health, a former niche title, now reflect 8% of your total magazine PC Gamer occupies the number one spot in the UK men’s sales?

Gamesmaster

Top 5 UK Computer Gaming Titles during 2009

magazines sector.

16

June10Drinks

News

Bulmers Berry’s Undergrowth Movement THE new Bulmers Berry TV ad campaign, ‘An Undergrowth Movement’, tells the tale of an ‘employee-led initiative’ within the now familiar world of the Bulmers orchard. Shot on location in Clonmel, the new 40 second TV commercial features a young worker and his girlfriend who inadvertently discover that berries dipped in Bulmers Original Cider deliver a delicious new taste sensation, culminating in the creation of a new blend of berry cider and beginning what becomes a small ‘undergrowth movement’ of appreciation among other orchard workers, before gaining the admiration of orchard manager, Tom. “The new Bulmers Berry campaign continues in the same light hearted vein as Bulmers Pear. We want consumers to discover Bulmers Berry for themselves and become part of the Undergrowth Movement,” noted Marketing Director, Stephen Kent.

Guinness Announce Return of Arthur’s Day GUINNESS have confirmed that Arthur’s Day is back this year with events taking place in Dublin, Cork and Galway, as well as other festivities happening throughout the country on Thursday, September 23. The worldwide celebration will begin at 17:59 (GMT) in Ireland, when Arthur’s Day will once again see the nation witness some of the world’s most established music artists play in great pubs and venues, while raising a glass to Arthur Guinness and his lasting legacy.

Superquinn’s Wine Range Triumphs SUPERQUINN’S range of wines has received further recognition from leading wine experts at the prestigious 2010 International Wine Challenge (IWC), with 164 of the wines available in Superquinn stores receiving awards, up from 147 last year.

This means that over a quarter of Superquinn’s wine range has been endorsed by winning an award at this year’s event, more than any other supermarket in Ireland. Superquinn’s own brand wines were amongst the award winners, with Classic Collection Red Bordeaux picking up a silver medal, and Classic Collection Valpolicella Ripasso and Classic Collection Petit Chablis (pictured) both awarded bronze medals. Also from the Classic Collection, the USA Ruby Cabernet Shiraz, USA Zinfandel Rosé and White Burgundy were all highly commended.

To celebrate this success, promotions will run on selected IWC winners in August, where all gold and silver medal winners and a selection of bronze and commended wines will be reduced in price by a minimum of 25%.

Smithwick’s Wins Gold SMITHWICK’S has been awarded two gold medals in the prestigious Monde Selection Quality Selections 2010 for both Smithwick’s Superior Irish Ale and the brand’s variant brewed for the American market. “This award showcases the quality and credibility of Smithwick’s as a resurging brand in Ireland,” commented Ian Hamilton, Operations Manager of the St. Francis Abbey Brewery in Kilkenny. “It is also fitting that Smithwick’s receive this recognition as the brand celebrates its 300th year.” Diageo has supported the brand’s anniversary with a complete overhaul of the Smithwick’s image with new livery, bar taps and a suite of advertising and promotional campaigns.

Tipperary Sponsor Loughcrew Garden Opera TIPPERARY Water were the official water sponsor for the eleventh Loughcrew Garden Opera presentation of Verdi’s La Traviata in the idyllic historic gardens of Loughcrew Estate on June 5 and 6, while Champagne Jacquart was official champagne sponsor. Claudia Boyle, who sings the role of Violetta, is pictured.

17

June10Focus

on SPAR Ireland

SPAR Scores on Price and Value Price and value are the keys to success at SPAR Ireland, with their Euro Crunch offers and extended own brand range fuelling growth right across the country.

Suzanne Weldon, Marketing & Communications Director with SPAR Ireland.

In

late 2008, when the recession was in its early days, SPAR Ireland promptly responded to the country’s changing economic fortunes by launching its bespoke Euro Crunch campaign, whereby retailers could offer consumers popular everyday products for just €1 each. As a longer term response to the ‘price and value’ agenda, SPAR also set about enhancing and expanding its catalogue of own brand products across all lines. More than 18 months down the road, both these initiatives have proven to be well considered responses to the recession, with consumers reacting extremely positively to both.

Euro Crunch Success Introduced as a direct response to consumer requirements, Euro Crunch was originally intended as a once-off campaign, but SPAR could never have foreseen how popular the scheme would become, not only with customers, but with retailers and even suppliers, who proactively expressed their interest in getting involved.

When it became obvious that the recession would not be abating anytime soon, SPAR decided to continue with the campaign throughout 2009 and have since created a dedicated and ongoing programme for 2010, with the company recently announcing a €1.1m investment in its latest television ad series to promote the price and value message for the brand.

The suite of ads - produced by Red Rage in conjunction with Publicis QMP - focuses on one central character, Fergus, a hapless shop assistant who inadvertently generates business for his store by ‘introducing’ customers to spe18

cial in-store promotions. Fergus is played by rising star and stand-up comedian, Fred Cooke, who many people will recognise as the stand-out character in last year’s SPAR own brand ad. The ad series will run for the next 12 months and will be supported by in-store promotions across the country.

Developing the Value Message According to Suzanne Weldon, Marketing & Communications Director with SPAR Ireland, “The new ad campaign represents the next phase in the development of our value message in Ireland and will hopefully communicate to customers, in a light-hearted and humorous way, that good prices are here to stay at SPAR. The ongoing popularity of Euro Crunch confirms that we made the right response at the right time for consumers and retailers alike and we will continue to work closely with suppliers to offer a wider range of cut price products.”

The 2010 Euro Crunch campaign builds on the success of previous campaigns, which have seen selected products being offered to customers for just €1 in SPAR stores nationwide, featuring products such as HB ice cream, Fairy Liquid, Cadbury bars and SPAR Isotonic drink.

In fact, Euro Crunch has produced some of SPAR’s biggest sellers of late: last year, SPAR Firelogs were offered at the special €1 price and promptly sold over one million units in a five-month period. And over the May bank holiday weekend, SPAR stores sold a year’s worth of stock with their Euro Crunch Magnificent 7, where seven popular breakfast items (Kellogg’s Cornflakes, Maxwell House Coffee, Flora Buttery, SPAR Rashers, Brennan’s White

June10Focus

on SPAR Ireland

SPAR’s Charity of the Year

The new SPAR television ad series focuses on one central character, Fergus, a hapless shop assistant who inadvertently generates business for his store by ‘introducing’ customers to special in-store promotions.

Sliced Pan, Sqeez Orange Juice and SPAR Eggs) were sold for just €1 each.

This year, the campaign is being extended to incorporate additional products on offer for €2 and €3, with great bargains to be had across an extensive range of products.

Own Brand Continues Unabated Separately, but related, SPAR has also been working hard on the expansion and promotion of its own brand range, which continues to go from strength to strength.

The company has been rapidly expanding its own brand goods across all food and non-food categories on the back of overwhelming uptake from customers. Up to 700 SPAR own brand and exclusive sub-brand products are now on store shelves, covering product families such as soft drinks, biscuits, snacks, pasta and health and beauty. The range covers both ambient and fresh products, sourced both locally and internationally.

“Our customers can now be guaranteed a price saving of at least 20% when they buy our own brand goods compared with the leading brand,” enthused Suzanne Weldon. “The reason customers keep coming back is that we have not substituted quality for price and in fact, we have partnered with several leading local companies to deliver products that taste as good, if not better, than their other competing products.”

Significant Investment

Another good reason for shoppers to buy SPAR own brand, if any was needed, is that money raised from the sale of these goods results in a direct benefit to SPAR’s Charity of the Year, 3Ts Turn the Tide of Suicide, with a 1 cent contribution from a range of selected products going to the 3Ts. In 2009, the own brand contribution, along with the proceeds from other in-store initiatives, resulted in a donation of over €270,000 to the charity and led to the establishment of the 1Life 24/7 suicide prevention helpline (Freephone 1-800-24-7-100) which is staffed by professional counsellors and highly skilled volunteers.

“We may be in a recession but our varied lifestyles mean that convenience shopping is still a big part of people’s daily and weekly routines.

The difference now, as opposed to say two years ago, is that price and value have become an essential part of the mix. And that is why our own brand range has been parachuted into the ‘high priority’ tier of our overall strategy for the brand,” concluded Suzanne Weldon. “The Euro Crunch campaign, along with a significant extension of our SPAR own brand range, means that price conscious consumers in Ireland can find what they need in their local SPAR store.”

Last year, SPAR Ireland invested €1m in the extension of its range of own brand products across its network of over 450 stores. Now in 2010, the company has invested €1.8m in the marketing and promotion of the SPAR range of own brand products.

The significant investment covers several activities throughout the year, including sponsorship, advertising and in-store promotion, and is designed to highlight the extensive range of quality own brand products now available in SPAR stores across the country.

Some of these activities are already underway, such as the agreement by SPAR to be series sponsor for RTE’s Sunday night talent show, ‘Fame: The Musical’. SPAR is sponsoring the 10-week-long broadcast series, produced by Screentime ShinAwil for RTÉ, as well as the nationwide tour of the musical which premieres in the Grand Canal Theatre this August.

Last year’s investment saw a significant expansion in the range of own brand products available in SPAR stores and resulted in a considerable upturn in sales across the SPAR and EUROSPAR networks.

During 2009, SPAR stores saw SPAR Ireland have been rapidly expanding their own brand range across all food and own brand volume increase by non-food categories on the back of overwhelming almost 40% and in the group’s uptake from customers, with up to 700 SPAR bigger EUROSPAR supermarown brand and exclusive sub-brand products kets, this figure was nearly 60%. now on store shelves.

19

June10The

Retail News Interview

Pointing the Way Forward Barry Dignam, Head of Sales & Marketing, PostPoint, talks us through the company’s retail-focused strategy for development over the coming year.

When

you’re already well established as Ireland’s leading electronic payment and services channel, how do you go about improving your market performance? That’s the challenge faced by Barry Dignam, Head of Sales and Marketing at PostPoint, who have been at the forefront of electronic services since their establishment a decade ago.

“My focus is to make sure that PostPoint is highly visible from a sales point of view and to ensure that we look after our retailers,” Barry states. “I want PostPoint to be the preferred provider for retailers. I want retailers to realise that we have a partnership approach to business and we will work co-operatively with them. We have the retailer in mind in every decision we make.”

To this end, Barry and his team have met with retail groups like the CSNA and RGDATA and they are currently planning focus groups with retailers over the coming months. As Barry explains, “We are putting a lot of effort into listening to the challenges retailers have, and trying to meet those challenges head-on.

“We are concentrating on retailers because they are the most important people in our business,” he continues.

“PostPoint places a strong emphasis on supporting the retailer and strives to maintain this position through our dedicated helpdesk, on-call technical team and on-theroad sales team. We also ensure that every department in PostPoint operates with a retailer focus at all times. We need to make sure that our retailers are happy with the services provided by PostPoint and with our customer service levels.”

of integrated mobile phone top-up to the piloting of bill payments through retailer tills. Indeed, PostPoint’s services include: - Over 120 bills can be paid using PostPoint’s e-technology and once a retailer is BillPay enabled, they can simply scan the customer’s bill and accept payment. “This facility has made life easier for thousands of consumers, giving them the option of paying major household bills, including ESB, Bord Gais, Eircom and many more at their local store,” Barry explains.

-

One4all Gift Cards are also available to their network of retailers. Furthermore, they are free of charge when ordering and retailers need only load cards with the cash amount requested by their customer.

-

PostPoint also offers retailers the potential to sell stamps.

“All they need to do is call the PostPoint helpdesk to sign up and place their stamp order,” Barry notes.

-

Their tolling solution provider, ParkMagic, allows customers to use their TollTag much like a ‘Ready to Go’ option on their mobile phone, topping up their balance when required.

-

PostPoint also offers a wide range of international calling cards, which are still in demand across the country.

The PostPoint Portfolio PostPoint boasts the largest portfolio of electronic payment products and services in the Irish marketplace, with a dedicated customer services team and also a sales support team on the road. This retail support approach has made them the market leader in e-transactions since 2000, with significant new retailers choosing to join PostPoint on an ongoing basis.

Innovation has been at the heart of PostPoint’s offering to retailers since the very beginning, from the introduction 20

June10The

Retail News Interview

Indeed, the range of products and services is increasing all the time.

“There are some interesting developments in the pipeline,” reveals Barry.

“We are constantly moving with the times and continually improving our technology to change along with the digital world and consumers’ expectations. We have also advanced our communications so that we can stay in touch with the retailer through our mobile updates, email broadcasts and our retailer focused website, www.postpoint.ie.”

Innovation

PostPoint offer external hanging signage to their retail partners, ensuring that consumers are aware of the electronic services available in-store.

Innovation has been a key driver of business, in terms of e-parking, electronic toll tags, electronic gift cards, waste collection etc. So how has PostPoint kept abreast of these changes?

“PostPoint’s core business is electronic services,” Barry notes. “We

are the leading player in this market because we are constantly looking out for new services that will suit retailer and customer needs alike and then working towards getting these products on board. Retailers will be glad to know that we have a dedicated New

Free PostPoint PoS Material POSTPOINT have a range of free Point-of-Sale material available for retailers, to highlight the range of services available in-store. For your free PostPoint PoS pack, contact the PostPoint Marketing Team on 1890 20 42 20 or order online at www.postpoint.ie Make sure to use your free “Top Up Here” wobbler, included in RETAIL NEWS to help drive sales, compliments of PostPoint.

Jef Kf >[h[

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Product Development Manager who will be working closely on the development of future products.”

One of the big issues in recent times has been the reduction in margins from the big mobile phone operators in terms of top-ups. It’s a contentious issue and one which caused quite a furore amongst retailers.

“Whilst this is a subject outside of our direct control and responsibility, PostPoint endeavours to work closely with all parties to ensure the best outcome for its retailers where possible,” Barry states.

“I want retailers to realise that we have a partnership approach to business and we will work co-operatively with them. We have the retailer in mind in every decision we make.”

21

June10The

Retail News Interview

The Marketing Strategy A key strategy for PostPoint in 2010 is to focus on trade marketing, with the primary intention of supporting their network of 3,000 retailers throughout the country. “A detailed trade plan has been put in place to ensure that we meet these objectives with strong presence in all trade media, events and exhibitions,” Barry enthuses.

“Look out for our new look and feel in RETAIL NEWS!” The company’s marketing focus for 2010 is heavily weighted on retail support, ensuring that retailers have: -

How PostPoint Operates POSTPOINT’S Marketing department works directly with the Sales Team to ensure all products are energetically marketed to both the consumer and retailer. This function is crucial in ensuring that retailers’ needs are met and effectively communicated through POS, PR, trade and various media. “We have recently launched a new PostPoint look and feel which will be visible to all retailers from this month onwards,” notes Barry.

The ‘On the Road’ Sales Team endeavour to maintain a strong customer relationship with retailers. “They are our first point of contact with our retailers and therefore a crucial part of our overall business model,” Barry explains.

Attractive point of sale available for all products; Regular SMS/Email updates to improve customer experience; Extensive marketing campaigns to drive footfall into stores; Branding of stores nationwide with permanent signage; Online development of an interactive website to support retailer demands.

-

“Having a reason to go to the local convenience store to avail of the top-up or billpay facilities will result in supplementary spend on the part of the consumer, which of course is great news for retailers. Our services will drive footfall into your stores.”

22

PostPoint’s marketing team (l-r): Emma Flanagan, Barry Dignam and Susan Weldon.

Continuing to update and improve the PostPoint website is a core strategy for the company, through the creation of an interactive community where retailers can process many of their queries online, and many exciting new features will be added to the site shortly.

Thriving in a Recession?

The other good news for retailers, particularly in the current economic climate, is that PostPoint’s range of services, if anything, are actually more in demand during a recession.

“Now, more than ever, consumers need to exercise full ‘control’ over personal budgets,” Barry explains.

“They need to make their money work harder for them. This is the perfect scenario for PostPoint and our retailers. Mobile trends have seen a shift from post-pay to pre-pay, where customers are now topping up using mobile top-up vouchers. A big change is also visible with bill payers, where

householders who once signed up to monthly direct debits are now making the switch to paying their bills when they choose to.

“These developments are an excellent opportunity for retailers to promote mobile top-up, TollTag.ie top-up and BillPay as key products to enhance the customer experience. Our tagline is ‘Making Life Easier’ and it’s exactly what we do for thousands of consumers around the country through our 3,000 agents nationwide.”

Consumers’ increased use of electronic services has the added benefit for retailers of driving more footfall into their stores. “I am in no doubt that having a reason to go to the local convenience store to avail of the topup or bill-pay facilities will result in supplementary spend on the part of the consumer, which of course is great news for retailers,” Barry concludes.

“That spend may have reduced, as a result of the recession, but our services will still undoubtedly drive footfall into your stores.”

June10Special

Report: Irish Brands

You’ll Never Beat the Irish Irish consumers love Irish brands: fact! We examine the reasons behind the phenomenal success of Ireland’s homegrown heroes.

To

understand the relationship Irish consumers have with homegrown brands, one need only look at so many of the category leaders across the entire grocery spectrum. From tea and coffee to snack foods, biscuits and even bottled water, Irish brands dominate so much of the country’s retail spectrum. This is no coincidence.

“Consumers do have a special relationship with brands here in Ireland, which is unique,” explains Sharon Colgan, Programme Director, Love Irish Food. “They see Irish brands as being part of their heritage. Indeed, so many Irish brands that we have today have been passed down through the years and they have stood the test of time because they are quality brands, which give Irish consumers what they want.

“Irish brands are created for Irish palates: they understand what Irish consumers want in terms of taste and flavour. It’s not a case of ‘one taste fits all’, which is often the case when it comes to global brands.”

As evidence, she points to an incident over the last year where “one particular retailer tried to remove

some Irish brands from their shelves.

The backlash from consumers was massive. Irish consumers are so attached to Irish brands that their demands to keep them on the shelf made the retailer do just that.”

Colgan’s sentiments are echoed

by Paul Kelly, Director of Food & Drink Industry Ireland, the IBEC body representing food and drink manufacturers. “The clear message that has come out over the last year or two is that the Irish consumer has different tastes and different needs to UK consumers,” Kelly stresses. “It has been proved time and again that Irish consumers want Irish products, and the supply base here is able to deliver on that.”

Sound Financial Sense For retailers, stocking Irish brands makes sound financial sense, as consumers obviously love the brands they grew up with, and will not compromise by purchasing an imported alternative. However, buying Irish brands also helps the overall economy, and plays a big part in ensuring that Ireland’s

agri-food sector continues to thrive.

This message is getting across to consumers though initiatives like Love Irish Food.

“In the latest research, which BMR conducted on our behalf, there was an 80% prompted awareness for Love Irish Food, and a 71% recall for our TV campaign,” notes Sharon Colgan.

“Those indicators are telling us that the message is getting through.

“We also asked consumers if they are more likely to purchase Irish products now that they are aware of the difference it makes to Irish jobs, and we saw a 10 point increase in that figure as well. These are positive indicators that consumers are hearing the message and they understand the importance of supporting Irish products.”

Paul Kelly feels that the work of initiatives like Love Irish Food, along with campaigns from Bord Bia, the National Dairy Council and individual companies, have increased consumer familiarity with Irish brands, as well as “identifying in consumers’ minds the clear linkage between buying Irish products and maintaining jobs in Ireland”.

23

June10Special

Report: Irish Brands

Sharon Colgan, Programme Director, Love Irish Food.

Kelly highlights the “massive” importance of Ireland’s agi-food sector to the overall economy: “Between one in seven and one in eight jobs in Ireland are directly or indirectly linked to agri-food. We are a small market here. We have to export €7-8 billion of food every year, so we are a surplus producer of food. The positive trade balance that comes from that obviously benefits the overall economy. However, the Irish market is still a very important market. Companies who have a large focus on exports still have significant business in the Irish market, and for many smaller companies, it is the only market in which they operate.

For companies who have aspirations to grow and export, they need a healthy business in the domestic market before they can take that step.”

products in terms of cost of manufacture, but they have met consumer demand head-on by reducing prices and running regular promotional offers.”

Paul Kelly agrees. “It’s still a very difficult environment. Volumes and value are down, but I think Irish companies have done a lot in terms of reducing their cost base, internally.

Retailers have made changes as well, and the key now is to continue to make the supply base as competitive as possible. There’s still a lot of work to be done there in terms of our national cost base, like energy and waste costs, which are still relatively high by European standards and need to be addressed. We need to be cost competitive to get on shelves and stay on shelves.”

Kelly admits that we have seen a small reduction in energy costs over the last year, but feels that it has primarily been driven by falling international gas prices and “a temporary reduction in electricity costs to large energy users”, neither of which are long term solutions. While welcoming the Government’s decision to introduce a rebate for large energy users, Kelly feels that “there is a need for a fundamental look at our energy costs here to bring them into line with European averages”.

According to Kelly, “a lot of infrastructure needs to be put in place to upgrade our electricity distribution system and to meet our targets in

terms of renewable energy. That is national infrastructure and it’s not going to be good for our competitiveness if industry has to pay completely for something which is going to benefit everyone in society, not just industry.”

Looking to the Future So what next for Ireland’s agri-food sector and Irish brands? Paul Kelly believes that the future is dependant on the pace of economic recovery and how that impacts on consumer sentiment and demand. “Will we see consumers, for example, trading up to higher value products?,” he asks. “If that happens, it will benefit everybody in the supply chain.”

Kelly maintains that Ireland’s supply base has done “a huge amount of work, both in terms of making themselves more competitive internally and in terms of the messaging that is going to consumers. They have listened to consumers and raised consumer awareness of the links between Irish brands, Irish manufacturing and Irish jobs. There is a need for that to continue.

“But we’re back to the elephant in the room, both in terms of the domestic market and export markets, and that’s making the cost base here more competitive,” Kelly concludes.

“Ultimately, Irish companies are fighting with one hand tied behind their back because a number of the cost inputs that they face here are out of line with competitor economies and that ends up effectively being embedded in the cost price of the product.”

Competing on Value But can Irish brands compete on value with their international counterparts?

The answer, according to Colgan, is a resounding ‘yes’: “There are numerous examples of Irish brands offering excellent value to consumers across all categories. These are quality, triedand-tested products that can compete with any other products in terms of value-for-money.”

According to Colgan, the majority of Irish brands have responded to the new economic reality by cutting prices and providing a wealth of promotional offers to consumers. “Irish brands are up against huge difficulties and disadvantages when compared to imported 24

Glanbia

Paul Kelly, Director of Food & Drink Industry Ireland.

Avonmore Milk remains the nation’s favourite and clear market leader with a 30% market share in value (Source: ACNielsen). With the success of the brand growing year on year, Avonmore Milk continues to refresh its portfolio through innovation and investment in highly visible national marketing campaigns. Investment in the flagship sponsorship of WeatherLine across all three terrestrial channels makes sure that Avonmore has increased presence in the homes of most Irish families, with 9 out of 10 people tuning into the Weatherline every week.

“We are committed to give you the best range of quality fresh vegetable which is why we have over 14 different types of tomato, something for all tastes!”

“Our commitment to finding quality fresh, local produce has introduced us to family run farms around the country, like the Keogh family of Oldtown who have been supplying Superquinn for 3 generations.”

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John Keogh Co. Meath

Jim Rooney Co. Dublin

Stephen McCommack Co. Meath

June10Special

Report: Irish Brands

Since the launch of the ‘EasyPour Jug’ last year, consumers have responded with overwhelming positivity. Avonmore has seen an increase in repeat purchase, with consumers opting for the jug because of how easy it is for the whole family to use. The jug is easier for children to hold, making it more manageable for little hands to pour a glass of ice cold milk. Stores supporting the Avonmore ‘Easy Pour’ Jug are experiencing significant volume growth for Avonmore 2 Ltr. Not only does the jug look good on-shelf and enhance user experiences, it is also driving sales within the category.

Irish consumers have responded extremely positively to the Avonmore ‘Easy-Pour Jug’.

2010 sees Avonmore Milk continue their successful CSR initiative with Barretstown, the camp that helps children recovering from serious illnesses.

Launched for the first time in 2009, the sun has come out just in time for the second year of the ‘Avonmore Big Picnic for Barretstown’. The campaign aims to encourage everyone across the country to have a picnic this summer and raise much needed funds for Barretstown. In addition, Avonmore will match every €1 raised by consumers’ picnics in 2010. For more information, see www.sendmorefamilies.com, where you can sign up for your free Avonmore Big Picnic pack.

Glanbia Consumer Foods was recently awarded the Corporate Social Responsibility Award at the All Ireland Marketing Awards 2010 for the ‘Avonmore Big Picnic

for Barretstown’ campaign. The initiative was recognised by the judges as one of the highest profile CSR programmes in recent years and was supported by an extensive communications campaign, including on-pack promotions, advertising, Loran Sullivan, aged 17, Leonie Hackett, aged 7, and Amy digital, and telHuberman roll out their picnic blanket for the launch of the evision sponsorship. second annual Avonmore Big Picnic for Barretstown, which The campaign has encourages consumers to have a picnic this summer and raise much needed funds for children affected by serious illness. reached millions of to consumers across County Cork for consumers, helping raise awareness more than 40 years and this year has as well as funds for Barretstown. launched its very own ‘Easy Pour Jug’ Avonmore Super Milk is a key for Cork consumers. CMP continues driver of growth and dominates the to support the local community with fortified milk sector, with a 91% volits ongoing partnership with the Cork ume share. Avonmore Super Milk Community Games. Established in continues to be one of the few brands 1972, this represents one of the longin growth in the Irish milk market, est running sports sponsorships in the with nearly one third of all households county. Another strong regional brand in the ROI ensuring it is a permanent in the portfolio, Snowcream Milk, is fixture on their shopping list. Much closely associated with the South East of this growth can be attributed to region. Snowcream continues to supthe introduction of Whole Super Milk port the Waterford region with the to the range (in addition to original sponsorship of the Waterford Senior Low Fat), which has encouraged new Hurling Championship. All brands consumers to try the brand for the demonstrate their support for local first time. With heavyweight advertisheritage by featuring iconic landmarks ing support behind the Super Milk on packs. brand this year, via Weatherline, this growth trend is set to continue.

Glanbia’s iconic regional brands Flahavan’s continue to support the portfolio.

Flahavan’s have been operating Successful local marketing campaigns their oat mill in Kilmacthomas, Co. include key sponsorships and commuWaterford, for over 200 years, making nity promotions which anchor each brand to their respective regions.

Premier Milk is the nation’s second biggest brand and remains an iconic Dublin milk fixture, which has been part of Dublin heritage for 44 years. Similarly, CMP has been Flahavan’s is Ireland’s favourite porridge and has a loyal Irish customer base, with over one million servings consumed supplying milk nationwide each week.

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t e e w s H o wt i s . . . i

We love Ireland so we pack all of our sugar here.

Guess what? We're the only ones who do! www.gempackfoods.ie

TARA Publishers of Retail News Retail News Directory LVA Directory & Diary Dublin Port Yearbook Irish PharmaChem Buyers Guide Irish Packaging Yearbook & Directory Food Ireland Yearbook & Directory To advertise in any of the above publications please call our sales team on

Tel: 01 2413095 Fax: 01 2413010 Email: info@tarapublishingco.com Web: www.tarapublishingco.com

To learn more about our campaign, our member brands and how you could beneďŹ t from its success, visit loveirishfood.ie

June10Special

Report: Irish Brands

it one of Ireland’s longest private Irish family-run food businesses.

The Flahavan’s name and brands are resonant of Irish tradition and integrity and use locally produced oats from a select panel of growers in their range of products. Flahavan’s have provided an important source of employment for over six different generations in the area.

With a market share of over 65% in the hot oats category, Flahavan’s are market leaders and have been to the forefront of the recent significant growth in the hot oats market through their focus on quality and innovation. Flahavan’s product range include Progress Oatlets, Organic porridges, Microwaveable Quick Oats in a drum, sachets (original and organic) and portable porridge pots (original, strawberry and organic), Real Fruit Porridge varieties, together with Pinhead, Jumbo Oats, Added Bran and Oatbran. Ready to Eat Cereals include Flahavan’s Hi8 Muesli and Crunchy Oats.

Flahavan’s have relaunched their popular Oaty Flapjacks range with a new improved Belgian choc chip recipe and two new varieties, cranberry and original, in the biscuit and snack category.

Flahavan’s is Ireland’s favourite porridge and has a loyal Irish customer base, with over one million servings consumed nationwide each week. The distinctive Flahavan’s taste, quality and innovative format varieties combine to make Flahavan’s Oats the number one brand that consumers can trust. Flahavan’s delicious range of oat-based products offer great value for money and are simply good for you. Flahavan’s products are 100% Irish and are available nationwide. Flahavan’s is proud to support Love Irish Food.

Unquestionably a household name in Ireland, the Kerrygold brand holds approximately 43% market share and is supported by TV advertising and in-store promotions.

ucts to over 90 markets around the world.

Today, the Kerrygold brand has loyal consumers in over 50 countries around the world, stretching from North America to Australia, Russia to South Africa and throughout Europe.

Kerrygold is the number one butter brand in Germany and top imported butter brand in the USA. Kerrygold’s success is clear-cut.

It is ‘real’ food, 100% natural, with no additives beyond salt for flavour.

In Ireland, Kerrygold holds approximately 43% market share and is supported by TV advertising and in-store promotions.

Mr. Crumb Mr. Crumb has just been voted Enterprise of the Year 2010. A small, family-run business based in the rural village of Finea, separating counties

Cavan, Westmeath & Longford, Mr. Crumb’s award winning product range includes fresh breadcrumb, stuffing, desserts, party food and food-to-go products, handmade by chefs using fresh ingredients. Mr. Crumb products sell year round and are well known and trusted by savvy cooks, while they are also endorsed by celebrity chef Delia Smith on her website and in her book ‘How to Cheat at Cooking’.

Products are sold in the chilled cabinet, where Mr. Crumb is one of the top-performing brands. Chicken with Mayo and Mr. Crumb (TM) Sage & Onion Stuffing is one of the highest selling sandwiches in the Irish in-store deli/convenience sector and is the only stuffing on the market that is pre-cooked to enhance food safety.

As well as working closely with Dunnes Stores, Musgrave,

Kerrygold With the multiplicity of blends and competing connotations in the yellow fats sector, one brand has retained its clear, uncomplicated message, Kerrygold: 100% pure Irish butter.

Unquestionably a household name in Ireland, the Kerrygold brand is owned by the Irish Dairy Board, a commercial dairy cooperative, which exports and markets Irish dairy prod28

Mr. Crumb’s award winning product range includes fresh breadcrumb, stuffing, desserts, party food and food-to-go products, handmade by chefs using fresh ingredients.

‘Since I joined Daybreak my store has gone from strength to strength.

The support I receive from the Musgrave team is second to none.’

Stephen Clayton, Daybreak Kilcullen

‘Open up to better profits’ Are you looking to improve the profitability of your store?

If so, then Daybreak is the smart choice. Here are five good reasons to choose Daybreak: Real Value for Money As part of the Musgrave Group, we will enhance your sales and your margins with our competitive pricing and deep cut promotions.

A fresh look at ‘Food to go’ Our new food solutions will drive your profitability.

Saving you money Our development costs are much more competitive than other symbols.

Our team An experienced and responsive team are always at your disposal.

Our vibrant new image We’ve invested substantially to create a fresh new look.

For more information call us on

086 771 4666

June10Special

Report: Irish Brands

Superquinn and Tesco, the company has distribution to independents/ symbols in the Leinster/Connaught area, and is looking for additional distributors to retailers and butchers nationwide. Check out www.mrcrumb. ie for more information. For sales queries, telephone Mary or Patricia on 043 6681148.

Homecook Wonderbar Cooking Chocolate Homecook Wonderbar Cooking Chocolate, from Boyne Valley Group, is a firm favourite in households throughout the country. Homecook Wonderbar has recently undergone a makeover, with contemporary new packaging and its best ever chocolate recipe. It is so versatile, it can be used in a wide variety of recipes, including chocolate chews, buns, cakes, toppings, mousses and it is the perfect decoration for all cakes, buns and treats. Homecook Wonderbar Cooking Chocolate, made in Ireland, comes in a variety of flavours to suit all tastes, Dark, Milk and White, and

Bord na Móna Fuels Ltd is the largest supplier of solid fuel on the Irish Market and in 2009 celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Turf Development Board.

Bord na Móna Bord na Móna Fuels Ltd is Ireland’s largest supplier of solid fuel and in 2009 celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Turf Development Board.

Throughout this time, it has always remained at the forefront as an Irish brand with huge trust and loyalty. Bord na Móna Fuels supply a wide range, with many products manufactured and produced here in Ireland. Best known for its Peat Briquettes, Bord na Móna Fuels has aimed to bring the brand forward while keeping its high standard of quality and reliability. In doing so, it has brought to the market innovative convenience products such as Firepak, Firelogs and firelighters. The fuels range also includes Bord Na Móna BBQ pack range and Eco Friendly Fuels.

sachets under the Gem and Gold Seal brands.

Their 1kg sugar has recently been re-launched in exciting new packaging, featuring an on-pack competition where €10,000 can be won. This competition runs through until the end of July.

Although sugar is no longer produced here in Ireland, most households will have a packet of Gem Sugar because they are the only sugar packers in Ireland and as consumers, we know the importance of buying Irish.

Gem Pack Foods

Homecook Wonderbar Microwaveable Cooking Chocolate is available in a handy 250g microwaveable pouch, perfect for ‘no fuss, no mess’ baking.

is available in 150g, 450g and a 1kg catering size. New to the range is Homecook Wonderbar Microwaveable Cooking Chocolate which is available in a handy 250g microwaveable pouch, perfect for ‘no fuss, no mess’ baking.

All Homecook Wonderbar products are manufactured in Drogheda, Co. Louth.

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Gem Pack Foods, a member of Guaranteed Irish, currently employs 85 people and aims to be the most cost-efficient producer in the Irish food packaging business, with a strong emphasis on quality, product safety and service.

Their core activity was originally packaging and distributing dried fruits. Over the years, however, they have steadily grown, adding additional food products such as rice, cereals, Gem Pack’s 1kg sugar has recently been re-launched in exciting new packaging, traditional desserts and a full range of sugar, salt and pepper featuring an on-pack competition where €10,000 can be won.

June10Special

Report: Irish Brands

Healthy babies are happy babies.

History Cow & Gate have been manufacturing in Ireland since 1887 and continue to manufacture infant powdered milk today, with two plants in Cork and Wexford. These factories produce infant powdered milk for Europe and, together with an office in Dublin, employ 250 people.

Cow & Gate originally started out as a creamery in Ireland and was very successful with a Cow & Gate cream product. A by-product of this cream was huge quantities of leftover skimmed milk. In 1904, the company received a bulk order for milk powder for use as baby food, following reports from America that the health and survival rates of poorer children in New York were greatly improved when powdered milk was added to their diets. Trials with Cow & Gate milk powder yielded similar improvements and results were published in medical journals. Soon, the demand for this new baby food began to grow and Cow & Gate emerged as a baby feeding company.

Cow & Gate is fully dedicated to supporting breastfeeding in Ireland and in the world and has strong policies in place to ensure that mothers are encouraged to breast-

feed. However, Cow & Gate acknowledges that some mothers cannot and do not wish to breastfeed, and it is paramount that they have access to the best possible infant milks for their babies. That is why Cow & Gate invest heavily in state-of-the-art research and development and work closely with the scientific community to bring bottle-fed babies the most advanced nutrition.

Products & Services Cow & Gate is the only brand in Ireland to offer a full range of tailored infant milks and food products of all types to help feed from birth to three years of age. All of their products are developed by nutritionists and tailored for the key stages of baby’s development.

Their Dublin office is unique in its provision of services specially tailored for Irish mums, but also Irish health care professionals. For example, any mum can ring the Dublin-based careline in order to get any advice in relation to their babies. Any specific nutrition queries will be relayed to one of their qualified nutrititionists in the office.

Cow & Gate have also recently developed unique online assessment tools that allow mums and mums-tobe to assess the quality of their baby’s or their own diet, in compliance with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s dietary guidelines. These tools are available at www.feedingforlife.ie.

Cow & Gate also invest in and support surveys and research projects to help understand better how babies and toddlers are fed today in Ireland, as they believe that what you feed your baby in the early years is key for future health and development.

Breastfeeding is best for your baby and provides many benefits. Good maternal nutrition is important for the preparation and maintenance of breastfeeding. Introducing partial bottle-feeding could negatively affect breastfeeding and a decision not to breastfeed is difficult to reverse. Infant Milk Formula should only be used on the advice of a health professional and the manufacturer’s instructions for use should be followed carefully. Improper use of an infant milk or inappropriate foods or feeding methods may present a health hazard. The social and financial implications of using infant milks should be taken into consideration. If you choose to bottle-feed, do not allow prolonged or frequent contact of milk feeds with your baby’s teeth since this increases the risk of tooth decay. Make sure your baby’s teeth are cleaned after the last feed at night.

Resources for mums for feeding in pregnancy all the way to toddlerhood: Freephone Careline 1 800 570 570 www.feedingforlife.ie 31

June10Pet

Food: Mutt & Jeff

New Irish Pet Treat Launches Hugo Lord, Sales & Marketing Manager, Phoenix Pet Foods Ltd, on the launch of new premium pet treat brand, Mutt & Jeff.

Mutt

& Jeff is a brand new range of premium pet treat products from Phoenix Pet Foods Ltd, based in Summerhill, Co. Meath. The Mutt & Jeff range consists of three different flavours: Cured Sausage Links, Ham & Cheese Bribes, Crunchy Chicken Bites. The range comes in a shelf ready display box carrying 12 x 200g stand-up, resealable pouches, designed to preserve the product within and capture the aroma that Phoenix claim will have dogs obeying their masters’ every call for the chance of a Mutt & Jeff reward. Hugo Lord, Sales & Marketing Manager, Phoenix Pet Foods, explains the thinking behind the brand.

What trends are currently driving the pet food and pet treats markets?

The “humanisation” of pets continues to drive all areas of the market, including packaging, new product development and improvements to existing lines. Crossover trends from the human market, such as organic, natural and “free-from” products, as well as provenance, are all evident in the pet treat market. Evidence of this has been documented by leading market research company Mintel in its 2010 reports. Despite the recession, the pet treat sector has remained static. Pet owners refuse to cut back on their spending for their pets.

How did the evolution of the Mutt & Jeff brand come about?

The Mutt & Jeff brand came about through an extensive study of the pet treat sector. We spent a considerable time at store level, figuring out what’s hot and what’s not! Through our study, we figured that the pet treat section was crying out for a new 32

strong branded product such as Mutt & Jeff, which offered both the store and its customer something fun and shined a bit of light on the pet treat section. With Mutt & Jeff being a new brand, we have explained exactly who Mutt is and who Jeff is on the back of our packs for the initial three lines: with more lines currently in development, we are generating a story behind the two characters. This will stand to our brand and in turn lead to some great POS attractions at store level.

Why did you decide the time is right to launch Mutt & Jeff onto the market?

As a pet treat manufacturer for over 15 years, we decided that this was the time to create our own premium brand. With current trends such as “humanisation”, “premiumisation”, “free-from”, and the most important word in the pet treat sector at present, “Natural”, our products ticked all the boxes on these fronts, so what better time to launch our new Mutt & Jeff brand?

What does Mutt & Jeff offer that other competing brands do not?

The mission statement for Mutt & Jeff is “Real Treats for Real Dogs”.

The lines are a blend of natural products, some rich in Omega 3, slow cooked to enhance the meaty taste; it sources the highest quality human grade meat and has the highest meat content of any treat on the market at present, which in turn enhances the flavour and palatability for the dog. We are very confident that our Mutt & Jeff range of natural treats is the best tasting premium dog treat on the market and through customer trial, the results will speak for themselves.

What promotional support do you have in place for the range over the coming months?

Initial promotions consist of an introductory offer on the products to attract customers to pick up Mutt & Jeff at an attractive, reduced price, and we have constructed a promotional calendar that has at least one promotion per quarter.

How do you see the Mutt & Jeff brand impacting on the market over the year ahead?

It’s difficult to say how a new brand will impact on the market because such a high percentage of new brand launches fail, but through hard work and research of both our brand and product, we are quietly confident that Mutt & Jeff will be a complete success and stake its own claim in the pet treat sector. There is plenty more to come from the Mutt & Jeff range, so as our developments continue, we would hope to impact more on the market in the coming year.

June10Pet

Food & Pet Care

The Pet Set The pet food and care market continues to show strong growth, as Irish consumers refuse to compromise on quality when it comes to their four-legged friends.

The

pet food and pet care sector seems to be holding its own, despite the recession. Irish pet owners continue to provide the very best for their four-legged friends, with the category posting another strong year of growth, according to the latest Euromonitor report into pet food and pet care in Ireland. Given the positive climate, the market for pet food and pet care products continues to diversify and specialise in order to cater to an ever more demanding base.

The ‘humanisation’ of the category continues apace, with trends for health and wellness, gourmet ingredients and convenience continuing to cross into pet food. Anything from organics, nettles, lentils, omega oils, evening primrose oil, goat’s milk and vitamin E, through to golden flax and tarragon, are beginning to look right at home on pet menus, as owners continue to seek ways to improve the quality of life of their pets, improve their standard of living and increase their lifespan, all the while keeping 34

an eye on convenience, as evidenced by the success of single serve pouches.

Private label offerings saw marked growth at both the premium and the economy ends of ranges, in response to distinct consumer trends, but the big branded players continue to lead the market. Indeed, Euromonitor expect key brands to increasingly position themselves according to their natural, organic or human grade ingredient content to realise full growth potential.

Nestlé Purina Go-Cat, Ireland’s number one dry cat food (Source: ACNielsen total market incl. discounters 52-week sales to April 18, 2010), is actively reducing its packaging by 10% across the range, decreasing the space in the top of the pack, and saving over 195 tonnes of packaging annually, while keeping the same amount of tasty Go-Cat in every single pack. The first initiative of its kind in the pet food category, it is expected to drive category value and add incremental sales. Based on actual 2009 figures, 950g and 375g boxes will annually use 96.9 and 98.8 tonnes less packaging respectively, while 2kg, 4kg and 10kg bags will use 7, 0.3 and 3.2 tonnes less packaging annually.

Thanks to the reduction in pack height, the new packaging will allow more efficient use of shelf space. This will result in an increased number and variety of products on-shelf, which in turn will help boost sales.

“As market leader, we have a clear responsibility to constantly look at new ways to innovate and help grow the dry cat food category,” noted Enda Gorman, Petcare Channel Manager, Nestlé Ireland. “Reducing our packaging represents an opportunity for retailers to fulfil their sustainability agendas and maximise their shelf space in-store to increase profitability, whilst providing a more shopperfriendly solution.”

The packaging performed well in consumer research and, in addition to recognising the environmen-

In-store in July 2010, Go-Cat’s packaging reduction will be communicated with a new on-pack creative to reassure consumers that their cats will be getting the same Go-Cat they know and love, albeit in a shorter pack.

tal benefits, consumers also liked the more compact and convenient pack size (Source: Nestlé Purina Petcare Europe 2008 Sustainability study – 1038 pet owners across UK & Germany).

In-store in July 2010, the packaging reduction will be communicated with a new on-pack creative to reassure consumers that their cats will be getting the same Go-Cat they know and love, albeit in a shorter pack.

A consumer website update will include an interactive games section plus a new, downloadable cone so shoppers can measure the correct amount of Go-Cat kibbles to feed their cat.

Go-Cat comes in 100% recyclable packs and is available in a range of sizes, including 375g and 950g boxes, as well as 2kg, 4kg and 10kg bags, and caters for all ages from kitten, adult and senior, as well as indoor cats. A combination of ingredients, including fish or meat, vitamins and minerals, make Go-Cat a complete and balanced meal for senior, kitten, adult and indoor cats.

June10Pet

Food & Pet Care

variety 6-for-5 and 12-for-10 packs are ongoing promotional lines.

Mackle Petfoods’ Jessie Dog and Jessie Cat range gives the retailer a competitive value offering. Jessie Dog Food comes in Original and Chicken, while Jessie Cat Food is available in Chicken and Rabbit. All varieties are available as 400g single serve cans.

Mars Petcare Brandy continues to maintain its position as the number one Irish dog food brand and the second largest branded dog food in the Irish market.

convenience-driven €1.99 price-marked Brandy Co. Armagh-based Mackle Petfoods 3-pack to their variis the leading Irish manufacturer ety 6-pack and 12-pack, and distributor of branded pet food appealing to larger store products. Brandy, their flagship dog formats and meeting the food brand, continues to maintain its ever increasing needs of position as the number one Irish dog customers who want to food brand and the second largest trade up to multipacks. branded dog food in the Irish market.

Their Brandy Complete Mackle Petfoods’ brand portfolio range, in Original and includes Brandy, Brandy Meal Times, Chicken & Rice varieties, Brandy Complete, Cat Club, McGrath, offers a 2.5kg pack size, as Jessie Dog and Jessie Cat. well as 9kg and 15kg bag With 38 years experience worksizes for bulk purchasing. ing within the Irish pet food market, Launched in 2009, Mackle Petfoods have been tracking Brandy Meal Times variety changes and trends within the pet 3-pack with chunks in grafood category to ensure their products vy is an all natural product, meet the needs of Irish pet owners made from 100% real meat and their pets. “As a company, we are chunks with no artificial flavours or all too aware of consumers’ needs for preservatives. Brandy Meal Times high quality products for their pets, offers three flavours, Chicken, Beef but at a competitive price,” explained and Ocean Fish, all with garden vega company spokesperson. etables in rich gravy, in one handy Brandy and Brandy Complete pack. This variety 3-pack has perboast a range of flavours, including formed very well since its launch and Original, Chicken, Beef and Rabbit, is an ideal pack for the convenience in pack sizes to suit the needs of all market. retailers and consumers, from their Their cat food brand, Cat Club in chunks and jelly, comes in a range of flavours, including Chicken & Liver, Beef & Game and Salmon & Trout.

Their special price-marked €2.29 3-packs are ideal for the Cat Club comes in a range of flavours, including Chicken & convenience secLiver, Beef & Game and Salmon & Trout, and is available in ongoing 6-for-5 and 12-for-10 pack promotional lines. tor, while their

Mars Petcare, Ireland’s leading petcare specialist, has added a new dimension of tastes to its iconic Whiskas brand with the introduction of new range - Whiskas Simply.

Mackle Petfoods

36

New Whiskas Simply seeks to answer pet owners’ desire for more choice, value and quality, as well as driving category growth and boosting profits for retailers.

C&D Foods European Expansion C&D Foods, the Longfordbased pet food manufacturer, has acquired a 140,000 square feet canning facility at the Netherlands’ Ijmuiden Port, near Amsterdam, from Nestlé.

The plant, which produces up to 110,000 tonnes of canned pet food annually, replaces C&D’s previous canning facilities in Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford, which burned down in 2006.

, e t s a t e h t e v lo s g Do ! s it f o r p e h t e v lo youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll

New!

Mackle Petfoods 40 Corrigan Hill Road, Moy, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, BT71 6SL Tel: 048 87784641 Fax: 048 87784955 Web: www.macklepetfoods.com

Variety 3 Pack with Chicken, Beef and Ocean Fish 100% Real Meat Chunks with Garden Vegetables in Rich Gravy

June10Pet

Food & Pet Care

succulent meat or fish, in a delicious jelly that provides all the nutritious goodness cats need to stay fit, healthy and happy.

Whiskas Simply includes no artificial flavourings or preservatives and has been The Pedigree Daily DentaStix range includes products for small, 100% balanced medium and large dogs, and has been performing extremely well

by Mars Petcare on the Irish market. animal nutrition experts.

The Whiskas Simply range will be The Whiskas Simply collection backed by a strong advertising camseeks to answer pet owners’ desire for paign, including TV, throughout 2010. more choice, value and quality, as well Pedigree Daily DentaStix is a as driving category growth and boostleading product in the Mars Petcare ing profits for retailers. snacks and treats portfolio. The prodThe new range features a selecuct has experienced rapid growth and tion of recipes that are grilled and Mars Petcare have seen sales quadsteamed to provide a tastier meal for ruple in just three years. Pedigree cats. Each individual pouch contains

38

DentaStix are the best-selling dog treats range in Ireland and predicted sales for 2010 will be over €4.5m.

Surprisingly, four in five of Ireland’s dogs over the age of three have gum disease. Luckily, DentaStix have a unique x-shape and special texture that, as they’re chewed, help to keep a dog’s teeth and gums healthy. With daily feeding, they’re clinically proven to help reduce tartar build-up by up to 80%.

Pedigree Daily DentaStix will be supported by strong TV, radio and press advertising throughout 2010. In addition, Pedigree will sample one in five Irish dogs with DentaStix to bring new customers into the range.

Pedigree Daily DentaStix are available in four different sizes, from a seven-stick pack to a 28-stick pack.

To maximise sales, retailers should stock the full DentaStix range for small, medium and large dogs and place in a high profile location to suit an impulse category purchase, as shoppers buy Pedigree DentaStix as well as their main meal petfood.

June10On

the Vine

Wine Education Update Jean Smullen reports on some tutored tastings worth noting.

The

number of wine training courses on offer from generic bodies would appear to be on the rise in 2010. Tutored Tastings from Italy, Burgundy, Australia and Chile are currently being well supported by the independent off trade sector.

Knowledge of wine helps to influence purchases and encourages customers to trade up. The independent off trade rely on this knowledge to create a point of difference, so these training days are well worth giving time to.

Tutored Tasting of Italian Wines The Italian Trade Commission, the Trade Promotion Section of the Embassy of Italy in Ireland, ran a series of Italian tutored tastings for key trade customers from both the on and off trade in Dublin, Cork and Galway from March to May 2010. A total of 120 trade and press attended to learn more about Italian regions and wine styles. This knowledge will ultimately help to create greater awareness and help to increase sales of Italian wines.

The Italian wine course was made up of five modules. It was devised

by Helen Coburn, a WSET Honours Diploma graduate who specialises in Italian wine. The course emphasises a “tour of Italy” and features white and red wines in separate modules from key regions. Classic Italian wine styles were a feature of the tastings and the presentation highlighted the regional diversity. As well as looking at the wine regions, a sector of the course was created by Lorenzo Loda, an Italian Sommelier who works for Thornton’s Restaurant, who illustrated why certain food styles match with the wine on offer. The range of Italian wines featured included: Endrizzi Gewurztraminer (A Taste of Italy); Mastroberardino

Greco di Tufo & Aglianico; Pio Cesare Nebbiolo Langhe & Barolo; Tommasi Valpolicella; Lunelli Pinot Nero; Candido la Carta Salice Salentino (Cassidy Wines);L’Anfora Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi; Barberani Orvieto Classico Superiore; Garofoli Piancarda Rosso Conero; Banfi Brunello di Montalcino (Febvre & Co. Ltd); Fontana Candida Frascati Superiore; Ca Bianca DOC Moscato d’Asti; Masi Soave & Valpolicella (The Findlater Wine & Spirit Co.); Melini Le Grillaie Vernaccia di San Gimignano; Calissano Barbera d’Asti & Barolo Castello Monaci Primitivo del Salento (Gilbeys Wines); Toledana Gavi; Tenute dei Portale (Gleeson Group); Pieropan Soave; Franz Haas Pinot Bianco; Le Pupille Morellino de Scansano; Fondodi Chianto; Poggio San Polo Brunello di Montalcino; Villa Tondonio Nero d’Avola; Donnafugata Tancredi; Cà Morlin Prosecco Frizzant (Liberty Wines); Fontafredda Gavi (Mackenway Distributors, Dublin, & Karwig Wines, Cork);Mezzacorona Teroldego; Feudi IGT Insolada (Mitchell & Sons); Elena Walch Lagrein (Quintessential Wines); Zenato Lugana Trebbiano; Zaccagninni Montepulciano; Bisol Jeio Prosecco; Araldico Barberesco (Searsons Wine Merchants).

For more information, contact: Simon Keating, Italian Trade Commission. Email: dublino@ice.it.

Tel: (01) 237 5490.

Burgundy Wine Training Seminar The Burgundy Wine Board, in collaboration with the French Trade Commission, are organising two training seminars on Tuesday, September 7, 2010, at Fallon & Byrne, in Exchequer Street, Dublin 2. Both seminars are to promote Burgundy wines in Ireland to key trade custom-

ers. The seminars are only open to bone fide trade and press.

The programme is as follows: 9am-11am: Discovering Burgundy will present the fundamentals on Burgundy, bringing together theoretical knowledge and illustrating with a tasting. The aim is to help those selling Burgundian wines to better understand the specifics that makes Burgundy so unique.

2pm-4pm: Discoving Burgundy Villages offers participants the chance to revisit the fundamentals of the Village wines and participate in a tasting of a range of the Village appellations. Please note: you may only attend one session.

Places are available on a firstcome/first served basis and early booking is advised.

To book a place on either of the Burgundy Wine Courses, contact: Marion Duguen, Manager, Food & Wine Department, French Embassy in Ireland. Tel: (01) 6641090. email marion.duguen@ubifrance.fr.

Wine Diary FOR more information about training days for Autumn 2010 featuring Chile, New Zealand, Portugal, and Australia, check the Irish trade Wine Diary on www.jeansmullen.com. Dates will be confirmed later in the summer.

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June10Focus

on Meat

Meat Matters Sourcing your meat from reputable suppliers is made much easier thanks to Bord Bia’s Quality Assurance Schemes.

Ireland’s

meat industry is a vital part of our agri-food sector, and thus is an important component in Ireland’s overall economy, with the majority of beef, lamb and pigmeat produced being exported outside the country – in 2009, Irish meat and livestock exports were valued at €2.25 billion. However, Ireland’s indigenous market for meat is extremely valuable, as Irish consumers show no signs of ending their love affair with meat, from beef and lamb to pigmeat and poultry.

Total cattle disposals in 2009 were 4% higher than the previous year’s levels at just 1.9m head. While the value of Irish beef exports decreased by more than 13% to almost €1.4 billion, progress continues to be made in developing the market position of Irish beef, particularly in the multiple retail and higher value foodservice market segments.

In the same year, total sheep disposals fell by more than 5% to 2.83m head, while total pig disposals were estimated to have declined by more than 4% to 2.9m head. The impact of the 2008’s pigmeat recall on the trading status and reputation of Irish pigmeat product was slight and tempo40

rary. However, the ongoing weakening of Sterling impacted on export trade, but the pigmeat market is expected to grow by approximately 10% over the course of 2010, due to the return to full production of the herds which were de-stocked due to the pigmeat recall and increased productivity and investment in some units.

Bord Bia Quality Mark The Bord Bia Quality Assurance Scheme is of vital importance to Ireland’s fresh meat industry and thus, to Ireland’s retailers and consumers. Firstly, it means that the product bearing the mark is quality assured. It has met the standards of the Bord Bia QAS both at processor and at farm level. Different systems of production are covered by the Bord Bia schemes: for example for chicken, the scheme includes conventional, free range and organic. For each system, a specification is developed to the highest international standards which exceed the minimum regulations set by the EU. Secondly, the mark informs the consumer of the origin of the product.

Put simply: with consumers’ increasing health concerns and their

desire to buy Irish products, sourcing your meat from a Bord Bia approved supplier can help to satisfy consumers about the quality and origin of the meat in your store.

The Beef Quality Assurance Scheme operated by Bord Bia is designed to enable beef plants to meet the ever increasing demands of customers and consumers. The scheme is kept under review to ensure that it continues to reflect the emerging requirements of the marketplace.

The BQAS is an integrated scheme involving the farmer, the beef plant and participating customers. While quality and safety must begin at farm level, the beef plant acts as the pivotal basis of control. The beef plant, as both the purchaser of cattle and the seller of the product, is uniquely placed to marry both the supply and demand links and in addition, has the core expertise and facilities to demonstrate compliance through audit. Because of its central role, the beef plant can ensure that cattle are purchased only from approved farmers and at the same time can ensure that the product does not lose quality during subsequent handling, storage and despatch.

When it comes to your family,

trust the

When shopping for your family, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural to want to choose the best for them.

The Bord Bia Quality Mark ensures you know where your food has come from and that it has been produced with pride and care.

So, you and your family can simply enjoy it.

www.bordbia.ie

Always choose the Quality Mark

June10Focus

on Meat

The Producer Given that quality and safety can never be inspected into beef, the controls must begin on the farm.

Farmers who participate in the scheme must: • •

Give a signed declaration.

Agree to abide by a code of practice covering issues like stockmanship; welfare; nutrition; use of veterinary medicines; animal traceability and environmental controls.

Every farm is inspected by independent Bord Bia auditors to allow them to become a certified member of the scheme.

Meat Plants Within the beef plant, the scheme lays down a number of key essential requirements, covering both product and process. For example, only certain classification categories can be included; there are procedures covering hygiene, chilling, and product traceability along the productive chain. Member plants must develop a food safety management plan based on the principles of HACCP.

Control of the scheme is by audit rather than intensive inspection.

Plant audits (which include within their scope random farm inspections) are routinely carried out. The audits are carried out by independent auditors contracted by Bord Bia. Plants that meet the requirements of the quality assurance scheme are entitled to use the quality assured logo on produce, packing and/or point of sale materials.

Pigmeat & Lamb Bord Bia operates similar schemes with regard to pigmeat and lamb, which describe the essential quality assurance requirements from primary production through factory processing to final despatch, which is necessary to meet customer requirements.

In addition to meeting regulatory requirements, these schemes lay down additional standards to be complied with at each step of the production chain.

The pigmeat scheme was first introduced in 1989 and was substantially revised in 2006 to incorporate recognised International Quality Management Systems, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and EU Food Hygiene

Legislation. As with the other quality assurance schemes being operated

by Bord Bia, the scheme requires inspections at farm level and audits of processing plants to ensure compliance with the scheme requirements.

Lamb producers seeking membership of the Lamb QAS must initially apply in writing to Bord Bia or through a participating meat plant.

In order to join the scheme, producers must undergo a full independent audit to evaluate the capability of the applicant to meet all the requirements of the Standard.

Poultry The Poultry Products Quality Assurance Scheme operated by Bord Bia is designed to enable poultry producers and processors to meet the ever increasing demands of customers and consumers. The scheme is kept under review to ensure that it continues to reflect the emerging requirements of the marketplace.

The PPQAS is an integrated scheme involving the producer, the processor and the customers. While quality and safety must begin at farm level, poultry that meets this standard at farm and food production level is

Galtee Celebrate the Rasher AT Galtee, it’s safe to say they know their rashers; they’ve been making them with pride and expertise for 40 years - a pride and expertise born out of their unique curing process that makes the Galtee rasher taste different from the rest. This month sees Galtee’s exciting new advertising campaign launch nationwide, with a Galtee-style festive celebration of the rasher.

Galtee will support this vibrant and contemporary campaign with: • Brand new TV commercial • A new look for both brand and packaging • Cinema advertising • Nationwide radio campaign • Outdoor and strong point-of-purchase positioning • Visible in-store communications • Innovative digital support Their new website, rasherfest.ie, features a feast of exciting and diverse festivals happening around the country until October, and lots more.

So, tuck in and stock-up on Galtee rashers…one of life’s simple pleasures.

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June10Focus

entitled to carry the Bord Bia Quality Assurance logo on the final pack.

Consumers who choose poultry products with this logo can have confidence that it has been produced to high standards. These standards are equivalent to similar international standards in Europe and elsewhere and are regularly and rigorously checked both by the farmer and by independent auditors.

The Bord Bia standard covers three broad areas: food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection.

Specific controls are included for a range of specific aspects of the farming operation for housed or free range chickens, including: • • • • • • • •

The farm site Housing Preparation for arrival of new stock Sourcing of stock Flock health Feed and water Farm hygiene and biosecurity Transport

• •

Health & safety on the farm Environment.

On each Quality Assured farm, therefore, Bord Bia requires that the person in charge can demonstrate competence in the management of the birds. Training is a key factor, however, the condition of the birds in the production house during the audit is the principle measure of competence and this is examined in detail during the audit.

Because of all these controls and the verification procedures that are in place, where consumers see the Bord Bia Quality Mark they are can have full confidence that the chicken has been produced in accordance with best international practice as determined through independent audit.

In short, Irish consumers want quality, Irish-produced meat on their supermarket shelves. The best way of ensuring that all your consumers’ cares and needs are met is by sourcing your meat supplies from Bord Bia approved suppliers.

on Meat

Brighten Up Your Display TWO things your product must do: look great and taste great.

Are you displaying your meat to its full potential?

Most customers buy with their eyes. Ensure that all product displayed is in prime condition, not tired looking and of even portions. Go that extra step and display it well.

Each tray should have a pattern to the meat display, and be lightly garnished with fresh fruit and vegetables.

Kale (curly cabbage) is especially good for brightening up a display. Never use lettuce as it gets bruised and tires very quickly. Oranges are bright and attractive, as are tomatoes. Take a little time to prepare the fruit and vegetables attractively.

(Source: Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland)

IFFA: Where Technology ‘Meats’ Business OVER 58,000 trade visitors from 130 countries came to see the range of products and services offered by 949 companies at IFFA 2010, the world’s leading trade fair for the meat processing sector. The proportion of trade visitors from outside Germany rose significantly compared to the last event three years ago, from 47% to 59%. This means full order books for manufacturers of meat processing and packaging machines and a sector distinguished by a much greater willingness to invest, following a very difficult year.

“IFFA is the unchallenged leading trade fair for the sector worldwide,” says Detlef Braun, Member of

the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt. “An increase of 5% in the number of exhibitors, more exhibition space sold and, at 59%, a higher proportion of international visitors than ever before provide impressive confirmation of the great importance of IFFA, especially in times of economic difficulty”, Important subjects at this year’s IFFA were increased automation, safety, traceability and hygiene. The fields of additives, spices, aromas and packaging are growing in significance for meat and sausage production in the wake of increasing consumer expectations with regard to healthy food and convenience products.

This trend is also reflected by the results of the visitor poll conducted by Messe Frankfurt with regard to the most important product groups at the fair. In 2010, 32% of visitors said they came to the fair to see machines and equipment for processing and packaging meat products. This segment was followed by spices, additives and

aromas for meat and sausage products (30%), products and services for butchers’ shops (26%) and slaughtering and dismembering equipment (22%). There was a noticeable increase in interest in automatic machinery and handling equipment. Almost a fifth of visitors said this was one of their main reasons for attending the fair.

For visitors, ‘Trends in the Butcher’s Shop’ and ‘Specialities from the Region’ special shows were a source of tips and ideas for new fields of business. The Meat Vision Conference, organised by the Deutscher Fachverlag publishing company and the German Institute for Food Technology, offered a wealth of information about the meat markets of the world and visions for meat processing in the coming decade.

The ‘Robotik-Pack-Line’ provided an impressive demonstration of a fullyautomatic packaging line especially for the food sector.

The next IFFA will be held in Frankfurt am Main from May 4-9, 2013.

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June10Personal

Care

Care in the Community The personal care market is being driven by NPD, convenience and the development of organic personal care products.

Gone

are the days when the personal care section of your store could stock a couple of toothpaste brands, one or two deodorants and some soap products. Ireland’s ever more sophisticated consumers have specific needs when it comes to grooming products, from oral hygiene to hair care, skin care and the growing male toiletries market.

The good news is that these trends are driving market growth, and the health and beauty arena can be an extremely profitable one for your store. So what are the trends which drive the personal care market?

The focus on male grooming products has heightened in recent years, with many of the biggest companies in the overall personal care sector actively targeting the new male with a wealth of high value products now available and, more importantly, performing extremely well. Indeed, worldwide male grooming products are now estimated to be worth over €3 billion per year. While still small compared to female beauty products, growth in this segment is fast, outpacing women’s products.

While the last few years have seen strong, consistent growth in the personal care sector, with consumers trading up to premium products, the recession has impacted on this market, as value tops consumer concerns, with many brands responding by offering extra value offers and special price promotions throughout the year.

However, convenience is king when it comes to grooming, with brands which offer multiple benefits to consumers in one product set to reap the rewards – the number of away-from-home personal care occasions is on the rise across Europe.

Another growth area is that of organic 44

personal care products, viewed by consumers as both ethical and of superior quality.

In terms of oral care, Irish people have some of the best dental habits compared to their cross-border neighbours, according to a new survey, released in line with National Smile Month (May 16 – June 16) and commissioned by its campaign sponsors Wrigley’s Orbit Complete, Oral–B, and Listerine, who surveyed more than 1,000 members of the public from 10 regions throughout Ireland and the UK. It found that Dubliners admitted to flossing more than anyone else in Ireland or the UK, with positive responses five times higher than London, Edinburgh and Belfast.

GlaxoSmithKline The sensitive segment is now the largest sector in the toothpaste market, accounting for 28% of value sales. The segment is tracking ahead of the market at -3% compared to -16% for the total toothpaste market.

Within the sensitive sector, Sensodyne leads the way with a 78% market share (Source: ACNielsen, ROI, Multiples, Value Sales, MAT WE May 16, 2010).

Dentists have become increasingly worried about acid erosion, caused

Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening works to re-harden the tooth enamel and gently whitens the tooth to restore natural whiteness.

by the high level of acid found in the modern 21st century diet. Acids in everyday foods, such as some fruit and acidic drinks like orange juice and wine, can dissolve minerals from our teeth, temporarily softening the enamel surface, which is then more easily worn away. As the enamel

Sensodyne Rapid Relief offers instant and long-lasting relief from the pain of dentine hypersensitivity.

June10Personal

becomes thinner and more transparent around the edges, teeth can become visibly less white and even yellow, weaker and sensitive.

Sensodyne has recently introduced a new toothpaste – Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening – which is proven to help protect against those acids. The new toothpaste works to re-harden the tooth enamel and gently whitens the tooth to restore natural whiteness. This was launched in the multiples market in July 2009 and since then sales have continued to grow month on month, hitting a share high of 2.6% in the latest fourweek period (Source: ACNielsen, ROI, Multiples, Value Sales, MAT WE May 16, 2010).

The sensitive market looks set to continue to grow market share with the launch of new Rapid Relief by Sensodyne. Sensodyne Rapid Relief offers instant and long-lasting relief from the pain of dentine hypersensitivity, when used as directed on-pack.

It creates a mineral-like seal over the surface of the dentine and within the channels to block the pain.

Colgate-Palmolive New Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief is the first toothpaste clinically proven to deliver instant and lasting sensitivity relief. While other sensitive toothpastes primarily numb sensitivity pain, Colgate Sensitive

Care

New Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief is the first toothpaste clinically proven to deliver instant and lasting sensitivity relief.

Pro-Relief with Pro-Argin technology effectively plugs the channels that lead to sensitive tooth nerves.

Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief can be directly applied to a sensitive tooth, with consumers using their finger-tip to gently massage for one minute, to deliver instant relief from sensitivity. Regular brushing with Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief toothpaste builds a long-lasting protective barrier that acts like a seal against sensitivity.

The new launch will be supported extensively with dental professionals and consumers in Ireland, with TV and press starting from November.

The launch of Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief toothpaste will revolutionise the way millions of consumers

treat and prevent sensitivity pain in Ireland, according to a company spokesperson.

Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief is available in two sizes, a 75ml tube and a convenient 35ml “on-the-go” variant. The range also includes a Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief 360 Toothbrush.

Johnson & Johnson Listerine is by far the number one mouthwash in Ireland with a massive 64% market share, making it almost seven times bigger versus its nearest competitor (Source: ACNielsen, Mar 21, 2010). Clinically proven to remove 56% more plaque than brushing alone, Listerine gives 24-hour plaque

Ireland’s Number One Pantyliner CAREFREE pantyliners are Ireland’s number one pantyliner brand, claiming 50.6% value share (Source: ACNielsen Total Scantrack ROI ; MAT 18/04/10) Johnson and Johnson are delighted to announce the launch of Carefree’s new and improved pantyliner. New Carefree comfort-form pantyliners have a new unique round shape, ensuring the liner stays securely in place, allowing consumers to focus attention on things that are more important.

This new comfort form stays in place no matter how active consumers are, so they can have that morning fresh panty feeling all day.

This launch will be supported throughout the summer with a nationwide TV advertising campaign and a complete packaging upgrade.

Carefree’s range of innovative liners suits consumers’ different needs. Variants include Breathable Cotton, Aloe, Perfect Fit, Flexiform, Long and Large Plus.

45

June10Personal

Care

L’Oreal Paris L’Oreal Paris continues to buck the industry trend in the health and beauty market with double digit growth YTD of +11.2% (Source: ACNielsen value share, YTD May 16, 2010). This growth is driven by strong in-store promotional Listerine is by far the number one mouthwash in Ireland, with a massive 64% market share. activity and innovative NPD launches for the first half of The entire Palmolive Soft & 2010. protection when used twice daily and Gentle range is also enriched with The most significant of these is the only mouthwash accredited by soybean oil. The addition of this excellaunches has been Youth Code, the the Irish Dental Association. lent emollient allows Palmolive Soft first range of anti-ageing skincare With massive advertising and & Gentle to complement the skin’s products available in supermarpromotion support behind the brand, natural moisture balance, leaving kets that is based on breakthrough Listerine is in a strong position not underarms irresistibly soft and allowresearch on skin genes. The products only to maintain market leadership ing for a smooth and but also to drive category growth for close shave. the mouthwash market. The newest With its alcohol edition to the range, Listerine Total free formulation, Care Sensitive is proven to clean the Palmolive Soft & whole mouth and target the multiple Gentle does not causes of sensitivity when used twice sting, even after daily. shaving and with their entire range of Skin & Body Care feminine fragrances, The big brands in skin and body female consumers care have been adding value to will be able to ‘Dare their ranges through the addition to Bare’ their underof exciting new fragrances, as well arms with 24 hour as new innovations that are kinder confidence. to consumers’ skin, some of which Palmolive Soft & have benefits such as anti-ageing Gentle is available properties. in all supermarkets and high street Colgate-Palmolive L’Oreal Paris Youth Code is the first range of anti-ageing drugstores, both in Palmolive Soft & Gentle is an alluring skincare products available in supermarkets that is based aerosol and roll-on range of anti-perspirant deodorants on breakthrough research on skin genes. format, starting offering 24-hour protection, along from €1.39. follow 10 years of research by L’Oréal with an array of gorgeous feminine to establish the genes and proteins fragrances. responsible for the youthful characThe desirable teristics of skin. With RRPs startrange includes; the ing from €23.49, this range of Day delicately gentle Cream, Eye Cream and Concentrate Soft Jasmine which Serum is supported by TV, press and cares for skin, online media advertising featuring Aromatherapy supermodel Claudia Schiffer and Anti-Stress that heavyweight PR activity. contains evocative The latest ACNielsen shares show mood enhancing Dermo Expertise, the facial skincare essential oils and brand from L’Oreal Paris, is showing when things heat phenomenal growth of +66.6% YTD up, there is Eden (Source: ACNielsen value share, YTD Passion Flower, May 16, 2010) with 12.3% market which is infused share. With more exciting innovawith lightly frations to come in 2010, the L’Oreal granced exotic oils, keeping consumers Palmolive Soft & Gentle is an alluring range of anti-perspirant Paris brand is set to go from strength deodorants offering 24-hour protection, along with an array of to strength. extra fresh and dry. gorgeous feminine fragrances.

46

June10Update

Blue Dragon’s New Ingredients Range ORIENTAL food brand Blue Dragon has announced the relaunch of its 10-strong authentic ingredients portfolio. Set to uphold the brand’s strong market positioning, the updated ingredients range boasts two new products (Blue Dragon Shaoxing Wine and Blue Dragon Cooking Sake), improved recipes and contemporary packaging to ensure strong on-shelf presence. Available in 150ml glass bottles, Blue Dragon’s new and improved ingredients range will be supported by an extensive marketing campaign, including on-pack support, a consumer-led PR campaign, online activity on the brand’s Oriental recipe-focused website and a national sampling initiative. See www.bluedragon.com for more.

Green Bean Coffee Hits Irish Shelves NESCAFÉ has launched a new type of coffee, Nescafé Green Blend, containing high levels of naturally occurring polyphenol antioxidants.

Nescafé Green Blend is made from a blend of unroasted green beans and roasted beans and has been specially created by coffee experts to deliver great tasting coffee, rich in flavour and aroma, with health supporting polyphenol antioxidants. Nestlé Ireland is supporting the launch of Nescafé Green Blend with a heavyweight campaign which includes TV, press and digital, as well as an extensive consumer sampling initiative that sees eco-friendly vehicles being employed to provide tastings in-store and on-street.

Flora Heart Hero 2010 PICTURED at the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon are television presenters Maura Derrane with Aisling O’Loughlin, with Niamh Lennon, Flora Brand Manager; presenting Mandy King, the Flora Heart Hero 2010, with a cheque for €1,000 for her charity Robynslife; with Team Flora member Niamh Horan. Mandy was announced as the ‘Flora Heart Hero 2010’. Only four years ago Mandy, who has two young children, was diagnosed with a tumour on her leg, which had to be amputated from above the knee. In the four years since her amputation, Mandy has shown amazing strength of character and this year decided to take up the challenge to participate in the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon and has been in training all year to be able to walk the 10km.

Topaz Donegal International Rally THE Topaz Donegal International Rally attracted approximately 70,000 spectators this year, 20,000 more than usual, thanks to the spectacle of a town stage around Buncrana on the opening day. The Rally, which is estimated to be worth €30m to the economy of the north-west, took place from June 18-20. Pushing a rally car into position at the launch of the Rally near the ancient ring fort of Grianán an Aileach outside Buncrana are (l-r): drivers PJ McDermott, Sean Gallagher and Eugene Ferry, along with Eddie O’Brien, CEO of Topaz. The drivers and their families will all feature in a two-part documentary series by the BBC about the Rally.

Cork Food Forum TOP industry experts in the areas of media, communications, marketing, production and retailing will gather to address food business entrepreneurs at the Cork Food Forum in Kinsale on June 30. Funded and managed by the four Cork County & City Enterprise Boards in association with Bullseye Food Marketing, the business development event is aimed at SMEs that are keen to further their knowledge in relation to the opportunities and challenges currently facing the Irish food sector. Guest speakers include Liam Ryan of Ryan’s SuperValu, food entrepreneur Deirdre Hilliard of The Just Food Company, and internet and communications expert, Damien Mulley, founder of Mulley Communications.

Pictured are John McDonald, Finders Food, Riverstick, with Cassandra Burke O’Driscoll, The Blue Haven Food Company.

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Shelf Life WATERFORD food company, Rosie’s Broadway Bagels has donated a whopping 30,000 bagels to the athletes, coaches and volunteers taking part in this year’s Special Olympic Ireland Summer Games. Rosie Sheehan, who hails from NY, and is co-owner with her husband Des, of the award-winning Rosie’s Broadway Bagels company, has a strong association with Special Olympics Ireland, having co-founded the Juvenile Special Olympics Club in her adopted town of Dungarvan in County Waterford

MAHON Point Shopping Centre was the only Irish centre to be awarded at the 2010 British Council of Shopping Centre’s (BCSC) Purple Apple Marketing Awards Dinner recently, the premier awards for the shopping centre industry. The award was presented for Mahon Point’s ‘Style Advisor’ initiative, a free personal shopper service, in the best ‘driving retailer sales’ category, in recognition of the direct impact the campaign has on retail sales and the high level of retailer satisfaction.

CONNACHT Rugby’s Gavin Duffy is pictured at the opening of Horgan’s Delicatessen Suppliers’ first ever Food Emporium at Joyce’s Supermarket, Knocknacarra, Co. Galway. The initiative marks Horgan’s first Food Emporium Concept Store and cements a long-standing relationship with Joyce’s Supermarket Group. The Food Emporium at Joyce’s will provide a wide range of quality speciality produce, which Horgan’s is already famous for, including a wide selection of farmhouse and continental cheeses, cooked and fermented meats, pâté and salami.

HEALTH conscious consumers will be delighted to learn that Dee’s Wholefood Burgers are now available at select SuperValu and Centra outlets across Ireland. The awardwinning range is not just meat-free, but also wheatfree, gluten-free and made without using dairy ingredients, soy or eggs. The move follows last year’s agreement with Dunnes Stores and a recent deal with Superquinn, which have seen Dee’s products become a familiar sight in supermarkets’ chilled grocery departments throughout Ireland.

A NEW survey by new Irish website, Voucherworld.com, has revealed that 64% of consumers now use vouchers and coupons when shopping or eating out. An astounding 53% of this group indicated that they would not have used such vouchers back in 2007 when the economy was booming and cash was not an issue. Voucherworld. com, which launched on June 9, offers users printable vouchers and discounts for a variety of goods and services, as well as providing links to partner websites where online discounts will be made available. The site is free for businesses to advertise offers on for the immediate future. Top Irish model Georgia Salpa is pictured at the launch of Voucherworld.com.

ARAMARK Ireland has announced the appointment of Eddie Scaife to the position of Commercial Director, where he will be responsible for defining the company’s sales strategy and multi-service value proposition and will actively lead their new business activity. Eddie has over 20 years experience with leading consumer goods businesses, including MD of Premier Foods.

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REPAK is waiving its joining fee for new independent retail members. The offer, which runs until the end of August, will save new members up to €1,000 in joining fees and represents a discount of up to 50% for new members. The announcement means that obligated companies will be able to avail of reduced joining fees and compliance costs, thereby helping them meet their legal obligations under new packaging regulations which were introduced on March 31, 2008.

The limited offer is being targeted at retailers, off licences and hoteliers.

PICTURED is new CSNA President, Liam O’Connor. Liam, a former Vice-President of the organisation, succeeds Joe Mannion as President.

RECTORY Foods has launched a new range of frozen chicken products for the Irish foodservice sector under its Hot Chicken Company (HCC) brand.

The 12-strong HCC range offers premium chicken breast fillet pieces of coated chicken, in three popular styles Southern Fried, Breaded or Battered.

CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the Fairtrade Hampers, courtesy of Wish4Fair Trade and RETAIL NEWS: Edel McInerney, Gleeson’s Mace, Kilkishen, Co. Clare, and Conor Daunt, Fermoy, Co. Cork.

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30% volume growth YOY* Over 170,000 more households have bought the brand YOY* Beautiful new packaging to attract even more sales Strong Irish Marketing campaign: Online/digital campaign: PR, promotion and in-store Plus our commitment to ensure that we replant three trees for every one we use makes Velvet the natural choice for your customers.

Stock up now and grow your bottom line SCA Press OfďŹ ce: 01 417 7680 www.velvettissue.com

* Data source: Kantar 52 w/e Dec 27th 2009