TalkingShop Sep/Oct 2024

The magazine for

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SUMMON THE FLAVOUR they WANTA

Welcome

After what has been a mixed summer in many respects, it’s time to look forward to an autumn full of opportunities as we begin the slow wind up to the crucial festive period once more.

Before Christmas arrives however, we have a wealth of occasions and events to cash in on that can help us drive up footfall, sales and profits. Key among them is Halloween, a festival which is grown in importance over the last five or 10 years. This presents a great chance for Premier retailers to really leverage the interest and excitement that now abounds around the annual scary season – and it’s not just kids that enjoy Halloween these days!

We have a bumper package of promotions, NPD and POS support to help you and your team ensure your store is ready to make the most of Halloween and, of course, Bonfire Night, which follows hot on its heels.

Despite the various legislative challenges that lie ahead for the category, vaping remains critical for Premier retailers. It drives big sales in many stores and offers very strong PORs, which is why Premier is offering a new improved pricing package for retailers, all the way through to next April when the disposables ban is likely to come in. We’re also bringing plenty of NPD to market, including rechargeable options that can help you get ahead of the game.

With social media more important than ever, you’ll find a great piece in this issue on the fantastic SocioConnect solution we have which helps you manage all your social media networks quicker and more efficiently than ever before. It also gives you access to professionally created content that you can reshare instantly to help grow awareness and sales.

And, naturally, we have a feature inside to help you begin your Christmas preparations and ensure that the festive period is a cracker this year.

I wish you all fantastic trading over the next couple of months.

Martyn Parkinson, Sales Director – Booker Wholesale

Booker unveils a

A round-up of the latest community news from Premier stores.

Industry charity’s flagship Barcode event moves to new home.

Innovations never cease at Girish Jeeva’s trailblazing Barmmulloch store.

Shoppers are flocking to community-centric Premier Ruhi’s in Southampton.

Premier Kooner’s has been well worth the wait.

Premier has everything you need to make the most of Christmas.

Set your sales alight this season.

Booker’s Jack’s own brand range continues to grow.

New products and new prices offer new opportunities.

Some of the latest new products to hit the shelves.

CMA reminds retailers of pricing requirements. 83

Say hello to Category Planning Manager Amy Leahy.

The easiest way to uprate your social media activity. 103

Opportunities abound under new government.

Score frightfully good sales this Halloween

Premier Kooners is wowing local shoppers

NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER

Booker secures powerful new shopping insights with TWC deal PremierNews

SmartView

Convenience provides the most representative EPOS mark read for independent and wholesaler-supplied symbol

stores.

Booker has signed up to TWC’s SmartView Convenience Market read - a move which will allow it to glean a superior understanding of shopping habits in independent stores.

Using a sample of around 5,000 independent stores to represent the 30,000 stores in the sector, SmartView Convenience provides the most representative EPOS mark read for independent retail and wholesaler-supplied symbol stores in Great Britain.

Commenting on the development, Booker’s Retail Managing Director Colm Johnson, said: “Working with SmartView Convenience will allow us to better understand the shopping habits of customers in our Budgens, Londis and Premier stores, as we work to ensure we always have the right range of great value products available to support our independent retailers and their convenience business.”

Sarah Coleman, Product Director for SmartView Convenience at data consultancy TWC added: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Booker as a new client. Signing up another major wholesaler to SmartView Convenience is a huge milestone for us and supports our ambition to make SmartView Convenience the de-facto source of market data for the independent convenience sector.”

“We hope this endorsement by such a significant operator will encourage even more suppliers to make the leap and come on board. Those that have already done so have unanimously told us that the data from SmartView Convenience is telling them things they knew were happening in this part of the market but had previously been unable to see in other data sets due to the way those samples were built and their size.”

INBRIEF

SUMMER MONTHS SHOW STRONG DEMAND FOR CASH Cash transactions at Post Offices have shown sustained strong demand for cash over the summer months.

Post Offices handled £3.61bn in cash deposits and withdrawals in August, new figures show.

The total cash deposits value totalled £2.7bn - a year-on-year increase of 9.2%. Cash withdrawals amounted to £934m - up 8.1% year on year.

Demand for cash amongst Post Office customers has remained strong throughout the summer months, with August’s £3.6bn figure just shy of the record breaking £3.77bn in cash deposits and withdrawals in July, as well as two consecutive record-breaking months for cash handling at Post Offices in April and May.

TALKING TACTICS

What are you doing in-store to stand out in your local market? Share it with us and your Premier retailer colleagues at talkingshop@booker.co.uk

NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER

Booker agrees new delivery partnership with Snappy Shopper PremierNews

Premier retailers are set to benefit from a new strategic partnership agreed between Booker and Snappy Shopper to help drive home delivery trade.

With home delivery remaining a vital growth opportunity, Premier retailers are in line to benefit from a new strategic partnership between Booker and leading home delivery service Snappy Shopper.

The new partnership has been created to help drive trade for retailers in an increasingly important market and will further enhance the home delivery options available to Premier retailers, helping to drive sales and cash profit.

The quick delivery market is thriving in the UK with nearly 70% of the population able to take advantage of fast deliveries online. The food category, particularly snacking, dominates this market, presenting a significant growth opportunity for Premier retailers.

Retailers sign up to the delivery service online and local shoppers simply choose their store via the Snappy Shopper website. Items can be delivered in as little as 30 minutes. The new agreement between Booker and Snappy Shopper will further enhance the home delivery options available to Booker retailers.

Colm Johnson, Managing Director of Booker Group, said: “We are delighted to be enhancing our offering with Snappy Shopper. To offer our retailers a brilliant partnership alongside helping them grow is another fantastic step for us.

“This partnership forms part of our continued focus to deliver the best choice, price and service for our retailers.”

INBRIEF

JISP OFFERS UP WHITE LABEL LOYALTY PLATFORM

After three years of developing its Scan & Save loyalty and rewards platform, Jisp is to provide a white label version of the proposition.

The technology company said it “felt the time was right to open the solution up to other businesses who wished to run a loyalty scheme but did not have the technology or resources to do so themselves.”

Jisp’s white label opportunity will allow businesses to utilise the technology and solutions developed through Scan & Save, while aligning it to their own brand.

The platform also comes with a retail media proposition including in-app advertising and competitions.

TALKING TACTICS

What are you doing in-store to stand out in your local market? Share it with us and your Premier retailer colleagues at talkingshop@booker.co.uk

NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER

Waves of appreciation CommunityNews

Premier Girvan has supported the RNLI’s 200hour Float Challenge.

Premier Girvan kept volunteers at the Girvan Lifeboat Station well nourished with generous breakfast and lunch donations as they raised funds during the 200-hour Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Float Challenge.

The event, which marked 200 years of the RNLI, was completed on 1 August and saw a life raft floating within the town’s harbour crewed continuously by a team of fundraisers for 200 hours.

“Huge thanks to Premier Girvan once again for supplying our RNLIFLOAT200 team’s brekkie, your support has been brilliant,” the Girvan RNLI Lifeboat team said.

“Without our community’s support, we wouldn't be able to make a success of what we do, and once again our local businesses have stepped up big time to help us out.

“We really appreciate your support and for feeding our life raft crews. Show them your support, shop local – these small businesses are the beating heart of your community.”

Printing power

Premier Mo’s in Blantyre has introduced a new in-store mobile printing service for its shoppers. The quick and convenient WiFi enabled service allows shoppers to print and photocopy a wide range of materials including personal documents, E-tickets, returns, passport copies and more – straight from their mobile phones. Shoppers are delighted with the handy new service which will save them time and help those who don’t have printers at home.

BOWLED OVER

Hayat’s Happyhillock Premier store has agreed to sponsor Kinlock Cricket Club, which was formed in the store’s hometown of Dundee and plays in the Strathmore & Perthshire league. The club was “delighted” by the sponsorship news, telling Facebook followers: “Mr Hayat is a longterm member of the business community in the Happyhillock area, and his store is the largest and best stocked in that part of Dundee. His family have had connections to cricket in the city over the years. We welcome him on board and look forward to taking his business and Kinloch CC forward in the coming years.”

TALKING TACTICS

What are you doing in-store to stand out in your local market? Share it with us and your Premier retailer colleagues at talkingshop@booker.co.uk

A DIGEST OF NEWS FROM THE INDEPENDENT RETAILING INDUSTRY

UK Convenience sector investment hits £1bn for first time IndustryNews

Retailers have invested more than ever in their stores this year, the Association of Convenience Stores' 2024 Local Shop Report reveals.

Investment in local stores has hit a record high over the last year as UK convenience retailers strive to futureproof their businesses, the ACS 2024 Local Shop Report reveals.

Convenience retailers spent a combined £1bn in the past year, refitting their stores, installing new energy efficient refrigeration and lighting, and detecting and preventing crime.

The astonishing new figure is up from the £646m invested by convenience retailers in the previous 12 months.

The investment figure is the highest on record since the report’s inception in 2012.

Other key headlines from the ACS 2024 Local Shop Report include:

l More than half of independent retailers (56%) fund investment from their own reserves.

l More than one in six convenience stores (17%) now has a self-service till.

l Almost half of independent retailers (47%) offer

some form of home delivery/click and collect service.

l 80% of independent retailers were actively involved in their community over the last year.

Commenting on the launch of the report, ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “The investment figures we’ve seen this year are not surprising, as retailers tell us that they’re futureproofing their stores in two main ways. Firstly through hardware like efficient refrigeration, self-service tills and electronic shelf edge labels to increase the productivity of the business, and secondly through an increasingly diverse range of services like cash machines, banking services, Post Offices, prescription collections and dry cleaning – all services that previously would have taken their own place on the high street but are being brought under one roof to ensure that local people still have access to them.”

INBRIEF

PAYPOINT

LETS BUSINESSES BANK CASH IN STORES

Paypoint has announced a partnership with Teya, a provider of card payment solutions for businesses.

Teya customers can now access a cash payment service where they can add funds directly into their business accounts at over 29,000 PayPoint stores across the UK.

The process works via the Teya app where customers can put in cash for a specified amount by generating a unique barcode. The PayPoint agent then scans the barcode to complete the transaction. With the number of bank branch closures increasing, the service lets customers make cash deposits conveniently.

Jo Toolan, Managing Director of Payments at PayPoint, said: “The new cash service offers an accessible financial solution to the needs of many local businesses.”

A DIGEST OF NEWS FROM THE INDEPENDENT RETAILING INDUSTRY

Independent retail enjoys ‘biggest growth since January’

The latest Barclays Consumer Spend report shows sales in independent retail grew at their fastest rate since the start of the year while supermarket sales remained flat.

Sales in independent retailing outlets in July grew at their fastest rate since January, up 3.5% year-on-year (YOY), according to the latest Barclays Consumer Spend report which combines hundreds of millions of customer transactions with consumer research to provide an in-depth view of UK spending.

This improved performance was in stark contrast to sales in supermarkets which flatlined at 0.0% YOY in the same month.

Much of the increased spend in convenience stores was attributed to BBQ-related purchases as shoppers made the most of the infrequent sunny days this summer although fast food and food-to-go sales also grew, up 2.2%.

Shoppers remain discerning when doing their weekly shop with the majority (63%) continuing to look for ways to cut back on grocery spending. Shoppers’ confidence in their household finances and their ability to live within their means fell by 2% and 3% respectively. Some 45% of shoppers

continue to focus on own-brand products and promotions to help them save money.

Total shopper card spend did, however, fall once again in July, down 0.3% YOY which was a slight improvement on June’s figure of 0.6%. This was largely driven by poor weather.

Confusion over DRS timetable IndustryNews

Nature Minister Mary Creagh made a surprise announcement last month by confirming that the new Labour government intends to roll out a UK-wide deposit return scheme (DRS) ahead of the October 2027 date originally proposed in March by the previous Conservative government.

However, Defra has since said that it has no plans to implement the new DRS ahead of schedule.

The scheme will include PET bottles and steel and aluminium drinks cans but is not expected to include glass. It is also expected that the scheme will be harmonised across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

TOO GOOD TO GO HITS

40 MILLION

Premier retailers helped food waste company Too Good To Go hit a new milestone recently as the initiative announced that 40 million Surprise Bags have now been saved from going to waste.

Around 10.7 million tonnes of food are wasted every year in the UK, costing the nation an estimated £21.8bn. The 40 million Surprise Bags equates to a C02e saving of the equivalent of 18,770 flights around the world.

TALKING TACTICS

What are you doing in-store to stand out in your local market? Share it with us and your Premier retailer colleagues at talkingshop@booker.co.uk

Government ‘actively considering’ vape licensing scheme

Parliamentary Under-Secretary confirms the Government is considering a vape licensing scheme which would clamp down on rogue businesses selling illicit vapes or selling to under18s.

The UK Vaping Industry Association has welcomed the news that the Government is ‘actively considering’ a vape licensing scheme.

Speaking during a recent House of Lords debate on youth vaping, Baroness Merrion, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, confirmed that the government was considering a scheme.

The UKVIA has long supported the introduction of vape licensing to fund a nationwide Trading Standards enforcement programme to clamp down on rogue retailers who sell illicit products or sell to those under 18.

Baroness Merrion said: “Licensing may well be beneficial for strengthening enforcement, supporting legitimate businesses, deterring rogue retailers and ultimately supporting the mission of improved public health. It is an area that we are actively considering for inclusion in the [Tobacco and Vapes] Bill.”

Retailers welcome simpler way to report crime

Retailers have welcomed the launch of a new scheme which aims to make it easier to report shoplifting.

The new scheme allows retailers to use a standardised witness statement that can be used when submitting CCTV evidence to the police through digital evidence management systems (DEMS).

The scheme has been developed by the National Business Crime Centre working with the Crown Prosecution Service and police forces.

This standardised statement makes sure retailers submit all of the necessary information for the police to process CCTV footage as evidence in criminal cases.

Up until now, different police forces have used different statement formats.

INPOST LOCKER SERVICE GROWS

Inpost’s UK network has continued to expand, as demand for parcel collection services grows.

UK parcel volumes continued to accelerate in the second quarter of 2024 - increasing by 163% year-on-year to 23.6 million.

Revenue in the UK market also tripled compared to the same quarter in 2023, supported by rapid network expansion and logistics improvements.

InPost’s UK network expanded to over 9,600 out of home points - up 58% year-on-year. This includes 7,502 locker machines which are increasingly used by convenience retailers.

The company’s capacity to deploy more lockers has also accelerated every month, with InPost adding more than 670 automated parcel machines in the second quarter of 2024 alone.

Rafał Brzoska, InPost Founder and CEO, said: “In the UK, our fastest growing market, we’re improving network utilisation, and our app was among the top 10 most downloaded lifestyle apps in the UK.”

‘Retailers’

Guide to MUP’ published

Comprehensive new Guide helps Premier retailers in Scotland comply with new, increased minimum unit alcohol price from 30 September.

The Scottish Government and Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) have published a ‘Retailers’ Guide to MUP’, ahead of the planned increase from 50p to 65p due to come into force in Scotland later this month.

From 30 September, all Scottish Premier stores selling alcohol products to the public will be required to charge at least 65 pence per unit of alcohol.

The increase targets drinks that are cheap relative to their strength in an effort to reduce harm from heavy drinking; it is not expected to see price changes across all product ranges.

The guide takes a comprehensive look at everything retailers need to know to comply with the law. This includes information on how to calculate the correct Minimum Unit Price, easy-to-understand technical support, and best practice from those in the know.

Alongside the guide, SGF has provided additional materials to help train staff and raise public awareness of the increase in price, such as in-store posters, shelf-edge labelling and a staff training record.

ACS gives evidence on shop theft at Lords Committee

As part of its continuing inquiry on tackling shoplifting, The Justice and Home Affairs Committee recently held its second and third oral evidence sessions which included hearing from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) about the impacts of shop theft.

The 2024 ACS Crime Report shows more than 76,000 incidents of violence recorded in the convenience sector over the last year, and over 5.6 million incidents of theft.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said:

“Shop thieves are usually repeat offenders and we are seeing not just a higher volume of theft, we’re seeing more brazen incidents with thieves simply clearing shelves.

“In too many areas retailers think it’s just not worth reporting crime. There isn’t the faith in the police and courts that there will be effective penalties for prolific repeat offenders. I don’t think the police are doing nearly enough to investigate resellers of stolen goods. This challenge isn’t even being taken on in many areas.”

GANDER BECOMES COURTAULD SIGNATORY

Food waste reduction system Gander has signed up to WRAP’s Courtauld Commitment 2030, a voluntary agreement which brings together a broad range of organisations involved in the food system to make food and drink production – and consumption – more sustainable. It enables collaborative action across the entire UK food chain to deliver farm-tofork reductions in food waste, greenhouse gas emissions and water stress that will help the UK food and drink sector achieve global environmental goals. The Courtauld Commitment 2030 helps organisations share information for the common good by sharing best practice and stimulating ideas and discussions.

Stacey Williams, Business Development Director at Gander, said: “By signing, we’re showing we are willing to be transparent in our endeavours and to be measured against the best in the industry.”

Barcode goes big for 2025

GroceryAid’s flagship festival moves to a new, bigger location for 2025 as the event continues to grow.

3rd July 2025

Now well established as the largest single-day event in the UK retailing sector, GroceryAid’s Barcode Festival continues to go from strength to strength. In response to huge demand, GroceryAid has decided to move Barcode to a new, larger site for 2025 with the festival set to take place on 3rd July 2025 at Kenwood House in London.

The new venue means more people, more brands, and more ways to get involved. As well as raising vital funds, the event spreads awareness of GroceryAid and its welfare offer. This means more people in the independent and grocery retailing sectors are able to learn about how the charity can help, and find out how to access its services.

Whether you want to reward and recognise your team for their hard work, provide hospitality for industry connections or simply network and have a great day out, Barcode Festival 2025 provides the perfect opportunity.

PREMIER RETAILERS HELP RAISE £1,500

Retailers from Premier stores helped raise more than £1,500 for GroceryAid at a charity football match organised by Snappy Shopper recently.

The inaugural charity match saw two 11-a-side teams composed of Snappy Shopper staff and retailers from across Scotland take part in a game at Starks Park in Kirkcaldy, home of Raith Rovers FC.

Snappy Shopper’s red team eventually claimed victory with a 6-4 win over the retailers’ blue team. Contributions from players and spectators raised £770 which was then matched by Snappy Shopper. The money will help GroceryAid continue to provide the vital emotional, financial and practical support it provides to those in the independent retailing sector.

Glasgow Premier retailer of Premier Girish’s@Barmulloch in Glasgow played in the match and said: “Snappy Shopper did an amazing job organising such a fun event. Well done to the entire team!”

Kenwood House, London

Relentless ambition

A single-minded drive for perfection has taken Girish Jeeva from working in a petrol station to owning a multi-award-winning store in under seven years.

It wasn’t that long ago that 24-year-old Glasgow retailer Girish Jeeva took the brave decision to buy his own store for the first time, a small 800sq ft store on London Road in the east end of Glasgow. Less than seven years later he is the proud owner of one of Scotland’s most progressive, award-winning and successful stores – the 2,000sq ft Premier Girish’s@ Barmulloch – as well as his original, now fully refitted London Road store.

“I started in retail working at my uncle’s petrol stations,” explains Girish. “I was new to retail but I really enjoyed it and eventually I was effectively running my uncle’s two petrol stations for him. After a couple of years, I

started thinking about buying my own store then, aged 24, I got the opportunity to buy the London Road store.”

The store wasn’t in ideal condition, as Girish readily admits: “Well, it had been closed for about two years for a start! It was also quite small at just 800sq ft and it was in need of a lot of work, but I figured that it was a great place to start learning about how to be an independent retailer on my own.”

In Girish’s words, he decided to “take a punt” and go for it. “I didn’t pay much for it and it only had about £10k of stock but I got stuck in and reinvested every single penny back into more stock and slowly adding new kit like chillers,” he says. “I didn’t take a wage

and I just kept my head down and worked hard.”

Within six months he had grown weekly turnover to between £7k and £8k and by the end of the first year he was regularly hitting £12k a week.

“I was very well aware that I wouldn’t be able to keep growing sales forever because it was a small store in an unusual location, but I got it to £15k a week, which I was pretty pleased with under the circumstances,” he recalls. “But I was ambitious.”

So, having proven himself in a small store, he started looking around for one with bigger growth potential.

“Firstly, I wanted a bigger store and secondly

I wanted one with in a more residential area with more chimney pots around it,” he says. After three years of running London Road, he found a store that potentially ticked every box for him.

“I first heard about the Barmulloch store through a family friend,” he explains. “At that point I still didn’t have all that much experience but as soon as I saw the store, I just knew it was the site I needed. From my experiences at London Road I already had a clear vision for Barmulloch, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.”

Girish signed on the dotted line in November 2020 and, at that point, he knew he needed a good wholesale partner so he approached Booker and “we just clicked,” he says. “I worked with the team at Booker and we developed a detailed plan. At the time, Premier was launching a new large concept

store model and they asked me if I’d like to be the first in Scotland to implement it – and I jumped at the chance.

“The store was not in great shape so I knew I’d need to commit substantial investment to bring my vision to life. Was I nervous? Absolutely! But I had faith in my vision and I got lots of fantastic support from Booker in all kinds of ways. It really gave me the confidence to fully commit to the project.”

The first step was a full-scale refit that rendered the store unrecognisable to the substantial local community. “The previous owner had had it for about 30 years and when I bought it, it looked like it hadn’t been refitted since its doors first opened!” laughs Girish. “We closed the store for a full month in January 2021 to let us do the refit then we reopened in mid-February with a launch party.

“The response from the local community was amazing! They just loved having a topnotch store at the heart of their community and it had a really positive effect on the whole area.”

Prior to Girish taking over, the store was doing around £25k a week. Within four weeks of the refit, sales hit £50k a week.

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“We had actually budgeted to hit £50k a week by the end of the first year after the refit, but we hit our target inside a month!” says Girish. “The key elements of the Premier concept – the Refresh@Premier zone, the shop floor vaping unit, the expanded fresh and chilled section and so on – all worked an absolute treat.”

Despite transforming the store in every sense, however, Girish’s relentless ambition continued to drive him on, as it does to this day.

“The refit was brilliant and it worked so well, but I’m a bit obsessive by nature and I gradually worked my way around the whole store, tweaking here and there to ensure we were continually improving and progressing. The Premier concept was spot on, but I spent a year just perfecting it for my particular store and customer base. I made so many little changes! I expanded the chilled range, I added more space for crisps and snacks, I changed and moved the counter on three or four occasions, learning every time I made any changes.”

One of the most major changes, however, came in August 2023 when Girish was doing one of his frequent ‘store safaris,’ visiting new concept Premier stores around the UK. “After that tour, I decided to add a standalone beer cave and I also added a self-checkout till,” he comments. “Some of the changes helped cut costs but my primary concern has always been the shopper experience and service quality.”

His many tweaks and improvements were having a positive impact on sales and profits, which might partly explain Girish’s now wellestablished commitment to continually re-investing in his store. “If I see something that I think will help our in-store team, improve the store itself and enhance the shopper experience, I buy it!” he laughs. “My accountant doesn’t always approve – but he’s not a retailer!”

Wander around the Barmulloch store and you’ll see evidence of that strategy. Digital shelf-edge labels, self-scan tills, beer cave, real-time

Store Profile

Name: Premier Girish’s@Barmulloch

Retailer: Girish Jeeva

Stores in chain: 2 Size: 2,000sq ft

Opening hours: 6am-10pm Mon to Fri, 7am-10pm Sat & Sun

Staff: 18

video-based age verification systems, AItheft-prevention systems. The list goes on.

“Our most recent trials are a bespoke loyalty scheme and an AI-powered anti-theft system,” says Girish. “Our loyalty scheme lets us track purchasing patterns and develop our offer for our shoppers while the AI system basically monitors the whole store in real-time using video and flags up to staff any suspicious behaviour on the shopfloor. The team behind the counter get an immediate alert and a screengrab of the suspicious behaviour and an alert is announced over the Tannoy warning shoppers that theft is illegal and that we will prosecute anyone we catch.”

Does it work? “It’s early days,” explains Girish, “as we’re still in the testing phase but it seems to work very well.”

Around a year and half ago, Girish introduced home delivery through Snappy Shopper and it’s flying – “We do about 500 deliveries a week and home delivery turnover alone is around £10k – £12k”. Girish being Girish, he felt the next step had to be branded delivery vehicles, so he bought two small wrapped cars to drive awareness.

Then there is the store’s striking vape unit on the shopfloor which is another huge sales driver. “Vape is still huge,” he says. “We can easily do £10k a week or more on vapes alone.”

The upshot of all this perfectionism and investment is that the Barmulloch store weekly turnover now regularly tops £70k.

“The only downside is that we’re running out of things to improve!” laughs Girish. Which helps explain why Girish turned his attention back to his London Road store. “We knew that it didn’t have the potential of Barmulloch but we wanted to see what we could do in a much smaller store with what we’ve learned at Barmulloch.”

The refit took the best of Barmulloch and condensed it into a space that’s less than half the size. Miraculously, he still managed to find room for a beer cave and a Refresh@Premier zone, as well as a good fresh and chilled range.

“Sales have definitely increased significantly, but we knew it was never going to drive improvements on the scale of Barmulloch,” says Girish. “But I’m glad we did it.”

So what’s next in Girish’s vision? “I think we’ve done most of what we can do in the two stores, although there will always be room for improvement,” he says. “I wouldn’t rule out another store, but to do that I need a bigger team. Building a great team is the hardest thing in retail but I’m lucky because my team is just brilliant. They know exactly what needs

to be done and what I expect – and they totally buy into that vision.

“Before I buy another store, I would want the team for the new store already trained and experienced in how we do things before we move them into the new store because I would want it to be perfect from day one.”

That passion for perfection is evident on the walls and shelves of Girish’s office, littered as they are with industry awards and commendations. “My first-ever award was the Young Retailer of the Year Award at the SLR Awards, and it really opened my eyes up to the benefits of entering and winning awards. The most important thing is that it motivates me and my team. Being recognised for doing things well is important to them and it lets them know that they really are doing an outstanding job and makes them feel part of a great team.

“The other benefit is that by entering and attending awards, you get exposure to the wider industry and you make connections with other retailers and it drives you forward.”

Since that first win, Girish has claimed awards at an array of events from Asian Trader and The Fed to Scottish Grocer.

And it seems likely that his already impressive collection of awards will only continue to grow in future.

Have faith!

Reena and Jalpan Patel bought Ruhi’s store in Southampton without ever having been inside, but their faith is being rewarded as shoppers flock to what is rapidly becoming a community hub.

It takes courage and confidence to spend more than half a million pounds on a store that you’ve never been in but that’s exactly what Southampton retailing couple Reena and Jalpan Patel did earlier this year.

“It’s a funny story,” laughs Reena, “but it’s true. To be fair, it’s a store that we had been looking at for years and we had made three or four attempts to buy it in the past, but it never got anywhere. So when we finally got the chance to acquire it, we jumped at it – even though we couldn’t actually get inside to see it until after we’d bought it and received the keys!”

The story actually starts way back in 2003, as Reena explains: “My husband has been in retail since the early 2000s. He worked in a cash and carry and, in 2009, we decided to move into retail and started running a store for someone else. We learned the trade for a few years and absolutely loved it so in 2013 we bought our first store in Portsmouth, which we eventually sold. In 2016 we took on a store in Southampton, CK Convenience, and in 2023 we took on a second store. We never looked back!”

BIGGER AMBITIONS

It was while running these stores that Jalpan began paying attention to a store he passed frequently on his journeys to and from the local Booker branch.

“For some reason it really caught my husband’s eye and he always kept it in mind,” says Reena. “It was a lot bigger than the two stores we had, and it had a fish and chip shop on one side and an Indian takeaway on the other, so we knew it would have plenty of footfall. Ultimately, we made three or four attempts to talk to the owner about buying it.”

Those attempts came to nothing but Reena and Jalpan never gave up hope. Then, one day as they left for a holiday in India at the end of last year, the couple noticed that the store was shut. It remained closed for around two months before re-opening, very briefly, and closing again in February this year.

“I managed to find the manager’s number and gave him a call,” says Reena. “That didn’t go anywhere either but one day I was passing and saw the lights on, so I decided to knock on the door! It was a bit cheeky of me, but I thought it was worth taking the chance.”

Reena finally got the chance to talk to the owner at length. “He asked me about our history and our experience in retail, so I explained that we had two stores and had also had a third one which we had sold – but again, it all came to nothing.”

SUCCESS AT LAST

Then one day Reena had a conversation with a friend at greetings card supplier Card Connections who told her to “leave it with her”. A few days later she got a call from the manager Alan asking her to meet him at the store in 20 minutes. “It was all a bit strange,

but I met him at the store and he had the keys for the shutter and door, but it wouldn’t open! My husband had his heart set on the store, however, so we made him an offer there and then without even seeing inside!”

The freehold owner quickly agreed to a 25-year lease but in the meantime the pair learned that the owner was potentially interested in selling the freehold.

“I spoke to my husband and we decided it was far more sensible to buy the freehold than pay rent for 25 years so we asked to go back to view it – and we couldn’t get in again! The shop has two flats above it and we were told that we couldn’t go in because of the tenants in the flats.

“It looked like it was all over again but Jalpan told me ‘have faith!’ and we literally made an offer for the freehold there and then! We hadn’t even seen the inside of the shop or the flats but we made an offer and it was accepted.”

PREMIER CHOICE

One thing was clear as soon as Reena and Jalpan got the keys to the new store: it was going to be a Premier. “When we first got CK’s we wanted it to be a Premier but it was too close to another store so we couldn’t do it,” explains Reena. “But we still bought from Booker, as we have done since 2013. So when we got the new store, I knew exactly what we were going to do! Jalpan insisted on looking at other

LOVINGLY MADE SINCE 1616

WARNINKS HAS BECOME A TOP 10 SELLING BRAND IN GROCERY LIQUEURS & SPECIALITY CATEGORY OUTSELLING SOUTHERN COMFORT, TIA MARIA & JAGERMEISTER IN THE LAST 12 WEEKS TO CHRISTMAS. DON’T MISS YOUR SALES OPPORTUNITY.

options, just as due diligence, and we did have a brief conversation with Spar but nothing else came close, so Premier it was!”

The new store was to be called Ruhi’s, after their daughter and, hard as it is to believe, the first time they actually saw inside the store they had bought was in April.

“It was so exciting and we weren’t concerned at all,” says Reena. “Our vision for this bigger store was to have more of everything, we wanted to be a shop where people could come for everything, all in one place. Our other two stores are much smaller so the ranges they carry are a lot tighter. In here, we had the space to really create a store that provided everything our shoppers wanted.”

The Premier team quickly got to work and, after extensive input from Reena and Jalpan, the first design and layout was created. “The design Premier did was amazing!” she says. “It involved an expensive refit but it was just what we wanted. Premier were fantastic in listening to us and what we wanted the store to look like and the design incorporated everything we had asked for.”

Despite Reena’s desire to make the range as extensive as possible, she was also very keen that the store didn’t look or feel too busy or cramped. “We wanted it to feel bright and spacious and welcoming,” she explains. “We wanted wide aisles because we have some wheelchair users and also because we didn’t want shoppers to feel crowded.”

FAST REFIT

The full refit began only three days after Reena and Jalpan finally got the keys on 22 July. “It was a very serious refurb,” she says. “It was completed by 15 August and we held a big opening day the following day. It was just wonderful and shoppers couldn’t believe how amazing the new store looks!”

When Talking Shop spoke to Reena, the store had only been open for a few days so it’s too early to report on how sales are progressing, but Reena is confident that the shot-in-the-dark investment was a good one.

Store Profile

Name:

Retailers:

Stores in chain: 3

Size: 1,750 sq ft

Staff: 4

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 6am-10pm, Sun 7am-9pm

Premier Ruhi’s, Bishopstoke, Southampton

Reena and Jalpan Patel

It was a gamble buying a store without even having been in it but I’m 100% sure we made the right decision.

Reena Patel

“We’ve only been trading for a few days really, but the signs are very, very encouraging,” she laughs. “Getting stocking levels right has been a challenge because we’re basically selling more of everything than we expected so I spend my life going and back and forth to the local Booker branch to top up! Milk, bread, alcohol, you name it – it’s flying out the door!”

It's hard to overstate the change in the store. From a relatively tired, traditional convenience store, Reena and Jalpan have created a thoroughly modern, bright, spacious and welcoming Premier store.

“As I say, our shoppers literally can’t believe it’s the same store,” says Reena. And that’s easy to understand. The store is packed with the latest Premier thinking.

“The Refresh@Premier zone has made a big impact,” comments Reena. “We have a Smokin’ Bean coffee machine, thick shakes, Jolly Rancher slush and a Rollover hotdog machine – and you can see it from the outside of the store thanks to a big plate glass window that also helps flood the store with light.

“We also have a chilled beer cave which is getting lots of attention from shoppers and a lovely fresh fruit and veg fixture right at the front of the store. The US candy section is popular as is the new Kids Zone and a bakery unit at the till drives impulse sales.”

The store also carries a full convenience range of confectionery, soft drinks, frozen, chilled and grocery while a backlit spirits fixture behind the till and a dedicated vape unit offers more temptation to shoppers.

“Value is still a big thing for shoppers and value is one of the things that I like best about Booker and Premier,” says Reena. “At Premier we know we’re getting great value, but the quality is also there too. We stock the Jack’s range and we go heavy on Premier promotions, Mega Deals, Meal Deals and so on. I want our shoppers to feel like they have really got their money’s worth when they visit us, and the quality then helps deliver repeat purchases.”

So it may be early days but the signs are all pointing in the right direction for Reena, Jalpan and, of course, little Ruhi. “It was a gamble buying a store without even having been in it,” concludes Reena, “but my husband said we should have faith and I’m 100% sure we made the right decision.”

All in good time

It’s been four years in the making but Pav Kooner’s meticulously planned store development has been well worth the wait.

New-look Premier Kooners may have been almost four years in the making, but as retailer Pav Kooner explains, he’s used every hour of that time to the absolute fullest.

“My dad Komal established this store 28 years ago,” Pav explains. “We did a small refurb back in 2003 but we didn’t add any space, it was all cosmetic.

“The store has traded really well over the years and when we came out of the other side of the Covid-19 pandemic, we knew the time

was right to make some big changes.”

Chief among these changes, was a plan to double the size of the shop floor by knocking through into the family’s old flat next door. Once complete, the plan would result in the creation of a brand new 1,100sq ft shop floor, allowing Pav and Komal to introduce a vast new range of choice for shoppers.

However, with post-Covid planning delays hampering progress and detailed structural surveys to be carried out, the family had to wait significantly longer than expected before building work could begin in May 2024.

Store profile

Store: Premier Kooners, Lochgelly

Retailer: Pav Kooner Staff: 3

“We had a lot of time leading up to the redevelopment, but it was a blessing in disguise actually, because it gave us the chance to truly perfect the design,” says Pav. “We were able to pore over every tiny detail and tweak things until we were sure that every millimetre was perfect.

“For example, the store entrance used to be on the corner of the building. It was just a single door with a step up to get in. We could have left the store like that but in the end, we came up with a new plan to move the door to the other side, where it faces the main road. The pavement is also lower at that point and it has allowed us to create a much larger double door with a ramp, which is so much better.

“In that time, Premier also launched some great new concepts so it meant that we could incorporate those too.”

One such new concept was a Beer Cave.

“No other store in this area has a Beer Cave so we were keen to incorporate this into the design,” Pav says. “There’s a lot of competition in this area, so standout features

such as a Beer Cave formed a key part of the plans.”

Other standout Premier concepts included in the plans were a brand-new two-unit Vaping@Premier zone and a Refesh@Premier bar featuring Lavazza Coffee, Calippo Burst, Jolly Rancher slush and Thick Fresh Shakes.

“The Premier team were fantastic when it came to planning the range and helping us to pick the machines. We’ve given shoppers a Sugar Free option with Calippo and Full Sugar option with Jolly Rancher, and both are selling strongly. I’m also very impressed with the Lavazza offer. The machine looks fantastic, and the prices are very competitive at just £2.25 for a regular cup,” Pav adds.

Another big change has been to the store’s fresh and chilled offer which has increased from a mere three shelves to a full five metres.

“Introducing that much new fresh and chilled has been a steep learning curve but we’re loving the challenge, and local shoppers are loving the choice that they now have,” says Pav.

“We’d never been shoppers’ first port of call for fresh and chilled before, but since the development, shoppers from this end of the town are now topping up with us, rather than walking further down the street to other stores.

“We’re getting excellent feedback about the Jack’s range, and we’ve also introduced a number of chilled products from small and local suppliers such as nutritious meal kits from Savage Kitchen.

“We’d always excelled on impulse products, such as crisps, soft drinks and confectionary so the new store has been designed to help us make even more of those categories.”

Premier Kooners now boasts five metres of chilled soft drinks – up from 2.5 metres, with crisp allocation rising from 2m to 3.5m – thanks to the use of higher racking with seven shelves. “The extra space has allowed us to create double facings of sales leaders and bring in more new products and sales are soaring,” Pav adds.

“We’ve also introduced a smart new chilled display unit at the front of the store which is full of delicious local pastry products from Stuarts Bakers and Butchers. We did offer a small range before, but now, with the new 900cm cabinet, sales have picked up dramatically,” Pav says.

“We’ve only been open a few weeks but already footfall

Premier Kooners now boasts five metres of chilled soft drinks – up from 2.5 metres, with crisp allocation rising from 2m to 3.5m – thanks to the use of higher racking with seven shelves.

1 BRAND # leading on category growth & brand desire

£70.7M Sales Value repeat rate 60% Protein being on amazing growth 12% YOY

We’d never been shoppers’ first port of call for fresh and chilled before, but since the development, shoppers from this end of the town are now topping up with us, rather than walking further down the street to other stores.

Pav Kooner

Sales have doubled since Premier Kooners re-opened in June 2024.

has soared while sales have doubled.

“Our local shoppers are stunned by the changes and we’re still seeing lots of new faces as word continues to spread.

“BWS is one of the biggest footfall and sales drivers, thanks to the Beer Cave. Even now, we’re still getting shoppers in who just stand there and say ‘wow’ when they see it.

We’re still riding high on that fresh buzz.”

And as Pav says, there’s also plenty more left in his store development tank.

“The development has been show-stopping, but I’ve been careful to keep a few things in my arsenal so that I can keep on surprising shoppers,” he adds.

“I’ve bought a Merry Chef oven and the

A BUBBLY BOOST

FOR THOSE FESTIVE GET-TOGETHERS

intention is to launch a hot food offer with things like breakfast wraps and paninis in the near future.

“The additional time that we had at the planning stages also allowed us to plan the layout really cleverly, so that adjustments can be easily made further down the line.

“For example, we have created space to accommodate a small food preparation area that could allow us to introduce a homemade baguette offer at a later date.

“The counter has also been designed so that the end can come out to create space for an additional chilled display cabinet.

“By taking our time with the implementation of new concepts, we can be sure that everything is introduced at the right pace. It will also keep customers guessing and mean that there’s always something new to see at Premier Kooners.

“We’ve now got a fantastic new store that we are all so proud of, and one which also offers us great opportunities for future growth,” Pav concludes.

Making merry!

The start of the all-important festive season is almost upon us, presenting retailers with the ultimate opportunity to delight their shoppers.

Christmas is a time for giving and sharing joy, and Premier retailers, many of whom trade at the heart of their local communities, are certainly well placed to do exactly that this year.

The season of goodwill is the perfect time for retailers to have some fun with their shoppers, support community events and spread that all-important festive cheer.

From kids’ colouring competitions to product giveaways, letters to Santa and Christmas bake sales, the list of opportunities to engage with local shoppers is almost as bottomless as St Nick’s sack.

The festive season is also, of course, the biggest and brightest sales highlight of the

calendar year and the big ticket to sparkling footfall, turnover and profits.

It’s a time when new product development tends to peak, with all sorts of weird and wonderful launches from across the category spectrum hitting the shelves in the run-up to the big day itself – perfect for driving those all-important impulse purchases.

It’s also a time for the return of much-loved seasonal classics – those sweet treats and merry morsels that no Christmas would be complete without.

As ever, Premier has all your Christmas needs covered – offering shoppers the very best in festive choice and prices to help the season get underway with a bang.

Some of the key seasonal products available to retailers as shoppers start to get set for Christmas include Maltesers Reindeer

Singles, M&Ms Crispy Santa singles and Kit Kat Santas – all of which are available on a glittering ‘Any 2 for £1.50’ deal that’s sure to step up impulse purchases.

All three products also offer retailers a plump POR of 40.1% but be warned, when it’s gone, it’s gone!

Shoppers will also be able to snap up 73g bags of Cadbury Mini Puds for just £1.99 or as part of an ‘Any 2 for £3’ deal.

Fans of the iconic Terry’s Chocolate Orange Ball will also certainly not be disappointed with a cracking ‘Any 2 for £3’ deal that also offers Premier retailers a POR of 15%. The offer applies to the brand’s classic Orange ball as well as its Milk Chocolate and Toffee Crunch variants.

Shoppers with an eye out for early festive gifting can also take advantage of fantastic

Festive finery

Premier retailers can deck their stores with a hoard of eye-catching POS materials guaranteed to help their seasonal lines shine.

Christmas 2024’s suite of POS materials for Premier retailers includes header panels, pennants, shelf strips, posters and barker ears.

Featuring Premier’s bold, graphic style and bright purple and yellow colourways, the striking POS materials will help to give seasonal lines maximum impact on shelf, heighten awareness of deals and create a warm and welcoming interior.

prices on classic gifting lines such as Ferrero Rocher T16 packs and Thorntons Classic Boxes.

Available to retailers in cases of 4x650g for just £13.99, the Ferrero Rocher packs have a promotional RSP of just £5.99 and offer retailers a POR of 40%.

Thorntons Classic boxes meanwhile, are on offer for just £6.99, offering retailers a POR of 24.9%.

Also don’t miss out on the opportunity offered by 550g tubs of Cadbury Roses, Heroes, and Celebrations, all of which are available to shoppers for a great value RSP of just £6.50 while stocks last.

Premier retailers will also be able to offer their shoppers an array of great deals on big brand beer and cider multi-packs as well as snacking brands, all of which are sure to help get the Christmas party season swinging.

Premier retailers serviced by BRP depots, who took advantage of the 2024 Winter Pre-Sell, will also be set for success this Christmas, with nine Group Exclusive lines and more than 190 new products included.

Some of the many new products available in the pre-sell this year included Malteser’s pre-filled mixed milk and mint Reindeer giant floor units which will give retailers the chance to make PORs of more than 50%. Also new to the pre-sell were Nestlé Giant Tubes Units –featuring Smarties Giant Elf Tubes, Milkybar Buttons and more.

So, with all that said and done, it’s abundantly clear that Premier retailers have everything they need to unwrap especially merry Christmas sales and profits this season. Get set, go!

Christmas crackers!

Christmas is a cracking time to have some fun in-store and liven up your social media pages. Read on for our top 10 suggestions for fun and simple activations you could try in-store and online this year.

1. Elf on the shelf

2. Staff fancy dress

3. Your pick of the best festive NPD

4. Christmas competitions

5. Festive windows

6. Christmas bake sales

7. Christmas in-store displays

8. Letters to Santa

9. In-store sampling: mince pies, pigs in blankets, Christmas cake

10. Festive products from local suppliers

POP YOUR TANGY CHERRY

GET TANGO’D

YOUR TANGY CHERRY

Carve out better sales and profits this Halloween

Premier has everything you need to make the most of the 2024 Halloween opportunity.

Halloween has long-since become a frightfully good opportunity to unearth additional footfall, sales and profits.

And that opportunity just keeps on getting bigger and better.

In fact, 2023 was a record year for consumer spending on Halloween, with expenditure having topped £1bn, according to Mintel

UK’s Halloween and Bonfire Night Report.

The rise, Mintel says, was driven by “a significant uptick” in spending from younger generations, with 16 to 34-year-olds, the highest spending age group.

Offering your shoppers a broad range of SKUs that appeal to a range of different Halloween occasions is key to making the absolute most of the opportunity.

From ‘trick or treat’ offerings, to cakes and

#1 SHOT BRAND* THE UK’S

The total UK sugar confectionery market is worth £1.6bn

[IRI Unify]

Confectionery is one of the top five categories purchased on impulse in convenience stores

[Euromonitor]

2023 was a record year for consumer spending on Halloween, with expenditure having topped £1bn

[Mintel]

biscuits for Halloween parties, drinks, snacks and simple meal solutions for scary movie nights at home, the Halloween season offers a wealth of different shopper missions to profit from.

You also need to make sure that you offer a broad range of SKUs that appeal to all shoppers – from sugar-free, to full sugar, vegan, nut-free, to wrapped, sharing and individual portions.

Fortunately for independent retailers, Halloween is also a key highlight on manufacturers’ new product development calendars – with a flood of innovative new lines launched in the run up to 31 October.

These new products are also ideal for making the most of the sizable impulse sales opportunity that Halloween always dishes up.

From novelty self-treats to ghoulish gifts and spooky sharing formats, Halloween

products offer a wickedly good way to boost footfall, sales and profits – and also craft excitement in-store and online.

Premier retailers will be able to offer their shoppers a vast range of choice this Halloween season with a host of spooktacular themed products at head-turning prices.

Look out for a WIGIG offer on Squashies Squeletons running between NP8 and NP11.

Retailers will be able to bag a 12x120g case for the promotional WSP of £7.99 and offer them to shoppers on a standout ‘Any 2 for £2’ deal or the single RSP of £1.29 offering them a POR of 20.1%.

Hanging Bags of Vidal Monster Mix perfect for sharing will also be up for grabs at a promotional WSP of just £11.49. The spooky-themed sweets will be sure to thrill your shoppers and offer you a meaty POR of 31.1%.

Create jaw-dropping impact

The Halloween season presents a cauldron of opportunities for retailers to brew up additional impulse sales, so good visibility, and well-positioned, high-quality POS is key to make the most of it.

Perfetti Van Melle says that shoppers respond well to cross-merchandised fixtures and clearly signposted sections in store that target specific occasions:

l Counter-top units should ideally sit at arm’s reach from the main till point to drive impulse sales.

l Front of store POS that sits at eye level can capture attention and increase impulse purchases.

Premier’s POS package for retailers this Halloween includes a raft of materials including posters, shelf strips, hanging panels and more.

The ‘No Tricks, All Treats’ materials feature colourful candy, spiders and eyeballs for added impact!

THE UK’S NO.1 CHILLED COFFEE*

*Nielsen 15/06/2024

Shoppers with a taste for the sour trend will be keen to grab bags of Haribo Sour Skeletons which are price marked at £1.25. Retailers can snap up cases of 12x140g for the promotional WSP of £7.99 and enjoy a POR of 36.1%.

Also keep an eyeball out for Maoam Pinballs Halloween which will also be available in £1.25 price-marked packs and offer retailers a POR of 34.5%.

The spooky season is also one of the best times of the year to brew up high-impact in-store theatre by showcasing new and novelty products and making the best use of all available POS.

With candy eyeballs, fake bones, cobwebs and gore galore at your disposal, it’s also a great time to create striking displays that will give your shoppers a giggle and drive up basket spend.

Frightful fun

Halloween is a cracking time to have some fun in-store and liven up your social media pages too! Here are our top suggestions for fun and simple activations you could try in-store this Halloween:

l Fancy dress competition for kids

l Staff fancy dress

l Halloween colouring competition for kids

l Face painting and Halloween tattoos

l Spooky dip

l Halloween bake sale

l Pumpkin carving and decorating

Pumpkins also offer a great way to create high-impact shop floor or storefront displays.

Premier retailers serviced by BRP depots had the chance to make the most of the 2024 Winter Pre-sell and pre-order a large Monster Pumpkin Cage containing 36 units and offering PORs of 25%.

The spooky season also offers retailers a winning opportunity to engage with shoppers by putting on memorable themed events and competitions.

Why not run a kids’ fancy dress competition? It can work really well in-store, or, if you don’t fancy flooding your floor with a hoard of little monsters, why not create a post on social media asking your shoppers to upload their Halloween pictures in the comments? The picture with the most likes gets a prize.

Jack’s range keeps on growing

Booker’s Jack’s own-brand range continues to grow, offering retailers yet more opportunities to offer shoppers great value and fantastic quality as well as delivering strong PORs.

The exclusive Jack’s own-brand range is now firmly established as a key element of any Premier store’s offer thanks to its outstanding combination of fantastic value and exceptional quality for shoppers as well as strong PORs for retailers.

The Jack’s range now features products across all major product categories and allows Premier retailers to offer great-value, affordable alternatives to their shoppers every

day of the week.

Booker continues to invest in developing the range to help retailers drive footfall, sales and profits and has recently announced the exciting launch of another eight new Jack’s lines. The new lines have been carefully considered to meet evolving shopper needs and to help retailers cash in on developing trends.

New Jack’s Ready To Top Pizza Bases, for example, allow retailers to take advantage of a

growing segment of the market. Out-of-home consumption of pizza is rising significantly so the launch of these new bases helps shoppers replicate that experience at home.

With an RSP of just £1.65, the new lines deliver fantastic value for shoppers as well as the high quality that they have come to expect of the Jack’s brand. Equally importantly, the Jack’s Ready To Top Pizza Bases deliver PORs of 30.0% for retailers.

The new Jack’s Garlic Flatbread will also

NEW JACK’S LINES

NEW EURO SHOPPER LINES

help to boost basket spend among shoppers planning on replicating the Italian restaurant experience at home. Garlic bread is one of the most popular meal accompaniments, with garlic flatbreads in particular showing huge growth. The new line offers retailers excellent PORs of 30.2%.

For shoppers in the mood for a home-cooked Spaghetti Bolognese at home, one of the most popular dishes of all, the new Jack’s Beef Mince is just the job. The fully traceable beef mince is suitable for

home freezing and carries an impressive extended shelf life of nine days, helping reduce the risk of wastage for both shoppers and retailers.

At an RSP of just £2.99 for a 300g pack, it also offers outstanding value for your shoppers.

And if shoppers want to add a little extra flavour to their Bolognese – or just enjoy a classic sandwich – the new Jack’s Bacon range is just what they need. Available in both smoked and unsmoked variants, the range is very competitively priced at £2.19 per 300g pack and is available to retailers in single cases.

With Christmas looking on the horizon, Jack’s is also helping retailers cash in with the launch of new Jack’s Mince Pies. At just £1.75 for a 6-pack, the new line should help drive impulse sales in the run up to the big day.

EGGS-CITING LAUNCH

In addition to the new Jack’s lines, Booker has also unveiled a new range of Euro Shopper Mixed Weight Barn Eggs. Available in both 15- and 6-packs, the eggs deliver unbelievable value with RSPs of just £3.75 and £1.65 respectively.

Both lines provide PORs of 30.0%, ensuring that the new everyday lines will be as popular with retailers as they are with shoppers.

PROFIT! JAM PACKED WITH

v+20.6% alue sales YOY in the impulsechannel

Max out vaping profits with long-term promotions!

200+ vaping products

Premier is offering retailers fantastic opportunities to maximise profits from the critical vaping category with long-term promotions delivering improved WSPs and PORs.

Fully compliant with all UK

Nto be reminded of the adult legislation

importance of the vaping category after the last few years of stellar category performance. While the vaping category took quite a few years to get into its stride, recent times have seen the category explode thanks to the success of key brands like Crystal, Lost Mary, Elf Bar and Gold Bar.

The category is also continuing to develop, new entrants are still coming into the market and the existing key brands continue to innovate and offer exciting new options to

retailers and their adult vaping shoppers.

To help retailers meet demand, Premier has also put in place a long-term promotional package that delivers improved WSPs and enhanced PORs for its retailers.

Take the New Lower price on SKE Crystal for example. Retailers can now snap up cases for a new lower WSP of just £19.99 - making them a POR of 56.9%.

Additionally, Premier continues to work with a number of major vaping suppliers to bring in new lines that will keep the category fresh and exciting for existing vape shoppers as-well as adult smokers who are migrating

into the category – driving more footfall, sales and profits for stores.

We now offer a choice of more than 200 vape products in our range, including a growing variety of fully rechargeable devices as-well as pod products, to ensure that your vaping offer meets the widest possible range of shopper needs, trends and budgets.

MARGIN MAKERS

The vaping category, as all Premier retailers know, delivers exceptional PORs and cash profits. PORs often start at around 40% or 50% – but thanks to Premier’s long-term promotional programme, these can rise to over 70%.

Popular brands like Elf Bar and Gold Bar are also available at special promotional WSPs to help deliver PORs of over 63% while 32 flavours of Crystal are available on a

TOBACCO-FREE NICOTINE POUCH NO.1 NICOTINE POUCH IN THE UK*

* Based on NielsenIQ RMS data for the Nicotine Pouches category for the 18-month period ending 30/12/2023 for the UK total retail market (Copyright © 2023, NielsenIQ).

** This product is not risk-free and contains nicotine, an addictive substance. For adult nicotine consumers only. For tobacco trade use only. Not to be left in sight of consumers.

RETAILER VIEW

GIRISH JEEVA

Premier Girish’s@Barmulloch, Glasgow

“We have a very big vape display out on the shop floor where shoppers can have a good look and take their time browsing. Vape is still huge for us. We can easily do £10k a week or more on vapes alone and the category isn’t slowing down. The PORs are typically brilliant, and Premier’s long-term promos just take profits to another level.”

deal that delivers PORs of 56.9%.

The new Crystal Plus device, for example, is a prefilled pod kit available in two flavours – Passion Guava and Blue Fusion – that both carry promotional WSPs of just £15, a saving of £10.99, which delivers PORs of 74.2% when sold at the RSP of £5.99.

FRESH CHOICE

As well as providing retailers with exceptional promotional pricing, Premier is also continuing to provide retailers with access to brand-new lines to help keep the category fresh and interest levels high.

ADD 2% TO YOUR TOBACCO PORS

The Crystal Plus device, for example, is new to market while Booker has recently listed a range of new fully rechargeable devices and pods from key brands like SKE Crystal and IVG Air, ideal for beginning the journey of migrating your shoppers over to rechargeable solutions.

All vaping products sold by Premier are fully compliant with all relevant UK legislation and don’t forget too that you can now earn up to 5% Spend & Save discount on vape purchases.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to stock up and watch those profits roll in!

With all your vaping profits maximised, don’t forget that you can also add 2% to your tobacco category PORs by joining the Premier Tobacco Club.

By simply selling Tobacco Club products at or below the manufacturer’s RSP, you can add an extra 2% POR on sales of Tobacco Club products, all of which are high cash value lines.

To join the Premier Tobacco Club or to find out more, please speak to your RDM.

And with many shoppers still defaulting to the ‘Cheapest On Display’ option, Premier retailers should be aware that Lucky Strike cigarettes now carry an RSP of just £11.40, making them very attractive to shoppers, and are available at a WSP of just £89.45 which means that retailers secure improved PORs of 5.8%.

*Not available in all Booker branches

M296273

M296279

M296274

M296276

M296275

New Products

EMMI CAFÉ LATTE CARAMEL AND CAPPUCCINO

Case size: 8x350ml

WSP: £10.49

RSP: £2.65

POR: 50.5%

SHAKEN UDDER MILKSHAKE VANILLALICIOUS & CHOCOLUSH

Case size: 10x330ml

WSP: £10.99

RSP: £1.69

POR:35%

SNAX ON THE GO HOISIN DUCK WRAP

Case size: 6x147g

WSP: £8.99

RSP: £1.99

COCA COLA ZERO OREO

Case size: 24x250ml

WSP: £9.79

RSP: ‘2 for £1.50’

POR: 34.7%

POR: 24.7% Six flavours!

BLU BAR POD SYSTEM

Case size:10x1pack

WSP: £22.99

RSP: £ 5.99

POR:53.9%

New Products

PENFOLDS KOONUNGA HILL SHIRAZ AND CHARDONAY

Case size: 6x75cl

WSP: £38.99

RSP: £9.99

POR: 21.9%

GROUP EXCLUSIVE

TAKIS PMP VOLCANO, FUEGO, DRAGON SWEET CHILLI

Case size: 21x55g

WSP: £18.35

RSP: £1.25

POR: 30%

ROSA BLANCA

Case size: 10x440ml cans

WSP: £5.95

RSP: £9

POR: 20.7

McVITIE’S JAFFA CAKES COLA BOTTLE

Case size: 12x110g

RSP: £1.25 / Any 2 for £2

10x64.2g

£10.95

£1.65 / Any 2 for £2.75

20.4%

DAIRYLEA SNACKERS CHEESE & CRACKERS WITH BUTTONS Case size:

CMA Pricing Practices Update

The Competition and Markets Authority recently completed an investigation into pricing practices and has issued official correspondence to independent retailers.

You may have seen recent press coverage about consumer pricing in symbol and convenience stores. This is a result of an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) working alongside Trading Standards.

The CMA found a number of examples of poor and misleading pricing in some symbol/convenience stores. No stores were named but the CMA is clearly concerned and are expecting Trading Standards to take particular interest in the way pricing is displayed and communicated to shoppers.

We need to let you know about this because the CMA have the power to issue fines and in the worst cases bring criminal prosecutions. Trading Standards also has wide ranging powers to issue fines.

We very much want you as our retailers to be up to speed and not accidentally running into problems like that.

We would please request that you, as the business owner, read the guidance on the following pages.

It is really important that you ensure that all of your staff and colleagues in your business also see it, read it and understand it and that new staff are fully trained. It’s very likely that the CMA will come back to this subject in a few months to see if things have improved.

Part of the strength of the Premier brand is the great standard of instore operations by retailers.

We thank you for reading this and taking action where it might be needed.

You must clearly display the total selling price in writing. It should be obvious to your customers what the price is, without them having to get help from a member of staff. Prices should: be clearly displayed; be easy to read; be close to the relevant product; and match what the customer is charged at the till.

Do

Meet The Team: Amy Leahy

About Amy Amy Leahy is a Category Planning Manager and has been working at Booker for the last six years.

Prior to joining Booker, Amy started her career in retail as a supervisor in Sainsbury’s where she developed a keen interest in category planning. She then joined Booker working initially as an Assistant in the Beers, Wines and Spirits (BWS) department. Having gained a couple of years’ experience in the role, she accepted a new role as Category Manager Designate for Packaged Retail Food before moving into her first full Category Manager’s role, this time working in Retail Non Food.

Just over a month ago, Amy rejoined the BWS team as Category Planning Manager and is thoroughly enjoying her new role.

This issue we catch up with Category Planning Manager Amy Leahy to learn more about the vital role she plays in helping maximise BWS sales and profits for retailers.

AMY, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF…

I’m Amy and I’m a Category Planning Manager specialising in BWS. I’ve only been in the role for just over a month, so I’m still settling in, although I have been with Booker for over six years, working in a variety of category management and category planning roles. Before that I worked as a store supervisor in Sainsbury’s so it’s fair to say, retail is very much in my blood!

WHAT PROMPTED YOUR MOVE TO BOOKER?

I really enjoyed my job at Sainsbury’s but I was very much at the sharp end in-store. I can range and merchandise a store like nobody’s business, but I had no control over what we were doing, how we were doing it or even why we were doing it. I saw that Booker were advertising for category staff so I sent in my CV and basically asked what jobs were going! I actually didn’t get the job I applied for but I was offered a role as a Category Assistant, so I jumped at it.

STRENGTH COMES FROM WITHIN

IT WAS IN BWS?

Yes, that’s right. I did that for a couple of years before being offered a job as a Category Manager Designate in Packaged Retail Food, which I really enjoyed, then about a year later I got my first full Category Manager’s job working in Retail Non Food. Then, about a month ago, I took on my new dream role of Category Planning Manager for BWS – and I’m loving it!

WHAT DOES A CATEGORY PLANNING MANAGER DO?

Essentially, a Category Planning Manager’s job is to make sure that the right products are promoted at the right time in the right way. In reality, what that means is that my role is to liaise between everyone to make sure that we deliver a joined-up approach to managing the BWS category. We also provide a lot of support to the various members of the BWS department and the wider company in terms of

sourcing and providing market research, insight, trend data and so on to make sure that the products and promotions we are offering to our customers are in line with what today’s consumers are looking for. I work with Category Managers, Category Buyers, the web team, the PR and comms team – everyone, really!

SOUNDS LIKE A BUSY AND VARIED ROLE?

It’s incredibly busy and varied and, as the cliché goes, no two days are the same. BWS is a challenging category at the moment, as everyone knows, so we need to make sure that the support we are providing is helping everyone pull in the same direction and deliver the best possible promotions on the best possible products at the right time.

AND CATEGORY PLANNING MANAGER ROLES ARE QUITE NEW AT BOOKER?

Yes, they were only introduced for the first time about a year ago.

Tesco has had Category Planning Managers for much longer and it was clear that Booker’s efficiency and performance in terms of how it serves its customers could be enhanced by adopting a similar structure. We now have Category Planning Managers at Booker for all categories.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?

At the moment I’m working on our enhanced promotional programme for our customers and also on growing awareness of the new lines we’re making available through a programme of advertising and education. Booker is able to offer an exceptional NPD programme through Group Exclusives, first-to-markets, own brand and so on, so it’s vital that we make our customers aware of these lines and deals as quickly and efficiently as possible to help them maximise the benefit they get. We also formally review the performance of activity and campaigns.

HOW DOES THAT WORK?

Well, we do a lot of activity and promotions and programmes and so on and it’s critical that we understand how well they worked. If they worked really well, why? If they didn’t work as well as we’d hoped, why not? We then go back to Category Managers to share our findings and in that way we are continually learning and developing. Everything we learn – good and bad – can then be used to help drive constant improvements in performance over time.

IS CHRISTMAS KEEPING YOU BUSY?

Absolutely, and that’s a great example of what I’ve just been talking about. We have been working hard to take learnings from last year’s Christmas campaigns to make sure that we can deliver even better

campaigns this year. It’s a complex challenge with lots of moving parts, but it helps us to continually improve the offer we deliver for our customers and help them grow footfall, sales and profits.

DO YOU WORK DIRECTLY WITH SUPPLIERS?

Typically, I only deal with very large suppliers. The Category Managers deal with suppliers on a daily basis but usually I only get involved with larger suppliers and that’s generally around helping them plan their expenditure with us to help them get the biggest bang for their buck and maximise the benefit that gets delivered to retailers.

WHAT DOES 2025 HOLD IN STORE?

Being so new to the role, I’m still very much getting up to speed but for 2025 I have a lot of work ahead of me. I’m planning to bring as much structure as I can to the whole process so that I can give the Category Managers everything they need to do their job as effectively and efficiently as possible. They are extremely busy people so it’s up to me to provide them with the framework, insight, research and support they need to continue to deliver a top-quality service to our customers.

SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE ENJOYING YOUR NEW ROLE?

I’m loving it! It’s very satisfying to see the fruits of your hard work playing out in the real world. That’s what I like most about the job. I can see the benefit of the work and time I put in because it’s there in front of me in black and white and when I see something I’ve personally worked on delivering better products and better deals for our customers, I can’t help feeling a little bit of pride. I am so excited about the future and how we can keep delivering for our customers.

BetterService

The run-up to the festive season is the perfect time to spruce up your social media output.

Christmas! All retailers will surely agree that the festive season is the biggest and brightest highlight of the calendar year and the big ticket to merry footfall, sales and profits. So the Christmas lead-up is the perfect time to take your store’s social media to the next level.

Social media offers the ideal way to reach and engage with current and new customers, shout about your fantastic deals, show off your festive-looking store and have some fun!

Finding the time to manage social media networks can be challenging enough at the best of times, and even more so during busy periods, such as the runup to Christmas.

That’s why Booker has recently relaunched a fantastic solution that can help to dial down the

pressure – making the posting of regular, highquality content to multiple social media networks quicker and easier than ever before.

SocioConnect is an innovative solution that lets retailers manage all of their social media content across all popular networks all from a single app.

1 You can opt in to use Booker’s centrally produced posts on your own social pages – either all posts, or just cherry pick those that relate to your store!

2 Manage all your social platforms from one place – no more logging into separate networks.

3 Message customers directly and respond to their messages.

The ice cream of ice creams.

Stay social savvy

Fake page – what to do?

l Immediately report the fake account or page. For Facebook, it can be reported as a fake page or as a fraud or scam.

l Go to the impersonating profile or page.

l Click on the three dots below the cover photo.

l If you're reporting a page, select ‘Find support or report page’. If you're reporting a profile, select ‘Find support or report profile’.

l Follow the on-screen instructions for impersonation to file a report.

l Inform your followers of the impersonating page/account.

l Ask your team and shoppers to also report the fake page if possible – more reports help to get fake accounts taken down.

When used correctly, social media can be an incredibly powerful tool for engaging shoppers and your local community. A particularly popular promotional mechanic used by many convenience retailers these days is the ‘like and share’ competition.

To be in with a chance of winning, this type of competition requires shoppers to like and share a store’s post with their friends and family and, if the prize is tempting enough, can often result in soaring page ‘likes’, heightened shopper engagement and reach.

However, the power of ‘like and share’style competitions is sadly not lost on cyber criminals. Over the last year or so, Booker has become aware of an increasing number of retailers being plagued by scammers trying to impersonate their stores’ official social media pages with a view to taking advantage of unwitting shoppers.

More often than not, ‘like and share’-style competitions are their targets of choice.

Premier stores already affected by the problem of fake Facebook pages include Premier Ali’s Convenience Store in Tranent and Premier Whitehills in Aberdeenshire.

Shoppers at Anila Ali’s store in Tranent were targeted by online scammers last autumn, after the store launched a ‘like and share’ competition for shoppers to win a bottle of Au Vodka. Just hours after the competition was posted on Facebook, a number of shoppers who had liked and shared the post started to receive messages from a Facebook page claiming to be the store. The fake page informed the shoppers that they had ‘won’ the competition and encouraged them to provide their bank details to claim their prize.

“It was disheartening because we love to run these types of competitions,” Anila says. “They’re a fun and simple way to generate a bit of a buzz and our shoppers love the prizes, so it’s horrible when that gets marred. Thankfully none of our shoppers did fall for the scam but if a vulnerable shopper had done so, the outcome could have been terrible.

“As soon as we became aware of the scam, we put out a series of posts to explain what had happened to our shoppers.

“We have continued to run some ‘like and share’ promotions but we now ensure that we add a disclaimer to every single post warning shoppers to ‘be careful of fake accounts,’ and that we would never ask them for any personal details.

“Thankfully we’ve not had another incident since that one, but we now remain ultra vigilant.”

Social media, however, remains an extremely effective communications channel for Premier stores, but it clearly pays to keep an eye on your pages and posts, just to be safe.

It’s a good idea to always add a disclaimer to your post warning shoppers to ‘be careful of fake accounts’. You can also add that the winner will only ever be announced on your store’s official Facebook page and the date on which the announcement will be made. Posting a nice picture of your official winner in-store collecting their prize is also a great way to highlight the legitimacy of your page and your competition – and have some fun!

BetterService

IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

Secure significant savings with Booker’s waste management deal

Working with its waste management partner Collect My Waste, Booker is helping Premier retailers save an average of 35% on waste management fees.

Every penny that Premier retailers can save on their costs helps boost profits and build stronger businesses –and Booker is helping you do exactly that with a Group exclusive deal which will help you make significant cost savings on waste management.

Working with its waste management partner Collect My Waste, Booker has secured a deal that helps Premier retailers gain access to better prices for the collection of general waste, mixed recycling and much more.

The average saving per store is 35%, with some stores saving up to 69%.

The service is available via a simple, easy-

The service is available via a simple, easyto-use app and website – collectmywaste. com - which provides instant quotes showing the best prices for each service, including a Booker Group exclusive discount.

Simply choose the service you require and you will be kept up to date in real time on

the progress of your collection, helping you organise your team and maximise efficiency. Collections are made by professional, friendly drivers who know their way around

and can ensure fast, no-fuss pick-ups to let you get back to the business of running a great store and focusing your attention on your business and your shoppers.

Product Code

Tassimo Costa American M293056

Tassimo Costa Cappuccino M293058

Tassimo Costa Latte M293062

Benefits:

l Instant quote showing best price for each service

l Booker Group exclusive discount on every collection

l Easy-to-use app that holds all your data and invoices in one place

l Connected, real-time updates about your collections

l Environmentally-friendly with real-time analytics reported

FAQs

RETAILER VIEW

SAGAR HUSSAIN

Premier The Avenue Convenience Store

Quote

BOOKERWASTE along with your Booker customer number to claim discounted rates today!*

35% Average saving per store

HOW DO I OBTAIN A QUOTE?

“Using Booker’s exclusive customer discount with Collect My Waste, we have been able to reduce waste collection and recycling costs by over 20%. Being reassured that our waste is being handled correctly, saving the planet and saving us money was key to switching provider. Collections are available on demand, using a simple system to book.”

Visit collectmywaste.com and use the ‘BOOKERWASTE’ code and your Booker customer number for a free, discounted quote, and follow the quick and easy steps.

WHAT TYPES OF WASTE CAN I GET COLLECTED?

General waste, dry mixed recycling, cardboard, food waste and glass.

WHAT BINS OR CONTAINERS CAN YOU PROVIDE?

A variety of wheelie bin and front-end loader containers are available in all sizes to suit your needs. A skip hire service is also available.

ONCE I HAVE MY QUOTE AND HAVE AGREED TO PROCEED, WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?

Once your services are set up and processed, you will be contacted by your Collect My Waste Account Manager to discuss any further specific requirements. A welcome email will be sent confirming all relevant details such as delivery date, collection schedule and contact details.

WHEN WILL I NEED TO MAKE MY FIRST PAYMENT?

Your first payment will be taken by credit/debit card or Direct Debit shortly before the service starts.

HOW CAN I REQUEST AN EXTRA COLLECTION OR ARRANGE FOR EXCESS WASTE TO BE CLEARED?

You can request an emergency collection or arrange for excess waste to be cleared via your online account or by contacting our customer service department on 01992 765260.

AM I ABLE TO VIEW MY ACCOUNT INFORMATION AND COLLECTION HISTORY?

Yes. All information will be readily available to you via a quick and easy-to-use online portal where you can view all your important waste and recycling statistics.

HOW DO I KEEP UP TO DATE ON THE PROGRESS OF MY COLLECTIONS?

You can contact Collect My Waste at any time to discuss any issues but as soon as you’ve downloaded the app, you will receive notifications on the morning of each waste collection day indicating which collection(s) are due. Similarly, in the afternoon, notifications confirming that collection(s) were done.

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS

STOCK UP TODAY WITH THE TOP GIFTING WHISKY AND GIN CATEGORIES FROM THE MAKERS OF THE WORLD’S MOST AWARDED SINGLE MALT WHISKY AND NUMBER 1 PREMIUM PLUS GIN

85% OF SHOPPERS SELECT GIFTS BASED ON WHETHER THE GIFT WOULD BE MEANINGFUL TO THE RECIPIENT. ONLY 12% BUY A GIFT SOLEY BASED ON ITS PRICE.**

BetterService

IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

Booker’s AVS brochure features a host of exclusive rates and key discounts for Premier retailers.

As the cost of doing business continues to climb, any opportunity for retailers to save precious pounds and boost sales and profits, is generally very well received.

Fortunately for Premier retailers, Booker has collated an Added Value Services (AVS) brochure that can help them to do exactly that.

Booker’s AVS brochure features a host of exclusive rates, key discounts from a vast range of trusted suppliers, along with key opportunities to make more and save more.

The AVS brochure includes thousands of pounds-worth of savings that Premier retailers can benefit from across a wide range of disciplines such as energy saving, finance, sustainability, food waste management, Epos, marketing and cleaning.

To take a closer look at the many savings available, simply log onto the website at booker.co.uk and find out how you can better protect your bottom line and boost those all important sales and profits.

Recommended suppliers

Featured in the Added Value Services brochure are a number of recommended suppliers who can offer tailored support for your business:

Energy Saving

l Saffron Business Solutions

l Hawley Energy

Finance

l Propel Finance

l Satellite Finance

Epos

l Retail Data Partnership

l Point Four

Store Equipment

l Sato

l HL Display UK

l Harrison Retail

l Navarra Retail Systems

l Formbar

l Geiger

Licensing

l Licensing Matters

Marketing

l ImageSound

l Leaflet Company

Store Services

l Barclaycard

l InPost

l Costa Express

l PayPoint

l Jisp

l Payzone

l Appy Shop

l Just Eat

l Uber Eats

James Lowman considers the scope for increased engagement under the new government.

Opportunities abound under reshaped government

With more new MPs at the Houses of Parliament than returning MPs, opportunities abound to engage with politicians on key subjects affecting our sector.

As the dust settles on the surprise election of July this year, there are now hundreds of new MPs getting their feet under the table and working out how to prioritise the dozens of issues and concerns that get put in front of them on a weekly basis. In fact, there are more new MPs in parliament in 2024 (335) than there are returning ones (315), so the whole face of decision making in the House of Commons has changed.

During the election campaign, we were fortunate to be able to count on dozens of retailers who arranged store visits in their constituencies with prospective parliamentary candidates, many of whom are now settling into their offices in Westminster. We were also fortunate to be able to meet with several new MPs during our Heart of the Community reception just days after the election, and the

one thing that came across from everyone throughout was that there is an energy and a willingness to engage with the business community.

Once the summer recess is over and we move toward the first fiscal event of the new government, engagement with new MPs is going to be absolutely crucial. There are rumblings about widespread reform of business rates and a sense that the nation’s finances are worse than expected, suggesting tax rises on the horizon. Labour have committed to not raising income tax, national insurance or VAT, but have said little about business taxation.

Taken together, I cannot stress enough how important it is for us and for you to be explaining in detail how the costs that affect your business can stack up. It is often the

case that changes to costs like business rates, or National Living Wage, are considered in a vacuum away from product regulations – the most significant of which will be the ban on disposable vapes in April 2025 – so presenting the impact of these costs together is important in highlighting how much they can change the outlook and investment potential of a convenience store business in the future.

Our sector has a great story to tell, and with many of the same faces in power for over a decade it’s been easy to think that decision makers know all about the value that we bring in communities, as job creators, and as local investment hubs, but this is a new parliament with more than 300 new faces, so reminding MPs about why convenience stores are at the heart of their communities has to be our top priority.