Talking Shop April 2019

Talking Shop ISSUE 100 – April 2019

The magazine for Premier retailers

Margin maker Justin Whittaker’s refitted store focuses firmly on higher POR lines.

PLUS

Retail Wins

Add £10k a year in profit

Delivering sales Home delivery made easy

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Talking Shop | April 2019

Welcome Talking Shop ISSUE 100 – April

Welcome to your latest issue of Talking Shop as we begin preparations for what I hope will be a repeat of last year’s salesboosting fine summer weather. You will find some great inspiration in this issue’s store profiles, including a look inside Premier Development Group member Justin Whittaker’s fully refurbished store in Royton packed with fantastic and innovative new ideas, ranges and services. Justin has just been named Convenience Retailer of the Year at the Convenience Retailer Awards and when you read the profile, you’ll find out exactly why. Congratulations too must go to Faraz Iqbal who was named Independent Retailer of the Year at the recent Scottish Grocer Awards. It’s fantastic to see Premier retailers leading the way.

In this issue you will also read about lots of ways you can boost your sales, footfall and profits. The rapidly expanding Discover The Choice range is the ideal way to grow your chilled food sales while our Central Billing service is the perfect way to save time and money while being sure of securing the best possible prices on products delivered direct to your store from hundreds of suppliers.

Our new Retail Wins initiatives have been popular since launch with the Booker Tobacco Club and our heavily discounted WSPs on 4-packs of price-marked Fosters, Carling, Stella Artois and Carlsberg driving up PORs in important categories. These initiatives were created in direct response to requests from retailers who wanted better pricing on beer and tobacco.

Our feature on introducing a home delivery service highlights how easy it can be to set up and how it can grow sales and profits. Since Justin Whittaker launched his service the average order is £21 with some orders as high as £75. Embracing new ideas like these will be key in future.

Martyn Parkinson, Brand Director Premier

4 TalkingShop

April 2019

2019

The magazine

for Premier reta

ilers

Margin maker

Justin Whittaker store focuses ’s refitted firmly on higher POR lines.

PLUS

Retail Wins

Add £10k a year in profit

Delivering sales Home del ivery made easy

COVER STORY Justin Whittaker’s new approach delivers.

THE THREE BIG STORIES 33 Choices, choices

The Discover the Choice range is bigger than ever.

49 Delivering growth

Could a home delivery service work for your store?

53 Planning ahead

A little planning can go a long way when it comes to seasonal events.

Share your shop news

If you’ve got news, tips or feaure ideas, get in touch with Talking Shop. Just pick up the phone and call:

0141 22 22 100 or write to: Talking Shop c/o 55 North Ltd. Waterloo Chambers 19 Waterloo Street Glasgow, G2 6AY or email: talkingshop@55north.com DISCLAIMER: Prices are correct at time of going to press, but may be subject to change.

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Score with spirits

‘Retail Wins’ delight retailers

33 More choice than ever

49

Home delivery made easy

39 Ones To Watch

07 Top of the shops

24 Reshaping business

Justin Whittaker named 2019

A huge refit turned a tired, ‘rabbit

Convenience Retailer of the Year.

warren’ store into a profitable

09 Retail Wins Retalers react to huge reductions

‘perfect rectangle’.

28 Cheers to the summer

in WSPs on leading tobacco and

Premier has lots of great deals and

beer products.

initiatives to drive alcohol sales this

11 Community News Fantastic community initiatives in focus.

15 Margin maker MJ’s Premier in Royton has been rebuilt around higher POR products.

18 Unearthing diamonds Nottingham retailers find success by developing under-performing stores.

22 Back in the game

summer.

33 Choices, choices The Discover the Choice range now offers more options than ever for shoppers and retailers.

40 Ones To Watch

49 Delivering growth A hands-on guide to home delivery.

53 Seasonal sales Planning ahead helps grow seasonal and event-based sales.

61 Sustainable future Recycling can save thousands a year – but avoiding contamination is vital.

45

Central Billing

A selection of the latest products and deals to hit the shelves.

43 Booker Tobacco Club New initiative boosts cash profits.

45 Making life easier

Cupar retailer rediscovers his mojo

Central billing delivers lots of time

after joining Premier.

and cost-saving benefits.

April 2019 TalkingShop

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PremierNews NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER

MJ’s Premier in Royston named Convenience Store of the Year Justin Whittaker’s Premier store in Royton, near Oldham, has been named the country’s top convenience store at the recent Convenience Retailing Awards.

INBRIEF HOW TO DELIVER GROWTH...

Part of Justin’s success at the Convenience Retailing Awards was down to a fantastic new app-based home delivery service that he has introduced which offers delivery in under 30 minutes on his top 500 lines

BEST IN THE BUSINESS: Justin and family celebrate their success.

for just £2.99. The service has helped drive sales from his food to go range and from the

Royton Premier retailer and PDG member Justin Whittaker has been given the ultimate accolade at the recent Convenience Retailing Awards by having his MJ’s Premier store named Convenience Store of the Year. Justin picked up the highly prestigious award after a major refit in December that saw him shift his focus onto higher margin products that deliver a minimum of 30% POR. The store also picked up the Small Convenience Store of the Year Award on the way to winning the grand prize and Justin is rightly delighted. “We were hopeful that we would pick something up at the awards but never for a minute thought we’d be named Convenience Store of the Year,” said Justin. “When we won the Small Convenience Store of the Year Award earlier in the evening we were just over the moon but even then we never thought we’d win the big one – so when they called out our name, I nearly hit the ceiling! It was amazing and I’m just so pleased for the entire team at the

store who have worked so hard.”

The judges for the awards said MJ’s Premier Store “packs an exciting array of innovative features into its small space and is perfectly future-proofed with a focus on key growth areas and higher-margin products, including a food to go zone, a dessert bar, beer cave and a home delivery service, alongside community involvement”.

Justin commented: “With costs rising every year, our focus during the refit was to add as many higher margin products as we could. We were aiming to focus on lines that delivered at least 30% POR and it has been a huge success.

I believe the results we’ve had can be a real inspiration for other Premier retailers because we’ve been in this store for 30 years and you would think that big growth would be impossible – but we’ve shown it is possible if you focus on what today’s shoppers really want and have the conviction to deliver it for them.”

dessert bar with the average order a huge £21. To find out more, see the extended feature on page 49.

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@55north.com 0141 222 5380

April 2019 TalkingShop

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News

INBRIEF Premier retailers HEALTHIER EATING ‘IMPORTANT TO 20 MILLION’ The latest research from HIM and MCA Insight has confirmed that the trend towards healthier eating is growing into a mega trend,

shine once more at industry awards Premier retailers again claimed some of the biggest prizes at the most recent major industry awards events.

with two fifths of consumers rating it as ‘highly important’.

The ‘UK Healthier Eating Report 2019’ was conducted through over 74,000 surveys and found that healthier eating is highly important to 20 million shoppers, with plant-based preferences in particular set to intensify in 2019.

The report highlights that 39% of consumers rate healthier eating as highly important to them, with over a third of consumers eating more healthily than a year ago.

Refined sugar is the main

TOP STORE: Faraz Iqbal (centre) celebrates becoming Independent Retailer of the Year.

CHEERS: Karen and Mike Humphreys toast their success.

ingredient that consumers are actively trying to reduce in order to be healthier, however it is vegetables that are set to win in 2019.

Over 50% of UK adults intend to eat more vegetables, with 10% looking to switch to a vegetarian diet and 6% a vegan diet in the next 12 months.

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April 2019

It has been another hugely successful period for Premier retailers at recent industry awards ceremonies with Kirkcaldy retailer Faraz Iqbal being crowned Independent Retailer of the Year at the Scottish Grocer Awards, Royton retailer Justin Whittaker being named Convenience Retailer of the Year at the Convenience Retail Awards and Mike and Karen Humphreys’ Premier Kenninghall in Norfolk being named Off Licence Store of the Year at the same event.

“It was a total shock to be named Independent Retailer of the Year at the Scottish Grocer Awards because we were up against so many other great stores,” said Faraz, “but at the same time I think we’ve worked

really hard in the store in recent years and have made massive progress on so many fronts so I think we deserved it.”

The judges commented: “Anyone looking to teach a class on store standards could do a lot worse than stopping

by Premier Linktown Local.

Everything may be in its place in this c-store, but there isn’t a place for everything.

Retailer Faraz Iqbal’s fastidious approach to EPoS has ensured every inch of his small store is used to full effect.”

All judges were “seriously impressed by Faraz’s incredible store standards, his constant striving to improve his store and his relationship with the local community”.

Meanwhile, Karen and

Mike Humphreys’ Premier Kenninghall in Norfolk was named Off Licence Store of the Year at the Convenience Retail Awards. Mike said: “We’re thrilled, particularly as we’re in a tiny village with only about 800 residents! To be named the best off licence in the business is hugely gratifying.

We’ve worked very hard at our off licence offering in the last year and now stock over 100 specialist gins, for instance, so we’ve become quite famous in the area for our drinks range.

“We also stock a huge range of craft beers, many sourced locally. But it’s just really nice to get some recognition for all that work and the staff and shoppers are absolutely delighted.”

News

‘Retail Wins’ could deliver £10,000 more profit a year for retailers Booker’s new ‘Retail Wins’ initiative is helping Premier stores drive footfall and make more cash profit and could deliver up to £10,000 extra cash profit for retailers. frequently purchased from a convenience store and are really important in driving both footfall and sales and will help retailers make more money.”

The Retail Wins programme will be extended in future to cover the fresh category to deliver yet more profit-boosting benefits.

RETAILER VIEW KATY O’KEEFE Premier Pelynt Store, Cornwall

PROFIT BOOSTER: Premier retailers save £20 when buying just five cases of Stella Artois.

Becoming part of a bigger group has allowed Booker to unlock the benefits of ‘joining forces’ to deliver greater choice, better prices and improved quality for shoppers as well as improved footfall and cash profit for retailers.

By being part of the bigger group, Booker has been able to launch of a series of ground-breaking ‘Retail Wins’ initiatives that could deliver up to £10,000 extra cash profit every year for retailers. This in addition to the fact that, according to IRI data, Booker Wholesale remains on average 2% cheaper than other cash & carry groups.

Booker has been actively engaged and listening to retailers to understand their biggest priorities and what is important to them.

One message that came back loud and clear was a demand for better pricing on both beer and tobacco. ‘Retail Wins’ delivers exactly that, providing Premier retailers with more margin on some of the fastest selling beer lines and tobacco products.

All Premier retailers now benefit from a massive 30% POR on Fosters, Carling, Stella Artois and Carlsberg, which could deliver up to £3,000 additional cash profit each year. This is complemented by the launch of the ‘Booker Tobacco Club’ which offers high PORs of 9% on the range of JPS Players and 12% POR on Gold Leaf, providing an annual cash profit benefit of up to £3,500, with more products being added to the club in the coming months.

“We have been listening to our retailers and are pleased to be able to deliver their biggest priorities,” said Steve Fox, Managing Director – Retail. “This is Phase One of our plan and by unlocking these benefits, I am confident our Premier retailers will be able to increase their cash profit. These categories are some of the most

“I’m delighted to see these deals coming through because it demonstrates that Booker is listening to retailers and acting on the issues that we think are most important. Being part of such a big group gives us benefits and we should be capitalising on that so it’s hugely encouraging to see deals on tobacco and beer, two of the most important categories in most stores.

“I’m also pleased at just how valuable the deals are. To be able to save up to £4 a case on beer and up to £1.51 on an outer of tobacco is a significant saving and helps our bottom line.”

RETAILER VIEW FAHIM ASHIQ Premier Cupar, Fife “Tobacco and beer are among the most important categories in the shop when it comes to turnover and footfall so being able to secure big increases in POR through savings in WSPs is massive for a store like mine. We sell a lot of tobacco and we sell a lot of beer, so these deals will really help me boost my cash profits and that’s the most important thing of all.

“It’s brilliant that these Retail Wins deals are on the best selling lines too. Players is a huge brand for us so getting an extra 2% POR is exceptional.”

RETAILER VIEW NAVJOT SINGH GILL Premier Gill’s, Neath “It’s great to see Premier retailers benefitting from Booker now being part of a bigger group. You couldn’t choose two more important categories than tobacco and beer because we all sell both in very big volumes so to be able to drive more profits out of such fast-selling lines is hugely welcome.

“I think the Retail Wins deals show that Booker really is in touch with Premier retailers and what they consider most important.

These deals will mean thousands of pounds extra profit every year for us so I’m absolutely delighted.”

April 2019 TalkingShop

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4 x 330ml

CommunityNews OPINION, NEWS AND ACHIEVEMENTS FROM PREMIER RETAILERS

Neath Premier supports YMCA Good Friday Breakfast Neath Premier retailer Navjot Singh Gill is once again supporting the local YMCA as it hosts its 138th annual Good Friday Breakfast offering free meals to the local homeless.

INBRIEF KIRKCALDY PREMIER SUPPORTS PROXY PURCHASE CAMPAIGN

Kirkcaldy Premier retailer Faraz Iqbal is getting behind an important campaign to tackle illegal proxy purchasing in the area.

The ‘You’re Asking For It’ campaign is run by the police and local council and is aimed to curbing shoppers who buy alcohol on behalf on underage youths in local stores.

Faraz commented: “Underage drinking plays a huge part in antisocial behaviour, crime and violence in local communities, so it’s an important initiative.

“This campaign takes a very practical approach to reducing the risk of harm to under 18s by cracking down on proxy purchasing through raising awareness of the consequences.

“Proxy purchasing is a big problem in the Linktown area so it’s something that we need to work together as a

Big-hearted Premier retailer Navjot Singh Gill is getting right behind his local YMCA this Easter by sponsoring the 138th annual Good Friday Breakfast which offers free meals to the homeless in the area.

Navjot’s Premier Gill’s Store sits just across the road from the local YMCA branch and he always makes an effort to support its work, particularly at an important time of year like this.

“This is a very small village community so we like to do what we can to support local community work as projects like this are so important to our shoppers,” said Navjot. “We

will be providing all the food for the breakfast which will help offer the homeless a little help this Easter.”

This year marks the 138th consecutive running of the annual event by YMCA Neath with no breaks, even during two world wars. The event includes a free breakfast as well as musical entertainment and hymns and prayers.

“This is a very important local tradition,” added Navjot, “and we are proud and pleased to be able to support it and, in turn, support a group of people who really need our help. It’s what true independent community retailing is all about.”

community on to stamp out and I’m certainly glad to be part of the initiative.”

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@55north.com 0141 222 5380

April 2019 TalkingShop

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IndustryNews A DIGEST OF NEWS FROM THE INDEPENDENT RETAILING INDUSTRY

Getting ready for ‘Track & Trace’

INBRIEF RETAILERS GET LOTTERY THUMBS UP

Camelot has congratulated National Lottery independent retailers for the third year running following confirmation that an overwhelming 91% of retailers visited in 2018 correctly asked for ID as proof of age on the first occasion.

The figures were the result of 11,600 mystery shopping visits last year as part of a long-term commitment to preventing underage and excessive play.

Camelot will be working with independent retailers throughout this year on

With the new ‘Track & Trace’ legislation for tobacco due to come into force imminently on May 20, the government has finally issued instructions to independent retailers about how – and when – they can register their businesses under the new scheme, as they are required to

do by law. Booker is helping Premier retailers to ensure they are compliant by applying on their behalf. All you have to do is visit the Booker website and complete the form. Booker will do the rest. Alternatively you can register yourself by visiting the Government’s website.

the introduction of a new ‘preventing excessive play’ training programme.

The programme equips retailers with the tools to help minimise problem play in store and will enable them

Minimum wage rises once more National Minimum Wage Rates PREVIOUS

NEW

25 and over

£7.83

£8.21

21-24

£7.38

£7.70

18-20

£5.90

£6.15

16-17

£4.20

£4.35

April sees the latest rise in the National Minimum Wage with workers aged 25 and over now entitled to receive £8.21, up from £7.83 – a 4.9% rise.

The increases will also affect all other age groups and will significantly add to the costs of all Premier retailers.

Pay rises also take effect for younger workers on minimum wages.

to respond and take action in-store.

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@55north.com 0141 222 5380

April 2019 TalkingShop

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Royton, Oldham | STORE PROFILE

results Focus on profit delivers

Royton Premier retailer Justin Whittaker’s recent full refit and refocus of his store towards higher margin categories has delivered bigger profits and a top industry award.

Store CV:

Store: MJ’s Premier Store, Royton, Oldham Retailer: Justin Whittaker Time as a retailer: 28 years Time with Premier: 25 years Size: 1,400sq ft Staff: 5 Services: Licensed, Lottery, PayPoint, Collect+, hot food and drinks zone, Barista coffee machine, home delivery service, Tango Blast machine, dessert bar, pizza oven Nearest competition: Co-op, Bargain Booze, Lidl and an independent within half a mile; Tesco and Asda within a mile Trading hours: 6am – 9pm

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here are many secrets to success in running a consistently successful store but for Royton Premier retailer Justin Whittaker, it all comes down to one word: “persistence”. With almost 30 years under his belt in the industry, Justin could be forgiven for having lost some of his passion, but far from it.

A recent full refit led to Justin being crowned Convenience Retailer of the Year at the recent Convenience Retailing Awards and his energy and enthusiasm are, if anything, more evident than ever.

“I’m totally buzzing about

COMING UP ROSES: Justin says the store has never performed better.

the business at the moment!” he enthuses. “I’ve been in this industry for 28 years and I’m more passionate now than I’ve ever been. It all comes down to persistence and a desire to keep moving with the times and delivering what my shoppers want. That challenge keeps me going every day and I love it!”

Justin’s journey in retail began when he worked in his parents store as a youngster but for the last 19 years he has run the store that has been officially christened the best in the business. “It was a tiny 200sq ft store originally but over the years I’ve extended it to its current footprint of 1,400sq ft,” he says.”

The recent refit, however, was driven by a single strategic aim: to give more space to higher margin categories. Justin explains: “It was becoming clearer that the traditional profit level that convenience stores aim for of around 20% just wasn’t going to be enough to cover costs in the years to come.

With the minimum wage rising every year and every other cost on the way up too, I decided we had to take a fresh look at the entire store and see how we could either bring new higher margin categories in or give more space to higher margin categories we already offered.”

The rule that Justin set himself was simple: only products with a minimum POR of 30% would be considered.

“We worked out that 30% April 2019 TalkingShop

15

STORE PROFILE | Royton, Oldham

POR would future-proof the business,” comments Justin, “and once we’d made that decision, it was pretty easy.”

The refit got underway in December and was completed in January. “We organised it in sections so we could keep trading and only had to close the store for one day,” he says.

For shoppers, the new store is hardly recognisable and they absolutely love it. “My customers have had nothing but praise for us since the refit.

All the high margin products we brought in are in line with current shopper trends so they can now get exciting new products that make my store stand out from the crowd. Yes, a lot of the them cost a bit more but my shoppers are willing to pay that for high quality, innovative, tasty products they can’t get anywhere else.”

Justin says that store has already added around £3,000 a week of additional sales from new ranges and estimates that the average POR is around 60% – and that’s before increases

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15 STEPS TO BECOMING A DESTINATION STORE...

1 – HOME DELIVERY: New appbased home delivery service.

2 – TANGO ICE BLAST: Premium product offering, premium PORs. 3 – DESSERT BAR: Tasty treats for all.

4 – PREMIER DELI: Food to go taken to a whole new level.

5 – CHICAGO TOWN PIZZA: More choice for shoppers.

6 – WAFFLE MACHINE: Fresh made waffles are a huge hit.

7 – BEER CAVE: Walk-in chilled beer cave drives spend and interest.

8 – VAPE STATION: An eye-catching vape station draws shoppers in.

9 – F’REAL MILKSHAKES: Premium shakes complement food to go.

10 – AMERICAN CANDY: A new American candy bay drives footfall and spend.

11 – MEAL FOR TONIGHT: Ready meals and pizzas made easy.

12 – SPIRITS FOCUS: A bright spirits bay has replaced the cigarette gantry.

13 – PREMIER APP: The app drives engagement with shoppers.

14 – MEAL DEALS: The store makes use of all Premier Meal Deals to boost spend.

15 – OWN BRAND: Justin carries an extensive own brand range.

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April 2019

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

he’s seen in existing categories which have been reworked.

Spirits, for example, have been placed where the tobacco gantry used to be with the tobacco going in drawers under the counter. “Spirits sales are up £2,000 a week just by moving the fixture and improving the range,” says Justin.

So what has Justin added in during the refit? There’s a whole new dessert bar that offers a wide range of tasty treats including doughnuts, waffles and hand-made crepes, as well as a new F’real milkshake machine. There’s a brand new Barista bean to cup coffee machine sourced through Premier’s exclusive coffee scheme and an impressive new Premier Deli food to go zone. The lunchtime grab and go chiller has been moved and re-ranged while a Chicago Town pizza station offers hungry shoppers another tasty option.

Then there’s a walk-in chilled beer cave, a Tango Ice Blast machine and a huge chilled meal-for-tonight fixture offering a full range of Discover the Choice ready meals and pizzas.

An American candy bay was also added.

Finally, Justin has also added a new home delivery service using a tailored app that allows shoppers to order his top 500 selling lines across all categories with the tap of a smartphone screen. The store charges £2.99 per delivery with a minimum £10 order and guarantees delivery in 30 minutes.

“The app is becoming massively popular,” beams Justin. “We’ve only been doing it since January but it drives basket spend like you wouldn’t believe. So far, our average order is £21 and highest single order we’ve taken is £75. It’s a real game changer.”

Of course, adding in so many new lines has meant reducing

space for lower margin, slower moving lines but Justin says that it was a very simple process.

“We analysed sales across every category and it was obvious the categories that weren’t pulling their weight,” he says.

“Pet food, grocery and paper products all lost a lot of space but we’ve since discovered that we haven’t seen a drop off in sales in any of the categories that we reduced.”

All told, the refit and refocus couldn’t have gone any better and Justin now believes the store is genuinely a destination store. “We’ve got everybody you can imagine competing with us so we decided that we would offer shoppers unique products and ranges that they can’t get anywhere else,” he concludes. “We have built a destination store and the results speak for themselves. It’s hugely encouraging for me that a store that’s been here for three decades can still deliver big growth by focusing harder on what shoppers really want. The business is in better shape than ever and I’m buzzing about the future!”

PROFIT BLAST: Tango Ice Blast sells for £5 a drink.

JUST DESSERTS: The dessert bar adds another USP.

GOOD TO GO: A new Premier Deli food to go hub is at the heart of the store.

CASE STUDY: The beer cave drives multipack sales.

DELIVERING SALES: The appbased home delivery service has been a massive hit.

GO LARGE: Mega Deals are front and centre in the store.

April 2019 TalkingShop

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STORE PROFILE | Clifton, Nottingham

Unearthing

diamonds Store CV:

Name: Premier Barton Green, Clifton, Nottingham Retailers: Mandeep and Amarjit Dosangjh Time as retailers: 24 years Time with Premier: 4 months Size: 980sq ft Staff: 2 Services: Licensed, Lottery, Post Office, food to go, coffee machine, microwave, dry cleaning Nearest competition: Tesco Express half a mile away Trading hours: 7am – 10pm Mon to Sat; 8am – 9pm Sun

40%

increase in sales since joining Premier

BIG SPEND: A keen focus on bigger baskets has delivered a 40% increase in sales.

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April 2019

Nottingham retailers Mandeep and Amarjit Dosangjh have made a career of unearthing poorly performing stores with huge potential for growth – and their latest in Nottingham is a fine example.

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

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sold it a few years later it was here are many turning over more than £16,000 different strategies a week,” she says. They then for success in moved onto a second store in independent Melton Mowbray with similar retailing but results before selling that last for Nottingham Premier year after finding their latest retailers Amarjit and Mandeep “diamond in the rough”: a Dosangjh, the key has always been what the husband and wife 980sq ft business in the Clifton area of Nottingham. team refer to as ‘unearthing “We came across this store diamonds’. Mandeep explains: more than a year ago,” says “My husband has always had Amarjit, “and it wasn’t in good a talent for finding stores that maybe weren’t trading very well shape at all. It had been owned by the same retailers for 25 but had massive potential to years and done very well over grow if they were run properly. that time but they had sold It may be because he it on to someone who grew up with retail basically ran it in his blood into the ground and spent over the course his youth of just a few working in increase in profits years. When we his family’s finally bought it stores but since joining in May last year it whatever it Premier was dirty, tired and is, he’s been messy and the shelves brilliant at finding were empty. It seemed like stores that were barely just the sort of store we were hanging on and turning them looking for!” into thriving businesses.”

Amarjit and Mandeep ran it She cites the first store the as an unaffiliated independent couple ever bought, a store in store for six months but spent Melton Mowbray, which was that time wisely. “We knew that on the verge of collapse when we wanted to join a symbol they took it over. “It was doing group but we’d had some poor about £1,600 a week when we experiences in the past so we bought it and by the time we

FRESH START: The full refit has made the store unrecognisable to shoppers.

2.5%

SPACE MAKER: Tobacco is now under the counter.

BIG WINS: Booker’s Retail Wins initiative is boosting PORs on beer.

UPSELL: Tobacco gantry has been replaced by a bright spirits fixture.

REAL DEAL: Premier Meal Deals are driving big spend.

wanted to make sure we got just the right partner – and we’re so glad we did that because Premier has been nothing short of fantastic with us,” says Mandeep.

The store joined Premier at the very end of last year and, as part of joining, committed

CLEANING UP: A dry cleaning service helps generate footfall.

to a full-scale refit that saw the entire shop emptied.

“Everything is new,” says Amarjit. “New floors, new shelving, new refrigeration, everything.” The refit took almost a month to complete although the store remained opened and trading throughout.

April 2019 TalkingShop

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At the same time, the couple signed a deal to bring a Post Office into the store, something they saw as important in driving footfall to the store.

“The residential location of the store is such that we don’t have much competition which in turn means our shoppers rely on us to provide them with as many products and services as possible,” explains Amarjit.

“We saw a Post Office as a great way of bringing people to the store then, once they’re here, they see what a great store it is and they will keep coming back.”

Further footfall drivers include a coffee machine and food to go area and a dry cleaning service.

So far that theory seems to be working remarkably well, as Mandeep comments: “The refit and the introduction of Post Office and other products and services have helped bring new faces into the shop and it’s very rare that we then don’t see those faces coming back again and again. The strength of the store’s offer means that even people coming just to use the Post Office end up picking up an item or two.”

Mandeep highlights the strength of the Premier promotions as a key factor in generating those all-important impulse sales. “We’ve learned very quickly that our shoppers just love the Premier promotional programme,” she says. “So much so that we now buy every promotion every period, even the optional ones – because they just drive much bigger sales, it’s that simple.”

Amarjit says that he fully expected sales to grow after joining Premier but he was over the moon to discover that

his sales are already up 40%.

“After all the work we’ve done, we expected sales to grow – but a 40% rise already is just fantastic,” he says. “And better than that, we’ve seen profit rise by 2.5% since we joined Premier. On top of that, the growth hasn’t stopped. We’re seeing increases every week and as summer approaches we’re hoping to keep that trend going.”

With little in the way of competition, the store also benefits from a very significant grocery spend on top of the standard convenience spend.

“Lots of our shoppers use us for their main shop,” says Mandeep.

“It’s not unusual for shoppers to spend £40 or £50 a trip as they’re buying everything from us – groceries, toiletries, alcohol, food to go, coffee, everything.”

While the store may still be in its infancy as a Premier, the couple have big plans. “We knew that re-building a store almost from scratch would take time but we’re already ahead of where we expected to be so we’ve started looking to

OWN WAY: Own brand ranges have helped push up profits.

the future,” explains Amarjit.

“We’re perfectly happy with the store itself but we have a few ideas for how we can help it grow even more. We own the building next door and are considering turning it into a takeaway to drive even more traffic to the store.

“We’ve also just learned that 280 new houses are to be built just around the corner. That’s not likely to start having an impact until later in the year but we want to be ready to capitalise on that opportunity when it comes along too.”

POST IT: Adding a Post Office has brought new shoppers to the store.

COLD CASH: A new food to go area has delivered profits.

Whatever happens in the future, the only partner they would ever consider from now on is Premier, concludes Mandeep: “I have honestly been blown away by the support we get from Premier.

“Nothing is too much trouble and there’s always someone at the end of a phone who’s ready to drop everything to help you when you need it.

“The service is without a doubt the best we’ve ever experienced and whatever we do in the future, it will be with Premier alongside us.”

April 2019 TalkingShop

21

STORE PROFILE | Cupar, Fife

BACK IN THE GAME: Ash has rediscovered his mojo since joining Premier.

PROFITABLE MOVE: Profits have shot up by 2.5% since the store joined Premier.

New lease

of life After 22 years in the trade, Cupar retailer Fahim Ashiq says he has his mojo back after joining Premier and now looks forward to coming to work every morning for the first time in years.

22 TalkingShop

April 2019

T

here are many reasons why retailers who have joined Premier come to see the decision as one of the best they ever made but Cupar retailer Fahim Ashiq has one of the most memorable: he’s got his mojo back since joining! He explains: “I’ve been in the trade for 22 years, I’ve been in this store for 16 years and, to be perfectly honest, I’d got bored of it and I just wasn’t enjoying it any longer. But when I moved to Premier six months ago I suddenly got my mojo back and, do you know what, I actually look forward to coming work again for the first time in years!”

Fahim’s new-found enthusiasm stems from having given his store an entirely new lease of life under Premier, one that he never thought possible. “I used to be with another symbol and I thought we were trading reasonably well so I didn’t think I had a lot of scope for growth,” he says.

Store CV:

Name: Premier Cupar, Fife Retailer: Fahim Ashiq Time as a retailer: 22 years Time with Premier: 6 months Size: 1,000sq ft Staff: 8 Services: licensed, Lottery, Pay Point, MyHermes, ATM, hot food, coffee machine, bakery counter, home news delivery Nearest competition: Co-op ¼ mile away; Lidl and Tesco 1 mile away Trading hours: 6.30am – 9pm

“But I still felt like I needed a change and the group I was with didn’t really have a great chilled offer and no own brand range to speak of, so I thought I’d give someone else a try – but to be honest I really wasn’t expecting to see much growth, even after the move.”

Imagine his surprise then when his sales shot up by 16% and, even more importantly, his profits rocketed by 2.5%.

“I literally couldn’t believe it when I first saw the figures,” says Fahim, or Ash as he’s better known to his customers. “I honestly thought it was some sort of accounting error or an issue with the Epos! I thought I knew this store inside out and I would have said there was no way that you could have grown the business that much that quickly.

So yes, I got my mojo back and it’s been here ever since!”

Ash coincided his move to Premier in October last year with a full refit, figuring that it was important to freshen everything

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

EYE-CATCHING: The tobacco gantry has been replaced by a backlit spirits fixture.

PROFIT MAKER: Food to go now sits at the heart of the store’s offer.

JOIN THE CLUB: The Booker Tobacco Club is adding 2% to PORs.

WARM WELCOME: The rebuilt counter area makes a great first impression.

DOUBLING UP: The amount of chilled space has been doubled.

up. “We replaced everything but the floor in the shop,” he says. “It was a major bit of work but the results speak for themselves and my shoppers absolutely love it! My Facebook page was swamped with people telling me how good the shop looked.”

The refit was carefully geared to specifically focus on driving up Ash’s profits, but he happily admits that at no point did he envisage the 2.5% increase he actually generated. He explains: “The Premier team used all of my Epos data together with their own experience and expertise to completely redesign the layout of the store to focus on delivering higher profits. That meant reducing space for categories like canned grocery, toiletries, paper products, pet food and newspapers.

“With that space freed up, we doubled the amount of chilled space, we added a new food to go station and we brought in a new bakery counter from a local bakers offering pies, pastries and cakes.”

Having access to a full own label range for the first time, Ash decided to offer one branded and one own brand version of as many lines as possible, to offer shoppers choice, and also replaced a lot of branded lines with higher POR own branded lines.

“Particularly in biscuits and cakes, and in sharing pack crisps we replaced the branded version with higher margin Happy Shopper lines,” he says.

Ash also moved his cigarettes into drawers under the till and replaced the gantry with an eye-catching spirit fixture, including a bigger range of premium gins.

The net effect of all of that was an instantaneous 2.5% increase in profits and over time his total sales have also grown by 16%.

“To say I’m pleased doesn’t even begin to cover it,” laughs Ash. “I’m seeing new faces cross the door every day and all of them are smiling. My only regret is not joining Premier quicker!”

TOP DEAL: Premier Meal Deals help boost sales and profits.

April 2019 TalkingShop

23

STORE PROFILE | Neath

Profitable future taking

shape

O FAMILY MAN: Navjot also has his hands full with a young family.

ne of the challenges that many independent retailers face is coping with the often unusually shaped shopfloor spaces that can make neat and efficient merchandising and shopper flow difficult. It was just this problem that faced Neath Premier retailer Navjot Singh Gill, as he explains: “We bought the store in 2016 and the previous owner had clearly added a number of extensions over the years but as a result the shopfloor was really difficult for shoppers to navigate with awkward spaces and pillars everywhere. The only options we had were to just make the best of what was there or gut it and start again.”

A recent full-scale refit has helped Neath retailer Navjot Singh Gill convert an unusually shaped store into a neat rectangular space with more sales space that is easier for shoppers to navigate.

Store CV:

Name: Premier Gill’s Store, Neath Retailer: Navjot Singh Gill Stores in chain: 3 Time as a retailer: 12 years Time with Premier: 7 years Size: 1,200sq ft Staff: 6 Services: Licensed, Lottery, ATM, coffee machine, Post Office, microwave Nearest competition: Morrisons 1.5 miles away; several convenience stores 1.5 miles away Trading hours: 6am – 9pm Mon to Sat; 7am – 9pm Sun

24 TalkingShop

April 2019

Being a progressive, ambitious retailer, Navjot decided that the time was right to invest in creating what to all intents and purposes is an entirely new store. “When we decided we were going to go for a full refit, we decided that we had to do it right, so we literally replaced everything in there but the exterior walls.”

The ultimate goal was to create what Navjot describes as his “perfect rectangle”, a task he knew would not be an easy one. He says: “We had to remove all the pillars inside which required a lot of structural work, we had to entirely replace the ceiling to raise it up as it was too low to accommodate all the new chillers and freezers we were bringing in and we had to strip everything back to bare walls and start again.”

While Navjot’s primary goal was to make the shopping environment much simpler and more pleasant for his shoppers, the refit also had the added benefit of freeing up a lot more space which allowed him to broaden the range of products he could stock in the store.

He says: “The store was tired and oddly shaped and just not what you think of when you think of a modern convenience store, so fixing that for my shoppers was the key driver. But we quickly saw that with all the pillars gone we had a lot more space to play with for our range which helped massively as the store is only 1,200sq ft and we sit in a small village a couple of miles outside Neath.”

Working with Premier’s merchandising team, he drew up a brand now floorplan with much more space given over to important, growing categories. “We doubled the chilled space so we could broaden our ranges of chilled alcohol, soft drinks and foods and we also tripled the amount of frozen space we had as these two categories are really important in the store’s sales mix.”

Navjot also created a little more space by reducing the areas given over to grocery and toiletries which allowed him to add in a coffee machine, a Lottery machine, a nonfood OTL range and a bigger range of own brand products. The result has been a 30% increase in turnover since the refit at the end of last year.

Not surprisingly, Navjot’s shoppers love the new store, as he explains: “We’re quite active in the community, sponsoring the local YMCA’s breakfast for the homeless, for instance, so we’re very close to our shoppers and they’ve been so positive since the refit.

“It’s been very satisfying and we love being able to offer them an even better shopping experience and range. I was nervous about committing to the expense of the refit but the sales growth is just fantastic and we now have a store that’s ready for the future, so bring it on!”

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

COOL GROWTH: Frozen space has been tripled.

ROOM TO MOVE: The shopfloor is now easy and logical for shoppers.

CHILL OUT: New chillers accommodate a much larger range of chilled foods.

ROOM TO GROW: Shoppers love the clean lines of the new store.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT: The store supports the YMCA’s annual charity event.

BASKET BOOM: The Evening In Meal deal has boosted basket spend.

ON THE GO: Chilled food to go sales are rising.

DOUBLE GROWTH: Chilled space has been doubled.

April 2019 TalkingShop

25

FEATURE | Beers, Wines and Spirits

Fancy £10k more profit a year?

CASE STUDY: Retail Wins offers retailers a whopping £20 off the WSP for every five cases of Stella Artois.

36%

POR on 4-pack beers

L

ast summer was an outstanding summer by any standard with week after week of recordbreaking temperatures and gorgeous, balmy evenings. It may be too much to ask for a repeat this year, but we can live in hope – and in the meantime, retailers can start planning for a profitable summer whatever the weather brings Premier is making it easier than ever to boost cash profits by as much as a massive £10,000 a year with the launch of a range of deals and POR-boosting initiatives on topselling beers, wines and spirits.

Talking Shop highlights three amazing opportunities to add thousands to your cash profits this year with beers, wines and spirits.

IMPROVED POR ON 4-PACK PMP BEERS

Also available with immediate effect is greatly improved pricing on selected 4-packs of price-marked beers: Product

Case size

POR

Fosters PM £4.50

6x4x440ml

31.6%

Carling PM £4.75

6x4x500ml

30.1%

Stella Artois PM£5.79 6x4x500ml

36.1%

Carlsberg PM £4.69

36.1%

6x4x500ml

1. RETAIL WINS BEER DEALS

With a range of fantastic new promotions and initiatives on beers, wines and spirits Premier is offering retailers the opportunity to really cash in on summer and grow their cash profit by up to £10,000 a year.

28 TalkingShop

April 2019

One set of deals sure to drive cash profits this summer is Booker’s ‘Retail Wins’ deals on 4-pack PMP beers. The deals offer greatly improved PORs on a range of leading beers including Fosters, Carling, Stella Artois and Carlsberg.

The 4-packs help boost basket spend and drive cash profit with WSPs slashed by up to £4 a case for Premier retailers.

The deals offer the best of both worlds with shoppers getting guaranteed value on price-marked packs of big brand beers and retailers getting huge PORs of up to 36.1% into the bargain.

The deals are available on four of the most

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

REAL DEAL: Multibuy deals will drive spend this year.

WIN WITH GIN: A good range of gins is a must.

MAINTAIN FOCUS: Focus on the lines that deliver most profit for you!

MERCHANDISE FOR SUCCESS!

To make the most of summer BWS sa les this year, why not…

• Use all POS to highlight deals an d initiatives and drive engage ment with the shop per.

• Build floor stac ks with cases of be er or cider to draw attention to the category an d drive basket spend.

• Be sure to run th e Evening In Meal Deal • Use social med ia to communicat e your deals to shoppers and re mind them that yo u have a great selection of chilled beers, wines and ciders ready for purchase.

• If possible, mov e your tobacco into drawers below yo ur counter to free up space for a bright eye-catching spiri ts fixture behind the till.

SUMMER SPIRITS: Making your gin range stand out in store will grow sales and profits.

April 2019 TalkingShop

29

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

popular beer brands: Fosters, Carling, Stella Artois and Carlsberg.

Why not consider using these packs as floor stacks this summer to catch the shopper’s attention and drive sales, boosting your own profits at the same time?

CASH IN: 4-pack beer deals deliver big savings on every case, massively boosting PORs.

2. LET SUMMER BEGIN PROMO Also guaranteed to boost footfall, sales and profits this summer is Premier’s new ‘Let summer beGIN!’ promotion which runs until July 9th and features some amazing deals on a huge array of wines and spirits.

The deals have been put together to appeal to as wide a range of shoppers as possible and cover everything from 1l bottles of top-selling vodkas and whiskies to multipacks of spirit-based RTDs, not forgetting some outstanding deals on some of the most interesting and unusual gins on the market.

Whitley Neil gins, for instance, will be on sale at just £22 a bottle, almost £6 below RSP, while litre bottles of Gordon’s Gin and Gordon’s Pink Gin will be available to shoppers at just £19.99 – that’s almost £9 below RSP for the Pink Gin variant!

Similarly, cases of 8-pack Gordon’s Pink Gin RTD will be on sale at just £12.50 (RSP £15.99) while a selection of wines from leading brands like Wolf Blass, Campo Viejo and Eaglehawk will be available to Premier shoppers at up to £2 below RSP. Premier also has a range of Scotlandspecific deals including litres of Gordon’s gin, Famous Grouse whisky and Smirnoff vodka at the cheapest prices in Scotland.

MAKE A MEAL OF IT: Meal deals can boost beer and wine sales.

erbeGIN

Offers available 10/04/19 to

Let Summ

09/07/19

only

only

£19.99

£19.99

each

each

£25.49/£28.95

Incl. PM £19.99/£20.49

1L

1L

only

£22

only

£14.99

each

each

£27.99

£17.99

70cl

50cl

only

only

£12.50

£14.99

3. EVENING IN MEAL DEAL

each

£15.99

Another great way of boosting wine and beer sales is by using the Premier evening meal deal which offers shoppers the chance to but two pizzas and a 4-pack of beer or a bottle of wine for just £7.99, a saving of more than £2 on the price-marks!

10x250ml

£19.99 50cl

FREE

only

£19.99 each

£25.49/£28.39

NP02 EW LIC

70cl/1L

PROUD TO SERVE

90844 NP02 Premier EW

Schweppes tonic 1L when you buy a Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire

Buy Jack Daniels, get a Coke 1.5L or Diet 1.75L

FREE

PM £22.99/£2.05 or 2 for £3.30/£1.89 or 2 for £3 70cl/1.5L/1.75L

ty Our local communi

The meal deal still delivers a minimum POR of 17.4% for retailers so it’s a great way of driving footfall, sales and profits.

Use the free Premier POS in-store to highlight the meal deal and you’ll be ready to cash in when the sun shines – or even when it doesn’t.

12/03/2019 14:12

Alcohol Leaflet.indd 1

April 2019 TalkingShop

31

Discover the Choice | FEATURE

Voyage of DISCOVERY The Discover the Choice range has rapidly established itself as the perfect chilled range for every Premier store, offering something for every shopper and delivering footfall, sales and profits for retailers.

C

hilled food is now a staple category in a modern convenience store and most shoppers now expect to find a comprehensive range to choose from when they visit their local Premier store. They may be looking for something for tonight’s dinner or something quick and easy for lunch but they will always be looking for great quality and exceptional value.

The massive growth of the chilled category over the last five or six years was what prompted Booker to introduce the Discover the Choice own brand and that range has remarkably quickly established itself as a star performer in the category with sales up +27% to over £30m.

Discover the Choice delivers everything today’s shopper is looking for – the products look great, taste great and offer stupendous value – so it’s no surprise that the range has been a massive hit with Premier shoppers.

But it’s also no surprise that the range has been a hit with retailers too, often delivering PORs in excess of 35%.

April 2019 TalkingShop

33

FEATURE | Discover the Choice

DISCOVER THE CHOICE – CHILLED MEATS For shoppers looking to prepare meals at home or in the office, the Discover the Choice range now covers a huge selection of chilled meats that offer fantastic value and quality.

DTC Beef Meatballs Case size: 4 x 336g WSP: £1.56 RSP: £2.25 POR: 30.67% DTC Beef Quarter Pounders Case size: 4 x 454g WSP: £2.50 RSP: £3.50 POR: 28.58% DTC Mince Beef Case size: 4 x 500g WSP: £2.02 RSP: £2.89 POR: 30.10% DTC Peppered Grillsteaks Case size: 4 x 288g WSP: £1.75 RSP: £2.50 POR: 30.00% DTC Rump Steaks Case size: 4 x 227g WSP: £2.85 RSP: £4.50 POR: 36.67% DTC Chicken Drumsticks Case size: 4 x 430g WSP: £1.36 RSP: £2.00 POR: 32.00% DTC Chicken Fillets Case size: 4 x 500g WSP: £2.62 RSP: £3.75 POR: 30.13% DTC Chicken Thighs Case size: 4 x 430g WSP: £1.04 RSP: £1.49 POR: 30.20% DTC Medium Whole Chicken Case size: 4 x 1.35kg WSP: £3.05 RSP: £4.00 POR: 23.75% DTC Cumberland Sausages Case size: 6 x 454g WSP: £1.50 RSP: £1.99 POR: 24.62% DTC Lincolnshire Sausages Case size: 6 x 454g WSP: £1.50 RSP: £1.99 POR: 24.62% DTC Pork Sausages PM199 Case size: 6 x 454g WSP: £1.50 RSP: £1.99 POR: 24.62% DTC Smoked Back Bacon Case size: 18 x 200g WSP: £1.29 RSP: £1.89 POR: 31.48% DTC Smoked Streaky Bacon Case size: 18 x 200g WSP: £1.29 RSP: £1.89 POR: 31.48% DTC Unsmoked Back Bacon Case size: 18 x 200g WSP: £1.29 RSP: £1.89 POR: 31.48% DTC Unsmoked Streaky Bacon Case size: 18 x 200g WSP: £1.29 RSP: £1.89 POR: 31.48% DTC Unsmoked Gammon Joint Case size: 8 x 750g WSP: £2.95 RSP: £3.99 POR: 26.07% DTC Unsmoked Gammon Steak Case size: 8 x 340g WSP: £2.22 RSP: £2.99 POR: 25.75%

The Discover the Choice pizza range has been massively popular since launch with the three variants – 3 Cheese, Meat Feast and Pepperoni – ensuring that there’s something for every taste.

These are all priced at £2.99 or 2-for-£5, in line with the Discover the Choice ready meal range, which means that shoppers can even mix and match by grabbing a ready meal and a pizza for just £5.

For those looking to prepare something themselves at home, a full range of chilled and cooked meats delivers the same package of quality and value that shoppers have now come to expect from the Discover the Choice own brand.

34 TalkingShop

April 2019

DISCOVER THE CHOICE – COOKED MEATS Product

Case size

WSP

RSP

POR

DTC Breaded Ham PM2/200

8 x 100g

£0.82

£1.19

31.09%

DTC Cooked Ham PM2/200

8 x 100g

£0.82

£1.19

31.09%

DTC Corned Beef PM200

8 x 125g

£1.39

£2.00

30.50%

DTC Honey Roast Ham PM2/200 8 x 100g

£0.82

£1.19

31.09%

DTC Sliced Turkey PM2/200

8 x 100g

£0.82

£1.19

31.09%

DTC Corned Beef

8 x 100g

£1.39

£2.00

30.50%

The Discover the Choice ready meal range is now extremely extensive and offers something for everyone, whether it’s mums looking for a healthy, tasty meal for the kids or office workers who want a quick and easy meal after a long day at work.

The breadth of the range means that shoppers won’t suffer from ‘menu fatigue’ as they have plenty of options to choose from to mix things up during the week and, of course, they can mix and match with pizzas to add further choice.

The phenomenal success of Discover the Choice has led Booker to continually expand and develop the range to meet new and profitable opportunities for retailers.

The latest example of this is the launch of a new range of vegan and vegetarian ready

RETAILER VIEW SIMON DIXON Premier Lower Darwen, near Blackburn “Discover the Choice has quickly become an absolute cornerstone of the chilled category.

Chilled has been in growth for many years but it was a difficult category to manage properly until Discover the Choice came along.

“The range is now so extensive and looks so good on-shelf that shoppers have developed complete trust in it.

They know they’re getting great quality and they know they’re also getting great value.

“With that trust now built up, shoppers are much quicker and keener to try new Discover the Choice lines when they hit the shelves so I’m looking forward to seeing how the new vegan lines sell.”

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

NEW

DISCOVER THE CHOICE VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN READY MEAL RANGE

DISCOVER THE CHOICE – PIZZAS AND READY MEALS The Discover the Choice range of pizzas and ready meals is more extensive than ever and delivers on every front for shoppers looking for quick, nutritious meal solutions at great value prices.

DTC 3 Cheese Pizza PM2/500 Case size: 5 x 331g WSP: £1.99 RSP: £2.99 POR: 33.45% DTC Meat Feast Pizza PM2/500 Case size: 5 x 350g WSP: £1.99 RSP: £2.99 POR: 33.45% DTC Pepperoni Pizza PM2/500 Case size: 5 x 350g WSP: £1.99 RSP: £2.99 POR: 33.45% DTC Beef Lasagne PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Beef Stew & Dump PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Chicken Casserole PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Chicken Jalfrezi PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Chicken Korma PM2/500

Wow! 35.79% POR!

meals that will help Premier retailers target shoppers who follow specialised diets. But it’s not just strict vegans and vegetarians who buy into these categories; an increasing number of shoppers are looking to reduce their weekly consumption of meat and other animal products, even if they still enjoy a steak on a Saturday night.

The three new products are Chickpea Curry & Rice, Five Bean Chilli & Rice

Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Chicken Tikka PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Chickpea Curry/Rice PM2/500

and Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagne. In line with the existing Discover the Choice ready meals range, the products are priced at £2.99 or 2-for-£5. This consistency of pricing across the range matters to shoppers as they know exactly what they will pay and are reassured that they are getting great value for money.

An extensive range of juices and smoothies means there are plenty of options for an accompanying healthy drink too.

Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Chilli Con Carne PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Chicken & Black Bean PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Cottage Pie PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Fish Pie PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 400g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Five Bean Chill & Rice PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 400g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Ham & Mushroom Tagliatelle PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Macaroni Cheese PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46%

DISCOVER THE CHOICE – JUICES AND SMOOTHIES Product DTC Apple* PM2/250 DTC Apple* PM69 DTC Apple & Mango PM2/350 DTC Apple PM2/350 DTC Apple & Raspberry* PM2/250 DTC Cranberry* PM2/250 DTC Mango & Passionfruit Smooth PM69 DTC Orange Original* PM69 DTC Orange Original PM2/250 DTC Orange Original PM2/350 DTC Orange Smooth* PM69 DTC Orange Smooth PM2/350 DTC Orange Smooth PM2 for 250 DTC Pineapple PM2/350 DTC Strawberry & Banana SmoothPM69 DTC Tropical* PM2/250 *From Concentrate

Case size 6 x 1ltr 8 x 300ml 6 x 1ltr 6 x 1ltr 6 x 1ltr 6 x 1ltr 8 x 250ml 8 x 300ml 6 x 1ltr 6 x 1ltr 8 x 300ml 6 x 1ltr 6 x 1ltr 6 x 1ltr 8 x 250ml 6 x 1ltr

WSP £0.89 £0.37 £1.29 £1.29 £0.89 £0.89 £0.37 £0.37 £0.89 £1.29 £0.37 £1.29 £0.89 £1.29 £0.37 £0.89

DTC Med Vegetable Lasagne PM2/500

RSP £1.49 £0.69 £1.99 £1.99 £1.49 £1.49 £0.69 £0.69 £1.29 £1.99 £0.69 £1.99 £1.49 £1.99 £0.69 £1.49

POR 28.32% 35.00% 22.21% 22.21% 28.32% 28.32% 35.00% 35.00% 17.21% 22.21% 35.00% 22.21% 28.32% 22.21% 35.00% 28.32%

Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Sausage & Mash PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Shepherds Pie PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Spaghetti Bolognese PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Spaghetti Carbonara PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Spaghetti Meatballs PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Sweet/Sour Chicken PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Tom & Mozzarella Pasta PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46% DTC Tuna Pasta Bake PM2/500 Case size: 6 x 450g WSP: £1.90 RSP: £2.99 POR: 36.46%

April 2019 TalkingShop

35

DIG INTO OUR CONSUMER DEAL

ONLY £3.25

WITH 20.6% POR

*

Dates of Promotion: 08.05.19 - 04.06.19

*Recommended promotional pricing only: Pricing is at sole discretion of the retailer. ©Ben & Jerry’s homemade, Inc. 2019. Cows: ©Woody Jackson 1997.

A COMBINATION OF MANKIND’S BEST INVENTIONS:

RRP

£15.99 6X 4X440ML SELL AT £4.00† MAKE 20% POR

LIGHT AND BEER. ATTRACTING A YOUNGER SHOPPER THAN ITS MAIN COMPETITORS* AND GROWING AT 18.27% ON VALUE**

†POR is indicative. *Compared to Fosters, Carlsberg and Carling. Based on percentage of shoppers aged under 45 years old. Source: Kantar Worldpanel. 52w/e ending 30th of Dec 2018. **Source: Nielsen ScanTrack data to 52w/e 29th December 2018 in total coverage GB.

©2019 AB InBev UK Limited. All rights reserved.

A light tasting premium beer: 30% lower ABV than most premium beers.

To purchase these products now, visit www.booker.co.uk

Ones to

watch

A selection of key products that will deliver for you in-store

Vegan and vegetarian delights WHAT? DISCOVER THE CHOICE VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN READY MEAL RANGE WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Booker has responded to the massive growth in interest in vegan and vegetarian diets with the launch of a new range of fantastic quality Discover the Choice vegan and vegetarian ready meals. The three new lines are all price-marked in line with other Discover the Choice ready meals at £2.99 or 2 for £5 and offer retailers outstanding PORs of 37.79%. The three new lines are Chickpea Curry & Rice, Five Bean Chilli & Rice and Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagne, offering something for every taste.

WHO? With more shoppers than ever choosing to follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, these new lines will appeal to many different shoppers and help broaden the appeal of the Discover the Choice range even further. They will also help bring new shoppers to your store, delivering the great quality and great value that they have come to expect from the Discover the Choice range.

WHERE TO STOCK? The new lines should be stocked within the chilled ready meals section alongside your existing Discover the Choice range and will help bring new shoppers to the fixture as well as encourage those who already love the range to try out the tasty new options.

DISCOVER THE CHOICE CHICKPEA CURRY & RICE PMP2.99 / 2 FOR £5 Case Size: 6 x 450g WSP: £11.49 RSP: £2.99PM / 2 for £5 POR: 35.79% DISCOVER THE CHOICE FIVE BEAN CHILLI & RICE PMP2.99 / 2 FOR £5 Case Size: 6 x 400g WSP: £11.49 RSP: £2.99PM / 2 for £5 POR: 35.79% DISCOVER THE CHOICE MEDITERRANEAN VEGETABLE LASAGNE PMP2.99 / 2 FOR £5 Case Size: 6 x 450g WSP: £11.49 RSP: £2.99PM / 2 for £5 POR: 35.79%

April 2019 TalkingShop

39

To purchase these products now, visit www.booker.co.uk

Flushed with success WHAT? EURO SHOPPER TOILET TISSUE 9 ROLL PM £1.69 WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? For more and more shoppers, bigger packs mean better value which has driven an increase in demand for larger pack formats. The new Euro Shopper Toilet Tissue 9 Roll is a great example and is perfect for building prominent in-store stacks that will grow footfall and sales. This line offers retailers amazing value with a massive 40.5% POR and is an important addition to the successful Euro Shopper Paper range, driven by retailer demand.

WHO? This 9-pack delivers great value to shoppers, working out at just 18.7p per roll.

WHERE TO STOCK? By using the line to create impactful floor stacks, retailers can really draw attention to the product and the amazing value on offer which will convert into more sales and more profits.

EURO SHOPPER TOILET TISSUE 9 ROLL Case size: 5 x 9 pack WSP: £4.19 RSP: £1.69 POR: 40.5%

Coke energises its range WHAT? COCA-COLA ENERGY RANGE WHEN? LATE APRIL WHY? Global soft drinks giant Coca-Cola has taken a bold step into the energy drinks market with its first ever energy drink under the Coca-Cola brand. It will be available from late April in 250ml cans and in two variants – with and without sugar.

WHO? The product shares the familiar Coca-Cola taste so it is expected that trial of the product will be exceptionally high. The full sugar and no sugar options mean that the product will appeal to a very broad cross-section of shoppers.

WHERE TO STOCK? Stock the new lines prominently in the chiller, ideally within the energy section, where the iconic red cans will attract attention and drive sales.

COCA-COLA ENERGY Case size: 12 x 250ml WSP: £7.69 RSP: £1.25 POR: 38.40% COCA-COLA ENERGY ZERO Case size: 12 x 250ml WSP: £6.99 RSP: £1.19 POR: 41.20%

40 TalkingShop

April 2019

To purchase these products now, visit www.booker.co.uk

Making sales is a snap WHAT? CARLSBERG PILSNER SNAP PACK 6-PACK WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Premier retailers can now get their hands on the Snap Pack from Carlsberg Pilsner which replaces the traditional, bulky plastic rings with an innovative solution that instead bonds packs of multiple cans together. Launched as part of Carlsberg’s sustainability pledge, the pack works using small pieces of a specially developed glue in small dots to hold the cans together. These can be easily snapped apart when required by the shopper but are robust enough to stand up to handling to and from the store.

WHO? Using minimal plastic and limiting waste, as well as reducing CO2 emissions and the reliance on fossil fuels, the Snap Pack will appeal to all shoppers keen to embrace more sustainable solutions.

Stocking the pack will drive more footfall to your store and will help boost your own sustainability credentials as a retailer.

WHERE TO STOCK? Why not build a floor stack with the new pack to attract attention to the new Snap Pack and build some theatre instore to maximise sales and profits?

CARLSBERG PILSNER SNAP PACK Case size: 4 x 6 x 330ml WSP: £11.99 RSP: £5.49 POR: 34.48%

Get in the spirit!

WHAT? PREMIUM SPIRITS RANGE WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Booker is helping Premier retailers fully capitalise on the continued interest in premium spirits like gin and rum with an exciting range of new products and great deals. Whitley Neil Parma Violet Gin, for instance, is on promotion to Premier retailers and is featured on the Additional Alcohol Consumer Leaflet until July 9th at just £22 per bottle to the shopper. The long term deal will drive footfall, sales and profits. Also worth stocking and highlighting in-store are Zymurgorium Sweet Violet Gin Liqueur, Bacardi Spiced Rum PM £15.99 and Dead Man’s Fingers Spiced Rum. WHO? Gin continues to be a hugely popular spirit at the moment but rum is making a comeback and stocking a good range of more unusual, exciting gins and rums can help set your store apart from the competition and drive footfall to your store. The plain pack lines all deliver exceptional PORs in excess of 20% while the price-marked Bacardi Spiced Rum offers 15.3% POR. WHERE TO STOCK? These bright, eye-catching lines should be stocked prominently in the spirits fixture to drive interest, attention and sales.

WHITLEY NEIL

BACARDI

DEAD MAN’S

ZYMURGORIUM

PARMA VIOLET

SPICED RUM PM

FINGERS SPICED

SWEET VIOLET

GIN

£15.99

RUM

GIN LIQUEUR

CASE SIZE:

CASE SIZE:

CASE SIZE:

CASE SIZE:

6 X 70CL

6 X 70CL

6 X 70CL

6 X 50ML

WSP: £18.49

WSP: £11.29

WSP: £14.99

WSP: £14.99

RSP: £27.99

RSP: £15.99

RSP: £22.49

RSP: £22.49

POR: 20.7%

POR: 15.3%

POR: 20.0%

POR: 20.0% April 2019 TalkingShop

41

PricesDown

FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE ON COSTS AND BOOST YOUR PROFITS

B

Tobacco Club delivers marketleading PORs The recent launch of the ground-breaking Booker Tobacco Club has delivered huge savings to Premier retailers, helping them to boost profits with market-leading PORs in a vital, high volume category.

RETAILER VIEW FARAZ IQBAL Premier Linktown Local, Kirkcaldy “Cigarettes may be in slow decline but they still account for a huge percentage of most store’s turnovers so to be able to get an extra 2% POR just for staying in stock and pricing at RSP is a fantastic deal for retailers. It’s also really encouraging to see that Booker has clearly listened to Premier retailers about what’s important to them and to be able to do a deal of this magnitude on a category like tobacco shows just how seriously Booker takes our concerns.

“I reckon that the Tobacco Club alone will add thousands of pounds onto my profits at the end of the year – and that’s music to my ears.”

ecoming part of a bigger group has allowed Booker to deliver a whole range of valuable benefits that have helped Premier retailers grow footfall, sales and cash profits.

One of the most valuable benefits has been the recent launch of the Booker Tobacco Club which offers retailers greatly reduced WSPs and improved, market-leading PORs on six of the biggest selling tobacco lines.

In return for a commitment to maintain stock of these six lines and selling at or below RSP, Premier retailers can benefit from savings of up to £1.51 per outer, boosting their POR on these huge volume lines by 2%.

The tobacco category remains a vital one in all Premier stores, making this initiative a hugely important one in the drive to grow footfall, sales and profits for all retailers.

Read on to find out what Premier retailers think of the Booker Tobacco Club and how it is helping their businesses…

BOOKER TOBACCO CLUB – MARKET LEADING PORS

The Booker Tobacco Club offers Premier retailers access to significantly discounted RSPs on six popular tobacco lines:

RETAILER VIEW JUSTIN WHITTAKER MJ’s Premier, Royton, nr Oldham “One thing that has always made Booker and Premier stand out is how seriously they take talking to retailers about their businesses and their concerns. The Tobacco Club is a brilliant example of Booker listening to retailers and then going away and doing something important about it.

“All Premier stores sell a lot of tobacco and we’re always complaining about the PORs not being high enough, so this deal instantly adds 2% onto our PORs on six of the biggest selling lines of all.

“It’s great to be part of a big group that has our interests at heart and that knows how important cash profit is to us all.”

Product

Case size

WSP

Saving

RSP

POR

Players KS Real Red

10x20s

£67.42 £65.97

£1.45

£8.70

7% 9%

Players SK Real Red

10x20s

£67.42 £65.97

£1.45

£8.70

7% 9%

Players KS Crushball

10x20s

£68.15 £66.70

£1.45

£8.70

6% 8%

Gold Leaf RYO + Papers 5x50g

£68.03 £66.52

£1.51

£18.15

10% 12%

Gold Leaf RYO + Papers 5x30g

£41.25 £40.33

£0.92

£11.00

10% 12%

Riverstone RYO

£36.66 £35.75

£0.91

£11.00

20% 22%

5x30g

To qualify for these deals, Premier retailers simply need to commit to: l Maintaining stock of the 6 lines l Selling at or below RSP l Agreeing to and complying with Tobacco Club T&Cs

April 2019 TalkingShop

43

ENERGISE YOUR SALES WITH

COCA-COLA ENERGY

NEW

GREAT TASTING ENERGY DRINK ‒ The No1 soft drinks brand is entering into the energy sector, the biggest soft drinks sector for convenience stores* ‒ Available from late April in Original and No Sugar variants ‒ Supported by a multimillion pound launch campaign ‒ Find in the energy section

On promotion, stock up now!

High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women (caffeine 32 mg / 100ml). Consume Moderately. Niacin (vitamin B3) and vitamin B6 contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism. Consume as part of a varied and balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. *AC Nielsen, MAT value sales, Independents & Symbols, w/c ending 26.01.2019. ©2019 The Coca-Cola Company. All Rights Reserved.

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

Central billing: making your life easier...

Booker’s Central Billing service provides a range of time and money-saving benefits for retailers, maximising choice and profits and minimising cost and admin.

THE BENEFITS OF CENTRAL BILLING l Centrally negotiated pricing and low minimum order quantities. l Exclusive discounts and high PORs from suppliers. l Reduced admin, leaving you more time to run your business. l Savings on bank charges with only one direct debit. l Bespoke Booker promotions.

FOOD CATEGORIES COVERED

BY CENTRAL BILLING:

NON-FOOD CATEGORIES COVERED

BY CENTRAL BILLING:

l Bakery

l Vaping

l Chilled

l Home Essentials

l Dairy

l Stationery

l Eggs

l Greeting Cards

l Produce

l Toys

l Food To Go

l Mobile phone accessories

l Confectionery l Fine Food l Health Foods

l Pet Supplies l Flowers

l International Foods l Frozen l Local Breweries

April 2019 TalkingShop

45

Is your range

No.1 Best Selling*

No.2

Best Selling*

No.3

Best Selling*

No.4

Best Selling*

No.5

Best Selling*

POPULAR CENTRAL BILLING SUPPLIERS TO HAVE IN YOUR STORE ARE:

GO LOCAL: Local sourcing is made easier with Central Billing.

TREE OF LIFE “Tree of Life is the UK’s leading wholesaler of natural, healthy, protein, organic & free-from products. They offer the best range of premium brands within this key growth category with nationwide next-day delivery, free for orders over £200.”

CARD CONNECTION Free display equipment on loan, regularly serviced by the local franchisee with all stock supplied on consignment – only pay for what you sell. In excess of 50% POR for all lines.

OTL Supplier of non-food products across 52 categories in the ever growing Discount arena. Bay planograms are provided with a range of display options – FSDUs, Clip Strips & Display boxes available.

B&J TOYS B&J Toys supply ready-made and stocked display units of pocket money toys to over 10,000 outlets. Regular monthly visits, a merchandising service and guaranteed sale or return helps retailers mine a new income stream with no risk and very limited involvement. No minimum order or contract period.

CENTRAL BILLING COULDN’T BE SIMPLER:

W

ith the complexity involved in running an efficient, profitable independent convenience store these days, the ability to order directly from a vast array of over 200 suppliers but still be billed centrally has been a hugely important facility in the growth of many Premier retailers’ businesses over recent years.

The service has been constantly improved and developed with hundreds of suppliers now available via Central Billing making it easier and quicker than ever before to build a strong range tailored to your own store’s specific requirements.

l The supplier begins delivery an on agreed date.

Core to Central Billing is a simplified and harmonised pricing structure based on the previous best price available, to ensure Premier retailers always get the very best deal. Booker’s buying team has negotiated the best possible pricing from suppliers on behalf of retailers.

Additionally, there are now over 150 small, local suppliers on the scheme with details available on the www.smallsupplier. com website. More and more Premier retailers are increasingly relying on Central Billing to increase efficiency and reduce complexity in their businesses and it’s easy to see why. To find out more, contact the Central Billing team.

l Orders are delivered directly by the supplier with a detailed delivery note. l Booker sends a weekly statement, including invoices and credits. l Payment is collected via a variable Direct Debit.

Contact the Central Billing team on 0845 850 5051 or email centralbilling@booker.co.uk to order now April 2019 TalkingShop

47

ACE YOUR SALES

with Robinsons, the most consumed soft drink in home

1

Refresh’d: no.1 NPD launch 2017

2

ROBINSONS and the Robinsons Arch device are registered trademarks of Soft Drinks Limited.

Time to

Sources: 1. Kantar Worldpanel Usage, In home and carried out consumption, MAT to 02.12.18. 2. Nielsen Scantrack, Total Coverage, Value Sales, MAT to 30.12.17

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

BASKET BOOST: Justin’s average home delivery order value is £21.

Delivering more sales and profits Royton Premier retailer Justin Whittaker’s new home delivery service has seen massive basket spends and new shoppers use his store since he introduced it earlier this year. Talking Shop gets the lowdown.

 MORE

April 2019 TalkingShop

49

F

inding new ways of growing sales and profits is a constant challenge for all Premier retailers and often requires some fresh thinking, as Royton Premier retailer Justin Whittaker explains: “We all know that costs are increasing across the board for retailers, so unlocking new and profitable revenue streams will be one of the key challenges for Premier retailers in the future. There are very few shortcuts available, but one way we have found of quickly generating increased sales and profits has been the introduction of a new home delivery service.”

Justin, who has recently been named Convenience Retailer of the Year at the Convenience Store Awards, says the home delivery service was a massive and almost instant hit with his shoppers when he introduced it in January this year.

“We added the service as a part of a full refit of the store,” he says. “The refit was geared towards us giving more space and attention to higher POR categories and products. Broadly speaking, we were aiming to focus on lines that delivered a minimum of 30%

or more – and we’ve been extremely successful since the refit with additional weekly sales of £3,000 just from the new lines and ranges we’ve added.”

But it was the success of the home delivery service that really took Justin by surprise. “The store is quite small at 1,300sq ft so there’s obviously a limit to what you can stock on the shopfloor,” he says. “So I had wanted to add a delivery service because it’s a great way of bringing in new sales without requiring any additional space in-store. I had been thinking about it for a while but decided the right time to do it was after the refit. It took a little bit of work to set up but as soon as it was up and running the orders starting pouring in – and they’ve never stopped! In fact, we’re still seeing growth in orders every week as more and more shoppers start using the service.”

The service is built around a tailored smartphone app that’s also embedded in the store’s Facebook page. It allows shoppers to order the store’s top 500 selling lines across all categories with the tap of a smartphone screen. Justin charges £2.99 per delivery with a VISIBILITY MATTERS: The service is advertised throughout the store.

TOP 500: The service allows shoppers to order the store’s top 500 lines.

APP HAPPY: Shoppers are more comfortable than ever with app ordering.

GOOD TO GO: Home delivery has massively helped drive new food to go sales.

50 TalkingShop

April 2019

minimum £10 order and guarantees delivery in under 30 minutes.

“The app is becoming massively popular, especially at weekends and in the evenings” beams Justin. “and it drives huge basket spends. So far, our average order is £21 and highest single order we’ve taken is £75.”

The service has been particularly successful in driving sales of new and high margin lines that Justin introduced during the refit. “We added a much-improved food to go offer during the refit and the app has really helped turbo charge sales in this higher margin category which is fantastic news. We sell a surprising amount of pizzas, crepes, waffles and so on through the app, as well as things like Tango Ice Blast which are big ticket items so it’s really brought a new dimension to the store.”

The orders are simply collected, picked and dropped off by whichever one of Justin’s team is available and all payment is via credit card which reduces any potential problems with handling cash. “Online payment also helps deal with any age verification issues on age-restricted products so the solution really is quite simple to implement and operate,” says Justin.

“If there are any Premier retailers out there considering a home delivery service,” concludes Justin, “I would simply say go for it! It’s been a real game-changer for us and has helped us transform and future-proof the business.”

JUSTIN’S HOME DELIVERY SERVICE

TAP TAP: The ease of ordering has boosted basket spend.

SOCIAL SALES: Shoppers can order on the store’s Facebook page.

lHow does it work? Shoppers order using an app that’s also embedded in the store’s Facebook page. lWhat can they order? Justin’s top 500 selling lines are available on the app. lHow much does it cost? The delivery fee is £2.99. lIs there a minimum order? Yes, £10 per delivery. lHow quick is the service? Orders are delivered in under 30 minutes. lWhat is the basket spend? The average order is £21 so far. lAnd the biggest? The biggest single order has been £75.

April 2019 TalkingShop

51

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR AHEAD PERIOD 3 SPRING BANK HOLIDAY WORLD BAKING DAY FA CUP FINAL BRITISH SANDWICH WEEK STARTS BBQ WEEK STARTS EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP STARTS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL NATIONAL PICNIC WEEK STARTS NATIONAL FISH & CHIP DAY WORLD GIN DAY HEALTHY EATING WEEK STARTS

27/05/2019 17/05/2019 18/05/2019 19/05/2019 27/05/2019 29/05/2019 30/05/2019 01/06/2019 01/06/2019 07/06/2019 08/06/2019 10/06/2019

PERIOD 4 NATIONAL BEER DAY 15/06/2019 NATIONAL CREAM TEA DAY 28/06/2019 NATIONAL ICE CREAM MONTH STARTS 01/07/2019 WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONSHIPS START 01/07/2019 WORLD CHOCOLATE DAY 07/07/2019

Cash in on events

PERIOD 5 BANK HOLIDAY (NI) WIMBLEDON ‘LADIES’ FINAL WIMBLEDON ‘MENS’ FINAL BANK HOLIDAY (SCO) ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP FINAL BRITISH GRAND PRIX THE ASHES (1st TEST) BEGINS

PERIOD 6 NATIONAL RUM DAY NATIONAL BURGER DAY BANK HOLIDAY

Seasonal, sporting and food & drink events offer great year-round opportunities to drive footfall, sales and profits. Talking Shop offers some top tips.

T

he importance of major seasonal, sporting, cultural and food and drink events has grown over the last few years.

As well as global events and festivals, there also seems to be a special day for everything from barbecues and coffee to vegetarianism and rum these days. These give retailers year-round opportunities to create a buzz in-store and help boost footfall, sales and profits.

Of course it makes sense to build theatre and excitement around big events like Wimbledon and the Rugby World Cup, but

12/07/2019 13/07/2019 14/07/2019 05/08/2019 14/07/2019 14/07/2019 01/08/2019

it also pays to focus on smaller or more local events that give retailers a great reason to get busy in the store – and on social media – to boost footfall and sales. For retailers that place a big focus on events, they can have a very significant positive impact on business and it’s well worth planning ahead.

To help inspire you this year, we have listed a selection of events and celebratory days on the right that could help you plan a busy year of activity. We have also spoken to some Premier retailers to get their six top tips on making the most of all types of event, big and small, this year.

MORE

Â

16/08/2019 22/08/2019 26/08/2019

PERIOD 7 BACK TO SCHOOL NATIONAL ORGANIC MONTH RUGBY WORLD CUP STARTS BRITISH FOOD FORTNIGHT STARTS

VARIOUS 01/09/2019 20/09/2019 21/09/2019

PERIOD 8 INTERNATIONAL COFFEE DAY WORLD VEGETARIAN DAY WORLD PORRIDGE DAY DIWALI

01/10/2019 01/10/2019 10/10/2019 27/10/2019

PERIOD 9 WORLD VEGAN DAY RUGBY WORLD CUP FINAL

01/11/2019 02/11/2019

PERIOD 10 ST. ANDREWS DAY

30/11/2019

PERIOD 11 BANK HOLIDAY (SCO)

02/01/2020

PERIOD 12 BURNS NIGHT CHINESE NEW YEAR

25/01/2020 25/01/2020

PERIOD 13 PANCAKE DAY ST. DAVIDS DAY

25/02/2020 01/03/2020

April 2019 TalkingShop

53

Buxton still 1ltr 12 x 1ltr Buxton still 50cl 24 x 50cl

Buxton still 75cl 15 x 75cl

Buxton sparkling 50cl 24 x 50cl

*Source: Litmus, Plain Water, Convenience, MAT, Dec 18.

1. CREATE A DEDICATED SEASONAL FIXTURE Jo Punian of Premier Victoria Dock in Hull suggests creating a dedicated seasonal bay: “Seasonal events are so important these days and there are so many of them that it makes sense to create a dedicated seasonal bay in-store if you can find the space. That way you always have space for whatever the next event might be, without disrupting the rest of the store. Having that bay also forces you to plan ahead and it can really help drive sales.”

2.HAVE SOME FUN! Justin Whittaker of MJ’s Premier Store in Royton believes that stepping it up a gear when it comes to in-store theatre really pays dividends: “We try to really generate a buzz in the store around major events because that energy transmits to shoppers and leads to bigger sales and profits.

Around major football tournaments, for instance, we set up Subbuteo tables and surround them with stacks of beer. It’s a bit of fun really but you’d be amazed at the effect it has on sales.”

3. SHOUT ABOUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Faraz Iqbal of Premier Linktown Local in Kirkcaldy says that social media is the key to unlocking profits arounds seasonal events: “Facebook is such an amazingly powerful tool for Premier retailers if you use it well and often, particularly around big community or sporting events. It’s easy and free to do things such as ‘like and share’ competitions around the Rugby World Cup or Mother’s Day for instance, and they drive big engagement, which often leads to bigger sales and more profits.”

4. RUN A COMPETITION IN-STORE Priyank Modi of Premier Hambledon Road in Waterlooville says in-store competitions are a brilliant way of driving engagement in the local community: “One nice way of keeping shoppers interested and returning around big sporting events like the Rugby World Cup is to run an in-store competition, like a sweepstake with a prize, for instance. Ask your shoppers to predict the results of the tournament – 3 points for the correct score, 1 point for the correct result – and offer some themed prizes. It’s very simple but it works.”

5. STACK ‘EM HIGH Emyr Jones of Premier Siop Gwalia says stacks are the way to go to drive big sales around seasonal events: “One of the easiest ways of growing spend around big events is just by building floor stacks. You can site them next to a themed area or even add a bit of POS to bring the stacks to life around a big event, but they really help push up basket spend and sales.”

6. BRING THE TEAM ALONG Mandeep Singh of Singh’s Premier in Sheffield says that getting the staff fully on-board around events can make a huge difference for shoppers: “By really getting your team involved, maybe by having them dress up, you can really turbo-charge any event like the Champions League final or Halloween. It gets shoppers into the mood from the second they walk through the door and that will convert into added sales.”

April 2019 TalkingShop

55

SANPELLEGRINO Limonata and Aranciata 24x33cl

ADD A SQUEEZE OF ITALY TO YOUR SALES ORDER NOW! *Source: Booker Sales Out 52 w/e 22.02.19

®Reg. trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

LaunchReview FEEDBACK ON THE LATEST BOOKER PRODUCTS

Gin liqueur goes down a storm with shoppers

Shimmer gin adds a new glow to sales Three new Alfred Button & Sons Shimmer Gin liqueur lines have been a smash hit with both shoppers and retailers.

With the continuing phenomenal success of the gin category, Booker recently added three fantastic new high-impact lines into its range with huge success in-store. The Alfred Button & Sons Shimmer Gin Liqueur range takes the category to another level in terms of both flavour and visual on-shelf appeal. The 20% ABV ‘Shake to Shimmer’ lines provide a novel fruity twist to any G&T and 25ml can be added to a glass of Prosecco to give it a striking fruity shimmer. The range includes three exciting flavours – Lemon

Sherbet, Parma Violet and Rhubarb & Rosehip – and have been popular with existing gin shoppers but have also drawn new shoppers into the category thanks to the eye-catching on-shelf appeal of the range. The brightly coloured liquids look amazing on the spirits fixture and when the bottle is shaken, the swirl and shimmer adds great theatre to the in-store experience, particularly where the spirits fixture is sited prominently at the counter. All three products deliver excellent PORs of 20.3% for retailers.

ALFRED BUTTON & SONS LEMON SHERBET SHIMMER GIN LIQUEUR ALFRED BUTTON & SONS PARMA VIOLET SHIMMER GIN LIQUEUR ALFRED BUTTON & SONS RHUBARB & ROSEHIP SHIMMER GIN LIQUEUR CASE SIZE: 6 X 50CL WSP: £71.70 RSP: £17.99 POR: 20.3%

April 2019 TalkingShop

57

£2.50

NEW

BURSTING WITH EPIQ PROFIT 62% POR *

The all new EPIQ range.

High quality e-liquids bottled in the UK. * POR achieved when purchased at the outer price of £4.75 and sold at £2.50 per bottle. Limited time only. While stocks last.

shopper’s view…

Lynn Strathdee, Guildford “I only really got interested in gin in the last year or so but I’ve taken to it like a duck to water! I really like discovering new and unusual gins to try so I was blown away by the Alfred Button & Sons Shimmer Gin Liqueur range. My local Premier retailer pointed it out to me when I was chatting with him in the shop because I was looking for something special for a night in with the girls that I was having.

He gave it a shake and I was totally sold! I loved it, as did my friends later that night.

It just looks so glamorous and chic – and best of all, it tasted just amazing too. The first one I bought was the Parma Violet one and it’s just delicious, but I’ve now also tried the Rhubarb & Rosehip one and now I can’t decide which is my favourite!”

RETAILER VIEW DENNIS WILLIAMS Premier Broadway Convenience Store, Edinburgh “Gin is just massive for us at the moment, as it is for most retailers. We’ve gradually increased our range of gins over the last year and we’re always on the look out for new and unusual gins, especially ones that our shoppers can’t get anywhere else locally.

“The Albert Button & Sons lines are perfect because they look absolutely amazing on the shelf, especially if you stock all three and sit them next to each other. Then, if you get the chance to give them a shake for a shopper that’s interested, more often than not you make the sale. They taste great too!”

RETAILER VIEW MANDEEP DOSANGJH Premier Barton Green Store, Nottingham “Gin has become such a huge category that you have to offer something a little different to grab some shoppers’ attention these days. They’ve tried all the mainstream ones and some of the bigger craft gins, so the Alfred Button & Sons gin liqueurs are just the job.

“They’re so eye-catching on shelf and when you give them a shake you really grab shoppers’ attention. The flavours are spot on too and we’ve had shoppers come back time and again to try the other flavours once they’ve tried a bottle.”

RETAILER VIEW

IN SUMMARY

1

High impact ‘shake to shimmer’ lines that add colour and interest to the spirits fixture as well as outstanding theatre.

2

Gin continues to be a hugely exciting category with many shoppers looking for new and unusual lines to try.

3

Three quirky and delicious flavours available to drive repeat sales and draw new shoppers into the category.

4

Strong PORs of 20.3% on all three lines makes the range a winner for retailers as well as shoppers.

KETHAN ADARSH Premier Hinkler Road Mini Market, Southampton “We’re always looking to make sure we are on top of the latest big trends in retail and gin is certainly one of those. As a category it doesn’t seem to show any signs of slowing down so we always try to keep interest levels up with new products.

“Our shoppers love new lines and the Alfred Button & Sons liqueurs are a real talking point in the store. We get asked about them pretty much every day in life because they look so striking on the shelf. The shimmer effect is nice too because it often triggers shoppers to actually make the purchase.”

RETAILER VIEW ANITA NYE Premier Eldred Drive Stores, Orpington “I think you have to keep trying new products instore because NPD is one of the things that always drives incremental sales, particularly in categories that are on-trend like gin.

“Most Premier stores have a lot of competition so being able to offer something really unusual and exciting like the Alfred Button & Sons range really helps drive footfall. We get shoppers coming to the store just because we stock those lines and hopefully once they’ve been in they’ll keep coming back in future.”

April 2019 TalkingShop

59

Maximise your sales

with the UK’s No.1 Facial Tissue Brand† with Aloe Vera

Tissues aren’t just for blowing your nose, in fact this only accounts for 30% of usage occasions*. Maximise your sales by stocking both boxes and pocket packs all year round to cater for hay fever, make-up mishaps or even tears of joy.

Kleenex® Balsam

Kleenex® Balsam Pocket Pack Display Tray

Kleenex® Extra Large

®Registered Trademark of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc. ©KCWW *Kleenex® UK Tissue USA Study, 2013 Nielsen Homescan data to 10/10/16. †Based on Nielsen UK data for the Facial category for 12-month period ending August 2017.

Recycling | GUEST COLUMN

Catherine Marston, Booker Sustainability Manager, says Premier retailers can save £3,000 a year by recycling cardboard and shrinkwrap – and explains why contamination must be avoided.

Avoiding contamination key to recycling success Booker Sustainability Manager Catherine Marston explains how Premier retailers can save up to £3,000 a year by recycling their cardboard and shrinkwrap.

W

ith the environmental problems caused by issues like single use plastic more in the spotlight than ever, it is vital that Premier retailers make every effort to recycle as much of their packaging waste as they possibly can.

Today’s shoppers increasingly expect the stores they shop at to be taking a proactive approach to sustainability and that is only likely to become more important as time passes.

The great news, however, is that doing good can be as good for your bottom line as it is for the environment. Many sustainability improvements that you can make in your store such as installing more energy-efficient refrigeration and lighting can help dramatically cut your energy bills as well as reducing your carbon footprint.

The free cardboard and shrinkwrap recycling service that Booker offers to retailers is another fantastic way of cutting costs. Feedback from retailers tells us that they can save up to £3,000 a year by using the service as they do not then need to pay for a recycling bin collection.

This important service is understandably popular with retailers and we would encourage all Premier retailers to make use of it – but for the system to work to its best, we need to work together to ensure

that we eliminate contamination in the materials returned to branches for recycling.

Unfortunately, we do have some significant problems at all branches with contaminated waste being returned which causes a lot of health & safety and hygiene issues for our colleagues and can even lead to fines from local Councils. Contaminated recycling is also very difficult for us to send for further processing.

We would ask all Premier retailers to help us continually enhance our joint sustainability credentials by putting in place processes to ensure that: l Only clean cardboard and shrinkwrap is returned l No black bin bags are returned l No food waste is returned l No paper is returned l No other plastics are returned We really want to continue to be able to offer this service but we need retailers to help us to ensure that the system is efficient and effective – allowing you in turn to save up to £3,000 a year.

If you have any questions regarding recycling, please contact your Retail Development Manager.

April 2019 TalkingShop

61

Treats Cats Crave

Did you know that

30%

**

of Care & Treats are bought on impulse?

36.5% POR

Get your paws on big sales, stock up with Dreamies * the No.1 cat treat Code

Product Description

M227613

DREAMIES Cat Treats With Chicken 60g MPP £1.25

M227614

DREAMIES Cat Treats with Cheese 60g MPP £1.25

*Source: Nielsen Total Coverage MAT February 23.02.2019 ** *IRI major Mults MAT W/E 26th Feb, 2011

©/®/™ Design Mars 2019

™

ACS Viewpoint | Celebrating Rural Shops

James Lowman Rural shops are a vital resource for communities across the country and should be protected.

W

e recently launched our 2019 Rural Shop Report in Parliament, where we celebrated rural convenience stores and the contribution that they make to our economy and our communities. Many of you will trade in villages and rural areas. What have we learned about our rural shops?

The report is a ringing endorsement of the value of rural shops. Our report shows that one in five people living in rural areas would have to travel more than five miles to get essential groceries if their local convenience store wasn’t there.

Rural stores also drive the economy, investing over £271m in improving their businesses so they can provide an ever-increasing range of services – Post Offices, bill payments, free to use ATMs, and even some less common but growing services like repeat prescriptions – in the communities that rely on them.

It was fantastic to see a mix of MPs and those interested in rural issues from Select Committees and All-Party Groups show their support at the launch of our report in Parliament.

Obviously this was a chance for us network; our research found that the to talk about the ways that politicians two services that rural people value can help rural shops, and we the most in their local shop are the highlighted five policy priorities that Post Office (provided by 34% of rural the government needs to focus on. shops). The government needs to get Firstly, the government needs to the balancing act right to make sure work with LINK and address their this partnership works for the Post own business rates policies so we Office, retailers and consumers. can maintain the free to use ATM Fourthly, convenience stores network (available in 44% of rural increasingly rely on a reliable digital convenience stores). The report infrastructure, so we need strong found that for young people aged broadband connectivity to help them 18-24 in rural areas, access with essential business tasks. to a cash machine was the New connections need to be IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO most valuable service prioritised in hard to reach GET INVOLVED IN THE available in their local rural areas.

POLITICAL WORK OF ACS shop, reinforcing And finally, an issue we ....................... CALL ...................... the importance and hear more and more about continued relevance is loneliness. The sector 01252 515 001 of cash as a method of has a unique reach into ............. OR LOG ON TO ........... payment both in stores local communities unlike www.acs.org.uk and the wider community. any business sector and many Secondly, although the retailers have great stories to tell government has taken welcome on their local social and community measures to extend Small Business impact – 79% of independent retailers Relief for retailers in all areas, we are have engaged in some form of calling for an extension to the £12,500 community activity over the past year, rateable value threshold to allow more working to build community cohesion petrol forecourt sites to quality for and enhance social connections in Rural Rate Relief to protect essential local areas. Retailers need to be at the services in the rural economy. heart of the government’s strategy to Thirdly, convenience stores are tackle loneliness.The full report can be an important part of the Post Office downloaded from the ACS website.

April 2019 TalkingShop

63

PACK DESCRIPTION

MIDAS CODE

Grenade Carb Killa Cookies & Cream 60g

M220899

Grenade Carb Killa RTD Fudge Brownie 330ml

M220894

Grenade Carb Killa Caramel Chaos 60g

M220902

Grenade Carb Killa RTD Cookies/Cream 330ml

M220895

Grenade Carb Killa Birthday Cake 60g

M239613

Grenade Carb Killa RTD White Chocolate 330ml

M229517

Grenade Carb Killa Peanut Nutter 60g

M239165

Grenade Carb Killa RTD Choc Mint 330ml

M224852

Grenade Carb Killa White Choc Cookie 60g

M224853

Carb Killa® is the best selling Protein Bar in the UK*

Carb Killa® Bars make up 3 of the top 5 SKUs sold in Symbols & Independents**

Grenade® is the fastest growing Protein Shake Brand***

*IRI Marketplace Total UK Sports Nutrition, Value Sales 52we 2/12/18 **IRI Data, Convenience Market, Protein Bar Market. 52we 2/12/18 ***IRI Data, Shakes Category, Convenience Market, Actual Value Growth. 52we 12/8/18

YOURSHOUT GOT A QUESTION? Want to post a question or raise an issue with the Premier Team?

Get in touch by email at talking shop@55north.com or call 0141 222 5380.

YourShout WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? RETAILERS PUT THEIR QUESTIONS TO PREMIER

Veganism – fad or forever?

Time to start delivering?

I’m hearing from more and more Premier retailers that they are introducing home delivery services and that they are making a huge impact on the business. Do you believe that they can work and are they the right way to go for retailers?

JIMMY PATEL, PREMIER JIMMY’S, NORTHAMPTON

MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: While the service isn’t widely offered yet, there are some Premier retailers who have introduced a home delivery service and who have seen very significant benefits from it. Royton retailer Justin Whittaker is one such retailer and, after just a couple of months of operating the

service, he is already bringing in significant new sales through home delivery. His average order is a significant £21 and he charges £2.99 on top of that for delivery, so it’s clearly working for him and the store.

It’s easier than ever to set one up and it potentially opens up a whole new market for Premier retailers. [See the feature on page 49 for more info.]

Bigger and better than ever I was absolutely delighted to learn about the new Retail Wins initiatives on tobacco and 4-pack beers. It’s great to see Premier retailers benefitting from being part of a bigger group. Does Premier have any more benefits like these lined up for the future?

DENNIS WILLIAMS, PREMIER BROADWAY CONVENIENCE, EDINBURGH

MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: Retail Wins has been a huge hit with retailers and it’s easy to see why with big increases in PORs on tobacco and beer. Retail Wins shows that we are listening to retailers and their concerns and we’ve tackled two of the biggest challenges first – tobacco and beer pricing – but rest assured that there will be more benefits to come in the future.

Veganism and vegetarianism looked like the latest fad when they first came along but it’s looking increasingly like it may be a much longer term trend. How does Premier view it?

ASIF AKHTAR, PREMIER SMEATON STORES, KIRKCALDY MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: It’s difficult to predict how long each new trend will last but we are definitely still hearing a lot of positive feedback from retailers about vegan and vegetarian products. One thing is for sure: there is clearly demand at the moment which is why we have recently launched three new vegan and vegetarian chilled ready meals under the Discover the Choice own brand. These lines let Premier retailers target shoppers on specific diets while still delivering the same value and quality as ever.

April 2019 TalkingShop

65

W E N Y L G IN H S E R F E R

9 1 0 2 r o f

w o n e l b a l i ava in booker

Raspberry, Orange & PassionFruit flavour has boosted sales with growth Of +23%

M246787 Source: Nielsen Value Sales, Total Coverage, MAT 26.01.19

www.vimto.co.uk

Talking Shop

Issue 100 April 2019