TalkingShop August 2021 by Talking Shop

Talking Shop ISSUE 113 – August 2021

The magazine for Premier retailers

Cooking up a storm Food to go adds an extra dimension to Jamie Mawi’s store in West Yorkshire

PLUS

You asked, Premier answered

The exclusive new products to give your stores a point of difference

Delivering the goods

How retailers are building big sales and profits through home delivery

. W O N . E P L B M A U L J I AVA H YOUR SALES WATC

ROWTH HAT G Y R O G E T A OF T GY C % R 1 E 5 N D E N F A O TER. D % S P N N 72 O M M O Y R B F C O M E S R OW T H I S D R I V E N G

NEW FROEMR M O N ST

PMP N I E L B A L I A V A

265427

265198

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10 FREE CASES OF MONSTER OR RELENTLESS ®

©2020 Monster Energy Company. All rights Reserved. MONSTER ENERGY , , MONSTER ENERGY ULTRA are all registered trademarks of Monster Energy Company. 72% of energy category growth comes from NPD and 51% of that growth is driven by Monster. Source: Nielsen total coverage value MAT: w/e 03.10.20

Talking Shop | August 2021

Welcome Talking Shop ISSUE 113 – August

Welcome to the August edition of Talking Shop, and I hope that you are all in good spirits and enjoying a very positive summer trading period. The season is full of opportunities and one of the most important is food to go, which comes in many forms, but is already playing a very positive role in the businesses of all the retailers we have proﬁled in this issue, which goes to show that whatever the size of store you operate and whatever part of the country you are in, grab and go food and drink is a major opportunity for you to embrace both now and in the future. I am delighted that Premier retailers keep winning industry accolades, and big congratulations go to Arjan Singh at Premier Morley and Sam Coldbeck at Premier Wharfedale for winning awards at the Independent Achievers Academy’s Virtual gala last month. We also have an incredible ten Premier retailers on the shortlist for the Retail Industry Awards, yet more evidence that Premier retailers continue to set new standards in independent retailing with their creativity, passion, hard work and commitment. This is an exciting time to be a Premier retailer and I wish you the very best of luck in exploiting the many new opportunities the current trading period offers.

2021

The magazine

for Premier retail

ers

Cooking up a storm

Food to go adds an extra dime to Jamie Maw i’s store in Wes nsion t Yorkshire

PLUS

You asked, Premier answered The

exclusive new products your stores a to give point of difference

Delivering the goods

How retailers are building big sales and profits through hom e delivery

COVER STORY Hot breakfasts and artisan pizzas are on the menu at Jamie Mawi’s innovative store. THE THREE BIG STORIES 15 Head above water Premier Kenninghall recovers from a flood to be better than before 38 New for you Exclusive lines to help you stay ahead of the field 44 First class delivery Make the most of the big home delivery opportunity Share your shop news

If you’ve got news, tips or feature ideas, please get in touch with Talking Shop: EMAIL:

talkingshop@booker.co.uk Martyn Parkinson, Sales Director – Retail

4 TalkingShop August 2021

DISCLAIMER: Prices are correct at time of going to press, but may be subject to change.

Premier has unveiled a brand new POS kit.

Building a brand new Premier in Ilford.

Innovative hot food offer in West Yorkshire.

Premier continues to deliver exciting new and exclusive NPD.

Premier’s Wine Festival tees up more growth.

Premier News

33 Positive energy

77 Back to school

Premier retailers recognised at

Building a brand new Premier in

Cashing o the annual sales

Retail Industry Awards.

Ilford.

opportunity.

Sales spike in July

38 The power of NPD

81 Launch Review

Sales on credit and debit cards

Premier continues to deliver

£1PMP confectionery multipacks

surge.

exciting new and exclusive NPD.

flying.

11 Community News

44 Delivering growth

A round-up of the latest community

Home delivery is a huge

news.

opportunity for retailers.

12 Industry News

Premier’s Wine Festival tees up

independents.

more growth.

53 Profit booster

Norfolk retailer builds back better

Boost your profits by joining the

after flood.

Premier Tobacco Club.

21 Outside the box

59 Ones To Watch

Innovative hot food offer in West

The latest products to hit the

Yorkshire.

shelves.

26 Eye for an opportunity Dorset retailers add a second store.

Natasha’s Law explained.

49 Grape expectations

GroceryAid launches toolkit for

15 Come back stronger

87 Guest Column

67 POS relaunch Premier has unveiled a brand new POS kit.

PMP confectionery multipacks August 2021 TalkingShop

PremierNews NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER

Strong showing for Premier in awards Ten stores have been shortlisted in the Retail Industry Awards.

RETAIL INDUSTRY AWARDS SHORTLISTED STORES Premier Heyside, Oldham, Greater Manchester l Best Use of Technology independent RaceTrack Pitstop Autoport Services, Premier, Glasgow l Best Use of Technology – independent l Forecourt Retailer of the Year - independent l Shamly Sud - Trailblazer of the Year

A remarkable ten Premier stores have been shortlisted in this year’s Retail Industry Awards. With several stores shortlisted in more than one category, the total number of nominations for Premier stores amounts to 18, a tremendous achievement for the group. Premier RaceTrack Pitstop Autoport Services in Glasgow has been shortlisted in three categories – Best Use of Technology, Forecourt Retailer of the Year and Trailblazer of the Year for owner Shamly Sud – while Premier Morley in Leeds is also a finalist in three separate categories, Food-to-go Retailer of the Year (independent), Most Improved Store and Trailblazer of the Year for owner Ajay Singh. Other stores shortlisted in the awards include Premier

Heyside, Premier The Avenue, MJ’s Premier, Premier Eldred Drive, Premier Wishfield, Premier Linktown Local and Premier Jules Convenience Store. Premier in Kenninghall was forced to close at the turn of the year after a catastrophic flood hit the Norfolk market town, but has since reopened with a new interior design and product range. The store has been recognised with nominations in two categories, Drinks Retailer of the Year (independent) and Most Improved Store. Owner Mike Humphreys said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted. Our manager Marion and the store team have worked so hard to get us back trading again and they really deserve the credit for this recognition.”

INBRIEF BIG WINS FOR ARJAN AND SAM Two Premier retailers won accolades at the IAA awards. Arjan Singh of Premier Morley in Leeds picked up the Innovation award, and was also named as the awards programme’s Rising Star. His store features a ‘Welcome to the Premier’ unit

Premier, The Avenue Convenience Store, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire l Drinks Retailer of the Year independent l Store Team of the Year – independent

serving nachos and hot dogs,

Premier Kenninghall Stores & Post Office, Norfolk l Drinks Retailer of the Year independent l Most Improved Store

have owned this store for 35

MJ’s Store, Premier, Royton, Lancashire l Drinks Retailer of the Year independent l Independent Retailer of the Year - 1,201sq ft to 3,000sq ft Premier Morley Convenience Store, Leeds, West Yorkshire l Food-to-go Retailer of the Year – independent l Most Improved Store l Ajay Singh - Trailblazer of the Year Premier Eldred Drive Store, Orpington, Kent l Independent Community Retailer of the Year Premier Linktown Local, Kirkcaldy, Fife l Independent Community Retailer of the Year l Independent Retailer of the Year - up to 1,200sq ft

an American products section and a cocktail bar making speciality drinks to take home. Arjan said: “As a family we years and things are going better than ever right now. Being recognised like this by the IAA is absolutely fantastic for the whole team.” Premier Wharfedale in Hull was also successful in the awards, winning the Responsible Retailing Award. Store owner Sam Coldbeck said: “We are delighted to win for Responsible Retailing because it is something that we take very seriously.”

Premier Wishfield, Felpham, Bognor Regis, West Sussex l Post Office Retailer of the Year - independent

TALKING TACTICS

Premier Jules Convenience Store, Telford, Shropshire l Store Team of the Year independent

stand out in your local market?

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

August 2021 TalkingShop

News

INBRIEF New mask advice UNDER-18 LOTTERY PROPOSAL WELCOMED

With the legal minimum age to purchase National Lottery products rising to 18 later this year, independent retailers have welcomed a government proposal that will still permit shop staff under 18 to sell them. A government consultation has set out an “approved sales system” proposal which would mean that National Lottery transactions carried out by 16 or 17 year old staff would have to be approved by a team member over the age of 18, in line with the rules around

for retailers in England

Posters are available to help communicate new policies in-store in England. The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has drawn up new advice for retailers in the wake of the Government’s decision to move England to Step 4 of the reopening road map last month. The move means that many Covid-related regulations have now changed status to become guidance that won’t be enforced by the authorities, rather than legal requirements. They include: legal requirement for people to wear face coverings; limits on the number of people that can meet indoors, and the one metre plus rule on social distancing. ACS recommends that

retailers update signage and other shopper communications to reflect any change in policy regarding face coverings, store capacity limits, social distancing posters and floor markers, and queueing systems. As Talking Shop went to press, face coverings remained mandatory in most indoor public

places in Wales, including retail outlets. Masks also remain compulsory in most indoor public places in Scotland, but most other restrictions have been lifted by the government. To download posters reflecting the new guidance for use in store, go to www.acs. org.uk.

the sale of alcohol. This would be implemented by statutory legislation. The ACS estimates that there are about 4,000 under18s working in local shops nationwide.

8 TalkingShop August 2021

Business support for allergen labelling The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has posted new online resources to support food businesses prepare for upcoming changes to the law on allergen labelling for pre– packed for direct sale (PPDS) foods. Also known as ‘Natasha’s Law’, from October 1st 2021 any business selling PPDS food will have to include full ingredients on the product label with allergenic ingredients emphasised within that list. Products covered by the new law are those where the retailer has put the product into packaging themselves before placing it sale in the shop, such as home-made sandwiches or bread baked in store and then wrapped. An online hub containing full information on

PPDS, including guidance and training, can be accessed via the FSA’a website at www.food.gov.uk, or directly at www.food.gov.uk/ allergen-labelling-changesfor-prepacked-for-direct-saleppds-food. Sushma Acharya, Head of Policy and Strategy for Food Hypersensitivity at the Food Standards Agency, said: “The FSA’s ambition is that the UK becomes the best place in the world for a food hypersensitive consumer and the upcoming allergen labelling changes are a huge milestone for people with food allergies. “We recognise the significant impact this will have on many businesses, and with less than three months to go, we want to ensure businesses are supported in making these changes.”

News

Convenience card spend climbs 78.5%

Total spending on cards grew by 11.6% in July and spending in convenience grew almost 80% as the easing of restrictions saw shoppers make the most of their newfound freedoms.

INBRIEF RIDING FOR GROCERYAID

Booker colleagues have completed the first leg of a spectacular cycling challenge to raise funds for industry charity GroceryAid. Team Booker cycled almost 250 miles from Caernarfon to Cardiff Bay, climbing over 20,000 feet and gradients of up to 25% – and all in record breaking temperatures! Taking part were Catering Support Manager Steve Marston, Head of Operations Support Lee Edwards, Retail Development Manager Victoria Read and Area Managers Richard Fleming, Glynn Needs, Mike Caddle and Mike Kirby.

Shopper spending on credit and debit cards increased by almost 12% in July compared to the same period in 2019 as the heatwave and easing of restrictions saw shoppers make the most of their newfound freedoms, according to new data from Barclaycard, which sees nearly half of the nation’s card transactions. Food and drink shopping climbed by a significant 14%,

compared to July 2019 with sales in convenience stores and specialist for hand drink stores up an enormous 78.5%. Much of the growth came from shoppers hosting get-togethers to celebrate sporting events and social occasions, says Barclaycard. Spending on food to go also saw record growth of 72.3%, the highest since before the onset of the pandemic, as

friends and families watched events such as the Euros and Wimbledon at home while treating themselves to food deliveries. Fuel spend was also up (4.1%), the highest increase since before the onset of the pandemic in the UK, which has been attributed to the growth of staycations and people returning to commuting to work by car.

Steve said: “The heat was almost unbearable at times but we pulled together and helped each other out. It was an exceptionally difficult day but we are doing this for a great cause and we’re now steeling ourselves for the second leg.” The Team have already reached their original £20,000 sponsorship target and are now targeting £25,000 before the second leg which will see

Spend and visit frequency growing Average spend, visit frequency and basket size are continuing to grow in convenience, according to the latest data from the Lumina Intelligence Convenience Tracking Programme. The average weekly value of convenience store shoppers increased by 6% to £22.68 during the four weeks to the end of June. This increase was driven by an increase in both average basket size to 2.8 items per trip and visit frequency to 2.8 times per week. The food to go shopping mission increased

by 0.6% to 15.6% while the meal occasion mission grew by 1.8% to 14.8% versus the previous four week period. Despite restrictions easing further, home delivery continues to grow its share of occasions, up 0.9% to 7.1% of total convenience store occasions. Click & Collect also grows 0.2% to 2.2%. Lumina says this is a notable sign that the shift towards delivery is likely to be permanent and not just a lockdown phenomenon that will fade away.

them ride from London to Stratford Upon Avon via Oxford and Bristol. To sponsor, go to www. justgiving.com/team/VeloTeam-Booker-2021.

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

August 2021 TalkingShop

CommunityNews OPINION, NEWS AND ACHIEVEMENTS FROM PREMIER RETAILERS

Football fever comes to INBRIEF Leicester Premier store COMMUNITY STARS Arsenal and England legend Ray Parlour visited Jag Hayre’s store as part of an incentive scheme with Budweiser.

Janjit ‘Jag’ Hayre from Premier Hayre Convenience Store had more reason than most to enjoy the recent Euros football tournament as he was the lucky winner of an incentive scheme to have a store visit from an England legend for a day. Former Arsenal and England star Ray Parlour made a personal appearance at Jag’s store in Leicester in July and generated great excitement among shoppers. The Budweiser team, led by

Wholesale Account Manager Harrison Nash, set up a bar and mini-stand outside Jag’s store, where they gave away Budweiser and Bud Light branded merchandise including cups, flag capes and inflatable ice buckets. Harrison told Talking Shop: “We worked with the FA on this exclusive competition, with Ray Parlour being one of their ‘Legends’. Luckily Jag turned out to be an Arsenal fan which made the experience all the better!” Jag said: “It was a brilliant day, I loved it! We were a lot busier than a normal Monday, and we saw a lot of new shoppers. As an Arsenal fan myself, it was awesome to have Ray at the store. He is a really nice guy, really humble, and he spoke to everyone. “I’d like to thank the people at Budweiser for how it was organised. From start to finish, they did a really good job.” The Booker exclusive competition was open to any retailer buying a case of each line from the Budweiser ‘Family’ of products. All verified entries were then sent to an independent agency which selected the winner at random.

SOUGHT! The Association of

Convenience stores is encouraging communityminded Premier retailers to enter the inaugural Raj Aggarwal Trophy. The trophy was set up to celebrate outstanding community retailers in honour of the late Raj Aggarwal who himself was an exceptional community retailer. Applications are welcome from all Premier stores and to enter, all that you have to do is submit a short film detailing what you have done in the past year to support your local community and what you have done in the past year to support fellow retailers. To enter or for more information, visit www.acs. org.uk and entry deadline is Monday 13th September.

People need local shop ‘more than ever’ A new report has found that convenience stores, pharmacies and post offices are the services that have the most positive impact in local communities. The 2021 Community Barometer, published by the Association of Convenience Stores, looks at how people feel about the services that are available to them locally, and the impact that they have on key measures like reducing loneliness, how positive an impact they have on the community and how essential they are. When asked about which services were the

most essential to have locally, pharmacies came out on top, followed by convenience stores, Post Offices, banks and petrol stations. ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “It’s reassuring but not surprising that local shops and other services are as essential to people’s daily lives as ever. Throughout the pandemic, many have rediscovered their local shops and realised the huge breadth of products and services they offer, as well as their invaluable contribution to the wider local community.

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

August 2021 TalkingShop

F F O 5 £ R LOCAL YOU

T N A R U A T S RE every pack with

GROUP EXCLUS BURRITIVE FLAVOU O R

PROUD TO SUPPORT LOCAL RESTAURANTS UK, 16+. 01.08.21 – 15.02.22. Purchase a promotional Walkers Local Taste Icons pack. Receive a single use £5 voucher by visiting walkers.co.uk/local and entering your details and on-pack code. Vouchers redeemable at participating local takeaway, delivery or dine in restaurants, subject to minimum spend of £20 (excluding alcohol). Registration, internet access and a valid email address required. One voucher per person, per pack. See website for details & full T&Cs. Promoter: Walkers Snacks Limited, 450 South Oak Way, Green Park, Reading, RG2 6UW.

IndustryNews A DIGEST OF NEWS FROM THE INDEPENDENT RETAILING INDUSTRY

GroceryAid launches toolkit for independent retailers GroceryAid has created dedicated toolkit for independent retailers and their colleagues.

Financial Grants Covid-19 Fund & Advice Counselling & CBT Support AI Emotional Support

INDEPENDENT RETAILERS

Health and Wellbeing Online Wellbeing Community for ages 11-25 Family & Relations hip Support

INBRIEF ILLICIT TOBACCO CRACKDOWN WELCOMED

Workplace Critical Incident Support

Wellbeing support you and your team for available 24/7 Scan the QR Code

GROCERYAID HELPL

INE:

08088 021 122

Managers Help & Information line Telephone Informati on Specialists Debt Advice Gambling Support Money Advice Legal Advice

Independent retailers have welcomed the Government’s formal response to a consultation on sanctions to tackle tobacco duty evasion,

groceryaid.org.uk

highlighting the damaging impact that the illicit trade has

Independent retailing industry charity GroceryAid has produced a bespoke new pack of POS and digital materials specifically for independent retailers. The pack has been created to help retailers make sure their colleagues are aware of the ways the charity can help their teams who may be in need of support. Linda Williams, Premier Broadway Convenience Store, Edinburgh said: “After such a difficult period for our industry, the support of GroceryAid is more relevant and more vital than ever. I would urge all Premier retailers to make use of the new kit and ensure that every one of their colleagues is aware of the fact that GroceryAid is there for them if they need help in any way – and we all need a little help sometimes.” The toolkit includes: l Poster: featuring real independent retailers and focused specifically on the support available to the independent retailing channel.

l Professionally created images for WhatsApp: attractive, high impact images that retailers can use on WhatsApp to send to individuals or relevant groups. l GIF for Social: An animated GIF that retailers can add to their store or personal social media pages. l Wallet Cards: An updated version of credit card-sized wallet cards which are available to order at: www.groceryaid.org.uk/get-involved/ registration-form/ l One Pager Information Sheet: A doublesided sheet that can be handed out to colleagues.

on legitimate retailers. Under new rules, businesses found to be selling non-compliant products face a six month ban on selling tobacco. The consultation, launched at the end of last year, sought views on proposals for new sanctions linked to the UK’s tobacco track and trace system, and extending HMRC’s traceability enforcement powers to Trading Standards officers.

GroceryAid is urging Premier retailers to make use of these resources to help make sure that all colleagues know that help is at hand, should they need it.

Legislation will now be introduced in the Finance Bill 2021/22 for a new track and trace related penalty for using non-compliant products.

Download the full toolkit here: www.groceryaid.org.

The Government has said it

uk/get-involved/promotional-materials/

believes a six month ban on tobacco sales for offending

Frozen food set for continued growth

businesses is appropriate for severe non-compliance and will continue to review

Frozen food is continuing to outperform most other grocery categories, according to the latest data from Kantar. The firm reports that the frozen category grew in both value (+7.8%) and volume (+5.2%) in the year to June 13th 2021. The overall grocery market in the same period increased +6.9% value and +4.8% in volume, Kantar says. Ice cream, fish, potato products and other savoury food have seen particularly good growth, and the frozen category as a whole has increased in value by +15.1% compared to

June 2019. Richard Harrow, chief executive of the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), believes frozen will remain on an upward trajectory even as consumers return to more normal shopping patterns after the lockdown. He commented: “Frozen food has, in the last 12 months, become the fastest growing sector in retail, after alcohol. Much of this growth has been the result of the pandemic, but the market still remains nearly £1bn higher than the 52 weeks to June 2019.”

circumstances where it would be proportionate to seek a longer period of removal.

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

August 2021 TalkingShop

THE ENERGY CATEGORY IS NOW WORTH £1.4bn RUBICON RAW IS THE fastest GROWING ENERGY BRAND OVER 4

million CANS SOLD IN 16 WEEKS FROM LAUNCH

CAFFEINE, B-VITAMINS, 20% FRUIT JUICE

*IRI TOTAL MARKETPLACE MAT 04/10/20 VALUE GROWTH % AND VALUE GROWTH ACTUAL **IRI UNIFY S&I GB 7 WEEKS ENDING 22.05.21* ***AGBARR SALES DATA 05/05/2021

Kenninghall | STORE PROFILE

Sunshine after the rain

After a devastating flood forced the store to close for several months, Mike Humphreys has rebuilt Premier Kenninghall Stores in Norfolk even better than before, with Booker’s help.

15%

increase in sales over 2019 figures

Store CV:

Name: Premier Kenninghall Stores & Post Office Retailer: Mike Humphreys Size: 1,500sq ft Services: Lottery, Post Office, ATM Staff: 14

ALL SMILES: Sales are growing strongly at Premier Kenninghall following a forced closure of several months.

August 2021 TalkingShop

STORE PROFILE | Kenninghall

EASY TO SHOP: New fixtures and fittings were introduced throughout.

Mike Humphreys and his team have made a great success of Premier Kenninghall in the eleven years he has owned the business. Sales have tripled during that period, and the store has won numerous industry awards for its range, customer service and innovation. But the evening of December 23rd posed a dramatic challenge that nobody could have foreseen. Mike was looking forward to bumper Christmas sales on his busiest day of the year when the heavens opened over Norfolk. The market square in Kenninghall is somewhat prone to flooding, but nobody had ever seen anything like it before, and the store ended up three feet deep in water. Mike and his wife live next door to the shop, so the catastrophe

CLASSIC LOOK: Exposed brickwork improves the visual appearance of the interior.

was multiplied. “I thought it would take a couple of weeks to clear all the water out, but in fact it was four months before they could start work on the store, and five months before it could re-open,” Mike says. “It took three months just to dry out. The electrics, the counter, the refrigeration all had to come out.” Working on the principle that every cloud has a silver lining, Mike resolved to make the shop better than it was before once the clean-up work was completed. “We took out all the wall cladding and exposed the brick underneath. We also went to an open, warehouse-style ceiling. It’s a great looking shop now!” He continues: “Taking out the cladding

HIDDEN HISTORY: Clues to the long history of the store were uncovered during the renovation.

16 TalkingShop August 2021

and exposing the brick gives the store a classical appearance, but it also gave us an extra few inches all around the shop. We reduced the fixture sizes by 10mm and the new chillers were not as deep as the ones we had before. As a result we gained more than 200sq ft of space inside, which means more room for the shoppers to move around in.” The building dates back to 1776 and the restoration work uncovered some previously hidden features, such as an old fireplace (now restored) and a wooden pillar with the date 1801 carved on it. And so when the store finally reopened on 31st May it was more than just a relief for the local community, it was a real talking point, too.

CONTEMPORARY APPEAL: The food to go section was brought right up to date with some of the latest equipment.

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

LIGHTER TONE: Neon style signage guides shoppers to the new coffee machine.

ON THE ROAD: The store made home deliveries in a branded vehicle while the store was closed.

CHAT ROOM: Mike added tables and chairs so villagers could have a chat over a warm drink in the market square.

PREMIUM PORTFOLIO: There are over 300 spirits lines for shoppers to choose from.

“The villagers were great all through the time we were closed, they were very supportive,” says Mike. Most shoppers remained loyal despite the prolonged closure, as Mike was able to deliver products to many of them from his other store (also Premier) 10 miles away with a smart, branded vehicle. Now, less than three months after reopening, sales are already up 10-15% ahead of 2019 levels, and Mike is hoping for 30% in the longer term, as more and more shoppers return to their regular habits. The good people of Kenninghall now have a 21st century version of the village to shop to enjoy. Food to go has been given a modern upgrade with Costa Coffee, F’Real, Fwip and Tango Ice Blast instead of the smaller coffee

and slush machines in the previous shop. There is space for tables and chairs outside the front of the store, for locals to sit with their coffee and sandwiches. Mike has also installed heaters for the area for the days when the weather is colder. There are plenty of other modern touches too, such as neon lighting for the department labelling. “It creates a nice atmosphere,” explains Mike. “Shoppers say it is like a night club! We do play music in the store, although probably not quite that loud!” The night club feel is emphasised by the backlit spirits shelves behind the counter where a range of over 300 spirits including a wide variety of premium gins and vodkas

MEGA MEALS: Sales from three Cook freezers can reach £800 per week.

presents shoppers with a dazzling choice. Cigarettes are now in drawers under the counter instead of in a gantry, and a shopfloor vape unit from Liberty Flights is now browsable by shoppers. OTC medicines have also been released to the shopfloor and sales have risen as a result. While the new shop plan was being created, local shoppers were consulted and one of the things they asked for was a wider range of frozen food. Cook meals were already strong sellers so Mike expanded the offer from two freezer units to three and sales here have risen to around £800 per week. The store is central to daily life in the village, so fresh food, grocery and frozen products are key categories, but the alcohol

UP TO DATE: A shopfloor vape unit encourages browsing and draws shoppers in.

August 2021 TalkingShop

THE POWER OF PETCARE IN CONVENIENCE 50%

of UK Households own a pet1

TOTAL GB VALUE CHANGE BY SEGMENT 4

Pet Food & Litter worth

£2.9bn2

57%

Pet owners spend

15% more across other categories2

shoppers like Price Marked Packs3

11.2%

4.3% 2.2%

TOTAL DOG

1.6%

DOG TREATS 16.9%

DOG DRY -2.2%

DOG POUCH/TRAY

2.0% TOTAL CAT

CAT TREATS

CAT DRY -5.9%

CAT CAN -3.5%

DOG CAN

3.2%

3.0%

CAT LUXURY POUCH/TRAY

CAT EVERYDAY POUCH/TRAY

CAT LITTER -0.7%

No.1

Dog Wet Single Serve Brand 5

No.1

Dog Care and Treats Brand 7

No.1

Cat Care and Treats Brand 7

No.1 growth driving Cat Wet Single Serve brand6

STOCK UP ON THESE PACKS NOW Sources: 1 Mars Pet Ownership Study 2017. 2 Mars Petcare State of the Nation Pet Report 2020. 3 IGD 2020. 4 Nielsen Homescan Total GB Purchase Value 52 Weekly WE 24.04.21 5 Purchase Value MAT - Nielsen CPS Total GB we 03.10.20. 6 Absolute Value Change YoY MAT - Nielsen CPS Total GB we 03.10.20. 7 Purchase Value MAT - Nielsen CPS Total GB we 31.10.20.

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

range is equally as impressive. As well as the 300 plus spirits, and impressive array of beers and ciders are merchandised on shelves and in chillers. Wines are organised using the good– better–best principle with a small selection of specialist bottles at the top end. “These are very popular,” says Mike. “We achieve sales of £300–£400 a week on just different 12 lines.” Local products are also well to the fore, including Norfolk ham, pies, honey, fresh meat and fish, and a mouthwatering selection of premium cheeses from both the local area and elsewhere in the UK. “When people buy good cheese, they invariably buy biscuits as well, so we have some very nice premium biscuits too,” says Mike. Value lines are important too. “I would say we have two sorts of shoppers, there are some who buy the salmon and specialist wines, and there are others who are looking for the price marked £1 snacks,” he explains. “But we are here for everyone.” The Kenninghall store is open seven days a week from 6.30am until 8pm and Mike is quick to pay tribute to store manager Marion Sommers and the staff team. “For five months they worked very hard at our other shop and their thoughts and ideas were very important as input into making the new store what it is today. He is also appreciative of all the support he got, and continues to get, from Booker. “They were very helpful throughout, and particularly while the store was closed,” Mike says. And the local people have continued to support the business too. “When we made deliveries from the other shop, we sometimes reached levels of £3k per week, and you can tell that shoppers really appreciated the service. With the shop now back up and running we are still focusing mainly on that, but we might look to build up the delivery side again in the future if that’s what people tell us they want. We know that we will gain shoppers for the long term as long as we continue to serve them well.” And it’s good to know that Mike and the team are completely back on old form as the new-look store has already been shortlisted for two awards – Independent Drinks Retailer of the Year and Most Improved Store – in the 2021 Retail Industry Awards.

NORFOLK NICHES: The store stocks a wide array of locally– sourced products.

WINE SELLER: A selection of top-end wines are given their own display area.

£400 Weekly sales on just 12 fine wines

TERRIFIC TEAM: Manager Marion (second left) and the store team worked wonders to get Premier Kenninghall up and running again.

August 2021 TalkingShop

MAXIMUM TASTE NO SUGAR THE NO.1 SUGAR FREE COLA IN THE CONVENIENCE & IMPULSE MARKET** M265994 PEPSI MAX 12 X 500ML PM £1 POR 38.1%

M233608

PEPSI MAX 24 X 330ML PM 59P 2 FOR £1

STOCK UP NOW

POR 49.2 % (2 FOR £1 POR 40.1%)

*Pepsi Max Taste Challenge. Blind Sampling with Consumers at 28 locations across GB between 17.07.19 and 08.09.19, conducted by iD Limited for and on behalf of Britvic Soft Drinks Limited. 40,838 consumers blind sampled both Pepsi Max and Coca-cola Regular during the Taste Challenge. 26,383 preferred the taste of Pepsi Max to the UK’s biggest selling cola (Coca-Cola Regular is the UK’s biggest selling cola based on Nielsen Value Sales data WE 3rd August 2019 MAT TY) **IRI Total Convenience, 52 wks to 28/03/21, Value Sales

Time to

Mirfield Calder Road | STORE PROFILE

Thinking

outside the box INNOVATION: Jamie Mawi has created a strong point of difference for his store.

Premier Calder Road Stores in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, is thriving thanks to an innovative hot food offer incorporated into the community convenience store.

August 2021 TalkingShop

STORE PROFILE | Mirfield Calder Road

amie Mawi learned the ropes of retailing at his father’s side but since he has struck out on his own he has certainly shown that the next generation of retailers have the vision to innovate and bring new ideas to life in the marketplace. After eight years learning the mechanics of retailing in his dad’s Londis store, Jamie moved into his own store in Calder Road, Mirfield, five years ago. He moved to Premier just over three years ago and, after refitting the store to the Premier specifications, his sales

GRAB AND GO: Sandwiches, snacks and drinks create a strong chilled food to go offer.

FULL RANGE: The stor e takes care of the daily nee ds of the community.

PIZZA THE ACTION: A huge choice of authentic Italian pizzas and breakfast options are available.

22 TalkingShop August 2021

grew 30% within six months. But even with this initial boost behind him, Jamie could see that food to go was going to be crucial to the ongoing success of his business, and was looking for some innovative solutions to drive footfall, sales and profits through the category. His first step was the creation of a breakfast bar, selling hot and cold sandwiches to order as well as impressive-looking full English breakfasts in a box to take away. This service made, and continues to make, a good contribution to sales and profits in the business, but Jamie wanted to go a step further so six months ago made a big investment to create a freshly made stonebaked Pizza counter, and sales have gone to another level since. Operating under the banner of Rustic Pizza & Prosecco, the business offers authentic thin Italian pizzas using the best ingredients. The upmarket products, which can be topped with ingredients such as Parma ham, squid or tandoori chicken, have a rustic look and, just as importantly, a 70% margin on prices varying from £5.60 to £7.50 per pizza. A full selection of side orders such as garlic bread is available too, along with gourmet burgers, wraps, kebabs and salads. The exceptional hot food offer enables Jamie to sell other items from the shop at the same time, at cheaper prices than shoppers would expect to see in a restaurant, so prosecco, beers, other wines and spirits also feature on the menu.

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

Products such as Tango Ice Blast can also be ordered off the menu, and this also makes a good contribution to daily sales inside the store alongside a coffee machine and pies and other snacks in a dedicated food to go section. The hot food lines have their own menu and delivery service but are also accessible through the store, and Jamie has made space inside for a waiting bay complete with WiFi for shoppers to sit while their order is being prepared. Deliveries are organised through Just Eat, where the pizza service is rated number one of its type locally. Jamie employs his own delivery drivers too when needed. “I was originally going to deliver groceries too, but the pizza business is taking all our focus for the time being.” In the retail space itself, it is all about convenience. “Aside from food to go, our main products are pop, beer, cigarettes and newspapers,” says Jamie. “Alcohol is certainly one of our best sellers while we have what I would call a basic offer of fruit and veg – we don’t sell loads.

£8,000 weekly foodservice sales

STAY CONNECTED: Shoppers waiting for hot food can use an seating area with free WiFi.

FROZEN ASSET: Tango Ice Blast is available in store and also for delivery.

THIRSTY WORK: Soft drinks are a strong seller.

Store CV:

Name: Calder Road Stores Retailer: Jamie Mawi Size: 2,000sq ft Services: Lottery, PayPoint, Breakfast bar, Pizza shop Staff: 20

GOOD CHEER: Foodservice orders create opportunities for additional alcohol sales.

August 2021 TalkingShop

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

“We get shoppers looking for convenience. We carry lots of price marked lines so that they can have full confidence in us.” A selection of American confectionery lines drive footfall as well as basket spend, while a broad range of Mr Tubby sweets, priced at £1 per pot, have proven to be very popular with younger shoppers. “Kids love them!” says Jamie. The store is open from 6am until 10pm six days a week (opening an hour later on Sunday) and a lot of building development taking place in the area means that workmen are avid consumers of the breakfast boxes and other hot food items in the morning. Tasty locally-made rolls are also popular elements of the lunchtime offer. The morning and afternoon school run is another key time for trade, and a lot of the regular shoppers also drop in on their way to and from work.

ROUND POUNDS: Value deals and price marked packs are important lines.

AMERICAN DREAM: US candy is popular.

SUPER SERVICE: Mornings and lunchtimes are busy at the breakfast bar.

30%

growth within six months of joining Premier LOCAL HEROES: Filled rolls from a local supplier is another option within the food to go range.

“We are in Lower Hopton, which is a little bit away from the main part of the town of Mirfield, so we rely mainly on locals,” says Jamie. “We know the regulars and we have a very good relationship with them, and we enjoy looking after the community.” Jamie prides himself on his own customer service skills and also makes sure he employs people from the local area whenever possible. “People want to talk to people they know, and some of the shoppers have grown up with members of the staff team. The staff run the shop, really!” Store manager Julie Bruce makes sure everything in the retail space is in perfect order, and Jamie also employs different managers for the breakfast bar and pizza shop. In this way, he says, they can maintain standards by focusing on their area of expertise completely. The store does well, but the contribution of the foodservice elements is crucial, as these generate sales of around £8,000 per week as well as adding additional footfall to the store. Overall margin has increased to over 30% due to the profitability of hot food. “Convenience is so competitive that you have to look around you and make sure you are providing what there is a need for,” adds Jamie. “You need to be a bit quirky at times, and offer something completely different to the other stores. “For us, there is no doubt that food to go has secured the future of the shop.” August 2021 TalkingShop

STORE PROFILE | Poole

Grabbing the

opportunity Dev and Purvi Patel’s keen eye for a great opportunity turned a rundown convenience store into a thriving asset for the local community in Poole, Dorset.

TEAM BUILDING: Dev and Purvi Patel (right) have created a great store for the local community with Premier’s help.

26 TalkingShop August 2021

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

{ A

The fact that this is a family-run store is important to people here, it makes us part of local life.

fter Dev Patel and his wife Purvi opened their first shop, a Post Office, in Poole in 2012, they had no particular desire to expand their business interests into a second site. “It is hard work, so I never wanted another business as well. I was happy to run the one shop and to invest into property at the same time,” explains Dev. But there was one property that kept catching his eye every time he drove past it, an empty store standing on the corner of the main road and the residential Belben Road. “I live in the town so I used to pass by it regularly. I thought it would be a good site but it was really run-down. Nobody seemed to want it,” he says. The store in question was purpose-built for retail in 1983 as part of the development of a residential estate. It had changed hands a couple of times and most recently was a member of another symbol group, but it had been unoccupied for two years when Dev finally took the plunge and purchased it in December last year. “We took over on December 23rd but it was during lockdown so we couldn’t start work on it until the end of January. Even then it was slow going because of all the

SERVICE WITH A SMILE: Warm, friendly service is a feature of the store.

}

98 hours per week trading time

LOCAL LANDMARK: The new store occupies a prominent position adjoining a large Council estate.

ROOM TO MOVE: Dev has deliberately left lots of free space for the comfort of shoppers.

August 2021 TalkingShop

K SC K S IN IAN C E EP PA L BL B D A E L A I IL K KED A R V A A A AV M MAR WW E O N O R I CI C E N P £1 PR

WW E E NN

£1

Tyrrellbly Tyrrellbly Tasty NEW format!

M270045

M270047

Stock up today!

NENWEW

*AC Nielsen, Total Coverage, MAT, w/e 24.04.21

PMPs 1 £ s k c a n S P K growing at * Y o Y % 8 1

MCCOY’S

GROW

M264193

+20.2%

* M264169

Stock up TODAY

*AC Nielsen 17.07.21 Total Impulse

£1 PMINPG sAT

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

S: This BLE OFFER t UNMISSA outs abou sh er nn eal… huge ba e meal d im ht nc the lu

ON THE SHELF: …a nd the meal deal is also well communicate d on the fixtures insi de.

WAKING UP: Coffee forms a central part of the wellshopped food to go section.

Store CV:

Name: Premier Belben Stores Retailers: Dev and Purvi Patel Size: 1,800sq ft Services: Payzone, Hermes parcels Staff: 2 full time, 2 part time plus family members

social distancing restrictions,” he says. As well as putting in new flooring and completely refitting the store, there was a considerable amount of tarmacking and concreting that was required outside the shop, including building a new ramp and stairway for shopper access. But after four months of work, in May this year, the store that nobody wanted became Premier Belben Stores. “I wanted to do a good job with the property,” says Dev. “It used to be a bit of an eyesore, but it stands out for all the right reasons now!” Dev says he threw himself “100 per cent” into the project and spent many hours working on the details with builders and shopfitters. Meanwhile, the Premier team provided plenty of valuable insight into what products Dev and Purvi should stock, starting with the phenomenal Tango Ice Blast. “Tango Ice Blast is a massive hit!” exclaims Dev. ‘The next nearest place that sells it is four or five miles away, so people travel quite a distance to buy it here.”

The Tango Ice Blast dispenser is housed within a self-service zone alongside a Jack’s Beans coffee machine, and Dev also has a Rollover hotdog unit on order to further enhance the food to go proposition. Food to go has been a big success already, with sandwiches and baguettes among the fastest-selling items in the whole store, boosted by offering meal deals highlighted by unmissable POS material, including a large banner attached to the railings at the front of the store. “We get a lot of people buying sandwiches and drinks on their way to work or school, plus a lot of builders and people doing day jobs in the area coming in for the food to go,” says Dev. Although the passing trade is substantial and welcome, most of the regular shoppers come from the adjoining housing estate, and the store is busy from opening at 7am until it closes at 9pm. “We have these opening hours to make it easy for the local shoppers,” says Dev. “They don’t have to walk very far now to get their newspapers, bread and milk.” “On Friday and Saturday we don’t have time to breathe!” adds Purvi. “Sometimes it is very difficult to close at 9pm because there are so many people still shopping!” Fresh fruit and veg has been placed at the entrance of the shop, and for a good reason. “It is so people know straight away they August 2021 TalkingShop

Squidglets PM100 M259823

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

frozen BIG FREEZE: The ends section now ext to six metres.

CHILL OUT: Fresh and chilled enjoys 10m of space.

can get fresh produce here,” explains Purvi. “The shop on this site never used to sell items such as potatoes, onions and salad, so that was a real change for people living nearby.” It’s taken a little while for the message about the availability of fruit and vegetables to get through, but word of mouth is spreading and sales are building nicely. Fresh food is a key focus, with ten metres of chiller space dedicated to it. Frozen occupies a further six metres, and Dev is

VAPE EXPECTATIONS: The Totally Wicked vape unit gives purchasers the confidence of a well– known brand.

still tweaking the right balance for the range across the two categories when it comes to products such as ready meals. Tobacco is kept in drawers rather than on a gantry. “We took advice from Booker about this and I think it is the ideal solution,” explains Dev. “A gantry would take up valuable space and having tobacco in drawers isn’t affecting sales at all. I think shoppers see the size of the store and just expect us to stock tobacco, so we don’t need a gantry. We have signs up encouraging shoppers to ask for tobacco if they want it, and that works well.” The space behind the counter is instead home to a wide selection of spirits, backlit for maximum impact. A vape unit from Totally Wicked is on the shopfloor, and is a good fit for the store, maintains Dev. “It’s a growing market and Totally Wicked is a well-known brand that shoppers see in other stores, so it’s reassuring for them to know that they know they can pick up their favourite products here, too.” Local suppliers provide additional sandwiches and cakes, as well as some more unusual items, such as Dorset Quail Eggs. The wide range of products in all categories has been carefully planned and not over-ranged, meaning there is plenty of room for shoppers to move around the store. “I always wanted to leave as much space as possible,” says Dev. “Once we had planned in all the products that shoppers would need for a daily or weekly shop, I didn’t want to add anything else. I didn’t need more shelving, I preferred to leave it as space for the shopper. This was partly due to social distancing concerns, but also for the long-term comfort of the shoppers, and they

say they appreciate it.” Flowers, bedding plants and potted herbs are sold from a stand outside the shopfront and these have proven effective in attracting new shoppers to the store. They have also made a positive impact within the area in other ways, too. Dev and Purvi have donated some plants to a local charity tending a community garden next to the store, and they are already on the lookout for other local causes to support. “The fact that this is a family-run store is important to people here. It makes us part of local life,” says Dev. As a new business in the area, the couple recognise that social media is going to be important to drive footfall and sales so they are increasingly active on Facebook and Instagram. They are also considering a delivery service at a later date. Further services will hopefully include a Post Office – the couple have recently made an application for a PO counter at the store – and also a Lottery terminal, which has been agreed in principle but temporarily delayed. Both of these are expected to bring additional footfall to the site once up and running. But these are all measures for the future. For the present, the couple’s ambitions are being kept simple but extremely wellfocused. “Our main priority is to give the best service we can,” says Dev. “We always want to make sure our shop is clean and tidy, and welcoming for everyone.” Purvi adds: “We have had so many compliments from people living in the estate, it has lifted the spirits of the whole area. Some have even said that our store opening has raised local property prices!” August 2021 TalkingShop

Ilford | STORE PROFILE

The power of positive energy TAKE THE HIGH ROAD: Mathan and Gobeka Gowrithasan have developed a new store from scratch in Barkingside High Street.

Mathan Gowrithasan’s drive and ambition has created a brand new convenience store in Barkingside, Ilford, thanks to great support from Premier. August 2021 TalkingShop

STORE PROFILE | Ilford

athan Gowrithasan lost one career due to the pandemic, but then found a new and even more rewarding one as a Premier retailer that allowed him to channel his seemingly boundless energy. He had spent 10 years working in event management and photography, a job that he loved, before the lockdown hit that industry hard and brought his business to a complete halt. Before coming to England, Mathan lived in Holland for 20 years, where he had worked in a supermarket. He had also worked in a friend’s store in central London, as a result of which he already had a personal alcohol licence, so running a shop of his own seemed like a good option in his search for a new career. “I wanted to do something, I had energy,” says Mathan. “I wanted a new project to get my teeth into.” Mathan’s wife Gobeka has a beauty parlour business in Barkingside High Street in Ilford, Essex, and noticed that a nearby flower shop had closed down and the unit was empty. “She saw this place and encouraged me to do something with it,” Mathan says. “It is close to our home and I know the area well, so it seemed like such a good opportunity.” His first thought was to open an off licence but once he started visiting other stores in the area for ideas he knew that he wanted something bigger and better. “I didn’t like the style of the off licences I saw, and I thought the prices were too expensive. I wanted a clean, modern, supermarket-style shop.” When Mathan took possession of the store he soon realised that he had on his hands the big challenge he was looking for. “It looked like it had been closed for 100 years!” he recalls. “Not many people would think you could turn it into a convenience store, but I knew I could create something

34 TalkingShop August 2021

SERVING THE COMMUNITY: With Premier’s help, Mathan now has a store the whole community can be proud of.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE: The new tillpoint is bright and welcoming.

TEAMWORK: A huge effort was req uired to refit the former flow er shop.

Store CV:

Name: Premier Barkingside Retailer: Mathan Gowrithasan Size: 800sq ft Services: Payzone, Deliveroo, Uber Eats Staff: 3 full time, 3 family members

really nice here.” He continues: “Shopfitting was all new to me, but I really wanted the challenge! I spoke to several symbol groups, but I got a really good response from the team at Premier. They thought a store would work well in the area, and they could help me achieve what I wanted. “They did everything they promised, and I held up my end of the agreement too. They gave me such confidence.” The shop front was plenty wide enough for a local store but the building narrowed sharply at the back, almost to a point, so a lot of building work was required to create a viable storage area, on top of the refit of the store itself.

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

BIG DEAL: Multipack promo deals help drive basket spend.

BRIGHT IDEAS: Smart LED lighting gives the store a clean and modern feel.

SOUND FOOTING: The store was refitted from floor to ceiling.

119

opening hours per week

PERFECT PLAN: The Premier team devised a product offering tailored to the local area.

“Everything inside, from floor to ceiling, was new. But I think we have made it look really nice now, especially with the LED lights.” Building work started in late February this year, and was finished by the end of April, enabling the store to start trading in the first week of May. “The Premier team talked me through it every step of the way, their help and advice was really valuable,” continues Mathan. “They helped me to understand what wastage to expect with a new store and so on. Fortunately I also had my own retail experience to fall back on, so customer service was never a problem with me.” While Mathan was ready to look after the shoppers, Premier drew up the shop plan as a whole. The store is on a main road, which is an extension of Barkingside High Street, but is located in a largely residential area so has the potential to attract both regular shoppers and passing trade. The product offer reflects this, with space within the 800sq ft store for chilled and frozen food, non–food and groceries as well as chilled soft drinks and alcohol, including a August 2021 TalkingShop

Available in your 3 for £5 Basket Product code: M99483

OFFICIAL BEER

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

TRADING TAGS: Shoppers are encouraged to follow the store on social media.

GOOD TO GO: Drinks to go feature at the store entrance.

Months HOT PROPERTY: Food to go is already one of the most popular categories in store.

backlit spirits range behind the counter. Food to go has already shown itself to be a key category, drawing shoppers in with its broad offer including Tango Ice Blast, Rollover hot dogs, a Delice de France bakery section and a Rijo coffee machine. “We are the only store in the area with Tango Ice Blast and hot coffee,” says Mathan. “People come quite a way to buy a Tango Ice Blast, particularly on hot days, so it brings new people to the store all the time. Also, if people by a hot dog, they usually buy a drink as well, so the basket spend goes up.” For the first couple of months of trading, local council licensing restrictions meant that single cans of beer and spirit miniatures couldn’t be sold at the weekends, but that restriction has now been lifted, so Mathan is expecting additional sales to follow. He is also noticing a positive effect on shop sales as a whole due to the school holidays and the general easing of lockdown and, with a Lottery terminal due to be installed soon, is confident that footfall will continue to rise. After just three months or so of trading, sales are already ahead of their six-month projection.

to reach six–month sales projection

“We are doing well,” says Mathan. “I have full confidence that I will stay here and that the store will be a success.” Mathan is very clear that social media is going to have a big part to play in driving footfall and sales upwards. He has already posted lots of material about the store and its product offer on Facebook and Instagram, as well as newer platforms such as Tik Tok. As a photographer, he already knows how to make posts look appealing, and he has paid an additional advertising fee to reach even more people via the Facebook account. By showing off the store’s products and promotions on Tik Tok he is aiming to reach a newer and younger audience, and all the store’s social media accounts are highlighted in store in order to build the presence still further. Another of Mathan’s previous jobs was working in a fried chicken restaurant, and

there he saw at first hand the popularity of food deliveries. “I could see all these deliveries going out all the time, so I knew that people wanted to order from home and have the food and drink brought to them,” he explains. “Getting onto delivery platforms was a high priority for me right from the start. My nephew James helped set me up with Uber Eats and Deliveroo, and I’m very grateful for his help.” Premier Barkingside trades long hours – from 6am until 11pm every day – as a further example of Mathan’s dedication and commitment to the new store, and his determination to make it a success. “I really want to do something positive for the area,” he adds. “I’m proud to serve the area I live in and now that the business is stable and doing well, I’m very grateful to everyone who has helped me.” August 2021 TalkingShop

FEATURE | New to Premier

Ahead of the

competition Offering shoppers exciting new and exclusive products is a great way to drive footfall, sales and profits for retailers and Premier’s ongoing NPD introduction programme ensure they have plenty to shout about in-store and on social media. CASE SIZE: 6 X 70CL WSP: £116.94 RSP: £29.25 POR: 20.0% CASE SIZE: 6 X 70CL WSP: £83.94 RSP: £20.99 POR: 20.0%

38 TalkingShop August 2021

RECENT GROUP EXCLUSIVES

CASE SIZE: 12 X 122G

l Limited edition Whitely Neill Watermelon & Kiwi Gin

WSP: £9.59 RSP: £1.29 POR: 38.1%

l Dairy Milk Orange Tablet l Jaffa Cakes Blackcurrant l Sheep Dog Peanut Butter Whiskey

CASE SIZE: 17 X 180G WSP: £22.65 RSP: £2.00 POR: 20.0%

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

CASE SIZE: 4 X 165G WSP: £4.72 RSP: £1.69 POR: 30.0%

RECENT OWN BRAND EXCLUSIVES l Snax On The Go Sub Rolls l Relaunched £1 PMP Happy Shopper Cup Soups range

CASE SIZE: 12 X 500ML

l New and improved range of Mountain Mist waters

WSP: £2.99 RSP: £0.69 POR: 56.7%

CASE SIZE: 7 X 5-PACK WSP: £4.89 RSP: £1.00PM POR: 30.14%

ffering fantastic new products to shoppers has always been a great way of generating excitement in-store as well as driving increased footfall, sales and profits. Over the last year or two however, the role that NPD plays in independent retailing appears to have grown in importance as shopper demand for new products has evolved and flourished during the pandemic. This is particularly true for impulse products where new flavours and formats or limited edition lines that catch the shopper’s eye in-store are a major stimulus for incremental purchases, helping to boost basket spend to even higher levels. Being part of a bigger group allows Booker to gain access to exclusive products and to

add value for both shoppers and retailers through its rolling NPD introduction programme.

GROUP EXCLUSIVES Group exclusive products in particular have proven to be massively popular with both Premier retailers and shoppers. Exclusive products can play a major role in driving footfall to your store and offer an important point of difference over the competition, particularly on exciting new products from big brands. By featuring these exclusive lines on social media, Premier retailers can bring more shoppers to their door more often.

Some of the most recent Booker Group exclusive additions include new Monster Assault, a freshlyupgraded full sugar variant of the popular energy CASE SIZE: drink range. Packaged in 12 X 500ML distinctive, eye-catching WSP: £8.99 camouflage cans, the £1.45 RSP: £1.45 price-marked product is POR: 38.0% exclusive to Booker for six full months and delivers excellent PORs of 38%. Other Group exclusive products over the last six months include the limited edition Whitley Neill Watermelon & Kiwi Gin, Dairy Milk Orange Tablet, Jaffa Cakes Blackcurrant and Sheep Dog Peanut Butter Whiskey. August 2021 TalkingShop

STERLING

R O L L I N G TO B ACCO

ESSENTIAL 30G NEW BLEND – WHOLE LEAF WITH LOWER MOISTURE FOR EASY ROLLING PAPER BASED POUCH – NO PACK PLASTIC CELLOPHANE OVERWRAP NO PAPERS OR FILTERS – FREEDOM OF CHOICE FOR TOBACCO ACCESSORIES

GREAT VALUE TOBACCO ONLY BLEND

ESSENTIAL 30g

WHOLE LEAF

30g

ORIGINAL

30g 3-in-1

ORIGINAL

50g

ORIGINAL

ROLLING PAPERS

FILTERS

CELLOPHANE OVERWRAP

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

OWN BRAND EXCLUSIVES In addition to a steady stream of big brand exclusive products, Booker has also continued to provide Premier retailers with an extensive array of own brand lines in the most important categories. In recent months, this has seen the addition of hugely popular lines like Snax On The Go Sub Rolls, a fully relaunched range of £1 PMP Happy Shopper Cup Soups and a new and improved range of Mountain Mist waters. These exclusive own brand products again help Premier retailers to offer their shoppers fantastic choice, while also guaranteeing outstanding value and excellent quality - as well as minimum PORs of 30%, rising as high as 56.7% for the Mountain Mist range, for instance.

CASE SIZE: 16 X 120G

CASE SIZE: 7 X 5 PACK

WSP: £9.29 RSP: £1.00PM POR: £30.0%

WSP: £4.89 RSP: £1.00 POR: 30.14%

PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMME

RETAILER VIEW DENNIS WILLIAMS Premier Broadway, Edinburgh “There’s nothing that generates excitement in-store quite like new products so we always make a point of highlighting new products instore and on our social media channels. It’s a brilliant way of driving footfall to the store and growing our sales and profits. The Booker Group Exclusive lines are particularly important to us because they give us a real point of difference over the competition and I’ve been very impressed with the quality of the exclusive products we’ve been getting access to.”

While the exclusive ranges and products offer something truly unique for retailers, Premier has also been able to ensure that retailers get access to the most important NPD all year round, as well as incorporating many of those new lines into its promotional programme. Special pricing has often ensured that retailers can offer the latest and most exciting lines to their shoppers at special introductory pricing to drive trial and footfall. Additionally, Premier has listed to retailer feedback around the importance of NPD and has responded by moving NPD to the front page of the Premier shoppers leaflets. This has made the new lines unmissable for shoppers and has undoubtedly helped bring more shoppers to the door of more Premier stores. Premier Retailer Support Manager Paul Hamlyn comments: “We have seen the role of NPD grow in importance over the last year or two and feedback from Premier retailers has emphasised how vital it is for them that they have access to NPD as quickly as possible and, where possible, on a Group Exclusive basis.

“While Premier has always been extremely efficient at making new products available to retailers, we have listened to that feedback and acted promptly. Being part of bigger group is better for all, as we have seen in recent months some fantastic Group Exclusive deals on products in popular categories. We have also continued to deliver lots of new Booker own brand products that we know shoppers love and trust. “Finally, we have placed more emphasis on NPD in our shopper-facing communications which puts all of these exciting new products front and centre for shoppers. This has helped Premier retailers really leverage the power of new products to grow footfall, sales and profits in their stores.”

RETAILER VIEW AJITPAL SINGH Premier Capel Hill Stores, Tonyrefail “New products, especially from big brands, are always a great way to create a bit of noise and excitement both in-store and on social media. Shoppers love to try new lines and it helps grow sales and profits. Particularly important for us are exclusive lines and Premier has been doing a great job of securing major new lines exclusively which is massively important in helping us offer a better range than our competitors.”

August 2021 TalkingShop

chilled The UK’s No.1 chilled coffee * brand.

coffee

*Nielsen 22/05/2021

milk based drinks the convenient way to get goodness on the go

how we stack up!

Plan your fridge the right way in the food to go section to drive sales.

convenience MBB is growing

+7.5% YOY in va lue*

Starbucks is worth

£88.4m makin

g it the biggest brand within MBB*

*Nielsen Scantrack Total Coverage inc Discounters, 24.04.2021 **Lumina Intelligence, CTP 2021

e Coffee is onst te of the fas ub growing s ith sectors w

20.6% value * growth

RTD coffee shoppers spend

0 £23.8 re mo

than the average convenience mission**

Coffee accounts for

34.7% of va lue sales

within MBB*

RTD coffee it shoppers vis convenience stores

.6eetkimones 3 aw ** average

Closer to convenience. Impartial, expert advice from the UK’s No1** Dairy Provider

FEATURE | Home Delivery

The perfect way to deliver sales growth

The national lockdowns accelerated an already growing trend towards home delivery, and Premier retailers offering the service are seeing their sales and profits rise significantly.

dapting quickly and effectively to changing circumstances is key to the ongoing success of any business, and this is particularly true in retail. The national lockdowns of the past 18 months changed shopping patterns dramatically, and many retailers started home delivery operations to keep their local communities served with the products they needed, and particularly the

44 TalkingShop August 2021

vulnerable. When you add in the fact that deliveries from the foodservice sector and online retailers such as Amazon have seen significant growth in recent years, there can be no doubt that the demand for grocery delivery is here to stay, and that the opportunity for retailers to increase their catchment area and basket spend remains a huge opportunity. Alice Dolling Senior Insight Manager at Lumina Intelligence says: “2020 saw an

acceleration in online shopping that we could never have predicted. Nearly one-in-five shoppers changed their primary method of grocery shopping to online, highlighting the opportunity available. As demand increases, convenience stores have a great opportunity to drive greater basket spend and expand the potential catchment area of their store by offering delivery.” Justin Whittaker of MJ’s Premier in Royton, Lancashire, recently reached

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

the impressive milestone of £1m in sales through the store’s delivery app despite his store measuring only 1,400sq ft. “We launched our app 12 months before the pandemic hit and we started off with 300 products available for delivery, and one vehicle,” says Justin. “It was tricky to start with – six or seven items would take a long time to deliver, then there would be special requests and comments to deal with too, but over time we learned how to do it and then when the pandemic hit it meant we had everything properly tested already. “Now we have over 1,400 products available and two drivers working throughout the week with three or four needed at the weekend. On Fridays and Saturdays, we can do more than 150 drops per day and deliveries are 40% of our takings. “I would have launched the service anyway, but the pandemic definitely accelerated it. People use c-stores as a habit and people are in a different habit now. They are now in a regular routine of ordering from home.” With a minimum drop of £10 and a delivery charge on a sliding scale of £1.99

to £3.49, up to a maximum distance of three miles, the average basket spend for MJ’s is over £25. Deliveries are carried out in branded vehicles to raise more awareness of the service and are guaranteed to arrive within 30 minutes. Best–selling lines include bread, milk and bananas, plus bulkier packs such as 24-packs of Walkers crisps and 12-packs of bottled water. Every Monday, Justin runs “penny deals”, offering selected products at just 1p per item for delivery only. “We do this to kickstart people back into ordering online on Monday, so they get back into the habit,” Justin explains. Premier retailer Mandeep Singh is also overseeing a thriving delivery business in Sheffield. “When people were shielding and staying at home during lockdown we realised we had to come up with a plan in order to offer a delivered service,” he explains. “Initially, we had a local partner, but they were taking 15% of each sale and there came a point when we were growing massively so we decided to plan our own solution, using our own people and our own vehicles.

For more information about running a home delivery service, contact your RDM

Home delivery apps compared App

Jisp

Snappy Shopper

Deliveroo

Just Eat

Uber Eats

£75+VAT

£500+VAT

Free

£295

Free

£30+VAT p/w, 0.5% transaction fee

From 0.5%, 4% service fee

30%

14% +50p admin charge per order

25%

Settlement

T+3

Weekly

Set-up time

<1 week

4 weeks

<1 week

4 weeks

80mm Thermal printer £280+VAT

80mm Thermal printer

(included in set-up cost)

Store

Deliveroo

Just Eat & Store

Uber Eats

Notice period

6 months min contract, then 1 month notice

Two year agreement

30 days

Services

Home delivery, Click & Collect, Scan Pay & Go

Home Delivery

Home delivery, Click & Collect

Home Delivery, Click & Collect

Activation fee Commission

Printer Delivery

August 2021 TalkingShop

Available now

Introducing new and exclusive Blackcurrant & Lime Vodka Available exclusively in Booker until 1st September 2021

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

“We registered the name Singh’s Drop for our service and have two branded cars and three scooters, plus we can call on other local drivers if needed. “Now we have an order window from 9am to 10pm 7 days a week, and across our two stores offering the service we have weekly sales of £25k and an average delivery basket spend of £24.”

AVAILABLE OPTIONS Both Justin and Mandeep use a software plug-in from Zeus Labs, which means their shoppers can place orders via the stores’ respective Facebook pages. Use of the software is licensed in return for a fixed monthly fee rather than being a percentage of the delivery orders, but for smaller operations and for those retailers just starting out with delivery, many have turned to third party providers to provide a quick and easy solution for order processing, payment and delivery. Options include Snappy Shopper, Jisp, Deliveroo and Uber Eats, and Premier retailers can benefit from some exclusive deals around set-up costs and transaction fees to help you get started. A third option is to handle the whole thing through existing store teams, with staff members or local taxis making deliveries to shoppers’ homes. Whichever option you choose, there are a few basic principles to follow to make your delivery service a winner in your local area.

RETAILER VIEW ARJAN SINGH Premier Morley, Leeds “Delivery has just gone crazy for us, we are doing £10k in sales a week! It’s like a business within a business, and a lot of our shoppers have never been to the store. “We use the Zeus Labs platform for ordering through our Facebook page and we use Just Eat as well. When we make deliveries ourselves we use electric vehicles and that’s a big selling point for some people. “The big advantage of Just Eat is that everybody has the app already. It’s a huge platform that enables you reach a massive range of customers that wouldn’t normally find your store. You might lose some margin but you gain such a lot in sales.”

MAKING A DELIVERY SERVICE DELIVER FOR YOU l Start small, with a limited range of key products. l Choose whether to create your own system or to use a third party app. l Decide if you want to have a standard delivery charge and/or minimum spend.

that shopper forever. The same goes for the quality of the products – they have to arrive as perfect as they would be in the shop.

l Keep the store well-stocked so delivery orders can made in full.

“We have a ‘quick pick room’ for popular items l Use social media to communicate the offer. which we use for the most commonly bought l Expand your delivery product range with larger items so that it’s quick pack sizes to boost basket spend. and easy to find them for And there is no-one better placed than Justin deliveries. We also have some items that we don’t sell in the shop and are online only, to give point you in the right direction. “Delivery isn’t something you can dabble such as 20–packs of Budweiser, which gives in, you have to be fully committed to it,” he the delivery service an extra dimension. “If you do food to go already this is a says. “The most important thing is to get the massive help. It gives you a push in the shop right first! If your availability and right direction because these are the sort attention to detail is off even by a little bit, of products that people are already used to having delivered. You could prepare pizzas then your deliveries will reflect that. “I run the shop at near 100% availability. and so on in a kitchen without necessarily If the shopper is wanting to cook a family having to offer them in store, for example. meal and you can deliver onions, peppers And then, as your service gets more popular, and wraps, for example, but not the chicken, you can start to add the daily essentials to the then their dinner is ruined and you could lose delivery range.” August 2021 TalkingShop

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To find out more email connect@ccep.com, call 0808 1 000 000 or visit my.ccep.com *Except label and cap. **From September 2021 onwards. ©2021 Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. All rights reserved. COCA-COLA, COCA-COLA ZERO SUGAR, DIET COKE, SMARTWATER, FANTA, SPRITE, DR PEPPER are registered trade marks.

Wine Festival | FEATURE

Capitalise on

Premier Wine Festival! This summer’s Premier Wine Festival was the biggest yet and a new wave of promotions over the coming months offer more opportunities to build on that excitement and momentum in-store.

his summer’s hugely popular Premier Wine Festival has helped put the important wine category at the front of many shoppers’ minds. Both phases of the Wine Festival saw a huge array of outstanding promotions bring more shoppers into the category. With excitement and momentum in the category now high,

it’s the perfect time to build on the Festival by keeping wine front of mind over the next couple of months – and Premier has another programme of fantastic promotions to allow you to do just that. The off–trade market for wine has boomed during lockdown and the biggest ever Wine Festival helped Premier retailers capitalise on that with some of Premier’s

strongest-ever deals on wine. As well as helping retailers increase the range they offer in-store, improving choice for their shoppers, the promotions also delivered amazing PORs for retailers. Every still wine included in the Festival delivered a minimum of 20% POR, rising to more than 26% for the Hardy’s Stamp range, for example. August 2021 TalkingShop

FEATURE | Wine Festival

NP7

Top Tips If you have the space, try to maximise wine tower and gondola end space for promotional wines. Offer promotions at a variety of price points to appeal to all shoppers and budgets. Try to make sure white, sparkling wine and rosé wine is available chilled. Where possible, merchandise wine near to food chillers to increase upsell opportunities with shoppers looking for a meal for tonight.

50 TalkingShop August 2021

1st to 28th September

WINE MEGA DEALS! PRODUCT CASE SIZE WSP

PROMO WSP

SHOPPER DEAL

RSP

POR

Campo Viejo Tempranillo

6x75cl

£35.99

£28.49

£6.49

£9.49

12.2%

Campo Viejo Garnacha

6x75cl

£35.99

£28.49

£6.49

£9.49

12.2%

Campo Viejo Blanco

6x75cl

£35.99

£28.49

£6.49

£9.49

12.2%

Campo Viejo Rose

6x75cl

£35.99

£28.49

£6.49

£9.49

12.2%

Campo Viejo Winemaker Blend

6x75cl

£35.99

£28.49

£6.49

£9.49

12.2%

NP7 1st to 28th September

WINE PROMOTIONAL DEALS – NP7 PRODUCT CASE SIZE WSP

PROMO WSP

SHOPPER DEAL

RSP

POR

Hardys Stamp Semillon Sauvignon

6x75cl £28.99

£23.99

£6.49

£7.49

26.1%

Hardys Stamp Semillon Chardonnay

6x75cl £28.99

£23.99

£6.49

£7.49

26.1%

Hardys Stamp Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 6x75cl £28.99

£23.99

£6.49

£7.49

26.1%

Hardys Stamp Cabernet Merlot

6x75cl £28.99

£23.99

£6.49

£7.49

26.1%

Jam Shed Shiraz

6x75cl £27.55

£25.95

£6.49

£7.49

20.0%

Jam Shed Malbec

6x75cl £26.99

£25.95

£6.49

£7.49

20.0%

Barefoot Pinot Grigio

6x75cl £30.59

£26.49

£6.99

£7.99

24.2%

Barefoot White Zinfandel

6x75cl £30.59

£26.49

£6.99

£7.99

24.2%

Barefoot Shiraz

6x75cl £30.59

£26.49

£6.99

£7.99

24.2%

Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc

6x75cl £30.59

£26.49

£6.99

£7.99

24.2%

Barefoot Merlot

6x75cl £30.59

£26.49

£6.99

£7.99

24.2%

Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon

6x75cl £30.59

£26.49

£6.99

£7.99

24.2%

Barefoot Pink Moscato

6x75cl £30.59

£26.49

£6.99

£7.99

24.2%

Barefoot Malbec

6x75cl £30.59

£26.49

£6.99

£7.99

24.2%

Barefoot Chardonnay

6x75cl £30.59

£26.49

£6.99

£7.99

24.2%

Barefoot Pink Pinot Grigio

6x75cl £30.59

£26.49

£6.99

£7.99

24.2%

Barefoot Jammy Red

6x75cl £30.59

£26.49

£6.99

£7.99

24.2%

Barefoot Buttery Chardonnay

6x75cl £30.59

£26.49

£6.99

£7.99

24.2%

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

NP7 1st to 28th September

WINE PROMOTIONAL DEALS – NP7 PRODUCT

CASE SIZE NORMAL WSP

PROMO WSP

CONSUMER DEAL

RSP

POR

Dino Prosecco DOC Spumante

6x75cl

£34.99

£31.45

£6.99

£8.75

10.0%

Wolf Blass Y.L. Cabernet Sauvignon

6x75cl

£32.49

£29.95

£7.49

£8.49

20.0%

Canti Prosecco Rose DOC 75cl

6x75cl

£35.95

£33.69

£8.49

£9.99

20.6%

Canti Prosecco Brut

6x75cl

£35.95

£33.69

£8.49

£9.99

20.6%

Wolf Blass Y.L Chardonnay

6x75cl

£32.49

£29.95

£7.49

£8.49

20.0%

Trivento Argentina Malbec

6x75cl

£31.89

£29.95

£7.49

£7.99

20.0%

19 Crimes Red

6x75cl

£32.99

£29.95

£7.49

£8.99

20.0%

19 Crimes Sauvignon Block

6x75cl

£32.99

£29.95

£7.49

£8.99

20.0%

Distant Vines Juicy/Spicy PM499

6x75cl

£18.99

£18.49

£4.99

25.9%

Distant Vines Fruity/Zesty PM499

6x75cl

£18.99

£18.49

£4.99

25.9%

Distant Vines PM499 Floral & Fruity

6x75cl

£18.99

£18.49

£4.99

25.9%

Distant Vines Light/Refreshing PM499

6x75cl

£18.99

£18.49

£4.99

25.9%

Distant Vines Soft/Mellow PM499

6x75cl

£18.99

£18.49

£4.99

25.9%

Isla Negra Seashore Rose

6x75cl

£22.99

£22.39

£5.75

22.1%

Isla Negra Chardonnay PM575

6x75cl

£22.99

£22.39

£5.75

22.1%

Isla Negra Sauvignon Blanc PM575

6x75cl

£22.99

£22.39

£5.75

22.1%

Isla Negra Merlot PM575

6x75cl

£22.99

£22.39

£5.75

22.1%

Isla Negra Seashore Sauvignon Blanc

6x75cl

£22.99

£22.39

£5.75

22.1%

Isla Negra Seashore Merlot

6x75 cl

£22.99

£22.39

£5.75

22.1%

Isla Negra Seashore Cabernet Sauvignon 6x75 cl

£22.99

£22.39

£5.75

22.1%

The next period of promotions offers retailers everything they need to keep cashing in on wine for the next few months. The full range of promotions feature specially discounted WSPs for Premier retailers, helping to boost profits in this popular category. Sure to be popular in NP7 (1st – 28th September) is an outstanding set of Mega Deals on many of the hugely popular Campo Viejo range of wines. The promotions see five different red, white and rosé Camp Viejo wines on sale at just £6.49, a massive saving on the RSP of £9.49. A deal that strong will help drive footfall to your store and impulse sales, particularly if you highlight the offer on your social media. The deals still deliver solid PORs of 12.0% for retailers. Similarly, the Hardys Stamp range will be available to shoppers at just £6.49, a saving of £1 on the RSP, while retailers will benefit from a £5 saving per case, taking PORs up

to over 26%. On the ever popular Hardys Bin 161 range, Premier retailers will benefit from a saving of £1.24 on every case, boosting the POR on this important range to 25% throughout the period. When it comes to sparkling wines, NP7 includes a number of fantastic deals such as a shopper saving of £1.50 per bottle on both Canti Prosecco Brut and Canti Prosecco Rosé, while retailers benefit from a saving of £2.26 a case, boosting POR to 20.6%. There are also some great WSP deals to be had on a range of exclusive Booker wine brands including the £4.99 price marked Distant Vines range where WSPs have been cut by 50p a case, taking the already strong POR up even further to 25.9%. NP7 features a knock out selection of deals across all wine types and all price points, so Premier retailers will be well equipped to keep building on the momentum in the category created by the

Premier Wine Festival. Establishing a reputation for choice, quality and value in the category can help you establish your store as a first choice destination for wine purchases. As well as growing sales of wine, this will also help boost basket spend by giving you the opportunity to sell more products in other related categories such as snacks, soft drinks and sharing food at the same time. As always, the key to fully exploiting Premier’s promotional programme is great execution in-store. If you have the space, retailers are advised to maximise wine tower and gondola end space and, where feasible, merchandise wine in or near to food chillers to increase the opportunities to upsell to shoppers popping in for a “meal for tonight”. Chill as many of the sparkling, white and rosé wines as you have space for, particularly on warm days and at weekends when demand is typically higher. August 2021 TalkingShop

Tobacco Club | FEATURE

Join the Club

and instantly add 2% to your profits! 2% minimum extra pro fit on ever y product

Tobacco remains an important category and by joining the Premier Tobacco Club, retailers can increase footfall, increase sales and grow profits by 2% thanks to lower WSPs on a range of 12 best-selling products.

he tobacco category remains massively important to Premier retailers, driving significant footfall and sales every day. Despite the pressure on the category from increasingly tough legislation and the growth of alternatives like vaping and other nicotine replacement products, the tobacco category remains extremely resilient. The latest Tobacco Manufacturers

Association data shows that the category is still worth more than £18bn in sales to retailers every year. That’s a huge category by any standard so it’s important to stay on top of it, but there’s one easy way to instantly convert more of those sales into bigger profits: join the Premier Tobacco Club. The concept is simple: in return for agreeing to stock and sell Premier Tobacco Club products at RSP or below, retailers

PREMIER TOBACCO CLUB l l l l

Enhanced wholesale prices Competitive retail prices Better POR Contact your RDM for details August 2021 TalkingShop

FEATURE | Tobacco Club

PREMIER TOBACCO CLUB PRODUCTS Players Superkings Green Filter Case size: 10 x 20s Improved WSP: £72.60 RSP: £9.50 Improved POR: 8.29% Players King Size Real Red Case size: 10 x 20s Improved WSP: £71.80 RSP: £9.50 Improved POR: 9.31% Players Superkings Real Red Case size: 10 x 20s Improved WSP: £71.80 RSP: £9.50 Improved POR: 9.31% L&B King Size Blue Real Blue Case size: 10 x 20s Improved WSP: £72.93 RSP: £9.50 Improved POR: 7.88% Carlton Superkings Green Filter Case size: 10 x 20s Improved WSP: £73.20 RSP: £9.50 Improved POR: 7.54%

RETAILER VIEW MANDEEP SINGH Premier Singhs, Sheffield “Despite all the pressures the category has been under in recent years, it remains hugely important for us. It still drives big volumes of sales and footfall. The Premier Tobacco Club lets us take advantage of the strength of the category by guaranteeing a minimum 2% POR boost on every pack of qualifying cigarettes or rolling tobacco that we sell. It’s a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned and I would encourage all Premier retailers to join and start benefitting immediately.”

RETAILER VIEW JIMMY PATEL Premier Jimmy’s, Northampton “Tobacco has always been a really important category and it remains so to this day. To be able to guarantee an extra 2% POR on every sale of Premier Tobacco Club lines is a godsend. The 12 products in the Club range are all big selling, high volume products so you know you’re going to sell plenty of them and you know that extra POR is benefitting your business every day of the year. It’s great for shoppers as they’re guaranteed great pricing and it’s great for retailers as they’re guaranteed extra profits.”

Carlton King Size Red Case size: 10 x 20s Improved WSP: £73.20 RSP: £9.50 Improved POR: 7.54% Carlton Superkings Red Case size: 10 x 20s Improved WSP: £73.20 RSP: £9.50 Improved POR: 7.54% Gold Leaf RYO + Papers Case size: 5 x 50g Improved WSP: £77.00 RSP: £21.00 Improved POR: 12.00% Gold Leaf RYO + Papers Case size: 5 x 30g Improved WSP: £46.93 RSP: £12.80 Improved POR: 12.01% Riverstone RYO Case size: 5 x 30g Improved WSP: £48.05 RSP: £12.80 Improved POR: 9.91% L&B RYO TTT Case size: 5 x 30g Improved WSP: £48.05 RSP: £12.80 Improved POR: 9.91% L&B RYO TTT Case size: 5 x 50g Improved WSP: £78.97 RSP: £21.00 Improved POR: 9.75% ALL PRICES CORRECT AT TIME OF PRINTING

54 TalkingShop August 2021

gain instant access to lower WSPs. That in turn delivers PORs that are boosted by a minimum of 2% on every sale. Additionally, by selling at competitive RSPs, Premier retailers are likely to benefit from increased footfall. And when these shoppers visit your store for their cigarettes or RYO products, the chances are they will also pick up additional lines, boosting your basket spend and further increasing your sales and profits.

VALUE FOCUS It’s hard to overstate the importance of competitive pricing in the tobacco category. The last 18 months have ensured that shoppers are more focused on value than ever before and

nowhere is this more vital than in the tobacco category. Economy cigarettes and RYO are the two segments of the category that have been growing fastest in recent years with Imperial Tobacco estimating, for instance, that RYO is currently growing at 30% year-onyear and now accounts for around 45% of all tobacco sales. Cigarettes, however, still account for more than half of all sales – 52.7% - according to the same estimates, and it’s value for money that is the key driver. To help retailers deliver that value for money while also growing PORs significantly, Premier has been working with suppliers to secure lower WSPs on 12 key big-selling

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

RETAILER VIEW DENNIS WILLIAMS Premier Broadway Convenience Store, Edinburgh “Tobacco has always been an important category and even more so with the pandemic. The Tobacco Club includes some of our topselling lines and has helped us to grow sales by selling at RSP, which shoppers like, whilst still being able to maintain a good margin. Tobacco shoppers visit our stores more frequently and have a higher basket spend. The ability to sell at RSP sends out a value message that in my view then reflects on the rest of the store.”

PLAYERS SUPERKINGS GREEN FILTER 10 X 20S WSP: £74.19 / £72.60 RSP: £9.50 POR: 6.29% / 8.29%

RETAILER VIEW RANJ HAYER Premier Hayers, Weston Super Mare “We’ve always found that tobacco is a really pricesensitive category. If shoppers feel that they’re not getting fair pricing, they’ll shop elsewhere. Not only do you risk losing the sale of the tobacco product itself, you also risk losing the sale of the all the other products that tobacco shoppers also tend to pick up. So a scheme like the Premier Tobacco Club means we can offer the products at RSP and we get an extra 2% POR for nothing. It’s a fantastic initiative and every Premier retailers should be taking advantage.”

SAVE £1.59

PLAYERS KING SIZE REAL RED 10 X 20S WSP: £73.39 / £71.80 RSP: £9.50

£5,000 potential extra profit a year

tobacco products. The products featured in the Premier Tobacco Club include major brands like JPS Players, Gold Leaf, Carlton and Lambert & Butler. The 12-strong range includes five RYO products to ensure that Premier retailers can cater for their shoppers’ specific requirements while guaranteeing a minimum 2% POR boost on every pack sold.

HOW TO JOIN It couldn’t be simpler to join and start benefitting immediately. All that retailers have to do is agree to set their prices at or below the RSPs highlighted in the tables featured in this article. Once you’ve done

that, you’ll see the lower WSPs charged on your invoice, no credits required. It’s that simple! From then on, it’s simply a case of maintaining good stock levels on the 12 topselling lines featured in the Premier Tobacco Club and watching the extra profit mount up in the till. One trend that’s also worth bearing in mind is ‘dual’ smoking: shoppers switching between cigarettes and RYO products to suit difference occasions. Imperial Tobacco estimates that a quarter of adult smokers are now dual smokers - so it’s clearly critical to maintain a strong product range across all categories. By joining the Premier Tobacco Club, retailers can achieve this quickly and easily, while also boosting their PORs on every sale.

SAVE £1.59

PLAYERS SUPERKINGS REAL RED 10 X 20S WSP: £73.39 / £71.80 RSP: £9.50 POR: 7.30% / 9.31%

SAVE £1.59

FOR MORE INFORMATION, SPEAK TO YOUR RDM TODAY August 2021 TalkingShop

ALL PRICES CORRECT AT TIME OF PRINTING

POR: 7.30% / 9.31%

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

L&B KING SIZE BLUE REAL BLUE 10 X 20S WSP: £74.51 / £72.93

CARLTON SUPERKINGS GREEN FILTER 10 X 20S

RSP: £9.50

WSP: £74.79 / £73.20

POR: 5.88% / 7.88%

RSP: £9.50

CARLTON KING SIZE RED 10 X 20S WSP: £74.79 / £73.20 RSP: £9.50 POR: 5.53% / 7.54%

POR: 5.53% / 7.54%

SAVE £1.59

CARLTON SUPERKINGS RED 10 X 20S

GOLD LEAF RYO + PAPERS 5 X 50G

GOLD LEAF RYO + PAPERS 5 X 30G

WSP: £74.79 / £73.20

WSP: £78.75 / £77.00

WSP: £48.00 / £46.93

RSP: £9.50

RSP: £21.00

RSP: £12.80

POR: 5.53% / 7.54%

POR: 10.00% / 12.00%

POR: 10.00% / 12.01%

SAVE £1.59

SAVE £1.75

SAVE £1.07

RIVERSTONE RYO 5 X 30G

L&B ORIGINAL RYO 5 X 30G

L&B ORIGINAL RYO 5 X 50G

WSP: £49.12 / £48.05

WSP: £80.72 / £78.97

RSP: £12.80

RSP: £21.00

POR: 7.90% / 9.91%

POR: 7.75% / 9.75%

SAVE £1.07

SAVE £1.75

FOR MORE INFORMATION, SPEAK TO YOUR RDM TODAY August 2021 TalkingShop

ALL PRICES CORRECT AT TIME OF PRINTING

SAVE £1.58

Stock the #1 World Beer Brand

+18%

HIGHER ROS THAN THE NEXT SMALL WORLD BEER BOTTLE PACK IN 2020*

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

Marvellous multipacks WHAT? CLASSIC ORIGINAL AND STRAWBERRY CONES MULTIPACKS WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Multipack versions of the popular Classic range of own–brand ice creams are now available, with Strawberry Cones in packs of four and Classic Original in packs of three. Both packs carry the great value RSP of £1.50 (price marked) and provide an opportunity to drive up basket spend. Retailers can also benefit from a fantastic POR of 36.8% on every pack. WHO? Ideal for family sharing or for shoppers to keep in the freezer for another day, both packs represent great value for money. Web banners and Facebook ads are available from Booker.co.uk. WHERE TO STOCK? In the freezer. CLASSIC ORIGINAL MULTIPACK Case size: 8x3x110ml WSP: £6.29 RSP: £1.50 POR: 37.1% STRAWBERRY CONES MULTIPACK Case size: 6x4x110ml WSP: £4.69 RSP: £1.50 POR: 37.4% August 2021 TalkingShop

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

Monster Exclusive WHAT? MONSTER ASSAULT BOOKER GROUP EXCLUSIVE WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Monster Assault is a newly-upgraded full sugar variant of the popular energy drink range and the distinctive camouflage-style 500ml cans are price marked at £1.45. The product is exclusive to Booker Group for a six–month period. WHO? Stimulants grew 11.6% during 2020, adding £57.2m to sales in the convenience channel and outgrowing all other soft drinks combined, according to IRI. Nearly three quarters (72%) of growth in the energy category comes from new product development, and 51% of that growth is driven by Monster. (Nielsen).

BOOK E GRO R U P EXCL USIVE

WHERE TO STOCK? In the soft drinks chiller. Position prominently to make the most of the exclusive product. MONSTER ASSAULT PM145 Case size: 12X500ml WSP: £8.99 RSP: £1.45 POR: 38.0%

Ready to drink

Eco-friendly refreshment WHAT? CAPRI-SUN SUSTAINABLE PACKS

WHAT? ROBINSONS RTD

WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW

WHY? Capri Sun is claiming to be “the most sustainable kids’ drink in the world” with its new packs having their lowest-ever packaging weight at only 4g and containing paper straws with each pouch.

WHY? A ready to drink version of the well-known Robinsons dilutable brand, the new product combines spring water and real fruit in a 500ml bottle with no added sugar. It is available in two varieties, Raspberry & Apple and Peach & Mango. WHO? Robinsons RTD is aimed the younger members of the household who prioritise taste, convenience and no added sugar when choosing a soft drink. The new products feature in Robinsons’ ongoing ‘Let there be Fruit’ advertising campaign, while Robinsons RTD will have further visibility on posters and digital media. WHERE TO STOCK? In the soft drinks chiller, between water and juice drinks. ROBINSONS RASPBERRY & APPLE PM£1, ROBINSONS PEACH & MANGO PM£1 Case size: 12X500ml WSP: £6.19 RSP: £1.00 POR: 38.1%

60 TalkingShop August 2021

WHO? The product is aimed at parents of the brand’s core consumers, children aged 3–14 years old. It contains no artificial colours, preservatives or sweeteners. The four-pack pouch multipacks are price marked at £1.75 and are available in Orange and Blackcurrant varieties. WHERE TO STOCK? On the ambient soft drinks fixture with other take-home packs. CAPRI-SUN BLACKCURRANT PM179, CAPRI-SUN ORANGE PM179 Case size: 8X4X200ml WSP: £9.29 RSP: £1.75 POR: 20.4%

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

New from Spain WHAT? CAMPO VIEJO WINEMAKERS’ BLEND AND ROSE WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Two new wine skus from Campo Viejo are now available to order. Campo Viejo Rioja Winemakers’ Blend is described as a progressive style of Rioja perfect for sharing with friends and is made from old vines Tempranillo, Garnacha and Bobal. Campo Viejo Rioja Rosé is an award-winning, aromatic rosé wine made with 100% Grenache grapes that can be enjoyed with a variety of light savoury dishes like tapas, salads, seafood and chicken, according to the producer. WHO? Campo Viejo is the UK’s number one Spanish wine brand and is outperforming the category with +36.2% growth in the impulse sector (Nielsen). The brand will feature in an exclusive on-pack offer during NP7 (2nd-29th September), with over £80,000 worth of prizes for shoppers including a dream holiday and luxury Spanish hampers. WHERE TO STOCK? Merchandise the red in the main red wine fixture alongside any other Campo Viejo lines you stock and the rosé in the chiller on the rosé fixture, again alongside any other Campo Viejo products you stock to maximise on-shelf impact and drive sales and profits CAMPO VIEJO RIOJA WINEMAKERS’ BLEND, CAMPO VIEJO RIOJA ROSE Case size: 6 X 750ML WSP: £35.99 RSP: £9.49 POR: 24.2%

Orange order WHAT? JAMESON ORANGE 70CL WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Irish whiskey brand Jameson has launched a new orange flavoured range extension with bright flavours derived from real fruit zest and peel for a crisp, refreshing taste. The lower alcohol product – 30% ABV – is ideally served with lemonade for a light and crisp long drink, the new line will tap in to the trend for flavoured spirits, bringing innovation to the growing Irish category. WHO? Flavours have driven 80% of all off-trade spirits NPD sales over the last two years and orangeflavoured spirit drinks have seen sales double two years in a row (Nielsen). Flavours are also seen as an opportunity to bring more female consumers in to a traditionally male-dominated category. The product will feature in the NP7 promotion (2nd to 29th September), alongside standard Jameson whisky. Both lines will then also feature on an additional alcohol leaflet and on national promotion in NP9 and NP10 (3rd November – 4th January). WHERE TO STOCK? On the spirits shelf, alongside standard Jameson 70cl bottles. JAMESON ORANGE 70CL Case size: 6X70CL WSP: £101.94 RSP: £25.49 POR: 20% 70CL SINGLE BOTTLE WSP: £16.99 August 2021 TalkingShop

NEW LOOK

COCA-COLA ZERO SUGAR FLAVOURS

COCA-COLA ZERO SUGAR IS THE FASTEST GROWING COLA BRAND IN CONVENIENCE YTD*

COMING SOON

NEW LOOK

Try it Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Vanilla PMP 500ml 229365

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar PMP 500ml 266722

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Cherry PMP 500ml 202718

*Nielson Scantrack, Independent & Symbols, % Growth in Value Sales, YTD w/e 22/05/2021 © 2021 The Coca-Cola Company. All rights reserved. COCA-COLA and COCA-COLA ZERO are registered trade marks of The Coca-Cola Company.

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

Dessert value packs WHAT? AMBROSIA RICE PUDDING SIX-PACK AND AMBROSIA CUSTARD POTS SIX-PACK WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Ambrosia has launched two new six-pack formats of its popular Rice Pudding and Custard Pot products. Both lines are ambient products and can be eaten hot by microwaving at home or cold straight from the pot. The pots are 120g to deliver ideal single-portion serves and are easily stored at home and in-store without the need for refrigeration. Long shelf lives also ensure that waste is eliminated. WHO? Made in the UK using British Red Tractor milk, both products are free from gluten, preservatives, artificial colours and flavourings and both are also suitable for vegetarians. Ideal for lunchboxes or a for a quick dessert option, the larger format packs helps grow basket spend while also delivering fantastic value and quality for shoppers. WHERE TO STOCK? Both lines should be stocked prominently on ambient shelves alongside other sweet dessert products and lunchbox options. AMBROSIA RICE PUDDING MULTIPACK, AMBROSIA CUSTARD MULTIPACK Case size: 6x120g WSP: £2.19 RSP: £2.99 POR: 26.8%

26.8% POR

Welcome wobble WHAT? HARTLEY’S READY TO EAT STRAWBERRY JELLY SIX PACK WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Ready to eat strawberry flavoured red jelly in a six–pack for better shopper value and improved basket spend. Each pot is 125g and provides a single serving. WHO? These jelly pots are suitable as a sweet snack on the go and, as they are ambient, they can be kept in the cupboard for a convenient dessert. Ideal for lunchboxes and family picnics. WHERE TO STOCK? With ambient desserts. HARTLEYS READY TO EAT STRAWBERRY JELLY MULTIPACK Case size: 6x125g WSP: £2.19 RSP: £2.99 POR: 26.8% August 2021 TalkingShop

PricesDown

FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE ON COSTS AND BOOST YOUR PROFITS

Reduced WSPs, bigger PORs! Premier retailers are set to benefit from greatly reduced WSPs on a range of popular wine and 4-pack beer lines as part of Booker’s Retail Wins strategy.

ooker’s ‘Bigger Group, Better For All’ ethos is continuing to drive increased profits for Premier retailers. Among the latest initiatives that help turbocharge PORs for retailers is a new range of popular beers and wines that have been added to the Retail Wins offer. The new lines include four big-selling wines from the I Heart range as well as three different 4-pack beer lines: Coors Light 500ml PM £5.59, Tyskie 500ml and Heineken 440ml PM £5.25. WSPs on the beer lines which have been added have been cut by at least £1.40 a case, rising to a saving of £2.30 a case for the Heineken 4-pack. WSPs on the four I Heart wines have been slashed by £1.44 per case.

Product

Case size

WSP

POR

I Heart Pinot Grigio

6x75cl

£1.44

25.0%

I Heart Rosé

6x75cl

£1.44

25.0%

I Heart Merlot

6x75cl

£1.44

25.0%

I Heart Sauvignon Blanc

6x75cl

£1.44

25.0%

Coors Light PM £5.59

6x4x500ml

£1.40

35.6%

Tyskie

6x4x500ml

£2.30

30.9%

Heineken PM £5.25

6x4x440ml

£2.00

30.3%

35.9% POR on Tyskie 4-pack

These savings help boost PORs and deliver, for instance, 35.6% on the Coors Light and over 30% on the Tyskie and Heineken lines while the wine range delivers PORs of 25%. With multipack beers and great value wines sure to be in demand over the next couple of months with plenty of the summer left, these new deals offer Premier retailers fantastic opportunities to grow profits.

New lines added!

August 2021 TalkingShop

Discover the

natural taste

M239626

STOCK UP NOW! Available in *Bottles and caps are 100% recyclable. The Buxton Still Water 50cl bottles in this pack are made from 100% recycled PET plastic, excluding caps and labels. Water contributes to the maintenance of normal physical and cognitive function and normal regulation of body temperature. At least 2L of water, from all sources, should be consumed per day, as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. ® Reg. Trademark used in agreement with the Trademark Owner.

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

NEW PREMIER POS RANGE UNVEILED Premier has revealed a fully updated and improved eye-catching range of POS materials with a fresh new look, along with a full implementation guide.

remier has revealed a brand new POS kit to help retailers instantly and effectively communicate the fantastic Premier promotional package to shoppers instore and on social media. The greatly expanded and improved new kit includes specialist POS for all of Premier’s main promotional programmes including Wow Deals, Mega Deals, EDLP, Frozen, Meal Deals, Amazing Value and Special Offers. The POS has been fully redesigned to make it even more eyecatching an attention-grabbing using the iconic Premier yellow contrasted with black for maximum standout. The new kit delivers everything that Premier retailers need to help them highlight promotions and even comes with a detailed implementation guide to ensure they make the very best use of the POS in-store. For the first time, the new POS kits now include ready-to-use shelf strips which means that retailers no longer have to print them themselves using the Epos system. Read on for some handy tips and advice on making the very best use of the amazing new POS materials to grow your sales and profits.

POS KIT: CONTENTS The new and improved POS kit includes: l Wow Deal POS l Mega Deal POS l Amazing Value POS l Sandwich Meal Deal POS l Frozen POS l Every Day Low Prices POS l Special Offers POS

August 2021 TalkingShop

POS KIT PRIORITY LIST Premier is advising retailers to display their all-new POS kits in the following priority order:

1 Amazing Value bread and milk (Display in the first poster frame closest to your entrance door).

2 Wow Deal poster

3 Six Mega Deal posters. Please display your Mega deal posters in prices ascending order.

4 Sandwich meal deal poster

68 TalkingShop August 2021

5 Special offer posters for any additional poster frames available.

POS SITING ADVICE Premier offers the following advice to retailers on how and where they should make use of their new POS kits:

POSTERS Please display all posters in line with the advice given in the poster priority panel within this article.

LARGE SHELF CARDS

SHELF EDGE LABELS

Wow and Mega Deal large shelf cards should be used for promotion ends only.

Great news! You will no longer need to print promotional Epos shelf edge labels in-store. You will receive one shelf edge label for all products that are on promotion. Always try to display your shelf edge labels to the left hand side of every product.

SHELF STRIPS Your Wow Deal shelf edge strip should be placed on the top shelf of your first promotion end. Mega Deal stripping is to be used on all other shelves on your two Mega Deal ends.

SHELF EDGE LABEL BACKERS You now have shelf edge label backers included in the kit to enhance the value message. Please only use a shelf edge label backer on products where you have two or more facings. Please keep shelf edge backers in a safe place. These will not be included in POS kits going forward.

*Please note that on all other special offer ends, please use normal black stripping with the special offer backers.

August 2021 TalkingShop

WSP: £6.15 RRP: £0.69 POR: 55.4%

Glaceau Smartwater 600ml Still M Code

180440

AMAZING VALUE POS For Premier’s Amazing Value deals, the POS kit now includes:

POSTERS

FROZEN POS

The milk and bread poster is to be displayed in the poster frame closet to the entrance door.

For maximum impact and sales please try to display your frozen meal deal within one door of an upright freezer. Glass door vinyls should be applied to the outside of the glass door upright freezers in the top left hand corner.

BANNER This is available to order via the Premier printshop website.

SANDWICH MEAL DEALS POS New and improved Sandwich Meal Deal POS kit is now included to make it easier for your shoppers to see what products are included in the deal. Additional sandwich meal deal kits are available via the Premier printshop website.

Glass surfaces should be clean and moistened with a damp cloth so that the vinyl can be slid into position.

EVERY DAY LOW PRICES POS EVERYDAY LOW PRICE SHELF CARDS These will only be sent for frozen, wine and beer promotional lines.

SHELF EDGE LABEL BACKERS For maximum impact please only use these where you have a product that has two or more facings.

SPIRIT SHELF EDGE LABEL These are to be displayed over the top of your standard Epos shelf edge label.

August 2021 TalkingShop

SLUSH SYRUPS NOW ONLY £11.99

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BOOKER CENTRAL BILLING EXCLUSIVE SAVE 10% AND GET A HUGE FREE STOCK BONUS!

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VAT

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Includes 18 x 5ltr bottles of slush concentrate

10% OFF ALL SLUSH MACHINES

COMPACT

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WORTH

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TREBLE 12 ltr

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£2158 +

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VAT

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Free POS with each machine Free cups & straws included *at RRP £1.50/Reg 300ml

T’s & C’s Apply

CALL TODAY 0330 053 6132 VISIT snowshock.com/bookerdeals VOUCHER CODE BCBE2101 Same price to call as 01 or 02 landlines - including from mobiles. Prices correct at time of publishing - Q1 2021.

AVAILABLE

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

xxxxxxxx HFSS regulations: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The Government has published the full regulations on high fat, xxxxxxxx salt and sugar (HFSS) restrictions in stores, and has confirmed that symbol groups are included.

xxx xxxxx

s part of its wider Obesity Strategy, XXX the UK Government announced last xxxxyear that it would be introducing new restrictions for retailers on products deemed to be high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS). The Obesity Strategy includes a range of measures aimed at encouraging adult shoppers to change their purchasing behaviour, diet and lifestyle – and the new regulations have significant in-store implications for all Premier retailers. The Government has now confirmed the details of the new regulations

as well as announcing a six-month postponement of the implementation of the rules to give retailers more time to prepare. The new rules were originally due to come into force in April 2022, but have now been pushed back to October 2022, giving retailers an additional period to prepare and adapt their stores. Importantly for Premier retailers, the Government has also confirmed that symbol group stores will be required to comply with the new regulations. However, the location restrictions only apply to stores larger than 2,000sq ft, so any Premier store with a shopfloor space smaller than 2,000 will

August 2021 TalkingShop

WHAT’S CHANGING? Among the most important in-store changes that will need to happen by next October are those around in-store siting and promotions. The new rules will restrict where in a store products designated as HFSS can be located. In practice, this will mean that retailers can not site affected products:

Additionally, new restrictions on volume promotions will be introduced to discourage shoppers from buying more than had intended to. Retailers will not be allowed to run the following promotions for products deemed to be HFSS: l Multibuys: e.g. 3 for the price of 2, 3 for £10 l Extra free: e.g. ‘Buy one get one’ ; 50% extra free

l Within two metres of a checkout area l Within two metres of a designated queueing area l In an end of aisle display l At the entrance to the store

It’s worth noting, however, that Meal Deals and ‘Dine for Two’ style promotions where different categories of product are bought together are exempt from the regulations.

OCTOBER 2022 Restrictions come into effect

{

The new rules will prohibit stores over 2,000sq ft from siting HFSS products in a number of high traffic areas including tillpoints and on aisle end displays.

74 TalkingShop August xxx 20212021

}

BetterService

{

WHICH IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE CATEGORIES ARE AFFECTED? The rules apply to prepacked foods only and affect the following categories: l Soft drinks with added suager l Confectionery l Cakes l Ice cream l Crisps and savoury Snacks l Morning goods (eg pastries) l Puddings and dairy desserts l Sweet biscuits l Breakfast cereals l Ready meals l Yoghurts l Milk drinks with added sugar l Juices with added sugar l Chips and similar potato products

xxxxxxxx

Some individual products within these categories may not be in scope of the regulations, depending on their Nutritional xxx Profiling Score.

xxxxx

The Government has confirmed that all symbol groups stores will be required to comply with the new regulations.

automatically be exempt. The wide-ranging restrictions affect both how HFSS products can be promoted and where they can be sited in-store. After October 2022, larger Premier stores will no longer be able to run multibuy deals (e.g. 3 for the price of 2) or ‘extra free’ deals (e.g BOGOFs), on products designated as HFSS by the government. Additionally, the new rules will prohibit Premier stores over 2,000sq ft from siting HFSS products in a number of high traffic areas of their store including tillpoints, at the entrance to the store or on aisle end displays. The new regulations, however, will not prohibit Meal Deals or ‘Dine for Two’ style deals that involve shoppers buying products from different categories. Many product categories will be impacted by the regulations including several obvious ones such as confectionery, cakes, ice cream and

}

ready meals, but the rules will also cover categories like breakfast cereals, yoghurts and juices with added sugar. However some individual products within these categories may not be within the scope of the regulations, depending upon their ‘Nutritional Profiling Score’, an independent scorecard developed by the Food Standards Agency to analyse the nutritional value of food and drink products. The new rules are complex and the government has not yet clarified all aspects of the legislation but Premier will continue to update retailers as the details of the new HFSS rules are announced. Should you have any queries or questions in the meantime, please contact your RDM All stores who will be able to under help.

2,000SQ FT are exemp t

ENFORCEMENT The Government has also published details of its enforcement activity of retailers when it comes to compliance with HFSS product restrictions. In incidents where retailers fail to comply with the new regulations, they will receive an ‘improvement notice’. If that notice is not followed, a fine may be issued.

RETAILER VIEW SURESH PATEL Premier Upholland Convenience Store, Wigan “The new HFSS regulations will have a major impact on how we merchandise our stores and we believe that the best plan is to start moving towards the new rules in-store sooner rather than later, and well before they come into effect. It will be easier for our shoppers to get used to the new rules if we gradually introduce them over an extended period, so that’s very much our plan.”

August 2021 TalkingShop

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

WINNING ON THE SCHOOL RUN The Back to School period is a great opportunity to create incremental sales and to offer solutions to busy parents in your community.

PASSING THE TEST l Focus on quick and easy solutions for parents l Offer staple lunchtime and sandwich-making products l Look out for relevant promotions l Follow the ongoing trend towards healthier options

eptember 2021 looks set to see the long–awaited return to more normal daily routines for school children and their parents after over a year of disrupted and interrupted education and attendance patterns. This means that the start of the new school year provides a new opportunity to deliver additional sales across a number of different categories in store. The return of school means the return of lunchboxes, so all the items that go into making up sandwiches and other essential parts of a packed lunch can expect to see a spike in sales.

The period also adds an extra dimension to food to go, with older children spending their lunch money on sandwiches, other lunch options and snacks in-store, as well as drinks and treats on their way home. In addition, with children back at school, the rhythm of parents’ daily lives will be different so quick, easy, nutritious and good value evening meal solutions will also be at the front of shoppers’ minds. What is more, the start of term means additional categories such as stationery will be in high demand, giving retailers the opportunity to make additional sales of high margin products.

August 2021 TalkingShop

LUNCH Dairlyea Dunkers Ritz PM69 Case size: 15x43g WSP: £7.19 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR £1.20 RSP: £0.69 POR: 20.1% Dairlyea Dunkers Breadsticks PM69 Case size: 15x43g WSP: £7.19 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR £1.20 RSP: £0.69 POR: 20.1% Dairlyea Dunkers Jumbo PM69 Case size: 15x41g WSP: £7.19 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR £1.20 RSP: £0.69 POR: 20.1% Dairlyea Lunchables Streetfood Pizza Case size: 10x65g WSP: £9.99 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR £2.50 RSP: £1.65 POR: 20.1%

SNACKS

Dairlyea Lunchables Chicken & Cheese PM165 Case size: 10x68.3g WSP: £9.99 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR £2.50 RSP: £1.65 POR: 20.1%

Eat Natural Yoghurt Almond Case size: 12x50g WSP: £6.19 Shopper deal: Any 2 for £1.30

Dairlyea Lunchables Ham & Cheese PM165 Case size: 10x74.1g WSP: £9.99 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR £2.50 RSP: £1.65 POR: 20.1%

Eat Natural Protein Pack Bar Case size: 12x50g WSP: £6.19 Shopper deal: Any

POR: 20.2%

2 for £1.30 POR: 20.2%

Eat Natural Chocolate, Cranberry & Macadamia Case size: 12x50g WSP: £6.19 Shopper deal: Any 2 for £1.30 POR: 20.2% Eat Natural Brazil, Sultana & Almond Case size: 12x50g WSP: £6.19 Shopper deal: Any 2 for £1.30

POR: 20.2%

Oatso Simple Original PM229 Case size: 6x8x27g WSP: £6.79 Shopper deal: LTHP £1.24

POR: 26.2%

Oatso Simple Golden Syrup PM229 Case size: 6x8x27g WSP: £6.79 Shopper deal: LTHP £1.24

POR: 26.2%

Lunchable Streetfood Pizza Case size: 10x65g WSP: £13.29 Shopper deal: Any

2 for £2.50 POR: 20.1%

DON’T FORGET THE STATIONERY

Walkers Max Paprika PM100 Case size: 15x70g WSP: £6.99 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR

£1.50 POR: 25.4%

Walkers Max Strong Hot Chicken Wings PM100 Case size: 15x70g WSP: £6.99 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR

£1.50 POR: 25.4%

Stationery products are available through Central Billing.

Walkers Max Double Crunch Cheese & Onion PM100 Case size: 15x65g WSP: £6.99 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR £1.50 POR: 25.4%

Core range essentials include pens, pencils, notebooks, rulers, pencil cases and calculators. Stick to brand leaders such as Helix, Sellotape, Pentel, Pilot, Parker, Stabilo, Papermate, Berol and Sharpie. Consider stocking some eco-friendly stationery products, as demand for these is growing. Advice above provided by David Fleming from the Club Group.

78 TalkingShop August 2021

Walkers Max Double Crunch BBQ PM100 Case size: 15x65g WSP: £6.99 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR

£1.50 POR: 25.4%

WalkersMax KFC Chicken PM100 Case size: 15x70g WSP: £6.99 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR

£1.50 POR: 25.4%

Walkers Max Double Crunch KFC Zinger PM100 Case size: 15x65g WSP: £6.99 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR

£1.50 POR: 25.4%

Walkers Cheese & Onion PM100 Case size: 15x65g WSP: £6.99 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR

£1.50 POR: 25.4%

Walkers Ready Salted PM100 Case size: 15x65g WSP: £6.99 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR

£1.50 POR: 25.4%

Walkers Salt & Vinegar PM100 Case size: 15x65g WSP: £6.99 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR

£1.50 POR: 25.4%

CHILLED DRINKS Buxton 8x500ml Case size: 8x500ml WSP: £1.50 Shopper deal: BOGOF 0.89 POR: 26.1% Naked Red Machine Case size: 8x360ml WSP: £9.99 Shopper deal: BOGOF 2.00 POR: 28.8% Naked Mango Machine Smoothie Case size: 8x360ml WSP: £9.99 Shopper deal: BOGOF 2.00 POR: 28.8% Naked Green Juice Smoothie Case size: 8x360ml WSP: £9.99 Shopper deal: BOGOF 2.00 POR: 28.8% Naked Blueberry Smoothie Case size: 8x360ml WSP: £9.99 Shopper deal: BOGOF 2.00 POR: 28.8% Naked Lean Kiwi & Cucumber Case size: 8x360ml WSP: £9.99 Shopper deal: BOGOF 2.00 POR: 28.8%

Check your local authority website for the start date of the new school year in your area.

LUNCHTIME LINES The new school year can be a challenging time for parents, so they will welcome any lunch ideas that are quick and easy for them to find and prepare, that are healthy and that kids will love. The first step is to ensure you have a good selection of staple lunchtime and sandwich making products. It is good practice to always stay in stock of bread and the basic sandwich fillings such as ham, cheese, and tuna as well as salad products and sauces. A proven winner with kids is the Dairylea Lunchables and Dunkers ranges and many of these lines are on special offer during NP7, running from September 1st until September 28th. Dairylea Dunkers Ritz, Breadsticks and Jumbo varieties all feature in a “two for £1.20” offer, while Lunchables Streetfood Pizza, Chicken & Cheese and Ham & Cheese styles can be offered to shoppers at “any two for £2.50”. Thanks to reduced wholesale prices, all of these deals still deliver a POR of over 20% for retailers.

Naked Lean Watermelon & Raspberry Case size: 8x360ml WSP: £9.99 Shopper deal: BOGOF 2.00 POR: 28.8% Tropicana Smooth OrangePM100 Case size: 8x250ml WSP: £3.75 Shopper deal: ANY 2 FOR £1.50 POR: 25.0%

Multibuy offers on a range of Walkers bag snacks also increase the options for parents, and the potential for improved basket spend and profits for retailers. A range of Walkers, Walkers Max, Sensations and Walkers Double Crunch in 65g/75g bags price marked at £1 feature in a “any two for £1.50” deal, which still offers a POR of over 25% for retailers due to promotional wholesale prices. Products include 16 different lines across the four brands, see the table for full details. These deals are also running in NP7 until September 28th.

HEALTHY OPTIONS Awareness of the importance of healthy diets for young people has never been higher, and this is reflected in how parents feed their children as well as, increasingly, the food items that children select for themselves. The NHS, through its Change4Life website, encourages parents and children to make healthier “swaps” for snacks containing higher levels of sugar, so it is

worth considering stocking products such as crackers with low–fat cheese, rice cakes, fruit salad, houmous dips with vegetables, low fat yogurt, sugar free jelly and malt loaf slices. Eat Natural bars are available on an ‘any two for £1.30’ deal during the September promotional period, offering a POR of 20%. Varieties included in the deal include Yogurt & Almond, Protein Pack, and Chocolate, Cranberry & Macadamia. No sugar and lower sugar products are gaining share in the soft drinks market, and flavoured waters are an alternative to traditional carbonates for lunchboxes or drinks after school. Finally, it’s worth remembering that it’s not just during school hours that shoppers will be looking for convenient solutions. Parents will be looking for quick and tasty meals for when the children come home from school, so you have an opportunity to make their lives easier with simple pizza or pasta options, burgers, chicken dishes and frozen chips.

August 2021 TalkingShop

Y L G N I H S E R REF NO-NONSENSE INCLUDED IN THE SANDWICH MEAL DEAL FROM 1ST SEPTEMBER

STOCK UP NOW! ORDER FROM BOOKER IN STORE AND ONLINE M207394 ORANGE 500ml M230443 APPLE 500ml M177082 ORANGE & CARROT 500ml

IN EVERY* BOTTLE

ADDED SUGAR

NO ADDED NONSENSE**

RECYCLABLE PACKAGING

hello@juiceburst.com | www.juiceburst.com | 0121 505 7585 *Contains naturally occuring sugars. **No artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners

LaunchReview FEEDBACK ON THE LATEST BOOKER PRODUCTS

£1 PMP Multipacks deliver footfall, sales and profits

Ne multip w a addedcks

Great

1e! £ Valu

Multiply sales with multipacks Booker’s extensive range of £1 PMP confectionery multipacks has gone down a storm in Premier stores. The growth in shopper demand for multipacks has affected many categories in-store and confectionery is just one of them. Booker was quick to respond with the launch of a huge range of confectionery multipacks, all price-marked at just £1. Chocolate is the key growth area within confectionery, and multipacks are growing at 20% year on year, according to Nielsen. For independent and symbol group retailers specifically, multipacks are seeing 12% growth – way ahead of the market at +4% – so Premier retailers have a great opportunity to take advantage of the move to more local shopping and max out on the trend towards larger pack sizes. The new range saw both a wider product

range on offer and enhanced pricing to help retailers meet these new shopper needs effectively, and grow their footfall, sales and profits into the bargain. A total of 15 new lines were added recently, taking the total multipack range to 31 which Premier retailers are able to offer at the attractive RSP of £1. Top sellers such as Snickers, Twix, Wispa and Crunchie have been joined in the multipack portfolio by Boost, Curly Wurly, Bounty and Frys Peppermint Cream. Retailers who chose to dedicate an entire high-impact one metre bay to the range and adopt Premier’s suggested planogram have seen sales soar. Premier calculates that this tremendous sales opportunity could be

worth up to £13,000 in extra sales per year and, with PORs of up to 26%, that adds up to £2.6k in additional profit every year! POS material is available to enhance the great £1 value message, including a £1 shelf strip allowing you to create a bay dedicated to the range, or to help drive sales on the standard fixture by highlighting the value message. Dual siting stock will help you to maximise sales, and merchandising key lines at the till points will show your customers you are serious about choice and value and will enable you to take full advantage of this sales and profit opportunity.

August 2021 TalkingShop

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shopper’s view… Alan Law, Uddingston, Lanarkshire “I’ve been working from home for so long now that we’ve totally changed the way we shop for the family. We’ve shifted much more towards buying bigger packs of everything from soft drinks and crisps to beer and chocolate. Like most people, I enjoy a sweet treat now and again but because the house is always full these days I tend to buy multipacks. My local Premier has a big display of chocolate multipacks and they’re all priced at just £1 so you can’t go wrong. They must have 20 or 30 different products in the display and it’s all top quality brands and products so I’m never stuck for something that everybody will like. When you think that it’s 60p or 70p for a single bar normally, to get four or five for £1 is just unbeatable as far as I’m concerned. That’s amazing value and I will admit that I have been known to pick up two or three multipacks at a time. Why wouldn’t you?”

IN SUMMARY

EASY TO UNDERSTAND, CONSISTENT PRICING OF £1 FOR EVERY LINE

PORs OF UP TO 26%

OUTSTANDING RANGE OF 31 DIFFERENT PRODUCTS

£2,600 EXTRA PROFIT OPPORTUNITY

RETAILER VIEW BALDEV CHIMA Milton News Food & Wine, Kilbirnie “Larger format packs and multipacks have been in enormous growth in my store in the last year, particularly in big volume, core categories like beer, crisps and confectionery. So this new range from Premier is just perfect to help us cash in. The fact that the range is so wide is brilliant because every shopper can fin something they want. The fact that every pack is price-marked at £1 also means the fixture couldn’t be easier to shop. And lastly, the fact that retailers are guaranteed a minimum of 20% POR is music to my ears!”

RETAILER VIEW PRASSANA WERAGAMA Premier Woolwell Stores, Plymouth “We’re seeing really big growth in sales of multipack confectionery lines and a lot of it is being driven by the fantastic £1 price-marked range. It’s all huge brands that are featured and at just £1 for a multipack, my shoppers are absolutely loving it. The range is just perfectly in tune with what shoppers are looking for these days. They want brilliant value but they don’t want to compromise on quality.”

KEY £1 PMP LINES TO STOCK: Product Snickers

Case Size 22x3x41.6g

WSP £14.49

POR 20.0%

Mars

22x3x39.3g

£14.49

20.0%

Twix

24x3x40g

£15.99

20.0%

Cadbury Daim

24x3x28g

£17.39

13.0%

Mentos Fruit

25x3x38g

£15.50

26.0%

Mentos Mint

25x3x38g

£15.50

26.0%

Double Decker

8x4x40g

£5.29

20.0%

Crunchie

10x4x26.1g

£6.59

20.0%

Picnic

10x4x32g

£6.65

20.0%

Wispa

11x4x25.5g

£7.29

20.0%

Lion Bar

10x4x30g

£6.65

20.0%

Rolo

12x4x41.6g

£7.99

20.0%

Toffee Crisp

14x4x31g

£9.29

20.0%

Kit Kat Chunky

24x4x32g

£15.99

19.0%

Twirl

20x5x21.5g

£13.29

20.0%

Kinder Choc Bar 40x8x12.5g

£26.29

20.0%

August 2021 TalkingShop

Natasha’s Law | GUEST COLUMN

Angela Hughes Hughes, Technical Director at Booker, offers guidance on how to comply with upcoming changes to food labelling legislation, also known as Natasha’s Law. The FSA website has information, guides and tools to help your business prepare for the new labelling changes. Visit:

www.food.gov.uk/ PPDS

Be prepared for Natasha’s Law The law on food labelling is changing on October 1st 2021, meaning that products put into packaging by retailers will have to carry a detailed ingredient list with allergens clearly highlighted.

The legislation is being introduced for am sure that everyone who read what is described as ‘prepacked for direct about the death of teenager Natasha sale’ (PPDS) food, which is food packaged Ednan-Laperouse, who suffered a at the same place it is offered or sold to fatal allergic reaction after eating a consumers and is in this packaging baguette bought from Pret a Manger before it is ordered or selected. in 2016, was deeply The 14 key There are a few key risk areas shocked and saddened by allergens for Premier retailers under the the event. ry l Cele new legislation. Firstly, bread and The UK Food g l Cereals containin bakery products when they are Information Amendment, gluten (eg wheat, barley, oats) baked on the premises and then also known as Natasha’s l Crustaceans (eg put into a wrapper by the retailer, Law, comes into effect prawns, crabs) is within the scope of the new from 1st October 2021 and l Eggs law. It also applies if you make will require businesses sandwiches or other food to go onto provide full ingredient l Fish site, and then put the products into lists and allergen labelling l Lupin wrappers or boxes. on foods pre-packaged for l Milk A third risk area is locally sale on the premises. Under l Molluscs (eg sourced products, if you are the law, labelling for these ers) oyst sels, mus applying packaging to something food products will have to l Mustard you have sourced locally. It’s very include the name of the food l Peanuts important that your local suppliers as well as full ingredients l Sesame are made aware of the law as well. list, with allergenic l Soybeans A fourth area of risk is where ingredients emphasised (for retailers have perhaps been a example in bold, italics or a l Sulphur dioxide/ sulphites bit creative by making up loose different colour). There are l Tree Nuts (eg product into packaged portions, 14 key allergens covered by almonds, such as pick n mix confectionery the legislation (see box for hazelnuts, made up into tubs for sale. And details). pistachios)

you need to be aware that the law also applies to drinks, such as smoothies that you bottle yourself for sale. Your responsibility under the new law does not apply to food that arrives at the store already prepackaged, and loose product is not within its scope either (you still have to provide allergen information for this, but you can do so orally or by means of a menu etc). Where you apply the packaging yourself, is the potentially problematic area. You need to decide carefully whether you want to continue to sell these products. If you decide to continue selling PPDS foods, you will need to have a system in place to make sure you have all the correct information required for labelling and that this remains up to date, should products change in the future. You will need to retain all the necessary paperwork to back it up if challenged. The key thing is to be ready for the new law on October 1st. Visit the FSA www. food.gov.uk/allergen-labelling-changesfor-prepacked-for-direct-sale-ppds-food for more information and also talk to your local Trading Standards team, as they will be responsible for enforcement. August 2021 TalkingShop

Available to order now PM £1.35 M264583

Local Shops | ACS Viewpoint

James Lowman

The pandemic has emphasised the value of local shops as our sector stepped up to ensure that all shoppers continued to have access to food and drink.

The latest edition of the ACS Community Barometer report demonstrates the vital role that convenience stores play in society and the value that they bring to local communities everywhere.

ecently, we launched our Community Barometer report which looks at how the public feel about the services that are available in their local communities, and the effect that they have on key measures like reducing loneliness, how positive an impact they have on the community and how essential they are. We first launched this report back in 2014 and year-on-year the findings have remained consistently positive about role local shops play, and this helps us to explain to policy-makers that we’re a vital part of maintaining and improving vibrant communities. Whether the Prime Minister of the day talks about “The Big Society”, supporting those who are “Just About Managing”, or “Levelling Up”, our sector is actually crucial to all efforts

to spread wealth, jobs and investment their local neighbourhoods as working into every part of the UK. The from home and staycations became the Community Barometer shows exactly ‘new normal’. why convenience stores are vital, not It is important to note that as well only by providing essential products as scoring highly amongst consumers, and services but also acting as many convenience stores also offer the community hubs, reducing the impact services that are thought of as essential, of loneliness and making places better around a fifth of local shops host Post for living and working in. Office branches in store. Not only is it It is not surprising that convenience fantastic to see that the work you do stores ranked highly across the board is valued in your local community, in this year’s polling, given the the Community Barometer enormously valuable role that may offer some clues about IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO convenience stores have some of the other positive GET INVOLVED IN THE played throughout the services that you may want POLITICAL WORK OF ACS pandemic. The coronavirus to explore and expand ....................... CALL ...................... pandemic has emphasised into. 01252 515 001 the value of local shops The full report is as our sector stepped up available on our website ............. OR LOG ON TO ........... to ensure that they could and if you have any www.acs.org.uk continue to feed the nation, questions, as always, please from introducing home grocery get in touch with a member of delivery services to catering for the team. August 2021 TalkingShop

Financial Grants Covid-19 Fund & Advice Counselling & CBT Support AI Emotional Support Health and Wellbeing

WE’RE HERE We provide emotional, practical and financial support for all grocery colleagues through the 24/7 Helpline and website.

Online Wellbeing Community for ages 11-25 Family & Relationship Support Workplace Critical Incident Support Managers Help & Information line Telephone Information Specialists Debt Advice

Scan the QR Code

GROCERYAID HELPLINE:

08088 021 122

Gambling Support Legal Advice

groceryaid.org.uk

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

Home delivery here to stay?

Ready for the rush?

As restrictions have now all but gone and we’re starting to see footfall levels continue to rise, what advice would you offer to retailers keen to ensure that they make the most of all that new traffic through the door? SURESH PATEL, PREMIER UPHOLLAND MARTYN PARKINSON, SALES DIRECTOR – RETAIL SAID: It’s certainly an exciting time for Premier retailers as restrictions across the UK are lifted and we continue to see footfall grow in Premier stores. Hygiene and safety will

continue to be a priority for many shoppers, so ensure that your cleaning and hygiene regime is maintained and make sure that your shoppers can see that you treat their health and wellbeing with the utmost seriousness. As shoppers continue to return it’s also critical that you communicate your offer as efficiently and professionally as possible. To help you do just that, we’ve recently fully relaunched the Premier POS kit with new impactful designs and dedicated packs for all of our key promotional mechanics like Wow Deals, Mega Deals, Meal Deals and EDLP. The new POS kit can really help drive sales and profits.

Time to join the Club? As a long-standing member of the Premier Tobacco Club, I’ve seen first hand the impact that it can have on footfall, sales and profits. Tobacco remains a massive category for us and the Club is a fantastic way of delivering for shoppers while also boosting profits for retailers. Is this the experience of other retailers? MANDEEP SINGH, SINGH’S PREMIER, SHEFFIELD

We’ve enjoyed really strong growth in home delivery over the last couple of years and it seems like it shows no signs of weakening, even though restrictions are being relaxed and shoppers can return to stores in person more easily. Do you believe that delivery is here to stay in independent retailing? JUSTIN WHITTAKER, PREMIER MJ’S, ROYTON MARTYN PARKINSON, SALES DIRECTOR – RETAIL SAID: The growth of home delivery over the last 18 months has been phenomenal and many Premier retailers have done a fantastic job of growing their businesses by embracing this opportunity. The spectacular growth of home delivery may have been accelerated by restrictions but it looks increasingly like home delivery will be an important service in independent retailing long into the future.

MARTYN PARKINSON, SALES DIRECTOR – RETAIL SAID: The tobacco category has been challenging for years thanks to a wave of legislation, but it remains remarkably buoyant and is still worth more than £18bn a year in sales. With shoppers more interested than ever in value for money, offering big-selling cigarette and RYO lines at RSP or below ensures that your shoppers know they’re getting great pricing which helps drive footfall every day. the Premier Tobacco Club is a quick, easy way to allow you to maintain RSP pricing but to benefit from an additional 2% on every qualifying product sold. It’s a real win-win and I would urge all Premier retailers to take advantage.

August 2021 TalkingShop

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GUM IS THE MOST PROFITABLE

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MOVING CHEWING GUM

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AT TILL POINT WILL GENERATE 1/3 MORE SALES THAN A DISPLAY 1M AWAY

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